Buhari blows hot, vows to recover all stolen funds

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62434

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Uproar in Senate, House of Reps over leadership positions

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How I was chained, tortured in the bush by my kidnappers— Ondo Regent 55

Buhari blows hot, vows to recover all stolen funds zSays last administration worse than Second Republic zDays of impunity, lack of accountability, recklessness over zUS, other countries to assist in funds recovery zBail-out for states coming from Excess Crude Account

By Ben Agande

A

B U J A — PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday in Abuja, vowed that billions of dollars stolen from government coffers by past government officials would be recovered by his government.

Speaking with state governors during his maiden meeting with them at the State House, President Buhari said what happened in government in the recent past was worse than what happened during the Continues on Page 5

Businesses close shop over abandoned Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road ide ns eI e S

GOVS MEET BUHARI—President Muhammadu Buhari (C)flanked by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Chairman

Governors' Forum, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State while others join in a group photograph after the first meeting between the President and state governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Health ministry warns against importation of ethanol from India

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COLUMNIST: Should Onwubiko:Mourning cry everyone go to for Emman Ezeazu's university? •P.17 untimely death •P.19 C M Y K

FG, states, others owe construction companies N600bn — FOCI 9

Mr & Mrs

2— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 — 3

C M Y K

4— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015—5

POCKET CARTOON

WIDOWS' DAY—From left: Rep Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Guest Speaker; Mr Ronald Kayanja, Director, United Nations Information Centre, Lagos; Professor Grace Alele-Williams, former Vice Chancellor, University of Benin and Ms Kendi Aig-Imonu,Executive Director, Hope for Life Initiative during the Commemoration of 2015 International Widow's day in Lagos.

Buhari blows hot, vows to recover all stolen funds Continues from Page 1 Second Republic which led to the overthrow of the Shagari administration, but promised that he would do his best to restore sanity to the system.

President Buhari also said yesterday, that his administration has received firm assurances of cooperation from the United States and other countries on the recovery and repatriation of funds stolen from Nigeria.

Yesterday ’s meeting was at the instance of the governors in a bid to address the crippling economic situation in some states which was responsible for nonpayment of salaries by several states.

To address the situation, President Buhari announced the setting up of a committee under the leadership of the VicePresident, Professor Yemi Osinbajo to look at the Excess Crude Account and see what can be

shared immediately to cushion the effects of the economic crunch on the states.

Speaking on the economy, President Buhari said although there are procedures and processes for running government agencies and departments, such processes and procedures were “thrown to the dogs”.

He, however, assured state governors that the days of impunity, lack of accountability, and fiscal recklessness in the management of national resources are over in Nigeria.

While expressing shock that the state governors would allow the money in the excess crude account to be spent without accountability since 2011, President Buhari noted that he would address the issue shortly.

“There are financial and administrative instructions in every government parastatal and agency. But all these

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

A

ny transition serious enough to alter your definition of self will requires not just small adjustments in your way of living and thinking but a full-on metamorphosis —Martha Beck Whether you have made the choice, or have been forced to significantly alter your life, it’s time to begin navigating your transition.

Is there something you’ve been talking about, thinking about or even dreaming about for what seems like forever, yet you never seem to actually do it? Not to worry, there is possibility for it to happen.

However, there’s absolutely no reason for you to stay stuck. It’s time to stop talking and start doing.

It may be easier than you think.

Ask yourself: “Is this goal actually something I’m really passionate about or is it an old dream I need to let go of?”

It can actually be exhilarating to let go of a goal when you realize it isn’t something that you want anymore. If that’s the case, be brave and give yourself permission to release it and move to do something more purposeful for you.

were thrown to the dogs in the past. Honestly, our problems are great, but we will do our best to surmount them.

“The next three months may be hard, but billions of dollars can be recovered, and we will do our best,“ the President told the governors.

The President declared that the payment of national revenue into any account other than the Federation Account was an abuse of the constitution, adding that what he heard was going on in many agencies and corporations, particularly the NNPC, was clearly illegal.

On the refund of monies spent on federal projects by state governments, President Buhari assured the governors that the Federal Government will pay, but insisted that due process must be followed.

The President also promised special assistance for the three North-Eastern states badly affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

FG's Report on economic situation soon He further said that a comprehensive statement on the economic and financial situation inherited by his administration will be made to the nation within the next four weeks.

“We will try and put the system back into the right position. What happened in the Second Republic has apparently happened again, and even worse, but we will restore sanity to the system,” President Buhari assured the governors.

On an immediate lifeline for states that owe

salaries running into many months, President Buhari said that a committee headed by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, will look at the Excess Crude Account and see what can be shared immediately.

The governors, led by Chairman of the Governors Forum, Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, requested the President to, among other things, ensure the obedience of extant Supreme Court ruling that all monies go into the Consolidated Federation Account.

The governors also implored the President to give a directive that all revenue generating agencies must pay into the Consolidated Federation Account.

While also calling for the review of the Revenue Allocation Formula, the governors appealed to the Federal Government to refund monies expended by states on federal projects as well as a special consideration for the three North Eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe that have been under Boko Haram infestation.

They further called for full disclosure of the amount that accrued into the Excess Crude Account from 2011, and how the money shrank without official sharing.

What govs told Buhari Addressing State House correspondents after the meeting, Governor Yari said the governors presented some requests to the President for immediate consideration.

He said: “We proposed to Mr. President that instead of being given bailout, that the funds for jobs, projects that were done by the states should be refunded by the federal government. If the affected states are able to get the money owed them released, they can start paying salaries without bail out.

“Secondly, we also brought to his notice that if most of the loans owed by the states, which are between four and seven years, can be stretched to 20 years, the states will be relieved and would be able to continue other businesses including payment of salaries.

“We also requested that $1.6bn first charge paid

by LNG to the Federal Government, should be paid to the federation account so that it could be shared amongst the three tiers of government, which will enable us to do one or two things.

“Also we urged the President to follow the constitution when it

comes to money sharing.

Section 80 is very clear, that all monies should go to the Consolidated Revenue Account for the purpose, and no account should be kept anywhere because this is what the constitution says.

“Section 162 also is explanatory, that whatever is going to happen to the money will be after sharing to the three tiers of government and that the NNPC or any other revenue generating agency should not have the first line charges”.

Governors in attendance were Akwa Ibom -Emmanuel Udom (PDP); Adamawa Bindow Jibrilla (APC); Benue - Samuel Ortom (APC); Borno - Kashim Shettima (APC); Cross River -Prof. Ben Ayade (PDP); Delta - Ifeanyi Okowa (PDP); Ebonyi Dave Umahi (PDP); Gombe -Ibrahim Dankwambo (PDP); Imo Rochas Okorocha (APC); Jigawa - Alhaji Badaru Abubakar (APC); Kaduna - Nasir El-Rufai (APC); Kano - Dr Abdullahi Ganduje (APC); Katsina Aminu Masari (APC); Kebbi - Atiku Bagudu (APC); Kwara Abdulfatah Ahmed (APC); Lagos - Akinwunmi Ambode (APC); Nasarawa -Umaru Al-Makura (APC); Niger -Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello (APC); Ogun -Ibikunle Amosun (APC); Oyo Abiola Ajimobi (APC); Rivers - Nyesom Wike (PDP); Sokoto - Aminu Tambuwal (APC); Taraba - Darius Ishaku (PDP); Yobe -Ibrahim Gaidam (APC); Zamfara Abdulaziz Yari (APC); Anambra - Willie Obiano (APGA); Edo - Adams Oshiomhole (APC); Ekiti - Ayo Fayose (PDP); Kogi - Idris Wada (PDP); Ondo - Olusegun Mimiko (PDP); Osun - Rauf Aregbesola (APC).

Plateau (APC) and Bayelsa (PDP) states were represented by their deputy governors.

US, other countries to assist FG recover funds Meanwhile, President Buhari said in Abuja,

yesterday, that his administration has received firm assurances of cooperation from the United States and other countries on the recovery and repatriation of funds stolen from Nigeria.

Speaking at an audience with members of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, President Buhari said that it was now up to Nigeria to provide the international community with the facts and figures needed to drive the recovery effort.

“In the next three months, our administration will be busy getting those facts and the figures to help us recover our stolen funds in foreign countries,” the President told the traditional rulers .

Citing the report submitted by the Ahmed Joda-led transition committee, President Buhari said that several revenue-generating institutions in the country have been compromised, leading to a weak economy.

On insecurity, the President said that the traditional rulers could play a key role in stemming terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria by assisting the government with cost-effective intelligence gathering.

President Buhari also assured the traditional rulers that his administration was working hard to end insecurity and terrorism in the country in the shortest possible time with the cooperation of neighbouring countries and the international community.

Sultan Abubakar had earlier presented the Northern Traditional Rulers’ recommendations to the President on issues related to national development.

The Sultan told the President that as custodians of tradition and stakeholders in the Nigerian project, the traditional rulers had a responsibility to always advise political leaders on the “path of truth and justice”.

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Pandemonium in Oghara as soldiers kill vigilante leader zArmy denies involvement O

By Emma Amaize & Godwin Oghre

G H A RA—SOLDIERS attached to 19 Military Battalion, Koko, Delta State, yesterday, trailed and shot dead the chairman of Oghara Vigilante Group in EthiopeWest Local Government Area, Mr. Benson Ogedegbe, in broad daylight.

There was commotion in the community soon after the killing as residents took to the streets in protest, while the Executive Director of Africa Network for Economic and Environmental Justice, ANEEJ,s Mr. David Ugolor, called on the Inspector General of Police to fish out and prosecute the trigger-happy soldiers.

Vanguard learned that the deceased was having problem with the leader of a criminal gang, who contacted his military friends to eliminate him after attempts to rope him into a criminal case failed.

struggling over a gun with one of the soldiers on patrol, which Mrs. Ogedegbe debunked.

A police officer, who corroborated Mrs. Ogedegbe’s claim, said: “I do not think it is true that he was dragging gun with soldiers the way we saw the situation. Soldiers and not police did the killing. The police found the victim lying lifeless in the pool of his blood.’’

Informant's account

Our informant, who is familiar with the case insisted: “Benson Ogedegbe was killed by a group of soldiers working with the leader of a known criminal gang at Oghara.”

“Benson’s father was killed in the course of

fighting for justice at Oghara and he took after his father. ‘’He was a games master in one of the schools at Ogharafe.

The gangster reported him to his military friends on the grounds that the deceased implicated him in a matter.

“The gangster cooked up a petition against his son, who was first picked up by the military, after which they invaded Benson’s house, seized his vehicle and other things, and also declared him wanted.

“Following pressure mounted on the military, the case was transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department, CID, Police Headquarters, Asaba, where one of the criminals they wanted to use against Benson, confessed that he had never met him in his life.”

It was learned that the police released Benson and later released his son on bail when detectives smelt a rat.

However, yesterday, Benson was going to school to pick up some documents when soldiers stalked and killed him.

Died on the way to hospital

Security agents rushed him to Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, for medical attention, but he died on the way.

A villager told Vanguard that Oghara monarch invited an army officer and the deceased sometime ago, to resolve the grievances.

“Those after the deceased do not want him to remain alive, which is why they snuffed life out of him,” the villager said.

Army denies involvement

When contacted, Commandant of 19 Battalion of Nigeria Army, Koko, in-charge of the area, Lt. Col. Aminu Umar, denied that soldiers in the battalion were responsible, saying he was yet to receive the information.

Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Delta State Police Command, DSP Celestina Kalu, confirmed the death of the deceased when contacted by Vanguard.

“The DPO has sent the situation report, but we are yet to unravel the rationale behind the killing,” she said.

The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Oghara, told Vanguard that his men were attracted to the scene on seeing residents scampering for safety during a skirmish between the victim and a team of soldiers on patrol in the area.

Late Ogedegbe's wife speaks

The deceased's wife, Mrs. Endurance Ogedegbe, who spoke amid sob on phone to Vanguard, said: “He (husband) left the house today (yesterday) to go to the school to pick up some papers, but when I came out, I observed that some military men were following him, so I followed them behind.

“They were pursuing him and I was following them, they got to a point, overtook his car and shot him,” she said.

A military source, however, said the deceased was

Man, 24, docked for stealing, attempted murder

By Opeyemi Lepe

L

AGOS—A 24-year-old man, Okiemute Ophte, of no fixed address was yesterday arraigned before Apapa Magistrate's Court, Lagos, for stealing and attempted murder.

The defendant is facing a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and assault preferred against him by the police.

The prosecutor, Supol Olu Ojaokomo, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on June 1, 2015, at No. 25 Layinka Street, Ajegunle Apapa, Lagos State.

He also said the defendant conspired with six others now at large to commit felony to wit; stealing, and did unlawfully and deliberately stole one Samsung handset valued at N75,000, property of one Albert Enyinnaya.

The prosecutor also accused the defendant of unlawfully assaulting one Albert Enyinnaya by stabbing him with kitchen knife in his left hand.

Woman charged with N5.7m fraudulent sale of provisions

TERROR: Medical staff help a man who is treated in a hospital after he was injured in a bomb blast carried out by young female suicide bomber who detonated her explosives at a bus station in Maiduguri, yesterday. The blast happened near a fish market in the Baga Road area of the city, which has been repeatedly targeted in recent weeks by shelling, bombs and suicide attacks. AFP Photo.

Police nab one over murder in Delta

By Ochuko Akuopha

O

LEH—THE police in Delta State have arrested one person in connection with the killing of a vigilance team member at Olomoro in Isoko South Local Government Area.

The deceased, popularly known as ‘Oyibo’, was last month allegedly clubbed to

death by three suspected cultists, a development which sparked violent outrage in the community.

It would be recalled that some houses belonging to members of the assailants’ families were set ablaze in a reprisal attack by an angry mob in the community.

Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State police

command, Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the arrest, said the police was on top of the matter.

She said the arrest was in continuation of the ongoing investigation into cases of murder and arson. Until his death, the deceased was renowned for his anti-cultism activities in the community.

L

By Bartholomew Madukwe

AGOS—A 36-year-old woman, Ibikunle Onile, was yesterday charged before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, over alleged fraudulent sale of some quantities of sweets and soaps valued at N5.7 million.

Onile of no fixed address and others now at large, were said to have conspired among themselves to commit felony to wit; stealing.

According to the charge, the accused and others, at No. 53 Oniwaya, Agege, Lagos, stole N5.7 million, property of Tonytonia Industry Limited.

The accused was arraigned by the police on a three-count charge of felony to wit; stealing, and fraudulent sale of goods.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015—7

3 guards face probe, as robbers ransack Anambra court

By Nwabueze zMoney, documents missing Okonkwo

O

NITSHA—THREE night guards attached to the Customary Court, Abagana, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, are now facing internal query over last Sunday night’s attack on the court offices.

The offices were ransacked, with the invaders, suspected to be armed robbers, making away with an undisclosed amount of money and valuable documents.

The incident was the second.

The first occurred the previous Thursday night, but the robbers did not succeed, which must have prompted their second visit, Sunday night.

The reason for the query to the night guards, according to security sources, is because of their inability to confront the robbers or, at least, give a graphic account of how the robbers operated on the night, more so when the robbers had struck three days earlier.

At press time yesterday, it was not yet certain what would be the fate of the guards, following the query issued them on Monday morning, when the officials came to work and

discovered that all the offices had been ransacked and that unspecified sums of money and valuable documents removed from their offices.

Reliable sources from security agencies hinted that the robbers had a field day during the

operation, as none of the night guards was around to challenge them, to the extent that butts from cigarettes smoked by the robbers littered the court halls on Monday morning.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer,

Uche Ezeh, told newsmen on phone that he was not yet aware of the incident, adding that the court apparently wanted the court officials to handle the matter internally first, before reporting it to the police for further investigations.

By Evelyn Usman

L

AGOS—UNKNOWN gunmen, Monday, shot dead Lagos State Coordinator of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries, Pastor Chukwuemeka Okpokpo, at Apple Junction, Amuwo Odofin area of the state.

The gunmen, said to have used a motorcycle, reportedly trailed the deceased from a Diamond Bank branch, where he had gone to withdraw N3 million for the church.

They reportedly fired shots into the air, which sent other road users and passers-by scampering for safety.

Reports said Pastor Okpokpo tried to escape when it became obvious that he was the target.

By Demola Akinyemi

I

Job seekers crowd the National Assembly lobby in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Lord’s Chosen pastor shot dead in Lagos

Pastor Okpokpo.

RAMADAN TRAGEDY: 3 teenagers drown in well

He reportedly slowed down on reaching a bad spot in the road, and the hoodlums shot at the tyres of the Chosen vehicle he was driving, bringing the vehicle to an abrupt halt.

One of the gunmen then alighted from their motorbike, walked to the vehicle and shot Pastor Okpokpo in the stomach.

He was said to have waited to ensure that Okpokpo was no longer breathing before he took the nylon bag containing the money, went back to his two colleagues in the motorbike and they zoomed off.

Fear-stricken residents were said to have rushed to the scene and raised alarm on discovering that the victim was wearing the Lord’s Chosen reflective jacket.

Some of them were said to have alerted members of the church, who rushed him to the church’s clinic at Ijesha.

When news of the tragedy filtered in, those who knew him wept uncontrollably, dispelling the report as rumour, while some said he was still in Ogun State, where he had gone to organise a crusade.

Resurrection prayers

A prayer session aimed at resurrecting him reportedly held between 12.30p.m. and 8p.m.

Some of the church members were, however, of the view that the gunmen could have been

hired assassins and not robbers.

We're investigating —POLICE

Meanwhile, Lagos State Police Command said it had begun investigation into the killing. The command said it was too early to say if it was a case of robbery or assassination.

A police source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told

Vanguard: “We are leaving all avenues open in our investigation.”

Church members thronged Okpokpo’s Iju home to commiserate with his family.

The family members hinted that Okpokpo’s body had been taken to his home town in Amizi, Ikwuano Local Government Area of Umuahia of Abia State.

LORIN—THREE secondary school students drowned one after the other in a well while trying to fetch water to perform ablution last weekend in Okerimi-Oro in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Vanguard gathered that the three boys, whose ages ranged from 14 to 15, are students of Ayaki Secondary School located in the area and had wanted to perform ablution ahead of breaking their fast when the tragedy struck.

It was gathered that one of the three boys had tried to fetch water from the well, when he suddenly fell in.

The source said instead of alerting adults around to rescue his drowning mate, the second victim tried to climb down the well to his rescue, but also fell inside, followed by the third.

Vanguard further gathered from a member of the community that after the three corpses were recovered from the well, a supernatural twist was introduced to the incident as leaves thrown inside the well for appeasement to avert further deaths, dried up immediately they touched the water in the well.

Soldier, others arrested for kidnap in Makurdi

By Peter Duru

M

AKURDI—A soldier (names withheld) and two others were caught by a mob for allegedly kidnapping a middle-aged woman in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

Vanguard learned from an eyewitness, yesterday, that one of the suspects was an alleged deserter of the Nigerian Army, who ran away from the insurgency at Baga, Borno State.

The witness said: “We had just finished from our morning Mass at Saint Rita Catholic Church near the Makurdi Modern Market, when we saw some men on power bikes standing by the gate of the Church.

“Suddenly, we saw the men

approach Mrs. Audu in her Toyota car and after forcefully collecting her car keys, they pushed her into the back seat of the car and sped off.

“However, shortly after the car sped off, the woman jumped out of the car and started shouting for help. That was when people realised what was going on.

“Luckily, the young men who were around chased her abductors in their cars and motorbikes. They overpowered and arrested three of them.”

Escape lynching

Vanguard gathered that the trio were beaten to a pulp and were about being set ablaze when police came to their rescue.

Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent

Austin Ezeani, said the men were probably car snatchers from outside the state.

Ezeani said: “We are still investigating the matter, but what we have so far gathered is that they are car snatchers who came into the state from outside.

“One of the three arrested suspects was found with a pistol and eight rounds of live ammunition; he confessed that one of the two who are still at large was a soldier serving with the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu.

“The arrested suspect was said to be a deserter Lance Corporal, who escaped from the fight against insurgency in Borno State.

“Two of the suspects are still at large; we are on their trail and we will get them.”

8—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Uproar in Senate, House of Reps over leadership positions zAs Dogara’s men stop Gbajabiamila’s emergence as Leader

By Emmanuel Aziken, Henry Umoru, Joseph Erunke & Joseph Agbarakwu

A

BUJA — THE deadlock in the National Assembly over the choice of leaders and whips of the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday rumbled on with senators elected on the platform of the party coming to near blows at a forum to choose their officers.

In the House, the situation was not different as the presentation of new officers was again deferred upon the resistance of associates of Speaker Yakubu Dogara, who are opposed to the choices presented by the party leadership.

Dogara’s associates, according to high level sources in the House, are opposed to the party’s choice of Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila as House Leader as they alleged that his choice after the emergence of the Deputy Speaker from Osun State would distort the zoning configuration of the leadership.

Nevertheless, bad blood flowing from the leadership election pervaded proceedings in the House chambers. Supporters of Rep. Gbajabiamilia, who was defeated in the contest for speaker, penultimate Tuesday, temporarily stayed proceedings as they questioned the speaker’s ruling in the chamber, yesterday.

The crisis in the Senate climaxed at a caucus of the meeting called to elect the Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader, Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip.

Yesterday’s caucus meeting was preceded by a late night meeting on Monday in Senate Hearing Room One attended by about 40 APC senators where it was resolved to break down the divisions in the party following the contest for Senate President.

Both supporters of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and his rival, Senator Ahmad Lawan were said to have left the meeting which ended shortly before midnight with a resolution to forge a unity in the party and to again meet yesterday afternoon for the selection of the leaders and whips.

At yesterday’s plenary, Senator Saraki had announced the APC caucus meeting for 2 p.m. with an urge on all APC senators to attend.

As the meeting which held behind closed doors in Room 3: 01 with about 40 APC Senators present commenced, Senator Saraki was said to have called for unity, saying it was time to put the past behind.

It's time to bury the hatchet

“It is time to bury the hatchet and renew that spirit of love, cooperation and trust in one another. The leadership of our

position as agreed.

“He (Hunkuyi) didn’t get to know what has been said and the arrangements that were made and agreement that was reached.

We all agreed that we will go and meet in caucuses, that is to say the Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate has been zoned to NorthEast, Deputy Majority Leader zoned to North-West and the Chief Whip zoned to South-West and then the Deputy Chief Whip is zoned to South-South.

"That was where we were when these people came in and suddenly when they came in, they said no, it is the party secretariat that is going to decide who takes the position. And of course, they were making it very obvious that the party leadership is on the side of what we believe now is extinct, that is, the Unity Forum.

Dogara’s men stop Gbajabiamila’s emergence as Leader

Bukola Saraki, Senate President party expect us to hit the ground running, and the Nigeria populace are waiting to see us in action to deliver on our promises and commitment.

Let us start this journey of unity today and let the world see that yes, in the 8th Senate, we are one family. We should not allow ourselves to be distracted by the people around us or be carried away by the noise our there.

Let us remain focused and determined.”

A source told Vanguard that Senator Saraki’s position was that the senators should follow the convention of allowing the zones to produce the leaders apportioned to them.

The meeting agreed that the North-East caucus would produce the Senate Leader while the North-West would produce the deputy with the Senate Chief Whip going to the South-West and the Deputy Chief Whip going the way of the South-South.

The exchange of blows

Barely 30 minutes after Saraki entered, Senator Lawan sauntered into the Hearing Room and immediately pandemonium ensued as his supporters announced that they must follow the dictates of the party which they claimed had already pencilled down names for all the positions.

The supporters of Senator Saraki, christened asLike Minds, however, insisted on elections by the Senate caucuses, thus provoking a heated debate that eventually descended into a shouting and shovelling match between the Like Minds and supporters of Lawan known as the Unity Forum.

Signs of trouble emerged when Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North)

Yusuf Dogara, House of Reps speaker

came out shouting that the earlier zoning arrangement was not the correct position of the party.

It was learnt that while the meeting was still ongoing, a list supposedly arrived from the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, stating the position of the party which it was claimed had been sent to the office of the Senate President.

According to the list, Senator Lawan was earmarked for Senate Leader, Senator George Akume, Deputy Leader; Senator Olusola Adeyeye, Senate Chief Whip and Senator Abu Ibrahim, Deputy Chief Whip.

A returning senator from Ondo State was, however, said to have shouted his opposition that the party would not dictate for the senators, saying Adeyeye would not emerge as chief whip if the vote is left to South-West senators. He was said to have suggested Senator Ajayi Boroffice for the post. His assertion was said to have angered Senator Kabiru Marafa, Zamfara Central. It was at this point that two senators in opposing camps went for one another’s jugular before some colleagues rushed to separate the two senators.

Intervention by other senators

Senator Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara) held one of the senators preventing the other senator from making further pummelling him.

Other Senators also joined in saving the ugly situation even as rains of abusive words intensified from all angles in different languages.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the meeting, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara South) said although his colleagues were not privy to the

conversation between the fighting two senators, he said other senators had to intervene before the situation degenerated.

It also emerged that support was also coming the way of Senator Binta Masi Garba from some senators to emerge as the consensus candidate for Senate Leader.

Speaking to newsmen after the fight, Senator Abu Ibrahim, Katsina South said: “The party has come out with its own position and some people are trying to rush to sabotage the party ‘s position. We will see whether the Senate President will heed the party’s directives.”

Insisting that the party should have the right of appointing senators for the four positions, Senator Hunkuyi (Kaduna North), said: “The issue of leadership of the chamber that belongs to the group of the APC, cannot be decided here. It is common reasoning and common sense. We have a leadership for the party. The leadership of the party, that is, the APC still reigns supreme to decide the four positions of leadership, where it should go and who shall have it.

An attempt here to do otherwise is the cause of this rancour.

“Simply put, the cause of the rancour is an attempt by the leadership that has emerged, in otherwise fishy circumstances to again force their will on the majority of the Senators of the APC.”

What was agreed on

The assertions of the two senators were, however, debunked by Senator Ibrahim Danbaba, Sokoto South who alleged that the senators at the meeting on Monday night agreed that the zones should produce the leaders allotted to them, accusing those speaking to the contrary of ignorance of the

The tension also overflowed in the House of Representatives as the presentation of the leaders was as exclusively reported by Vanguard yesterday did not hold.

In the plenary, the division between associates of Speaker Dogara and Femi Gbajabiamila who Dogara defeated to become speaker two weeks ago was sharpened when the later rose to challenge Dogara’s judgment on a motion.

Gbajabiamila, who was the immediate past Minority leader in the 7th House and the preferred candidate for the position of Speaker by the All Progressives Congress, APC, said the Speaker was wrong to rule in favour of a motion through the voice vote of members.

Gbajabiamila said Order 49 of the standing rules of the House stipulated that the ruling on the suspension of the rules of the House could only be done by a two-third majority and not through a voice vote as allowed by the speaker.

While Rep. Ossai Ossai, Delta State rose to defend the speaker’s decision, a supporter of Gbajabiamila, Aliyu Sani Madaki, immediately countered, advising the House that a wrongdoing should not be allowed to continue even when committed by the speaker.

The dispute led to a rowdy session as both sides shouted on one another.

The Speaker in his ruling said while he acknowledged the position of the House rule as raised, he said the House could do little to determine two-third majority during voting.

His ruling attracted applause from lawmakers in his support as the floor was nearly divided between the two camps that were visible before the election of the presiding officers.

Meanwhile, the presentation of the House leaders was again deferred yesterday on the failure of the two major camps in the House to reach an agreement.

Sources disclosed that the party leadership is insisting on Gbajabiamila becoming the House Leader, a position that has been seriously countered by those aligned to the speaker.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015—9

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA — THE immediate past Minister/Deputy Chairman, National Planning Commission (NPC), Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, yesterday, faulted claims by President Muhammadu Buhari that his administration met an empty treasury.

Suleiman said the former administration as at May 29 left behind $30 billion, adding that the sum would have been higher had the governors not insisted on sharing the fund.

He warned that the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, must not be criminalized and painted a plunderer and looter of the nation’s treasury before the generality of Nigerians.

The clarification was in response to the President’s statement during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, where he was quoted to have said that his government met “ virtually an empty treasury.”

President Buhari reportedly said that it was a disgrace that Nigeria cannot pay salaries of its workforce.

Expressing his dismay over the President’s statement, Sulaiman in a statement in Abuja described the report as “unscientific and unfair,” stressing that the immediate past administration “left behind close to $30 billion.”

He said: “Government can’t tell us that there is no Excess Crude Account (ECA), Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) or are we saying the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIR) and related agencies had not in the last one month been generating revenue?

“Until they are able to prove they had no receipts from these government agencies in the last one month before Nigerians can now buy into Mr. President’s claims of an empty treasury.”

Africa's largest economy He recalled that under the Jonathan’s administration, Nigeria was rated the largest economy in Africa and 26th largest in the world, querying how come such a government would leave behind an empty treasury.

He said: ”Money made by government is meant to be spent, and this the immediate past administration did responsibly. Every government operates on deficit even in the so-called western world, including the US which today remains one of the largest debtor nations in the world.

"Is it not on record that President Obama inherited $3 trillion debt, a collapsed banking sector and mortgage industry, yet he never raised

Empty treasury: Jonathan’s minister faults Buhari zSays ex-president left $30bn in excess crude account any alarm. None of these has happened in Nigeria under Jonathan.

“Under Jonathan, Nigeria became the largest Africa economy and 26th in the world amidst deadly security challenges and dwindling international prices of oil. In spite of all these, the Federal Government never owed

salary.

“Upon inception of Jonathan’s administration, it is on record that the price of oil at the global stage was over $100 per barrel and at the close of the administration, it dropped to $46. Yet, there wasn’t collapse of government and federal civil servants were paid as at when due.

“It will be misleading,

therefore, for our respected President Muhammadu Buhari and indeed the ruling APC to claim to have met an empty treasury.”

He further reminded the new government that “aspiration to governance is a call to meeting and confronting challenges headlong. So, we urge the

APC-led government to hit the ground running as promised Nigerians by confronting the challenges.

“We are not in doubt of the capability of Mr. President to do it. He should, therefore, get to business, put in place structures and personnel to redeem the pledges made to Nigerians.”

MEETING: President Muhammadu Buhari (middle) flanked by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (4th left); the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III (4th right);Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Garbai El-Kanemi (3rd left); Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Muhammadu Bashir Ilyasu (3rd right); Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu (2nd right); the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo (right); the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar (2nd left); and the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Sulu Gambari (left) after a meeting between President Buhari and Northern traditional rulers at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida

FG, states, others owe construction firms N600bn — FOCI

By Favour Nnabugwu

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BUJA— Construction companies in Nigeria, under the aegis of the Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI), have expressed concern over the high indebtedness of the Federal Government, state and local governments to the construction industry running into over N600 billion According to the body, which is the umbrella group for building and civil engineering contractors, subcontractors, and plant and equipment suppliers, the Federal Government alone owes its members over N600 billion President of FOCI, Mr. Solomon Ogunbusola, who raised the alarm at 59th Annual General Meeting of the body, in Abuja said exPresident Goodluck Jonathan gave the construction industry so much work to do

without money to execute them.

Said he: “We are not finding it funny; the bigger ones and smaller ones are finding it extremely difficult. In the construction industry, we are working below 30 percent capacity.

“If you are living in Abuja, for example, at the early hours of 4,5 and 6 a.m, you would see trucks of construction companies coming into Abuja because the workers will have to resume but now you don’t see the trucks including Julius Berger, Stabilini etc coming in.”

“Some of us have closed; we closed the company. We are only resuming in the office for the purpose of continuity and I want my message to be brought out clear as I am saying, we can’t hide it. It is unfortunate that the construction company can’t go and carry placards and start going around saying ‘ we are

in recession.’ If it is something we can do, we would have done it long ago.

“The Federal Government owes the construction industry over N600 biilion. I can mention three companies that the government alone owes over N200 billion: Julius Berger, N70bn; MCC, over N70bn; Setraco, over N80bn.

Those are the ones I am sure of the exact figures even S&M which is a growing company is being owed over N800m.

“We have never had it so bad like in the last two years because the payments were not coming forth and because we don’t know what to do, we have to just cry aloud.”

Ogunbusola, who was apparently concerned about the present state of association’s members, said FOCI’s 126 registered member companies are utilising less than 30 per cent of their staff strength due to

mass retrenchment.

While stressing that FOCI had contributed a great measure to the construction of modern Nigeria since its incorporation in 1954, he, however, said: “It is distressing to observe that many construction firms are just going to work for the sake of continuity as many of them are on the verge of collapse due to huge debts owned by the federal, states and local governments.

“We wish to bring to the notice of President Muhammadu Buhari; Senate President Senator Olusola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker, Yusuf Dogara that the construction companies generally are working at 30 per cent capacity following the mass retrenchment of our workers due to the delay/nonpayment of certified jobs by various arms of government.”

10—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

BAMAIYI: Court Registrar opens defence, denies allegation

Court affirms judgement against Kashamu’s extradition

By Abdulwahab Abdulah

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AGOS—A former court registrar, Mrs Ronke Rosulu accused of defrauding former Chief of Army Staff, General Ishaya Bamayi,(retd) to the tune of $330,000 while he was detained at Kirikiri Prison yesterday denied the allegations before the court.

Rosulu who was a court registrar with Justice Joseph Oyewole denied all the allegations against her by the Exconomic and Financial Crimes Commisiion, EFCC, in her defence before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of an Ikeja High Court.

It would be recalled that Bamaiyi had in his testimony before the court alleged that Rosulu aided Fred Ajudua, in defrauding him of $330,000, on the account that the money was meant for a part payment for professional fees charged by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) to handle his trial for attempted murder of the publisher of The Guardian, newspaper, Mr. Alex Ibru and two others.

Led in evidence by her counsel, Mr. Bamidele Ogundele, Rosulu told the court about her working career with the judiciary in 1981 and how she survived financially by selling wares to augment her salary.

She told the court that she was working in Justice Oyewole’s court while Bamaiyi was standing trial in the same court, adding that she only knew the complainant (Bamaiyi) when he was standing trial.

She disclosed, “I was the Senior Registrar in that court before I

By Innocent Anaba

L

VISIT: Managing Director, Arik Air, Mr. Chris Ndulue (left) welcoming the new Commissioner of Police, Lagos Airport Command, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu during the latter's visit to Arik's Corporate Headquarter in Lagos yesterday. was posted out sometime in March 2006 and that was the last time I saw Bamaiyi until I was invited to EFCC’s office in 2013.

“I never met ACP Abdullahi Garba before. I don’t know Fred Ajudua personally but I knew him as an accused standing trial. I did not collect money from anybody and I don’t know Chief Afe Babalola one on one and I never work in his chambers”, she said.

On the allegation that she visited the prison three times in her effort to get the money, Rosulu denied ever visiting the prison in her life.

“I was surprised on December

19, 2013 when Bamaiyi confronted me at EFCC’s office that he gave me money for Chief Afe Babalola and for Justice Oyewole.

“In the same room at EFCC’s office, ACP Garba was brought in and he introduced himself to me and confronted me that I came to Kirikiri and that he saw me with a jute bag, but I told him there that I didn’t know him. Both Garba and Bamaiyi were speaking Hausa language.”

On her ordeal she told the court that she was detained for 18 days at the EFCC office where her statement was taken.

Rosulu further told the court that

the EFCC officials went to her house, searched and took her cheque book, phones and receipt of the land she paid for in instalments.

Under cross examination by the anti graft counsel, Mr. Seidu Atteh, the defendant maintained that she never met Bamaiyi before he was docked in Oyewole’s court.

She noted that she was not the only Registrar in the court, adding that there were two Registrars, adding that she did not use to work on Saturdays and that she never worked in Chief Afe Babalola’s Chambers.

Ezekwesili canvasses competent civil service for FG's reforms

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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AGOS—FORMER Min ister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, yesterday, said the vision to reform the country will require a civil service with character, capacity and competence where the operatives

are not immune to changes.

She spoke at this year’s Lagos Public Service Day held in Ikeja, with the theme: ‘The role of public service in women empowerment, innovation and accessible service delivery,’ to honour 551 civil servants who have served in the state public service for

LG boss laments Apapa gridlock

By Fredrick Okopie

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AGOS—THE Execu tive Secretary of Apapa Local Government, Mrs Cecilia Dada, yesterday, told stakeholders’ that unless prompt attention and lasting solution is found to the incessant traffic gridlock in Apapa, life will continue to be unbearable for all.

Dada, who spoke at a stakeholders’ summit on traffic problem in Apapa lamented that the major cause of traffic in her local government are tank farms and bad

roads. Until these two problems are attended to, businesses and other activities won’t get the best they needed.

Some of the stakeholders’ who spoke at the summit said that potholes on Apapa roads should be filled as a palliative measure and all tank farms relocated.

The council boss expressed concern that some major stakeholders like Nigerian Port Authority, NPA, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, Federal Road Maintenance Agency, appear unconcerned.

over 30 years.

She lamented that the civil servants in the country had abandoned merit and result oriented strategies, noting that this was why a country like Singapore had overtaken the country in development.

According to her, “Public servants have ignored the activities required to achieve result and focused on the smallest aspect of governance. It is the transactional mind of the country’s civil service that made the place unattractive to the brightest brains in the country. Rather it became an environment where people who are unconcerned about transaction are.”

The ex-minister stressed, “So if we want to compete with other great nations, we must solve our problem with the best civil servants we can find. Every public service in any nation will do well on the bases of the competence, capacity and character of the people (civil servants) that are assembled to solve the problem.”

She noted that lack of one of this

would affect the present administration’s pursuit to achieve its goal for the country, saying “If the public service had gone back to what it was originally intended to be, more than 100 million Nigerians will not be poor at the moment. For instance, China has been able to lift about 600, 000 people out of poverty because they had a better civil service.”

“The vision of the political leader requires an organised system of execution that is powered by the civil servants in order to achieve result. So the public service is that level of governance powered by the technical experts assured with security premium that is consistent with the longevity of nation building.

“If the country will make it, it would depend on the quality of human beings that will dislodge the mentality of transactional civil service that was put upon us by the virtue our addiction to oil as the basis for economic development,” Ezekwesili, said.

AGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, re-validated the judgment of the court, restraining any extradition process against the Senator representing Ogun East senatorial district, Buruji Kashamu.

Trial judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba, in a judgment on a contempt proceedings initiated by Kashamu against the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF and the Chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, said “For the avoidance of doubt, it must be stated that an order made by another judge of the court, Justice Okon Abang is still subsisting and must be complied with until set aside by a superior court.”

Justice Buba, who earlier dismissed a preliminary objection by the NDLEA, said from the processes before him, he was satisfied that the defendants were properly served.

The judge went on to determine the merit of the contempt application and held that since Justice Abang had previously ruled on a similar case, the instant suit had merely become an academic exercise.

The court, however, warned the AGF and the NDLEA Chairman to be of good conduct and obey the subsisting order of court.

“There should be no overzealous conduct from either of the parties.

Government agencies must abide by the rule of law to avoid anarchy.

They (AGF and NDLEA Chairman) should be of good behaviour until their appeal is determined “No matter how aggrieved they may be, they should abide by the order of court until there is a counter order from a superior court. For the avoidance of doubt, orders of Justice Abang are still subsisting and must be complied with,” Justice Buba held.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 — 11

UNPAID SALARIES: Serving Osun judge calls for Aregbesola’s impeachment

By Charles Kumolu

A

N Osun State judge, Justice Oloyede Folahanmi has called on the state House of Assembly to investigate the alleged mismanagement of the state’s financial resources by the governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola and his deputy in accordance with Sections 128 and 129 of the 1999 constitution, saying there is no moral justification for their continued stay in office.

Folahanmi, in a 30-page petition urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC, United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, Amnesty International, Transparency International among others, to investigate any other person found to be responsible for what he described as ‘’ deliberate mismanagement of the economy of Osun State.’’

The petitioner further accused Aregbesola of acting in defiance of some sections of the constitution which bordered on the welfare of Osun indigenes.

The petition reads in part: ‘’I am propelled by the desire to see the pains of my fellow human beings ameliorated and to possibly, help take away the reproach of our state as “A bankrupt” and “A failed state” and the desire to join hands with other like minds to help salvage the sinking ship of Osun State. ‘’I declare that in addition to the media-hype of Osun’s parlous financial condition, I have firsthand experience which constitutes evidence of the unfortunate situation in which Osun currently finds herself. ‘’Even Mr. Governor has admitted publicly, the fact that Osun is in financial quagmire and that he is clueless on how to pull her out of the doldrums. Mr. Governor’s argument that salaries can only be paid from statutory allocations is also faulty, we demand that he substantiate his claim by giving the section of the law that so provides. In any event, all funds, all allocations and all expenditures are expected to be backed by legislation, and are statutory, otherwise, they are illegal. ‘’Consequently, the admitted inability of Mr. Governor and his deputy to pay pensions, salaries and allowances for periods ranging from eight to 11 months now, as a consequence of their own decision to accumulate debts beyond the capacity of the state’s internally generated revenue, whilst the very ‘ actors’ Mr. Governor and his deputy continue to enjoy their security allowances in hundreds of millions, is a violation of their oaths of office. ‘’Their action in this respect is as illegal as it is immoral and unconscionable. It is an evidence of their inability to discharge the functions of their office. There is

therefore no legal or moral basis for their continued stay in office. ‘’Neglecting the welfare of members of the community under the guise of wanting to provide infrastructure, runs contrary to the teachings of Christ, the son of God, Jesus of Nazareth.

The provision of infrastructures at the expense of human lives and the dignity of man is therefore repugnant to natural justice, equity, and good conscience and must be denounced as abominable. It contradicts Principle 1 of the Stockholm Conference.

‘’Instead of pursuing the noble ideals enshrined in our constitution, the ideals of social order, and “ensure a just world economic order” and “universal brotherhood” Mr. Governor and his deputy are assiduously working against it, as exemplified by the cruel, and harsh debasement of pensioners and civil servants by deliberately and maliciously withholding their salaries for months, in an attempt to brow beat, subjugate to take away their God given free will, and reduce them to mindless robots, with herd mentality, devoid of the ability to take

any decision for themselves and unable to assert or actualize themselves! ‘’To this end and for this reason I am sure other well -meaning and concerned members of the Osun community are hereby calling on honourable members of the state House of Assembly to pick up the gauntlet and redeem themselves by giving effect to the provisions of Sections 128 and 129 of the Constitution, empowering them to investigate and bring to justice, all those who have corruptly enriched themselves at the expense of Osun and her people.’’

INSPECTION: From left, Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Ministry of Agriculture, Alex Aragbaye; Governor Olusegun Mimiko; Deputy Governor, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo; Head of Service, Toyin Akinkuotu and Commissioner for Environment, Sola Ebiseni, during an inspection tour of the Ondo State semi-mechanised abattoir, in Akure, yesterday.

Ogun HOS begs for understanding over unpaid deductions

By Daud Olatunji

A

BEOKUTA—THE Head of Service in Ogun State, Modupe Adekunle has appealed to workers in the state to show understanding with the state government over its inability to pay

seven months deductions.

Adekunle said the state government will make necessary adjustments in the state civil service to reflect the current economic realities in the country.

The Head of Service stated this, yesterday, while answering

No slash in Ekiti lawmakers’ pay — FAYOSE

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DO EKITI—GOVER NOR Ayo Fayose Ekiti State has debunked the rumour being spread by the opposition that the salaries of members of the state House of Assembly have been slashed by half by the governor, saying the rumour only exists in the imagination of the peddlers.

Fayose’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, said in AdoEkiti yesterday that those behind the rumour were the same set of people who had vowed before now to cause disaffection that would make the administration

work at snail’s speed.

He said that salaries and allowances of the legislators were not the creation of the governor, but that of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission which only the commission could tamper with.

“As long as there is no review of the salaries and other emolument of the legislators by the Federal Government, I cannot violate the laid down rule; so those who are going about with such rumour are ignorant of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or they deliberately want to be mischievous,” he said.

questions from journalists on this year’s Civil Service Day celebration, held in Abeokuta.

Adekunle, who did not give details of the nature of adjustments the government would make, said the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, would work for improved welfare of workers in the state.

She also said that it will pay the seven months deductions it owed the civil servant in the state, saying the governor has commenced plans to pay the backlog of salary deductions.

Adekunle, who said a lot of activities such as football matches, and indoor games had been lined up to mark the Civil Service Day, added that the day was being celebrated to acknowledge and appreciate the valuable contributions which the civil service had made towards the development of the emerging economies in Africa.

She urged the civil servants to continue to demonstrate highest level of professionalism, dedication, commitment and diligence, for which the state civil service was renowned.

LADOJA VS AJIMOBI: Tribunal chairman’s retirement stalls sitting

By Ola Ajayi

I

BADAN—THE retirement of the Chairman, Oyo State governorship election petition, Justice F. C Obieze yesterday stalled proceedings on the petition filed by a former governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja against the incumbent governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

Ladoja, had gone to the tribunal asking it to declare illegal the election of Governor Ajimobi, alleging that it was fraught with massive irregularities which ran contrary to the Electoral Act 2010.

The judge was said to have attained the retirement age of 65. All litigants were in court 21, Oyo State High Court, Iyaganku, Ibadan expecting the pre-hearing to commence as agreed in the last sitting only to be informed by one of the two remaining panel members, Justice Muhammadu Karaye that the chairman of the tribunal had retired.

He said there was absolutely nothing the panel could do without the chairman, adding that the tribunal rule allows for two members of the panel; chairman and any other member of the panel to sit.

NANS mourns murdered female student in Ogun

T

HE National Asso ciation of Nigerian Students, NANS, Ogun State chapter has tasked the state command of the Nigerian police to ensure the security of students in the state following the brutal killing of one of its members, Miss Morenikeji Owolabi, an ND2 student of Science Laboratory Technology in Gateway Polytechnic, Sapade, Remo, Ogun State.

In a statement by the state chairman of NANS, Ahmed Falola and the institution’s student union president, Adeyeri Adedamola, the students' body urged other host communities in the state to be more accommodating to students.

The statement reads in part: “We condemn the intermittent butchering, slaughtering, and killing rituals that have become characteristics feature of some host communities to students.''

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Suspend importation of ethanol, methanol from India —Rivers Health Ministry

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— RIVERS State Ministry of Health has warned against importation of ethanol and methanol from India because of the alcohol poisoning in Mumbai, which reportedly claimed about 100 lives there recently.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Somiare Isaac-Harry, told Vanguard, yesterday, in his office in Port Harcourt, that since 71 persons had also died from ogogoro traced to methanol, it would be proper to avoid the importation of the chemicals from India till further notice.

“We are not a manufacturing country. The gin our people have been taking is locally distilled. If you look at some of the drums, they are imported from India and China. We did some laboratory analysis. Some of the drums have high content of methanol. I don’t know what is killing the people in India but I have also heard of deaths from poisoned alcohol there.

So I advise that for now, we should avoid importing ethanol and methanol from India since the news said they

are also dying from alcohol over there.”

The permanent secretary said the death toll from the killer ogogoro in the state was still 71, adding that nine persons survived. He said some of those who survived had visual impairment.

He said the Federal

Government had directed that the survivors would be treated free of charge at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.

Mr Isaac-Harry, who said his ministry has been carrying out vigorous sensitization against

consumption of the locally brewed gin, said it was disturbing to note that some of the dealers had resorted to selling only at night to evade security attention.

“I appeal to everybody to comply with the ban for now till the problem is resolved,” he pleaded.

MEETING: From left: Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose; Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State; Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, during a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, yesterday.

Okowa submits list of 12 commissioner nominees to DTHA

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA—GOVERNOR Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, yesterday, forwarded a list of 12 nominees to the state House of Assembly for appointment as commissioners and members of the State Executive Council.

Okowa, who listed out the names of the nominees in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House, said the nomination was in exercise of his powers under section 192 (2) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, as governor of the state.

The nominees include; Mrs Mary Awhotu-Iyesere, Mr John Nani, Dr Kingsley Emu, Mr James Augoye, Mr Vincent Uduaghan, Newworld Safugha, Joe Ogeh, Sir Fidelis Tilije, Revd.

Omatsola Williams, Mr Austin Chikezie, Mr Joyce Overah and Mr Chiedu Ebie.

Okowa, in the letter, said he will appreciate an early action on the letter before the House for consideration and confirmation of the nominees to enable him constitute the State Executive Council.

The governor said the list was the first set of nominees for the appointments as commissioners and members of the State Executive Council.

Meantime, the Speaker of the

House, Mr Monday Igbuya, has directed the nominees to submit to the House 35 copies of their curriculum vitae to reach the Clerk of the House before Thursday this week and appear for screening on June 30, 2015.

In another development, the 6th Assembly of Delta State House of Assembly, yesterday, held its first plenary, two weeks after proclamation by Governor Okowa.

Speaker Igbuya, who presided over the plenary, had announced the list of principal officers of the

House to be fully constituted as required by relevant laws.

The speaker said the list of the principal officers was forwarded to his office by the leadership of the various political parties.

They include, Tim Owhefere, Isoko North, Majority Leader, Pat Ajudua, Oshimili North, Chief Whip, Oboro Preyor, Bomadi, Deputy Majority Leader, Michael Diden, Warri North, Deputy Chief Whip and Rueben Izeze, Ughelli South, Majority Whip, all of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Others include, Festus Okoh, Ika South, Accord Party and Peter Uviejitobor, Udu, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip respectively. The Speaker immediately directed the appointed principal officers to assume the seats of the designated offices.

The House adopted the calendar of the sitting of the first session of the sixth Assembly, following a motion to that effect by the Majority Leader, Tim Owhefere, which was unanimously adopted.

Oil spill: Edo community laments alleged insensitivity by PPMC

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—THE people of Umoghun-Nokhua, in Orhiomwon Local Government Area of Edo State, are spoiling for war with the authorities of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, following the March 2015 oil spillage in the community.

People of the community who protested, yesterday, also accused the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company, PPMC, of alleged insensitivity to the plight of the people and vowed to take a legal action if urgent steps were

not taken to stop the spillage which has devastated their crops and animals in the forest.

Vanguard observed that about 2,000 hectares of the community’s farmland has so far been affected by the spillage caused by a burst pipeline.

Leaders of the community, Chief Moses Egbon and Pa London Emuwen, alleged that some members of the community have been hospitalized due to effects of the spill and appealed to both the state and the Federal Governments to come to their aid.

They said: “Since this spill occurred in March, we have

called on relevant authorities to fix the problem but nobody came.

Our people are dying, we have about 14 persons currently at the hospital. Our farms have been devastated, animals are dying on a daily basis and more worrisome is the condition of our children."

However, Charles Imariagbe, a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Environment, who visited the scene, expressed shock, noting that the state government will take immediate steps to ensure that relevant bodies come to the aid of the community.

Emerhor eulogises Amuka at 80

By Onoja Innocent

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LL Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain and Delta State governorship candidate in the last elections, Olorogun O'tega Emerhor, has described the Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Sam Amuka, as a highly resourceful media baron, who took the centre stage in the print medium to bring about responsible investigative journalism that has contributed immensely to nation building, advancement of democracy and the birth of a new social order in Nigeria and sub-Sahara Africa.

Emerhor, in a statement

by Dr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, said that Uncle Sam who recently clocked 80 years, looks extremely younger than his real age due to his pleasant disposition, warm heartedness and commitment to humanitarian services and absolute desire to continually serve the nation.

He said that Nigeria is in dire need of quality men like the publisher of Vanguard Newspapers.

Disclose A-Ibom's debt profile, APC urges Emmanuel

By Chioma Onuegbu

U

Y O — A L L Progressives Congress, APC, in Akwa Ibom State, has urged Governor Udom Emmanuel to make public the debt he inherited from the immediate past administration.

The party said it had expected that Governor Emmanuel would toe the same path with other states of the country by declaring the debt profile of the state to the people who trusted him with the office of governor.

The party, which spoke through its state chairman, Dr. Amadu Attai, yesterday, in Uyo, said it was unfortunate that Governor Emmanuel had to wait to be prodded before realising his voluntary responsibility to the people.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015—13

Dickson faults Oyegun on N440bn federal allocation to Bayelsa

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

E N A G O A — GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, yesterday, faulted claims by the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, that the state received over N440 billion from the Federation Account with nothing to show for it.

He said that the current administration was not disturbed by the distorted show of ignorance by the opposition party on issues of governance and development in the state, adding that the APC National Chairman’s position was ill-informed and uncharitable.

Dickson was reacting to a statement made on behalf of the APC National Chairman by the party's National Vice Chairman, South-South, Hilliard Etaho, on the occasion of the former Chief of Staff, Bayelsa Government House, Chief Diekivie Ikiogha’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the APC, weekend, in Yenagoa.

The governor said that on his assumption of office in February 2012, his administration inherited a debt profile of N332 billion from the administration of Chief Timipre Sylva.

He, however, said that through prudent management and commitment to the ethos of good

governance, the debt today stands at N90 billion.

“Out of the N440 billion that this government received as allocation from the Federation Account, about N242 billion was used to settle debts, even as it embarked on an unprecedented level of infrastructural development and socio-economic welfare schemes.

“This is why the Bayelsa State Government considers as very uncharitable, the statement attributed to APC Chairman, Chief Odigie-Oyegun, that the government has nothing to show for the allocation from the centre.

“The APC chairman’s posture is highly curious, given that he had warned against defections to his party, after its victory at the

March, 2015 presidential election and advised potential defectors to remain in their existing parties to help build a virile opposition in the interest of the development of the nation’s democracy.

“So, why is the APC now welcoming the sudden influx of power prostitutes and fair weather politicians?”

CBN CASHLESS CARD EXPO: From left: Managing Director, Heritage Bank, Mr. Ifie Sekibo; Director, Banking and Payments System Department, CBN, Mr. Dipo Fatokun; Managing Director, SecureID Limited, Mrs Kofo Akinkugbe and Managing Director, Intermac Consulting, Mr. Adeyinka Adeyemi, cutting the tape to commence the CBN Cashless Card Expo, in Lagos.

Compel Amaechi to produce handover note, Rivers Assembly orders Attorney-General

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— RIVERS State House of Assembly has ordered the state Attorney-General and

Madam Obuko for burial

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RS. Maria Obuko, aged 91, will be buried June 26, at the family compound in Evwreni Town, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State after a funeral service at St. John's Catholic Church, Evwreni.

A vigil mass will hold on June 25, 2015 while thanksgiving mass will hold on Sunday, June 28, 2015.

Late Madam Obuko C M Y K

Commissioner for Justice, Mr Emmanuel Aguma, to act within the law to compel former Governor Rotimi Amaechi to hand over assets and liabilities of the state to the new government.

It will be recalled that Governor Nyesom Wike has cried out several times that the former government refused to hand over to him.

The member representing Degema constituency in the

House, Farah Dagogo, moved the motion, calling on the House to empower the Attorney General to compel the former governor to submit handover notes to Governor Wike.

“Part of our oversight function is to prevent people and institutions from doing the wrong thing. If we fail to do this, we are setting a bad precedent in the state. This is why this motion is important considering the fact that the past

administration failed to present handover notes. As it stands now, the current position of the state finances is unknown,” he said.

Pirates kill four Marine policemen in Rivers

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— FOUR Marine policemen, were reportedly killed yesterday, by suspected sea pirates around Abonema Wharf in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Details of the killing were hazy at press time.

The state Police spokesman, Mr Ahmad Muhammed, didn’t respond to an sms sent to his phone for comment

on the incident.

Meanwhile, eye witnesses said one of the policemen was an Assistant Superintendent of Police, adding that the shooting caused panic around the jetty as people ran in different directions for safety.

Another source said a policeman in the patrol boat swam to safety during the shooting.

Vanguard gathered that the suspected pirates came in about 20

boats, thus overpowering the policemen who were on routine patrol of the waterways.

Itsekiri youths affirm Tonwe as INYC head

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By Egufe Yafugborhi

ARRI—EFFORTS at uniting the factionalised Itsekiri National Youth Council, INYC, yielded fruit, yesterday, as councillors and various interest groups pledged support for the David Tonwe-led leadership of the Itsekiri apex youth body.

The groups, at a fence mending gathering with Tonwe and his coexecutives of the INYC in Warri, unanimously noted that the continued division was impeding the desired progress among Iteskiri youths and called on the opposition group led by Esimaje Awani, to retrace its steps and unite with Tonwe.

However, Esimaje Awani, president of the parallel faction, said that the recognition of Tonwe was a nullity to the extent that the Olu of Warri, who reserves the right to give the ultimate recognition, had placed the body ’s leadership on his shoulders and not on Tonwe.

Chairman, House Committee on Peace and Security in Warri South Local Government, Kingsley Tenumah, who spoke on behalf of Itsekiri lawmakers at the council, said the time had come to resolve all differences and forge a better future for the Itsekiri youths.

14—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

FG, others share N409.354bn

By Emmanuel Elebeke

month of April A break-down of the HE THREE tiers of distributions showed that the Government got government, yesterday, Federal shared a total sum of N 409.354 N151.805 billion from statutory allocation, which represents billion for the month of May. This is made up of 52.68 per cent, while states and N324.061billion from statutory local governments received allocation, N56.04 billion from N76.998 billion and N59.362 Value Added Tax, VAT, N6.330 billion respectively, representing billion as refund by the Nigeria 26.72 per cent and 20.60 per cent.

On Value Added Tax, VAT, the National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to Federal Government, Federal Government received as well as the N31.240 billion N182 billion, the states and local LAW WEEK: Former minister of Justice and Attorney- General of the Federation, Chief exchange gain. governments got N27.274 billion Kanu Agabi; Book Presenter, Dr. Ifeyinwa Obegolu, and representative of the chairman of The amount represents N30.113 and N19.092 respectively. the occasion, Justice Keziah Ogbonnaya, at the 2015 FIDA Abuja Law Week, in Abuja, billion increase from the On the other hand, the oil yesterday. Photo: NAN N388.339 billion shared in the producing states shared N29.071 billion as the 13 per cent derivation against 23.109 billion shared in the previous month.

Briefing journalists at the end of the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC, meeting, the Permanent Secretary in the HE ENTIRE idea of fasting is definitely not to through his lead counsel, electoral materials used for

By Ikechukwu Ministry of Finance, Mrs. starve oneself but to be on a different spiritual plane Mr. Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, the poll.

Nnochiri Anastasia Nwaobia altogether. It is not a punishment but a spiritual exercise urged the tribunal to set Governors of the PDP disclosed that the gross to go closer to God. aside the ex- parte order had earlier demanded the revenue of N324.061 In doing this, it must be a period of total re-dedication B U J A — for the inspection of the relocation of both the billion received for the to Allah with increase in activities that are in consonance materials, Rivers State Tribunal and G O V E R N O R electoral with the dictates of Allah while also shunning the ways of Nyesom Wike of Rivers particularly the voters' that of Akwa Ibom State to month was higher than the N282.062 billion received shaytan (devil). The fasting Muslim must ensure that the State has opposed a request register and the card reader their original base. in April by N41.999 exercise goes far beyond abstinence from eating and by the All Progressives machines.

Meanwhile, both Wike billion, due to the drinking. It includes a change of habits that will put you Congress, APC, and its His counter-motion and INEC had separately improvement from the on the track of righteousness. governorship candidate in against the APC and challenged the competence Many spend most time in eating during the time of the state, Mr. Dakuku Peterside was dated June of all the petitions as well refund to Federal and the exchange gain added to the breaking fast (iftar) to make up for all what have been Peterside, to be allowed to 16, 2015. as the jurisdiction of the revenue. missed during the day to the detriment of giving enough It will be recalled that the tribunal to conduct the inspect the electoral Nwaobia said Federal time for the worship and remembering of Allah. The month APC and Peterside had on proceeding outside Rivers materials used for the April Government has taken steps of Ramadan should rather be used as an opportunity of May 3, gone before the State where the election to block all the identified getting closer to Allah, seeking His forgiveness and 11 governorship poll in the tribunal to challenge the took place. leakages in the system and attracting His blessings at any time of the day in the month. state. outcome of the INEC queried the legality hoped that the source of Wike, through a counter Concentration on food throughout the evening is not a good governorship election that of the tribunal, which it use of time and ibadah in the month. Of what use is the motion he filed before the which was declared in argued ought to, in line with revenue to government will fast, if at the time of breaking it not only make up for all Rivers State Governorship favour of Wike of the section 285(2) of the 1999 continue to improve in one has missed during the day, but perhaps also indulges Election Petition Tribunal Peoples Democratic Party, Constitution, as amended, coming months.

Under the excess crude in a variety of extra foods? Like it has been said before, currently sitting in Abuja, PDP. sit in Rivers State. account, ECA, she this is another time we bring the poor and the fasting needy maintained that allowing the Joined as respondents in The electoral body, to the table to celebrate the day’s fasting. If we have more petitioners to have access the petition were INEC, through its team of lawyers explained that the reserve stood at 2.78 billion dollars than what we can take moderately, let us share it. Iftar is to the sensitive materials Wike and the PDP. led by Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, as at yesterday, from which more like a social affair than a spiritual fiesta. could expose citizens of Aside APC and Peterside, SAN, while challenging the they had the refund of Hasten to break the fast: Avoid a situation where your the state to immense four other governorship competence of the N6.360 billion. fast will drag into the night. It is advised to break fast danger. aspirants in the state that petitions, insisted that by Commenting on the immediately it is sunset, at Marghrib time and immediately He begged the tribunal also went before the virtue of section 285(2) of $1.18 billion dollar missing after. Be conscious of your fast just as you are with your not to allow the petitioners tribunal to challenge the the constitution of the prayers. You don’t have to wait for the stars to be visible near any of the Smart Card declaration of Governor Federal Republic of from the NNPC forensic audit report, she said the before breaking your fast. Again, this has to be done just Reader Machines that were Wike as the winner of the Nigeria, 1999 (as before the Maghrib salaat as in the practice of Prophet deployed to River State by election are Mr. Charles amended), under which the "matter is being considered and when decision is taken, Muhammad (s.a.w). of the All tribunal was established, “a the Independent National Harry information will be made It is therefore essential to cut down one’s intake of what Grand tribunal sitting in Abuja Electoral Commission, Progressives public on it." one would consume on a normal night, when not fasting.

Alliance, Tonye Princewill cannot qualify as a tribunal On why they could not No, benefit is derived from the fast if one consumes as INEC, for the purpose of of the Labour Party , established in Rivers State.” hold FAAC meeting, last the April 11 governorship much as he or she would usually take during the day and Kemka Elenwo of KOWA It asked the tribunal to week, the permanent election in the state, or have night combined.

Party and Minaibim Harry strike out the APC petition After the fast has been broken, the heart should swing access to the voters' of the Social Democratic on the ground that some of secretary said the meeting could not hold due to some like to Allah, in supplication on forgiveness and blessing. register in a manner that Party. the persons it alleged reasons, some of which was would allow them make Embark on supererogatory prayers, Tahjud and recitation They are separately masterminded the rigging copies and store their praying the tribunal to of election in Rivers State, that the minister and of the Holy Quran. commissioners were no contents electronically.

Mouth washing and use of Siwaak nullify Wike’s victory on among whom included wife He argued that allowing the premise that the of former President longer there and that the The Prophet (s.a.w) said: as related by Abu Hurayrah: Accountant General of the “Were it not that it would cause hardship to my ummah, I the petitioners to do so election was not only Goodluck Jonathan, Federation exited office on could compromise the would have commanded them to use the siwaak for every fraught with manifest Patience, were not joined as June 12. secrecy of the ballot. prayer.” irregularities, but was parties to the suit.

On the issue of Federal It was his contention that conducted with total Cleaning the teeth with toothpaste does not break the According to INEC, “The Government owing it could pose security fast as is the case with the miswaak. But one should be disregard to relevant 2nd respondent (Wike), salaries, she dismissed the careful to avoid letting any of it reach his throat, but if concerns as the materials provisions of the Electoral was not wrongfully claim, saying that there was that happens accidentally then he does not have to make sought to be inspected by Act. declared the winner of the no agency nor ministry up the fast. In is not out of place for a fasting person t do the petitioners contained The Justice Muazu aforementioned election by Federal it at the beginning of the day and the end of the day. Care “highly sensitive security Pindiga-led tribunal had on but on the contrary, was duly owed Government and expressed information containing the must be taken as many might want to abuse the use of June 11, 2015 granted an ex declared elected and biometric data of all parte order permitting the returned as the candidate hope that states owing siwaak during Ramadan.

May Allah accept it as act of Ibaadah, forgive us and registered voters in petitioners to personally or who won the governorship salaries would pay their workers accordingly after Nigeria.” bless us abundantly through their lawyers or election in Rivers State. this FAAC meeting.

Consequently, Wike forensic experts inspect the

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ELECTION TRIBUNAL: Wike begs

Toothbrushing, miswaak and Iftar

tribunal to deny APC access to election materials

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 —15

UNPAID SALARIES: Consult Obiano,

APGA advises affected govs

By Vincent Ujumadu

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WKA—National Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Ifeatu Obiokoye, has advised state governors having difficulty in paying workers' salaries to consult the governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, for proper guidance.

In a statement in Awka, Obiokoye urged the governors experiencing difficulty in running their states to tap from Obiano what he called the phenomenal APGA magic of managing the economy of a state in an epileptic economy such as Nigeria’s.

He said: “It is certainly not a sing-song that Governor Obiano is working. It is remarkable that in the entire South East, it is only the APGA government in Anambra State that is not owing workers salary.

“It is only in Anambra State under Governor Willie Obiano that projects inherited from the previous administration are being executed without hindrance. .

“The leadership of the party is

proud that the prudent leadership, which has characterized governance in Anambra State for the past nine years, has become the hallmark

of APGA, which is derived from the party’s manifesto .

“We are proud that the APGA government in Anambra State has continued to show-case to the rest

of the country, that it is not the quantum of funds available to a state that matters, but the prudence in managing same .

By Chidi Nkwopara & Chinonso Alozie

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VISIT: Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Peter Umeadi ( 4th left), Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Onitsha Branch, Mr. Chudi Obieze (5th left), during the association's members' visit to the Chief Judge, in Onitsha, yesterday. Photo: NAN

Tribunal reads riot act to party loyalists in Imo

By Chidi Nkwopara & Chinonso Alozie

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WERRI—THE tribunal chairman of the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Owerri has warned members of political parties not to wear party insignia to its deliberations.

The tribunal Chairman, Hon. Justice A. Y. Sanya, who read the riot act, yesterday, also warned that defaulters of the directive

would definitely not like what they would get from the tribunal.

“I wish to warn all parties appearing before this tribunal and their supporters, to stop wearing any type of campaign attire to the tribunal. ‘’The elections have come and gone. Defaulters of this directive may not like what they will receive from this tribunal,” Justice Sanya said.

Meanwhile, two individuals who claimed chairmanship

position of Accord Party, played out a mild drama when the matter filed by the party’s senatorial candidate, Rita Ibemere, against Senator Athan Achonu, came up for hearing.

Mr. Bryan Agu and ThankGod Ibe not only claimed to be the state chairman of the party but also appeared with their respective counsels.

Apparently stunned by the development, the tribunal asked the claimants to the chairmanship

seat to explain why they should be accorded such recognition.

Ibe’s counsel told the tribunal that Agu and his counsel had no business being heard in the matter, stressing that they were neither the petitioner nor an interested party in the suit.

Responding, Agu’s counsel submitted that his client was the authentic state chairman of the party and had already filed a motion in respect of the suit.

Why govt can’t fund projects, by Babalakin, experts

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IGERIA MAY remain impoverished and continue to move at a very slow pace, if Public-Private Partnership, PPP, is not encouraged and the rule of law upheld.

This was part of the submissions, yesterday, at the fourth edition of the Akin Delano Legal Practitioners, ALP, Seminar Series, when top finance and legal experts gathered at the Oriental Hotel in Lekki, Lagos, to X-ray major commercial, legal and practical issues facing Nigerian businesses.

Speaking on the 'Suitability of PPPs in the Nigerian Terrain,' one of the panelists, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), said: “Nigeria is not a rich country. In the last three years, Nigeria’s total revenue has been equal to its total expenditure, so money spent on capital projects are being

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We offer our students technology for selfreliance — FED POLY, Owerri

borrowed. The government is bankrupt, so it will never be able to fund major projects. No federal road has been completed in less than 10 years.

“At the opening of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two, MMA2, in May, 2007, I said the greatest challenges we faced were ignorance, malicious refusal to understand and malice. The government failed to honour the agreement on MMA2 from day one and competed with us. ‘’The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, a regulatory body, was also acting as an operator. Government closed the General Aviation Terminal, but a new minister opened it for competition thereby reducing our revenue. We went for arbitration and they ruled in our favour. ‘’We went to court, fighting about six parties, and won all the cases. The Federal High Court, Abuja, awarded damages of N132 billion to us, but the government is yet to pay or honour the agreement.

“The case of the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway is worse. I had a meeting with the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, on a Friday and he told me to go ahead with the project, but the project was stopped the following Tuesday."

Speaking on the topic, “Attracting Finance for PPP Projects in a Globally Competitive Market,” the DirectorGeneral/CEO of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission,

ICRC, Mr. Aminu Dikko, identified insecurity, inconsistent government policies, lack of respect for the rule of law and lack of capacity in the supervising government agencies as the four major challenges facing effective private sector participation.

The keynote speaker and Chairman, Altra Capital Ltd (UK), Mr. John Davie, discussed why banks were not lending.

He said the single most important thing that sponsors must do to be taken seriously by the financial world “is to prepare very high quality business plans which come from using experienced advisers”.

Other panelists at the seminar include the Managing Director, Investment Banking, United Capital PLC, Mr. Wale Shonibare; the Co-Head, Infrastructure Finance at Rand Merchant Bank, Nigeria, Mr. Ato Gyasi; Managing Director, Travant Capital Partners, Sanyade Okoli; Country Manager, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Nigeria, Ms Eme Essien, and the Managing Director of Infrastructure Bank Plc, Mr. Adekunle Abdulrasaq Oyinloye, who urged government to look for alternative finance mechanism by partnering with the private sector.

WERRI—THE management of Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, has said its skills acquisition and development-oriented programmes were designed to equip graduates of the institution with the appropriate technology for self reliance.

The institution’s rector, Dr. Cele Njoku, made management’s position known while conducting the executive and members of the school’s alumni association round the projects and facilities in the polytechnic.

“The Entrepreneurship Development Centre and other technological skills acquisition centres, were established as vital compliments to the academic programmes run in the polytechnic, to enable the graduates meet with latest challenges in he labour market,” Dr. Njoku said.

She expressed optimism that products of polytechnic education would greatly enhance the technological and economic growth of Nigeria, considering the high level of knowledge imparted on them.

Chief Gabriel Nriji for burial

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HIEF GABRIEL Nriji (Udeogaranya) of Abedem village, Ozalla, Igbo-Etiti LGA of Enugu State is dead, aged 70.

There will be a vigil mass in his compound tomorrow, June 25, while the burial mass will hold on Friday, June 26, at St Luke’s Catholic Church, Ozalla, and interment follows immediately.

The outing service will hold at the same church on Sunday, June 28, 2015.

He is survived by wife, children, grand children and many relations,, including Mr. Kenneth Udeh.

Late Gabriel Nriji

16—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

NLC lauds Ikpeazu's appointment of HOS

By Anayo Okoli

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MUAHIA—ABIA State chapter of Nigeria Labour Congreess, NLC, has commended Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for appointing Dr. Vivian Uma as the Head of Service, describing her choice as a round peg in a round hole.

Abia NLC therefore called on the new Head of Service to correct what it described as many anomalies allegedly committed by her predecessor, who was accused of muscling Labour activities.

According to the State NLC chairman, Comrade Uchenna Obigwe, with the appointment of Uma as Head of Service, Governor Okezie has shown that he is in the right track with civil servants.

He urged the governor to work out modalities to offset the arrears of salary owed Abia workers and assured him of the cooperation of the workers as long as they were carried along.

Meanwhile, the NLC chairman has maintained that Medical and Health Workers Union in the state had no faction, dismissing one Ezekiel Uche who claims to lead a faction an impostor.

Police warn masquerades over festival

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

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NITSHA—WITH few days to the commencement of Nwafor annual cultural festival at Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, the police have warned that it would deal decisively with any masquerade or person who contravene the law during the period.

The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, at Ogidi, Mr. Hassan Musa, who gave the warning at a meeting with stakeholders, urged the masquerades and dance troupes to abide by the rules of the festival.

Musa, who described the people in the area as very hospitable, enlightened and residing in all parts of the world, advised parents to monitor their children or wards during the festival as the law was no respecter of persons.

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Royal fathers win round one as court stops Okorocha, others

By Chidi Nkwopara

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WERRI—AGGRIEVED Imo monarchs, who dragged Governor Rochas Okorocha and nine others to court have won the first round as an Imo High Court presided over by Hon. Justice Bernadine Ngozi Ukoha, yesterday, restrained the defendants from taking any further action that would impinge on the matter before the court.

A section of traditional rulers in Imo State, led by Eze Emmanuel Emenyonu Njemanze and Eze Desmond Ogugua, collectively dragged the governor and others to court to stop the alleged executive excesses of the governor against the traditional institution in the state.

Ruling on an ex-parte motion for substituted service on some of the defendants who were reportedly evading service, Hon. Justice Ukoha stated that “the defendants are, hereby, ordered to respect the pendency of this suit until all pending applications are heard by the court.”

She directed that the order for substituted service as well as all other processes in suit No. HOW/313/2015 be pasted on the gate of the 3rd defendant, the Imo State Council of Ndi-Eze Secretariat in Owerri.

This mode of service, according to the court, will be deemed perfected by the court as covering the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th defendants, that is,

Imo State Council of Ndi-eze, Eze Samuel Ohiri, Eze Edwin Orisakwe, Eze (Barr.) Chijioke Okwara, Eze G. Ejiogu and Eze Ben Igwilo respectively.

In moving an eight paragraph affidavit in support of the motion ex-parte for substituted service, counsel to the monarchs, lyke Udeozor, informed the court that all efforts made by the court bailiff to trace the whereabout of Eze Sam Ohiri and the other named defendants had proved abortive.

He argued that unless the court granted the motion for substituted service, Ohiri and others would continue to evade service until they unlawfully met out punitive measures against the reverred traditional rulers who had come to court for reprieve.

EXPO: From left, Managing Director, Heritage Bank, Mr. Ifie Sekibo; Director, Banking and Payments System Department, CBN, Mr. Dipo Fatokun; Managing Director, SecureID Limited, Mrs. Kofo Akinkugbe, and Managing Director, Intermac Consulting, Mr. Adeyinka Adeyemi, during the cutting of the tape to commence the CBN Cashless Card Expo, at Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos.

Vanguard recalls that the monarchs are contending in the suit that the Imo State Council of Ndi-eze as constituted by Governor Okorocha and headed

by Ohiri is an illegal and unlawful body, having been constituted in contravention of section 2 of Law No. 6 of 2006 (The Imo State of Nigeria Traditional Rulers, Autonomous Communities and Allied Matters Law).

They consequently prayed the court to “dissolve the Council and sack Eze Ohiri alongside his illegitimate Council members and the equally illegitimate Fact Finding Panel” set up to investigate them for alleged misconduct.

The aggrieved monarchs were accused of receiving former President Goodluck Jonathan in March this year in Owerri during his visit then as a sitting President.

It would be recalled that an Owerri high Court had on May 26, 2014, in a landmark judgment in suit No. HOW/525/2013 dismissed Eze Ohiri’s claim to the chairmanship of Imo State Council of Ndieze.

The court in dismissing the suit instituted by the embattled Ohiri, described the monarch’s action as “detestable, frivolous and an abuse of court process”, since the court of Appeal, Owerri Division had earlier on July 5, 2013, resolved the same case in favour of HRH Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, the Obi of Obinugwu, as the authentic chairman of Imo State Council of Ndi-eze.

The court further ordered Ohiri to pay N20,000 cost to Eze Ilomuanya for dragging him into such a frivolous legal adventure.

Police gun down four kidnappers, rescue victim in Aba

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

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BA—POLICEMEN from Ohuru Isimiri Division, Abia State, have killed four members of a kidnapping gang

which had been terrorizing the commercial city of Aba. Police sources told Vanguard that a staff of a beverage company, Humphery Nwachukwu, was kidnapped

by the gang on his way home at Osisioma Ngwa.

While the police team made efforts to rescue Nwachukwu, Vanguard gathered that the gang engaged the police in a

Boko Haram kills 26, Injures 20 in Borno village

By Ndahi Marama

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AIDUGURI—NO fewer than 26 people were feared dead with 20 others sustaining gunshot injuries when suspected members of the dreaded Islamic Sect, Boko Haram, Monday, stormed Debiro in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.

The insurgents, who were in four Hilux vehicles and motorcycles, according to Mallam Yakubu Dabiro - the son of the District Head of the village, also burnt down many residential houses and vehicles before leaving without confrontation.

Debiro, the home town of the former commander of the Joint Task Force, Major General Bata Debiro (retired) was hit by

members of the Boko Haram for the third time this year, according to locals from the area.

Debiro is north east of Biu and about 45 kilometres drive to the council headquarters. Although the people of Debiro are more associated with Hawul Local Government Area that is just about 25 kilometres drive to Azare, the council headquarters of Hawul.

It was gathered that, when the militants arrived the village in the night, they initially shot and killed 17 people before injuring many others, only to return again when surviving residents were burying their dead ones to kill many more.

Usman Malgana, from the General Hospital in Biu, confirmed that they lost 26 people while 20 are currently

receiving treatment at the hospital with doctors battling to save their lives.

It will be recalled that the Islamic sect, Boko Haram had intensified their attacks on Borno since the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, who ordered the relocation of the Military Command and Control Centre to Maiduguri.

Residents of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital said, in three weeks since the inauguration the insurgents had launched more than 100 attacks at different locations.

Just yesterday, more than 35 people were killed while over 50 others sustained severe injuries when twin female suicide bombers hit Baga fish international market in Maiduguri metropolis.

shootout at Abala Umuato in Obingwa local government area, while the victim was released unhurt.

Other members of the gang were said to have escaped with bullet wounds in the gun duel which lasted more than 30 minutes.

Abia State Commissioner of Police, Habila Joshak, who confirmed the incident in a telephone interview, said a Toyota Avensis with Registration number; ACH 181 AA, belonging to top Abia State government official as well as a double barrel shot gun were recovered from the gang.

He said the corpses of the dead members of the gang had been deposited in an undisclosed morgue in the city.

Joshak added that police had launched a manhunt for fleeing members of the gang and urged the public to assist the police with information about anybody with bullet wounds.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 — 17

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AM aware that by the time this article is published, I will most probably be inundated with emails asking me to clarify my position. So I will do my best to do so from the onset. In the Western world, a university degree has long been the prerequisite for gaining middle class status. Indeed, in the United States, for example, the affluence of baby boomers and their children was correlated to getting a degree and an office job, which in many African countries today remains the norm. President Barack Obama has called higher education “an economic imperative” as statistically, those who graduate with a university degree make several times more than those who graduate with a school certificate for example and this is true in many countries. However, in Nigeria, over the years, qualifications have become a mere symbol and having a degree in many parts of Africa does not necessarily mean that one has gotten an education.

Students are presented with paper qualifications at the end of their courses but remain bereft of even the most basic skills one would need to work and survive in an ever-competitive and global work place.

So, this raises the question: What then is the point of a university degree? We need to rethink the point and purpose of many of our tertiary institutions which churn out half baked alumni with often zero chances of ever getting an entry level job, let alone progressing to much else. I remember how much Dr Goodluck Jonathan’s commitment to opening a university in every state of the federation was celebrated at the time by those who the point of a real education eludes, and who also do not understand that quality beats quantity any day. Half the universities in Nigeria today are not viable institutions: the teaching one receives at many universities would not pass as a secondary school course in other climes. Yes, the truth hurts and we must be willing to acknowledge painful truths so that we can empower young Nigerians to grow and achieve. But how can they when most exams in Nigeria are not based on testing students’ ability to analyse or discuss but on their capacity to retain lengthy information, like any computer or robot could?

Furthermore, the states many universities are located in are barely viable themselves, unable to pay salaries, creating little wealth and development, adding even less value. It is more important, in Nigeria, to pay public officers salaries than to develop and empower those who elect them. In France, for instance, to reduce the cost of governance in several regions, their governments and administrators will be merged into larger, singular bodies which will not stop government from reachC M Y K

tprincewill@yahoo.co.uk

Should everyone go to university?

*Some Nigerian students during their matriculation. ing the people, or from delivering on the quality of life citizens deserve. On the opposite end I fear we in Nigeria will not stop creating states and universities until there is one state per ethnic group and one university per street corner!

Having more universities looks good on paper, but in a country where education is already so poorly funded, we would do well to consolidate the few functioning universities we have rather than encouraging the ad hoc creation of new and unfortunately irrelevant ones. But let’s get back to the contentious issue of who should attend said universities.

The truth is that with so many young people in university, the value of degrees is lessened, grades are inflated and trades are understated. In many industrialised nations (e.g. the US, Canada, Japan,

Ideally, we should want every Nigerian to go to university but given the few jobs available in the sectors Nigerians typically study for, it might not be such a wise investment or public policy to pursue

Australia, etc.) barely a quarter, or 25% of the population goes to university as more and more people learn a trade. In good African fashion, I must admit my brief surprise when a plumber in the UK complained to me about his mortgage. The idea of a plumber in Nigeria being able to afford a mortgage isn’t something many can unfortunately contemplate. Learning a trade in Nigeria is hardly the preferred option, no matter one’s social class as there is little dignity of labour in our country. So, every year the Nigerian Law School produces thousands of lawyers the economy and the society does not need. More than half of the class of 2013 is still searching for a job and every new batch simply adds itself to the melee and one finds 30-yearolds who have never held down a job. I am not calling for universities to become elite enclaves which only the rich can either afford or aspire to.

However, I am indeed asking that vocational training and skills acquisition becomes a real agenda for government (beyond Jonathan’s simplistic purchase of stoves for women).

A young person’s potential is realisable in so many different ways and if our education were more practical, less theoretical, the high failure rates in some of our universities would be lessened, as some students would realise their calling or aptitude is perhaps more suited towards learning a trade. Why does Nigeria im-

port deep sea divers in the oil and gas industry therefore

helping Asian experts make huge salaries when Nigerians could be trained for that purpose? There are huge and undiscovered job and entrepreneurship opportunities if government would create not just an enabling environment but prepare students from secondary school to understand what the world requires of them in terms of values, attitudes and skills. One last point I would like to make is about parents: studies show that many cognitive and non-cognitive skills are hereditary. The children of successful, affluent parents are almost predestined (I don’t often like or use the word as I believe the power of human agency supersedes any inevitability) to do well. So we must rescue parents of school-age children in disadvantaged regions as their own understanding of education also determines their children’s success.

Even some rich Nigerians would rather push their daughters to get married than get an MBA but that’s a topic for another day perhaps. Ideally, we should want every Nigerian to go to university but given the few jobs available in the sectors Nigerians typically study for , it might not be such a wise investment or public policy to pursue. We need more realism and less utopia in our public discourse so we can find work for those already out of school and create a society where paper qualifications are not the beginning and the end of a better life.

Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir

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ANTED by the Interna tional Criminal Court, ICC, for years, Omar Al Bashir yet again, evaded the international justice system as many in the African Union and Nigeria, believe the ICC witch hunts African leaders. I wonder if the child soldiers and destitute Sudanese Al Bashir has used and sacrificed would be of the same opinion. It is always so difficult in Africa for us to strongly, in one voice, condemn wrong doing: we view every criticism as an attack, especially when there is clear evidence of immoral, unacceptable actions. Take the Nigerian Army’s response to Amnesty International’s claims of unspeakable violence wrought upon innocent ci-

President Omar Al Bashir vilians. Those who have nothing to hide do not fear investigation.

Africans are refugees in their own countries, dying on the Mediterranean in their quest for decent lives, yet, we in the pages of newspapers, in our private conversations, defend these callous leaders.

Buhari and oil subsidy

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ANY reports say the President is about to remove subsidy and commentators ask why Nigerians support this now and resisted it under Jonathan.

The answer for me is simple: many did not trust the former administration to use the savings adequately. But if rumours of free education and social services under this new government are anything to go by, it is no wonder Nigerians do not seem ready to fight government on this.

•President Muhammadu Buhari

Tabia Princewill is a strategic communications consultant and public policy analyst. She is also the co-host and executive producer of a talk show, WALK THE TALK which airs on Channels TV.

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

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OKA, Oyo State, on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, made the map last year when police said they uncovered a den of kidnappers there. The graphic images of the discoveries were causes for concern. Public expectations that the police would investigate the matter were dashed.

Decaying body parts that littered the place and the 20 decomposing bodies found there were inadequate to elicit police action. Twenty-three people - 18 men and five women - were rescued from their fleeing captors. The police had ignored complaints from residents about suspicious activities of the kidnappers.

Among the women rescued was one who reportedly had a baby on the day the police arrived, the baby was missing.

Police confirmed arresting seven persons in connection with the discovery of human parts in the bush, about a kilometre off the busy expressway.

Those arrested were two persons found in the uncompleted building and five security personnel working for a nearby company. Three dane guns, three single barrel guns, one bow, 16 arrows, 22

Kidnappers – Why They Prosper cutlasses, 40 live cartridges, seven knives, an axe, two iron files and a phone were found in the building. The building was demolished without searches that could have produced more evidence, a practice also etched into the law in Anambra State to deal with kidnapping.

The police did not apprehend those behind Soka.

Soka was not new. It was bound to happen again, in Oyo State, which was the case last March and in parts of Ogun State this month. There have been similar incidents in Lagos, Anambra, Ondo, Imo, Kogi, Enugu, and most of the States in the Niger Delta. The predictable end is that the police mismanage evidence, the suspects are set free.

Emboldened by the slack management of these cases, and possible connivance with the police, kidnappers are on the prowl, not necessarily for ransom. The more frightening cases are where the victims are killed, as could be inferred from the corpses in Soka. The latest dens have marks of Soka: they deal in human parts.

The incidents may differ, but a common thread that runs through them is poor investigations. Clifford Orji was arrested in February 1999 under a Lagos bridge, where he lived for years, terrorising people. He confessed he sold human parts to clients whose names and telephone numbers he had in a diary. Clifford was taken to a magistrate court once in 1999 and died in Kirikiri Prison 13 years later.

Police claimed he was mentally unstable, a cogent reason for not investigating his clientele.

Soka got the Clifford treatment, and so have many cases of kidnappers’ dens nationwide. The practice prospers because it is profitable, and the law overlooks them.

OPINION Letter to President Buhari

By Adeoye Oyewo Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. Romans 31:1 LLAH ne ya chanja mana ba kowa ba (God is the one who changed it for us; no one can lay claim to it) was the chant of a disabled man carrying a placard showing the picture of President elect General Muhammadu Buhari on the day the indefatigable Professor Attahiru Jega announced the final results of the 2015 Presidential election. The young man was reminding all about the content of Saint Paul’s letter to the people of Rome. My prayer to God is that everyday President Muhammadu Buhari governs this country; he will always remember this truth.

I am writing this letter to you, my dear Mr. President, because I believe in my spirit that a good father will always listen to his children. I would try to speak for many Nigerians; I hope I can do a good job of it. My father told me several years ago that a father is like a bin where all come to dump their garbage. He was trying to make me appreciate that a father must live a sacrificial life at all times. I have been a father for 21 years and now know exactly what he was talking about. A president is also like a father, a father for the nation and I thank God that for

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whatever reason, your supporters gave this slogan amongst many to your campaign - Nigeria Sai Baba. I thank God for your age and your life. I have always known that age provides wisdom and experience which is not available for sale in any market in the world. I never for once saw your age as a weakness as I know that you can receive strength from God. You must therefore always turn to him for replenishment. Again your victory has come in a way to prove that God does not share his glory with anyone. It was a herculean task and left to the powers that be, you would not have made it, but all Glory be to God who has brought this victory to us.

I voted for you along with over 15m Nigerians because we wanted CHANGE. This change is not a change defined by the APC and its stalwarts but that as defined by ordinary Nigerians. It is not a change that allows state governors to earn pensions that is 1,500% of the current salary of the US president; as no good father will allow that to happen to his children. You must

We have an obscene number of graduate Nigerians without jobs

therefore determine and implement the change that the people want – if you do not already know and understand it.

I was born in Zaria and spent the first 29 years of my life in Kano. I am close to 50 years now and I am yet to see the change I desire for Nigeria. In 2010, I lost a friend at the age of 48; he died waiting to see the changed Nigeria. I do not want this to be my testimony and neither do many Nigerians. I learnt from my father who studied for a degree at Ahmadu Bello University in the 60s that he had an offer for job and a car loan waiting for him at graduation; today parents of prospective Nigerian graduates spend time in churches and mosques praying for miracles in order for their children to be employed – and their prayers are seldom answered, not because God is powerless to help them but because God is not a magician who can make someone reap without sowing. Today, we have an obscene number of graduate Nigerians without jobs but in order to make us feel good and believe a lie, we create a new definition for the unemployed in our country – Haba!. In the same ABU, my father told me that a student was the newspaper vendor and that he usually left his papers under a tree to go for lectures.

The news is that he always came back to meet the unsold papers and money paid for the papers bought by his customers – all intact, not a kobo or newspaper missing.

Where did that Nigeria disappear to?

Today, we must lock up our children or else anything from kidnapping and even rape can get at them. Stealing or

corruption depending on which side of the vocabulary divide you are, is now more common than the air we breathe. What has become of us? In the 70s while in Kano and Wudil, it was largely a time of peace and unity for all tribes and tongues.

Unfortunately today, we are all at each other’s throats; insecurity is the order of the day and even your election had serious tribal and religious connotations. Why is this the case? Could it be injustice and lack of equity or is it lack of transparent and selfless leadership or all of them put together? I recall once when my older daughter wanted to visit Kano in 2011, the town of her birth, she asked for my consent which I promptly declined and asked her to abort the trip. I did this because the North had become so insecure that Kano may be so peaceful and quiet upon her take off but while still midair, the town may erupt in violence. How can we build a nation when we do not agree with or love one another? Can we really talk about progress without unity and agreement? I humbly request that national unity joins the five key challenges of insecurity, unemployment, corruption, the economy and Power & other infrastructural issues that you have promised to focus on.

With respect to the cancer of corruption, I have it on good authority that for every N100 spent by Nigeria, value is got for not up to N40.

Continues tomorrow on pg 18 *Mr. Oyewo, a company executive, from Lagos

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015—19 —19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com

Buhari’s time to start running

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HIS week makes it the fourth since the Muhammadu Buhari administration was inaugurated amid much hope and high expectations. But while the new president has taken a few significant steps locally and internationally in his personal capacity, not much has been heard concerning those he would be working with and depending on to drive his government’s agenda.

This has got Nigerians worried, and they’ve been left wondering what reasons there are for the apparent slow pace in the appointment of ministers and other key administrative staff. The president cannot see what the anxiety might be about in spite of speculations, some of them wild and apparently unfounded, about who might make his ministerial list or otherwise.

He had cause to address these concerns during a meeting with Nigerians in South Africa in the course of his attendance of the African Union summit in that country. That visit itself gave birth to yet another controversy that nobody could have envisaged concerning the president’s age. The president, it was reported, had played down

the high expectations of Nigerians about his administration, warning that his age was bound to curtail his performance level. This report which might not be unconnected to what Nigerians might have begun to perceive as relative lethargy in the pace of governmental activity since Buhari took office could be another way of registering their worry at the slow pace of event in the Buhari administration.

The explanation from both the president and the few people so far speaking in his name for this state of affairs and, perhaps, the general ‘go-slow’ that has entered governance has been that the Ahmed Joda committee was yet to wind up its assignment. The committee had been raised to study the handover report submitted by the Jonathan administration. According to the APC-led government, its attempt to set up a transition committee to work with the former PDP-led government was rebuffed by the former administration. This was the reason, they say, for the delay in taking quick strides forward. They needed to study the Jonathan handover report

closely in order to, so to speak, know the lay of the land. In short, Buhari wanted full appraisal of the Jonathan administration it gets down to business.

Nigerians must surely recall a statement credited to members of the Jonathan administration that the administration would tolerate no interference from the Buhari group detailed to work with it to ensure a smooth transition in the wake of its defeat at the polls. The former president’s people warned his successor’s team its input in the transition process would not be welcomed before May 29, the day the mandate given Jonathan by Nigerians was expected to expire.

Its generosity in conceding victory rather than roughing things up in the typical Nigerian fashion, the warning seems to be saying, should not be taken for weakness.

It was for this reason that the Buhari team laid off to wait until the former administration was ready to hand over its report. The disagreement between the then outgoing and incoming teams was widely reported in the media in the weeks leading up to the inauguration of Buhari.

Thus, Mohammadu Buhari would seem to have a good reason for not naming his administrative team

Buhari must be careful not to fall into the lethargic pit that swallowed the Umar Yar’Adua administration which took over from Obasanjo in 2007

Onwubiko! Mourning cry at Emman Ezeazu’s untimely death

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INCE that accursed day of 12 May 2012, when Olaitan Oyerinde, former student activist, trade unionist and principal private secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, was murdered in his living room, death has been a deliriously happy visitor in the camp of Nigeria’s radical humanists. So much so that hardly are the bereaved done wiping away tears of the last funeral than news of another untimely death arrives to set them wailing afresh. The list grows is long: Oyerinde, Festus Iyayi,Baba Omojola, Bamidele Aturu,Oronto Natei Douglas. Did I mention Chima Ubani? And now Emman Ezeazu.

Ezeazu, I can say, was a sort of beacon in my career as an activist. By 1987 when I became Secretary-General of the Students Union at the University of Benin and member of the senate of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Ezeazu had emerged as the first (and, I believe, only) postgraduate president of NANS. More important, he was a leading cadre of the Patriotic Youth Movement of Nigeria, the platform for radical left groups on campuses which gave ideological direction to the student movement. Without PYMN, the glorious epoch of NANS wouldn’t have been as its leadership might have been just as loathsome as the successive array of pathetic mendicants since the end of the 90s. Under Ezeazu, and Lanre Arogundade and Bubajoda before him, the spirit of defiance inherited from Segun Okeowo’s National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) and the 1978 Ali-Must-Go free education”jihad” blossomed,culminating

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in the nationwide protests of the murder of four students at Ahmadu Bello University, and, three years later, the Great Anti-SAP Protest of 1989 when Salihu Lukman was president.

And there was Ezeazu again when, National youth service over, I returned in 1992 to Lagos from Makurdi and was immediately confronted by the question of which of my conflicting passions to give priority: legal practice, return to the university to cultivate the budding writer in me, or enlist in the emerging human rights front of the struggle to free Nigeria of the plague of military dictatorship that announced its intent by sending a parcel bomb to kill an unarmed citizen? Ezeazu, then National Secretary of the Civil Liberties Organisation,had led a contingent of former student activists to its headquarters in Lagos, among them Ubani, Lanre Ehonwa, Chukwumah Innocent and Emmanuel Edigheji. He would leave that same year to found a grassroots-oriented NGO, the Community Action for Popular Participation (CAPP), and later, the Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE), both of which testify to

I don’t know what will propitiate death to roll its mat and depart the doorsteps of Nigeria’s fast diminishing radical progressives

immediately Jonathan returned to Otuoke and he took over as the new tenant of Aso Rock Villa (although he was not keen to move into the Villa weeks after he was sworn into office). Yes, Buhari really needs to have a clear idea of what he is up against as the president of a Nigeria virtually run aground by the PDP-led administration. But he would now need to begin to move fast on this.

In the weeks after he was declared winner of the 2015 presidential election, he ought to have set up something of a shadow cabinet that could take over from the Jonathan cabinet at the shortest notice. Jonathan has been praised for his graceful concession of victory immediately it was clear that his opponent had more popular vote than him. He made no attempt to prolong the waiting process leading to the declaration of a winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission before calling Buhari and conceding victory.

Buhari and his team ought to have seized this opportune gesture, and should have started moving immediately after, even while I concede that the demands of the nature of the coalition that brought him into office could have affected his ability in this regard.

Yet, a few policy pronouncements could have been made and actual steps taken to signal the direction in which the administration was headed. Buhari’s directive to the military on Boko Haram was intended to have this effect. That is what change ought to mean. It is certainly what being prepared means. The Obafemi Awolowoled Unity Party of Nigeria needed no more than twenty four hours after the ban on politics was lifted by the military in 1978 to announce its return to politics, setting up and running

its political machinery nationwide. Buhari and his team had several weeks to plan and prepare before May 29.

Thankfully, the much-awaited Ahmed Joda Committee report has been submitted last week.

Perhaps, Nigerians can now hope to see some vigour injected into governance. There may in this case be such a thing as ‘over preparation’, that is planning so much that any single step forward becomes a matter of much contemplation for fear of making mistakes. Given what went before and the fact that expectations are many and have been driven high, moving forward may be daunting for Buhari. He is much older than the brash soldier of 1984. He now has to operate in an environment where his words will not necessarily have the effect of a law.

All of this may lead to genuine trepidation. But it should not be reason to be afraid to move forward.

It may be too early in the life of this administration to begin to criticize it for being too slow. But Buhari must be careful not to fall into the lethargic pit that swallowed the Umar Yar’Adua administration which took over from Obasanjo in 2007.

That administration’s excuse for being slow in many areas of its activities was the necessity to follow ‘due process’ and ‘the rule of law’. It was for this reason both slow and indecisive in its approach to governance. Where it stirred itself into action, it took no time to reverse itself. Matters remained this way until its terminal exit some two years later. Mohammadu Buhari cannot afford to be the authoritarian soldier of 1984.

But he also cannot afford to be the over cautious and tentative democrat of 2015.

his life-long commitment to the entrenchment of democracy in a land where the seed of progressive s e l f governance has yet to find the good ground in which to grow.

I saw Ezeazu last, I regret to say, in July 2013, when I was home from my perch at Texas State University and sounding out comrades, friends, and acquaintances on the thought of running to be a people’s representative. His eyes had lit up as he broke into his trade mark low staccato laugh on hearing what I was intending, his mirth doubled by the fact that he had himself already decided to make a bid for the House of Representatives, running from Abuja where he now lived and worked, and not Onitsha his hometown.

Ever since the radical left’s monumental blunder of 1999 when, unable to consolidate by way of a sovereign national conference the gains of the June 12 struggle, it had thumped its nose at General Abdulsalami’s transition programme, thereby abandoning the terrain to political pirates, opportunists, military apologists, election annullers, advocates of four-more-years-for-Abacha, etc., there had been remorse galore.

Coincidentally, Ezeazu and I had both chosen the same party, the All Progressives Congress, for our insurgent bids. “Imagine the two of us on the floor of the House during debates!” he had rhapsodised, not entertaining for the moment the dream-killing cynicism of our do-or-die, end-justifies-the-means, stomach-infrastructure politics. From his sick-bed, he would lose the party’s ticket by a mere four votes. And I would lose to a

total unknown arrested two days before by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission but released,remarkably,in the afternoon of the primary to ride triumphantly into and out of the venue.

Only for him to disappear the day after and not be seen again in the constituency, thus compelling the party to summon me back from the US in an abortive effort to substitute me for the ballot!

But not even Ezeazu’s infectious enthusiasm could hide the decline in his health. He had, as it turned out, merely been enjoying a brief reprieve from the serious renal condition and related complications that had afflicted him for about four years. On 18 May 2015, Ezeazu joined Ubani, his University of Nigeria schoolmate and Lagos roommate for several years, in the great beyond. A happy reunion they are having over there but from us on the shore of the living a heart-breaking goodbye. I don’t know what will propitiate death to roll its mat and depart the doorsteps of Nigeria’s fast diminishing radical progressives. If I could be assured of the result, I would gladly offer seven fatted calves as burnt offering, undergo a seven-day dry fasting-andprayer, or forego sex for seven years. Alas, death is implacable, so I am reduced to a simple cry: onwubiko! Death, we implore you: spare Nigeria’s patriots. Go, instead, after those who loot, rape and destroy the country!

20 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

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VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

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Nigeria, Mexico trade volume hits $575m

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PARTNERSHIP : From left, Chief Executive Officer, London Stock Exchange (LSE), Mr. Xavier Rolet; Director General, Nigerian Pension Commission, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu; Executive Director, Business Development, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri; Chief Executive Officer, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc, Mr. Kyari Bukar; Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema; and Chairman, Seplat Petroleum Plc, Dr. ABC Orjiako at the London Stock Exchange during capital market partnership.

FG lifts ban on importation of furniture, textiles tion of Economic Community of West Africa States, (ECOWAS), Common External Tariff, (CET), Dikko said HE Federal Government that the items were removed has lifted the embargo on from the prohibition list in line the importation of textile ma- with the laws guiding the CET terials into the country. regime.

Confirming this in Lagos yes“Textile, furniture and othterday, the Comptroller-Gen- ers have become dutiable as eral of the Nigeria Customs both commodities have been Service, (NCS), Alhaji removed from the Import ProAbdullahi Dikko said that Ni- hibition Lists and it is going gerians can now import tex- to be implemented” said tile materials subject to pay- Abdullahi Dikko. ment of right duty.

The Customs boss, who was Speaking at the official represented by Victor launching of the implementa- Gbemudu, Assistant Comptroller General, Zone ‘A’, said that importers of these goods are now expected to pay 35 percent duty as 0.95 $128.10 agreed by ECOWAS member countries as $3,256.00 -14. 00 well as the levy as contained in the Import $11.38 0.26 Adjustment Tax (IAT).

“CET also comes with some adjustments $62.66 -0.36 for member countries.

There are 97 chapters with the 5,899 tariff 59.22 -0.39 headings but every CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL member country is entitled to 3 percent adDOLLAR 195.9 196.4 196.9 justment.

POUNDS 310. 4036 311.1958 311.9881 EURO 221.4454 222.0106 222.5758 “This 3 percent adFRANC 211.6694 212.2096 212.7499 justment translates into YEN 1.5904 1.5944 1.5985 177 tariff headings to CFA 0.3177 0.3277 0.3377 enable member counWAUA 275. 203 275.9054 276.6078 tries to protect their loRENMINBI 31.5425 31.6234 31.7044 cal industries.”

RIYAL 52.2372 52.3705 52.5039 Gbemudu said these KRONA 29.6733 29.749 29.8247 items were banned because the government CBN Exchange Rate as at 22/ 06 /15

By Godwin Oritse & Chizoba Nwaizu

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wanted to protect the local industries involved in the manufacturing of these goods.

He also promised that by 2020, there would no longer be any item on the import prohibition list as everything would have been harmonized.

He said that the CET is subject to review every five years.

He however said that poultry products still remain banned as government cannot allow their importation from outside the country.

“If you go through the Common External Tariff you will see that a lot of items have been removed from the prohibition list and it is going to be implemented; mostly, furniture, textiles and the rest of them, most of them will now pay duty and will have Import Adjustment Tax (IAT)”

The new CET regime according to an official of the tariff will eventually lead to consolidated regional market while stimulating regional production capacity and deepening economic integration

“The CET is not new, it embraces about 15 countries which includes Nigeria, all we are just doing is to bring stakeholders to understand what the CET is all about and to a large extent it comes with some adjustments for member countries”, he explained.

Speaking on the advantage of the CET on Nigerian economy, Gbemudu assured that there would no longer be policy somersault on importation, saying that importers can now project and plan five years ahead since the duty payable will remain the same.

He charged stakeholders not to blame the Customs or the federal government for any inconveniences occasioned by the implementation of CET, saying that it is not peculiar to Nigeria, but that it is a regional thing.

Gbemudu said that customs introduced the Import Adjustment Tax (IAT) in order to protect certain policies of government such as the sugar policy, agricultural policy, solid mineral policy among others.

The new CET regime according to an official of the tariff will eventually lead to consolidated regional market while stimulating regional production capacity and deepening economic integration.

It will recalled that the Federal Government banned these items in 2010 with a view to growing the local industries.

he volume of trade between Nigeria and Mexico grew by 245 per cent from $166.5 million in 2012 to $575 million in 2014. The Ambassador of Mexico to Nigeria, Amb. Marco Blanco, disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja on Monday. He said that Nigeria is Mexico’s largest trade partner in Africa, adding that the two countries signed four trade agreements in December 2014 to strengthen the trade bilateral relationship between them.

He said, “Our bilateral trade, went from $166.5 million in 2012 to $575 million in 2014, which is equivalent to a growth of 245.43 per cent. This amount is the largest record historically. By its total trade, in 2014, Nigeria was the main trade partner of Mexico in Africa, surpassing South Africa,” he said. Blanco said at 2011 Nigeria and Mexico had no bilateral agreements.

He said things had changed as the two countries now have nine bilateral agreements and identified 11 more instruments, which he said were at their final stages of negotiation.

“Once we finish this process, Nigeria and Mexico will have a legal framework to regulate and promote their bilateral relationship,” he said. To further strengthen the bilateral trade relations, the envoy said the NigerianMexican Chamber of Commerce was launched in December 2014. He said the chamber had organised its first trade mission to Mexico in May 2015 with 35 Nigerian entrepreneurs participating.

According to him, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Nigerian Export Promotion Council and the Nigerian Export-Import Bank also participated in the trade mission.

“These three organisations signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with their counterparts in Mexico to promote bilateral trade, investment, joint ventures and strategic alliances,” he said.

Blanco said a significant step by Mexico to expand and strengthen the ties with Nigeria was the opening of its Honourary Consulate in Lagos.

22 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Central to insurance regulation is its classification as a publicinterest business to protect consumers of insurance products and ensure that promises made by insurers are kept

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G ui ld of M ar in e su rv ey or s ca ll fo r en ga ge m en to f in pr of es si on al s m ar in e bu si ne ss

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he Guild of Marine Surveyors, the umbrella body of registered marine surveyors; cargo superintendents and marine consultants in Nigeria, has called on the government and individuals in export and import businesses to engage the services of reputable local marine surveyors to mitigate the multi-million naira daily loses in maritime business.

President of the Guild, Mr. Monday Ogadina, made the call at a media parley in Lagos.

He noted that the activities of the body which is made up of about 40 registered companies, is underutilised in the country as individuals in shipping business often neglect their roles in the handling of their businesses.

He called on the government to create favourable business environment that will enable local marine surveyors compete effectively with their counterparts in other shores, adding that the government should put a law that would recognise the duties of local surveyors.

He noted that due to the sensitive nature of marine business, surveyors should be engaged during loading and off loading of cargoes to ascertain their real valued.

Ogadina said the body, which is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) , was formed to promote professionalism and

advancement of knowledge in the field of surveying. He noted that the objectives of the body also include: to seek recognition from g o v e r n m e n t organisations; coast guards; international maritime organisations; licensed marine underwriters; insurance corporations; ship owners and maritime lawyers.

He said the group over the years through its activities has helped in job creation; enhanced knowledge and promote marine safety in the country.

He stressed that the body is currently working to affiliate with the Marine Institute of London.

“Membership is open to all persons of not less than 21 years of age who are marine surveyors, cargo superintendents and marine consultants, provided the person seeking membership can show evidence of r e c o g n i s e d accomplishment and continuing professional standing in such chapter or chapter of the Guild as may be consistent with the objectives of the Guild as set out in the constitution,” he said. He called on unregistered operators to associate with the body so as to have a common front.

INSURAN

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How interests of insurance consumers are protected

By Rosemary Onuoha

I

NSURANCE companies sell complex promises and invariable there is the tendency for discrimination and abuse against customers.

It is worthy of note that central to insurance regulation is its classification as a public-interest business to protect consumers of insurance products and ensure that promises made by insurers are kept.

Accordingly, the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM has ensured that the interests of insurance consumers are protected at all times.

Regulation refers to laws, rules, directives and guidelines prescribed by authority, especially to control the conduct of those to whom it applies.

Supervision on the other hand, involves monitoring and examining the activities and conditions of a regulated entity and its compliance with regulations.

Virtually all aspects of insurance business practice, from licensing, operation and liquidation- are regulated in Nigeria. Insurance regulation is structured around several key functions, including company licensing, licensing of intermediaries, product

approvals, market conduct, financial/prudential regulation and consumer services.

Hence, the principal object of the Commission as stated in the NAICOM Act 1997 shall be to ensure the effective administration, supervision, regulation and control of insurance business in Nigeria.

The main objects of the Commission as stated in the NAICOM Act of 1997 can be summarized into three main headings which are policyholders’ protection which entails the provision of adequate protection for policyholders; financial safety and stability which entails maintaining efficient and stable insurance markets as well as ensure a fair

The principal object of the Commission as stated in the NAICOM Act 1997 shall be to ensure the effective administration, supervision, regulation and control of insurance business in Nigeria

and safe market for profitable insurance business transactions; and market development which entails providing enabling environment and infrastructures to facilitate deeper market penetration in the insurance industry.

NAICOM and its journey so far

I

n terms of policyholders’ protection, NAICOM has embarked on consumers’ education through seminars, workshops, sponsorship of TV/ Radio drama, social media and other public enlightenment programmes; introduction of insurance into school curricula – secondary & tertiary institution; engagement of stakeholders including workshops for independent directors, executives of shareholders’ associations and insurance correspondents; market conduct regulations such as enforcement of fair treatment of customers during pre-sales and after sales services; risk pricing; disclosure of information; eradication of fake insurance products through arrest, investigation and prosecution of fake insurance sellers; premium collection and remittance (NPNC) Guidelines; as well as issuance of Guidelines on commission, rate and return

NIA to release vital statistics as AGM approaches

T

he 44th Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Insurers Association, NIA, will serve as an avenue to release vital industry statistics for the year ended December 2014.

In a statement, DirectorGeneral of the Association, Mr. Olorundare Sunday Thomas said that the event which will hold tomorrow in Lagos will afford members the opportunity to consider and adopt the audited accounts for the year ended

31st December 2014 and the treasurer ’s report thereon.

Also, the Chairman’s statement and report of the governing council will be presented to members.

Thomas said that the business of the day will also include appointment of auditors for the ensuing year and election of officers to fill vacant positions on the governing council.

Send comments & enquiries to insuranceandyou@yahoo.com C M Y K

BRIEFING: From left, Chief Executive Officer, Metro Taxi, Mrs. Priscilla Ibe; Chief Marketing Officer, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Alero Ladipo and Chief Corporate Services Officer, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, Mr. Tobe Okigbo at media briefing to mark the formal launch of Free WiFi Internet Service on the go in Metro Taxi powered by Smile Communications in Lagos.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

,

CE & YOU

— 23

Virtually all aspects of insurance business practice, from licensing, operation and liquidation- are regulated in Nigeria

,

NAICOM okays Staco Insurance 2014 accounts

By Favour Nnabugwu

T

BRIEFING: From left: Welfare Officer Guild of Marine Surveyors, Paul Nwachi; Vice President, Young Chuks; President, Monday Ogadina and General Secretary, Wale Adetoro at a media briefing in Lagos. premium.

Others are strengthening reserve, sound accounting and disclosure requirements in line with International Financial Reporting Standard, IFRS (Liability Adequacy Test, Asset Liability Management), enforcement of prompt claims settlement; establishment of consumer protection unit – Complain Bureau; insurance consumers’ forum in collaboration with Almond Production – a private electronic media producers; as well as NAICOM’s intervention in failing insurance institutions – through Enforcement and Compliance Unit.

In terms of financial safety and stability NAICOM embarked on recapitalisation and consolidation of insurance industry in 2007; enforcement of minimum solvency margin and capital base requirements; providing leadership for the industry’s seamless transition to IFRS in line with Federal government roadmap; formulating policy on Premium Collection and Remittance (NPNC); investment regulations including issuance of guidelines on divestments; regulations on investments of policyholders’ funds; improving and strengthening solvency regulation and ALM requirements; publication of compliance status of companies, particularly on rendition of quarterly financial returns and audited annual financial statements; transiting to Risk Based Supervision and consolidated supervision (group wide supervision); issuance of guidelines for development of Risk Management Framework; inflow of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) – AXA, Old Mutual, etc as well as collaboration with other regulators , including issuance of NAICOM/ PENCOM joint regulation on

annuity, FSRCC Framework and guidelines on consolidated supervision, signing MOU– National & International regulatory authority etc.

A

s regards market development, NAICOM initiated the Market Development and Restructuring Initiative (MDRI) which entails enforcement of compulsory insurances, eradication of fake insurance operators and job creation; signed MOUs with identified law enforcement agencies for the battle against fake insurance operators; financial inclusion which entails Takaful and micro insurance regulations, poverty alleviation; enforcement of local content development particularly in Oil & Gas industry through the issuance of guidelines on oil & gas insurance business in Nigeria; issuance of guideline on “No premium, no cover” to enhance the financial capacity of insurance companies to meet claims obligation; review of insurance brokers registration/ renewal processes by reducing the renewal turnaround from the previous average of about 4

weeks to only 1 week; improved regulatory oversight through strengthening of NAICOM’s core operational department and their processes (e-Regulation project – ERP, LAN, Data centre and Access Control, Contact centre, Document Mgt, Attendance Mgt System, etc); capacity building for NAICOM and the industry; as well as workshop for desk officers of some government MDAs- office of Accountant General and office of Auditor General.

Others are full participation at the North-East economic summit held in Gombe – through hiring a stand to display the Commissions initiatives on micro insurance and Takaful and opportunity of speaking to the audience; hosting local and international conferences and seminars – National Insurance Summit held in Dec. 2014; utilisation of and collaboration with trade associations – NIA, NCRIB, ILAN, etc – to facilitate access to insurance products as well as achieved growth in industry gross premium from less than N100billion in 2007 to over N300billion in 2014.

Ongoing projects/ initiatives

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In terms of financial safety and stability NAICOM embarked on recapitalisation and consolidation of insurance industry in 2007

here are series of ongoing projects and initiatives such as e-Regulation; industry portal; supervisory database; business process Mgt (for A & P and Inspectorate); Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) – Finance & Accounts and Admin. & HR); back-up data centre in Lagos; visitors Mgt system; Risk Based Supervision; Risk Based Framework; group wide supervision; collaboration with regulators under the umbrella of FSRCC; MOUs with regulators in other jurisdiction; supervisory college; capacity building as well as review of enabling acts.

he National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has approved the 2014 accounts of Staco Insurance Plc, the company’s Managing Director, Sakiru Oyefeso, has confirmed.

This means that Staco is one of the few insurance outfits that have submitted their 2014 International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) based accounts to NAICOM and got approval before the deadline of June 30 given insurance companies as stipulated in the Insurance Act 2003.

As Section 26(1) of the Insurance Act 2003 stipulates that every insurer shall not later than 30th June of each year submit to NAICOM, a balance sheet duly audited showing the financial position of the insurer and its subsidiaries at the close of the preceding year together with a copy of the relevant profit and loss account which the insurer is to present to its shareholders at its Annual General Meeting, Oyefeso assured that the company will always comply with the provisions of the law.

Oyefeso, who was responding

to questions from journalists in Lagos, informed that the insurance company achieved impressive results during the outgone year. He noted that the board and management of Staco are also elated that the organisation was able to secure the approval of NAICOM earlier than the previous year.

According to him, the underwriting firm recorded a Gross Written Premium of N5. 96 billion in 2014, as against N5. 91 billion achieved in 2013.

He added that the company successfully overcame the challenge of solvency margin during the year as its solvency margin stood at N4. 57 billion in 2014, compared to the previous year 2013 when the solvency margin was N1. 03 billion. As a company that is alive to its responsibilities, Oyefeso said Staco ensured that all genuine claims were paid to its affected policyholders during the outgone year. He further reassured policyholders of the insurance firm that the prompt settlement of genuine insurance claims has always been prioritised, adding that this will continue to be the business philosophy of the company in years ahead.

NCRIB applauds Lagos on insurance for security personnel

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he Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) has commended the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on the approval for upward review of the Group Life Insurance scheme for officers of the Nigeria Police in the state.

The NCRIB’s President, Mr. Ayodapo Shoderu described the Governor’s initiative as the right step in a right direction, stressing that the move would encourage crime control and make the state safe for habitation and business growth.

Shoderu noted that the initiative was an indication that the governor values the importance of the service of security personnel, including the police, stressing that the governor should not relent, but extend the same gesture to other employees of the state as well as back it up with prompt payment of premium.

According to him, the scheme which was introduced by the state government 16 years ago to complement the Federal Government’s contributory scheme, to cover death and permanent disability of the police would ensure that their

dependants live normal life in the event of death or permanent disability of their breadwinners.

He however enjoined other state governors to emulate Lagos State by paying more attention to the insurance of public properties as well as undertake life assurance for security personnel serving in their states, saying that Lagos State has become a pace setter in terms of social security.

It will be recalled that Governor Ambode had recently announced that in fulfilment of his promise to sustain, improve and consolidate on past attainment, announced the upward review of the compensation value of Senior Police officers to N5 million; Inspectors to N3 million while rank and File was hiked N2 million respectively.

Meanwhile, given the spate of fire incidents at various market places and of recent, petrol tankers accidents across the nation, Mr. Shoderu enjoined the Governors to urgently review the law relating to general public insurance, stressing that the spate has continued to deplete the hard earned wealth of the nation.

24 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

NSE to commence trading local currency futures

By Peter Egwuatu, with agency reports

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he Nigerian Stock Exchange , NSE will soon commence trading naira futures that will help investors hedge against movements in the local currency, Chief Executive Officer Oscar Onyema said.

“It would be awesome if we had a naira-dollar contract that we could trade on the exchange,” he said in an interview in London on Monday. “Futures and options are asset classes that

we think would be very beneficial to foreign investors.”

The NSE might offer futures by the end of 2017, Onyema said. Traders and bankers have called for a loosening of controls enforced by Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Governor to protect the currency of Africa’s biggest oil producer against a 45 percent slump in Brent crude prices in the past year. The naira has weakened 18 percent against the dollar in that period.

The stock exchange has a

“very rich pipeline” of companies that may start trading their shares this year depending on market conditions, including businesses that could list securities in London and Lagos, the CEO said.

“We’re seeing interest” in initial public offerings and secondary listings from oil and gas, fast-moving consumer goods, telecommunication and industrial-goods companies abroad, Onyema said. “Dual listing will be part of the pitch.”

BRIEFING : From left, Head of Technology, Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Mrs. Yetunde Ojo, Managing Director, Nigerdock Nigeria Plc, Mr. Lloyd Crispand , Chief Executive Officer (NSE) , Mr. Oscar Onyema, Group Executive Chairman of Jagal, Mr. Anwar Jarmakani; Managing Director, Managing Director, Rack Centre Ltd, Mr. Ayotunde Coker; and Managing Director of InternetSolutions Ltd. (IS), a division of Dimension Data (ISDD), Mr. OlusolaTeniola during Rack Centre’s CEO briefing in partnership with the NSE, in Lagos.

Fidelity Pension Managers assures workers of prompt payment of benefits

By Festus Ahon

F

idelity Pension Managers has assured workers of its commitment to quality service and prompt payment of Pensioners’ benefits/ entitlements after retirement.

Managing Director of Fidelity Pension Managers Limited, Mrs. Amaka AndyAzike who gave the assurance during customers’ forum held in Asaba, Delta State, said customer education was important in providing, quality and efficient service delivery to their clients.

Andy-Azike who was represented by the General Manager of the organization, Mr. Peter Adaji, said the essence of the customer forum was to feel the pulse of their

clients and build closer relationship in order to serve them better.

According to her, Delta State is one of the early states that adopted the new pension scheme and urged their customers to remain

Our desire is that Delta State will continue with the new pension scheme

steadfast and have trust in Fidelity Pension Managers.

She insisted that they would not disappoint clients.

Director of Administration, Bureau for Delta State Pension, Mr. Felix Kporhotor who also spoke during the ceremony, said the Bureau had fared well despite some challenges.

While listing some of the challenges to include late submission of documents by retirees (Pensioners) bureaucracy among others, Kporhotor said; “our desire is that Delta State will continue with the new pension scheme” He appealed to all stakeholders give their necessary support to enable the pension Bureau serve their clients better.

Quoted companies and their shareholders in 2014 (3)

D

uring the past week, ordinary general meeting and Flour Mills of Nigeria that the extra-ordinary general Plc announced its intention meeting should be invalidated. to raise a sum of up to The courts of course would N40billion from its existing decide these issues but these shareholders through a events have kept me wondering rights issue. No details have as to why companies do not been given as to how the show more interest in reaching proceeds of the rights issue their shareholders. would be utilised. However, Of some concern is a recent xthe company has moved out compliance report on the of the Portland cement website of the NSE indicating business and it is that the Tourist Company of concentrating on and Nigeria Plc has applied to the expanding its food business NSE for the delisting of its and one would expect the shares. Ikeja Hotel Plc has some company to invest in areas stake in the Tourist Company, that would bring about the owners of the Federal Palace optimal use of its existing Hotel in Lagos. The Tourist resources such as its power Company has not paid any generating capacity, a dividends for five or more years 30MW gas plant and a 30MW and it would appear that the diesel plant. company would be profitable if It is also it could raise the encouraging that capital for the the company’s refurbishment of directors see a the Towers Wing strong future in of the Federal There are a the business and Palace Hotel. The the directors x-compliance number of have not been report also gives suits before influenced by a list of thoughts about companies that the courts dilution of the have applied to between the shareholding the NSE for structure given contending restructuring and the low share they include parties prices on the Union Dicon, floor of the Capital Oil, Juli Nigerian Stock Pharmacy, Exchange, NSE. Thomas Wyatt However, I hope Nigeria Plc, t h e Nigerian German documentation for the rights Chemical Plc, Alumaco, Unic issue would indicate the Insurance Plc, G. Cappa Plc, direction of the company’s UTC, IPWA, Nigerian Wire and profitability following on the Cable Plc and Daar additional investments in the Communications Plc. company.

An official of the Securities and Ikeja Hotel Plc has been in Exchange Commission, SEC, the news for some time now. once made me to understand that However, the level of its share SEC analyses the financial price on the floor of the NSE statements submitted by various has been very good for a companies and that SEC advises company that has not paid any these companies on steps they dividends in the past five could take to improve their years. There has been performance. I wish SEC could sustained interest in the shares make public its advice to of the company given that companies as there are a number there have been some matters of companies whose share prices in contention between some of are at or near 50kobo per share, the shareholders and the the very minimum on the floor of directors leading to an extra- the NSE. Of course some of these ordinary general meeting. companies are on the There are a number of suits restructuring list. However, before the courts between the restructuring can be a painful contending parties and one exercise. Union Homes Savings hopes that the brand which and Loans Plc recently concluded Ikeja Hotel Plc represents in its restructuring and one old Ikeja would not be destroyed share has been valued at 16kobo in the process. One of the suits with 40 old shares making up one that caught my attention is that new share with a quoted value some of the shareholders are of N6.40 on the first day of trading complaining that they were on the floor of the NSE. not notified of the extra-

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015—25 a yobok E m a

By S

Cleric urges support for Buhari

GAY MARRIAGE: Western nations not happy with Nigeria —Grand Knight Ngonadi being. The world says ‘it is a free world’ but when people run amok and kill, they are charged for murder. Freedom should come with limits, with restraints. A good example is same sex marriage. People are promoting same sex marriage, but the Church defines marriage as a union between a male and female. Some international organizations are not happy with Nigeria’s stand and law banning same sex marriage. The Knights were part of the fight against same sex marriage.

Our Pro-life outreach programmes are designed to combat such influences. We reach out, visit various parishes and tell them what the Catholic Church teaches on life. Through this medium, we seek to counter the erroneous concept of freedom the world preaches.

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RAND Knight of the Or der of Knights of St. Mulumba, Lekki Sub-Council, Architect Jonny Ngonadi, in this interview with OKEY NWANKWO, speaks on the Order’s activities including the release of over 600 prison inmates and other issues.

What informed your recent visit to Ikoyi Prison?

Our visit was part of the SubCouncil’s Prison Ministry project where members reach out to prisoners in the spirit of the bible. We visited the inmates to fulfil the demands of the Catholic Church’s teaching on corporal works of mercy, visiting people incarcerated in prisons. The Prison Ministry was set up about five years ago and it is charged with planning and executing our vision for those in prison.

The interaction enables us find out why they are in prison, and their expectations from us.

We visited Ikoyi Prison because it is the one nearest to us within the Lekki axis. The visit was revealing. We discovered that many of the inmates are awaiting trial. Some have stayed several years; most of them were incarcerated over trivial offences such as wandering. Many do not have lawyers to defend them nor relatives to assist with legal procedures. We organised some of our members, who are lawyers to take up their cases.

So far, we have secured the release of over 600 inmates awaiting trial.

During our quarterly visits, we prepare food, buy medicine and daily essential needs that are legally permissible for the inmates. In the course of our interactions, we found out that some of the inmates are intelligent young people, who lacked relations to help them through school and to enable them realise such dreams, we arranged tutorials for them.

They were registered for both GCE and JAMB with some gaining admission into the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). Today, four of them have graduated from NOUN. Others who could not go to school were encouraged to take on vocational programmes available in the Prison.

Apart from Prison Ministry, what other work of mercy do your Sub-Council engage in?

We also reach out to the poor: the homeless and motherless babies’ homes. Our Sub-Council partners Ozanam House established by the Justice Peace Develop-

Jonny Ngonadi ment Center, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, to cater for pregnant young girls. When young girls mistakenly get pregnant, they lose face in the family and society and atimes, they are driven from their families or schools. They naively may resort to abortion.

Ozanam House is there to give succor to such girls through counselling and others. We also partner with other Catholic organizations in supporting this initiative.

Our support is part of our prolife programme.

We have a committee that visits secondary schools and market women organizations of different categories within our Lekki axis, and organize seminars for them on pro-life.

We teach them self-control and counsel them that if they make a mistake and get pregnant, while they are not married, they should not commit murder by procuring abortion.

Your group recently held a pro-life vigil. Is it one of the awareness programmes?

The vigil is part of our prolife programme. We usually hold the vigil around September. It is to call attention to the plight of the unborn child and encourage people not to consider abortion as an option. It involves talks and teachings on the sanctity of life. We have another outreach programme called pro-life rally where we match a great distance, distributing leaflets on the sanctity of life. Apart from the two programmes, we hold seminars for members

only, and another one, for the public, to tell them about advanced studies which have shown that contraceptives are injurious to the human body.

How do you find balance between the conservative stance of the Church and the free life stance of the world?

This is where you see contradictions. The world preaches free speech, freedom, free movement, and at the same time, places a burden on you. It prevents you from killing another human

If people know you as a knight, they will not come to you and start discussing kickback, when you’re handling a project for them

Pope Francis asked Catholics to mix up and impact the society with gospel. How are the Knights responding?

You cannot evangelise or influence people, if you are segregated from the society.

People must know us as knights. When they know you as a knight, they expect you to live by what you preach. If people know you as a knight, they will not come to you and start discussing kickback, when you’re handling a project for them. This is why we came out openly and said we must associate with the public—trying to live by what we preach, go everywhere and preach, spread the message and mix up with the people. Go to the Muslims.

That is what Pope Francis is preaching. If you check all the religions, including paganism, the laws are the same, but the approach may be different. The level of forgiveness may be different, but the tenets are the same, love your neighbour as you love yourself. And I think it is impacting on the society. When we mix up, we will see ourselves as brothers.

What steps are the Knights taking to curb materialism in the church?

A knight should not look at vanity. He should not be interested in materialism. These are the basic tenets of a knight.

When we go for meetings or events, we dress in the same attire. It is to make us equal.

We try to live within our means but I am not saying that we don’t have materialistic people. A knight that joins us today has the same rights and privileges as an older knight.

By Olayinka Latona

S

ENIOR pastor of WaterBrooks Ministry, Pastor Niyi Aniya, has enjoined Nigerians to be involved in transforming the nation, stating that no government can transform the nation without the active cooperation of the masses.

The cleric made the appeal at the just concluded six-day Kingdom Life convention of the church themed: “The grace dimension… living by the uncommon advantage,” noting that the present administration can only perform effectively if the masses are determined to contribute their quota towards the national development.

He said: “We need the collective effort of every citizen to experience a positive change in the country. No government will work without the cooperation of the people."

Explaining the theme of the convention, the cleric said God’s ability superimposes man’s natural ability which will take one to a height which man’s ability cannot reach.

Businessmen Fellowship supports deregulation of downstream sector

By Princewill Ekwujuru

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GLOBAL network of ca reer and professional business men and women, the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International, FGBMFI, has thrown its weight in support of ongoing campaign for deregulation of the downstream sector, stating that such step will help grow Nigeria’s economy.

Co-ordinator, South-West District 3, FGBMFI, Mr. Fola Aguda, made this assertion at the 2015 annual business seminar press briefing of the fellowship entitled: “The 21st Century Entrepreneur: Opportunities and Challenges,” claiming that most economies of the world where oil is produced have deregulated to ensure that concentration of the business is not in the hands of government.

Aguda, while unveiling plans for the seminar, said the programme is targeted at two categories of people, “those who are nursing the idea of starting business and those who had already established their business.

Speakers at the seminar include Prof. Pat Utomi, Director, Lagos Business School; Dr. Okey Enelamah, Managing Director, Africa Capital Alliance Group; Dr. Sam Uche Ogah, Managing Director, Masters Energy Limited; Pharm. Lere Baale, Director, Business School Netherlands among others.

26—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

DIARY zICT

Africa Cape Town, South Africa July 15-16, 2015

Preview Whale tails propel boats through waves

NIGERIA’S DIGITAL MIGRATION FAILURE

Lessons from Tanzania

By Prince Osuagwu

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new ship design based on the shape of a whale’s tail could allow the vessels to move more efficiently though rough waves and open seas.

In development by a team of international partners, the whale tail system features a pair of streamlined, hydrofoillike fins installed at the front of the boat. As the boat is lifted by the movement of the waves, the fins move with it to produce lift that helps to propel the boat forward.

While providing additional momentum, the fins could also help to reduce the pitching and heaving caused by large ocean waves.

C M Y K

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igeria’s most hyped digital migration project has failed. The price to pay is that the over 177 million Nigerians may have to put up with the disturbing noise that could be blasting through their radio and television sets due to likely signal interference from neighbouring countries that migrated at the right time.

The most unfortunate thing is that nothing could be done about it until such a time Nigeria would be opportuned to do the needful.

Digital migration allows television viewers enjoy improved picture and sound quality as broadcasters could offer several channels of programming in spectrum that previously was only able to transmit

I N S I D E

PAGE 27

a single analogue channel.

In addition to the disturbing signal interference occasioned by this failure, would be the huge revenue that would go down the drain.

It was estimated that up to $49bn Digital Dividend service revenue would accrue to Gross Domestic Product, GDP, of economies in sub-Saharan Africa on the completion of the initiative. Nigeria has missed out on this, having not completed hers in due time.

The project, in the estimation of GSM Association, GSMA, was also supposed to rake in over $2b to the country, from the sale of analogue spectrums the broadcasters would have migrated from. That revenue is also heading down the drain.

Nigeria’s own share of the 506,000 potential jobs GSMA said sub Saharan Africa stood to lose by 2020,

CTO 2015: Stakeholders advocate consolidation in Nigeria’s broadband drive

There have been several reasons given for this massive disappointment, including paucity of fund and low awareness

SMEs should leverage on technology to boost businessesIntel

PAGE 28

if the migration date was not complied with, is sure, now that the touted giant of Africa has failed to keep up with time.

There have been several reasons given for this massive disappointment, including paucity of fund and low awareness. But whether the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC, entrusted with the success of the project, did not manage it well or the government was not educated enough to know the importance, there were available templates to copy and interesting developments to have been emulated.

Lessons from Tanzania Despite many African countries being richer than Tanzania, it however beat other African countries to digital migration just by a single successful partnership.

Tanzania started the process of analogue to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) in 2006, when it amended its broadcasting laws to accommodate digital broadcasting; this was after the announcement by the International Telecommunication Union which found many African countries unprepared to undertake the Continues on page 28

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015—27

VConnect woos SMEs, showcases growth opportunities for SMEs

CTO 2015: Stakeholders advocate consolidation in Nigeria’s broadband drive

By Emmanuel Elebeke

O

By Prince Osuagwu

NLINE business directory and local search engine, VConnect, says it is now properly equipped to leverage small and medium scale enterprises with innovative online marketplace solutions . This is in line with the company’s goal to foster the growth of small and medium scale enterprises which form a critical part of the Nigerian economy.

Speaking recently at a one-day forum in Lagos tagged ‘EMPOWER’ organized by VConnect for select business owners, General Manager, VConnect Nigeria, Mr. Deepankar Rustagi stressed that there was a need for businesses especially SME’s to leverage e-commerce solutions to grow and improve their business outputs. Deepankar pointed out that technology allows SMEs to increase their productivity and have access to markets which they wouldn’t have had without putting their business on the Internet.

Deepankar also stated that VConnect’s long term vision is to connect buyers and suppliers; providing convenience to buyers and growth to suppliers while boosting the Nigerian economy. He also stressed that businesses can leverage the VConnect marketplace platform to increase visibility and sales. He says, “our marketplace platform is designed to enable businesses to gain more visibility and sell to a wider range of audience by unleashing their online marketing potential what sets VConnect apart is our relationship with our suppliers and the fact that we’re a pure marketplace empowering local businesses, and not competing with them”.

He also stressed VConnect’s readiness to support SMEs in the country that are ready to leverage ICT solutions to grow their business.

Mr. Deepankar urged businesses to step up efforts to integrate ICT into their business models by leveraging e-commerce and e-marketing solutions to stimulate growth. He said,

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HE just concluded Commonwealth Broadband Forum 2015, hosted by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, in Abuja ended at the weekend with stakeholders calling on Nigeria to consolidate on its successes in the broadband plan to be able to achieve all dreams related to broadband ubiquity by 2018.

The forum entitled: Broadband for all: From Access to inclusion drew participants from all Commonwealth countries. The forum aimed to address the challenges of broadband exclusion and sought to provide tangible solutions that can be easily adopted and implemented to empower the lives of millions of Commonwealth member states and beyond.

The two day event also reflected on the CTO’s commitment four years ago which promised to make broadband, especially mobile broadband, one of the priority areas in human dealings.

Outgoing Secretary General of CTO, Prof. Tim Unwin, said Nigeria was a strong player in the roll out and deployment of broadband services and as such had achieved much in the sector. He said, the CTO would work with Nigeria in the area of ICT and broadband penetration in particular, considering the milestone so far achieved.

The goal, he said, would be focused on ensuring broadband for all Nigerian citizens by 2018.

He however added that it is more imperative that the country maintains its efforts to encourage investment in

•Buhari broadband infrastructure and services for all people across the country and Commonwealth, as a down payment for future peace and prosperity.

The newly appointed SecretaryGeneral of the CTO, Dr. Shola Taylor on his part, expressed satisfaction with the level of growth recorded by Nigeria in the broadband deployment and called for consolidation and building on the achievements so far made in the nations’ information and communications telecommunication sector.

Taylor said the Nigerian ICT sector had developed to become the toast of the international community and needed only consolidation by the Buhari led government to actualize the nation’s dream of expanding services to the rural and underserved areas.

Appraising Nigeria’s achievements so far he said “Nigeria is not doing badly in terms of contribution to GDP.

SOCIETY & SOCIAL MEDIA

By Agbolade Omowole @iamagbolade

How faith-based organizations can maximize social media

S

OCIAL media has radically changed communication. This has also caused ripple effects on other aspects of our lives.

Being religious and spiritual may have a different meaning in the age of social media.

I had a discussion with my cousin. He was skeptical about social media. He says social media is what the anti-christ will use to end the world, but I had a different perception about social media.

For me, social media is a tool. It can be good or bad, and that depends on who is using it. If a good person uses social media, he will probably use it to promote goodwill.

Here are 5 ways religious leaders can leverage on the technology to engender results 1. Carry people along: People are more committed to decisions they are a part of.

Because social media is taking the power away from the leaders to the followers, religious leaders need to learn how to make members a part of the process.

2. Share your message consistently. On Facebook, everyone has freedom of speech and expression. People who preach negative messages (depending on how you look at it) same sex marriage, pornography and terrorism are active on Facebook.

If you have a positive message, say it out loud.

As a religious leader it is your responsibility to

•Juwah

share positive messages about love, peace and harmony on social media.

3. People value connection with leaders. As a religious leader, you may underestimate the influence you have on others. Some people depend on each word you say to make decisions in their daily lives.

They wish to hear from you every other second, and social media presents you the rare opportunity to achieve this.

4. Use Facebook Groups: Every religion has its own sub groups. To effectively manage members of each of the sub group say, drama unit, choristers and hospitality, build a Facebook group and tell members of the group to join.

Update the group daily to make it functional and interactive. If you special news update, you can post it on the group, saving you time and effort.

5. Maximize the power of Youtube. If you want to be realistic, every member cannot meet up with each meeting and training. By uploading videos of your activities on youtube, it is easy to reach out to a lot of members.

They can watch the videos during their lunch break in their place of work. For instance there is GodTube for sharing religion oriented videos.

Secondly, we have one of the highest mobile penetrations in the country.

We have done very well in the economy, penetration and infrastructure development” Giving a hint on how to consolidate on the gains, Taylor said “luckily, we have had good policies in the last four years in Nigeria and what is important is for government to build on that. The Ministry of Communications Technology has expanded the ICT ecosystem, we need to build on that.

“NCC will continue to ensure quality of service and those providing services do so according to agreements with which they were licensed. Digital migration has been too slow, we need to accelerate that from the board of NBC. There is a lot of work on the table, that is why the new government should build on the past successes,” he advised.

Ndukwe becomes National Coordinator for A4AI

T

By Emmanuel Elebeke

he Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) has announced Dr. Ernest Ndukwe as the National Coordinator of the A4AI Nigeria Coalition.

Ndukwe is former Executive Vice Chairman, EVC of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and chaired the Presidential Committee that produced Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan.

As National Coordinator, Ndukwe will work with the A4AI Nigeria coalition to lead advocacy efforts at the highest levels of government, championing the policy and regulatory reforms needed to reduce the cost of broadband connection and increase access to affordable Internet.

He also previously served as Managing Director/CEO of General Telecom Plc and represented Nigeria as a Vice Chairman of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom Development Advisory Group (TDAG).

Although his appointment took effect June 1, 2015,Ndukwe said his appointment is a new call to service for the fatherland considering that his role includes working for a cheaper broadband connection in the country.

According to him, “A4AI started work on how to increase access to affordable Internet in Nigeria only in October 2013, yet in that short time, has managed to make significant contributions towards making Internet for all Nigerians a reality.

•Ndukwe

28—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Lessons from Tanzania

SMEs should leverage technology to boost business--ISIAKPONA

Continues from page 26 required task of migration.

Tanzania however started the Analogue Switch Over on 31st December 2012 and completed 30th April, 2015 when all analogue television transmitters were switched off.

T

echnology has become a global phenomenon, cutting across all businesses in the developed and developing economies of the world. Its importance in enhancing the growth of small businesses, which often are the drivers of economic growth, is very obvious. Mr. Adim Isiakpona, the Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Intel West Africa in this interview with Emeka Aginam explained how Intel seeks to offer Nigerian small and medium businesses( SMBs), with technology solutions to help grow their business.

Stating that Africa is their growth market , he said SMEs should leverage on technology to boost their businesses.

Excerpts:

S

MBs as the engine of growth for socioe c o n o m i c transformation This is true, not just for the Nigerian economy but any economy. Studies show that In developed countries, Small amd Medium Enterprises, SMEs, account for a large proportion of the total employment growth, In such countries SMEs produce a significant share of increase in gross domestic product(GDP) while contribution from larger enterprises. The situation in Nigeria is not different as SMEs are springing up each day. You will find that averagely managed SMBs create employment opportunities, income for citizens and ultimately the government benefits by way of taxes.

Challenges facing SMBs in Nigeria There are many challenges facing SMEs including government regulations, recruitments, employee healthcare, growing revenue, increasing profit. But to put it in proper perspective, SMBs can be started by anyone with little or no capital in Nigeria today. With this explanation, I will say the key challenges SMEs face included structured and relevant support from large corporations, proper training or skills acquisition.

Why Intel chose to be part of this initiative Intel celebrated 50years of existence a few months ago, and our core mission as a corporation is to enrich the lives of everyone one on earth through technology. We have been in the business of providing innovative technology that drive success for about 50years. More critical than ever we have started to narrow down to the SMBs as we see huge potential in that space. They are the game changers to look out for in our society, extremely flexible and

•Isiakpona

their time to market isn’t determined in a board meeting.

Our main objective is to ensure that as SMEs in Africa strive to grow their businesses, they achieve this by using technology and solutions that help increase productivity and ultimately save time and money.

Strategies put in place to ensure accessibility Our partnership with Diamond bank, MTN Business, Microsoft and HP is in itself strategic, as we individually have the SMB segment on our priority list of things to do. This program does not just seek to offer product and services from the different partners involved but to truly engage as closely as we can with SMEs to understand what the real limitations are and ultimately help drive business productivity through technology & entrepreneurship trainings, using the right technology & services for their business

In such countries SMEs produce a significant share of increase in gross domestic product(GDP) while contribution from larger enterprises

enhancements.

Intel involvement in training SMBs Over the years at Intel we have worked with different sub sets and partnered with countless organization to scale Technology and entrepreneurship skills. We have specifically tailored training programs that address relevant areas SMEs need to go grow their business uch as entrepreneurship training, Easy steps training on technology usage and adoption. . With this initiative we intend to not only focus on our existing training programs but leverage that of our partners to ensure we are really addressing SMEs pain points through technology.

Intel support for small scale businesses Over and above this program Intel is constantly working with the IT ecosystem to ensure we deliver to the market the right products at the right price. Africa is one of our growth market and we not just working with big corporate to deliver these products but we also engage local manufacturers to scale and deliver locally relevant products and contents.

These engagements, we believe, indirectly affects the SMBs space.

Technology as key driver to SMBs Working smart, getting the right visibility and access to a potential customers for products and services requires the use of ICT. The objective of this program is to ultimately see SMEs acknowledge the relevance of ICT and adapt the relevant ICT tools that will help grow their businesses. Success stories I expect to hear from SMEs who we intend to engage, would be how Technology has helped with time management, improve business processes, create visibility for the products or services, and most importantly helped them increase revenue.

The StarTimes connection Recently, at the 5th edition of the yearly African Digital TV Development Seminar, organized by StarTimes, in Beijing, China, Tanzania’s Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Dr. Fenella Mukangara, was quoted as saying: “It was not a very easy task. We were lucky to hook up with the right partners; companies dedicated specifically for the purpose of digital migration. StarTimes was that company. We also obtained funding through StarTimes. I want to thank them for the good work in the digital transformation. My Government will continue to support StarTimes in order to continue rolling out digital services in the country including our processes for content development”.

According to the minister, “In May, 2009 StarTimes formed a Joint Venture Company-STAR MEDIA (Tanzania) limited, with our Public Service Broadcaster, Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC). To date Star Media, Digital Television Broadcasting, covers all former Analogue serviced areas including major commercial and capital cities of our country, Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, Arusha, Mwanza Tanga and others,” she said.

Massive awareness The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) began a public education roadshow in April 2011, and the country’s president launched the Digital Tanzania campaign in August 2011. Mukangara said though the process was challenging, but with support from the government and StarTimes, massive awareness and sensitization by the agency in charge, they were able to complete switchover ahead of the June 17, 2015 deadline.

“Our Government through the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has allowed introduction of DTH to complement the DTT services. With that, Tanzania is now having 100% digital signal coverage using DTT and DTH. Tanzania has managed to have smooth and successful migration from analogue to digital television ahead of the set ITU deadline of 17th June, 2015,” she said.

Tax relief She also said that “in the process of migration, the government of Tanzania provided tax reliefs, among other incentives, for the importation of Set- Top- Boxes (STB). To date, nearly One million set top boxes (STBs) have been sold to the citizens and Tanzania currently enjoys about 51 digital channels; a feat which was impossible in the analogue period”.

Experience Mukangara however shared experience of being in a digital broadcasting country. “Experience from my country shows that the analogue to digital transformation is an enabler. It has enabled many Tanzanians and foreign investors to be awarded new television broadcasting licenses. To-date, there are more than 28 television channels and TCRA is receiving new applications for content provision licenses, a demand which was not there during the analogue era,”.

She however warned that it was not all rosy but that other African countries across the continent have much to learn from the challenges the country has faced. She said Tanzania serves as a reminder that digital switchover (DSO) is primarily an exercise in changing consumer behaviour, rather than being a purely technical, regulatory or policymaking exercise.

Now StarTimes, prides itself as the fastest growing digital TV operator in Africa, with the penchant to assisting to ensure that the African continent and media development progresses to the next level in digital television broadcasting.

According to the President of StarTimes, Mr Pang XinXing, ‘Nigeria can leverage on the support that StarTimes provide for Africa. ‘StarTimes is aimed at ensuring that every household in Nigeria can access digital TV, afford digital TV, watch digital TV and enjoy digital TV because we are passionate about the success of the country.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015—29

53% of organisations lack resources to handle cyber attack

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By Laju Iren

recent survey by global consulting company, Ernest&Young, EY, says that fifty-six percent of organizations are unlikely to detect a sophisticated cyber attack. It also added that about fifty-three percent lack the skilled resources to handle them.

It is as a result of these alarming figures that, EY announced the launch of first-ofits kind Managed Security Operations Centre (SOC) services.

The service is designed to meet the unique cybersecurity needs of clients by predicting advanced future cyber threats by using advanced analytics.

To ensure that this spirited effort achieves the desired result, EY is set to commit over US$20m over the next five years to strengthen the centre, increasing its Managed SOC cybersecurity professionals’ six-

•Cyber attack

fold to upwards of 1,200 by 2020.

The Managed SOC will offer EY clients onsite and offsite skills to help predict and prevent these cyberattacks outlined in the survey.

According to EY’s IT Advisory Leader (West Africa), Yemi Saka, “ we have entered an era of targeted cyber-attacks (globally and in Nigeria). Globally and closer to home, threats and attacks have increased in number and sophistication to the point that they have heightened awareness.

It is important that organizations not only maintain traditional security controls, but continue to evolve their ability to rapidly detect and respond to threats.Across business and sectors in Nigeria, organizations

need to evolve from being reactive to proactive; and become predictive to stay ahead of cyber-attacks.”

Also speaking, EY Global Risk Leader, Paul van Kessel, says: “The question is not if your company will be breached, or even when. More than likely it has already happened.

The real question is: How well are you protected for the future? More often than not, our clients do not actually have the necessary skills or capacity to investigate the cyberattack further in an efficient manner.

Our hybrid model of remote monitoring from India with onsite guidance will allow us to work closely with the client and more deeply investigate incidents; protecting them now and helping them anticipate attacks well into the future.”

Samsung opens experience centre in Lekki

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AMSUNG Electronics West Africa, last week entered into a strategic partnership with Rifugio Communications, an accredited local partner, to open a state of the art experience centre in Lekki, Lagos.

The direct-to-market store will provides consumers with an exciting avenue to interact with the technology company’s line up of products in a standalone location.

Samsung says the venture is part of its efforts to provide its customers with world-class mobile and personal computing solutions.

The store boasts of prominent gadgets including the recently launched Galaxy S6 edge and S6 duos, all of which come with a 24-month warranty.

There is also a dedicated ‘Free level one service’ which gives customers the opportunity to download and install applications and software upgrades.

Samsung’s Emmanouil Revmatas, said the Experience Store was developed primarily for Nigerians to explore and interact with Samsung hand held products like mobile phones, tablets and smartphones, cameras and premium Personal Computers.

“There has been a remarkable growth in modern retail.

“Customers are demanding a real customer experience.

We are focusing on creating a

retail store that gives customers a real experience. We will continue to grow our retail expansion through our partners.

We can only continue to churn out best-in-class stores like this one through collaboration”, he added.

Also, Chairman, Rifugio Communications, Mr Kayode Thomas, said the SES is designed to provide customers with expert, first-hand advice on products and services that may benefit them personally or benefit their businesses.

According to him, “you have a two-year warranty on any product that you purchase. If you are

looking for genuine products, spare, accessories, after sales support services, maintenance and repairs, this is the place to come to."

He also explained that the store was experimenting a ‘trade-in’ program specifically designed to enable customers in the country to exchange their old phones for brand new ones. The trade-in program also seeks to fulfill customers desire to own state-ofthe-art phones and devices at affordable prices. “You come with any device; it does not have to be a Samsung device,we value it and if you are happy with the valuation, you pick a new device and pay the difference. You can walk out with a new phone," he added.

FG urged to address missing link in the space sector

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ORRIED by the in ability of the country to reap full benefits of her space programme, the federal government has been charged to look inwards and address the challenge of building the much needed Assembling Integration and Testing, AIT centre at the National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA, Abuja.

The Director General of the agency, Prof. Seidu Mohammed made the call at the Centre for Satellite Technology Develop-

ment, CSTD week/Conference which ended at the weekend in Abuja.

He said the new government should as a matter of urgency look into the issue of the AIT as a priority in the space sector if the administration hopes to succeed in realizing its goal in the sector.

According to Mohammed, the establishment of the centre here in Nigeria will not only create huge employment but is capable of becoming a huge revenue generating source.

30 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Airtel launches high-speed Wi-Fi service in Lagos A

By Laju Iren

IRTEL Nigeria, one of the country ’s l e a d i n g telecommunications service providers, recently launched an ultra-high speed Wi-Fi service to enhance customer data experience in Lagos.

With this development, the company says that residents and visitors to the nation’s commercial capital will have access

C M Y K

to super-fast internet in public places and be able to connect wirelessly to the internet through their smart phones, tablets, laptops and other smart devices.

With the first phase of the service already underway, Airtel has powered Wi-Fi hotspots at Ozone Cinema, Yaba, Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island and Alausa Shopping Mall, Ikeja.The service is available to all mobile

phone users irrespective of their networks.

Speaking about the initiative, Chief Commercial Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Maurice Newa, described the service as a major milestone in the company ’s effort to strengthen its relationship with customers.

According to him, “this service is designed to delight our customers with ultra-high speed internet service. We

want to connect with them in smarter and rewarding ways, to fulfil their communication needs.”

He noted that when the service is fully implemented, the service it will be rolled out in malls, airports, universities and other areas of public interest in other major cities in the country.

Although the first fifteen minutes are free, to fully utilise the service, customers will

need to purchase data bundles which are categorized into five time-based bundles; 30mins, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours and five hours respectively.

The bundles can be purchased using Airtel recharge cards and debit cards while Airtel subscribers can buy bundles with their airtime.

Archos to deepen competition in smart phone market with Helium series

By Emeka Aginam

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HE introduction of new line of 4G smartphones, 50 Helium Plus and 55 Helium Plus models respectively by the Finish smart phone maker, Archos next month will deepen competition in the smart phone ecosystem.

“The products reflect Archos’s mission to

democratize 4G technology and to offer its clients better performance at affordable prices,” Loic Poirier, Chief Executive Officer of Archos explained.

According to him, Archos has refreshed the style of its Helium line through new, sleeker designs and glass effect finishing.

With 2000mAh battery in the Archos 50 Helium Plus and 2400 mAh in the Archos 55 Helium Plus, he said that the products come in either Jet black or white frost exteriors, adding that the devices are distinguished by the quality and brightness of their screens.

He further explained that the Archos 55 Helium offers a large 5.5 inch screen for maximum reading comfort, and the Archos 50 Helium Plus is equipped with an equally luminous 5 inch screen in a more compact style.

The HD resolution of both models, combined with IPS screen technology, results in brilliant colours and wide viewing angles.

The device has a 64 bit processor and from launch, the products are expected to boast Android’s latest operating system, Lollipop 5.1. Lollipop 5.1 , offering an even smoother and more ergonomic user interface, advanced battery life management, and support for 2 SIM cards at once. Cameralovers will be able to show off their talents using the Helium Plus line via 13MP of photo power through the rearfacing camera and 5MP through the front-facing camera.

Autofocus and LED flash are also included for crystal-clear photos even in low lighting conditions.

These smartphones boast of Archos ’s latest innovation, Archos fusion storage, which allows the combining of the phone’s internal memory with that of a Micro SD card. A 16GB Micro SD card is even included in the Archos 55 Helium Plus’s box.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015—31

Desperate conditions endured by migrants abroad

By Vera Samuel Anyagafu

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any have condemned the manner at which most foreign countries are building their wealth through an inhumane and evil system of exploitation of scores of African immigrants, saying their labor treatment is worth the attention of the world Advocating for immediate remedial measures, a source who declined his name on

C M Y K

print stated that many of these African migrants were kicked out of job after being drained and what piqued his interest was exploitation of migrant construction workers who were often left in pitiable conditions.

He told Vanguard Consular Advisory (VCA) that what is going on especially in the Middle East as regards labor treatment is unimaginable.

With particular reference to the exploitation of migrant

construction workers in Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China, source said that African migrant workers at various sites in Beijing routinely toil day and night without their employers caring a hoot about their wellbeing.

His words, “It is widely known that China is undergoing an unprecedented transformation, remaking the city into a modern symbol of China’s rising international stature and growing economic

•African migrant workers strength, many African migrant workers are made to bend over backwards, routinely toiling day and night to assist China transform Beijing from a traditionally low-rise city to a city with broader avenues lined

with world class skyscrapers and countless building sites.”

Source also pointed out that efforts of the migrants who are the engine behind the creation of the new Beijing are not

rewarded, in other words, pinpointing here in that the Chinese government authorities are being unfair to those migrant workers, therefore demands adjustments in the manner at which the migrant laborers are treated.

This report which addresses the extensive abusive conditions endured by migrant workers, also details the exploitation by employers who oftentimes fail to effectively observe countries labor law provisions which apply to both migrant and non-migrant workers, as stipulated.

Despite vocal government assurances that it recognizes the problems faced by migrant construction workers and repeated official promises of longterm systemic solutions, the employees are often nonchalant.

Illegal permit stay In some instances, migrant workers, especially construction workers, are also vulnerable to high rates of injury and death in their various working environments, thereby, compounding the risks associated with on-thejob accidents.

However, a series of often insurmountable obstacles prevent many of these workers from seeking redress for these violations through legal channels, due to lack of legal residency permit.

In practice however, the alternative to quit the jobs unpaid and return to poverty is unthinkable for the majority of such workers as their families rely on them to return with desperately-needed cash to take care of their daily wants.

In face of such constraints, the unfortunate migrant workers are left with no choice.

Analysis of report disclosed that most Industrialised economies have long been dependent on the labor that international migrants provide.

The denial of their rights, citizenship and status prospects leaves them open to various levels and types of exploitation.

32 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

T

he National Institute for Sports churns out coaches in different disciplines of sports every year.

Is it just a matter of getting the certificate? Or simply put, why is it necessary for one to pass through the NIS as a coach?

We need the coaches to go into the grassroots to fish out the raw talents because that is where we have the talents really coming out. That is why we are happy that many are coming for the advance certificate in coaching. We want them to be able to go to different schools, to the different local governments because that forms the breeding ground from where we get athletes at the national level. If these student athletes are not identified at the appropriate time and are not nurtured appropriately, and given the right skills and development, then we will not get it. We want a situation where if an athlete is called to the national camp, even if it is U-15 in football, for instance, he should know the basics, like how to trap the ball, play with each other or when to strike. That is why we train the coaches to know the anatomy of sports, know the different muscles that are working and what those different muscles are capable of generating and the different areas of the energy they are going to be using, the percentage of the training that is being given to them and they expect those students to get.

Sports is science. That is why we are thinking about the athlete. After giving a particular training schedule, one should be able to compute those individual differences in skills among the athletes and you should be able to know exactly what you are doing.

Very often some Nigerians take to coaching without going through the NIS. Some who passed through the school have no employment and nothing to show for attending the course.

We have had a situation where those that have represented us at international sports are now coaches and so we ask them to come to the NIS for training. It is good to come to NIS. Being on the fence and being outside you will not know the quality of what you are missing when you have not enrolled to be at the NIS. When you come and become part of it, you will be able to beat your chest that you have the basics in coaching and will be able to take care of the talents that God would be putting in your charge.

You were one of Nigeria’s C M Y K

Gloria Obajimi:

From the tracks to the boardroom

Gloria Obajimi is the Acting Director, National Institute for Sports.

Obajimi, a former Nigerian international athlete in this chat with Jacob Ajom recalls her days as an athlete and speaks on the challenges facing the school. Excerpts to people that were coming finest athletes. In your active into the institute. Today, to days, as an athlete, did you God be the glory that I am the ever dream of one day Acting Director of the NIS. I becoming the Director of have been able to earn this to Nigeria’s premier institute give a ray of hope to former for sports, the NIS? athletes that whatever you are When I started sports, I was doing, do it to the best of your privileged to attend St capability and the God that Theresa’s Ibadan and my rewards will reward every sporting career started in one of us accordingly. And 1971. In 1972 I was given a when I look at the female full secondary school scholarathletes, I will say, I have ship by the Nigeria Olympic been able to do this for the Association(now Nigeria Olympic Committee). Looking female athletes also and I advise them not to relent, you back all these years, I never have to work even though I hard and earn a would represent living.

Nigeria to the level The number I was at the OlymFlash back to pics in 1980 and one chalyour active then, to be able to lenge is that days as an do my Health and athlete, and tell Physical Education the budget which of the at the University of has not been us races you that Ife, I never thought, you took part even when I was properly in remains graduating from Ife operational. most memorathat I would climb Even if it ble to you? up to this level of I attended so becoming the becomes many competiDirector, National operational, tions, but let me Institute for Sports. start from the I joined the NIS in there are beginning when 1983, after my youth numerous I wore the outfit service. The Princiof a national pal of the Institute other chalathlete reprethen was Dr lenges; like senting Nigeria Awoture Eleyae and he was very happy power failure in 1971 and the then Head of to have me, being a State of Ghana, former athlete and General Achempong named being able to get the qualifime the Most Valuable and cation to become a lecturer at the Most Talented athlete of the NIS. At that time the the event. I did not know Nigeria-German cooperation what to do and the senior pact was still on and I liked athletes were telling me, what they were doing. I “Gloria make shakara, jog keyed into giving knowledge

•National Institute for Sports

towards him, you are just walking”. It was funny because they couldn’t get my size of track suit because I was very tiny and the track top they gave me was past my knees.

Which event was this in particular?

It was the Ghana/Nigeria Athletics competition before it became ECOWAS. Now at the helm of affairs at the NIS, what are your immediate challenges?

The number one challenge is that the budget has not been properly operational.

Even if it becomes operational, there are numerous other challenges; like power failure, the students always want power to read and we don’t want them to read for their exams with candles, they want water, the lift is not working. They cannot pay so much and they don’t get what it takes for them to have power at any time that they want to read. We don’t want them to be using candle so that it doesn’t damage their eyes because they came to

•Obajimi NIS. They are ready to burn the candle but we pray that everything works out well like an institution they all can be proud of. Power is our major problem.

Nigerian sports, particularly athletics have gone down. The NIS is supposed to lead the fight for the revival of sports in the country. Is your institute being given its pride of place in policy formulation and implementation?

In our policy planning and implementation, the National Institute for Sports has the enabling Act to be able to be in existence but we need so many things that will make us to work and be able to achieve our desired goal. We are a research institute and in the budget, there hasn’t been any money being appropriated to the National Institute for Sports for us to carry out research. There are so many researches we can do in sports that can chart the course for us to follow in our sports development and we want the NIS to be given that responsibility of doing those researches that we can beat our chest.

The people are wondering that the Black Race is running, it is the black man you find, lined up in the finals of 100 metres. The Jamaicans are doing it. We need to do some research studies to be able to find out what is in the make up of the black race? What is giving them an edge when it comes to competitive sports or combat sports. We know the Cubans are good in boxing. What is it that they have? We know that sports is science and some other things would be able to add up for them to be there. We need to know what is giving us(blacks) that edge when it comes to sports.

In this edition:

VOL. 1 NO 38

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Uga gets new Igwe after 20yrs of intrigues, legal tussles Page 4

Life is full of surprises – Youth Corps member Page 6

Gov Obiano, EFCC asked to investigate N68m Aronota Bridge scam Page 8

*Deplorable Aba-Ikot Ekpene highway

Businesses close shop over abandoned Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road

By UGOCHUKWU ALARIBE

A

BA – Business owners on the Aba-Ikot Ekpene highway in Aba, Abia State have closed shop over the dilapidated state of the highway.

Owners of hotels, filling stations, restaurants, mechanic workshops and farms are now counting their losses as motorists and residents of adjoining communities have abandoned the road.

South East Voice observed that the Aba-Ikot Ekpene highway, which is the major link between Aba and Akwa Ibom to Cross River states, hosts 46 filling stations, 15 mechanic workshops, two hospitals, seven hotels, eight schools, 32 palm beaches, three farm settlements, 50 restaurants and supermarkets and four manufacturing companies, many of which C M Y K

have closed shop.

The worst sections of the highway which have been abandoned are the AlaojiUkpakiri, UmuokpoUmuwaoma and Onicha Ngwa-Nlagu areas on the 20km stretch from Opobo Junction in Ogbor Hill to Nlagu, the last border community in Abia to Akwa Ibom.

Many communities along the highway have been cut off as residents and motorists now have to pass through local routes and bush parts with increased cost of transportation to get to Aba town. South East Voice gathered that the people of Obingwa Local Government Area and environs now find it difficult to access the Nigerian Christian Hospital, Nlagu, which serve the health needs of the area and environs.

Owner of one of the 32 palm beaches on the road, Hon. Chinyere Matthew said he was forced to close down because his customers can

South East Voice observed that the Aba-Ikot Ekpene highway, which is the major link between Aba and Akwa Ibom to Cross River states, hosts 46 filling stations, 15 mechanic workshops, two hospitals, seven hotels, eight schools, 32 palm beaches, three farm settlements, 50 restaurants and supermarkets and four manufacturing companies, many of which have closed shop.

longer access his company due to the bad roads.

Matthew, who said he had 52 workers in his company, told South East Voice that the Union of Palm Beach dealers made many petitions on their plight to the outgone government in the state, but none yielded fruit.

Mr. Isreal Ejindu, who owns a filling station along the road, lamented that he had continued to suffer losses on his investments in the area because motorists no longer ply the road due to its bad state and appealed to the authorities to urgently repair the road.

In a chat with South East Voice, a human rights activist and indigene of one the communities in the area, Chigozie Onyeukwu Ubani, decried the state of the road and called on the federal and state government to urgent rehabilitate the highway.

He said: “It is a shame that the Abia State government and the Federal Government allowed this all important

road to degenerate to this level where it is now totally impassable. You can imagine the number of business enterprises on this road and the number of families they feed.

“With a conservative estimate, these businesses created nearly 3000 jobs in direct employment and 9000 in multiplier effects. There is no doubt that many people these companies employed have been thrown back into the labour market because of the situation.”

Also speaking, member representing Obingwa East State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Solomon Akpulonu, in an interview with South East Voice, also appealed to the state and Federal Governments to rehabilitate the road to end the suffering of the people of the area, adding that the road has been featuring in national budgets since 2009 without being rehabilitated.

2 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

•Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha

•Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi and clergymen on the occasion.

Borromeo Hospital waxes stronger at 50 •Rewards 30 with golden jubilee awards •Gives succour to sick people •Commissions ultra-modern nursing school •Lays foundation stone for Jubilee Theatre Complex

By NWABUEZE OKONKWO

O

NITSHA — FIVEMONTH long events which marked the 50-year anniversary (golden jubilee) of St. Charles Borromeo Specialist Hospital, Onitsha, Anambra State, have come and gone but left evergreen memories and projections for many more years in its trail.

The hospital, which was named after a Catholic Bishop, St Charles Borromeo, was officially opened to the public on January 16, 1965, after the completion of initial structures.

The opening ceremony was performed by the then Minister of Health in the defunct Eastern Nigerian Government, Hon. B. C. Okwu, while the then Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha Archdiocese, Most Rev. Charles Heerey blessed the entire edifice.

Thereafter, the hospital, which is part of the health services of the Onitsha Archdiocesan Catholic Mission, had continued to wax stronger and grow from strength to strength in the healthcare delivery system in the last 50 years, to the extent that it has been acclaimed to be the largest mission hospital, East of the Niger.

Celebration The management of the hospital graciously commenced the activities marking the Golden Jubilee anniversary with a kick-off ceremony in C M Y K

December 2014. Then followed in the subsequent months, free/subsidized treatments in ante-natal consultations, physiotherapy, CT scan, general/orthopaedic surgeries, deliveries, dental checks, paediatric consultations, BP and sugar checks, malaria, diabetes and BP drugs, eye checks, laboratory tests, among others.

As part of the golden jubilee activities, medical experts from various health institutions converged on hospital premises on May 2, on the invitation of hospital management for its official Golden Jubilee Public Lecture, and brainstormed on different health-related issues.

At this colloquium, chaired

The hospital had continued to wax stronger and grow from strength to strength in the healthcare delivery system in the last 50 years, to the extent that it has been acclaimed to be the largest mission hospital, East of the Niger

by Professor Clement Ezechukwu, immediate past Provost, College of Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Nnewi, the guest lecturer and former Commissioner for Health in Anambra State, Professor Amobi Ilika stressed the importance mission hospitals attached to achieving

universal access to health.

Professor Celestine Ezechukwu, in his paper, Xrayed the burden of noncommunicable diseases in our society, while Dr. Nonso Mba enlightened the audience on the revolution of minimal access surgery.

The grand finale of the Golden Jubilee came up with a Pontifical Holy Mass officiated by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha Catholic Archdiocese, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Valerian Okeke at the hospital premises.

At the pontifical mass, also attended by the new Auxiliary Bishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Dr Denis Isizoh and scores of priests and religious leaders, Archbishop Okeke lauded the management and staff of the hospital, both pioneer and current ones, for their efforts in transforming it into a leading healthcare provider in the South Eastern part of Nigeria, adding that with the newly completed ultra-modern school of nursing in place and laying of foundation stone for an ultramodern theatre, the sky would be their limit.

Commissioning Shortly after the Mass, the ultra modern school of Nursing project was commissioned by the Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, who also laid the foundation stone of the hospital’s ultra-modern jubilee theatre.

In their separate speeches, the Governor, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Professor Joe Azike; Minister of Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan who was equally represented by Tony Igwegbe and the former Governor of Anambra State, Sir Peter Obi, lauded the efforts of the Archdiocese of Onitsha and the management and staff of the hospital for their contributions towards the provision of healthcare needs of the society and prayed that the hospital would achieve greater heights.

After the mass and commissioning, Archbishop Okeke and the Auxiliary Bishop, Most Rev. Isizoh bestowed the Golden Jubilee awards on about 30 distinguished personalities who had contributed immensely towards the steady growth of the hospital.

Ndigbo tasks FG on implementation of Free Trade Zone

By FRANCIS IGATA

E

NUGU — People of the South-East geopolitical zone have tasked the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari on the implementation of Enugu Free Trade Zone, FTZ, which was approved last May, by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

A FTZ is a geographic area where goods may be landed, handled, manufactured or reconfigured, and re-exported

•Ndigbo at a function

without the intervention of the customs authorities.

Only when the goods are moved to consumers within the country in which the zone is located do they become subject to the prevailing customs duties. FTZs are organized around major seaports, international airports, and national frontiers —areas with many geographic advantages for trade.

Free trade zones can also be defined as labour-intensive manufacturing centres that

involve the import of raw materials or components and the export of factory products.

However, the FTZ would serve as a catalyst to guarantee easier flow of investment and enhanced industrial activities in the comatose region.

Former Governor Sullivan Chime had announced the approval for the establishment of the Enugu F TZ during the commissioning ceremony of Sunrise Flour Mills Enugu, last May. ECCIMA urges action South East Voice spoke to the Secretary, Enugu State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, ECCIMA, Mr. Emeke Okereke who was elated over the approval noting that when operational, it will eradicate issues arising from multiple taxation and levies which had hitherto, hindered economic growth and development of the South East region.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 — 3

Edda sends SOS to Gov Umahi over Amasiri-Owutu-Edda Road •Amasiri-Owutu-Edda Road in Afikpo South LGA, Ebonyi State.

By PETER OKUTU

A

BAKALIKI — THE Amasiri-Owutu-Edda Road in Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State is a very strategic link road that connects some communities in the area to Abia and Rivers states.

The road is key to the economic sustenance of Edda people alongside their neighbours in other local government areas of the state, who visit Edda community regularly for the purposes of engaging in both small, medium and large scale business transactions.

The road, which was first awarded under the administration of former Governor Sam Egwu and

then got a boost during the immediate past administration of Martin Elechi is indeed dilapidated and requires urgent attention by the Engr. David Umahi’s administration, if it must remain passable in the near future.

Apart from the collapsing nature of the road, the three mini bridges that link the road is gradually caving in and might soon collapse as heavy vehicles have since stopped plying the road, especially at night.

The road, which was not effectively executed considering the texture of soil in the area, also connects to Ebunwana-Ekoli-Nguzu of Afikpo south LGA and Afikpo South West constituency of the state as it also leads to the home of the senator

Apart from the collapsing nature of the road, the three mini bridges that link the road is gradually caving in and might soon collapse as heavy vehicles have since stopped plying the road, especially at night.

representing Ebonyi South zone of the state, Sonni Ogbuoji.

Some community members, who spoke to South East Voice, expressed fears over the dilapidating state of the bridges linking the road, stressing that if the bridges suddenly collapsed, it would be difficult for the indigenes of the area to go home and indeed foreigners to access the communities within Amasiri-Owutu-EbunwanaEkoli-Nguzu as well as travel to neighbouring states.

In fact, the collapse of one of the bridges (connecting the road), which is currently under serious threat of collapse, would in no small measure hamper the movement of goods and services from Amasiri, Afikpo, Amangwu and Ohaozara LGA

and other parts of the state to the popular market (Afia Owutu), which holds every four days in the area.

In their appeal, members of the community called on the present administration to expedite action towards the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the bridges and Amasiri-Owutu-Edda road for the benefit of the people of the area.

One of them said: “We want to use this medium to call on the present administration led by Engr. Dave Umahi to urgently come to our aid by reconstructing the road and even the three bridges linking the road as they will collapse any moment from now.

“We believe that the leadership of the present administration is people-oriented and will not let us and our children down.”

Stakeholders seek regulatory agency for transport sector U

MUAHIA — STAKEHOLDERS in the transport sector in the South-East geopolitical zone have asked for an agency to regulate road transportation to reduce the high level of carnage on the roads.

The stakeholders said that they were dismayed by the lack of regulations to check entry and exit in the road transport industry as obtained in the other transport sectors.

A cross section of the stakeholders, in Umuahia, expressed the need for the establishment of such an agency to regulate the activities of commercial transport operators in the country.

Mr. Augustine Eziyi, a commercial bus driver, said such an agency would help to regulate the activities of the various transport unions and ensure sanity in the sector.

Eziyi blamed reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, touting on major roads and streets of Umuahia and Aba, among other challenges in the sector, on the absence of control over the operators.

“If there is an agency specifically in charge of land transportation in the country, drivers will be decent and

•CEO, GUO Transport Company, Chief Godwin Okeke

•CEO, Ifesinachi Transport Company, Prince Emeka Mamah

disciplined in their operations,” he said. He also attributed the problem bedevilling the sector to the lack of good education among the drivers, saying that the level of illiteracy was high among the commercial drivers.

Similarly, a senior staff member of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the commission was in a good stead to regulate the operations in the land transport sector.

He, however, expressed regret that the commission was hamstrung by the lack of funds

to carry out its statutory functions, saying that it could effectively control the consumption of alcohol by drivers while on the wheel, if the resources were available.

GUO boss reacts In Awka, the Chief Executive Officer of GUO Transport Company, Chief Godwin Okeke, urged the Federal Government to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to sanitise the road transport business.

Okeke said that the road transport sector needed a regulatory body like the air and

water sectors.

He said: “A situation where all who have money just come in, buy vehicles and employ unqualified drivers has contributed to the increasing number of accidents being recorded on the high ways.

“This situation has created chaos in the sector. What the Federal Government should do is to bring everybody together in the transport industry in a conference or workshop to make suggestions on how best to sanitise the road transport sector.” The transporter argued that by so doing, good policies on road transport would be formulated to accommodate the different groups and systems of operation in the country.

He suggested that the government could also boost the road transport sector by improving on the security on the roads, providing easy access to loans and ensuring good roads.

He said that if government tackled the three areas, the transport sector would further give a boost to the employment of youths.

Similarly, a driver with the God is Good Motors in Awka, Mr. Tony Okafor, said that the establishment of a regulatory body would make the road

transport business more attractive and reduce touting.

He said: “Anyone who wants to run a transport system will be guided on the required standard for the country, starting from the calibre of drivers, conductors and attendants to employ,” he said.

On his part, Mr. Ike Okonkwo, Executive Secretary of Arrive Alive Road Safety Initiative, AARSI, an NGO, urged the government to implement all the road safety rules and regulations, to check the carnage.

Okonkwo decried the current rate of road accidents in the country, saying that advanced countries had reduced road accident to the barest minimum.

He said: “I still wonder why we cannot replicate same here in the country with all the agencies we have on the roads.

“There is a need for the enforcement of the rules, to ensure that everybody complies with them. Also commenting, Mr. Ben Osaka, the Coordinator of the FRSC Special Marshals and Partners in Onitsha, underscored the need for more enlightenment of drivers’ unions, to check the intake of drugs and stimulants among their members.

C M Y K

4 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY,

JUNE 24, 2015

O

NITSHA — ABOUT 20 years of intrigues andprotracted legal tussles, the people of Uga in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State have at last settled for Prince Chidi Ezenwugo, eldest son of their late traditional ruler, Igwe Felix Ezenwugo, as their new monarch.

Uga is the home-town of Senator Andy Uba, one time Governor of Anambra State and his younger brother, Chris Uba, god-father of Anambra politics, among other prominent personalities.

Processes leading to the selection of the Ezenwugo as their Igweelect commenced shortly after an Aguata High Court sitting at Ekwulobia, delivered a judgment in his favour in the suit filed by Chief John Oragwa, regent of the town, seeking a declaration that selection of a new Igwe should not take place without his consent.

In the suit, No. AG/139/2013, he had dragged the town union leaders and the Igwe-elect to the court seeking a declaration that following the death of the late Ezenwugo, Igwe Felix Ezenwugo and by the provision of Section 69 of the Constitution of UIU, 1984, he, as the Ikenga of Uga, should be recognised as the regent of Uga until the recognition of the next Igwe by the state government.

He also sought a declaration of the court that as the regent, he was entitled under the constitution to perform all the duties and functions of an Igwe, until the recognition of the next Igwe, adding that as the regent, he was entitled to prepare for and preside over the performance of late Igwe Felix Ezenwugo’s last

BY NWABUEZE Ofala festival.

OKONKWO

•New traditional ruler of Uga, Chidi Ezenwugo (left), being presented to the people

Uga gets new Igwe after 20yrs of intrigues, legal tussles

Injuction, judgment He, therefore, sought an injuction, restraining the defendants, including the Igweelect from interfering, obstructing or in any way meddling with his duties or functions as the regent, adding that the defendants should be restrained from the selection, presentation and installation of a new Igwe, without following the provisions of the 1984 UIU constitution.

In his judgment delivered on May 26, Justice Obiora declared: “My last port of call is on the issue

concerning the selection, presentation and installation of a new Igwe. I have considered the submissions of counsel on this issue. I think the matter is quite simple. The 1984 constitution of UIU has richly provided for the steps and procedure for the selection, presentation and installation of a new Igwe. “In a way,” he continued, “I find the agitation of the plaintiff on this aspect of the case funny. This is because there is really nothing or much to be done by those

Following the judgment in favour of the defendants, Prince Ezenwugo was presented, weekend, as Igwe-elect to Uga Representatives Assembly, URA and Uga General Assembly, UGA. His selection and presentation had thus brought to an end the protracted chieftaincy tussle ignited against Prince Ezenwugo by Oragwa.

ABA TRICYCLE RIDERS TO GOV IKPEAZU:

Rescue us from daily toll, emblem levy

By UGOCHUKWU ALARIBE

A

BA — TRICYCLE riders in Aba, Abia State have cried out to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to reduce the N160 daily toll and N2,500 emblem fee they are charged for operating in the city.

South East Voice gathered that tricycle riders in the city pay daily toll of N160, N50 welfare fee every Saturday with an annual N2,500 emblem fee.

The N2,500 emblem levy is being charged by local government authorities under which the tricycle riders operate.

Speaking to our correspondent at the Bata junction loading bay, a cross section of tricycle riders, including Mr. Uzochi Nwaehighibe said the fees are too high as some of them operating on hire purchase agreements find it difficult to pay the tricycle owners and make good returns at the end of the day.

He said: “The problem is that most of us are operating on hire purchase agreements. We spend a lot for emblem, daily toll and settling touts who load C M Y K

passengers for us. At the end of the day, you have little to maintain the tricycle, take care of your family and other expenses.

“You just saw our colleague whose tricycle was retrieved by the owner because he couldn’t meet up with the agreement. We are appealing to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to reduce the toll and emblem fees and look into our problems because this tricycle business has helped to reduce unemployment.”

They narrated the experiences of some of their colleagues who were unable to meet up with their hire purchase agreements as a result of the high cost of operation.

Another tricycle rider, who

gave his name as Eze William told South East Voice that he hardly makes enough money paying the daily toll and touts at loading bays.

He said: “I am riding this tricycle on hire purchase arrangement; I must make a weekly return of N12,000 or lose the tricycle to the owner. When you look at the condition in which we operate, it is too difficult to meet up with.

You must maintain your tricycle; pay daily toll, emblem and loading fees and other daily expenses we meet on the road.

“It is too high on us and the bad roads are also affecting our operations. The governor should help us reduce the levies.”

*Tricyclists in Aba

saddled with the responsibility of selecting, presenting and installing a new Igwe. I say so because Section 60 (1) of the 1984 Constitution of UIU states that the office of Igwe of Uga shall be hereditary.

“The plaintiff, in his testimony in court, admitted that the fourth defendant (Igwe-elect, Prince Chidi Ezenwugo, son of the late Igwe Felix Nwugo) is entitled to be the next Igwe in line with the constitution of UIU.” The judgment further read in part: “Let me categorically state that after a detailed and careful reading and consideration of the 1984 Constitution of UIU, I find no specific role which has been assigned to the plaintiff (John Oragwa) to perform as the Ikenga or Regent in the selection, presentation and installation of a new Igwe of Uga. The plaintiff, no doubt, as a prominent person, and title holder in Uga, like any other patriotic native of Uga, may be interested in seeing how the new Igwe emerges. But such interest cannot metamorphose to a role to be performed by the plaintiff in the process.

“Certainly, there is no provision of the constitution that gave the plaintiff the power, either as Ikenga or Regent of Uga to preside over the last Ofala of a deceased Igwe or traditional ruler of Uga. The plaintiff did not point out any such provision. Indeed, the defendants led unchallenged evidence that the burial and last Ofala of a traditional ruler mean the same thing. They testified that the last Ofala is simply a name given to the burial and funeral rites of a late Igwe.

“In all, and in view of my resolution of all the issues in this case, it is my judgment that the suit succeeds in part as regards reliefs 1 and 2 of the claim. Reliefs 3, 4, 5 and 6 lack merit and are hereby dismissed.”

Igwe-elect’s presentation Following the judgment in favour of the defendants, Prince Ezenwugo was presented, weekend, as Igwe-elect to Uga Representatives Assembly, URA

and Uga General Assembly, UGA, shortly after his selection based on 1984 Constitution of Uga Improvement Union, UIU. His selection and presentation had thus brought to an end the protracted chieftaincy tussle ignited against Prince Ezenwugo by Oragwa.

Presenting Ezenwugo to URA at St. James Anglican Church, Uga and to UGA at Nkwo Market Square, Uga, which was greeted with ovations as a sign of general acceptability, Chairman of Isiobi Uganano (Head of Kingmakers), Nze Rufus Ezeobi, prayed God to soften the hearts of the opposition so that they would accept the realities on ground for total return of peace in the area.

Speaking at the occasion, the President-General of UIU, Chief Goddy Akam maintained that the union had followed its 1984 Constitution as provided in Section 60(i) which stated that “the office of Igwe of Uga shall be hereditary.” Akam, who spoke along side two other community leaders in the area, Chiefs Emmanuel Onyeharam (Eze Udo) and James Umezulora (Egbe Igwe III) said even though the Igweship in Uga community was not in contest as to which of the family or kindred it would come from, whoever was adopted would be presented to URA for ratification, which was done at St. James’ Anglican Church field earlier in the day before coming down to Nkwo Market Square for his presentation to UGA for acceptance.

Olive branch Akam, Onyeharam and Umeozulora, therefore, pleaded with the opposition to sheathe their swords and work with Ezenwugo, who had been generally accepted as the Igweelect of the community.

During the presentation of the Igwe-elect at Nkwo Uga, a common gathering square from the four quarters of Umueze, Oka, Umuoru and Awalasi that make up Uga community, there were echoes of acceptance by the General Assembly accompanied by canon shots to cement the will of Uga people to have Prince Ezenwugo as the new Igweelect.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 — 5

E

KWULOBIA—ALOR in Idemili South is today a great town.

This is because there is the existence of functional basic amenities in the community. Their two sons, Engr. Emeka Ezeh, Director General, Bureau of Public Procurement and immediate past senator representing Anambra Central senatorial zone and former governor, Senator Chris Ngige, attracted road infrastructure development to the communities. Other basic amenities are not lacking.

There is even adequate water reticulation and street lights that grace the town at night. The main market day in Alor is Nkwo.

And the traditional government of Alor consists of the Igwe (King) followed by the Ndi-Ichie (Lords), Ndi-Idi, Ndi-Ozo (orzor), Ndi-Nze (Dukes) and other titled individuals and groups, for example, Umu-Nna, Umu-Ada, Otu Ogbo (Age Group), NdiIkom, Ndi-Nne, to mention but a few.

They control the enforcement group in the community like the Igwe-in-Council, Alor Peoples Convention, APC, Alor Development Union, ADU, the vigilante groups, among others.

Some entrepreneurs opened businesses in Alor making it an urban-like rural setting. There are people into animal husbandry, block industries, printing press, palm wine depot, palm oil mills, and sap industries are among the few industries that can be found in Alor.

And finally despite the stunning opposition from within, Igwe MacAnthony Okonkwo on Sunday, June 14, ascended the throne of Alor as Ezedioramma III of Alor Kingdom, alias ElibeAgwuagwu.

He performed all the traditional rites and prerequisites of being enthroned

By OBIALUNAMMA as the traditional ruler of Alor NWADIOGBU with dignitaries from all walks of life in attendance at the palatial palace of Igwe obligations of the royal stool MacAnthony Chinedu should be totally accorded him.

The court cases and other Okonkwo at Umuokwu village issues bogged the coronation Alor.

The kingmakers in Alor since June 24, 2014, when crowned him king amidst Governor Willie Obiano issued jubilation and celebration, and certificate of recognition to each of the eight villages had Chief Chinedu Okonkwo as the representation as demanded traditional ruler of Alor, after a by customs and traditions of caretaker committee appointed by former Governor Peter Obi Alor town.

The coronation was preceded selected him among the lot that by a thanksgiving mass at St presented themselves for the Charles Parish Umuokwu Alor screening.

The community was then by 10a.m., followed by the coronation proper which kicked thrown into crisis as many of his challengers said his father off by 2p.m.

Chief Chuka Udoagwa, is still alive and, therefore, he handed the sword on behalf of should not be crowned. But Okebunoye village, while Chief Okonkwo insisted following his Nicholas Onyechi, Agubanze heart, having got the consent of Alor crowned the Igwe on of his father.

Then, it was Chief Emeka behalf of Uruezeani Village and the Aka ji Ofor, Chief Ikegwuogu, Agujiegbe Alor, Oranyelu Eze-Ofor handed the who stood against the decision Ofor Alor over to the new to crown Okonkwo the monarch on behalf of the traditional ruler as according to him it was wrong for a man people of Umuoshi Village.

The performance of these rites whose father was still alive to as administered by the ruling be crowned king. He added class of Alor town, put to rest that the caretaker committee all bickering and antagonism that selected Okonkwo erred in against the emergence of Igwe its action.

Ikegwuonu had a support to MacAnthony Okonkwo as the choice candidate for the stool his agitation in the person of after subjecting himself to a Chief Benson Chinedu Igwe, screening panel one year ago. Idi Omeka Ozueluoha of Alor, It would be recalled that the who was also an aspirant to the court judgment which brought throne.

It would be recalled that the about the administration of traditional stool of the Alor these rites, states clearly that community in Idemili South Igwe MacAnthony Chinedu Elibe Okonkwo emerged as Local Government Area of Igwe of Alor town through a Anambra State became vacant well structured and as a result of the demise of the constitutional process traditional ruler of the town, according to the customary Igwe J. C. Nkwoka.

Anambra State government laws of Alor town and as such instituted a 12-man caretaker all rights, privileges and

*Igwe McAnthony Okonkwo, traditional ruler of Alor, his wife, and other kingmakers

Alor crowns new monarch, Igwe MacAnthony Okonkwo, Ezedioramma III, against all odds committee which selected one of the aspirants, Mr Okonkwo alias Elibe-Agwuagwu and the government issued him a certificate of recognition.

Chief Igwe insisted that Alor was yet to elect its monarch, describing what the caretaker committee instituted by the state government did on the replacement of the late Igwe as unconstitutional and void.

According to Chief Igwe, “Alor community comprises two traditional sections, namely Ezi and Ifite. Ezi section is made up of three villages in Alor: Umuoshi, Etiti and EbenesiOkebunoye villages, while Ifite section is also made up of three villages in Alor: Uruezeani, Ide and Umuokwu villages.

“The stool of the traditional ruler of Alor rotates between the Ezi and Ifite sections. The procedure for ascending to the throne is contained in the Constitution of Alor Peoples’

You will have between 130 to 140 individuals from Alor community who would be saddled with the responsibility to midwife the process of selection of our traditional ruler in accordance with our town union constitution.

Convention. However, the constitution of the community is not being followed; it is not being respected, as such, the whole process of electing a new traditional ruler now is devoid of due process.

“If Alor people want to fill the Igweship stool, the procedure as stipulated in the Constitution of Alor community is: first, to put in place a democratically elected town union government which comprises the PresidentGeneral, Vice, SecretaryGeneral and other elected officers of the town union exco; members of the former Igwein-Council, (now the Regency Council), which is 18 traditional Ichies from the 18 kindred units in Alor; the representatives of Idi Alos, which is one Idi Alo from each kindred unit, totaling 18 Idi Alos; hononary chieftaincy title holders who are Alor indigenes, and we have 21 high chiefs in our community; “Others are three elected delegates (two men and one woman) from each kindred unit, which is three multiplied by 18 kindred units which is equal to 54 delegates; one representative from the established Alor Development Union, ADU, branches, and so far we have about eight ADU branches; one representative from each of the known age grades in Alor community, we have about six or seven established age grades in our community; chairman and secretary of Nze na Ozo Council, and so on.

“If you add up all these, you will have between 130 to 140 individuals from Alor community who would be saddled with the responsibility

to midwife the process of selection of our traditional ruler in accordance with our town union constitution.

“Second, after the one year mourning period for our late traditional ruler, the PresidentGeneral of Alor community would convene a general meeting of the town comprising those I mentioned above and announce to them the vacancy of the Igweship stool and charge the section, in this case, Ifite section, whose turn it is to produce the next traditional ruler to go and select a suitable person for the position.

“Third, when this is done, the section, in this case Ifite section, will make their choice and now present the person to the general meeting of Alor Peoples’ Convention for screening. If and when that individual passes the screening, then he would be declared the Igwe-elect of Alor Community by the full convention and not by any caretaker committee, like in this case the 12-man caretaker committee.

“But assuming without conceding that we are to accept the caretaker committee doing anything in our community, then they are the equivalent of the town union executive committee, but even the elected town union executive committee does not have the powers to pronounce anybody the Igwe-elect. It is the full town union members (Alor Peoples’ Convention) that has the powers. Thereafter, the town union government would kickstart arrangements for the coronation of the new Igwe.

“After the coronation, the president-general and the town union exco, the newly installed traditional ruler with his cabinet would then go for presentation of the new Igwe to the state government and then the governor, satisfying that due process was followed and has the general acceptance of the community, would then issue the new Igwe with the certificate of recognition. Unfortunately, this was not the case in what happened in my community.”

C M Y K

6 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Life Beer doles out N3m to 12 budding entrepreneurs in South-East

By OBIALUNAMMA NWADIOGBU EKWULOBIA—LIFE Continental Beer, under the stable of Nigeria Breweries, has doled out N3 million cash grant to 12 young entrepreneurs to boost their business ideas submitted as a proposal to the company.

It would be recalled that Life Beer under its current Life Continental Beer Progress Booster Radio Project, had earmarked N12.5 million grant to boost 50 young entrepreneurs, who hail and are residents within South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. Presenting the cash grant of N250,000 to each of the 12 winners in Nigeria Breweries, Ama, Enugu, the Brewery Manager, Mrs. Ethel EmmaUche, urged the winners, who are among the beneficiaries of the N12.5 million, to utilise the funds wisely.

She said: “As you receive these cash grants today, we expect you to succeed in the business line you have chosen.

“Make judicious investment of the money given to you and ensure that your investment is yielding returns and your business capable of making you an employer of labour as you trudge on in your business journey.

“If you succeed in taking your business idea to the next desirable level, you stand a chance of winning more money (additional N250,000 to be won each by eight prosperous recipients of the initial cash grant).

“Let me assure you that we will not be leaving you all to yourself on this journey. The panel of experts that assessed and judged your business proposals will be monitoring your progress.

“They will be there to mentor and provide valuable advice when necessary as we follow up on your progress.”

She noted that the project was

Presenting the cash grant of N250,000 to each of the 12 winners in Nigeria Breweries, Ama, Enugu, the Brewery Manager, Mrs. Ethel Emma-Uche, urged the winners, who are among the beneficiaries of the N12.5 million, to utilise the funds wisely.

success in your proposed business endeavour. Life for Progress,” the manager added.

The Marketing Manager Lager and Stout of Nigeria Breweries, Mr. Emmanuel Agu, said that empowerment scheme programme would run from May to December 2015.

Agu noted that the business proposal could be on trading, handicraft, small scale manufacturing and provision of social services, which must have ways of yielding money and pulling the recipients of the cash grant out of poverty to being employer of labour later on.

He said: “The project was designed to rejuvenate and celebrate the quintessential Igbo culture that places emphasis on individualism and competitiveness as essential ingredients of industry, enterprise and spirit to succeed and excel.

“Nigeria’s pioneer region most indigenous beer brand –

Life Continental Lager Beer - is the first Nigerian beer locally brewed and domiciled in the South-East.”

Responding on behalf of the winners, Mr. Augustine Nnaoma, whose business proposal was welding and iron fabrication services, thanked the Nigeria Breweries and Life Beer beverage for the opportunity granted to them under the project.

“On behalf of my co-winners, we promise not to let Nigeria Breweries and Life Beer beverage down with this golden and once in a life time opportunity given to us with these cash grants as well as established business moguls to mentor us.

“This shows that the company feels the pulse of the plight of most youths in the country and they are ready as a good corporate citizen to help Nigeria overcome its youth unemployment challenge,” Nnaoma, who hails from Awomama in Imo State, said.

regarding the news I had broken. Many advised me against honouring the posting due to the obvious security challenges in the North.

My parents were initially apprehensive, but later became calm after consulting some of their friends. I was encouraged to go ahead without fear that I would relocate after the three weeks of camping. Learning about my friends, who were equally posted to the same *DG NYSC, Brigstate, gave me a boost Gen. Johnson of hope and confidence.

Olawunmi Even though I wasn’t completely fear-free, it was very relieving to know that I had some friends with whom to embark on the unsavoury journey…praise the Lord! The 14 hours journey from Onitsha to Bauchi State happened to be that there are two sides to the longest journey I had almost everything; life is full of embarked on, having been in surprises, yet unfolding. the south-eastern part of the Then, I bitterly went home country almost my entire life. and informed my family I was filled with mixed members. I equally contacted feelings as the journey began, some of my friends and excited about going to the colleagues via phone calls. No North for the first time, but at one concealed his or her utmost the same time jittery due to the astonishment and dismay Boko Haram menace

rampaging the North. I wondered if I would make it back home alive but, well, I had to remain optimistic as that was the only way forward at that point.

Coincidentally, I met quite a number of corps members at the park so we eventually travelled as a group. That, of course, was very comforting. We took off at 2p.m. and got to Bauchi at 4a.m. the following morning.

The journey was smooth aside the frequent Police/Army checks, which unexpectedly I was pleased with, they made me feel protected.

While we waited at the park in Bauchi for dawn, some southerners residing in Bauchi, whom we journeyed with, used the opportunity to give us some words of wisdom. We were advised never to leave the camp since we were not in tune with the dictates of the area.

They equally gave us some security tips. Listening to them narrate some of their experiences brought back the palpitations I had been struggling to keep in check.

Finally, at daybreak, the southern ‘elders’ arranged a bus that took us all to the camp: surprisingly to Kangere camp and not Wailo camp as written in our posting letters. Though we marvelled at the sudden

change of destination, however, we felt it could be a part of the security strategies

by NYSC and the government.

On our rrival, we were welcomed at the gate by the Camp Director, Mr. Paul Akpovi after being searched by some uniformed security men.

The Camp Director briefly highlighted the rules and regulations of the camp and how to go about our registration.

Both Yobe (where I belonged) and Bauchi corps members stayed together at Kangere camp, Bauchi State. I eventually got registered after a long period on the queue.

Life in camp was initially uninteresting, worsened by the unfriendly weather but I quickly became acquainted with the routine. I enjoyed the early morning drills as that helped me cope with the cold weather experienced in the mornings. Evening games were more preferable to afternoon games because the weather was usually more conducive.

Camp became fun and ‘hot’ towards the middle of the second week as there were a lot of entertaining activities in the evenings by the platoons in addition to the usual parade, morning drill and games.

Life is full of surprises – Youth Corps member

By OBIALUNAMMA NWADIOGBU

T

his medical graduate from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Dr. Amaka Ezeofor, from Oko in Orumba North Local Government Area, Anambra State, was drawn between Northern and SouthWest Nigeria and nearly threw in the towel from serving her fatherland. But today she has reasons to praise God and National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, for the opportunity.

Read her NYSC throwback story.

EKWULOBIA -IT was, indeed, like a death sentence; like the world suddenly came to a halt. I felt very bewildered as the secretary mentioned the state while handing me my NYSC posting letter on that fateful day at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, UNIZIK, Awka, Anambra State.

But lying down in my room today, reminiscing about my service year, I beam robustly.

Indeed I have come to believe C M Y K

Winners during the presentation of cheques to the first set of winners in the Life Continental Beer Progress Booster Radio Project at Nigeria, Breweries, Ama, Enugu. aimed to empower 50 budding entrepreneurs, who have sound and workable business ideas; adding that these entrepreneurs from the South-East extract must be residing in the zone and attained 18 years.

“Once again, I congratulate all our winners today and wish you

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 — 7 *Okada riders in Anambra

By VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA — COMMERCIAL motorcycle operators, popularly called Okada riders, are determined to have a show-down with the Anambra State government which recently restricted their operation in the major cities of the state.

Areas restricted for Okada and tricycle operators include the Amansea –Awka expressway, Zik Avenue and Arthur Eze avenue in Awka, as well as Borromeo-Upper Iweka, Awka road, Oguta road, New market road and Old Market road in Onitsha.

Two major roads in Nnewi, the Oba –Nnewi and Nnobi –Nnewi roads were also affected.

However, two weeks after the ban, the Okada operators met and decided to dare the government. In Onitsha, for instance, the Okada operators say they will not be intimidated.

They still operate on the Onitsha –Owerri Expressway and the Zik’s roundabout- Upper Iweka which are among the areas they were restricted.

Though the operators in Awka initially obeyed, they later dared the consequences and are using intelligence gathering method to know when to ride on the restricted area without being arrested. In

Okada riders still dare Anambra govt the past few days, they would assemble at one point on the expressway and drive in convoy on the busy Onitsha – Enugu expressway, daring anybody to stop them as a way of expressing their anger over the ban.

In Nnewi, it would appear there was no restriction in the first place as the operators ride freely on all the roads.

One of the Okada operators in Onitsha, who gave his name as George Odo, said they were surprised that the Willie Obiano administration would choose to drive them out of business after their support for him during the governorship election that brought him to power.

He said: “We, Okada riders, supported him because of our

We decided to disobey government on this matter in Onitsha because there is nothing else for us to do.

“If we should not operate on the expressway, how do we connect the various sections of the town?

belief that it would be a continuation of the Peter Obi government that allowed them to operate after they were chased out of other cities in the South East. We decided to disobey government on this matter in Onitsha because there is nothing else for us to do.

“If they say we should not operate on the expressway, how do we connect the various sections of the town? If I carry a passenger from Awada and the person is going to Upper Iweka, there is no way I can get to Upper Iweka without passing through the expressway.”

Another operator in Awka, Mr. Ikechukwu Nwali said that banning them to operate along Zik Avenue and the expressway is like telling them to stop operating Okada.

According to him, those who came up with the idea to restrict Okada operation in Anambra State

do not mean well for the governor because we are going to use it against him during election.

He said that the restricted areas were the major places they do their business because the affected roads traversed the cities, adding that once somebody was on one side of the town, there was no way he could cross over to the other side.

However, people who patronize the commercial motorcycles are divided on the restriction. While some said it is the cheapest way for one to get to his destination, other applauded government, arguing that Okada constitutes a nuisance in the cities.

Community benefits from free hypertension treatment

By FRANCIS IGATA

E

NUGU—SCORES of natives of Ituku in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State have benefited from the free mass screening and hypertension management, carried out by Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc. The event, which took place at the Central School, Ituku, witnessed a large turnout of beneficiaries even as about 25 medical professionals, led by Professor Basen Onwubere attended to patients.

The MD/CEO Neimeth Pharm. Emmanuel Ekunno stated that hypertension, like other non-communicable diseases, has a high prevalence and worsening in our nation.

He said: “Neimeth, as part of her strategic Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, took deliberate steps to significantly contribute to the reduction of death occasioned by high blood pressure by

introducing FITGAH. “FITGAH is a direct intervention programme which applies 4-ALPHA pronged approach namely: Awareness, Availability, Affordability and Action.

Neimeth decided to reduce the cost of Neimeth’s antihypertensives like Amlovar, Miniplus, Normoretic and Norduet by 50 per cent. The reduction in prices would certainly erode profit but as a patriotic Nigerian company, we are committed to complementing effort of the government through FITGAH – an endearing legacy of caring.”

Onwubere expressed satisfaction and extolled Neimeth for taking bold steps to provide the direction. He noted that the choice of Ituku was borne out of the revelation observed during the World Hypertension Day, where a lot of people in the community were hypertensive.

He reiterated that hypertension had become a

recurring decimal, adding that when sleeping, normal BP should be 90/60 at night.

The traditional ruler of

Ituku, HRH, Cletus Owoh, who participated in the programme with members of his cabinet, said FITGAH was more

important to him than any other engagement adding that he personally requested all the community to attend.

*Participants at the event C M Y K

8 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY,

JUNE 24, 2015

By OBIALUNAMMA NWADIOGBU

E

KWULOBIA ORUMBA North Local Government Area of Anambra State is made up of 16 communities. They have cried over alleged marginalisation and nobody is listening. So the Presidents-General of the communities decided to articulate the areas of need of each community before the state governor and even write for probe or attention for redress in areas where they are not satisfied. They do not want business as usual by their political leaders. For a start, they visited four communities of Ndikelionwu, Ndiokolo, Ndiokpalaeke and Awa. The Orumba North Association of Town Unions, ONATU, is led by Hon. Ernest Igboanugo from Ndiokpalaeke. They are partnering with Justice, Peace and Development Commission, JPDC, Caritas Foundation of the Catholic Diocese of Awka. JPDC led by Chinedu Ugwuta, lauded the initiative of the Igboanugoled Presidents- General, as according to him, JPDC sees Orumba North as part of the marginalised areas in Anambra State and having been working assiduously to enthrone accountability by public officials and as well attract attention to unattended areas.

He added that their official is already in the field, visiting all public utilities claimed to have been done by government and would do validation by the communities before they adopt it as a working document.

At Ndikelionwu, they paid a homage to the traditional ruler, His Majesty, Eze Chukwuemeka Ike, Ogbititi Ikelionwu XI (who is also a professor). The ONATU leader, Igboanugo informed Eze Ike that they were in the community after their monthly meeting to visit the Aronota bridge abandoned since 2012 and assess the level of work before writing the state governor for its completion.

Igwe Eze appreciated their foresight in documenting government projects and level of compliance with released funds for government attention. He reminded that his community had a fertile land even with a World Bank project, but no road to access the quantum of agricultural produce from there as they would go round from Awgbu before getting to the five villages cut off by the uncompleted Aronoto bridge.

He said although the Odor

*Abandoned Aronota Bridge.

Gov Obiano, EFCC asked to investigate N68m Aronota Bridge scam river is mystical, a bridge across as it was done by former Governor Peter Obi at Awgbu section would have made the difference, lamenting that Emeka Aforka started it and raised their hope only for their hopes raised to be dashed again.

Eze Chukwuemeka Ike lamented that Obiano was looking for land for agriculture when only his community’s land is enough for the entire agricultural projects in the state, but lack of accessible roads makes it a dilemma. He

said the community still lacks some basic amenities as there is no hospital, and electricity supply, which has forced some artisans out of the community due to frustration.

The President General of Ndikelionwu, Chief Okechukwu Okereke, Nnanyelugo was livid over the abandoned Aronota bridge despite the huge sum claimed to have been spent on it. He wondered how N68 million would be spent on a culvert so

....They wept as there was no justification of the N68 million documented to have been spent on the non-existent bridge, and called for a probe by the Anambra State government led by Governor Willie Obiano and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,

to speak, yet nothing is on ground to show for it. He said five of his communities have been cut off sequel to the noncompletion of the said Aronota bridge and called for urgent government intervention.

He said there was urgent need for a bridge and road to reconnect them, asking Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State and Chief Okey Enekwe-led Orumba North council area to do something urgently.

So, the Presidents General of these communities embarked on a working visit to Aronota Bridge where N68 million was claimed to have been spent by the immediate past local government Chairman.

At the site of Aronota Bridge, Ndikelionwu, Orumba North local government area which cut off several villages from Ndikelionwu, they wept as there was no justification of the N68 million documented to have been spent on the nonexistent bridge.

The President General of Ndikelionwu Chief Okechukwu Okreeke at the site further told the Presidents General that his community are at a loss as to how the bridge already claimed to have gulped N68 million could be reawarded. He called for a probe by the Anambra State government led by Governor Willie Obiano and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to recover the funds from the contractors as it was a glaring waste of public funds.

Okereke said: “This is the whole noise that they are building bridge across Aronota.

Looking at it here, is there any bridge? How can one justify that N68 million has been spent here, yet there is no basement? We have been abandoned.

Orient Petroleum: Anambra, Kogi peace efforts deadlocked again

By VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA - THE latest move by the National Boundary Commission, NBC, to resolve the lingering crisis between Anambra and Kogi states following claims and counter claims on the rightful owners of the oil-rich land along the Anambra River basin has again been deadlocked.

The reason, South East Voice gathered, was due to the refusal of heavily–armed Kogi youths to allow members of the NBC and officials of Kogi and Anambra state governments, who are members of the joint field team, JFT, to carry out the last round of boundary demarcation between the two states.

Several attempts had been made since 2014 by the Anambra/Kogi interstate boundary joint field team to trace the turning point at Lake Itolo near Odeke in Kogi State and it was to accomplish the task that informed the NBC to direct the JFT to converge at Aguleri, Anambra State on June 12, 2015

for the take-off of the assignment.

Before the commencement of the exercise, an enlightenment programme was carried out in the communities bordering the two states to prepare the people for the visit of the team.

The boundary tracing exercise was flagged off, last Monday, at the headquarters of Anambra East Local Government Area by the Director General of the NBC, Dr. M.D. Ahmad, with the director of boundaries, Mr. M.O. Arowolo and the director of internal boundaries, Mr. A.

*Orient Oils

Adaji in attendance. The exercise was expected to end last Friday, but the team could not reach its destination as it was forced to turn back as a result of the activities of irate youths from Kogi State.

A security personnel attached to the team said: “Barely 45 minutes drive towards Odeke in Kogi, a group of heavily –armed men were sighted and they formed human barricade on the road, thereby disrupting the movement of the team.

“Despite appeals by the security personnel and some

Kogi people in the team to allow us continue with our assignment, they refused to bulge and after spending about one hour with them, leaders of the team directed that we return to base.”

The director general of NBC had already briefed the deputy governor of Anambra State, Dr. Nkem Okeke on the development and members of the field team have been directed to return to their various offices. Unconfirmed report said that in view of the development, the NBC would take the final decision on the boundary between Anambra and Kogi in Abuja, having gathered over 99 per cent of the information needed to determine the boundary between the two states.

According to a source, most of the work had actually been done and the point the team set out to determine in the latest exercise was contained in the 2008 JFT work, which was traced and provisionally demarcated, adding that the records are available in the office of the Surveyor-General of the federation.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 — 33

James:

Faurlin agrees new deal at QPR

IGERIA U-23 coach Samson Siasia has invited Norwaybased central defender Sola Akinyemi ahead of next month’s crucial CAF Championship qualifier against Congo.

Siasia’s Dream Team will welcome Congo to Abuja on July 18 in a first leg qualifier for the Olympic qualifier to be staged in Senegal in November.

The 22-year-old Akinyemi has previously tried out with Nigeria U-20 team, the Flying Eagles, prior to the 2013 U-20 World Cup in Turkey. He is expected to shore up the defence of the Olympic team which Siasia has admitted could be a lot better.

Akinyemi is due in the team’s training camp in Abuja later this week.

R

•Faurlin

Liverpool nearing £25M Firmino deal

F

•Firmino

N

Messi from another world

A

lejandro Faurlin has agreed a new oneyear deal at Queens Park Rangers, with the option of a further season at Loftus Road. The 28-year-old midfielder is confident his injury woes are behind him and says he ‘can’t wait to play in front of QPR fans again.’

Faurlin, who joined the club in July 2009, suffered his third anterior cruciate ligament at the start of last season and admits he was in a ‘dark place’ for many months.

Siasia invites Norwaybased defender Akinyemi

ollowing a string of re ports from Brazil’s O Globo claiming Liverpool were frontrunners to land 23year-old star attacking midfielder and second striker Roberto Firmino, it seems increasingly certain the club’s interest in the player is very real and very serious. The club’s first four signings of the summer may have largely failed to raise excitement levels, but Firmino would be a real statement of intent.

Ramos learning English ahead of Man United move

S

ERGIO Ramos has been tak ing English lessons ahead of a potential move to Manchester United, according to reports in Spain.

Manchester United’s interest in Sergio Ramos appears to have spread to his Real Madrid teammates after reports suggested officials at Old Trafford will make multiple enquiries as part of the deal to sell David De Gea.

West Ham join Chelsea in the hunt for £12m Dembele

Chelsea, Valencia set for transfer battle over Serbian wonderkid

W

P

artizan Belgrade’s Andrija Zivkovic, 18, set up the winner on the weekend as Serbia shocked Brazil to lift the Under-20 World Cup trophy having previously caught the eye with a goal against Mexico. Zivkovic, already a Serbian international, has captained Belgrade and his agent Pedja Djordjevic told O Jogo that the Blues and Valencia are both keen. “(Our aim) is to analyse all the options we have, and decide calmly,” Djordjevic said.

“Valencia and Chelsea are two of the clubs who are interested in Zivkovic.”

Zivkovic scored five times in eight starts last season, including four in his final three matches.

EAL Madrid and Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez has paid tribute to Barcelona and Argentina rival Lionel Messi ahead of their Copa America meeting.

The countries face-off in the quarter-finals of the South American championship and James was asked about Messi at a Press conference. “He’s from another world. He’s a unique player,” came the beginning of the reply, Marca reports.

“This can’t be a duel between James and Messi, because that wouldn’t be fair.”

James also touched on his form in the competition so far and acknowledged it could have been better, but said the game against Argentina was a chance to improve due to their approach.

“I never want to play poorly but it happens to everyone. It’s hard for the talented players when there is so much friction and physicality,” he argued.

“Everyone is aware of the good players.

There’s no space, nobody wants to give anything away. In the three games I’ve not had a lot of space.

“It’s been very intense. There’s not a lot of space and I can’t play much. [Argentina] will be a nice game to make it right.

Argentina play well and they let you play.”

•Dembele

EST Ham will compete with Chelsea for the £12m-rated Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele.

Jose Mourinho has targeted the Belgium international as his second new addition this summer, after the incoming seasonlong loan deal for Monaco’s Radamel Falcao, who spent last season at Mancheser United.

The Sun have reported that manager Mourinho wants reinforcements with John Obi Mikel expected to leave before the season begins.

Dembele moved to Tottenham from Fulham for £15m in August 2012 for £15m.

•Ramos

Arsenal target £28.5m striker Aubameyang

A

Copa America: Da Silva wary of absence Brazil despite Neymar a believes Brazil remain

ARAGUAY defender Paulo da Silv America quarter-final extremely dangerous in their Copa mar.

Ney ard — even without suspended star forw of the tournament after rest the Brazil lost their talisman for e ban following his red card the attacker was handed a four-gam insults to the referee in his against Colombia and subsequent k. wee last side’s 1-0 group stage loss the ban and will gear up inst aga eal app to not Brazil decided guay in Concepcion on Para for their quarter-final clash with Saturday without their captain. the forward’s absence However, Da Silva doesn’t think that blunts Brazil in any way.

P

• Zivkovic

•Da Silva

RSENAL are expected to make a £28million bid for Borussia Dortmund star PierreEmerick Aubameyang, according to Bild in Germany. The front man is thought to be ready to leave the German Cup finalists this summer after Jurgen Klopp decided to end his time as manager of the club.

Aubameyang, a Gabon international, scored 25 goals last season and could become part of one of the fastest front lines in the Premier League if he signed for the Gunners. Arsenal could face competition from Real Madrid, however.

C M Y K

34—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

C M Y K

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015—35 Centre Section, Enterprise Development Section, Training Section, Talent Hunt Section ,Development Bank for Women & Youth (DBWY), Foreign Investment Marketing Section, New cities Section, Elders Centre Section .

For the registration/Jobs Centre, the biometrics and curriculum vitae of the unemployed and under-employed will be captured and registered , free of charge.

Each person will be given a Registration Number and a Relationship Officer attached to him/her.

I was alarmed by the unemployment level in Nigeria —Olufolahan Emmanuel-Tella

By Anino Aganbi

T

he sustainability of ev ery successful business lies in the strength and effectiveness of any hardworking business woman. Mrs. Olufolahan Olubusola Emmanuel-Tella, former presidential aspirant , labour party, is one of those who has used her vast knowledge and skills to bring to a lot of doorsteps the opportunity of being employed. She saw the need for youths to be gainfully employed even when they did not have the means of qualification and met that need. To a lot of people, being in a political position would mean more money in their pocket but for this woman of substance, it means a whole more. Talking to Women in business, she discloses more.

How has creating sustainable jobs been made possible?

For me,creating 12 million new real sustainable jobs has been made possible by constructing a new city in each geopolitical zone. Each city must be production or manufacturing based using the pre- dominant raw materials in that zone.

Why did you decide to go into something that would create jobs for people?

I was alarmed by the unemployment level in Nigeria in 1995, so I started a non profit organization where we trained youths, the unemployed and members of the spinal cord injury of Nigeria, simple food and non food production techniques. We also trained Fulani farmers on how to convert dry corn stalk and corn cob into decorative dry flowers instead of merely burning them after harvesting the corn. We were encouraged by some people while others asked us if we were trying to compete with National Directorate of Employment.

How would you say unemC M Y K

ployment should be tackled?

Unemployment must be tackled with business decline which has progressively worsened over the years with many business executives having to sell their properties, with them driving their cars as unpainted taxi for survival. About 1.8 million fresh graduates, millions of unskilled youths, yearly enter into the everswirling labour pool. To solve the unemployment challenge, four categories of solutions should be implemented, Job creation while in school; Job creation after school; Jobs for the unskilled and new cities creation.

Mrs Olufolahan Olubusola Emmanuel - Tella

Let’s talk about strategic implementations...

For a thorough, effective strategic implementation of the solutions in which the unemployed in all the 774 local governments will benefit ,the first thing the government needs to do is to know the numbers of unemployed and underemployed and their skills so they can create a data base. The registration exercise for the unemployed and underemployed employed must be done in each local government. For effectiveness, the registration centre must be a new entity, a new structure through which the government will implement its em-

The first thing the government needs to do is to know the numbers of unemployed and underemployed and their skills so they can create a data base.

ployment and enterprise development strategies.

The registration centres can be called Business Hub. Can you give us more insight into these centres?

Business Hub should be built in all the 774 local governments. A 1-bay warehouse, demarcated into offices will suffice.

Government should kick-start the building of the Business Hub and encourage corporate bodies and well-meaning Nigerians to build and donate the rest to government. Donors of such Business Hub buildings should be rewarded, recognized and publicly acknowledged by government. Each building will have at least 8 sections, namely: Registration/Job

How are these units going to be broken down and in what way would they be of benefit to the people?

The different units of the business hub would be made to tailor the direct needs of those in that department. There would be no issue of mixing everybody up in the same group and not achieving anything at the end of the day. It is as a result of this that we have different groups for different people to register into. For instance, we have the Enterprise Development Section (EDS) which would comprise of unemployed graduates with at least 5 years managerial experience will be grouped into 10’s to form and register as Management Consultancy firms. Such firms will register at EDS, organize enterprise development training and offer management consultancy and will assist to secure consultancy jobs for such firms.

We also have the training sections with the Adult School, Vocational training and the computer schools to be done in the business hub computer centre.

Is there anything being done for talents and also women and youths?

Actually, a lot is being put in place for the Talent Hunt Section.

Creative inventors, innovators will be assisted in producing, packaging and testing the prototype of the invention. Successful inventors will get pilot plant in government Technology Incubation Centre and production and marketing assistance. For the youths and women, we have what we call a Development Bank for Women& Youth (DBWY). This is a specialized, non-interest bank and based on equity participation.

BH members will open accounts.

DBWY will be funded by Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and other depositors. All successful applicants (BH members) for funding assistance will undergo Enterprise Development training and have a Management Consultant attached to ensure success of the enterprise.

36—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

•(L-R) Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, President Muhammadu Buhari and Special Adviser to the president on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina during Buhari's meeting with State House Press Corps.

Buhari’s charming media offensive PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari’s engagement with State House correspondents last Monday was an unprecedented encounter being the first time a sitting president in the Fourth Republic would have a parley with his media constituency.

By Dapo Akinrefon

I

N his first coming as a military leader, Buhari won a reputation for his hostility to the press. That hostile relationship was climaxed by the jailing of two prominent journalists, Nduka Irabor and Tunde Thompson for alleged violations of that junta’s media law, Decree 4.

Indications of Buhari’s new birth were first given by the rapport between him and Mr. Thompson who now ironically in his elderly years was one of the media handlers of Buhari’s success at the presidential elections held on March 28.

Since their inauguration on May 29, Buhari had used the Defence House, Abuja, as his base for operations pending the renovation works at the Presidential Villa.

So it was remarkable that on his first day in the villa, that the president met with State House correspondents.

Interestingly, since the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1999, no president ever had that kind of interaction with the State House Press Corps.

Perhaps, the reason for that failure may have been the inability of the media handlers of the former presidents to provide the necessary environment for such.

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The decision to meet with the reporters was facilitated by two seasoned journalists, Messrs Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu respectively (Special Adviser Media and Publicity and Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity).

Recall that during the regime of Buhari in 1984, the military and the press were engaged in a cat and mouse game, which eventually led to the gagging of the press following the enactment of Decree No. 4 of 1984, which was tested only once.

Decree 4, which was termed: ‘The Protection Against False Accusations Decree, was considered by analysts as perhaps, the most repressive press law ever enacted in Nigeria.

Section 1 of the law provided that “Any person who publishes in any form, whether written or otherwise, any message, rumour, report or statement, which is false in any material particular or which brings or is calculated to bring the Federal Military Government or the Government of a state or public officer to ridicule or disrepute, shall be guilty of an offense under this Decree”.

The law further stated that offending journalists and publishers will be tried by an open military tribunal, whose

ruling would be final and could not be appealed in any court and those found guilty would be eligible for a fine not less than N10,000 and a jail sentence of up to two years.

The decree was tested only on The Guardian Newspaper and two of its editorial staff (Nduka Irabor and Tunde Thompson).

Monday’s meeting with journalists has indicated the prospects of a good working relationship between the president and the press.

It happened after a meeting with the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and later the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele. Following the two meetings, Buhari paid courtesy call on journalists covering the State House.

He was reported to have spent a total of 25 minutes with the State House correspondents.

Besides the interaction, the president shook hands and had a photograph with each journalist in the hall as they introduced themselves and their media organizations.

Asides this, the president told the journalists his government would need their help to succeed.

Also, he sought understanding of the media in navigating the present challenges facing his administration.

He said, “we really need your help to protect us from people before they march on us.”

The president, however, spoke about the prospect of his administration coming under severe attacks from the media.

Perhaps referring to the barrage of media attacks meted

Monday’s meeting with journalists has indicated the prospects of a good working relationship between the president and the press

out to his predecessor, Buhari said he got some of the best hands as his media aides, referring to Adesina and Shehu.

According to him, “It’s not by accident that I got the best of you to be the special adviser, one of the 15 aides I had to get clearance from the Senate . He is one of the best presidents of the (editors’) guild. I brought one of the best of you so that he can consistently defend me against you.”

“Whether his (Adesina’s) job is a difficult one or easy is up to him, but I’m here to thank you in advance for what good and ill you are going to do to me. I had to quickly come to see you and welcome you to this place. I hope what happened of recent between the former president, and one of you will not happen between me and you,” he added, pointing to the recent expulsion of a State House reporter.

Adesina, the immediate past managing director of the publishers of Sun newspapers, is a tested professional who before then worked in Vanguard Newspapers and is praised for his professional integrity and forthrightness. He was until his appointment also the president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE. Mallam Shehu is also another trusted media practitioner, who steered what is said to be the most vibrant media team for any politician, in the shape of the Atiku Abubakar Media Office before his engagement with the Buhari Campaign.

Shehu was also a president of the NGE.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015—37

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

TWO months after the relatively successful general elections, the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP penultimate week, convened a review of the media coverage and performance before and during the elections.

2015:

Judging Jega and the media

T

HE two-day review in Lagos on June 9 and 10 was essentially to appraise media performance with a view towards achieving a better performance by all election stakeholders in future elections.

The conference by the UNDP through the Democratic Governance for Development (DGDII), a project of the UNDP, drew participation from the media, media support groups, the Independent National Electoral Commission which was represented by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Lagos State, Mr. Akin Orebiyi.

Also present were media unions, media regulatory agencies, media support groups; men and women from the academia, advocates of development communication; gender advocates; international development partners among other stakeholders.

Among the issues that were raised during the presentations and panel discussions the Electoral Management System and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria; Voter Education and Media Coverage of the 2015 Elections: an Assessment, the

•Participants at the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, in Lagos Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage and other legal/ professional frameworks; Capacity Building Initiatives: Relevance and Results; Online and Social Media; what value added to the integrity of the elections and the Media, Elections and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria: Roadmap towards 2019.

Mr. Nick Dazang, the head of publicity at INEC in a paper presented on his behalf by the head of publicity in Lagos, Mr. Femi Akinbiyi, spoke of the efforts of INEC in creating awareness among voters through among others means including “the institution of the National Interagency Committee on Voter Education and Publicity

(NICVEP); a Communication Policy; a Gender Policy; and Summits for Youths and Persons Living With Disabilities.”

Mr. Lanre Arogundade a development communication expert also spoke just as Mr. Edeetan Ojo, executive director, Media Rights Agenda, ERA presented a paper titled “The Media, Elections and

FOLLOWING the observations and other presentations, the participants in a communiqué issued at the end of the twoday review, recommended thus: •Government should sustain the gains of the 2015 elections by ensuring the appointment of core electoral staff and the next leadership is based on proven competence and integrity.

•Key INEC technical staff should be retained to provide institutional memory.

•INEC should continually update the Voter Register and PVC production/ distribution to avoid 11th hour rush.

•Electoral reform efforts should include the strengthening of INEC’s operational control over security during elections, including the use of surveillance cameras in collation centres.

•INEC should digitize the collation of election results and improve on its logistics management and contingency planning ahead of future elections.

•INEC should decentralize and improve all its information and communication structures for better outreach.

Media •Publicly funded broadcasters should be established in a manner which effectively guarantees their independence from political or other partisan influences, especially in editorial matters.

•All state-owned broadcasting stations should be removed from the direct control of the Minister of Information (at the Federal level) or the Commissioners for Information (at the State level).

•Existing laws establishing state-owned media should be abrogated and replaced with new laws which reflect the principles of broadcasting independence.

•Media practitioners should develop their capacity to understand existing processesandproceduresrelatingtoelectionstoenableimprovedreportage of the electoral process.

•TheMediashouldengageininvestigativereportageofparties/candidates/ issues to support informed decision-making by the electorate.

• The Media should provide equal access to all political parties/candidates as well as underrepresented groups including women, youth and people with disabilities.

• Media practitioners should advocate for a Code of Conduct for Media Owners which would include mechanisms to ensure that media owners do

not interfere in editorial matters.

• The media should collectively address the challenge of ownership in the editorial content of privately owned media outlets, especially in the light of the current environment where a large number of media organizations are owned by politicians or business persons with clear political interests and affiliations.

• Regulatory authorities should properly define and monitor the structure, ownership and purpose of community radios.

• Legal redress should be encouraged for any infractions by offline, online and social media.

• Civil society should join efforts to counter hate speech online and on social media.

Voter Education • Better funding of voter education efforts should be secured by all stakeholders.

• Voter education should begin early; deliberate efforts should be made to target Nigerians in the rural areas.

• INEC, political parties/candidates, security agencies, CSOs and other relevant institutions should be collectively involved in voters’ education.

Regulators • Media regulatory institutions should review extant codes to provide stiffer penalties and sanctions for violations of regulations.

•It is recommended that an Independent Fund for media development be set up.

Academia •The Academia should conduct researches on media and elections and develop educational material on political communication.

PoliticalParties •Political parties should run issue- based campaigns, effectively contribute to voters’ education and develop media engagement skills/strategies in order to reach the grassroots.

•Politicalpartiesshouldmakedeliberateeffortstoincludeunderrepresented groups as party candidates.

Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria: Roadmap Towards 2019.”

In it, he affirmed that the current government should be held accountable to its promise of “change” and its responsibility for good governance, that preparations towards building on the successes of the 2015 elections should commence and that the shortcomings of the media during the last elections be adequately addressed.

Emmanuel Aziken, Vanguard’s Political Editor, on his part spoke on voter education and media coverage and gave a narrative of his medium’s efforts in boosting awareness among voters in the process of voting.

He especially highlighted how Vanguard brought created much awareness on the use of the card reader among the reading public.

He nevertheless faulted the distant relationship between the Election Management Body, EMB and many journalists especially in the area of voter education.

In it, he affirmed that the current government should be held accountable to its promise of “change” and its responsibility for good governance

38—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Surprisingly, 11 persons who served Akpabio as commissioners and three immediate past state lawmakers, made the list.

The fact that these men, had served in the last administration, further increased the mixed feelings over the calibre of Udom’s would be appointees.

The ex-cabinet members, who made the list included Mr. Aniekan Umanah , Dr. Glory Edet, Emmanuel Enoidem, Mr. Uwemedimo Nwoko, Mr. Monday Uko, Prince Godwin

They are also angry that Emmanuel neglected competent sons and daughters of the state, who had supported his ambition when it mattered most

•Udom:

Fallout of key appointments unsettles Udom’s Akwa Ibom •As indigenes accuse Akpabio of teleguiding Udom

By Chioma Onuegbu

T

HE appointment of people into key political positions in Akwa Ibom State is currently generating another round of controversy for the new administration of Mr. Udom Emmanuel.

And if not nipped in the bud, the matter is likely to constitute a major challenge for the administration that is currently faced with difficult questions regarding the conduct of the governorship election in the state.

It started with the appointment of the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr. Etekamba Umoren, who was Chief of Staff to immediate past governor, Godswill Akpabio and other key aides including Mr. Aniekpeno Mkpanang past Permanent Secretary of Protocol and now Permanent Secretary, Special Services Department.

Also among those who emerged as key office holders are; Messrs. Aniekan Uko and Effiong Bassey, who were elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly.

Fingers have been pointed at Akpabio as being responsible for the emergence of some of these political office holders.

In fact some even allege that Akpabio compelled the state lawmakers to ensure that his preferred candidate emerged as

speaker.

But that has been dismissed by Ime Okon of Ibiono Ibom State constituency, who described the allegation as laughable saying the House is truly independent.

His words, “Senator Godswill Akpabio cannot nominate anybody for leadership position in the House, he does not have the right likewise Governor Udom Emmanuel. They may have their preferences as individuals but that s not to say he is the one nominating.

“I and another person were interested in being Speaker but at the end of the day someone who was not in the picture was picked as the speaker because of the exigencies of the time and we were all satisfied” Retired military administrator of the state Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga however attributed the development to what he termed as ‘change syndrome.’

Nkanga asserted, “Personally I have nothing against first timers occupying the leadership of the house of assembly because it is determined by the members of the House. And when we talk about fresh hands in the leadership of the Assembly we should put the blame on the electorate.”

Another source of trouble is the recent nomination of 20 names that would form the new executive council.

By Dapo Akinrefon

MR Tony Oyatedor is a veteran journalist and publisher of News Times Magazine. He has been involved in peace advocacy across the country. In this interview, Oyatedor tasks President Muhammadu Buhari to make promotion of peace in the country his priority.

W

HAT are your expectations from Buhari?

The new administration must work first on peace, not corruption, like everybody is saying. Peace and security. That is one. Two, the administration must work on corruption.

Years ago, we were interviewed by some journalists, and we told them that what we have is not corruption. It is theft. But you are calling it corruption that is why they continued to steal. Then leadership coined it and said, stealing is not corruption. That was not what we meant. We meant that everybody that you are accusing of corruption is stealing.

So, when we can call these people thieves, then corruption would stop. My fervent hope is that with Buhari, the stealing of the commonwealth will stop.

The third and most critical is to have a massive campaign for peace and reconciliation for the entire Nigerian people. President Muhammadu Buhari is the true personification of leadership. He has shown Nigerians that failure leads to success. Despite that he failed three times, he consistently forged ahead. Today, he is the President.

So many people have had to

Ntukude, Akan Okon and Enobong Uwah.

Others were Mr. Uwem Ita Etuk , Chief Emmanuel Ibiok , Mr. Etido Inyang, Mr. Aniekan Akpan from Ukanafun, Ekong Sampson and Anietie Etuk.

The development has attracted more criticisms from the governor’s Eket zone.

Their grouse, it was gathered was borne out of the fact that recycling Akpabio’s men could deny other parts of the state the opportunity of being represented in the administration.

They are also angry that Udom neglected competent sons and daughters of the state, who had supported his ambition when it mattered most.

However Chief Nduesse Essien a former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and respected PDP chieftain from Eket local government area pleaded with critics and indeed the entire Akwa Ibom people to be patient with the governor adding that he (Emmanuel) needs some time to dictate the pace of his

administration and not criticism and distractions.

“What I can say straight is that the governor knows where he is going that is why he has decided to appoint the people he can work with him for now. He is trying to create a smooth transition from the previous administration into the present administration. Our people should therefore be patient and allow him to dictate the pace of his administration.

In the long run it will pay off in the interest of the entire state.

“And commissionership should not be treated as a benefit, but appointment of somebody who is competent enough to add value to governance. We should also realize that the governor is not a magician that will employ everybody within two weeks of his administration. He cannot also satisfy every village, every local government and every community within these two weeks. There are so many positions that will be filled later so let us allow him to build on the foundation of his administration,” Essien asserted.

How Buhari’s govt can succeed, by Oyatedor with oranges. Here is a man who came to power by coup then. The coup brought General Buhari to power. Decree 4, the draconian rule against the media was not brought by General Muhammadu Buhari but was brought on

by Supreme Military Council. Of course, General Buhari was the leader, yet the decree was brought by the Supreme Military Council which membership includes General Tunde Idiagbon, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, General Abacha, General Vasta, among others.

Now, our fervent prayer and hope is that President •Oyatedor: Buhari must prioritise peace Buhari will work in tandem with the constitution. comment on the inaugural He would not gag any speech of Mr President. As a medium. He would not close any media practitioner, does the media house and most inaugural speech communicate importantly, he will work for anything to you? peace and understand that the I will say the inaugural speech media is there to hold was well crafted and delivered. government accountable.

But for me, the question is; are You are known to have Nigerians willing to partner the preached so much about peace President to achieve all he has and reconciliation among set out to achieve. That is Nigerians. How can the media important now. With the little help propagate this? we know about Buhari, we know Journalists have so many roles he is a man who will want to work to play in the enthronement of and not talk. He will work for the peace in Nigeria. We at News good of the people. Our fervent Times have consistently been prayer and hope is that he is able preaching on peace and we to achieve all he has set to won’t give up. We remember achieve.

Telling the past leadership to explore peace option with the But some are scared that he insurgents but they said they will might be too rigid in the use force to crush Boko Haram, enforcement of his policies? but as we speak today, Boko We cannot compare apples Haram is still with us.

VANGU ARD, WEDNESD A Y, JUNE 24, 2015—39 ANGUARD, WEDNESDA

He still sends his ex naughty texts

I need to move on after her death Dear Bunmi, I was living with my partner of four years when she died at childbirth four years ago. She was only 28 and our child didn’t survive. As to be expected, my life fell apart and it’s been difficult to pick up the pieces.

But now I think the time is right for me to move on. My problem is that I’m finding sex difficult.

For a while after she died, I lost my libido. It’s only recently I can enjoy masturbation, but I can’t get an erection with a woman.

When I do, it doesn’t last.

In the last few months, I’ve

been with as many women as I could, but attempts to have sex have been unsuccessful.

My fear now is that I won’t be able to perform when I eventually meet a woman I want to be with. Please help!

Labi, by e-mail.

Dear Labi, It must have been really difficult to get over the death of your partner at such a young age. The last few years must have seemed a nightmare to you. It’s great you’re now ready to look positively to the future.

But while your mind is willing to start again, it looks

as if your body is expressing a hidden conflict about moving on.

Subconscious stress or anxiety has been known to be stumbling blocks to successful sex. Even though you know you’re ready to move on, your body might be expressing your hidden guilt at the thought of betraying your partner.

In the meantime, get a quick health check-up from your doctor. If that fails, then you might consider counselling. Exploring your feelings about another relationship may help you relax.

All these women want is money!

Dear Bunmi, I am in my late twenties, a decent looking man with a decent job.

Unfortunately, my experience with girls wants to put me off the dating scene.

They all seem like scheming gold diggers to me. I get a first date with them, but as soon as they learn of what I do and how much I earn, they don’t want to know and look bored with the whole thing.

Surely, not all women want multi-millionaires?

Joel, by e-mail.

Dear Joel, It’s true there are more than a few gold-diggers out there, but most men I’ve heard complain of this are using it as an excuse to hide a few obvious mistakes.

First, if you’re hunting at venues that are crawling with really sophisticated women, then chatting up some girls at a friendlier surrounding will solve your problem instantly.

Second, what type of girls do you fancy? If you’re

attracted to a bimbo rather than going for intelligence and personality, I can see why you’re having problems.

Finally, think about what you do on the first date. If you’re funny, kind attentive and affectionate, I can’t see

a girl ditching you just because you don’t earn enough.

Are you sure the problem is money-grabbling women and not that the women you meet always look bored because you’re a bit boring yourself?!

Dear Dami, It’s obvious you don’t trust this man of yours or you

wouldn’t be scrolling through his messages. You don’t believe his excuse and now he can’t trust you not to peep at his private messages.

The tone of these texts appear suspicious, though exgirlfriends should be in the past and any talk should be friendly not using the language of lovers.

If you can’t genuinely believe what he’s telling you then your relationship isn’t that solid. It is now up to you really— either you give him the benefit of the doubt or you find a different partner, who makes you feel secure.

I’d rather be a second wife!

Dear Bunmi, I am in my early 20s and going out with a married man of 45. He’s quite comfortable with a couple of houses in choice areas and we don’t have to hide from his wife as she knows about his wish to have a second wife.

When we are at his country house, I run everything and host parties for his friends.

We’ve been together for a year now and he promised to do the wine-carrying ceremony as soon as my parents are ready.

But my parents are the conservative type, who would want me to have a university education. My lover says I’m educated enough for him. Do you think I should get pregnant so as to force my parents to agree to the match?

Maryam, by e-mail.

Dear Maryam, At your age, you should know what is best for you.

Being with someone else’s husband is tacky and the way you put it, his wealth is the major attraction. You not only depend on him for money, you also ask his permission to do anything with your life.

No matter how agreeable his wife is to this relationship, she’s bound to be resentful and bitter.

If you feel so strongly about having a university degree, go for it. You’d be glad you did.

Do what you want for a change, not what he wants!

Life is too short to waste on a rich man who might go for a third wife when he sees someone younger than you!

Subconscious My step-brother wants us to date stress or anxiety has been Bunmi, technically right. What you are known to be stumbling blocks Dear My mother re-married over both doing isn’t illegal because years ago and we moved you and him are not actually to successful sex. Even though six into my step-father’s house. He blood relatives. three children and I’ve If you were close blood you know you’re ready to move has always found his eldest child relatives, it would definitely be good-looking. He is in the against the law. on, your body might be and I’m at the Having clarified this, you expressing your hidden guilt university nursing school. I’m 23 and he’s need to be extremely careful. two years older.

The fact that you find at the thought of About five months ago, we yourselves under the same roof finally agree to having mutual could be responsible for such a betraying your feelings of love and we kissed closeness, rather than genuine a lot. We recently took things a compatibility between the two partner step further by making love. I of you.

My ex went after my sister!

Dear Bunmi, I met my boyfriend at the university and we were together throughout until I was posted for my youth service to another state.

Before the end of my service, I learned my boyfriend was dating my sister and he confirmed this when I called him to find out.

No matter how hard I try, I can’t understand why these two people, close to me, could betray me in this horrible way.

Can you explain why this

Dear Bunmi, I recently had to use my boyfriend’s mobile, with his consent, but curiously peeped through his messages. To my horror, I discovered he’d been sending steamy texts to a woman called Jakie.

He said she’s an ex, when I confronted him and the texts are just their way of communicating. This still sounds far-fetched to me.

What do you think?

Dami, by e-mail.

happened? I am gutted.

Offiong, by e-mail.

Dear Offiong, Unfortunately, there is no explanation for why your man betrayed you except to say he was probably already drifting away from you when he got together with your sister.

Neither is there any explanation why your sister betrayed you, except to say that sometimes jealousy makes relatives do the most awful things.

What I can “make sense of ” is why you feel so gutted.

You’ve been betrayed twice, and you’ve lost not only a partner but a sister.

One thing you must remember is that none of this is your fault.

They’ve both behaved terribly, but that doesn’t mean you’re worth nothing or deserve to be rejected in this way.

You need to get past this and put it behind you— otherwise, you will let them destroy your life. Believe me, there are more decent people out there.

love him so much and he feels the same.

Our parents don’t know what is going on. He says we have nothing to fear as we are not related by blood, that legally, there’s nothing stopping us from getting married.

Is he right?

Patricia, by e-mail.

Dear Patricia, Your step-brother

is

I would take things slowly if I were you. Ethnically, the society frowns at such a union between children who are legally related.

Put bluntly, sleeping with your mother’s husband’s son sucks! And if things eventually go wrong between you, going back to the brother/sister relationship you had before may be very tricky and uncomfortable.

Share your problems and release your burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

40—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY 5 WEDNESDAY,, JUNE 24, 201 2015

Ikorodu stool: When intrigues, controversies, tradition define succession to the throne

By Bose Adelaja

I

M M E D I AT E past governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola made a startling revelation about a month ago during the presentation of staff of office to the new Ay a n g b u r e n o f I ko r o d u town, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi. He stated that the size, population and importance of the town underlined the reason why 24 candidates contested for the coveted stool from which the new king emerged.

He added that it was for this reason that Ikorodu cannot stay for a long time without a king after the demise of Oba Samusdeen Oyefusi who joined his ancestors in August 2014.

On the announcement of his death, the Odofin, who was an assistant and the closest to the late Oba, occupied the position in acting capacity until May 26, 2015 when he was presented the staff of office as the new Oba of Ikorodu.

Protests presentation

trail

This presentation generated a lot of controversies on the day in question and is still causing a lot of heat and ripples based on protests by some Ikorodu indigenes.

H o w e v e r, s o m e o t h e r indigenes embraced the choice of the new king despite the fact that the protesters claimed that the process was a kangaroo one which was concluded within 24 hours.

The protesters claimed that the procedures leading to the presentation went contrary to the traditional norms of Ikorodu land as they ignored certain laid down steps which are supposed to be taken so that the organisers could quickly achieve their goals.

While the protests were ongoing, the colourfully adorned palace was filled with dignitaries, including state executive members, business men and women.

But remarkably, paramount rulers in Ikorodu and its environs were conspicuously absent

C M Y K

Oba Shotobi except the Oba of Egbin Kingdom, Oba Akeem Adeoriyomi Obateru.

On what brought about the protests on that day, some of them responded by saying that it was t r a d i t i o n a l l y unconstitutional for an Odofin to metamorphose to an Oba without relinquishing the position he was occupying on the demise of Oba Oyefusi.

The second reason they gave was that the traditional process was not observed, especially the neglect of Ifa oracle which usually guides the town in

He stated that the size, population and importance of the town underlined the reason why 24 candidates contested for the coveted stool from which the new king emerged

the process of selection of an Oba in Ikorodu land.

Kingmakers

The kingmakers in Ikorodu are made up of

The Head of Lasunwon Ruling House Olootu Matthew Adetayo Shodipo Ikorodu, the Otunba and the Odofin are expected by tradition to come from two distinguished ruling families, mainly the

Fmr. Gov. Babatunde Fashola Lisa, Odofin, Solomade, Oponua, Apena, Oluwo, Losi and Aro. These high chiefs are also in charge of traditional rites in the land.

But Vanguard Features, VF, gathered that Aro and Losi also joined their ancestors after the demise of Oba Oyefusi, Occupants of three traditional stools of Oba of

Rademos and Lasunwons, a reason for which it is usually rotated between both families.

The immediate past Oba was produced by the Rademos, while the Odofin was from the Lasunwons which makes his succession an automatic choice, barring an objection from other members of the Lasunwon family which is the case

presently.

The Lasunwons have two lineages, namely the Lambos and Adegoruses and leadership positions are also rotational between them. But the sudden twist brought a change in the system as the present Odofin was accused of not relinquishing his position before decision on it was taken by his kinsmen who alleged that he outsmarted them.

On account of the sudden demise of the family head of the Adegoruse Lasunwon, Olootu Ezekiel Olatunji Shodipo, the head of Lambo Lasunwon family, Olootu Matthew Adetayo Shodipo, now emerged as the head of both lineages.

In a chat with VF, he claimed that the present Oba outsmarted them, a second time he would be doing so since that was the case during the process of nominating candidates for the position of Odofin which also created controversy and led to an arbitration out of which the present Oba and his kinsmen signed the terms of settlement in the Ikorodu

Continues on page 41

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY 5 —41 WEDNESDAY,, JUNE 24, 201 2015

Intrigues, controversies, tradition define succession to the throne Continues from page 40 Judicial Division with reference number IKD\57\07.

This case was between the Lambo branch of Lasunwon ruling house (the claimants) and the Adegoruse branch of Lasunwon ruling house (the defendants) out of which one of the conditions for settlement was that should there be any vacancy for future contest, he, Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, will not participate and this was agreed upon for peace to reign.

Having done this, he was allowed to occupy the title of Odofin but on August 6, 2014, a condolence letter was acknowledged and this ushered in the process of kinship which officially has come to the turn of Lasunwon family. But to the a s t o n i s h m e n t o f m a n y, according to him, the serving Odofin also signified interest and this was the genesis of the protests by the Lambo faction of the Lasunwon ruling house.

Court ruling favours Chief Kabiru

The new Oba, according to the family head, is not entitled to the Obaship stool as he cannot be the Odofin and at the same time assume the position of the Oba as this contravenes the settlement rules. During the struggle for the Obaship, the matter was again taken to a Ikorodu High Court where Justice Akintunde Savage ruled that reference to suit IKD\57\2007, that Chief Kabiru was truly qualified to contest the stool in which he emerged the Oba-elect.

The verdict gave the state government the right to install and officially present him with the staff of office which coincidentally took place on the same day the ultramodern palace was commissioned.

But speaking about the development, the Baale of Ojogbe in Ikorodu, Chief Olukayode Olomo, said the Lasunwons goofed by presenting Kabiru as one of the candidates. ‘’It was a calculated attempt to retain the post of Odofin while assuming the position of Oba, forgetting that nobody can eat his cake and have it. The issue would have C M Y K

been that the Oba is running helter-skelter to secure the position but the internal crises have given room for him to get it on a platter of gold. The candidates were asked to pick the chieftaincy forms after which the sum of N1.5 million was paid to the family ’s account. The procedures leading to the nomination were wrong as they did not give room for the oracles to speak and nominate a candidate as the ruling house presented 24 candidates who were scrutinised one after the other,” he informed.

VF g a t h e r e d t h a t t h e institutional beaded crown of Ikorodu was traced to April 1950 and began with a journey which involved seven men: Pa Yaya Onomo B a m i s e n d u , Pa O l a i t a n Animashaun, Chief Simeon Babafemi Shobowale (the Lisa of Ikorodu), Pa Sanusi Soyibo, Chief Salami Shonubi (the Aro of I ko r o d u ) , Pa Ad a r a n (Ogbeni odi-Ijebu-Ode) and Pa Alimi Sotonwa Ogbe who brought the crown from Ijebu-Ode in the era of the Oloja of Ikorodu, Oba Adenaike Alagbe.

•The Lasunwon’s compound

Cancellation of Isemo festival

The presentation of staff of office has not only generated a lot of controversies in the town, for the first time in the annal of the ancient town, the annual Isemo billed for Monday June 1, 2015 was cancelled as some indigenes claimed the new Oba was not entitled or qualified to organise it.

VF gathered that in the

Protests are still being staged in the community; but these have not stopped the new king from undergoing traditional rites in the Ipebi (preparatory for his official coronation)

•Representatives of Ikorodu town in group photograph with the first crown from Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. recent past, traditional titles in Ikorodu have been characterised by moves by contestants to outsmart or outwit one another, with money sometimes playing an important role in swaying the choice of who eventually emerges. This is unlike what obtained in the past.

Meanwhile, protests are still being staged in the community. But these have not stopped the new king from undergoing traditional rites in the Ipebi (a preparatory traditional place for official coronation).

As controversies still rage in the town, many of the indigenes claim that the Oba do not belong to the

proper class and is therefore not entitled to the s t o o l . O t h e r s , h o w e v e r, continue to express the belief that he is the most qualified among the contestants.

Speaking with VF, the chief in charge of traditional rulers for Lisa of Ikorodu, Chief Zaccheus Oludele Odusoga, claimed that due process was followed and that the new Oba is the people’s choice as the selection of the candidate is the sole responsibility of the kingmakers. And they have carried out this function based on the candidates presented to them by the ruling family. He said the final selection is usually

done by the kingmakers who also exercise their own traditional responsibilities.

He prayed for longer life for the king.

Both the Apena and Solomade refused to comment on the development when VF visited the palace on two occasions, while effort to reach Oba Kabiru proved abortive as he was said to be undergoing the traditional rites.

When he completes the traditional rites and he is coronated, Oba Kabiru will be the 20th monarch of the land. He is an electrical engineer by profession and was a former employee of Larfage Cement Company.

42—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Bayelsa 2016: Anti-Dickson forces meet over gov poll

By Emem Idio

Y

E N A G O A — POLITICIANS opposed to the second term ambition of the incumbent Bayelsa State governor, Mr Seriake Dickson, have met in Yenagoa to map out strategies on how to scuttle his return bid.

The meeting, which was held at the residence of the former deputy governor of the state and the state co-ordinator of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, TAN, reportedly deliberated on the forthcoming governorship election and the need for anti-Dickson forces to unite and present a formidable front against his second term bid.

The former Security Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan when he was governor of the state, was said to have presided over the meeting which also had in attendance, the former senator representing East senatorial district, former acting governor and Speaker of the state House of Assembly, former

A-Ibom to train 1,000 youths in database mgt

A

KWA Ibom State Government is to train 1,000 youths of the state in Oracle Database Software Management for the acquisition of relevant skills to become self-reliant.

The state governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, who made this known at Qua Iboe Church in Uyo, said: “I am in discussion with Oracle to train at least 1,000 youths in Akwa Ibom State on Oracle Database Software Management System.”

Emmanuel, who noted that most of those employed by banks and companies were those with Oracle certifications, explained that Akwa Ibom youths must be imbued with relevant skills that would make them self-reliant, adding, “I want to make sure that our youths acquire skills so that they can mostly be on their own.

“One thousand is a good number and we are working on training them in Uyo to reduce the cost instead of moving them to Lagos,” he said.

Commissioner for Transport in the administration of Governor Dickson, former state Assembly members, among other past political office holders.

While some politicians within the fold claimed that the meeting was convened at the instance of concerned politicians within and outside the state, others claimed that the group will ensure that interested governorship aspirants

were screened and cleared for the party primaries in the state.

A reliable source at the meeting, yesterday, said the meeting was attended by over 16 political groups including Women for Change Initiative founded by former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and the pro-Jonathan campaign group, TAN. The meeting, it was also gathered, resolved to set up a

Steering and Contact Committee.

The source said: “They resolved to reach out to other existing political groups in the state and establish contacts in the eight local government areas of the state with the appointment of local government coordinators. They resolved that Dickson must be shown the way out by any means possible including the use of needed political platforms.”

FIRST SITTING: From left: Erhatake Ibori, Evans Iwurhie, Tony Elekokwuri, Mrs Lynna Ochulor, Clark of the House and Sheriff Oborevwori, during the first sitting of the 6th Delta State House of Assembly, in Asaba, yesterday. Photo: Nath Onojake.

Review Jonathan's last minute appointments, Idada tells Buhari

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—FORMER Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army, Brig-General Idada Ikpomnwen, yesterday, admonished President Muhammadu Buhari to review what he described as the last minute appointments made by former President Goodluck Jonathan, saying that such appointments infringe on the president’s powers to appoint capable individuals who will drive his reform processes.

Idada said: “It is inherent in the presidential system and by the clear wordings of our constitution, that the president is empowered to appoint aides who share his ideas and philosophy to various executive positions in order to efficiently carry out the allimportant but herculean task of running government and in turn deliver the dividend of democracy to the people who elected him into office.

“The point has also been made that the powers of any head or member of any national executive body flow from the president and as such all political appointees

work for the president and must, therefore, hold office essentially at the president’s pleasure. It has also been posited that since the tenure of the president is four years as provided for under section 135(2) of the constitution, which is same as other political appointees, it is worrisome and indeed unacceptable that political appointees under sections 153(1) and 171 (2) (b),(c),and (d) are clothed with five years tenure

which is beyond the tenure of the president who appointed them.

“The idea of making political appointments with tenure of over four years should not be countenanced in our system.

Consequent upon the above arguments, it will not be inappropriate for the current administration to dissolve all such boards and appointments spilling over from the previous administration."

We know PDP agents in Delta APC, says Eyengho Abumujor, an APC chieftain in

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA—THE lingering crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State, has taken a new twist as the Chief Adolo OkotieEboh-led faction has threatened to reel out names of all Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, “agents of destruction” pretending to be members of APC in the state.

Spokesman of the faction, Alex Eyengho, while addressing newsmen in reaction to a statement credited to one Ogbueshi Sam

the Prophet Jones Erue faction, said: “Like one Jesutega Onakpasa who made an unverified statement, Abumujor, this time around stated that Chief Okotie-Eboh is an agent of the PDP. “We have made it manifestly clear that neither Chief OkotieEboh nor any member of his faction has been expelled, nor can be expelled by the party on the pages of newspapers, because there is a clear procedure enshrined in the APC constitution for expelling erring members."

NIMASA DG, 38 others bag UNIPORT PhD

By Chizoba Nwaizu

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I R E C T O R General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr Ziakede Akpobolokemi and 38 others have bagged Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D, from the University of Port Harcourt.

The graduates were conferred with their degrees at the University ’s 30th convocation.

Dr Akpobolokemi earned his doctorate degree in Strategic Marketing Initiatives and Business Performance of Nigeria Maritime Sub-sector from the Management Sciences Faculty of the university.

Shortly after his conferment, Dr Akpobolokemi thanked the university for providing a conducive environment for him to continue his academic quest in order to strengthen his capacity to provide service to the maritime sector.

Gas firm holds interactive forum for SMEs today

S

EVEN Energy International Limited, an indigenous integrated gas company, will host an interactive forum today for small and medium enterprises, SME’s, in Calabar, Cross River State.

Speaking ahead of the event, Steve Tierney, Managing Director, Accugas, said: “This forum is to develop and drive our support for SME businesses and help this important part of the Nigerian economy.

“It will help them understand that switching to Compressed Natural Gas is a real alternative which will have a substantial impact on their competitiveness. Seven Energy, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Accugas, has built up infrastructure and a reputation for reliable supply of high quality gas to sustain business operations for many large industrial customers."

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015— 43

Bank customer alleges security men connivance in N500,000 theft

By Francis Igata

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NUGU—A customer in one of the new generation banks along Rangers Avenue, Enugu, has alleged the connivance of security men in the pilfering

of the N500,000 he withdrew from his account on June 11.

The customer, Akugha Soloo, lamented that CCTV recording showed that his vehicle was burgled at the parking lot of the bank while the security men working with the bank

allegedly failed to notify him.

Sloo said in a statement: “The security operatives neglected or preferred not to notify me that my car had just been burgled. The least I expected is to be notified, rather than be allowed to drive

ABIA: APC‘ll take over power in 2019 —Ohajuruka

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

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BA—FORMER speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Chief Stanley Ohajuruka, has said the All Progressives Congress, APC, would take over power in 2019.

In an interview with journalists in Umuahia, Ohajuruka, who noted that PDP in the state was holding power temporarily, added that Abia State would be totally

liberated in 2019.

He said: “APC is the main opposition party in Abia State.

We are going to rule the state in 2019. The APC in Abia State has all it takes to win the governorship seat in 2019. ‘’They are occupying their positions temporarily. If not for what they did in the elections, APC would have won the governorship seat and majority seats in the House of Assembly. ‘’We are now in power; nobody should be afraid of

anyone in Abia State. I’m sure we will retrieve our mandate.”

Ohajuruka, a former member of the House of Representatives, who said Abia APC had been repositioned, described it as a party of the masses, insisting that the party had no godfather in the state.

He called on APC faithful to be steadfast, adding that with the calibre of people in the party in the state, it would take over power at the next polls.

off as if nothing happened.

“Nobody responded to the blaring of my vehicle’s alarm horn and flashing of lights within the bank premises.

“Meanwhile, it was one of the security men who came and called me,that I was blocking somebody, having withdrawn the money and kept it inside a waste bin basket behind my seat.

“After dropping the money in my vehicle, I had gone back to complete the update of Bank Verification Number, BVN, before the incident occurred.”

He accused the New Haven Police Station of foot dragging on the investigation.

Reacting to the development, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, urged the victim to quickly do a petition to the commissioner of police, adding that he matter would receive expeditious action.

Community protests poor electricity supply, crazy bills

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

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NEWI—RESIDENTS of Awada Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State yesterday took to streets to protest what they described as poor electricity supply and crazy bills circulated every month by Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC. The residents of Neighborhood Community , Middle Awada, Awofe, Peace Heaven, Power Zone, Isunjaba, Mekaowulu, Osumoghu, Anaka, GRA communities, Awada Community Landlords Association, Awada Power Consumers Forum, Awada Residents Association, Awada Human Rights Group, Awada Artisans Union and Awada Small Scale Industries Association, all took part in the protest.

The protsters displayed placards

with inscription as, “Awada electricity consumers are made to pay cooked up bills” “Impunity greets EEDC Awada customer relationship” “EEDC use cutting and carting away electricity cables to force us to pay their outrageous bills” Provide Prepaid Meter for Awada Community EEDC” We say not to bills that we did not consume” “EEDC stop extorting Awada community with estimate bills,” Enough of extortion of our people” Addressing newsmen during the protest, President General of Awada Central Landlords Association Chief Patrick Oyeduba, said: “We are here today because of EEDC that has refused to supply us electricity, and they keep bringing outrageous bills. ‘’They are not giving us transformers, no prepaid meters,

they prefer to exploit us with their estimated bills every month, that is why we are here today protesting.

“Awada has about three million people living in it, there is no place densely populated in the state as Awada, yet EEDC has been denying us electricity supply, in spite of our visits and letters to the Managing Director of the company.

“We need about 30 transformers or more to service the 14 communities in Awada, and each of the communities has over 40 streets in it, and the annoying thing about the callous treatment EEDC is giving us is that Awada is housing one of their substations, they are interested in serving people outside Awada, and they do not know we exist.

“All the cottage industries in

Awada have all folded up, including my company that produces soaps. We cannot maintain using our private power generating sets to produce because we cannot afford the gas, so we decided to pack up and enter into another business, some build residential houses to be collecting rents, and sack the workers. ‘’As a matter of fact, more than 10,000 small scale factory workers have lost their jobs at Awada since the coming of EEDC.” Chief Oyeduba, who is also the President General of Obosi Urban Landlords Association, said “Awada loses about N2 billion every month for not having electricity supply.’’

He noted that after Onistha, Awada was another community developing industrially at a fast pace.

Sen Onwe, 18 others make Umahi’s commissioners' list

By Peter Okutu

A

BAKALIKI— GOVERNOR Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State yesterday forwarded 19 commissioner-nominees to the state House of Assembly for consideration and approval.

Former senator who represented Ebonyi Central zone in the National Assembly, Emmanuel Onwe, made the list.

Also nominated is Mrs. Lilian Nwankwo as the Chairman, Ebonyi state Local Government service commission.

The nominees are to appear before Ebonyi State House of Assembly on June 24, 2015, for screening and confirmation.

They are to submit thirty copies of all relevant documents and curriculum vitae in thirty files to the office of the Clerk of the House 23 June 2O15.

In a statement, signed by the Media, Public Affairs and protocol to the speaker, Mr. Tony Nwizi, said the names of other nominees include Senator Emmanuel Onwe, Mr. Emmanuel Uguru, Mr. Akpuenika Emeka charles, Engr.

Francis Odoh Orji, Mr. Dennis Ekumankama, Mr. Elizabeth Ogbaga.

Others are Sabinus Nwankwegu, Chief Moses Ogodo Ali Nomeh, Mrs. Euphemia Nwali, Engr.

Nweze Fidelis Kings, Mrs. Rebecca Ogbuewu, and John Obinna Nwachukwu.

Hon. Augustine Nwankwagu, Barr. Samuel Okoronkwo, Dr.Umuzurike Akuma Daniel, Prof. John Eke, Chief Sunday Inyima and Donatus Njoku.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

On merging EFCC, ICPC & reduction of 42 ministries to 19

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he merging of ministries together is for the betterment of our dear country. It is a nice move. We have to start somewhere. I am fully aware that majority of government agencies do absolutely nothing and are allocated huge budgets. -Mr. Collins Ojomah, Worker

M

y view on merging EFCC and ICPC is that it is a welcomed idea from President Buhari.

Things have to change; it is not going to be business as usual. Some ministries are absolutely waste of tax payers’ money. We are tired of waste. -Mr. Chuku Oparadike, Entrepreneur

I

support this move. I have always thought that it does not make any sense having ICPC and EFCC. Issues will always arise when security agencies work separately or deliberately hoard information from one another. -Miss Chioma Emele,Businesswoman

E

FCC and ICPC ought to be left alone. I think what they need is for them to be reconstituted and well funded. President Buhari would need to delegate power and set up people to watch EFCC and ICPC, that is the most important thing. -Mr. Okie Darlington, Communicator

I

t is an action long over due; we are waiting for the committee for the downward review of remunerations to submit the report for implementation.

I know that employment is a function of economic growth and development.

-Miss Mabel Ogechi, SelfEmployed

S

ome ministries should be merged. What is the justification for full Departments of Reforms and the General Services Office when they can function as divisions in the department of administration and human resources management. -Miss Anne Kelechi, Fashion Designer

44 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Bauchi sets up committee to review 2015 Budget

By Suzan Edeh

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AUCHI—THE Bauchi State government has set up a 21 - member committee to review the 2015 Budget in conformity with the policies and programmes of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. The budget was prepared by the immediate past PDP administration and approved by the 7th State Assembly in the state.

A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Political Affairs, Government House, Alhaji Hashimu Yakubu said the review was necessitated by the need for elective delivery of socio - economic services to the people through uplifting of their living conditions.

According to Yakubu, the constitution of the Committee with the State Head of Service, Mr Abdon Dalla Gin as chairman was approved by Governor Mohammed Abubakar.

Royal fathers appeal to FG to end killings in Plateau

By Marie-Therese Nanlong especially in Riyom and Barkin

J

OS—WORRIED by the incessant killings in villages in some local government areas of Plateau North Senatorial zone, traditional rulers in the area have appealed to the Federal Government and other relevant agencies to step up efforts at arresting the trend.

The traditional rulers who spoke at a one-day seminar aimed at encouraging interaction on how to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts expressed regret over high rate of attacks, ambush and killings

A

S Kogi State mourns the passing away of its former military Administrator, Col. Bzigu Lassa Afakiriya, a governorship hopeful under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Suleiman Baba-Ali, has described the death as colossal loss and agonizing to the people of the state.

In a statement yesterday, Baba-Ali condoled with the immediate family of the deceased as well as the people and government of Borno State over the sad loss.

The governorship aspirant, explained that the late Afakiriya, while he held sway as the military administrator, endeared himself in the minds of the people of Kogi through his sincerity and humility.

predictable as more problems will arise, positions hardened, gaps in communication created, information distorted and crisis emerges.

“Though conflicts are inevitable, there are ways of prevention and this seminar is a follow up to series of early warning fora organized by IGSR in order to sensitize all stakeholders on early detection, reporting conflicts and subsequent responses.”

NASARAWA GOV TRIBUNAL: Maku to present 60 witnesses

By Abel Daniel

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APC chieftain mourns ex-Kogi MILAD, Afakiriya

Ladi Local Government Councils.

The seminar ,which took place in Jos and was organized by the Institute of Governance and Social Research, IGSR also provided a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas on the nature and dynamics of conflict

in the affected communities.

Addressing the participants, the Institute’s Programme Manager, Mr. Folorunsho Oloruntunde noted that conflicts management was very challenging hence the need for the people to imbibe the culture of forgiveness and peace so that development could take place in the zone.

His words: “Managing conflicts is challenging. If conflicts are not managed properly, the results are

AFIA—THE Nasarawa State governorship election petitions tribunal sitting in Lafia has granted permission to the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, and former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku to present 60 witnesses in his petition challenging the victory of Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the last governorship election in the state.

The tribunal’s decision followed an application filed by his Counsel, Mr Henry Ihende seeking to present 100 witnesses to support his case.

The Chairperson of the tribunal Justice Halima Mohammed who granted the request during the pre-trial hearing in Lafia, yesterday, insisted that it was imperative to reduce the number of witnesses for want of time.

RENEWAL OF PARTNERSHIP: MD, New Horizons Systems Solutions, Mr. Tim Akano (left), and Vice Chancellor, Covenant University, Prof Charles K. Ayo, at the renewal of partnership on international IT and e-business skills certification at the university campus, Ota, Ogun State.

Abubakar woos investors, seeks to divest economy from oil

By Aliyu Dangida

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UTSE—JIGAWA State governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar has reaffirmed the determination of his administration to support any prospective investor in the state.

Abubakar spoke when he received President of Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote in his office in Dutse, saying it was time Jigawa State moved away from itsreliance on revenue from oil for development.

He said that the policy thrust of his administration was to tap on

the vast agricultural potentials of the state to achieve economic prosperity and urged the people of the state support the move by his administration to diversify the state’s economy.

He pledged to enlighten the benefitting communities of Auyo and Kaugama in Hadejia emirate the significant of the project.

Speaking earlier, Alhaji Aliko Dangote said he was in the state to reassure the new administration of his support for its new policy towards the development of agriculture, adding that already his group was

Give Aniocha North light, LG boss tells BEDC

T

HE Chairman of Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, Chuks Oseme has decried the incessant power outage experienced in the area over the past seven years and challenged the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC to give his people light for him to pay the initial bill.

Oseme spoke at a meeting between the stakeholders and BEDC at Issele-uku.

“Now give the people light

and take me as the only one customer you have in Aniocha North, I will pay the bills” he said.

The chairman said the council had repaired the 33kv lines from the three substations that feed the council area apart from the electric poles and wire that were earlier vandalized.

He called on the traditional rulers, president general of town unions, among others to go back to their respective villages and sensitize their people about the restoration of public power supply

to avoid the inherent danger.

Responding, the Chief Community Relations Officer, BEDC and leader of the delegation, Mrs. Felicia Nemoha applauded the efforts of the council chairman towards restoring electricity to the area. “Your chairman has done everything for you, our visit here today is to create awareness and solicit your support, and we (BEDC) will serve you better,” she said, adding that this is the type of customer BEDC wished to have.

investing huge amount of money on rice and sugar production in Kafin Hausa, and Auyo Local Government Areas.

31 generators not looted, says ex-Bauchi commissioner

By Suzan Edeh

B

AU C H I — F O R M E R Bauchi State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Hajiya Talatu Barwa has explained that the 31 generators purchased by the immediate past administration were not looted as alleged by the recovery committee of the state government.

She said the generators were distributed according to the directives of the former governor, Isa Yuguda.

Barwa told reporters yesterday in Bauchi that when the contractor brought the generators, she sought approval from the former governor before they were distributed.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015—45

FLAG OFF: From left— Dr. Ali Ahmad, Speaker, state House of Assembly; Elder Peter Kisra, Deputy Governor; Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, all of Kwara State; Tope Daramola, MD/CEO; Professor Yahaya Halidu, Chairman, both of Harmony Holdings, and Babatunde Abdulwahab, Chief of Staff, Government House, during the flag off of 42 vehicles of Harmony Transport Services in Ilorin.

MARRIED: Mr. Joshua Uwaogbe and former Miss Mercy Ojuruwa at their traditional wedding.

LABOUR: From left— Mr. John Adaji, National Treasurer, National Union of Textile,Garment & Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN; Mr. Issa Aremu, Deputy President, Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and General Secretary, NUTGTWN, and Mr. James Ephraim, Chairman, NLC, Kaduna State branch, at a briefing on the National Assembly budget cut. PHOTO: Olu Ajayi.

Mr. & Mrs. Felix Ojuruwa, bride’s parents (right), and guests at the event.

VISIT: Brigadier General Johnson Olawunmi, Director General, National Youth Service Corps (right), presenting a gift to Mr. Ifie Sekibo, MD/CEO, Heritagge Bank, during the courtesy visit of DG, NYSC to Heritage Bank Head Office, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

Their wedding at St. Joseph Chosen Church of God, Benin.

CAN/DANA: Reverend Elisha Ogundiya, President, Osun State chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN (left), and Mr. Samuel Ogbogoro, Head, Corporate Communications, Dana Air, during the presentation of items to support the association's drive to offer succour to workers.

C M Y K

INDOMIE MUM: From left— Faith Joshua, Indomie Fan Club Cocoordinator; Sony Dorai, Head, Indomie Fan Club, and Adhi Narto, Chief Operating Officer, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, during Indomie Team-up with Mum art exhibition at the company's headquarters in Lagos.

46—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Preparedness is key to emergency response — UNICEF scribe To function very well in this regard, there must be functional State Emergency Management Agencies, SEMA, in the various states.

Today, about 24 States have established State Emergency Management Agencies. Nonestablishment of the SEMAs, is affecting emergency preparedness today, and even in the states where they have established emergency management agencies, they are not fully equipped.

By Chioma Obinna

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MERGENCY preparedness and response has remained a major challenge in Nigeria, particularly, at this time the country is facing problems of insurgency. Reports have shown that disaster and emergency situations can be far ranging if there is no adequate preparedness.

Recently, the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, organised a two – day training on Emergencies, Ethical Reporting and Human Interest Stories for Health Correspondents in Kano.

Good Health Weekly spoke to UNICEF’s Monitoring and Evaluation, Officer, Soji Adeniyi on the country’s level emergency preparedness and efforts in the North East so far.

Adeniyi affirmed that proper disaster preparedness is about much more than giving emergency officials the tools they need, to be truly effective at preventing and responding to a disaster, but there is need for nations to put in place response plans He noted that the country still has a long way to go in terms of emergency preparedness and gave a score of 70 percent for efforts so far in the North East in terms of response.Excerpts:

Preparedness

Inappropriate funding

• Mr. Soji Adeniyi, UNICEF Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Adequate preparedness is very key in emergency response, but in Nigeria today, adequate preparedness is still a challenge. UNICEF encourages people to do a lot more preparedness in order to reduce the challenges we are seeing now.

Out of 24 States that have established State Emergency Management Agencies, 15 exist only on paper

They are not funded appropriately. They still use them as relief agencies. As relief agencies they would only be functioning only when there is crisis so most of the time it is too late for them to start doing anything when the crisis has already occurred.

According to the National Emergency Management Authority report, we have about 24 states fully legislated, 12 not legislated, 10 functional and fully having their offices and their structures. But we have a long way to go because even out of the 24, about 15 of them only exist on paper. So the need to be funded, they need to have office structure of their own, vehicles and agreement with other organisations that can

support them during their response. It is not a difficult thing to do it is just the political will of the various governors to make it happen.

We need more state emergency Management agencies that are fully funded and established by law and appropriated by the state Appropriation Authorities. It is not just by establishing them but the state legislation must also appropriate fund for them to focus more on preparedness.

In the development world and emergency world, it is always said that a dollar used in preparedness save five in response. And in Nigeria, we could say that Naira used in preparedness actually save N5 for every response because when once you prepare you know exactly the vulnerability of the population, you try to reduce that vulnerability and increase the capacity of the people to response when the crisis comes.

So you are likely to lose less lives, you are likely to ensure that people can respond much faster, you are likely to move them back to most importantly where they were or better than before the crisis. It is called resilience building over time by using disaster risk prevention model.

To be concluded tomorrow

Dangers of Tramadol T

RAMADOL is typically used for the management of moderate to severe pain, such as for after surgery and for ongoing pain from arthritis.

When it was approved in 1995, tramadol was thought to be safer and have a lower risk of addiction than other narcotic pain relievers, with fewer gastrointestinal side effects for older adults who needed long-term pain relief.

But as the number of prescriptions soared - reports of drug abuse and addiction problems also increased.

Last year, tramadol was reclassified by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Schedule IV controlled substance, similar to Valium and Xanax.

With the paucity of strong pain medications in Nigeria (thanks to the excessive regulation and control by FMOH and NAFDAC) tramadol use is on the increase in Nigeria.

Dosage In Nigeria I have encountered patients on inappropriate doses, patients on other conflicting medications and some addicted patients seeking detoxicification. Many users/prescribers are unaware that doses over 400mg daily can predispose to convulsions and this limit can be adjusted downwards in certain scenarios.

In two reports analyzing emergency room visits involving tramadol, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that visits due to adverse reactions to the drug rose 145 percent, from about 11,000 visits in 2005 to C M Y K

nearly 27,000 visits in 2011; visits because of abuse or misuse rose 250 percent during the same period from just over 6,300 visits in 2005 to almost 21,700 visits in 2011.

In both categories, many more women ended up in the ER than men. Women's visits for adverse reactions, for example, spiked from about 7,600 visits in 2005 to more than 19,000 visits in 2011. By comparison, men's visits went from about 2,500 in 2005 to around 8,000 in 2011.

By age, the greatest increase in ER visits because of tramadol-related misuse or abuse occurred among patients 55 or older, SAMHSA reported.

This group experienced a 480 percent jump, from just 900 visits in 2005 to more than 5,000 in 2011.

Patients ages 45 to 54 also saw a big increase - of 389 percent, researchers said in a statement.

In addition, patients ages 65 or older accounted for the largest number - 35 percent - of tramadol-related ER visits involving adverse reactions, according to the report, and half of them ended up being hospitalised.

Adverse reactions "Tramadol is important for people with moderate to severe chronic pain, but older adults who end up in the ER are often on additional medications that can interact with tramadol, especially antidepressant medication," he said in an interview.

Severe adverse reactions can include seizures and a potentially fatal reaction called serotonin syndrome.

doctor@lagospainclinic.com Many doctors prescribe tramadol because it's considered safer than stronger opiates - which can cause oversedation and falls - or NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, which can cause stomach bleeding or kidney problems.

Dangerous side effects include a fast heartbeat, difficulty breathing, convulsions, lightheadedness, unusual drowsiness, confusion, fever and coma.

Don't take tramadol if you are taking medication for migraines, depression, anxiety, muscle spasms, mental illness, nausea and vomiting, all of which can increase the risk for seizures.

Discuss taking tramadol with your doctor to make sure there are no other risks that should be considered and to be sure that taking it is a beneficial option for you. Never take more than what is prescribed. If you're still in pain, talk with your doctor. Don't just increase your dose.

Never stop taking tramadol suddenly without speaking with your doctor first, especially if you've been on the medication for a while. Suddenly stopping can cause uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

Adverse reactions to tramadol have always been well recognised by Pain experts, but are only now becoming well publicised.

Prescribers, take care; users be aware.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015—47

VISIT: From left: Mrs. Zouhour Karray, AfDB Consultant; Dr. Alemu Zerihun Gudeta, AfDB Country Economist; Mr. Riadh Ben Messaoud, AfDB Consultant and Engr. Gabriel Amuchi, MD/CEO, FERMA during the visit of AfDB delegation to FERMA, in Lagos, yesterday.

PROMO: From left: General Manager, Regional Operations, MTN, Obinna Nweje; Senior Manager, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Betty Obioha; one of the winners of houses in the ongoing MTN Trutalk Best 11 Promo, Bulus Bala and Senior Manager, Customer Relations, MTN, Asamine Anueyiagu, during the prize presentation in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

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48 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 VIRGO; Emphasis will continue to be on career related issues. However you will not be wrong if you take mattersof-the-heart more seriously now. Be more loving.

LIBRA; Mid-morning till early afternoon period may bring more promises than it can actually deliver; your being clever will see you through. Be very practical.

SCORPIO; Continue to attach necessary importance to your family values. Here is a day when joint ventures can bring you under pressure between 9.46am and 12.43pm.

SAGITTARIUS; Other people will continue to feature in your activities; that is to say you will need to be as cooperative as reason permits. Watch it between 9.46am&12.43pm CAPRICORN; You may be in position to minimise the pressure of yesterday. And you will need to watch your mood from 9.46am to 12.43pm.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

A

lady recently said to me - This weather is just not friendly. The sun is too much. Let the sun subside before I do it.

And I looked at her and said, ‘Supposing it starts raining now, what will you do?’ The

rain or sun, people have always complained. Yet, is to do everything some people are within your power to making fortune from be able to use the it, rain or sunshine. weather as it is. Tell You too must do the me, have you ever same. For he that seen a perfect must succeed does weather? Whether not need to look at the weather.

The Weather truth is that the weather has never been friendly. Of course, it is not the business of the weather to be friendly to you. But your duty

TERROR MUDA

in “Never say goodbye”

By Lanre Kehinde

AQUARIUS; It is important you don’t take things for granted around mid-morning and early afternoon period so that you will not run into avoidable disappointments.

PISCES; If you are in position to control your actions you would fare better if you can wait till after 12,43pm before you make an important move. Be family minded.

ARIES; Your being receptive can enhance your prospects but that is not to say you have to be naïve, especially during mid-morning and early afternoon periods.

TAURUS; Success is boldly printed on your cards and like yesterday if priority attention is given to money the scope of your success will be wider.

GEMINI; Although things may be happening around you, you are the right person to make things happen and give others opportunities.. Be wise.

CANCER; Take note that others may break promises made before early afternoon period; that is to say you should not take anybody for granted before 12.43pm.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

LEO; Although friends are willing to assist you circumstances may not allow complete help as expected.

9.46am to 12.43pm can be a bit sensitive

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,

Are they compatible?

Dear Joshua, Kindly analyse horoscopes of two young lovers willing to share the rest of thie lives together. I am concern because one of the is my own son. However I want you to leave out their birth dates.

Kelechi, Umuahia.

Dear Kelechi, COMPATIBILITY GUIDE What will follow here-under are analyses of their horoscopes , so that they will know each other very well visà-vis strong and weak points of each other. By this you will decide if actually what you are looking for is in the relationship.

THE HOROSCOPE DATA/PLANETARY PLACEMENT OF THE LADY SUN SIGN = AQUARIUS; SUN IN 13TH DEGREE OF AQUARIUS. MOON SIGN = CANCER ; MOON IN 3RD DEGREE OF CANCER MERCURY IN IST DEGREE OF AQUARIUS VENUS IN ZERO DEGREE OF ARIES MARS IN 29TH DEGREE OF PISCES JUPITER IN 29TH DEGREE OF CAPRICORN SATURN IN 27TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO. URANUS IN 16TH DEGREE OF SAGITTARIUS. NEPTUNE IN 2ND DEGREE OF CAPRICORN PLUTO IN 4TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO. NORTH NODE IN 23RD DEGREE OF TAURUS. SOUTH NODE IN 23RD DEGREE OF SCORPIO. ANALYSIS OF THE CHART SUMMARY Here is a gentle person who cares so much for both her extended family (especially her mother) and her personal family. She can be highly emotional, although highly intelligent too THE WEAK POINT She can unexpectedly burst into tears whenever she fails to control her husband. And if she does not result to weeping she can many times force this man to turn violent to the detriment of too many things. She in particular will many times become jealous for no reason and can be difficult to manage by this man.

Although she loves freedom, she will want to be in firm control of the man’s freedom. Issues of control and freedom must be clearly defined before final marital rite, or else serious trouble would be the result.

THE HOROSCOPE DATA/PLANETARY PLACEMENT OF THE MAN SUN SIGN = TAURUS MOON SIGN = ARIES; MOON IN 20TH DEGREE OF ARIES.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 — 49

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50— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 — 51

Naira'll depreciate if we remove restrictions — CBN

By Babajide Komolafe, with Agency Reports

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has expressed fears that removal of restrictions imposed on the interbank foreign exchange market will lead to sharp depreciation of the naira.

The restrictions were imposed to curb demand for dollars in a bid to halt the depreciation of the naira against the dollar. But the restrictions led to lack of supply of dollars (liquidity) for trading in the interbank foreign exchange market.

In a meeting held with bank treasurers under the auspices of the Financial market Dealers Association (FMDA) on Friday, Gover-

nor Godwin Emefiele and other officials said while they were in favor of boosting liquidity in the foreign exchange market, there was concern that would lead to a surge in demand for dollars, according to a banker that attended the meeting who spoke on condition of anonymity. Local banks can’t access enough foreign-currency under the current rules”, the banker said.

The central bank asked treasurers and members of the Financial Markets Dealers Association to consider ways of stopping the naira from sliding if it did allow trading to increase, the banker said. Faced with a plunge in the price of oil, the source of 90 percent of Nigeria’s exports, Emefiele, 53, started imposing restric-

tions in the last three months of 2014 as he sought to protect the currency, which has weakened 18 percent against the dollar in the past year.

Bankers at the meeting told the regulator that the curbs were making foreign investors shun Nigerian bonds and stocks and preventing local companies from buying all the dollars they need to pay for imports, according to the person.

The central bank has been running down its foreign reserves, which have declined 27 percent to $29 billion since the end of September, as it defends the naira.

Ibrahim Mu’azu, a Central Bank spokesman, declined to comment and referred questions to the FMDA when contacted.

NLC lauds senate over plans to review lawmakers' salaries, allowances

By Innocent Anaba

T

HE Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, has commended the Senate for setting up 18-member committee to review the salaries and allowances of National Assembly members in line with the economic

realities of the country.

It also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for directing the military to quit manning check-points nationwide and return to the barracks.

NLC Deputy President, Mr Issa Aremu, in a statement, yesterday, said “With

Port Harcourt monorail may not continue — WIKE

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

A

BUJA—THE fate of the Port Harourt monorail, which was the pet project of the immediate past governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi now hangs in the balance, as Governor Nyesom Wike has revealed that a committee has been set up to review it and advise his administration, accordingly.

Speaking with journalists, in Abuja, the governor said the committee has been empowered to do a cost/ benefit analysis of the project, to see whether it was economically advisable to continue it or halt further works, given the current financial position of the state.

Governor Wike said; “We have set up a committee to look at the cost/benefit analysis of the project. We want to see how much it will take C M Y K

to complete the project visà-vis the financial situation of the state-especially looking at the drop in oil revenue.

“I won’t just go ahead. We will go or we won’t go on.

Because we have to allow the experts to sit down, look at it critically and advise us.

And we have to harvest the inputs of Rivers people.

The money is not my money. So if they come up and tell us it will take so much to finish, we will look at our financial position. Like I said, if we had a proper handover, we would have already done a financial analysis of the monorail.

“I won’t say here we will not continue and I will not say we will continue, until the committee comes with their findings.

“Part of the problem we have in our society is that people don’t do cost/benefit analysis of projects before they undertake them.''

this singular legislative act the 8th National Assembly has shown a commendable sensitivity in listening to the aspirations and concern of Nigerians as articulated by the NLC under our leadership.

“We will partner the leadership of the National Assembly to evolve a sustainable legislative agenda. In particular, we will support the National Assembly to ensure legislations that will reindustrialize the country, promote productivity and generate wealth and prosperity.

“Some areas begging for critical legislations are Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, industry patronage bill, power sector reforms and other extant laws to reposition critical government parastatals such as Nigeria Railway Corporation, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, among others.”

Labour also commended President Buhari for redirecting the energy of the military from internal to external security challenge.

The statement, said “The removal of the military on the roads will facilitate movement of goods and people. Economic security of citizens is as important as the physical security.

The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase must however make sure his men and women do not turn check points to extortion centre.”

52— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

CONFESSION: How we break into bank vaults — SUSPECTS ‘We use Italian method to bypass hi-tech security’

By Evelyn Usman

A

suspected leader of a robbery gang that has been terrorising Ogun state and its environs has been arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Ogun State Police Command, Imagbon, Abeokuta. The suspect, Ibrahim Olasunkanmi, popularly known as Jaga, reportedly escaped from Akure Prisons where he was awaiting trial during a jail break in 2013.

How he got into Police net Curiously, he is a 1994 graduate of Philosophy from Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University), Ago-Iwoye. He was arrested alongside four suspected members of his gang at OPIC roundabout junction, OkeIlewo, Abeokuta, after an operation, last week. The suspects were said to have operated using two motorbikes, one of which was driven by Olasunkanmi to attack fun seekers returning from MKO Abiola Stadium.

Luck, however, ran against them after they were accosted by a team of policemen who subjected them to a search following their incoherent answers. At the end of the search, Police sources said three live cartridges were recovered from Olasunkanmi’s pocket, consequent upon which they were taken to the station.

At the Police station, sources hinted that further searches were conducted on them and a locally made, cut-to-size pistol was also discovered from his waist.

Suspect opens up In this interview with Crime Alert, the 49-year-old father of two disclosed that he started robbing during his undergraduate days.

He revealed that his gang used what is known as ‘Italian method’ to open bank vaults, no matter how strong it is.

Among other robbery operations perpetrated by his gang, according to him, was that of SS Peter & Paul Anglican Church in Ake area of Abeokuta, four months ago.

He said he met some of his gang members while serving a jail term at the Akure Prisons.

Reveals operational name His words: “ My operational name is Jaga. I started stealing when I was still a student of Ogun State University, Ago Iwoye. We usually went for operations outside the state.

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zThe suspects, from left, Rasheed Aborishade, Femi Jonah, Tunde Ayedotun, Ibrahim Olasunkanmi and Idowu Timothy.

One of the robbery attacks was that of Akure branch of Union Bank in 2005. I was not the leader of the gang. The operation was led by Alhaji ( Pastor) Matthew, Saudi, Cosmos and I. It was carried out before the workers resumed . We did not use guns to shatter the glasses.

We used cylinder gas, cutters, chisel and other house breaking implements to gain entry. While inside the banking hall, we made straight to the vault where we used Italian method to open it.

Italian method as mode of operation At this point, he was interrupted and asked to explain what Italian method is.

He giggled and continued: “You won’t understand. Italian model involves applying sense when breaking into banks that are usually fortified with hightech gadgets before using house-breaking implements to gain entrance. The method is also used to break into vaults, no matter how fortified the lock is. At the end of the operation, we made away with N50 million. I got N4.5 million.

That was aside the money I collected from other places (in the bank) that I tucked into my pocket.”

Arrested in Ondo The bandit further stated that after the operation, he immediately left for his

maternal home in Ibadan, Oyo State,where he squandered part of the money on women and clothes.

He also said he used part of it to buy an acre of land in Ogun State. But his flamboyant life style was short-lived, following his arrest by policemen from Ondo State Command, at his hide out. Seven other members of the robbery gang that participated in the Akure bank robbery were reportedly arrested also from their respective hideouts and taken to Akure, Ondo state, for discreet investigation.

Italian model involves applying sense when breaking into banks that are usually fortified with high-tech gadgets before using housebreaking implements to gain entrance

Jail break Olasunkanmi and members of his gang were reportedly charged before a Chief Magistrate's Court in Akure, where they were remanded in prison, awaiting trial.

Seven years into their stay in prison (in 2013), some gun men reportedly invaded the prison and effected the release of their members. Other inmates, including Olasunkanmi and members of his gang reportedly cashed in on the opportunity and fled.

He said: “ I seized that opportunity to escape through the bush. I spent three days in the bush until I came out to an express way, from where I boarded a vehicle to my mother’s home in Ibadan, Oyo state capital.

Some friends gave me money and I left my mother’s place for Lagos to hide. From there, I returned to my father’s place at Oke-Efon, Abeokuta, where I formed a new gang. Members of my gang include Femi Jonah, Tunde Ayedotun, Idowu Timothy and two others, Nzeribe and Zobo, who are still at large. We had three locallymade guns.

“In February, 2015, my gang attacked SS Peter & Paul Anglican Church, in Abeokuta, where we made away with a huge amount of money including laptops, computer sets, mobile handsets and other valuables. We sold the stolen items in the market, pretending they were second hand ware.”

Advise to criminals He, however, ended up with an admonition to others still in the illicit business to repent saying: “Robbery does not pay.

Though it is difficult to leave if you are getting money from it.

But such money will never be spent in peace because you will always be watching your back for policemen.”

Two suspected members of his gang, Idowu Timothy and Tunde Ayedotun, were also discovered to be jail birds.

While 46-year old Timothy who hails from Egbe, Kogi State, confessed to have bolted away from Ado-Ekiti Prisons during a jail break last year. 25 year-old Ayedotun, on his part , said he had served a two-year jail term at Ilaro Prison for robbery.

•Mr Valentine Ntomchukwu

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015—53

By Esther Onyegbula

T

HREE teenagers are currently cooling off in one of the holding cells at the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos , over the death of one of their friends, Ibrahim Musa, who was allegedly stabbed during a brief disagreement over N2,000.

The suspects identified as Olatunji Oladeji,16, Taiye Muraina, 20, and Ibrahim Habeeb, 18, were apprehended by the Police after allegedly stabbing the young man to death.

Crime Alert gathered that on May, 24, Habeeb, allegedly gave Olatunji, N2,000 for safe keeping. The next day, he requested Olatunji to give him back the money, unknown to him that he had already spent it on sport betting.

When Habeeb eventually discovered that his money has been spent by his friend, he became furious.

It was learned that all efforts by another friend, Ibrahim Musa, to make peace between Habeeb and Olatunji were unfruitful as the argument degenerated into physical confrontation.

It was during the brawl that Habeeb’s elder brother, called Taiye, allegedly stabbed the peace maker, Ibrahim Musa, with a broken bottle on the head and hand.

Crime Alert learned that the deceased who was rushed to different private hospitals within Pelewura Market was refused treatment before he was eventually taken to the General Hospital in the area.

Unfortunately, by the time he arrived at the hospital, he had lost a lot of blood and was confirmed dead.

Suspects' account Narrating events that led to the unfortunate incident, Olatunji, who spent the contentious money told Crime Alert that it was a casual disagreement that resulted in the death of his friend. According to Olatunji who hails from Oyo State, “I am a student of King Ade High School, Lagos Island. I live at 26, Abukuru Street, Ajegunle, Lagos.

"The reason I was arrested is because Taiye and Ibrahim fought and injured themselves and in the process, Ibrahim died. I am not the one who fought. I was arrested because I was the cause of the fight. I owe Habeeb N2,000, which he gave to me for safe keeping.

However, I spent the money on sport betting and I did not win. So, when he came asking me for the money, I

SPORT BETTING:

Peacemaker killed in brawl, 3 in Police net

•The Suspects told him I will give it to him in the night. But Habeeb did not accept to hold on till the evening. He held me by the waist, saying he must get his money.

“I told him I had used the money to play sport betting in their shop. I also told him to be patient that I would give him the money later.

It was during this argument that a friend of mine who was also there loaned me the N2,000 and I settled Habeeb and the matter was resolved. I do not know why Taiye and Ibrahim started fighting and injured themselves

Ibrahim, who we all respect as an elder, intervened and told Habeeb to be patient with me, that afterall, it was his business that I spent the money on. Ibrahim started fighting with Habeeb that he should let me be since I had promised to pay back later in the evening. Habeeb however insisted that he needed to prepare his account, that his boss would soon arrive.

“It was during this argument that a friend of mine who was also there loaned me the N2,000 and I settled Habeeb and the matter was resolved.

"I do not know why Taiye and Ibrahim started fighting and injured themselves.

Ibrahim was terribly injured with a broken bottle and when he was rushed to the General Hospital, he was confirmed dead.

“After the incident, Ibrahim’s friends who saw him with blood came after me and Habeeb, claiming we were the cause of the fight.

But, Pelewura market security men arrived just on time to save us from the wrath of touts. That was how we were taken to the police.”

Expressing regret over his actions, Olatunji advised lovers of sport betting to desist from the act.

According to him, “I really regret taking the money from Habeeb. My greatest regret and advice to young boys out there who play sport betting is to desist from it as

it has bad influence on their lives. You will end up spending all you have on what is not valuable.”

In his defence, the owner of the money, Habeeb Ibrahim, told Crime Alert: “I work as an agent in with a sports betting outfit (name withheld). It was after my secondary school education that I began to work there as my parents had no money to further my education. So, I came to Lagos to help my elder brother who owns a sport betting business.

"It all started on May 23; a friend of mine gave me N2,000 to keep for him.

Knowing that I am very careless when it comes to money, I gave it to Olatunji who is a good friend. The next day when the owner of the money came for it, I started looking for him to get the money back. Shortly after, he came to our shop.

I requested for the money. I also told him that after a fruitless search for him, I had to take out of my boss' business money to settle the owner of the money. I told him I needed the money to balance my account for the day.

“Trouble stated when Olatunji started behaving funny. I held him by the waist and he then told me he did not have money. He claimed he had used the money to play sport betting in our shop and that after all, it was on our business that he spent the money on.

It was at this point that Ibrahim Musa intervened; he did not come in as a peacemaker but supported Olatunji not to pay back the money since he spent it on our business.

“I was very displeased with what Ibrahim said. I told him not to encourage Olatunji not to pay the N2,000.

While I was talking to him, I pushed him on the shoulder.

He gave me a blow and beat me up in the shop. After this slight misunderstanding between Ibrahim and I, Olatunji just came in with the N2,000 and gave it to me. I do not know where he got it from. We then settled the matter and I went back to attend to customers in the shop.

“Suddenly, someone rushed into the shop to call me that Taiye, who is like an elder brother to me and Ibrahim Musa were fighting outside over the same issue we had settled. Olatunji and I rushed out to see what was happening. Surprisingly, we saw Ibrahim’s arm bleeding seriously. Ibrahim ran after me, I fell. He was holding a broken bottle which also fell off his hand.

A friend of Ibrahim stopped him and told him I was not the one who stabbed him.

Some of his friends then came around and tried to attack me. But thanks to the security men around who rescued me and Olatunji. It was the security men that took Olatunji and I to Adeniji-Adele Police Station and that was where we heard that Ibrahim was dead.”

Denying the allegation, the third suspect, Taiye Muraina who reportedly stabbed Ibrahim said he is not responsible for stabbing Ibrahim.

“I was just telling Ibrahim that the way he intervened in the case was not the best, especially as he is the eldest of us all. I asked him how he would have felt if he was in Olatunji’s shoes. We started arguing and Ibrahim broke a bottle on my head. I ran away. I am not the one that stabbed him. I don’t know who stabbed him on the head and his arm.”

Confirming the incident, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, said the police is still investigating the suspects to ensure that the culprits are brought to book.

54—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

God gave me victory for service —OSANEBI

By Oboh Agbonkhese

D

EPUTY Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Friday Osanebi, has said God made his victory possible so he can positively affect people’s lives, adding that he joined politics to serve God and humanity.

Speaking during his thanksgiving service at Christ Embassy, A.K.A. Believer’s Love World, in Asaba, Osanebi said God, through the prayers of his supporters, made his election possible.

He said: “I joined politics to serve God and humanity. I chose to be a team player to carry the members along and I call each of them my boss.

“I have asked God to bless and honour me so I can bless and honour others and give me leadership position so I can impact on my people— this victory is for them.”

Ajimobi clashes with journalists over questions on unpaid salaries, NASS crisis

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

A

BUJA—BUT for selfrestraint, journalists covering activities at the National Secretariat of All Progressives Congress, APC, would have had a showdown with Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, who seemed ready to go physical with them.

This development followed enquiries on the outcome of a closed-door meeting between some APC governors and National Chairman of the party, Chief John OdigieOyegun.

The governors present included Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Abubakar Bello (Niger), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi).

They had stormed the party secretariat immediately after their meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari to confer with Oyegun and other members of the party ’s National Working Committee.

Sources said the meeting was not unconnected to the

issue of unpaid salaries and the crisis rocking the party, following the recent elections of new leaders of the National Assembly.

However, reacting to questions of what transpired at the meeting with Oyegun, Ajimobi, who apparently was not comfortable with the question, asked journalists their names and their media.

He was later to shout at the top of his voice: “I don’t know any of these media houses.

So, I can’t talk.”

Some of the media represented at the party secretariat included Thisday, Telegraph, Vision FM, Leadership, Blueprint, Newsdairy, Lagos Television station, Galaxy TV, The Tide, Federal Radio Corporation of

Nigeria, FRCN, and the Niche, among others.

Speaking further in Yourba language, the governor said: “I know what they want is money.

Call me one of my aides to find something for them. I don’t have time for any comment.”

The journalists, upset at what some of them described as a behaviour unbecoming of a governor, ignored him.

JUMBO PAY: Saraki sets up c'ttee to review NASS budget

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA—WORRIED by the public outcry over the N9 billion wardrobe, car, furniture, accommodation and other allowances for members of the National Assembly, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, yesterday, disclosed that arrangements had been concluded for the setting up of an ad hoc committee that would reappraise the structure of the National Assembly budget.

In his welcome address at the resumed plenary session from the two-week break, the Senate President, who urged all senators to run a more transparent National Assembly, stressed that the committee will look at the structure of Assembly and ensure that the Senate becomes more open, as well as put in place measures to ensure the budget was in line with economic realities.

Saraki, however, described reports on the wardrobe allowance as false, malicious and reckless.

He also urged his colleagues to be guided by patriotism, maturity and unconditional commitment to the course of change by

working towards ensuring that they look inwards to find answers to the present challenges in the country and help address the developmental problems.

Senator Saraki said: “As I had noted in my inaugural address, the task before us is enormous but very clear. Nigerians voted for change.

“They demand that we deliver to them tangible change. They expect that we improve the quality of governance.

“Three clear issues agitate their mind today: falling government revenues and the current fiscal crisis in many of our states; the unsustainable cost of governance in the country and the rising cost of doing business in Nigeria.

“These concerns have also agitated our minds individually and collectively and we must provide answers because it can no longer be business as usual.”

Delta cleric lauds Adesina's appointment

W

ARRI — GENERAL Overseer, Christ Mercy Land, Warri, Delta State, Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin, has described the appointment of former Managing Director of the Sun newspapers, Mr. Femi Adesina as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari as divine intervention and a step in the right direction.

He urged President Buhari to carry everybody along, irrespective of ethnic and political differences.

Prophet Fufeyin also applauded the appointment of Mr. Eric Osagie as the new Managing Director/Editorin-Chief of The Sun Publishing Company.

UFU elects new exco

U

KWUANI Foundation Union, UFU, has elected new executives to run its affairs in the next four years.

The election which was held at, Sari Iganmu, Lagos, produced the following officers: Chief Joseph Olise, President; Charles Abanum, 1st Vice President; Godwin Onwusa, 2nd Vice President; Emmanuel Ezumezu, Secretary General; Emeke Ajeh, Assistant Secretary General; Alaska Ekele, Publicity Secretary.

Others are Veronica Imala, Treasurer; Patricia Ekezue, Financial Secretary; Anthony Onwuneme Provost 1; Onyekachi Onyebuke, Provost 2 and Smart Okwose, Welfare Officer.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 — 55

How I was chained, tortured in the bush by my abductors —RESCUED ONDO REGENT A

By Dayo Johnson

KURE—FOR two weeks, serene Akungba Akoko in Akoko South West area of Ondo State stood still, no thanks to an abomination committed by some gun-wielding youths who abducted the regent of the community, Princes Oluwatoyin Omosowon, and three of her aides.

The regent and her aides were abducted on their way from a public function in Akure, the Ondo state capital.

She was ambushed on the Ose/ Owo Expressway and forced to alight from her vehicle and pushed into their waiting vehicle and taken to an unknown destination.

Her vehicle, a Toyota Avensis, said to belong to Adekunle Ajasin University, which conveyed her and the aides, was later abandoned and two of her aides released, while they whisked the regent away with her driver.

Anger and protest

To show their anger, the people of the community staged a protest round the town, describing the incident as an abomination.

The town was thrown into confusion as markets, shops and stores remained closed, while academic activities in the university were completely paralyzed.

Reports had it that the kidnappers a few days after the incident, requested for N20 million ransom before the regent could be released.

However, while the negotiation was on, security operatives were busy sniffing around to smoke out the kidnappers.

This, however, paid off last week when a combined team of security operatives burst the syndicate responsible for the abduction.

Four other persons who were earlier kidnapped from different places, also breathed air of freedom as detectives stormed their hideout at Arimagija in the thick forest in Ose local government area of the state.

Those freed

Others freed included a corps member, Azubuike Ijeoma, an Indian, Alex John Thekinathy, his orderly, Obute Sunday, and the regent’s driver, Aliu Abdujelili.

Speaking exclusively with South West Voice, the regent, who came back from captivity with a bruised head, said she was tired of the throne, following the sad experience she went through in the hands of the kidnappers.

Omosowon, who became the regent in 2013, declared: “I am tired of the throne and I have said this several times. ‘’I want to return to my family in Lagos. I have on several occasions told the kingmakers and traditional chiefs in the town to

Rescued Ondo regent, Princess Oluwatoyin Omosowon. help me out.”

On her ordeal in the hands of her abductors, the regent said she slept under a cocoa tree in the thick forest for the period of her incarceration.

Recounting her ordeal

She recounted her ordeal: “They took us into the bush and we had to trek for hours before they took us to another location along Akure/Owo road in the middle of the night. They hit my head with an object and blood started gushing out asking us to lie on the floor.

“We were taken to another location from there to another forest where they released my secretary and one security official and the kidnappers instructed them to go home and inform people about my abduction and brought another car which took us away from the place.

“We were tortured and had to walk into a swampy place and river before getting to where we were kept and they demanded for N20 million as ransom.

“They told me that I have been delaying the process of selecting another king for the town and I should contact Mimiko to pay the ransom.

“We were subjected to many tortures, many other victims were brought to the forest while some were either released or taken away to another place.

“I fasted for days praying to God to touch their heart but thank God the security operatives rescued us before they could carry out their threats.

“It rained on me several days and I was drenched. I was blindfolded and only heard the voices of my abductors. We could not see their faces but their feet.

“They chained my legs and arms. I prayed inside of me that l would not die by reciting the book

of Psalms inside the bible. “ When it was 3am, they took us inside the thick forest. I think the place is very close to a sawmill because I heard the sound of a big machine used to cut logs of wood.

“I became very scared. He said that I did not want the community to have another king and that am on the throne enjoying the dividends thereby depriving those who the seat is meant for.

“He told me that they would spare my life if I was able to pay what the person who sent them paid them to kill me.

“I pleaded with them that I did not know anything about the Obaship of the town and that if asked to abdicate the throne, I would do so if an Oba is selected. I even told them that the Obaship matter is in court.

“The second in command said I was instrumental to the delay in the filling of the vacant stool of the town. I was handcuffed all through and was with my driver.

The second in Command said I was instrumental to the delay in the filling of the vacant stool of the town. I was handcuffed all through and was with my driver.

“I had a terrible experience. I was maltreated for the two weeks I was detained in their den.

“I had a terrible experience. I was maltreated for the two weeks I was detained in their den. ‘’They gave me rice and Eba and bought drinks for me but most times, I refused their food and went into prayer and fasting.

“Their gang leader showed me some respect as a regent and during my interaction with him he confessed that they went into the kidnapping business because there is no job.

“I had the premonition that I will be released on Tuesday and I informed one of my abductors on Sunday and he just laughed and said it can only happen after my people had paid my ransom. And to God be the glory I was set free on Tuesday. God is merciful and wonderful.’’

Corps member's abduction

Vanguard learned that the corps member, Miss Ijeoma Azubuike, was abducted while she stood by the roadside to board a vehicle to Lagos, after leaving the orientation camp.

Ijeoma, who graduated from Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, and currently serving in Jigawa State, said she was travelling from Abuja to Lagos on May 3, which was a Sunday when she boarded a vehicle by the roadside.

“I never knew they were kidnappers. The experience was horrible. We were left in the rain. We slept on the floor. We were beaten and handcuffed.

“After the driver picked me he drove some kilometers and suddenly the vehicle went into the bush and that was all I knew until I later discovered that where they took me to was their hideout. I must have been

hypnotized. On getting to their hideout, they ask me who are my parents and where they worked.

Calling my mother and demand for N10m ransom

“Later they called my mother and demanded for N10 million.

They threatened that if the money is not paid they will not see me again in life,’’ she said.

Also speaking when they visited the governor after they were released, an Indian, Alex John, said he had never gone through that excruciating experience in life.

He said the kidnappers beat him several times when they asked him to give them the phone number of his friends who will pay the ransom.

Also, one of the suspects, Ikpen David, said he was not one of the kidnappers but the driver to the leader of the gang.

Ikpen said he was the one that dropped "Federal" at the point they were arrested, adding that it was the head of the group that said he should carry him to Auchi and return the following day to pick him up.

“I took him from Auchi to Isan where he went to fortify himself spiritually.

The suspect said it was when he wanted to leave that night that ’Federal’ said he should sleep overnight because the road was dangerous.

Speaking on the release of the regent and others, the Director of Directorate of State Service, DSS, Mr Christian Ojobor, said all the victims, including the regent, were rescued from the kidnappers’ den at about 5am by his men and those of the Nigeria Army.

According to him, the victims were abducted in different states, including Ondo, Rivers and Abuja, and kept in their hideout in Ondo State.

Incidents of kidnapping in Ondo

“ When I heard about the various incidents of kidnapping in Ondo State, I have to talk to my DirectorGeneral that we have a very big challenge here, that we need some more officers because this is a special trend and he immediately obliged me. “ Eventually we realized that the same gang is operating in most of these axis but most of the victims were kept in Ondo. When we realized this, we started to trail them and between 4am and 5am we stormed their hideout and rescued the victims,’’ he said.

The security chief said the leader of the gang was shot dead while trying to wrestle a gun from the security operatives.

Mimiko's joy

Receiving the victims at Government House, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, expressed delight over the successful operation, stressing that stiffer penalty awaited anybody caught in the act of kidnapping and other related offences.

56— VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 , 2015

Asia’s richest man denounces Hong Kong democracy

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U.S. deploys heavy military weapons to Europe U

S has announced that it will spread about 250 tanks, armoured vehicles and other military equipment across six European nations, including the Baltic states, to help reassure NATO allies facing threats from Russia and armed groups.

Ash Carter, the US defence secretary, said on Tuesday that the equipment would go at least on a temporary basis

to Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania.

“We intend to move those equipment sets around as exercises move around,” Carter said.

“They are not static. Their purpose is to enable richer training and more mobility to forces in Europe.”

He said the US presence would be “persistent” but “agile”.

A day earlier, Carter also

announced that US would be contributing weapons, aircraft and forces, including commandos, to NATO’s new rapid reaction force to help Europe defend against potential Russian aggression from the east, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other armed groups from the south.

The US is also going to work with NATO’s cyber centre, located in Estonia, to help allies develop

Killer Shelby, N.C., police detectives escort murder suspect Dylann Roof from the Shelby Police Department.

cyber defence strategies and other protections against computer-based attacks, said Carter.

He also expressed the readiness of the US to provide intelligence and surveillance capabilities, special operations forces, logistics, transport aircraft and a range of weapons support that could include bombers, fighters and ship-based missiles if requested and approved by the European countries.

It woud not provide a large ground force, he said.

Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine last year has jangled nerves in Europe, with Baltic and Nordic countries reporting an uptick in Russian military activity over the past year.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier in June that his country was “not a threat to the West”, ruling out a major conflict between Russia and NATO member countries.

Queen Elizabeth II arrives for Germany state visit B RITAIN’s Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Germany yetersday for a much anticipated state visit that also includes a trip to a former Nazi concentration camp liberated by British forces 70 years ago.

The 89-year-old queen and her husband Prince Philip, 94, touched down in her private plane for the three-day multi-stop visit, at a time when Britain is seeking support from the eurozone’s top economy for its EU reform wish list.

The royal couple’s packed agenda will include a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel — sometimes dubbed “the Queen of Europe” — at her offices Wednesday after travelling by boat along Berlin’s Spree river.

They travel north Friday to the site of the Nazis’ Bergen-Belsen camp where teen Jewish diarist Anne Frank died of typhus shortly before it was freed by British troops in April 1945.

The low-key visit will see the couple meet Holocaust survivors and liberators of the camp where 20,000 prisoners of war died and tens of thousands more were deported from 1941.

The queen’s state visit is her fifth in just over 50 years — the last was in 2004 — and has sent newspaper columnists into overdrive.

Dailies and news outlets have regaled Germans with royal etiquette dos and don’ts Queen Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (L) and her should they meet the husband Prince Philip (C), The Duke of Edinburgh British monarch, down to are greeted by officials upon arrival at the military tips for pronouncing airport Tegel in Berlin yesterday ‘Ma’am’.

SIA’s richest man, Li Ka-shing, said yesterday he was “very disappointed” by Hong Kong’s failure to pass a China-backed electoral blueprint that would have granted a one-man onevote in the city but only for candidates pre-screened

by Beijing.

However he also said he wouldn’t be withdrawing any investment from the free-wheeling business hub.

Hong Kong’s legislature has vetoed the electoral reform package criticized by opposition prodemocracy lawmakers and activists as undemocratic, easing the prospect of fresh protests in the financial hub after last year’s massive

•Li Ka-shing in Hong Kong “Occupy Central” prodemocracy civil disobedience campaign.

“I’m very disappointed.

This is all I can say,” Li, chairman of developer Cheung Kong Property Holdings and ports-totelecoms conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings, told reporters after an annual shareholder meeting.

US stores to stop selling Confederate flag merchandise America’s leading merchants have spoken: The Confederate flag is coming off the shelves.

Walmart, Amazon, eBay and Sears all announced bans on the sale of Confederate flag merchandise, amid an intensifying national debate over the use of the controversial flag.

The announcements are the latest indication that the flag, a symbol of the slaveholding South, has become toxic in the aftermath of a shooting last week at a historic African-American church in Charleston,

South Carolina. Gov. Nikki Haley announced in a Monday afternoon news conference that she supports removing the Confederate flag from the state capitol grounds.

“We never want to offend anyone with the products that we offer. We have taken steps to remove all items promoting the confederate flag from our assortment — whether in our stores or on our web site,” said Walmart spokesman Brian Nick.

“We have a process in

Druze protesters attack ambulance carrying wounded Syrians

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EMONSTRATORS from the Druze community have attacked an Israeli military ambulance carrying injured Syrians, killing one person, police said.

A second Syrian being brought to hospital for treatment was in critical condition after the mob, alleging that the wounded were rebels, attacked the vehicle on Monday.

“A crowd attacked an ambulance with stones near Majdal Shams on the Golan Heights,” a police statement said, adding that one of the

injured “died after the attack”.

It said two soldiers who were also inside the vehicle had been lightly wounded.

The statement did not identify the Syrians or give further details about their injuries before the attack.

Over the last two years, Israel has provided medical care to hundreds of Syrians, including fighters, usually transferred from the ceasefire line with the Golan Heights in military ambulances to mainly two hospitals in the north.

Blistering heat kill 700 Pakistanis

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HE majority of people died in government-run hospitals in the port city of Karachi, Pakistan’s economic hub of around 20 million people, as temperatures reached 45 degrees Celsius at the weekend.

“The number of people who have died in the heatwave has now reached 692,” Saeed Mangnejo, a

senior health official in Sindh province said yesterday.

Mangnejo said that the death toll may rise futher.

Karachi’s largest hospital, Post Graduate Medical College Hospital, has treated more than 3,000 patients, Dr Semi Jamila told AFP news agency.

Hospitals have been swamped with people

suffering from heatstroke and dehydration, while repeated power outages have left many without air conditioning or running water.

Meanwhile, seven people have died from the heat in Punjab province over the past 24 hours, officials said.

Israeli Druze are concerned about their brethren in Syria and are asking Israel to protect them

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 , 2015 — 57

New cases of Ebola in Freetown

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Buhari to visit Cameroon ‘after Ramadan’ N

IGERIA’s President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted an invitation to travel to Cameroon for talks on regional cooperation to defeat Boko Haram Islamist extremists, his office said on Tuesday.

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya was a noticeable absentee at a recent summit of regional leaders in Abuja to cement a new fighting force to take on the insurgents.

Observers attributed his absence to strained ties between the two neighbours, who squabbled for decades over the sovereignty of the oilrich Bakassi peninsula until it was ceded to Cameroon.

Buhari last week told AFP in an interview that he was planning to visit Cameroon. On Tuesday he accepted an invitation from Biya delivered by one of his ministers, Buhari’s office said in a statement.

“President Buhari said that he will visit Cameroon for the high-level talks soon after the end of the Ramadan fast,” the

President Muhammadu Buhari statement read.

Buhari, 72, has made eradicating Boko Haram a priority for his fledgling administration, which has been in power for less than a month.

Nigeria, Niger, Chad,

Cameroon and Benin have all agreed that a new 8,700strong force should be deployed by July 30 to take on the Islamists.

The Nigerian government under Buhari’s predecessor

Goodluck Jonathan frequently complained about Boko Haram using northern Cameroon as a base to attack northeast Nigeria.

Guinea’s opposition seeks alliance with former coup leader

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HE head of Guinea’s main opposition party is seeking an alliance with the former leader of a 2008 military coup in an effort to defeat President Alpha Conde at elections in October, his spokesman

Rwanda decries UK’s arrest of its spy chief Rwanda’s foreign minister has said that the arrest of the country ’s intelligence chief in London is “lunacy”.

British police arrested the director-general of Rwanda’s National Intelligence and Security Services, Karenzi Karake, on Saturday at the request of Spain, where he is wanted in connection with war crimes.

Karake was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport, British police said in a statement on Monday.

“Karenzi Karake, 54, a Rwandan national appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court ... after being arrested on a European Arrest Warrant on behalf of the authorities in Spain, where he is wanted in connection with war crimes against civilians,” police said.

Karake was remanded in custody to reappear at the court tomorrow.

Rwanda’s foreign minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, was critical of the arrest , calling it “unacceptable” in a tweet.

President Paul Biya

“Western solidarity in demeaning Africans is unacceptable!! It is an outrage to arrest #Rwanda-n official based on pro-genocidaires lunacy!” Mushikiwabo said.

It was not immediately possible to contact Karake’s family or his lawyers and there was no response from the Rwandan embassy in London.

said on Tuesday.

Cellou Dalein Diallo, the leader of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), met Captain Moussa Dadis Camara on Friday in the capital of Burkina Faso, where he has been in exile since early 2010.

Camara, who has strong support in Guinea’s southeastern Forest region, announced in early May he would contest the Oct. 11 presidential vote at the head of his Patriotic Front for Democracy and Development (FPDD).

Camara ruled Africa’s largest bauxite exporter for almost a year until he was wounded in a December 2009 assassination attempt. His reputation was tarnished by a

Cellou Dalein Diallo, massacre of opposition demonstrators by soldiers in September that year, in which at least 157 people were killed.

UFDG spokesman Alpha Boubacar Bah said the talks with Camara were part of efforts to unify opposition forces to ensure fair elections and to unseat Conde.

“We decided to meet the president of the Patriotic Front for Democracy and Development because we need all the opposition forces to bring about a change of power in 2015,” Bah said.

Fire engulfs clothing market in Kenya’s capital Nairobi the Gikomba market, they

A

huge fire has destroyed large parts of East Africa’s biggest secondhand clothing market in

Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, officials say.

Thousands of people lost properties and other valuables in the inferno at

The fire may have been caused by an electrical fault

said.

The blaze spread quickly through the market and firemen extinguished it several hours after it began.

The cause of the fire is still unclear but it may have been started by an electrical fault, reports say.

The market has a monthly turnover of $1.1m (£700,000), says the BBC’s Abdi Noor in Nairobi.

There were chaotic scenes as people tried to salvage their belongings,

WO new cases of Ebola have been recorded in the Sierra Leone capital Freetown, weeks after the city was thought to be free of the disease.

Health officials say there are fears of further infections as the cases occurred in a densely populated slum.

Sierra Leone’s National Ebola Response Centre said there was great concern because all Ebola quarantine facilities in Freetown had been closed.

West Africa is recovering from the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history.More

than 11,000 people have died since December 2013.

The latest cases were found in the Freetown slum of Magazine.

The north of Sierra Leone continues to be affected by Ebola, as does neighbouring Guinea.

Liberia, the other country affected by the recent outbreak, was declared Ebola free in May after 42 days without a new case.

Last month, six people were put in isolation in prison in Guinea after being accused of travelling with a corpse of a relative who had died of Ebola.

Child labour exposes level over poverty in DR Congo For many children in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the lack of development and chronic poverty afflicting the country create a barrier to education.

Frequent outbreaks of conflict cause displacement, further depriving children of access to schooling.

Backbreaking chores are an integral part of daily life for thousands of children, helping their families with farming and fetching water, as well as working in more

formal employment.

While some work can be positive in a child’s development, as defined by the International Labor Organization, absolute poverty stemming from decades of cyclical conflict can mean that the need for children to “help out” their parents can lock them into a cycle of hardship.

Empowering parents and children alike can help end this cycle of poverty.

S/Sudan declares cholera outbreak

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OUTH Sudan’s government has declared cholera outbreak in the capital city, where at least 18 people died and 171 cases were confirmed.

South Sudan’s government has declared cholera outbreak in the capital city, where at least 18 people died and 171 cases were confirmed.

“After subjecting those [suspected] cases to analysis … we confirm beyond doubt that there is an outbreak of cholera in Juba,” Health Minister Dr Riek Gai Kok told journalists in Juba on Tuesday.

The first suspected case was received on June 1 originating from inside the UN ‘displaced persons’ camp on the outskirts of Juba. Cases have since spread outside the camp to some of the city ’s most c o n g e s t e d neighbourhoods.

There are now 171 confirmed cases of cholera and 18 deaths from the disease, according to the ministry of health.

World Health Organization guidelines indicate that an outbreak should be declared after 10 to 20 confirmed cases.

SUDAN Doctors at the Juba hospital say they have enough staff and supplies to operate the small cholera ward for now

58— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 — 59

Keshi shifts focus to Tanzania N

•Keshi

‘I quit for Kogi Utd to progress’

C

OACH Yomi Elijah has said he resigned mutually his appointment with the management of Nigeria National League (NNL) side, Kogi United.

The former ABS coach on Monday quitted the side plum head coach position citing some personal reasons.

Elijah said he quitted the position to allow someone else to come in aimed at uplifting the fortune of the side in the ongoing NNL league sea-

son.

“I resigned my position as head coach on mutual consent and understanding of the management.

“I must confess that the management of Kogi United is wonderful, my sudden departure actually brought tears to their eyes.

“I resigned in absolute peace, there was no iota of dispute or problem between me and the management.''

IGERIA coach Stephen Keshi has asked that attention should be shifted from his alleged application for the job of the Cote d’Ivoire national team to the Super Eagles’ next Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Tanzania in September.

The 53-year-old has come under intense scrutiny since the 2-0 victory over Chad after he put a non-league player on the bench and his name also appeared on the FIF website as one of more than 50 coaches applying to fill in the space left by Herve Renard.

He was invited to appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation yesterday in order to put straight issues.

“Everything went well, the NFF will talk to you on that but everything went well. Like you guys know, I never applied for the Cote d’Ivoire job,” Keshi said after emerging from the committee meeting headed by Barrister Christopher Green in Abuja.

On whether he would be taking legal action against whoever penciled his name for the job, if he eventually proves that he did not apply for the job, Keshi said: “My name pops up everywhere. It happens to every coach. So it is not a big deal.

“My name is always everywhere. The question is that should I take Ethiopia to court, should I take Kenya or Tanzania to court?”

While the NFF also invited the duo team captain Vincent Enyeama and midfielder Ogenyi Onazi to appear before

the committee, Keshi denied knowledge of their whereabouts and their invitation.

“No I am not aware. I only know about my own invitation. You can ask the NFF officials they should be able to tell you,” Keshi said.

However, he told media and football stakeholders to shun gossip and work together in order to face the task ahead which is how to beat Tanzania in their next qualifying game of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

A

•Adepoju

Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, who spoke to a gathering of journalists and top sports personalities, including reigning African Footballer of the year, Yaya Toure, noted that the soccer initiative is the company’s contribution to building and sustaining a rich pool of football talent for the national teams.

According to Ogunsanya, Airtel is committed to creating opportu-

T

HE World Anti-Dop ing Agency has called on the Nigerian government to take the lead in Africa by enacting the necessary legal instruments that would support and underscore the establishment of the National Anti-Doping Organisation that would operate independently.

This call was contained in a congratulatory message sent to the Director General, National Sports Commission, Alhaji Al-

hassan Yakmut recently by the African Director for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Mr. Rodney Swigelaar.

Mr. Swigelaar urged the Director General to accelerate the finalisation of arrangements for the establishment of the Nigeria National AntiDoping programme which was spearheaded by the Nigerian National Anti-doping Organisation.

•3SC fans.

3SC to hand over to police Ikhana’s attacker “The management of

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HOOTING Stars have vowed to hand over to the police the fan who attacked Enyimba coach Kadiri Ikhana outside the stadium after Sunday’s goalless draw in a Nigeria league Week 13 game in Ibadan.

According to the club media officer, Jubril Arowolo, Shooting Stars are baffled by the attack after Enyimba were warmly welcomed into the stadium by the home fans.

Adepoju, Akpoborie, Chijiene ‘re technical advisers of ARS season 5 nities that will provide a ment.

IRTEL Nigeria, has announced the commencement of the fifth edition of Airtel Rising Stars (ARS) U-17 male and female tournament, a grass-root football talent hunt programme aimed at identifying and nurturing budding soccer talent in the country.

The company also announced ex Super Eagles stars, Mutiu Adepoju, Jonathan Akpoborie and former Falcons Goalkeeper, Ann Chiejine, as the technical advisers for the tourna-

WADA calls for creation of Nigeria anti-doping agency

ladder for talented young boys and girls to climb to stardom, also noting that the Telco is passionate about unlocking the potentials of exceptionally talented Nigerian youth.

“Airtel wants to be an integral part of local communities and our association with football has strong elements of creating positive change and engagement. ARS is our contribution to building and developing grassroots football in Nigeria,” he said.

Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), Ibadan have confirmed the off pitch attack on Enyimba FC coach Kadiri Ikhana by a disgruntled element shortly after the pulsating week 13 goalless game (Sunday) with a promise to arrest the culprit.

“This was after a thorough investigation from various quarters while efforts are on to get him

arrested and handed over to the Police.

“The management then wondered what would have prompted the attack on the coach outside the stadium with the friendly way the Enyimba players and officials were heraded into the stadium and applauded outside the stadium by the home fans after the interesting encounter.

Alampasu Continues from BP party Remo Stars.

His economic rights was being disputed between Future Stars Academy, Lagos and Football College, Abuja.

In its ruling, the NFF stated : “Future Stars Academy, Lagos and Football College, Abuja will only be entitled to training compensation/ solidarity mechanism in accordance with the FIFA Regulations on Players’ Status and Transfer, 2014.”

Future Stars Academy, Lagos and Football College, Abuja will only be entitled to training

compensation/solidarity mechanism in accordance with the FIFA Regulations on Players’ Status and Transfer.

Alampasu was named to the Flying Eagles roster for the African Youth Championship as well as the World Cup but did not play a single game in both tourneys, with coach Manu Garba preferring Joshua Enaholo in goal.

He joins Nigeria international midfielder Anderson Esiti at the Estádio António Coimbra da Mota.

60 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

TRANSFER TALKS...TRANSFER TALKS...

Moses rejects Stoke stay S

TOKE City’s hopes of securing Victor Moses from Chelsea as part of any deal that would involve Asmir Begovic transferring to Stamford Bridge are set to be dashed with the Nigeria winger apparently reluctant to move to the Britannia Stadium on a permanent basis.

Moses spent last season in the Potteries, scoring four times in 23 games and impressing in flashes, before suffering a hamstring injury in April which ended his season prematurely. The 24-year-old had enjoyed a similar season-long switch to Liverpool the previous year, only to find his opportunities more limited at Anfield, and had been expected to seek a fresh start from Chelsea during the summer window with the prospect of regular firstteam involvement with the champions relatively remote.

The Stoke manager, Mark Hughes, had identified the former Crystal Palace trainee, whom Chelsea secured for £9m from Wigan in 2012, as a priority signing ahead of the new campaign and are considering stipulating the winger must be part of any proposed deal for Begovic. However, Moses, who boasts 24 caps for Nigeria, is understood to be unsure over a return to City and is instead considering a number of other options, both in the Premier League and abroad.

Bale is what United need, insists Yorke

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ARETH Bale is the player Manchester United should pursue above all others this summer, according to former Red Devils star Dwight Yorke.

And Yorke believes the flying Welshman should be Louis van Gaal’s No.1 target as he looks to ready his squad to challenge Chelsea for domestic supremacy next season.

“I would get Gareth Bale in, that’s what United need . . . a player who will just take the ball and run,” Yorke told The Sun. “He’s British, he’s exciting, he’s quick, fast, he

Victor Moses (r) in action for Stoke City, last season.

Man Utd to Real: Give us Ramos, have De Gea

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ANCHESTER United have responded to Real Madrid’s bid for David de Gea by telling the Spanish club they want to sign Sergio Ramos, the Guardian understands.

The 29-year-old central defender, who has 128 caps for Spain, has an official buyout clause of €180m (£128m) but his contract at the Bernabéu expires in July 2017 and United are believed to think they have a chance of signing Ramos without having to meet that figure.

Real Madrid have already had an initial bid for De Gea turned down, believed to be in the region of €18m. Representatives then travelled to the UK for a meeting at which they requested United set a price for the goalkeeper.

Madrid remain convinced

•David de Gea they will eventually sign De Gea, who has one year left on his contract and wants to return to Spain, and anticipated a meeting that would be a formality.

Instead they met a counterbid: you want De Gea, we want Ramos.

The central defender has

Sunderland in for Downing

Nedved: Tevez 'irreplaceable'

UNDERLAND have made a £5million bid for Stewart Downing.

But West Ham have rejected the Black Cats’ move to take the former England winger back to his native North-East, even though the Hammers are closing in on £17million Marseille wideman Dimitri Payet.

Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat is likely to test West Ham’s resolve further, and Downing is watching developments surrounding Payet’s potential arrival with interest.

Juventus legend Pavel Nedved admits Carlos Tevez is “irreplaceable” for the club.

“Tevez is irreplaceable,” Nedved said. “It’s a big blow for Juventus that he’s going. He’s been a leader these past two years.

“But he’s made a decision because of his family and that must be respected.

“The incoming arrivals are all good players that will keep us at the top of Italy and Europe.

“The young players will have a chance to grow up and prosper as great players.”

S

•Tevez

goes past people and that will lift everyone going forward.''

Cuadrado on the move? would be safe to say IatTJuan Cuadrado’s impact Chelsea has been mini-

mal.

The Colombian barely featured after joining from Fiorentina in January and has even been tipped to make an immediate exit.

According to Sky Italia, his agent Allesando Lucci is set to travel to London tomorrow - and discuss Cuadrado’s future with the Chelsea hierarchy.

He is expected to ask the club about their plans - and if they are ready to let him go. Jose Mourinho insists the 28-year-old will not be leaving this summer, although Inter and Juventus are keen on loan deals.

•Ramos been at Real Madrid for 10 seasons since joining from Sevilla for €27m when he was still a teenager. He has played more than 400 games for Madrid and is the vicecaptain but negotiations over a new contract have been at a standstill for some time.

•Bale

Reina completes Napoli return

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AYERN Munich have confirmed that goalkeeper Pepe Reina has been released from his contract, allowing him to sign for Napoli on a free transfer.

The Spaniard joined the Bavarians last summer on a three-year deal having seen out his contract at Liverpool, but was restricted to just three appearances in all competitions in 2014-15.

As a result, the goalkeeper had been strongly linked

•Reina

with Napoli - with whom he had spent a year on loan prior to linking up with Pep Guardiola’s Bundesliga champions - and Bayern confirmed the deal for him to join the Serie A side was a reality.

“Pepe Reina has asked us to release him from his contract because he wants to sign for Napoli where he will have the chance to play as a goalkeeper on a regular basis,” Bayern deputy chairman said.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 — 61

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62 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 — 63

Enyeama shuns NFF, as Keshi awaits ruling

BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja

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UPER Eagles captain, Vincent Enyeama was conspicuously absent yesterday when the Organizing and Disciplinary Committee (O&D) of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) sat over‘provocative remarks’ regarding Kaduna as an unsafe venue for Super Eagles matches.

However, Super Eagles Chief Coach, Stephen Keshi who honoured the invitation which was largely centred on his alleged bias in the selection of players told journalists after appearing before the committee that he was not worried about the issue because he had told them all he knew about the matter.

Keshi who stormed the NFF secretariat in company

Laugh out loud — John Terry and Mikel Obi share a joke. of his manager Emma Ado said his main concern at the moment is how to adequately prepare the Super Eagles for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Tanzania in September.

“What is on my mind today is the next AFCON

game against Tanzania and how to defeat them in September. We thank God for the victory against Chad in Kaduna, the next should be how to consolidate on that victory that should be our target now and not who said what.

On Vincent Enyeama,

Keshi said, “I only know about myself; that I needed to be here today, but for Vincent Enyeama I don’t know about that.”

On the listing of his name for the job of the Elephants of Ivory Coast, Keshi again said he does not know anything about the Ivorian job even as he rejected any suggestion to drag the fellow West African country to court.

“I have said it before that I did not apply for the Ivorian job because I have a job which I am happy with. But talking about court, I will not do that because my name is everywhere and if I take them to court will I also take Kenya and Ghana to court?

That is the experience of every coach in the world.”

The NFF had summoned Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama over comments he allegedly made about the Kaduna venue for the game against Chad.

Mikel’s Al Ain switch done deal — Gyan

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SAMOAH Gyan says John Obi Mikel will “definitely” be leaving Chelsea for Al Ain this summer, insisting terms over a move have already been agreed.

The midfielder is reported to have grown frustrated at a lack of first-team opportunities at Stamford Bridge, having started less than half of Chelsea’s Premier League games last season.

Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas - both signed within the last 18 months - were Jose Mourinho’s preferred pairing as Chelsea won

the league title, and Mikel now looks to be heading for the exit door.

“I heard it this week that he has agreed terms with Al Ain and will most definitely be playing for us next season,” Gyan told Metro TV. “Its great news for us because Mikel Obi is a very good player and very experienced.

“It will be exciting playing with him in the same team, because I believe both of us, with the help of our other colleagues, can do more for the club.”

Countdown to Kaduna Golden League •AFN releases list of qualifiers

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HE Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) yesterday released the list of athletes that qualified for the Kaduna leg of the AFN Golden League slated for Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Saturday June 27, 2015.

In statement signed by Yussuf Alli, the meet manager, athletes that qualify for the Golden League will be accommodated and accorded other special treatment by the AFN. In the shot put women, four athletes qualified, they are Uju Anoliefo, Eucharia Ogbukwo, Chime Nkechi Leticia and Michael Gift.

Four men javelin throwers also made Kaduna Golden League, Kure Samuel Adams, Ezeofor Kenechukwu, Friday Osayande and Ezeh John Mike.

Only two athletes qualified in the high jump women Anigbata Grace and Nwichi Ngozi Blessing.

In the long jump women four made the Golden League, they are Chinazom Amadi, Brume Ese, Ibrahim Blessing Ibukun and Hope Idhe.

The long jump men is however a sharp contrast as only two men Okulaja Babajide and Oladimeji Oluwatoyin qualify.

DUNKERS . . . From left Col. Sam Ahmedu- President FIBA Africa Zone 3, Ahmadou Gallo-Fall- VP NBA Africa Dan Ngerem- President Dan Ngerem Foundation & Chairman Dodan Warriors Management Board after a media briefing C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Mikel finally heading out of Chelsea •Al Ain switch done deal — Gyan P.63

•Ramos learns English ahead of Man U move

P.6 3

Enyeama shuns NFF, as Keshi awaits ruling

Arsenal target £28.5m Aubameyang

•Enyeama

•Keshi

NFF sanctions Alampasu’s move to Estoril N

IGERIA Under 20 international Dele Alampasu can now resume his career at Estoril Praia, the Nigeria Football Federation Players’ Status/Arbitration Committee has ruled.

In February, the shot stopper penned a deal with the Portuguese club but there were claims and counter claims that the transfer was invalid because Estoril negotiated with a wrong Continues on Page 59

•Alampassu

COPA America: Page 33

•Mikel

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

FRI DAY'S FRIDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 2 Fish (5) 7 Ale (4) 8 Sudden (6) 9 Mock (5) 11 Wand (3) 13 Sheep (3) 15 Pitcher (4) 16 Faucet (3) 18 Lake (4) 19 Concerned (7) 20 Harvest (4) 22 Fish (4) 23 Diplomatic (7) 25 Watched (4) 27 Owned (3) 28 Gala (4) 30 Performed (3) 31 Defective (3) 33 Shabby (5) 36 Grasp (6) 37 Wicked (4) 38 Long (5)

DOWN 1 Under (5) 2 Skill (3) 3 Animal (3) 4 Consume (3) 5 Snoop (3) 6 Javelin (5) 10 Close (4) 11 Saved (7) 12 Dedicated (7) 13 Diminished (7) 14 Threatened (7) 16 Cog (5) 17 Haughty (5) 18 Encountered (3) 21 Cushion (3) 24 Front (4) 26 Cede (5) 29 Jacket (5) 32 Pig-pen (3) 33 Timid (3) 34 Epoch (3) 35 Longing (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Scope 5, Dispel 8, Order 10, Ensure 11, Oval 14, Palate 15, Conceal 18, Net 19, Tap 21, Deft 23, Regal 24, Here 27, Den 29, Oaf 31, Radical 32, Eraser 34, Ride 35, Hauled 38, Alert 39, Dagger 40, Merry.

DOWN: 2, Can 3, Pounce 4, Err 5, Drop 6, Scale 7, Latent 9, Debated 12, Van 13, Late 16, Once 17, Lager 20, Panache 22, Flea 24, Heeded 25, Roar 26, Easing 28, Minute 30, Fed 33, Rear 36, Arm 37, Ear.

How to Play Sudoku

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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