Audu remains APC"s candidate, but...- INEC

...towards a better life for the people

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

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VOL. 25: NO. 62634

N150

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

Fuel crisis continues as NNPC's supply 8 dwindles

Corrupt judges, lawyers frustrate quick recovery of stolen assets —Buhari 9

Audu remains APC's candidate, but... — INEC

•Says APC hasn't notified the commission •We'll be within the law, says APC •Audu buried, as Buhari, Saraki, govs, others pay tributes

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor, Charles Kumolu, Kingsley Fanwo, Levinus Nwabughiogu & Omeiza Ajayi

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BUJA—THE anticlimax arising from the death of Prince Abubakar Audu in the Kogi State governorship election continued yesterday after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC affirmed that the dead Audu remained the candidate of the All Progressives Congress,

Continues on Page 5

$2bn arms

Commonwealth deal: appoints AGF asks Jonathan court toin mediator Tanzania revoke election Dasuki's stalemate 8 bail OONI RECEIVES AARE CROWN—Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi was presented with the Aare crown,

yesterday, after coming out for the first time after the 21-day traditional rites to the throne. Ooni Ogunwusi after receiving the Aare Crown from the Olojudo of Idoland, yesterday. PHOTO: Dare Fasube. See story on Page 11.

NIGER DELTA VOICE FLOOD VICTIMS TO RIVERS GOVT: Don’t

play politics with our plight See Inside C M Y K

P.17

FEMI ARIBISALA

Does the president of Nigeria have the power to order the arrest of Dasuki?

P.20

YINKA ODUMAKIN

Na wetin MTN do sef?

COLUMNISTS:

Biafra: DSS gets fresh order to detain Kanu for 90 days — P15

CBN licences SunTrust Bank Ltd 10

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015—3

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4 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015—5

POCKET CARTOON

AT AUDU'S BURIAL—Crowd of sympathisers at late Abubakar Audu's compound in Ogbonicha Ofu Local Goverment Area of Kogi State, yesterday.

Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Audu remains APC's candidate, but... — INEC Continues from Page 1

APC. The assertion came as a meeting of senior INEC officials in Abuja called to ponder possible options on the issue was temporarily aborted after news emerged that Audu had 'resurrected'.

The dispersal of the meeting coincided with jubilations in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital that Audu had been revived.

The news of Audu’s ‘ revival’ about midday followed insistence of some prophets who stormed the late Audu’s country home in Ogbonicha, that they would revive him. The prophets, who were initially rebuffed by Audu’s family members, however, got passage into the room where the corpse was kept after desperate sympathisers overwhelmed the family members and broke the

door to the room.

While they prayed, the grave diggers who all along had been busy at one section of Audu’s expansive country home relaxed. The relaxation in part gave fillip to rumours that Audu was being revived, a development that spread far and wide, even to INEC headquarters.

When they reconvened after the initial disruption, senior INEC officials affirmed that the commission was ignorant of Audu’s death.

INEC, however, said although it heard the news of Audu’s passing just like most other Nigerians, it was n e v e r t h e l e s s meticulously studying the situation with a view to coming up with an appropriate position that

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO O not despise little beginnings, relative to what you are about to bring forth, the temporal shame is insignificant. It's up to you.

D

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness — Jean j Rousseau

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PERSON with a golden heart is someone who has a flexible and creative attitude towards life, someone with balanced mind and a consciousness that is ready to shift based on truth in the moment, another relative term for what is truth for one person may be different for another. However, this known question and tested paradigm is a relevant and adequate yardstick whenever one is in doubt about what action to take when dealing with others. Is it kind? Is it true? Is it fair to all concerned? Is it necessary?

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE Use your tongue to count your teeth.

would be fair, lawful and acceptable to all. Director of Voter Education, Publicity, Civil Society and Gender Liaison at the Commission, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzi told Vanguard yesterday that INEC would make its position public as soon as it was addressed by APC on the issue.

Last night APC officials were still contemplating the nature of address to be presented to the electoral commission.

Contacted on assertions

by INEC, APC deputy national publicity secretary, Timi Frank promised to call back after further consultations.

He, however, did not call back or respond to calls to his mobile phone at press time.

It is expected that whenever the APC addresses the commission that the principal officials of the body would meet with its consortium of lawyers and its in-house legal team to decide on the issue.

APC has to notify us — INEC

Also speaking, Deputy Director, Publicity at the commission, Mr Nick Dazang, said yesterday: “APC has to do proper notification, and accompany it with the certificate of death issued by a medical doctor.

“When something like this happens, the party on which platform the candidate contested will need to notify the commission; of course, we have heard and read

like everyone else but we need to be notified.

“Once the commission is notified, it will look at relevant clauses of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the Electoral Act 2010 as amended and also the Constitution of APC itself.

“All these relevant laws will be looked at with a view to determining what to be done to ensure that whatever is done subsequently is done within the ambit of the law.

“INEC as a lawabiding body will do everything prescribed by the law.

“Thankfully we have a consortium of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) that provide counsel to the commission. We also have a very vibrant legal service department, headed by a SAN,” Dazang said.

The Electoral Act prescribes 14 days for the conduct of a supplementary poll.

INEC was, however, silent on whether it would go ahead with the supplementary polls but said it would not rely on mere opinions of people or sentiments to take a position. INEC added that the situation in Kogi would not affect the conduct of the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa state.

We'll be within the law — APC Meanwhile, the APC has promised to act within the confines of the law in resolving issues concerning the replacement of its governorship candidate in the election and the pursuit of the supplementary elections as announced by INEC. In a statement issued by its national secretary, Mai Mala Buni, the party said: “On INEC’s position that the November 21, 2015, governorship poll in Kogi State was inconclusive, APC is studying the declaration of the Returning Officer, Prof. Emmanuel Kucha, who is the ViceChancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, based on Section M, Paragraph 4(Page 22) of INEC Approved Guidelines and Regulations for the Conduct of the 2015 General Elections.

“APC believes in the rule of law, strict adherence to 1999 Constitution and Electoral Act 2010(as Amended).

“Our government is a product of the rule of law. We have absolute

faith in the nation’s law, and we will not in any manner undermine the law. Our observations and position will be within the laws of the land.

“The situation in Kogi State is a test case for the rule of law and our growing democracy.

APC is committed to its pledge to ensure a sustainable democracy in the country”, it said.

The declaration to explore all options available to it on the matter was contained in a press statement issued by the party ’s deputy national publicity secretar y, Mr. Timi Frank.

He said: “We are exploring all known choices and alternatives to us in line with our party ’s dictates and respect of the rule of law as is in conformity with laid down laws and rules of our country.

“To say that we are shocked and dumbfounded at Audu’s death is to scratch our pains on the surface as the Kogi Prince typified what a real democrat radiates. A politician who chose to remain in opposition after losing his governorship in 2003 despite the intimidations on him but rather chose to see the nation get its deserved change in leadership”, Frank said.

Audu buried

Ogbonicha in Ofu Local government area of Kogi State, where Audu died in his country home was an unusual place as people flooded the community from all walks of life. Associates of the late political icon were among the mammoth crowd that witnessed the burial.

Among others present were his former colleagues including Senator Rabiu Kwankwanso, former governor Lucky Igbinedion and Senator Saminu Turaki.

The state government delegation to the burial

was led by the Deputy Governor of the state, Arc. Abayomi Awoniyi.

Senator Dino Melaye, a strong associate of the late politician and Rep. James Faleke, his running mate in the inconclusive election, were very visible at the burial yesterday.

The burial ceremony commenced about 1.50 p.m. yesterday after the prophets failed to revive the dead Audu. The burial was supervised by Islamic religious leaders from all over Igala land.

Following the burial, Faleke declined to speak with Vanguard, saying he was too devastated to speak on his late boss.

Senator Melaye, however, described late Audu as an irreplaceable hero who was a dogged fighter and a lover of his people. He said the progressive community would miss its icon.

At about 2:00 pm, the body of Prince Abubakar Audu was finally laid to mother earth amid uncontrollable wailing by people who have come to mourn with Audu’s family.

Earlier in the day, the governor of Kogi State declared a three-day public holiday and sevenday mourning period to honour “the man who laid the foundation for the development of Kogi State”.

Prince Abubakar Audu was on the verge of emerging as the next democratically elected governor of Kogi State as his party, having polled 240,827 votes to top the election with Wada, the incumbent governor scoring 199, 514 votes.

The election was, however, declared inconclusive upon the fact that the number of cancelled votes was more than the difference in the votes between the late Audu and Wada.

See more stories on Page 42

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 , 2015

Police kill 2 suspected kidnappers in Rivers P

By Jimitota Onoyume

ORT HARCOURT—TWO suspected kidnappers were gunned down by the Police at Umubele waterfront in Port Harcourt yesterday.

Spokesman of Rivers State police command, DSP Ahmad

Muhammad, said the kidnap suspects were guarding two hostages when the police stormed their hideout.

He said in the ensuing gun battle, the police shot the two kidnap suspects dead and rescued the two hostages in their

custody, “A tactical unit of the Command stormed Umubele waterfront in Port Harcourt and successfully rescued two kidnapped victims, namely David Eke and Callistus Nnamdi. The victims were kidnapped along Airport road, Port Harcourt.

"Two unidentified suspected kidnappers found guarding the rescued victims were gunned down during exchange of fire that ensued. ‘’Two locally made pistols, four cartridges and charms were recovered from the deceased kidnappers, “ he said.

2 arrested for stealing N19.5m worth of goods from Lagos sea port L

By Ifeanyi Okolie

AGOS—TWO suspects who specialised in diverting and receiving stolen goods from Apapa Sea Port, have been arrested by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Zone 2.

The suspects, who were identified as Benson Odefila and Amaechi Enemmuou, were apprehended recently after they stole musical equipment loaded in a 40-foot container, valued at N19.5 million.

Vanguard gathered that a truck driver contracted by the owner of the container to transport it to his warehouse, after it was cleared at the sea port, diverted and sold it to the suspects for N600,000.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Bala Hasan, who paraded the suspects before newsmen, disclosed that he received information revealing that some hoodlums had diverted a certain container with goods worth N19.5 million to an unknown destination within Lagos State.

The AIG added that he directed the officer in charge of SARS, Zone 2, Peter Gana, to trail and apprehend the suspects. “ Through surveillance and the aid of technology, one Benson Odefila was arrested at

Ajangbadi area of Lagos and during interrogation, he confessed to the crime and mentioned one Amas and two others as members of his gang. ‘’He also disclosed one Amechi Enemmuou as the receiver. He was arrested and he led operatives to recover all the goods. He is currently working on arresting all the remaining members of the gang, “ the AIG said.

When Vanguard interviewed

the suspects, they admitted committing the crime but the receiver, Amechi, blamed greed for his involvement.

He told Vanguard that the price for which the goods were sold to him was difficult to resist.

He said: “I am a trader and I deal in motorcycle parts at Oyingbo Market, Ebute Meta. It was Odefila that brought the business to me. I don’t know him, it was a woman who buys goods from me that linked him to me.

‘’Sincerely, he told me that the goods were stolen from the sea port and that they were ready to sell it at a give away price. I asked how much and he said N2 million. But I told him that all I could afford was N600,000 and they agreed. ‘’I gave the money to Odefila and I took procession of the goods, but a few days later, he brought policemen to my house and I was arrested. I regret getting myself into this mess.’’

The suspects, Benson Odefila and Amechi Enemmuou.

How we defrauded victims, by suspected fraudsters

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By Esther Onyegbula

AGOS—A suspected fraudster, Jerry Etiobho, who was arrested last Saturday by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, has revealed that his gang operates in Ikeja and its environs.

Etiobho, who was arrested alongside Emeka Ogu, said: “Our areas of operation are Ikeja under Bridge, Allen, Opebi, Coca Cola, Ojota and Maryland. I dropped out of Ambrose Alli University and joined the business when I was defrauded.

I make between fifty thousand naira (N50,000) to hundred thousand naira (N100,000) in every operation. “ It was gathered that the fraudsters were arrested at Ojota area of Lagos after they had successfully conned their victim and defrauded him of money and

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other valuables.

Victim's account

thousand naira and directed me to go and help them to change one US dollar in Ikeja. I was on my way when I realized that they were fraudsters.

Immediately I turned back to collect all they had taken from me and to return their one dollar, they took to their heels before they were

Narrating his ordeal, one of their victims, Lawan said: “I am an indigene of Borno State. I was around Ojota area when the two of them accosted me and asked for assistance. Etiobho said he is an importer and that his goods were seized by t h e Nigerian Customs.

They told me they had a lot of dollars to change.

T h e y collected my phones and The suspected fraudsters, Jerry Etiobho and t e n Emeka Ogu.

arrested by RRS.’’

Suspects' confession

Jerry Etiobho, 33; said: ‘’I am from Uromi in Edo State. I convinced the victim that my consignment containing laptop, desktop computers and office equipment were impounded by the Nigerian Customs and, that what I have on me were foreign currencies.

I told him to go and help me to change one dollar while I collected his phones and ten thousand naira (N10, 000). He agreed and then later turned back and we decided to escape.’’

His accomplice, Emeka Ogu said: “I have spent ten months in this business. I want God to forgive me and save my life because most of my colleagues in the business have died mysteriously.’’

Why we demanded N11m ransom from parents of our victim —Kidnap suspect

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By Daud Olatunji

BEOKUTA—ONE of the four suspected kidnappers who abducted a four-year-old boy, Steve Kanu, in Abeokuta two weeks ago, Maureen Uchenna, has confessed that they demanded N11 million from his parents to fund overseas trip and proposed wedding ceremony.

Maureen, who was a staff nurse at Dr Mucipay Kanu Hospital for three and half years but resigned in July this year, said she hatched the abduction with her boyfriend, Obinna Amoke, who is currently at large .

The kidnapped suspects include Kenechukwu Amoke, 21; Anayo Amoke, 35; Oluchi Asadu, 20; and Maureen Uchenna, 25.

They were paraded by the Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, at the state police command headquarters, Eleweran, yesterday.

Steve was kidnapped in his parents’ home at Laderin Estate, Abeokuta, on Monday November 2 but was rescued alive last Friday.

Vanguard gathered that nemesis caught up with the suspected kidnappers last Friday, when they were arrested by police operatives at a village in Enugu.

She confessed that a ransom of N1 million was paid before men of Ogun State police command swooped on them at Nsukka, Enugu State, and rescued the boy alive.

The nurse said she regretted being part of the kidnapping ring.

She said: “I learned that Dr. Mucipay Kanu paid N1 million ransom before the police detectives swooped on us at Nsukka in Enugu, and rescued the boy alive, and arrested two of us.

“I regretted my action, it was my boyfriend who wanted to travel abroad and he wanted to pay my bride price, that pressurised me into committing this crime.’’

The commissioner, while parading the suspected kidnappers, said the manhunt for the kingpin, Obinna was on, vowing that he would definitely be arrested.

“The boy was kept for eight days in Anayo Amoke’s residence at Isale Ibefun in Abeokuta before he was moved down to Nsukka, and kept at Oluchi Asadu’s house,” he said.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 , 2015—7

Security man docked over alleged rape, threat to life

By Onozure Dania

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AGOS—A 52-year-old security man, Friday Ekanem-Ekam, has been arraigned before an Igbosere magistrate’s court for allegedly raping his neighbour’s 11-yearold girl (names withheld) and also threatening to eliminate the victim’s mother.

The defendant is facing a three-count charge bordering on defilement and threat to life preferred against him by the police.

The defendant, who resides at 8, Grace Anjous Street, Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos, was docked before Magistrate B. B. Balogun.

The prosecutor, Inspector Asu Feddy, told the court that the incident took place between December 2013 and November 6, 2015.

He said the defendant unlawfully and indecently dealt with the victim by inserting his fingers into her anus.

Feddy said the defendant had in 2013, called the little girl who was nine years old at the time, under the pretext of sending her on an errand only to take her in and raped her and, thereafter, warned her not to mention it to anyone, including her mother.

He also alleged that in 2014, the security man raped her again and also threatened her not to tell anybody until this year when he raped her again and the mother got to know about it and then went to report to the police.

The prosecutor said the suspect called the victim’s mother on his phone, and threatened to kill her if she refused to withdraw the case against him from the police.

When the charges were read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty.

However, Magistrate Balogun granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case till January 21, 2016.

3 in police net for trafficking in newborn babies

By Esther Onyegbula

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AGOS — MURTALA Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Police Command in Lagos, has arrested three suspected human traffickers for attempting to take two newborn babies out of the country.

The babies still had their umbilical cords when the women were arrested.

The suspects, identified as Kadijatu Dialo Diawara, 39; Yakari Dialo Diawara, 41; and Hillary Wafo, 43, were intercepted at the international wing of the airport on Friday with two babies suspected to be from different mothers.

It was learned that both women, who were travelling to Mali, are married to two brothers.

Hillary Wafo, a Cameroonian, who lives at Bariga, Lagos State, was said to be at the airport to assist the suspects to board the plane.

It was gathered that police officers, who were on duty, sensed foul play as the suspects were waiting to board ASKY Airline to Mali and refused to breastfeed the babies who were weeping profusely.

This prompted a discreet surveillance by policemen at the airport who noticed that the babies still had their umbilical cords intact and arrested the suspects.

Vanguard gathered that immediately after their arrest, health officials from Ports Authority examined the suspects and discovered that they were not their biological mothers.

Investigations also revealed that the babies are not twins as one looks older than the other.

The suspects claimed they were from Okitikpupa in Ondo State where one of the suspects, Kadijatu Dialo Diawara, who said she had been married for 20 years, claimed she gave birth to the babies.

After interrogation, the suspects were taken for medical examination which proved that they were not the mothers of the

Gunmen abduct Sylva’s cousin in Bayelsa

By Emem Idio

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ENAGOA — KRINPERE Douglas, a cousin to All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate for the December 5 governorship election, in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, was yesterday abducted along the waterways of the state by unknown gunmen.

According to reports, Douglas was kidnapped along Ogbia-Brass creek in Nembe Local Government Area on his

way to attend the APC governorship campaign rally in Brass.

Confirming the incident, Director of Media and Publicity of Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation, SICO, Mr Nathan Egba, said the victim was the only one picked out from the boat by the abductors.

Contacted, spokesperson of the state Police Command Asinim Butswatt, said he was aware of the incident, but that he was yet to be officially informed of the incident.

The suspects with the babies babies.

Police sources said Kadijatu Dialo Diawara had been married for 20 years without a child and had come to Nigeria on November 14, 2015 to pick the babies.

The suspects’ co-wife, Yakari Dialo, denied having knowledge of the transaction.

One of the suspects said: “I don’t know anything. I was kept in a room while my sister-in-law was

in another room. I don’t know what happened. I only saw the newborn babies after she delivered. ‘’This is the first time we are involved in this kind of business. Our husband lives in Bamako, Mali."

Vanguard gathered that the babies were kept in police custody before they were taken to Juvenile Centre, Alakara, Lagos, to ensure they were

given adequate care.

It was further learned that Airport Police Command later intimated officials of Lagos State Ministry of Youths Development to ensure that the babies were properly taken care of.

At press time, sources said detectives were still continuing with more investigations in order to arrest all those involved in the act.

2 nabbed with 20 bags of cannabis L

By Ifeanyi Okolie

AGOS — TWO suspected smugglers, Ismaila Aliu and Edwin Igwe, have been arrested by men of the Nigeria Police Border Patrol Unit at the SemeBadagry area of Lagos State while attempting to smuggle into the country, 20 bags of dried weeds, suspected to be cannabis.

Vanguard gathered that the suspects were apprehended at Boglo Sea Beach, near Seme border, when a boat dropped off the bags of cannabis.

Police sources disclosed that the Commander of the Border Patrol Unit in Seme, CSP Patrick Ejedawe, who received an intelligence report on the activities of smugglers, stormed the beach with his men and apprehended the suspects, while their colleagues escaped.

It was also gathered that three motorcycles used for smuggling and a 250 horsepower boat engine were also recovered.

One of the suspects, Aliu, told Vanguard that he was not aware that the bags contained cannabis.

“I am a native of Seme, in Badagry and a smuggler. I cross lot of contraband goods into the country through Seme but I didn’t know that the contents of those bags were cannabis, hence I wouldn’t have carried them.

"On the day I was arrested, I was at home when I got a call that there was a job. When I got

The suspects there, I saw the bags and before I could do anything the police showed up and all boys in the beach took to their heels. I refused to run because I don’t know why they were running.

"When I was arrested, I told them that I knew nothing about the cannabis and how it made its way into the country, that I was only called to cross it for them and the police asked me to call the man who brought the job and I called Igwe and told him that there was problem and the police needed N500,000, when he brought the money, he was also arrested and we were all taken away,” he said.

Igwe, on his part, told Vanguard that he was just an errand boy and that the owner of the goods was in Ghana.

He said: “I am not the owner of the goods, it belongs to one woman, Patricia, she is based

in Ghana. I know the woman because I am a loader at TogoGhana border and the woman knows me very well. She was the one who contracted Aliu for the job and Aliu brought his boys to do the job. I don’t know how much they bargained, but when the boat landed at the beach, Aliu was on ground with his boys, suddenly the police showed up and arrested him.

"He called Madam Patricia that he needed money to sort himself out and the woman called and promised to pay me 10,000 cefars to take the money to him but when I got there, I was apprehended."

The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command, Bala Hassan, who paraded the suspects, said the suspects will be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the end of investigation.

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 , 2015

TALKS: President Muhammadu Buhari (right) and Equitorial Guinea President, Nguema Mbasogo (left) during a bilateral talk between the two countries at Parsian Azadi Hotels,Tehran, Iran.

Fuel crisis continues as NNPC's supply dwindles •Dispatches 21m litres in two days •Oil slides back lower after spike on Saudi statement

By Michael Eboh, Grace Udofia & Esther Abah

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BUJA — THE fuel crisis continued unabated in Abuja and other parts of the country, yesterday, as motorists thronged the few petrol stations selling the product.

This was even as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, said it deployed 21.401 milllion litres of fuel to petrol stations across the country in two days, Saturday and Sunday, November 21 and 22, 2015, respectively.

The quantity of products dispatched by the NNPC for the two days was 50 per cent of Nigeria’s daily fuel consumption put at about 40 million litres per day, while it was 26.75 per cent of the country’s fuel consumption for both days.

Specifically, the NNPC, in its ‘Daily Dispatch Report to Filling Stations,’ released yesterday, stated that 2.621 million litres of fuel were dispatched from the Suleja depot to filling stations in Abuja and neighbouring states, while 1.754 million litres were lifted from the Kaduna depot.

Oil marketers received 4.673 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS,from the Kano depot; Minna depot dispatched 0.116 million litres; Mosimi depot gave out 2.16 million litres; Gusau depot deployed 1.421 million litres to oil marketers within its jurisdiction; while filling stations lifted 0.688 million litres from the Satelite depot.

Others are Ilorin, 0.436 million; Ore, 0.589 million litres; Ibadan, 0.451 million litres; Gombe, 0.336 million litres; Benin and Warri,

0.526 million each; while Port Harcourt, Aba and Makurdi dispatched 3.018 million litres, 0.606 million litres and 1.48 million respectively.

Due to the low products supply to Abuja and environs from the Suleja depot, most of the petrol stations in Gwarimpa and across Abuja were not selling as their gates were shut, while the few that were selling were besieged by motorists.

Long queues of vehicles were also seen at the NNPC Mega Station in Katampe, along the Kubwa Expressway, while MRS and Conoil filling stations down

the road were shut.

At the Conoil and Total filling stations opposite the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, headquarters at the Central Area in Abuja, the long queue witnessed last week continued, leading to occasional obstruction in traffic along the road.

At Dutse, also along the Kubwa Expressway, only Oando fillining station was selling while Gegu was shut to motorists.

A long queue was seen at the Total filling station in Asokoro, as commuters waited patiently to get the product, while Oando filling

station at the Central Area of Abuja was not left out as people queued from as early as 5am waiting to get the products.

At the airport road area, MRS, and Oando was seen to be dispensing the product with large number of people while Millipat filling station had less motorists.

Despite the scarcity of the product, transport fares around the town remained normal.

However, during the weekend the fares had gone up slightly as the scarcity deepened, but returned to normal yesterday.

In Suleja and Madala area, long queues were seen in Azman, Peace and Forte filling stations. NNPC at Gudu had a long queue too and the process of dispensing the product was very slow as commuters were seen to be complaining bitterly.

Oil slides back lower after spike on Saudi statement

Meanwhile, oil prices fell, yesterday, releasing fleeting gains made after the Saudi Arabian cabinet reiterated its commitment to work with other producers, as a firm dollar and concern over global oversupply reasserted themselves.

Prices rallied briefly after Saudi Arabia said in a statement the kingdom remained ready to work with other producing and exporting countries to stabilize prices.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 68 cents a barrel at $41.22 a barrel, having touched a session high of $42.75 following the Saudi statement. Benchmark January Brent futures were last down 23 cents at $44.43 a barrel. The price hit an intraday high of $45.73 earlier in the session.

Nigerians dominate New Africa’s 100 Most Influential Africans of 2015

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari and Dr Goodluck Jonathan have been named among the 100 Most Influential Africans in 2015 by New Africa magazine.

The publication, which was released yesterday, also has other Nigerians recognized.

They include the UN Special Advisor on Post Development Planning, Amina J. Mohammed; AfDB’s new President, Akinwumi Adesina and a surprising addition in the form of Nigerian Diasporan, UK MP and Labour Party leadership hopeful, Chuka Umunna; World Bank VP and Treasurer, Arunma Oteh, and Nigerian industrialist, Aliko Dangote also makes the list.

The annual “100 Most Influential Africans of 2015,” according to a statement from the magazine, presents the

continent’s definitive power list and profiles the continent’s top game changers in eight different fields: Politics (22); Public Office (four); Arts and Culture (21); Business (21); Civil Society (11); Technology (nine); Media (seven); and Sports (five).

Among the 30 countries represented, Nigerians and South Africans dominated the list, with 20 and 16 personalities respectively.

Kenya, Uganda and Cameroon also feature strongly with eight, six and six entries each respectively.

Of the top 100 personalities, 65 are men and 32 are women, with the other three being groups of people. South Africa’s students, for example, were recognised this year for their role in South Africa’s #FeesMustFall and #Rhodesmustfall campaigns.

The publication said: “In one of

the continent’s most dramatic and unusual elections of 2015, and Nigeria’s most significant in recent history, Muhammadu Buhari defeated his opponent, Goodluck Jonathan. Both are recognised in New African.

"Other Nigerians recognised include the UN Special Advisor on Post Development Planning, Amina J. Mohammed, AfDB’s new President, Akinwumi Adesina and a surprising addition in the form of Nigerian Diasporan, UK MP and Labour Party leadership hopeful, Chuka Umunna.”

South Africa has its fair share of political influencers, among them “the black leader of South Africa’s ‘white’ opposition” party, the DA’s youthful Mmusi Maimane who also makes the list as one to watch during the next elections.

Dasuki: AGF fails to appear in court •Wants bail granted Dasuki revoked

By Kingsley Omonobi

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BUJA—THE Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Matami (SAN), yesterday, failed to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja to explain the siege on the Asokoro residence of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in spite of the bail granted him by the court.

The Director of the Public Prosecution of the Justice Ministry, Mr. Mohammed Diri, arrived the court with a fresh motion on notice, requesting for revocation of the bail granted the ex-NSA in the unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering charges brought against him.

The motion signed by Diri was brought to the court pursuant to section 169 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

In the motion dated November 20, the Federal Government applied for the order of the court to revoke the bail granted to Dasuki on September 1 and to commit him to prison pending his trial.

The ground of the motion was that Dasuki was undergoing investigation by the Committee Auditing Procurement of Arms in the armed forces and defence sector between 2007 till date.

That the interim report submitted to the Presidency by the probe panel indicated that resources running into over $2 billion was allegedly misappropriated and that the investigation has been unfolding further facts that require the presence of Dasuki to assist in the investigation.

However, following the vehement objection raised against the fresh government motion, Justice Adaniyi Ademola adjourned the matter till Thursday, November 26, 2015.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 , 2015—9

Corrupt judges, lawyers frustrate efforts to recover stolen assets —Buhari •Slams Judiciary over delays in trial of high profile corruption cases •Insists judiciary must go extra mile to sanitise itself

Don’t halt investments in gas, FG warns oil firms

By Michael Eboh

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By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

BUJA — President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, descended on the judiciary, saying the overall levels of judicial service delivery in the county still leave much to be desired.

President Buhari said he was perturbed that more than ever before, “allegations of judicial corruption have become more strident and frequent.”

Flagging-off the 2015 All Nigeria Judges’ Conference in Abuja, yesterday, Buhari, who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, accused corrupt lawyers and judges of sabotaging his efforts to recover stolen assets.

He said: “Further on point of CONFERENCE: From left, Justice Mahmud Muhammed, Chief Justice of the negative perception, there is Federation; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), and Justice Rosaline Bozimo, Administrator, both local and international National Judicial Institute, NJI, at the opening of the All Nigeria Judges Conference, in dissatisfaction with the long Abuja, yesterday. delays in the trial process. In the past few years, this has stressed that the current ecobecome especially so for high- improved and made ready to processes in our magistrate and nomic reality requires modest district courts and all other lower profile cases of corruption, expedite trials. courts across the country which use of resources to achieve “Delay in judicial processes especially where they involve great changes. serving or former political has cost our economy dearly in handle matters involving th e terms of much needed poor and the less-privileged. office holders.

“Together with the Police CJN blames it on “As my lords are undoubtedly investment, as investors prefer poor funding aware, corruption transfers other jurisdictions where the stations, these courts constitute from public coffers to private progress of court cases is such the only interface between the Earlier, the Chief Justice of pockets, resources required to more predictable and in less-privileged and the Justice Nigeria, CJN, Justice system.

Our justice sector deliver social and economic accordance with the rule of law.

Mohammed, Being able to reverse this trend reforms must, therefore, seek to Mahmud justice. blamed the seeming low “Government’s attempts to is largely dependent on the position and portray these court performance of the judiciary recover such assets in efficiency and effectiveness of as humane and efficient.

“I have to admit that reforming on underfunding. accordance with the law are a justice system.

He harped on need for fiscal the current system must extend “Unfortunately, our justice often faced with dilatory tactics and physical independence of by lawyers sometimes with the system currently has a beyond the judiciary and the Nigeria judiciary, saying: reputation for delays, usually necessarily include reviewing apparent collusion of judges.

“In a country where an arm “These tactics are often not occasioned by a combination of laws, institutions, processes and of government is appropriated procedures that inhibit speedy endless adjournments, directed at reaching any interlocutory justice delivery. We must also re- with less than one percent of conclusion or affirming incessant the national budget, it is innocence or guilt, but at applications and overwhelming orientate and improve the difficult to refer to our attitude of legal practitioners and stalling trials indefinitely, thus caseloads. This situation is a disincentive for the legal profession in general. judiciary as being truly denying the state and the huge independent.” accused person the opportunity businesses.

According to the CJN, “the “It is not surprising, therefore, Sanctioning of lawyers of a judicial verdict. I wish to constitution prescribes the echo the sentiments of the vast that Nigeria ranks near bottom institutional independence of “Judges must not be weak or on the ease of doing business majority of Nigerians in saying the judiciary under Section 6 that we cannot afford to index. We are currently ranked appear to be weak in of its provisions. Sections 121 143 out of 189 countries by the sanctioning lawyers and litigants continue on this path.”

World Bank Group’s Enforcing who deliberately stall and (3) and 162 (9) further guarantee fiscal frustrate the judicial process.

Contracts Indicator.

Urges total reform independence for the “I have consistently declared “Delays in the trial process of the sector judiciary, a fact now have damaged the international that this administration is reputation of the Nigerian committed to the rule of law and acknowledged by the other President Buhari, while Judiciary, even amongst its that no one will be related above arms of Government with urging a total reform of the the law of the land. As the rich recent resolutions by the international peers.

Justice sector, said he was not “In pursuing its internal and powerful claim legal rights Federal and some State unmindful of the fact that reforms, and without prejudice before the courts, we must Governments to pay the delays or outright inaction in to the recognition that should remember that the poor also judiciary its outstanding and some high-profile corruption be given to the disposal of high deserve social and economic future budgetary allocations cases are the consequences of as and when due. profile cases, the Judiciary must justice. shoddy investigations, “However, under the “This is why our government always remember that one of its outmoded rules of procedure, key roles is the promotion of is determined to fulfil key planks circumstances, the state poor prosecution or equity and social justice, all of our campaign promises, as Judiciaries continue to unprofessional practices of persons are equal under the they relate to the provision of encounter a further burden of defence counsel. social welfare programs in aid facing difficulties in accessing law.

He, however, maintained that these paltry funds from their “Judicial reforms must take of the poor.” the judiciary must play its role Pledging to improve the executives in order to into consideration the need to in ensuring that its internal clean up the systems and welfare of judges, Buhari function." processes are promptly

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BUJA— The Federal Government, yesterday, warned oil companies against halting their investments in the gas industry in response to the challenges brought about by the volatility in the industry.

In a statement from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in Abuja after the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, GECF, Member Countries in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, President Muhammadu Buhari assured the GECF of its continuous support as it struggles to surmount the challenges that the global oil and gas industry is facing.

Buhari noted that trying times call for more cooperation and coordination among member countries, while thanking President Hassan Rouhani of Iran for the invitation to discuss issues affecting the GECF and reaffirm commitment to the objectives of the Forum.

Also speaking, GECF President and Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, identified market volatility, increasing competition, price war and escalating cost of infrastructure development as the key challenges facing the gas industry in general and the GECF in particular.

Kachikwu posited that volatility has brought so much uncertainty and instability to the market thus affecting decisions on investment for long term supply of gas.

He noted that increasing competition occasioned by the surge in new gas producers has led to a price war at a time when the cost of infrastructure development is escalating.

These developments, he argued, are setting the stage for even more challenges for the industry and GECF member countries in the future.

However, he cautioned against reacting to the current challenges by failing to invest in the industry.

He assured that the current challenges will come to pass and the market will rebound given the world’s need for energy and the environmental credentials of gas as the cleanest hydrocarbon fuel.

10—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 , 2015

GRIDLOCK:

FRSC, Lagos to create joint patrol team

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By Olasunkanmi Akoni

AGOS—FEDERAL Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Lagos sector command, in collaboration with the Lagos State Government will soon establish a joint patrol team aimed at ensuring free flow of traffic and ensure compliance with the state’s road traffic laws.

The Sector Commander FRSC, Mr. Hyginus Omeje, who gave the hint, said the joint team will include: FRSC, Vehicle Inspection Service, VIS, and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA officials.

Omeje speaking during a courtesy call on Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, at the Ministry of Transportation, Alausa, Ikeja, explained that the initiative will address both the quality of vehicles on the road as well as ensure prompt adherence to the demands of the state’s traffic law, other extant laws as well as free flow of traffic.

Omeje however, called for the establishment of a mobile court which will try all traffic offenders arrested by the joint team.

While also stating that efforts were on to ensure that all persons who form cartels to frustrate the processing of licenses are dislodged, he noted that citizens are entitled to such services at appropriate fees.

Elegushi in his response observed that managing traffic in Lagos requires all agencies with related responsibility to act in unison rather than at cross purposes.

Lagos Assembly, executive at war over bills suspension L

By Ebun Sessou

AGOS—SPEAKER of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa has ordered the Clerk of the House, Mr. Ganiyu Segun Abiru, to invite the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of the state, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, for a meeting with the Principal Officers of the House over the request for the House to suspend some bills supposedly inherited from the previous assemblies.

This followed a letter by the Commissioner directing the 8th Assembly to stop legislative activities on outstanding Bills inherited from previous assemblies.

In the letter, which was read on the floor of the House by the Clerk, Mr. Ganiyu Abiru, the commissioner listed 15 Bills, which he said the House should suspend.

The Bills which include Lagos State Public Private Partnership Amendment bill 2013, Lagos State Sunset Agency bill 2013, Lagos State Police Regulatory Authority bill 2014, Lagos State Public Works Corporation 2014, Lagos State Examination Board bill 2014, Seal of Lagos State Government Amendment bill 2014, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency repeal and re-enactment bill 2014, Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection bill 2014.

Others are, Lagos State Tourism Promotion Agency bill 2014, Ibile

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

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AGOS—THE recent water scarcity across Lagos State has been attributed to obsolete equipments and shortage of chemical to treat water at the major water works and the over 48 Macro and Mini-waterworks in the state.

This came barely a week after the residents raised concerns, forcing the state government to

firm from accessing account

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AGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has restrained the Directors and agents of BSS Steel Rolling Mill Limited, from accessing any sums of money standing to the credit of the company until the sum of N346,798,405,96 plus interest owned by the company to Guaranty Trust Bank was fully liquidated.

The court also restrained the Directors and agents of the company from obstructing Mr Norrison Quakers, SAN, duly appointed by Guaranty Trust

was not new on the job, he wouldn’t have called for the suspension of the bills.

“We cannot stop work on the bills as requested by the Attorney General. So I will suggest that we should continue working on them,” he said.

In his contribution, Mr. Gbolahan Yishawu said the executive could send any addition to the Bills rather than calling for the suspension of works on them. Adding that

each arm of the government has its own responsibilities.

Also, Lanre Ogunyemi, said, that Ibile Oil and Gas is already a law and that it shouldn’t have been part of the bills suggested for suspension by the commissioner.

He, however, said that the Attorney General did not have the power to ask the Assembly to suspend the bills, saying that the fact that he had requested for the revival of the bills made the latest request unnecessary.

COMMISSIONING: Professor Wole Soyinka (middle); Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, (2nd left); his wife, Sherifat (left); Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori (2nd right) and Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salam, during the commissioning of Wole Soyinka Government High School, Ejigbo, Osun State, yesterday.

‘Unavailable chemicals, poor equipment caused Lagos water shortage'

N346M DEBT: Court restrains steel

By Innocent Anaba

Holding Corporation bill 2014, Lagos State Safety Commission Swimming Pool Regulations 2014, Lagos State Water Infrastructure Development Fishery Regulation Bill 2014 as well as Lagos State Waterways Authority boat safety regulation 2014.

However, the House disagreed with the request thereby calling for a meeting with the Attorney General.

However, the Majority Leader Mr. Sanai Agunbiade, observed that if the the Attorney General

Bank from exercising his power and performing his duties as Receiver /Manager over the assets of the company covered by the deed of all assets of debenture.

The order was sequel to a debt recovery suit before the court by Quarkers on behalf of the bank as Receiver /Manager to recover the sum of N346,798,405.95, between May 11, 2009 and March 2010, the various credit facilities granted to BSS Steel Rolling Mills in the sum of N400 million, theloanwasacceptedbyOtunbaAyoola Abioye as Chief Executive Officer on behalf of the company.

issue a statement, telling residents that the challenge would be addressed immediately.

Vanguard gathered that the nonavailability of chemicals at the water works crippled the water production in Iju and Adiyan water works that produce 105 million gallons of water daily. Sources, however, said that these facilities are not functioning at full capacity.

The Chairman, Association of Retirees, Lagos State Water Corporation, LWC, Mr. Leo Onayemi who disclosed this to Vanguard said that the previous

management (led by Engr.

Shayo Holloway) failed to distribute chemicals to the water works; halting water production.

Onayemi said: “The major cause of the recent water scarcity is non-availability of chemical to treat water sourced through the lagoons and others.

The water works had been battling with lack of chemicals for over two months. But it came to the fore this month when the workers finally ran short of chemicals to treat the water.”

Ambode wades in

Worried by the water scarcity,

the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has reportedly ordered the immediate purchase of chemicals for the water works.

Onayemi who confirmed the distribution said “the governor has waded into the issue.

Immediately the new Managing Director, Engr. Muminu Badmus assumed office, he met with the governor and explained the reason for the water scarcity. And he ordered immediately purchase of the chemicals.

He added: “They started distributing chemicals last Friday and there will be improvement in water supply before Wednesday, November 25.”

CBN licences SunTrust Bank Ltd

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By Babajide Komolafe

AGOS—CENTRAL Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has granted a regional banking license to Suntrust Bank Nigeria Limited.

This development increases the number of commercial banks in the country to 23, and also represents the first fresh banking licence issued by the CBN since 2001.

Confirming this in a press release, Managing Director/Chief Executive, SunTrust Bank Nigeria

Limited, Mr. Muhammad Jibrin Barde, said: “SunTrust Bank will be formally presented to the public during the first quarter of 2016.

“Having met the very stringent conditions set by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, I am excited to announce that the CBN granted its final approval to SunTrust Bank Nigeria Limited to operate as a Commercial Bank with Regional Authorisation on

September 17, 2015, 1 year 2 months after application.

“This is indeed a remarkable feat as ours is the only fresh license to be issued by the CBN since 2001.

Our journey as a bank since 2009 details the courageous decisions and heroic self-sacrifice of all the people that made SunTrust assent possible. In the years to come, the developments at SunTrust should have far-reaching influence in the banking sector specifically and our nation generally.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015—11

Ife deities pass Oduduwa crown to new Ooni Ogunwusi As he observes spot-to-spot rituals across Ife

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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SOGBO—THE 201 deities spread around the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, yesterday crowned the 51st Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, at Oke Ora, the spot where Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba race, first wore the crown.

The event at Oke Ora, a community located between Ife and Osu town, took place around 1pm at Olokuta Hills, when the crown was invoked

by Olojudo of Oke Ora, simply identified as Oba Sikiru.

Though newsmen were prevented from taking pictures of the scenes, but shortly after the crown was invoked out of the hills, Oba Ogunwusi received and held it in his fist.

According to some traditionalists who accompanied the monarch, Oba Ogunwusi could not wear the crown because it is worn only once in a year during Olojo festival which is just a few days away.

They added that the “Are Crown”, which is also called Ade Oduduwa, left Ife town on the demise of Oba Okunade Sijuade.

As early as 5 am, the monarch began the rites that would last

all day by wearing Seseefun crown, otherwise called Ade Obatala, and began a spotto- spot observance of rituals across Ife town.

The monarch, who was dressed in white lace material, was accompanied by members of Isoro cult, some Ife traditional high chiefs, and many indigenes of the town.

At Walode compound, Oba Ogunwusi entered an old building and was received by some women where he spent a few minutes before he departed.

When he emerged from the building, a ram was slaughtered and the blood of the animal was sprinkled on the floor.

Also at a junction around

Ilode area, series of sacrifices were carried out and the traditionalists told drummers to announce the emergence of the monarch.

Activities in the ancient town were for several hours paralysed as most people particularly women stayed in doors while the various rituals were performed.

PRESENTATION: From left: Oba Bankole Ojutalayo, Prof. Adeyemi Aderibigbe annd Alhaji Ade Akanni at the venue of the presentation of the AARE Crown to Ooni of Ife. Photo: Dare Fasube.

Ogun names estate, school after HID Awolowo

By Daud Olatunji

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BEOKUTA—THE Ogun State Government, yesterday named the Plainfields Estate, OkeMosan, Abeokuta, and the yetto-be completed governmentowned Model School in Ikenne, after the late Chief (Mrs.) Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun disclosed this at the Gateway International Stadium, Sagamu, venue of the programmes lined up for the funeral of the late HID Awolowo.

The estate and the model school named after the late matriarch are part of the projects embarked upon by the current administration in the state in the past four years.

However, contrary to the expectation that all the governors across the country would be present to pay their last respects, none of them showed up at the programme.

The programme was attended by Head of the defunct Interim National Government, Chief Earnest Shonekan; Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi; former Chairman of All Progressives Congress , Chief

Bisi Akande, wife of Vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo, among others.

Amosun, in his keynote address at the programme tagged: Ogun Celebrates HID Awolowo, said that naming the two projects after the late matriarch was part of the moves to immortalise her.

The governor said: “The state Exco met today and we agreed to name some projects after Mama; the ones that will be lasting.”

He described the late Mama Awolowo as a rare gem who played a vital role in the stability of the Awolowo family and Yorubaland.

While paying tributes to the late HID Awolowo, Shonekan said: “She was a great pillar of support to her husband, especially during his political travails.”

Also speaking, a chieftain of the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said that Yorubaland and Nigeria at large would miss her greatly.

The former m i l i t a r y

administrator of Ekiti State, General Adetunji Olurin (retd) said that the free education policy initiated by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in 1955 enabled poor Nigerians to have access to basic education.

Olurin, however, noted that the support and backing given the late sage by his wife, HID Awolowo contributed greatly to the success of his programmes.

He further described her as “a strong housewife, a diligent supporter of her husband. Our Mama was a very strong-hearted woman; very dedicated to the society and her community.”

In her response, the eldest child of the late matriarch, Reverend Omotola Oyediran, commended the Ogun State Government for organizing

the programme and thanked Nigerians from all walks of life for attending the programme.

Oyediran assured Nigerians that the family left behind by Mama HID Awolowo would not disappoint them.

“I don’t know what to say because really this is awesome. This is exactly what Mama wanted. You have all demonstrated to us that you appreciate what Mama and Papa meant to Nigeria. We will not disappoint Nigeria,” she said.

Tribunal: APC blasts PDP, Kashamu over bribery allegation

By Daud Olatunji

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BEOKUTA—THE All Progressives Congress in Ogun State took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kasamu, over a petition by the duo alleging bribery of the judiciary by APC. The Publicity Secretary of APC in Ogun State, Sola Lawal, in a statement, described the statement made by the PDP as an assault on the judiciary, saying the PDP was assuming incendiary proportion such that, if not checked, could compromise the integrity of the institution of justice.

Kashamu and his party in separate petitions written to the President of Appeal Court, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, alleged bias against the state election petition tribunal headed by Justice Tobi Ebiorieweoi.

They also alleged a planned bribery of the Appeal Court sitting in Ibadan and have called for disbandment of the appellate court.

The Tobi-led tribunal, in its October 23 judgment, had ordered fresh polls in 110 units, a decision both parties to the petition appealed with the APC insisting that its candidate, Dapo Abiodun, be declared outright winner of the election while Kasamu and PDP averred that the tribunal erred by voiding result in the 110 units.

However, the APC pointed out that every strand of credibility of the judiciary had come under sustained attack by the PDP after losing the last general election wondering whether it was not the same judiciary which operated during PDP’s 16year rule in the country.

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

Edo women march against Igbinedion over attacks on Oshiomhole

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—OVER 6,000 women across the three senatorial districts of Edo State, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest in Benin City, denouncing what they described as an attempt by former Governor Lucky Igbinedion and his father, the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, to tarnish the image of the state governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.

The women, wearing white attire described last week's protest by some women in red as “sponsored attack against our governor” and vowed to resist any attempt by the Igbinedion family to rubbish Oshiomhole's name, who they described as a sincere governor who “has provided to us the development which Lucky Igbinedion failed to provide when he was governor.”

The women passed through the major streets in Benin and the state House of Assembly before they converged at Government House, where they were addressed by Governor Oshiomhole.

The governor, in his address, expressed his gratitude for their continued support, saying: “Even if everybody is afraid of the Igbinedions, I am not, and I will tell the world how they destroyed Edo State.

“In fact, I laughed when they accused me of not respecting elders. Chief Igbinedion was even the first to take our Oba of Benin

to court, he and his son Lucky.

Let me tell you people, it is only a coward that will die many times before the actual day of his death. A courageous man can only die ones. They are saying I don’t respect elders but it was the same Chief Igbinedion who took the Oba to court, he and his son because of politics.

“Igbinedion owns property all over the world, the Federal High

Court convicted Lucky Igbinedion and his brother for stealing Edo gogernment's money. And when you are a father and two of your children are ex-convicts, will you be talking in public? It is only in Edo State that somebody whose children are convicted will come to speak in public. If people are afraid of the Igbinedions, I am not and I will never be.

“They paid hired writers who are talking rubbish that I don’t respect elders. They boasted before the elections that they will sack me after defeating us but today God has sacked and disgraced them. In 2012, Chief Igbinedion wore red and declared in Okada that he will sack me from Government House but today they are in opposition.

RALLY: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State addressing women who held a rally round Benin, the state capital, against Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and his son, former Governor Lucky Igbinedion who are opposed to government's development policies in the state, on Monday.

Bayelsa poll: PDP dismisses Sylva’s alleged endorsement by elders

By Samuel Oyadongha

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ENAGOA—THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Bayelsa State, yesterday, dismissed as untrue, the purported endorsement of All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Timipre Sylva, by the state's Council of Elders.

In a statement, the Director of Publicity of the Restoration Campaign Organisation, Jonathan Obuebite, said it was deceitful and misleading for Sylva to have claimed that the Council of Elders endorsed him whereas he only had an audience with the council where he was implored to ensure he ran a violence-free campaign and abide by the outcome of the poll.

Sylva was reported to have been endorsed by the elders but Obuebite said the reports were the figment of the imaginations of those behind what he said was a ploy to misinform the public.

He said the elders were seen on television stating their nonpartisan leaning and wondered where Sylva got his own endorsement from the said

Bayelsa Council of Elders.

He accused Sylva and his campaign team of spreading lies and mischievous publications to give the impression that he was acceptable to the people in the state but said this was contrary to the situation on ground, adding that the former governor has been rejected by the people.

Obuebite also cited a recent poll purportedly conducted in the state in favour of Sylva on the December 5 governorship election, describing it as

“dubious and mischievous” efforts to mislead the people of the state and a desperate intention to rig the election.

His words: “We are following the whole misguided orchestrations by the APC, the whole lies and mischief about their extensive conspiracy to rig the election but we can assure them that they will fail, no matter how much they try.

“The truth is that Sylva cannot win the election because the good people of Bayelsa State are

not with him. The teeming crowd of genuine supporters we see following Governor Seriake Dickson everywhere in his grassroots campaigns says it all unlike the scanty rented crowd of the APC. “On the election day, the people will decide who they want as their leader and not by any desperate resort to hoodwinking. We are confident of victory because the good people of Bayelsa State will defend their votes.”

Look beyond DESOPADEC, Delta Dep Speaker charges HOSTCOM

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EPUTY Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Friday Osanebi, has called on Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas, HOSTCOM, Ndokwa nation, to support the overall development of the area and stop limiting their agitations and requests to Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC.

Osanebi gave the charge in his office in Asaba, when he received the leadership of HOSTCOM, Ndokwa nation, on a solidarity visit. He bemoaned the uncoordinated approach of leaders and groups of Ndokwa extraction to its development stride, calling for more synergy for the purpose of using HOSTCOM to broaden their horizon and see beyond DESOPADEC.

He noted that there were other companies and groups that are into oil and gas in Ndokwa nation that have not affected the area positively.

He reiterated the need for a unified youth body for Ndokwa youths, noting that he won’t bow to pressure from any quarter to share the money meant for community youths for surveillance with noncommunity youth groups.

Okowa, Obiano bag FISON award

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By Festus Ahon

SABA—GOVERNOR Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and his Anambra State counterpart, Dr Willie Obiano, will tomorrow, be decorated as Grand Ambassadors by Fish Society of Nigeria, FISON, during its 30th National Conference holding in Asaba.

Also to be honoured at the conference which commenced yesterday, is the Vice Chancellor of Delta State University, DELSU, Abraka, Prof Victor Peretomode, among others.

The event, which is holding at the Anwai campus of DELSU, attracted over 1,000 fish experts from across the country and beyond, including researchers and scholars from universities and colleges of agriculture, industrial/trawler operators, table fish and fish fingerling farmers, among others.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Governor Okowa decried the dwindling economy of the country, which he blamed on poor receipts from oil proceeds.

Gov Emmanuel assures on quality healthcare

By Chioma Onuegbu

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YO—GOVERNOR Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has described the Ibom International Specialist Hospital at Itam, in Itu Local Government Area of the state, as a world-class health facility that will enhance quality health care delivery within the state and the beyond.

Emmanuel, while commissioning the residential quarters of the Specialist Hospital at Shelter Afrique Estate in Uyo, restated the commitment of his administration to reposition the health sector in order to provide optimal services for the citizenry.

He disclosed that operations will soon commence at the Ibom Specialist Hospital as expatriates in the medical profession have already arrived the state to test run facilities at the centre.

The governor noted that local content will not be compromised in the sector, saying that the expatriates would work with qualified indigenous medical personnel to attend to health challenges and develop additional manpower.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015—13

Suspended Uvwie LG chair appears before Delta Assembly

By Festus Ahon

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SABA—SUSPENDED chairman of Uvwie Local Government Area, Delta State, Mr Henry Baro, yesterday, appeared before the state House of Assembly Joint Committee on Public Accounts and Local Government Affairs to explain how the council was managed under his watch.

Baro, who explained how the council was run between October 27, 2014 when he assumed office to August 3, 2015 before he was suspended by the House of Assembly on August 4, 2015, said he inherited a revolving loan of N54 million which he serviced for a while before repaying same.

Explaining that he managed the security situation in the council with a retinue of security outfits during which he assisted with the money earmarked for security votes, he told the committee that the council under his watch experienced peace and security.

Baro who was accompanied

by some prominent chiefs from the council, disclosed that his administration recovered about N30 million from banks as over charge on the Local Government accounts through the assistance of a consultant they engaged.

On the allegation of over N30 million expended by his office in the month of March, 2015, Baro said it was not possible for his office to spend that amount out of an allocation of N45 million.

Insisting that something must be wrong somewhere, he appealed to the committee to demand for statement of accounts of the council, saying “figure from account statements don’t lie.”

Baro who expressed surprise when confronted with the figures, said his administration’s desire was to leave Uvwie better developed than he met it.

On the issue of withdrawal of N68 million by one Mr Godwin Agban, he explained that Agban was the cashier of the council and did

withdrawals on its behalf to offset some bills of the council including advances which were receipted for.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Joint Committee, Mr

C

HAIRMAN of Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, Mr. Babatunde Fowler has said that over 200 companies in the oil and gas sector have not filed their returns for 2015 to the Federal Government.

He stated this while making a presentation at a forum organised by PriceWaterhouseCooper, PwC, in Lagos, yesterday, on tax compliance in Nigeria.

He said the oil and gas firms were part of thousands of businesses captured in FIRS’ book but have not been filing returns to the revenue agency.

This is even as he disclosed that the agency was targeting admitting about five million more Nigerians and about 500, 000 businesses into the tax net in the first quarter of 2016.

He said: “Over 200 oil and gas companies have not filed returns for 2015

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and we have written letters to them. We have also written over a thousand letters to non-compliant tax payers. These are tax payers that are on our books

but in 2015 have not remitted any Value Added Tax, VAT. These payments are payments that are shared between the three tiers of government.”

Monye emerges DESG's inaugural DG

T

HE board of Directors of Delta Economic Summit Group, DESG, an advocacy group, has nominated and ratified Chukwuka Monye as its inaugural Director General.

The group, which is made up of notable private sector leaders, plans to leverage on its resource base to promote initiatives that will contribute to the socioeconomic development of Delta State.

Monye, a strategist and consumer intelligence expert, plans on digging

invite the acting Chairman, Head of Personnel Management, Treasurer and Cashier of council to appear before it alongside Mr Henry Baro on November 26.

CONFERENCE: From left: Mr. Emma Ogidi, representative of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and Special Adviser to Delta State Governor on Peace and Rural Development; Comrade Sheriff Mulade, Coordinator, Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice and Ambassador William Azumah Awinador-Kanyirige, Ghana High Commissioner to Nigeria, during the International Peace and Security Conference by Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice, in Asaba. Photo Nath Onojake.

200 oil, gas firms yet to pay taxes in 2015 —FIRS

By Jonah Nwokpoku

Anthony Elekeokiri representing Ika North East in the House, while announcing the adjournment of the sitting, said the committee had decided to

into his rich experience and knowledge base to guide the organisation to achie its objectives.

According to the Chairman of DESG, Ese Onosode: “We are confident in Chukwuka Monye’s capabilities. We are particularly excited about his very practical approach to solving problems. He has led a number of public and private sector turnaround projects. I know that he is result oriented thus does not just propose theories but has practical ideas on how to achieve results.”

14— Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015—15

BIAFRA: Transfer me to prison custody, Kanu begs

court ...Protesters besiege court, demands his unconditional release •DSS secures fresh order to detain him for 90 days •More protests sweep Abuja, Onitsha, Aba as IPOB members ground vehicular movements •Hoist Kanu’s portraits, Biafra emblems in Aba •We are not in support of any violence – Anglican Church

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, Dapo Akinrefon, Caleb Ayansina, Okonkwo Nwabueze, Chimaobi Nwaiwu, Nnewi & Ugochukwu Alaribe

H

UNDREDS OF agitators for the creation of Biafra Republic, yesterday, besieged an Abuja Chief Magistrate's Court sitting at Wuse Zone 2, demanding the unconditional release of the self-declared leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.

The placard carrying protesters, who wore T-shirts and caps with inscriptions like 'Biafra Now or Never”, “Buhari Release Kanu For Us,' 'On Biafra We Stand,' yesterday, sang and danced outside the court premises, while hearing was going on in the criminal case that was entered against Kanu by the Federal Government.

Meantime, following an order of the court, the Department of State Service, DSS, yesterday, produced the detained Director of Radio Biafra and Television, Kanu.

At the resumed hearing on the matter, yesterday, Kanu, who the government accused of engaging in criminal conspiracy, managing and belonging to an unlawful society, as well as indulging in criminal intimidation, contrary to section 97 (a)&(b) and section 397 of the Penal Code, begged to be transferred to prison custody.

His lawyer, Mr. Vincent Obeta, insisted that transferring his client to prison would enable him to have easy access to his legal team.

Obeta made the application shortly after the DSS, yesterday, urged the magistrate court to hands-off Kanu’s trial.

The DSS, through its lawyer, Mr. Moses Idakwo, told the court that it had already secured an order of the Federal High Court in Abuja to further detain Kanu for another 90 days.

The agency maintained that the government would file a fresh charge against Kanu before a higher court, once its ongoing investigation was concluded.

Idakwo therefore asked Magistrate Usman to step down from the trial on the ground that his court lacked the power and jurisdiction to C M Y K

prosecute terrorism charges.

The application was vehemently opposed by Kanu’s lawyer Obeta, who insisted that the bail earlier granted the accused person must first be complied with before any application for transfer of the case to a federal high court could be entertained.

After listening to both parties, Magistrate Usman adjourned the case till December 1 for ruling.

Kanu, who was brought to court, yesterday, under heavy security, was on October 17, picked up in Lagos by security operatives, shortly after he arrived Nigeria from his base in the United Kingdom.

He had on October 19, pleaded not guilty to the charges that was filed against him by the Nigerian government, and was subsequently granted bail to the tune of N2million.

Specifically, Kanu, is standing trial on criminal conspiracy, managing and belonging to an unlawful society and criminal intimidation contrary to Section 97, 97B and 397 of the penal code.

The fact of the case, according to DSS report was that the accused formed an unlawful society with the purpose of bringing into being a Republic of Biafra.

He was alleged to have proclaimed himself as the leader of the Republic of Biafra and established a radio of Biafra.

IPOB members ground vehicular movements In the South East states, the agitation for the release of the Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu by the Federal Government continued, yesterday, as members of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, numbering over 15,000, dared the military and protested in Onitsha the commercial city of Anambra State, marching in over 18 batches of about 2,000 people per batch, and grounding vehicular movements in the ever busy Onitsha Enugu express way for over one and half hours.

Known for their peaceful and non-violent agitation, the protesting IPOB members marched from Niger Bridge head entry into Anambra State, where the plaque of former Biafran warlord, late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was built, to Naval outpost, Atani Road Ogbaru Local Government Area, and back to Uga Junction, where

DINNER: From left, governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; President/ Chairman of Council of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN, Otunba ‘Debola Osibogun; the Consul-General of Germany, Mr. Ingo Herbert; and GMD/CEO, UBA Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza, at the 49th Annual Bankers Dinner, in Lagos, weekend. they again joined the Onitsha, Asaba Enugu Express way, down to Upper Iweka flyover.

At the Upper Iweka flyover, they danced for about 30 minutes and grounded vehicular movements before their leaders directed that they should allow the vehicles to move but slowly.

Wielding placards with inscriptions as 'Nigeria is a lawless land, and a terrorist state,' 'Biafra is a nation not a society,' 'Free innocent man, Nnamdi Kanu or there will be no peace,' 'Free innocent man Nnamdi Kanu, he did not do anything wrong,''No Biafra, no peace,' including other derogatory inscriptions on their placards against the government, the protesting IPOB members marched towards Zik’s roundabout and military cantonment in Onitsha.

On their march towards Zik’s roundabout, they stopped in front of the Onitsha military cantonment along the Onitsha Enugu Express way, danced for about 20 minutes, chanting anti Federal and Anambra state government and military songs, demanding for the release of the incarcerated Kanu, warning that if anything happens to him, they would make Nigeria ungovernable.

According to their spokesmen, who gave his name as Emma Powerful and Sunday Igbokaenyi, from Okija, IPOB wondered why Mr. Kanu should still be in detention after the court had granted him bail..

Hoist Kanu’s portraits, Biafra emblems in Aba While the Onitsha protest was ongoing, over 20,000 members of IPOB, also yesterday, embarked on another protest march in Aba, Abia State, where they hoisted Biafra emblems and Nnamdi Kanu’s portraits

across billboards and other high-rise structures across the city.

As the protesters grew in number, it was a major difference from past protests as all the markets in the city including the Ariaria International, Cemetery and Ahia Ohuu markets were open for business.

Vanguard observed that shop owners on Azikiwe Road hurriedly shut their shops to avoid the wrath of the protesters.

No to violence Worried by the continued protests, the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion on Sunday categorically said that it would never throw its weight behind any call or agitation that sought to demystify the oneness of the country, saying it is not in support of the ongoing agitation for the Republic of Biafra.

The Primate, Church of Nigeria, (Anglican Communion), the Most Revd Nicholas Okoh believed that this and other agitations could be addressed with good leadership, challenging people to be grateful to God for the gift of life.

Threats to drag PMB, COAS, CDS to ICJ Following a directive issued by authorities of the Nigerian Army to its General Officers Commanding, GOCs in all its divisions across the nation to apply the Rules Of Engagement, ROE on Biafra agitators, the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB yesterday threatened to drag President Muhammadu Buhari who is the Commander– in–Chief, C-in-C of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, to the International Court of Justice, ICJ in the Hague, if the Army authorities go ahead to carry out the President’s ROE order.

MASSOB said it would also join the Chief of Army Staff

,COAS; the Chief of Defense staff, CDS and the Nat1ional Security Adviser, NSA among those that would be dragged to the ICJ. In a press statement issued by its National Deputy Director for Information, Mazi Chris Anierobi Mocha, MASSOB said the presidential ROE directive was only meant to intimidate its members in order to give up the struggle for freedom, adding that the C-in-C should go back to school either in the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN as his predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo did, to enable him study the UN charter.

Need for dialogue Miffed by the developing scenario, a Niger Delta group, United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), has called on the Federal Government to dialogue with the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, just as it reiterated its solidarity with the goals of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. The group warned agitators of Biafra not to see the Niger Delta as it’s conquered territory.

According to UNDEDSS, “the federal government should, without further delay, open channels of communication with the dissenters in the South-East of the nation who, so far, are merely peacefully exercising their Freedoms to Associate, to speak and to aspire towards non-violent self-determination, such as we’ve seen happening, even this year, in Britain and Canada, without causing any untoward reactions.”

Following an emergency meeting of UNDEDSS, its National Working Committee called on government to put behind it the rancour of political campaigns and “immediately start being perceived as being truly more open, more inclusive and more nationalistic in outlook, and less exclusive, sectional or partisan.”

16—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

Niger Delta group congratulates Uncle Sam on his birthday

Mr. Sam Amuka, Publisher, Vanguard, flanked by Comrade Joseph Evah, President, Ijaw Monitoring Group, and members, during a courtesy visit of the Niger Delta Peoples Forum's team to Mr. Sam Amuka (Uncle Sam), at Vanguard Head Office, Apapa,Lagos, yesterday. Photos: From left, Mr. Amuka, Comrade Joseph Evah, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, and Barr. George Utomhim, President, Niger Delta Peoples Forum, and others.

Biodun Ogunleye

Niger Delta produced some of Nigeria’s best —Evah

By Charles Kumolu

T

HE EMERGENCE of some of the country ’s greatest professionals from the Niger Delta is a pointer to the immense deposit of human resources in the region, Coordinator of the Ijaw Monitoring Group, Comrade Joseph Evah said yesterday.

Evah spoke when he led a group of Niger Delta indigenes on a courtesy call on Vanguard publisher, Mr. Sam Amuka, just as Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, General Manager/Editor-inChief, Vanguard Media Limited, restated the newspaper’s commitment to the struggle for equity and justice in the country.

Evah used the opportunity to present Mr. Amuka a souvenir to mark his 80th birthday.

Describing Amuka as a symbol of the struggle for equity and justice, Evah said: ‘’In this country we have produced distinguished people in different fields and you are one of them. We produced the first English professor in Nigeria, the first commissioned officer in the Nigerian Army, the first professor of Mathematics, the first cardinal of the Catholic Church in Nigeria, and the first black Miss World, among others. ‘’In the media, our people are making positive impacts to the reckoning of the world.

Attaining 80 years is a landmark. That is why we are here to felicitate with you and thank you for making us proud.

"We are here to appreciate God and appreciate you for being a committed son of the Niger Delta. For using your position to bring to the fore the issues that affect our region, we have to appreciate you.

"Whenever your name is mentioned for sterling

contributions to your fatherland, it makes us proud.”

In his remarks at the brief ceremony, which also witnessed the presentation of a birthday gift to Amuka, Adefaye noted that Vanguard would continue to serve the interest of the people, particularly, the Niger Delta cause.

His words: ‘’Children of Uncle Sam in Lagos, who have come here to say happy birthday, we are appreciative of your visit. Your

Members of the Women Wing of Niger Delta Peoples Forum. gift to Uncle Sam is a fantastic one.

"We appreciate your presence.

More important, your inspiring

speech is appreciated. We can only make an assurance on behalf of Uncle Sam that the Newspapers he set up - the

Vanguard- would not die.

"We will continue to serve the interest of the people, particularly, the Niger Delta cause.”

Abubakar Audu goes home

Chef Imam of Ankpa, Abdulrahim Isa (middle), leads the Muslim funeral prayer of Abubakar Audu, All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, who died after a re-run election, in Kogi State, at his family Sen. Rabiu Kwakwanso, former Kano State governor compound, in Ogbonicha, Ofu Local Goverment Area of the state. Photos: by (right), Chief Lucky Igbinedion former governor of Edo State (middle), and another sympathizer, at the venue.

Gbemiga Olamikan

Mourners at the event.

Crowd of mourners

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015 — 17

T

HERE can be no questions about President Muhammadu Buhari’s military credentials. The president is a retired major-general of the Nigerian Army, celebrated for his many successes in the field of battle. One of the first moves he made on his inauguration was to direct that the command-andcontrol centre for battling Boko Haram be moved nearer to the epicenter of the insurgency in Maiduguri. Although the insurgency has increased rather than abated since then, no rightthinking person can fault that judicious move.

However, in civil matters, especially those pertaining to democratic governance, the president has very little experience. It has not helped matters that, for the first five months of his administration, he governed as a “sole administrator;” without the counsel of a Cabinet. This accounts for a number of errors he has made since becoming president. These errors arose because the president brought in the psychology of a military dictator into his new role of a civilian president.

Learning curve As president-elect, Buhari banned AIT from covering his official affairs because of certain things AIT allegedly published about him and his family during the election campaign. It took the intervention of the APC to reverse that order of the president-elect. The party recognised it was foolhardy for the incoming president to embark on a fight he cannot win against the press. Moreover, a democratic president does not kick-start his presidency by infringing on press freedom.

Section 22 of the Constitution states: “The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this Chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people.”

On taking the oath of office, the president also made a number of questionable appointments. He appointed Amina Zakari as acting chairman of INEC, flouting INEC regulations to do this only in consultation with the National Assembly. Zakari’s appointment was also illegal because it was made without the statutorily required approval of the National Council of State. Moreover, there is no provision in the Constitution for an Acting INEC Chairman.

The president also appointed Ahmed Lawan Kuru as the managing director of Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON and named its executive directors following the expiration of the five-year tenure of the previous board.

These appointments were illegal C M Y K

Does the president of Nigeria have the power to order the arrest of Dasuki? because they were made without Senate confirmation. Section 10 (1) of the AMCON Act 2010 stipulates that the board shall be appointed by the president “subject to the confirmation of the Senate.”

Contempt of court On 17th November, 2015, a screaming headline of Vanguard said: “Buhari orders arrest of ExNSA, Sambo Dasuki.” In a statement credited to Femi Adesina, the president’s Media and Publicity Secretary, a number of fraudulent acts were alleged to have been committed by Dasuki and others. As a result, Adesina said President Buhari directed that they should be arrested and brought to book. Sure enough, the Department of State Services, DSS, sent officers to surround Dasuki’s residence.

The first question that came to mind on hearing about this development is this: Does the president of Nigeria have the power to order the arrest of Dasuki? Strictly speaking, the answer is “No.” It is the police that have the power of arrest.

The courts also have that power, and this is done through the issuance of bench-warrants.

However, Section 215(3) of the 1999 Constitution says: “the President or such other Minister of the Government of the Federation as he may authorise in that behalf may give to the Inspector-General of Police such lawful instructions with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and public order as he may consider necessary, and the Inspector General of Police

The courts are not answerable to the president; however, the president is answerable to the courts

shall comply with those or cause them to be complied with.”

Nevertheless, the president’s order to arrest Dasuki is unlawful for the simple reason that it violates a subsisting court order that Dasuki should be freed and allowed to travel abroad to seek medical attention.

The government disrespected the rule of law when Dasuki was prevented from traveling, in spite of the court order. For the president to now top this by ordering the arrest of Dasuki is to show absolute contempt of court and blatant disregard of the judiciary as an independent arm of government.

Checks and balances The courts are not answerable to the president. However, the president is answerable to the courts. The courts can order the president to comply with the provisions of the Constitution or the law of the land and the president is legally compelled to obey. The president can only disobey a court order by appealing to the court; the Supreme Court being its highest organ. If the Supreme Court still tells the president to comply, then he must comply. Refusal would only provide grounds for his impeachment and removal from office.

The Nigerian system of government is borrowed from that of the United States. It is built on a system of separation of powers between the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.

None is allowed to overrule the powers of the other. There are a number of checks and balances designed to ensure that the president does not become imperious and dictatorial. There is no doubt that the president is the most powerful single individual in government.

Nevertheless, the exercise of his powers is subject to constraints.

Recently, President Barack Obama of the United States observed in an interview with Bill Smmons of GQ that he did not understand how weak the American presidency is until he became president. President Buhari needs to know that the president of Nigeria does not have the power to vacate a court order. Neither can he give an

order that overrules the courts.

In Nigeria, not even the president is above the law.

Dasuki’s house arrest is unlawful. Even the police cannot hold an accused beyond 48 hours without charging him to court and leaving the rest to the judiciary. The president now has an Attorney-General, he should henceforth rely on his counsel so that government actions do not continue to contravene the fundamental rights of Nigerians.

Fighting corruption with impunity Mr. President told a delegation of Foursquare Gospel Church that his administration is in no rush to prosecute thieving public officials. He says it takes time to gather credible and verifiable evidence against them to guarantee effective prosecution.

These are his words: “Under military rule, people could be arrested and held on the basis of suspicion, but in a true democracy, anyone accused of an offence must be presumed innocent until pronounced guilty by a court of law.”

How does this apply in the case of Dasuki who is now under house arrest without a court order to that effect? The subsisting order of the court says Dasuki should be freed and allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment. The government violated that order by preventing Dasuki from travelling, placing him instead under house arrest.

It now says there is another case Dasuki has to answer, which is the reason the president has now ordered him to be arrested. This is highly irregular and it makes a mockery of the system of justice in Nigeria.

The government’s conundrum here is that it cannot take Dasuki to court to answer whatever new charges it has because it has already shown contempt for the same court by disobeying an earlier court order. Before the government can charge Dasuki to court on new charges, it has first to obey the court order to allow Dasuki to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Contemnors must first show respect for subsisting orders of the court before they can seek indulgences of the same court

whose orders they flouted. In short, President Buhari’s order that Dasuki be arrested shows contempt for the rule of law and is a blatant attempt to intimidate the judiciary. The government says it is against impunity by government officials. But then it goes ahead to display blatant impunity in the case of Dasuki.

In Nigeria, nobody should be above the law, not even the government. The duty of the government is to uphold the law; not to disregard it. If we were serious about the rule of law in Nigeria, the Director-General of the DSS would be cited for contempt of court for preventing Dasuki to travel abroad in spite of court directive that he be allowed to do so. It would not be Dasuki that would be arrested: it is the DG DSS.

Innocent until proven guilty What we have today is the anomaly whereby some like Dasuki are accused of corruption and ordered to be arrested.

Others like Amaechi are accused of corruption and rewarded with super-ministries. If Governor Wike of Rivers State could not order the arrest of Amaechi as a result of the report of a committee he set up which declared Amaechi guilty of corruption, the president of Nigeria should not order the arrest of Dasuki on the basis of a preliminary report by a committee he set up.

The best thing the president can do is to hand the matter over to law enforcement agencies for proper investigation and prosecution. In the interest of promoting free trial and justice, the president also needs to stop commenting on cases that will soon be sub judice. Otherwise, it would appear he is determined to bias them against the defendants even before the trial starts. Femi Adesina should not tell Nigerians about Dasuki’s guilt before Dasuki gets his day in court.

Government manipulation of the press in corruption cases has got to stop. If those accused of corruption are guilty, it is not the job of the president to try and convince Nigerians of their guilt before their cases are decided in court. The cases will not be judged by the public in the press.

If the government is that confident of the veracity of its cases, it should take the accused to court and let the courts decide. That way, they would be able to answer the charges without bias.

The government’s violation of the rights of Dasuki is the violation of the rights of every Nigerian.

We must forestall a situation where the fundamental rights of Nigerians are violated even for the very best of intentions and persuasions. Corruption should not be fought with human rights abuses and violation of the rule of law. It is better for the guilty to go free than for the innocent to be wrongfully convicted.

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015 SINCE the arrest of Mr Nnamdi Kanu, the Director of pirate, foreign-based Radio Biafra, youths have been staging daily protests for his release in many cities of the South East and SouthSouth. The agitators, under the platforms of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) are also calling for the granting of their demand for a separate country called Biafra.

Though the demonstrations have remained peaceful, they appear to be gathering traction, as more and more youths are joining, with the risk that matters could boil over and threaten the peace and stability of the country.

We call on all concerned to exercise caution and ensure that we do not get into yet another security mess. The country has just recovered from the militancy in the Niger Delta, which ended when the government of the late

Biafra: call for caution President Umaru Yar ’ Adua packaged a comprehensive amnesty deal for repentant militants. We are yet to fully overcome the threat to the stability of the country posed by the Boko Haram Islamist terrorists in northern Nigeria. We cannot afford to add to it another uprising, this time from the South East.

We call on the Biafra agitators to jettison the idea of compromising the unity and territorial integrity of Nigeria.

Igbo leaders should rein in their

angry youth and persuade them to seek solutions within the Nigerian platform which belongs to all of us. The Biafra issue was settled forty five years ago when the nation successfully reasserted the indivisibility of Nigeria. We do not want a re-enactment of that sad chapter which occasioned massive loss of lives and property and brought untold pain and misery to millions of our countrymen, women and children.

We believe that the complaint of marginalisation, which is often

used to justify the call for secession, can be addressed through the political process, good governance and good leadership. The funny thing about the cry of marginalisation is that virtually every group in the country is complaining. This is why we have so many national and constitutional conferences, in the last 38 years. Perhaps, it is time for us to start implementing some of the resolutions from these confabs to enhance greater citizen participation in their own affairs.

We must devolve more political and economic power to the people and ensure justice and fair play in the distribution of the political and economic resources of the country. We must eliminate all sources of injustice, create more opportunities for the full employment of the youth and make all Nigerians happy and proud of their country.

Nigeria must remain one united entity.

OPINION Why spend N750m for lawmakers overseas trip

By Ben Etaghene

O

FTEN, the campaign or process leading to the nomination of candidates for America’s presidential election is comparable to any beauty pageant. It shoves up all sorts of contenders - the ultra conservatives, the extroverts, the introverts to the moderates, a most unlikely description for Republican party contenders. In the 2016 outing, there are over one dozen Republican contenders, including the billionaire, Donald Trump and the chilly cool Dr. Ben Carson on whom the opinion polls are oscillating for the front runner position at the moment.

Let us assume that the American electorate through the uncertain pendulum swing of polls vote Trump their president come 2016, African leaders will no doubt troop out to dine and wine with him either singly or in groups, courtesy of the power of the White House.

None of them will ever remember the sarcastic, if not the insolent, remarks he made about them (African leaders) and Africa during his race for power. Their collective amnesia or the politics of gullibility will over-ride their ambition to stay in power.

While other contenders were busy mapping out strategies for educational development, economic improvement, etc, Trump concentrated on the under development of Africa. Even if he does not get the nomination, his trade-off points on issues like race, Mexico, Asia and the entire C M Y K

Latin America have been assimilated and conceptualized as a new vision by poor and racist America. It is the further analysis by more people for eventual reality that will push him down in the polls rating later.

America will definitely be too smart to continually accommodate him with his maverick outpours.

This aspect of foreign leaders must be analyzed before our president begins to rush to them. Former UK leaders Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, especially the former, made it very difficult for African leaders to launder money in the UK. But David Cameron who sees people as “swarm” relaxed the convention. Our president had gone to him.

In India he disclosed Nigeria is broke and cannot pay ministers. Perhaps this is part of the reason he’s running Nigeria like a sole administrator. Why is the foreign platform the number one choice for our leaders to make news. Each time President Muhamadu Buhari had anything new to say he does so overseas. Former NSA to President Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Sambo Dasuki chose London to announce the postponement of the last presidential election.

In contrast, the late Sani Abacha as head of state never made any foreign trips except to

Such a training trip for our leaders is a waste of resources

Ghana and Niger Republic as the chairman of ECOWAS. However, he had a way of making the world, including the influential world news media, to pay attention to him more than any Nigerian leader. The media handlers of Nigerian leaders should be able to explain to them that in these complex and competing news spaces whatever they say is like a drop in the ocean that is only picked up by the home media they are running from.

It is indeed embarrassing that Nigerian leaders often rush abroad for reasons as common as medical check ups, business, tourism and training trips for our lawmakers. What can they not learn on the internet, social media, electronic media or the least of all, newspapers? When Peter Enahoro, aka Peter Pan, was appointed the chairman of the board of Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, NBC, in 1992, he waged a relentless war against the board members. They wanted to travel overseas – the UK for a learning tour. He was able to suppress their pressure when he asked them: “Who am I going to learn from, people with whom I was on one-on-one? I will now go to them with the cream of Nigerian leaders for a tutorial. I cannot do this.” That explanation put paid to their clamour for overseas learning trip. It took a lot of courage and patriotism to be that rigid.

It is pretty obvious that such a training trip for our leaders is a waste of resources and apart from being humiliating. This inclination towards visiting the United States of American, USA, to observe and learn first hand about the presidential system, the

presidency and their Congress started with the Third Republic National Assembly members.

Let us be realistic: What can one learn in a setting like that from people discussing their constituency issues that are different from ours. It will be better to read books and newspapers to know how those intricate issues originate than to understudy them as observers. This is an after-effect of the oil wealth as it was unknown in the First Republic.

There was also the case of our national lawmakers going to Malaysia to study their palm oil production mechanism or revolution which has its root in Nigeria. The government and people of Malaysia first learnt about the Nigerian burgeoning palm produce industry in the 1960s. And because of the similarity in climate, sent a delegation to learn about it.

Recently, law makers in Delta State House of Assembly (DTHA) went to America for a learning process about Republicanism. It was rumoured that they demanded for N750 million in a state where teachers and local government workers are heavily owed.

When it hit the rumor mill, the state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, of course denied it. But they went anyway. Whatever they want to know, buoyed by enthusiasm and patriotism, can be learnt in the comfort of their homes

*Mr. Etaghene is the editorial director of The Bulletin, Sapele.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015— —19

On Paris massacre, Biafran agitation and the Nigerian nation

By Sunny Ikhioya

A

S the impact of the ISIS executed Paris massacre begins to sink in, we must start asking the questions: Could the tragedy have been avoided? What role did the United States and her European allies play in the creation of ISIS? If Iraq, Libya, and Syria have been left alone, would this have happened? Question, questions. Is the world not better off with universal co-operation, of mutual respect instead of the superior and subordinate relationships that a few super powers choose to impose? If the United Nations resolutions are made binding on all members according to majority decisions, would we be in this situation?

A dissent that is forcibly suppressed is only waiting for the appropriate time to manifest its ugly side. Is the time not ripe for us to tackle world challenges with new paradigms that will usher in peace? Can’t we adopt the model of Gianpiero Petriglieri, Associate Professor of organisational behaviour at INSEAD which states that “we need more Fellowship, not more Leadership” in tackling present world challenges? According to

him, “...we need to talk. And we had better not lie.”

Everything that is happening in the world today is also playing out here in Nigeria at the micro level. Where did we get it wrong with the Niger Delta militants? Where did we get it wrong with the Boko Haram insurgents? And where are we getting it wrong now with the Biafran agitators? The times call for a radical shift in our thinking, in the manner of recruitment of our security personnel, on their training, on our intelligence operations and above all, our general interrelationships. It calls for a leadership that will not be in a hurry to please the boss(es) but the type that will examine and analyse situations critically before proferring and implementing solutions, not re-cycled ideas. Also, these times call for a very intelligent leadership that will be far above the partisanship of ethnicity, religion and politics. Quoting Gianpiero Petriglieri again as published in the Harvard Business Review: “Fostering civilization means cultivating our curiosity to recognise substantive differences, and our commitment to respect

them - Within and between groups.

For that, we need not more effective but more humane leaders. More conflicted, less conflicting ones.

Leaders who can hold on to their voice, and help others find theirs, when it feels riskier to do so. There are plenty of good tribal leaders already, we need more civilized leaders instead.”

That is the solution to the Biafran uprising and others of its type in Nigeria today. It is amazing when people call for the brutal suppression of popular sentiments being expressed by an ethnic group. Did you take a proper look at the faces of the protesting youths? Did you see fear? Did you notice the martyr’s complex in the air? We never learn from history.

What is the issue with the Biafran agitators? They feel that they have been marginalised in the federation of today’s Nigeria, so they want to excercise their right to selfdetermination. The question again: Is this feasible under the present democratic set up? Can they survive on their own without the support or linkages to other ethnic groups and regions? Are they right to continue

We cannot win a war on intolerance;talking is what we need now, especially about what might be hard to hear

Edo 2015: APC and the prospects of continuity

By Matthew Efe Osazuwa

W

ITH a little over a year to the end of the governorship of Comrade Oshiomhole in Edo State, there are overt and covert signs that the race to succeed him on November 12, 2016, has begun in earnest.

Political discourses and engagements have tended to be focused on that quintessential candidate who will fly the flag of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, among the motley crowd of emerging aspirants who have shown subtle interest in succeeding Oshiomhole next year.

A common line of thought among the contending camps in the jostle for the state’s governorship in 2016, is the desire to present the primus inter pares within the ranks of those who have expressed such interest. Aside the myriad projections that will aggregate those defining factors of good governance, prompt and equitable delivery of democracy dividends and acceptability across the various social, political, ethnic, professional, religious and other divides within the state, the right choice of the APC governorship candidate, who has no ethnic or any other primordial cleavages, will undoubtedly enhance the success index of the party in next year’s governorship election.

There is this conventional wisdom among the people of Edo State that the momentum of the extent, quality and spread of infrastructure development, human capital development, sustainable security of life and property, etc, by the Oshiomhole administration, should be maintained and even surpassed after November 12, 2016.

It is also the view of these people that only a core player with varied experience in the governance and power matrix and who has imbibed the pristine values of sustainable development with the will to impact it positively on the larger mass of Edo people, should be entrusted with the governorship of the state after the record-setting Oshiomhole administration.

To achieve the optimum success portfolio in governing Edo State, the preferred candidate should possess a strong volume of administrative background with verifiable C M Y K

indices of good governance and astute management of men, materials and resources.

In addition to being a proven professional in his calling, such candidate should also possess a strong tenacity of purpose, suaveness, decisiveness, fearlessness, selflessness, focused vision and unfazed mission and unwavering adherence to the tenets of due diligence and accountability.

To accumulate those aforementioned high ideals that will fore-run a high portfolio of success, anyone who will take over from Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in November 2016, will be expected to hit the ground running. He will not be expected to waste valuable time “learning or experimenting” on the job. The holder of the position should be conversant with the nitty-gritty of the dynamics and synergy of the three arms of government – the executive, legislature and judiciary and maintain a working balance for the benefit and well-being of all Edo people. He should be able to deploy his cognate experience (especially in the public sector and governance sector) and positive networks to enhance and strengthen the levers of the good governance of Edo State as the craze now is Development Through Competition.

Edo people’s purview of those leadership values that will sustain their confidence in the fact that government works for the benefit of the commonwealth, will be reinforced, and symbolised by the leader who will serve as a reliable agent of positive CHANGE. It is a statement of fact, also, that the people will vote for that candidate who will create the enabling and conducive environment for commerce and industry to thrive; show enough

The people will vote for that candidate who will create the enabling and conducive environment for commerce and industry to thrive

with the agitations?

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights papers, in tandem with the UN charter, part 1, article1 states: “All people have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development....In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence”. It went further: “The States Parties to the present Covenant, including those having responsibility for the administration of Non-SelfGoverning and Trust Territories, shall promote the realisation of the right of self-determination, and shall respect that right, in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.”

The above answers the question of whether the Biafran agitators are right in their actions. As long as the agitations or protests are conducted in a non-violent manner, it is legitimate and must be accommodated by the government in power. But another question here is: What are the causes of the mass discontentments in the land? Why are the Igbos still aggrieved? Has there been a true reconciliation, rehabilitation and re-integration since the end of the Civil War in 1970? If no, what are the issues of dispute? Can these issues be discussed? If no agreement is reached, can it be passed on to the people to decide through a referendum? If they want a break

commitment and passion for the equitable development of Edo State.

Commensurably, the candidate should possess a bulging dossier of verifiable services at both state and federal levels and also have the ability, capacity and foresight to initiate, drive and sustain that rare momentum of CHANGE bequeathed by the outgoing administration.

In the midst of those angling for Oshiomhole’s job after November 2016, Christopher Aigbovbiosa Ogiemwonyi holds the ace given his giant strides and successes in the management of human, material and financial resources at national and international levels. A goldfish has no hiding place. It was in recognition of this that he was appointed as the Minister of State in the Federal Ministry of Works from 2010 to 2011.

In the private sector, Ogiemwonyi has brought to bear his exceptional management skills and professional competence on the two energy-based companies he has floated Energy Strategy Centre and Energy and Engineering Technology Consulting. As one who is well-known for his zero-tolerance for fiscal waste, graft and frivolous project spendings, Ogiemwonyi has not been indicted or queried by any anti-corruption or graft agency, in respect of his stewardship in either the oil and gas industry or as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Those close to him attest to it that he frequently bemoans the major constraint of the lack of dedicated attention to and continuity of laudable, workable and sociallyrelevant ongoing policies, programmes and projects by many successor-administrations which generally inhibits wholesale development and progress in Nigeria.

In the process, a lot of abandoned projects are strewn all over the states of the Nigerian federation as a direct consequence of every new government’s policy direction to put premium on initiating, sustaining and accomplishing only its own legacy programmes, policies and projects, rather than completing, maintaining or sustaining those of the previous administrations which are relevant to the people.

In a situation where the Comrade-Governor has taken concrete and verifiable development beyond the ambits of political rhetorics, media hype and white propaganda, the next Governor of Edo State should be one who will sustain the relevance, quality and spread of those indices of development in the

up, why not give the people the chance to decide? Why not try to explain the federation’s position nicely to the people, the advantages of a diverse, united and strong nation over a small country in the comity of nations. Of what they stand to lose if the South-South, for example, refuses to go along with them. Of the disadvantage of an Igbo race that is the greatest migrant tribe in the nation outside the Fulani herdsmen, of how difficult it will be for them to crisscross the nation if the split takes place. But the decision resides with the people and not through the suppressive force of the government and its security agencies. Not too long ago the United Kingdom of Britain experienced such challenges from the people of Scotland which was settled through a people’s referendum. That is how to do it.

All of those that have been incarcerated because of their demand for self-determination should be promptly released and let the issues be tabled for discussion.

According to Petriglieri again: “..We cannot win a war on intolerance. We can only respect each other out of it...It is easy to remain speechless, scream, or strike when words do not suffice. But talking is what we need now, especially about what might be hard to hear.”

That is the way forward. *Mr. Ikhioya, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.

areas of education, roads/bridges, transportation, environment/urban renewal, youth, sports and women empowerment; healthcare delivery; peace and security; information and orientation; agriculture and natural resources; commerce and industry; information communication technology; water and energy; oil and gas; tax reforms; human capital development; justice sector reforms etc, while charting a new trajectory that will further enhance Edo State’s preeminence in the comity of states.

Comrade Oshiomhole is not known to be an ethnic champion, just as Ogiemwonyi does not flaunt ethnic credentials but a pan-Edo orientation for the overall progress and development of the state.

Unlike past attempts at infrastructure development in Edo State that had colorations and tints of marginalisation and outright neglect in their execution, Oshiomhole set out to address the nagging issues of uneven government presence and attention by downplaying political and ethnic parameters.

Those areas of critical needs were identified and prioritised in relation to fiscal resources available to government.

Over the past seven years, the three senatorial districts of Edo North, Edo Central and Edo South have witnessed frenetic construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation works, which only a focused and humane successor will sustain, replicate and even surpass postNovember 12, 2016, if the right choice is made.

Ogiemwonyi represents that leadership projection that will deliver qualitative direction, exhibit and practise transparency and accountability as deliberate policies of governance.

Discerning Edo citizens and other critical stakeholders alike, believe that with a new APC mandate, Ogiemwonyi will consolidate on his and the Comrade Governor ’s past achievements and strive further to sustain the tempo and even overshoot the Edo people’s expectations in the new dispensation that will run from November 12, 2016 to November 12, 2020 and thereafter. God willing.

•Mr. Matthew Osazuwa, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Benin City

20—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

Na wetin MTN do sef?

I

LISTENED to a radio presenter two weeks ago playing the album Kollington Ayinla released after armed robbers snatched his Volvo car in the late '70s.After every two lines the Fuji maestro would release a high-voltage curse: “tiyin buru o”(yours has spoilt).The presenter allowed Kollington to download this curse about five times and asked: “Is it not Volvo Alhaji said they stole from him?”

I have been asking a similar question since the National Communications Commission, NCC, imposed a fine of N1.4 trillion on MTN for keeping 5.6 million unregistered lines among its 62 million subscribers in violation of a 2011 NCC regulations that no telecoms operator should not activate unregistered lines.

The regulator said it imposed paltry fines on all the GSM providers in August for violating the regulation but that while Airtel,Globacom and Etisalat paid their fines,MTN refused and this is why it has decided to use the sledge hammer.The body did not tell us if the other operators have now complied with the law aside payment of fines.

I condemn MTN for thumbing its nose at the NCC and for failing to comply with regulations in a market it has done very well, making mouth-watering profits.I am still trying to calculate how much I have given to the South African company since I got its line for a whopping N30,000 within its first weeks of roll-out.

Business climate I have had a legion of complaints against MTN in terms of its services over the years but I still keep my expensive SIM.That is however a matter for another day. My bewilderment at the moment is the kind of business climate we are creating and the unintended consequences of the high-handed measure which our huffing and puffing officials may not see through by imposing a fine that is a quarter of our National Budget on a private firm.

I have just finished reading the current edition of Bloomberg Businessweek (Middle East) with the cover “Africa wants to do business.How dangerous can it be?”.The report states inter alia: ”Negotiating with the region’s bureaucrats can also be tricky.The government of Djibouti rescinded DP World’s concession awarded in 2006 to manage the Doraleh

C M Y K

terminal port constructed by the UAE company,alleging corruption. Arbitration is on-going .South African telecoms firm MTN was hit with a $5b fine by the Nigerian government,after MTN allegedly failed to unsubscribe customers who had not registered their SIM cards..”

The report concluded thus: “The continent is still on the whole a difficult place to do business,Ashoune says.For Gulf investors,that should suggest caution.Sub-Saharan Africa isn’t 'a goldmine waiting to be accessed,' says Downie. It’s going to remain a struggle for years”.

It is this kind of reverberations that officials should consider before taking rash decisions.

loss in September; where in hell would it get N1.4trillion to pay as a fine if it were to be in MTN's shoes in another country?

If MTN folds up today, 6,000 Nigerians employed by it risk losing their jobs with 500,000 others gainfully employed in its value chain facing the same disaster. How many jobs is the Nigerian government in a position to create for them?

That is why it is so ridiculous that our cash-guzzling governors who just announced they cannot afford to continue to pay the starvation wage of N18,000 are asking for the full enforcement of the N1.4 trillion fine.

MTN should be fined, no doubt, but a fine that seeks to kill its operations sends panic to investors on the rationality of our business environment. What business has the Nigerian government created and sustained in the last 55 years that can afford a fine of N1.4 trillion?

MTN and NITEL were given GSM licenses the same day but I don’t know one person in the country who is using 0804 ..line today.If we were to be at the mercy of NITEL, communication would have ceased in the country.

The only “business”that is thriving for the government of Nigeria is the declining oil .The Nigerian National Petroleum,NNPC, ran at N59.4b

Profitable venture They must be calculating how much they would share from the sum.These are people who have not been able to run any profitable venture.They have indebted their states into bankruptcy and one of them who without proper reflection said he would repay his own loan within 10 years as against 20 is now crying that their bailout debts should be written off. What opportunities are they going to create for those who will be laid off? These guys have been junketing around the world in search of foreign investors; who have they succeeded in bringing save for those who married

foreign wives among them? And that in itself is just capital flight!

They obviously lack the capacity to see the larger picture of what happens after the sharing of the cash that would go on the usual profligacies.

This column insists MTN must pay fine for the infraction but not the crazy N1.4 trillion.They and all operators must also comply with the rules.

However, our government needs to set example with the standards it is enforcing on these private concerns.The truth is that they are only playing according to our national rule book: noncompliance.

This is a country where thousands of those carrying our National Drivers License about cannot start the engine of a car.

Our election day sees kindergartens displaying PVCs which are supposed to be products of biometrics.I can walk into any Immigrations office as Yinka Odumakin and come out with a brand new passport saying I am Ochereome Nnanna, report at the Under-17 camp and all my ten fingers would have been captured.

I can go to a court and swear to an affidavit that I am Sani Abacha and that I need the document to prove that I just resurrected and I want to go and collect my pension and it would be stamped.

Re: Papa Eaglets and our cheating culture

Feedback D EAR Sir, I just have to express my sincere appreciation for your clear and beautiful mind. I get excited anytime I come across your articles; I feel good because you stand for the TRUTH, whether politics, economy, sports, etc.

Please, keep it up. We are only visitors on this planet, when we eventually cross-over, no one will ask if you were a Yoruba, Igbo or a Benin man; you will only be judged with what you stand for. Thank you again, and many blessings Sir. Oshagwu@yahoo.com You have written so well sir. A nation which has won four U-17 championships should boast at least a quarter final at the senior World Cup. Macaulay Chrisantus was the top scorer and best player at the 2007 U17; Toni Kroos came second.

Both players careers have are presently in opposite directions.

While Kross has become a Word Cup and Champions League winner, Macaulay’s has taken a tumble, playing for nonleague clubs till he was recently signed by a Greek club. He is yet to make a senior team appearance. I neither watched nor celebrated any match or the trophy Nigeria won because I knew it was achieved on the platter of corruption and age cheating. The only solution to age cheating is to subject every player to an MRI test. This will determine to some extent the true age of these players Nnaemekaonuoha41@yahoo.com

Oga, I hope you know that there is something called MRI test used to determine the true ages of those boys. Why are you crying more than Mali and all those other countries we defeated to win the cup?

If we had lost you would have said our team was useless.

Please try and do more investigation before writing Andrewanokwuru@yahoo.co.uk Dear Yinka, Thanks for speaking out about

such a sensitive issue. I tried to restrain myself from replying but could not because I'm vexed in my spirit. However, my reply is not borne out of any ill feelings towards your article but what you and your co-journalists had refused to do.

The first and the most crucial issue I have against you is why wait till after the competition before writing on the issue of age cheating? I do know that journalists are the image makers of the society. If you observed that players are bribing the

*Golden Eaglets... 2015 U-17 World Champions what I have always known to be a fraud. Nigerians always shy away from answering the question: “Why do we always do well in age-limit competitions and grossly underperform at the senior level?"

The issue needs to be seriously addressed if we hope to make any progress in sports generally.

Sincerely, Charles Odikpo

Hi Yinka, Having read your article on the above subject, I want to say ‘Well done’ for choosing to write on

coaches to allow them reduce their ages or that the coaches are aiding the players to reduce their ages because they want to win at all cost, I think it is moral that you expose them immediately. But your reticence has made you a partaker of the crime. I would like to ask Adokiye Amiesimaka if he would not do the same were he to be a coach of the junior national team?

Secondly, you were not objective in your analysis. I know that Nigeria is not the only country that cheats during age grade competitions. But you

failed to highlight this fact, which is not fair to your motherland.

Thirdly, you made mention of some Super Eagles players who are age cheats, which is very commendable of you. But I want to bring to your notice some players like Arjen Robben, Diego Costa, just to mention a few, who look older than the ages they claim to be. You might want to argue that their physical appearance might not be a reflection of their real ages, but don’t forget you also said in your article that the physiques of these triumphant Eaglets betray them as age cheats though it is disheartening to see that players like Femi Opabunmi, Victor Brown and Macauley Chrisantus never made it to prominence because they cheated themselves not us.

Finally, in as much as I would like to shake hands with you for once again bringing to light this crucial issue which has eaten deep into our fabrics, I wish to say that you and I have a big role to play. ‘Enough is Enough’. Let us give the right people with the right age the right exposure. Like Malcolm Gladwell wrote in his book, The Outlier, we need to give the kids with the right age the head start they need in life and stop giving the age cheats undue advantage.

We need to collectively stop all those in the administrative positions who have abetted and encouraged such shameful acts. We need to do the right thing starting from here, today and everyday. Regards Ndubuisi Philip, Benin City.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

Oil slides back lower after spike on Saudi statement

Group Managing Director, Zenith Bank Plc, Peter Amangbo (middle) and Executive Director, Ebenezer Onyeagwu (2nd left); flanked by the bank’s staff at the commissioning of Christmas Lighting on Ajose Street, to usher in the 2016 Yuletide, weekend.

O

FG in fresh bid to develop solid minerals …Investigate oil well allocation to NPDC, NEITI tells NNPC

By Michael Eboh

Speaking at the 2015 Sustainability in Extractive Industries HE Federal Government Conference in Abuja, Mr. Abuhas declared that it plans bakar Bwari, Minister of State to harness the developmental for Solid Minerals, stated that benefits of Nigeria’s mineral the Federal Government is conresources through good re- cerned about developing new ways and strategies in which sources governance.

This was even as the Nigeri- the countries’ solid minerals can an Extractive Industries Trans- be harnessed for the economic parency Initiative, NEITI, growth and development of the called on the management of country.

He said, “We must take necthe Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to im- essary action to reposition the mediately conduct an investi- sector for sustainable growth as gation into the assignment of well as maximize the developeight oil wells to the Nigerian mental benefits of the sector.

Petroleum Development Com- This includes improving on human capacity development repany, NPDC. quired to drive the sector; fix the infrastructure deficit and show political and micro-economic sta121.30 -0.60 bility.” $3,327.00 -39.00 Also speaking, Acting Executive Secre$15.29 -0.01 tary of NEITI, Mr. Ogbonnaya Orji, alleged that the oil wells were assigned 45.02 0.36 by the NNPC to NPDC without mon41.92 0.02 etary consideration.

Orji further called CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL on the NNPC to enDOLLAR 196 196.5 197 sure that adequate POUNDS 299.1352 299.8983 300.6614 EURO 209.622 210.1568 210.6915 metering infrastrucFRANC 192.4399 192.9308 193.4217 ture is put in place YEN 1.5917 1.5957 1. 5998 to ensure the accuCFA 0.2995 0.3095 0.3195 rate measurement of WAUA 269.4045 270.0917 270.779 Nigeria’s crude oil RENMINBI 30.7033 30.782 30.8608 output.

RIYAL 52.2625 52.3958 52.5291 SDR 270.6368 271.3272272.0176 He said, “NEITI KRONA 28.0875 28.1591 28.2308 applauds the sweeping reforms so far carCBN Exchange Rate as at 23/11 /15

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C M Y K

— 21

ried out and expects that the new team in NNPC will find courage to implement all other NEITI recommendations in the reports.

“These include installation of modern and standard metering infrastructure to measure crude production. The pending issues of assignment of over 8 oil wells by the NNPC to NPDC without consideration to value for money.

“The new team in the NNPC needs to conduct an investigation into this transaction as recommended by NEITI.” He commended the present administration for the fact that remedial issues identified in NEITI’s audit reports are been used as guiding documents in the on-going reforms of the sector.

The new team in the NNPC needs to conduct an investigation ainto this transaction as recommended

by NEITI

According to him, we are particularly delighted that our recommendation for the unbundling of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is being implemented, adding that it is noteworthy that the restructuring of the NNPC is being handled by Nigerians with exceptional competence and integrity to man the sensitive organs of the national oil company.

He said, “Other recommendations of NEITI Reports being implemented include the restructuring of Domestic Crude Allocation, Oil Swap, Offshore Processing Agreement (OPA), the Fuel Subsidy Regime and the review of the management of the Joint Ventures Cash Calls.

Extractive industry “We are equally delighted that the present administration under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has embraced the Treasury Single Account (TSA).The interest and concern of NEITI is that over 70 per cent of the revenues to be managed under TSA are derived from extractive industry.

“NEITI also commends the directive on remittance of loan repayment and dividends from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) to the Federation Account. The reforms so far in the oil and gas industry inspire a lot of hope and optimism.”

IL prices fell yesterday, releasing fleeting gains made after the Saudi Arabian cabinet reiterated its commitment to work with other producers, as a firm dollar and concern over global oversupply reasserted themselves.

Prices rallied briefly after Saudi Arabia said in a statement the kingdom remained ready to work with other producing and exporting countries to stabilize prices.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 68 cents a barrel at $41.22 a barrel, having touched a session high of $42.75 following the Saudi statement.

Benchmark January Brent futures were last down 23 cents at $44.43 a barrel. The price hit an intraday high of $45.73 earlier in the session.

“Nobody really believes Saudi Arabia will bow to pressure to cut output,” Commerzbank strategist Carsten Fritsch said. In that case, they would surrender all their efforts, or any success they had achieved so far in the last 12 months and any pain would have been for nothing,” he said.

Production levels Oil prices have halved over the last 12 months after OPEC decided to maintain its production levels, or even increase them, to retain market share, in part by forcing higher-cost producers elsewhere to cut output. Saudi Arabia has previously said it is willing to cooperate with other oil producers to maintain oil price stability, but the comments on Monday arrived as futures prices were barely holding above 21/2 month lows.

Big hedge funds have increased their bets that oil will continue to fall, according to data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission last week.

Speculators now hold more positions that are betting on a drop in the oil price than at any time since at least 2009, according to Reuters data.

Morgan Stanley’s commodities research team said they expected to see a rise in the physical market towards the end of the year, as refinery margins remain robust and maintenance schedules for next month are expected to be light.

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

FMDQ, therefore, intends to establish the requisite market governance over these private companies’ bonds as part of its investor protection standards in making the Nigerian debt capital market globally competitive.

,

TOP 10 PERFORMING STOCKS

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

P

ORTLAND Paints and Products Plc led the pack of top 10 performers last week with 9.92 per cent or N0.35 appreciation, closing at N3.88 from N3.53 at the end of the week. E-transact International Plc followed with 5.31 per cent or N0.13 increase, closing at N2.58 from N2.45; Livestock Feeds Plc placed third, rising by five per cent or N0.07 to close at N1.47 from N1.40; Cadbury Nigeria Plc closed as the fourth most active stock in the week, appreciating by 4.71 per cent or N0.90 to close at N20.00 from N19.10; Ashaka Cement plc trailed closely behind with 4.50 per cent or N0.99 increase to close at N23.00 from N22.01, while NPF Microfinance Bank advanced by 4.08 per cent or N0.04 to close at N1.02 from N0.98 per share.

Others were Academy Press that appreciated by 3.51 per cent or N0.02 to close at N0.59 from N0.57; Cutix advanced by 3.45 per cent or N0.05 to close at N1.50 from N1.45; Learn Africa rose by 3.08 per cent or N0.02 to close at N0.67 from N0.65, while Vono Products went up by 2.27 per cent or N0.02 to close at N0.90 from N0.88 per share.

Portland Paints, which led the pack, recently effected changes in its top management cadre with appointment of Mukhtar Yakasai as the Managing Director of the company with effect from October 23, 2015.

Until his appointment, Yakasai was Special Projects Manager at UAC’s Corporate Centre with responsibility for Strategy and other strategic initiatives of the Group as well as a non-executive director of .PPPNP. He has variously held position as the Managing Director of Spring Waters Nigeria Limited (SWAN) and Warm Spring Waters Nigeria Limited – the spring water businesses of the UAC Group.

The company has at its last general meeting announced an expansion strategy that will see it raising additional capital through rights issue. The company seems to recording a reversal in its finances as its nine months financial statement for September showed declining fortune across board.

If the trend continues, the company may end the current financial year in a loss position.

Its revenue for the period fell to N1.66 billion as against N2.05 billion in the corresponding

period in 2014, representing 19 per cent decrease. Also, its pre-

INVESTOR'S , Registrars and the e-dividend mandate portal

By Babajide Komolafe

tax profit dropped to N78 million from N198.2 million recorded in the nine months period to September 2014, representing 60.6 per cent decline.

In keeping with its promise of leveraging new relationships to consolidate profitability, Etransact International, which closed as the second most active stock in the week, recorded a huge leap in its nine months financial result for September 30, 2015. Accordingly, the company grew revenue by 20.6 per cent N6.31 billion compared to N5.24 billion in 2014.

The company had assured investors of its desire to consolidate on profitability with new relationships, enhancing and deepening existing ones and exploring new partnerships locally and internationally.

Despite an 11.45 per cent increase in cost of sales and 24.43 per cent increase in operating expense, Profit before tax rose 127 per cent to N853 million from N376 million, while profit after tax grew 130.1 per cent to N541 million from N235 million. Also, the net assets for the period appreciated by 11.1 per cent to N3.3 billion from N2.9 billion in the same period in 2014. Livestock Feeds Plc, the third on the list, recorded a mixed performance in its half year to September financial reports. The unaudited reports and accounts for the period showed 16.7 per cent growth in revenue to N6.37 billion from N5.46 billion in the corresponding period in 2014.

The pre-tax profit for the period fell to N200.8 million compared to N240.5 million posted a year e a r l i e r, representing 1.7 per c e n t decline.

Cadbury Nigeria Plc, the fourth on the list, commissioned N10 billion ultramodern manufacturing plant in Lagos State last month to boost profitability and met demand for its products. The new plant, according to the company, will boost its production capacity by 37 per cent. A peep into its nine months unaudited result for period ended September 30, 2015 showed 98 per cent decline in its profit from N2.4 billion to N40.789 million.

IT is therefore mandatory for every registrar to immediately commence the use of the eDividend Mandate Management System Portal as directives will soon be issued to banks to discontinue the verification of paper mandates

presented to branches.” (SEC).

bank

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HE second threat to the s u c c e s s implementation of the eDividend mandate portal is the lack of sense of urgency on the part the Securities and Exchange Commission

SEC). This is evident in the above paragraph, which is an excerpt of the public notice.

SEC only indicated that verification of paper mandates (for e-dividend) would soon be discontinued, but it did not indicate when. What this implies is that the registrars are free to do it whenever they like, and they may even choose not to.

From left:: Wole Abegunde, Group MD, Meristem Securities Ltd; Titi Lawani,GM, Progress Trust Pension Fund; Sulaiman Adedokun, MD, Meristem Wealth Management Ltd, and Olufunlola Jeje, MD, Hausworks Limited at the Meristem Wealth Retirement Planning Seminar in Lagos.

MARKET NEWS

FMDQ moves to quote private companies' bonds

By Nkiruka Nnorom

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MDQ Securities Exchange has announced its intention to develop market structure that will allow bonds of private companies to be quoted and traded on its platform.

Consequently, the Securities Exchange has developed quotation rules for bonds issued by such companies (“Private Companies’ Bonds Quotation Rules”) with the aim of providing adequate governance over the registration, quotation and trading of the bonds on the Exchange.

To complement this, the FMDQ plans to introduce fixed income specialists to provide secondary market liquidity to

the issues.

The quotation rules, according to a statement by FMDQ, will outline the regulatory framework to govern the quotation of private companies’ bonds on its platform, and also provide

Nigerian market for bonds of private companies is undeveloped and currently not under any market governance

for post-quotation compliance requirements, which include a quarterly compliance.

FMDQ noted that the quotation would formalize the existing secondary market trading of debt securities issued by large and credible private companies in Nigeria by its dealing members, as well as bring visibility to the securities, while deepening the market for debt securities of corporates in Nigeria.

It added that the move would contribute to the growth of the domestic bond market thereby providing issuers the opportunity to meet their longterm funding needs.

“The Nigerian market for bonds of private companies is undeveloped and currently not under any market governance, implying the

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015 — 23

,

S FORUM

But when you particularly see the stocks that are going down and you have money to throw away, buy those that are depreciating because towards November they may appreciate when money will be coming out

,

INVESTORS SPEAK The willingness of registrars to embrace and use the e-dividend portal is crucial to the success of the initiative. However their willingness is a function of the readiness of SEC to compel them to embrace the initiative. So far, SEC has demonstrated it is not ready to compel them to do so.

Similar to the above is the lack of a timeline and probability of penalties for investors to embrace the edividend portal initiative. It is one of the salient reasons why e-dividend has been in-effective in reducing the volume of unclaimed dividend.

Thus, in addition to engaging shareholder groups and launching a mass publicity campaign about the edividend portal, SEC needs to stipulate timelines for registrars to comply. There should be a period of grace, but that period must be

SEC only indicated that verification of paper mandates (for e-dividend) would soon be discontinued, but it did not indicate when absence of an oversight and proper governance on the activities in that space.

“Consequently, FMDQ, in its capacity as an over-the-counter (OTC) securities exchange as well as a selfregulatory organization, is fulfilling its responsibility and has taken up the challenge of tackling the attendant inadequacies evident in any unregulated market by developing quotation rules for bonds issued by private companies,” it said.

“Some of the Nigerian, significantly important, private companies in oil &

stipulated, while penalties for noncompliance indicated. SEC should take a cue from the CBN and the BVN project. If the BVN have succeeded, it is not just because of massive publicity, it is also because the CBN introduced restrictions.

The ‘No Debit’ restrictions on accounts not yet linked to BVN is proving effective, and expediting enrolment and compliance.

Number of penalties In this regard, there are a number of penalties that SEC can introduce to compel registrars to commence the use of the edividend portal. It may be monetary or administrative. The Commission can also introduce incentives or recognition for registrars showing leadership in this regard.

Whatever it maybe, the most important thing is that the Commission should demonstrate its commitment to the e-dividend portal with regulatory actions that compel adoption by registrars.

This is because the registrars have so far demonstrated unwillingness to embrace or publicise the e-dividend mandate. For example, Investors Forum monitored the website of some registrars last week for information about the e-dividend portal, and the result was zero. The registrars are First Registrar, GTL Registrar (formerly Union Registrar), DataMax Registrar (formery GTB Registrar), and Africa Prudential Registrars.

These are the major registrars in the country, and so far, none of them have deemed it fit to publicise the e-dividend portal on their website. If they have not done so on their website, definitely they are yet to do so in their offices, and off course none through text messages. This indicates unwillingness to embrace the e-dividend portal, and it is because the SEC is yet to show its readiness to compel them to do so. vanguardinvestorsforum@gmail.com) gas, power, telecommunications, manufacturing and infrastructure require long-term funding. Currently, their long-term funds are structured as loans and funded by banks, thereby putting their balance sheets under significant risk management, liquidity and capital adequacy pressures.

“Going forward, regulatory standards would limit the banks’ appetite in such long-term assets. It is therefore imperative that the financial market is re-positioned to drive such loans to be structured as securities i.e. bonds that can be sold to investors," it added.

SEC holds Q3 capital market committee meeting

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Q4: Shareholders predict bearish market

HE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has concluded plans to host the Third Quarter 2015 Capital Market Committee (CMC) meeting scheduled to hold tomorrow in Lagos.

According to a statement from SEC, top on the agenda would be the capital market master plan implementation.

The ten-year master plan for the Nigerian capital market which is expected to refocus the market and help double its size over time and grow the economy was unveiled last November. DG of SEC, Mounir Gwarzo had recently assured that he is committed to

ensuring the implementation of the 10-year Capital Market Master Plan.

According to him "I have only one agenda for the market, my agenda for the market is to faithfully and religiously implement the 10-year Capital Market Master Plan."

It will be recalled last year, SEC set up three committees to drive market growth and the best brains in the market participated in the three committees and they worked tirelessly and came up with an excellence report which was launched last year, what we lacked in the country is the faithful implementation of reports."

*Shotunde Shopeju

By Providence Obuh AHEAD of the last quarter of the year, investors’ have been advised to be careful of the stocks they buy from the stock market.

Shareholders who spoke with Investors Forum, said that there would be further drops in stock prices occasioned by festive period, just as they said that the investors should beware of their purchases.

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IR Sunny Nwosu, National C o o r d i n a t o r , Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN): The last quarter is the quarter that produces the final result and therefore shareholders would be mindful of that, investors will be mindful of that because that is the quarter that carries all the provision. So it’s definitely going to be a cautionary issue and I also believe that a good result which the third quarter will produce can also lift the capitalisation of the capital market, but that will not come until after December. So the best time to know the trend of investment will be after December, when fillers will start going out that this company has done well or has done bad, then speculations will start inform of; let me invest in this company as a result of

The economic barometer is not moving up, although it did move up last week but today it went down to 32

*Sunny Nwosu these fillers. But so far is a mixed feeling for the third quarter because that is the quarter that will carry all the hit from all the previous quarters.

What to expect from the market is that the market is down and when one is down, the next thing is to get up. So that is my expectation that the market should get-up, as you know the market is already down and the next thing is for the market to rise again, it may not be to a very high magnitude but at least there should be a sign of improved capitalization and improved returns.

Chief Shotunde Shopeju, Chairman, Beacon Shareholders Association of Nigeria: Money is being held by the government and spending style of investors are on the ending side, very low. You will find that two, three weeks ago at a time the equities that appreciated were about 12 or 13, so the economic barometer is not moving up, although it did move up last week but today it went down as at the end of last Friday it went down from 57 to 32.

Choice of purchases So it is not stable it is osculating, as a result investors have got to be on guard about choices of purchases they make. But when you particularly see the stocks that are going down and you have money to throw away, buy those that are depreciating because towards November they may appreciate when money will be coming out. The forth-coming Ramadan is around, Muslims will want to sell out at all cost and at any denomination, so that they can buy ram and cow to do the celebration .

So it is going to further depreciate between now and October and when it comes to October and you find November coming in, people will be a bit buoyant.

24—VANGUARD, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

Economic woes heighten as buyers shun Nigerian crude

By Michael Eboh

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IGERIA’S economy faces significant risks in the days ahead, as the country is currently having difficulties getting buyers for its crude oil in the international market, even as the price of its various oil grades have been on a downward slide over the last couple of months.

Data obtained from global energy information providers, revealed that Nigeria is currently recording a supply glut in the sales of its crude, as buyers seem to prefer other competing grades from other countries.

Analysts are of the view that unless an improvement is recorded in the days and weeks ahead, the Nigerian economy would be plunged into a financial quagmire, as it would be starved of funds to fund its budget and manage the affairs of the country.

Specifically, Reuters data indicates that Nigeria had been only able to get buyers for 22 of its 62December2015loadingcargoes, leaving around 40 cargoes of nearly every grade of its crude still unsold.

The data said that Qua Iboe was better supported, having cleared most of its December loading cargoes, while other grades, including Forcados, Bonny Light, and Escravos were under substantial pressure.

However, in Angola, Nigeria’s fierce competitor, Reuters said there were still at least eight cargoes from the December programme looking for buyers, including Pazflor and CLOV. Platts, on the other hand, said

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Long queue of humans and jerry cans at a Conoil filling station to purchase kerosene as the Yuletide season approaches.

Nigerian crude oil market remained under pressure, as many grades have lost around $1 per barrel in value since the start of October, especially as an abundance of sweet crude and high freight rates have failed to excite interest from refinery buyers.

The loss of value was attributed to a number of factors — pressure from high freight rates, competing Mediterranean and North Sea grades and general weakness in refinery margins, which have improved over the past week but not enough to counteract the glut of sweet crude.

The report quoted traders as saying that Nigerian grades account for the bulk of the estimated 65 million barrels or so still unsold from November and December

West African (WAF) crude programmes.

"There is a big overhang, with such cheap Urals and Azeri (Light in Europe) for instance, European refineriescantakeclosergradesand thatisclearlyaffectingWAFgrades," one European refinery trader said.

Reuters also said that sellers of Nigeria's oil were forced to cut differentials again, as around two thirds of the December export cargoes remained available, and was expected to be joined by the January exports this week.

One oil trader said: “Every crude oil grade is available, and you even have the choice of when it is going to load. You have equity holders in a rush to sell what they have.”

However, some traders are of the

view that refinery margins remained positive still, with gasoline demand in Nigeria itself helping to support European and United States’ refining margins, and buyers in California and Asia also keen to import more gasoline.

As a result of the glut, prices of Nigeria’s crude oil grades took a hit, as Qua Iboe was assessed last week by Platts, at Dated Brent plus $0.20 per barrel, the lowest since January 13, and down from Dated Brent plus $1.25 per barrel at the start of October.

Escravos, on the other hand, was assessed at Dated Brent minus $0.15 per barrel, its lowest value since April 17, 2009, when it was assessed at Dated Brent minus $0.175 per barrel.

Petroleum contributes N1.94trn to Nigeria’s GDP

By Michael Eboh

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HE oil and gas sector contributed N1.942 trillion to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, in the third quarter, Q3 of 2015, according to a data by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS. Giving a breakdown, the NBS in its GDP Q3 2015 report, said the Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas sub-sector accounted for N1.845 trillion, rising from N1.614 trillion in Q2 2015, and also an improvement when compared to N1.826 trillion recorded in 2014.

On the other hand, the Oil Refining sub-sector, under the Manufacturing sector, accounted for N81.93 billion, compared to N28.545 billion and N92.55 billion recorded Q2 2015 and Q3 2014 respectively.

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Oando reserves peak at $1.8bn

The contribution of the Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas subsector, according to the NBS, represented 10.27 per cent of the country’s total real GDP, and is

Oil production was also marginally higher in the corresponding quarter in 2014 by 0.02 mbpd when output was recorded at 2.15 mbpd,” the report said

an improvement on the N1.614 trillion recorded in Q2 2014.

The NBS attributed the improved contribution of the sector to a significant rise in crude oil production in the period under review, compared to oil output in Q2 2015.

According to the report, in the period under review, preliminary data on oil production reflects output of 2.17 million barrels per day (mbpd) up from production in Q2 2015 by 0.17 mbpd.

“Oil production was also marginally higher in the corresponding quarter in 2014 by 0.02 mbpd when output was recorded at 2.15 mbpd,” the report said.

The NBS further said that the contribution of the oil and gas sector to Nigeria’s GDP in Q3 2015, reflected an increase by 1.06, year-on-year, higher by 4.65 per cent points from the

corresponding quarter of 2014, and higher than the Q2 when growth declined by 6.79 per cent.

The report continued: “Quarteron-quarter, growth also increased by 14.35 per cent. As a share of the economy, the oil sector represented 10.27% of total real GDP, down from the shares recorded in the corresponding period of 2014 by 0.18 per cent points and up from the share in the second quarter of 2015 by 0.46 per cent points.”

Generally, the NBS said that Nigeria’s GDP in Q3 2015, grew by 2.84 per cent (year-on-year) in real terms, higher by 0.49 per cent points from growth recorded in the preceding quarter, yet lower by 3.38 percentage points from growth recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2014.

It also added that quarter on quarter, Nigeria’s real GDP increased by 9.19 per cent.

ESPITE global crude price fluctuation and uncertainty, Oando Energy Resources OER, the upstream subsidiary of energy giant Oando Plc, said the economic value of its Nigerian Proved and Probable Reserves (2P) has risen by a further $545 million to $1.8 billion.

With oil prices plummeting by nearly 60 percent, the domino effect of the global slump has seen Nigeria’s indigenous firms scale back on proposed Joint Ventures with international oil companies, IOCs, deeper cuts to capital spending, and higher lending local terms due to a weakened Naira.

Renowned global petroleum consulting group, DeGolyer and MacNaughton, conducted an annual independent reserve and resources evaluation, which saw OER significantly increase its reserves’ value, both Proved (1P) and Proved and Probable (2P) Reserves by 44 percent. This happened as a result of technical revisions and its landmark acquisition of the Nigerian upstream oil and gas business of ConocoPhillips.

Proved net reserves (1P) increased by 78 percent to 288.5 MMboe, while Proved and Probable net reserves (2P) increased by 82 percent to 420.3 MMboe. The increase was largely due to the recognition of the precedence of license renewals under the Nigerian Petroleum Act, which is the basis of the extension of the reserves beyond the current license limit.

Highlighting the surge in the reserves, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, OER, Mr. Pade Durotoye, said: “The 2014 Reserves figures confirm our thesis at the juncture we embarked on the transformative COP acquisition.

Subsequently, we’ve thrived in our operational achievements with a five-fold increase in total production from 4,500 boepd to circa 56,000 boepd. This large Reserve base gives us significant scope and opportunity to further enhance production over the coming years and pursue in-field exploration opportunities that will further increase our resource base.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015 —25

Never lobby to be or remain a leader, warns Gaius-Obaseki TOMORROW, many people from far and wide including family, friends, associates, captains of industry and government officials will gather at his Benin GRA residence to celebrate a mass in honour of a former Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki, as he clocks 70 years.

Gaius-Obaseki means different things to different people.

To the people in government, he is simply very stubborn. To his petroleum industry counterparts, “he is urbane, bold, brainy, doesn’t stab friends, slightly arrogant, articulate, has good command of English.”

To the international community, he is known as the petroleum industry reformer. To some students of the then Hussey College, Warri, he is a teacher. But whatever one may think of him, he is simply one who sees himself as a master of the game, because of his professionalism and exposure and not given to vagaries. He allows his motto: God’s Grace, My Gift, to guide his decisions on everything.

Gaius-Obaseki tells Clara Nwachukwu, in this no-holds barred interview that being a leader, your success depends more on how firm you are in taking crucial decisions of common good and instituting a culture of excellence among your people. Excerpts: T 70, you are retired but children, but I never experienced not yet tired, so where is that. I slept with him; he used to give me his shirt to wear, all the energy coming from?

I normally tell people that the although I heard later that he (my grace of the Lord is my gift (His father) was told that when he was Grace, My gift), and that at that age I was just a carbon summarises my life – whether copy. But he died, he died in my its energy, whether its decision, arms, I was with him.

The truth of the matter is that I whatever it is. The decision I make is not born out of wasn’t as informed as my children intelligence, but because I have are now, so I probably didn’t even the Grace to say yes when I know what it was to die, but I was should say yes, and to say no there with my immediate senior brother, William. My father woke when I should say no. …Not many people can keep up in the morning, went to the to yes or no whenever they bathroom, came out, he then asked a question: What is today’s want to?

Yes, but If you’re just and date? And my brother answered, believe in what you are doing, 12th of April. The next minute he and you’re also conscious of the slumped. So for me I was just fact that you are accountable, watching, watching my father fall then you don’t have to fear. Fear right there before me. My senior is the devil’s weapon against brother, who was about three year most people ideally. Again, if older than me, so he understands you also believe that you have a more than me, screamed. My late provider, honestly I can’t brother, Joseph, who was also remember if I ever prayed one lying down heard the scream and day to say: God do this for me, rushed down, carried my father, or God do that for me; all my put him on the bed. He would prayers is usually thanksgiving have driven like a crazy man, because He has done so much brought the only English doctor therefore, temptations came my way like they will come everybody’s way, but they passed. Not many people believed when I was going that I was happy, but I also knew that it is difficult for people to believe you, and I don’t claim to be better than anybody, but that I have His He is urbane, bold, grace, that is all.

Tell us about your growing brainy, doesn’t stab up? friends, slightly I had my own experience growing up; my father died arrogant, when I was 10, and I articulate, has experienced love during that period. I came from a humble good command of polygamous home. What you English expect at times from a polygamous home is that the parents will be distant from their

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•Gaius Obaseki that was in the central hospital then, he was called Dr. Drew, who came and certified him dead.

So that was a disconnect at that time. And for a family of 37 children, it was a little bit like survival of the fittest, but the leadership was good. The leadership focused on my father’s desires that his children be properly educated, and I also have a fantastic mother anybody would want to have – peace, godliness, and again, by the time I grew up, I understood where my mother was also coming from. She was a princess from Ikare (Ondo State), so they were all moulded, just like my father was from Benin here because he also had royal blood.

So I grew up and before he died I had started my primary school and I finished. I was just going to school, and to be honest with you I also didn’t even know what education was, it was just my father said I should go to school and that was it. If anybody failed his exams, when we meet at the end of the year, in family hall meetings, if you passed your exams you will sit on the chair, if you failed, you sit on the floor, so everybody struggled to pass. But when he died, he had made provisions for all of us and I continued, and I ended up in Warri, Hussey College. I finished, I had school certificate and in 1967, I taught for a while in the same school before going to the University of Ibadan.

Looking back to where you came from to where you are today, would you say you realised all of your dreams, all of your objectives?

I believe that every man on

earth is sent here on an assignment. You must have a covenant with your God. So the prayers we should pray all the time is: His will be done, because also there is a competition with the devil. We begin hear two voices, and if you are strong in prayers, you will recognise the right one and if you have the grace, you will win. But my mother before she died, when I was growing up, especially when I was GMD, she used to tell me: “fear not my son, what you are and what you will become was foretold before you were born.” So my mother said that I love her and I believed her. I didn’t plan to be GMD NNPC, no.

In that case, do you have any regrets or are there things you would wish you had a second chance to have done better?

No! I think every opportunity I had I gave it my best shot, I don’t have any regret.

Unfinished business Naturally, if you leave, there will be some unfinished business; you will start a programme, you wish you will stay longer. But also, if you had the right attitude to life, you will know that you always give thanks to God that you are leaving at the right time. And for me, it was fantastic, you are here today because you believe I tried even if you’re not going to say I did well, but because in all these cases I left at the right time. When I left as the GMD, one of my sisters or two of them, they cried, but when I arrived in Benin, I was laughing.

The church came to receive me and the family was there, and when I was there, I used to tell them: oh when I leave you will remember me, and today I believe they do.

Also, when I met with the man I worked with, the former president (Olusegun Obasanjo), I told him that I am grateful to him because he allowed me leave at the right time. I couldn’t have left at the better time for me; maybe you might say I’m selfish. But whether it was the best time for the industry and the country, I don’t know.

Why then do you think it is difficult for people to leave when they know they should leave?

Like they say, if you are struggling in your old age, then you must have wasted your youth. If it’s time to leave, you should leave, and you should leave honourably, so that you will be revered. There is nobody who has stayed longer than he should stay that didn’t get booed. And if you recall when I was the GMD I used to tell them that I didn’t lobby for the job, I was head-hunted and I didn’t make any effort to keep the job, all my effort is to do the job. And when it came, and I left and the president told my successor that he has never met a man like me in his entire life.

Before you went into the NNPC, there was a Gaius Obaseki and sons Ltd. What happened to that company?

The company went under. The thing that was responsible for that, was it a big enterprise and only my father knew how to manage it, and my eldest brother pursued his career and ended up in the Supreme Court and acted as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

So it was impossible for him to run it the way it should be run because if you were there at that tower of justice, you shouldn’t mix it with commercial business, so it was a bit tough. But we were able to move it forward somewhat. My father is dead but never to be forgotten.

To be continued

26—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

Miner expresses optimism over solid minerals devt

FG mulls 10-year tariff plan High interest rate stifling investments in power As Eko DISCO spends N52bn on metering

…says mining explosives not responsible for insurgency

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By Gabriel Ewepu

S the 2015 iPAD Nigeria Mining Forum ended last week, an industry operator expressed optimism that the 2016 budget will impact positively on solid minerals development.

The Chairman, Nigachem Nigeria Limited, Mr. Sylvanus Ghasarah, who expressed the hope with regard to increased budgetary allocation for capital projects in the sector, also said that this will attract big mining companies into the sector.

According to him, “The government is talking of a budget of N7 to 8trillion, and it is proposing putting N2.2trillion into capital expenditure and this will supersede last year’s budget of N1.4trillion, and one doubts if this was even expended as many construction companies are owed a lot.

“We in the mining sector believe in the Buhari led administration and if they say they will put N2.2trillion into capital expenditure, they will do exactly that. Even though as a percentage, it is low but it will nonetheless stimulate growth and keep the economy active because it is better to keep it going than allow it collapse before trying to revive it.

“The mining sector is dull at the moment so conferences like this are needed to keep it alive in our psyche. Who knows, with big international conferences like this, some big mining companies across the world may come and pick interest, and this is the whole idea to showcase what Nigeria has to offer.”

Explosives and insurgency Ghasarah also used the opportunity to argue that explosives used by insurgents were not from manufacturers of mining explosives.

Level of professionalism He noted that the level of professionalism in the sector and the tight controls by the Ministry of Mines and Solid Minerals and other government agencies do not allow explosives to get to any unauthorised persons or organisations.

He said: “We are manufacturers of mining explosives and mining has to do with explosives. You need explosives to move earth, including overburden and the mineralised component.”

A Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers, Ghasarah reiterated that as a manufacturer of mining explosives, his company has over the years operated according to laws guiding the production, storage, distribution and use of such explosives.

He further explained that the explosives used by insurgents are purely improvised and are based on their technologies. “We as a company are very conscious of the current state of insecurity in Nigeria, particularly, the North-East, and we have put in place extremely stringent measures.

“There are areas in the north we do not supply, and before we send out products from our company to our customers in the mining and construction industries, we involve to the Nigerian Police and other security personnel, who detail personnel to give adequate protection and security of the product until it arrives the destination of the customers. Where the mining explosives are stored is also well protected by police.”

From Left;Pastor Dele Rabiu,Dealer;Mr Alexis Vovk,Managing Director,Total Nigeria Plc;with Atimo Charles,Territorial Sales Manager west and Alloy Olemere,Customer.At the Total Nigeria Plc Top Service Week for Customers in Lagos.PHOTO BY AKEEM SALAU.

By Sebastine Obasi

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HE Director General, DG, Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, Mr. Benjamin Dikki, last week said the Federal Government is initiating a 10year tariff plan to provide a clear-cut environment for investment in the power sector.

This comes as the Managing Director, Eko Distribution Company, Mr. Oladele Amoda, said the DISCO spent over N52 billion to meter more than 600,000 customers in its network in four years.

Dikki made known the federal government’s intention while on an assessment visit to Eko DISCO in Lagos.

He said: “The intention is to have a 10-year tariff. NERC is working with the DISCOs to come up with a 10-year tariff that will provide clarity, definite environment for banks to be able to calculate the cash flows. The DISCOs will now be able to define their cash flows, moving forward, to be able to raise finance.

“Once these critical issues are achieved, the interest rate, foreign exchange rate, regulatory clarity and consistency and long term perspective, I believe we will have a robust power sector, attracting investments and funding on a consistent basis.

“People are willing to invest in power, but these are some of the issues creating the risk of perception. I hope these

issues are being looked into by government and will be addressed shortly.”

The DG also noted that high interest as rate is discouraging investment in the sector as investors pay as high 25 percent interest rate. According to him, “You cannot do power business and be paying interest on loan of 20 percent.

To invest in a generating capacity, to build a thermal plant, you need a minimum of two years. If you take a loan at 25 percent interest per annum in two years that is 50 percent of the money.

No power investor can make investments with that kind of high interest rate. Government must therefore provide low interest yielding facilities like it did for the manufacturing sector, through the Bank of Industry, BoI, to encourage investments in power.”

He explained that government has to create enabling environment, make the transactions in the sector bankable, so that power investors can access capital to make the necessary investments to increase the quantum of power and increase the ability to transmit and distribute the power.

However, Dikki said the BPE has decided to conduct monitoring of the DISCOs and GENCOs twice in a year as noncompliance with the required obligations would attract sanctions.

“Monitoring is twice in a year. If any DISCO or GENCO is in persistent noncompliance, government can take it over for $1,” he said.

Also, speaking, Amoda decried that Eko DISCO is faced with the challenges of vandalism and meter bypass, which has led to loss of revenue. To reduce the losses in the network and eliminate complaints, he said that smart meters are being installed within its area of operation.

Many investment opportunities in power are untapped — FG

By Chris Ochayi

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HE Federal Government had declared that immense investment opportunities to deepen the development of the power sector still abound despite visible achievements recorded so far.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Mr. Louis Edozien, said this at the 5th Nigeria International Power Expo and Conference, which held, weekend, in Abuja, with the theme: “Private Sector Partnership in Achieving Sustainability of Power Supply in Nigeria.”

He said this administration has shown singular leadership and initiatives in ensuring that Nigeria leap frogs in its quest to achieving its dream of becoming one of the best economies in the world by the year 2020.

Edozien, who was represented by Mr. Abayomi Adebisi, listed the achievements recorded and the defining future trend within the context of the new private led power sector, which includes the establishment and implementation of a Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Policy, embedded with coal to power.

He said the ongoing reform of the Ministry is to equip it with the right competitiveness and capacity to handle policy issues as well as ensuring conducive and enabling environment for investment in power. He added that Government’s agenda in the future is the divestment by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC assets in the National Integrated Power Projects, NIPP. The Permanent Secretary also said that Government will assist the Transmission Company of Nigerian, TCN, in accessing long term expansion funds, including the proposed Transmission Development Fund, and other international development funds from banks and multilateral agencies.

He noted that these funding matrixes will ensure a reliable transmission network system capable of conveniently wheeling up to 10,000MW of produced power in the short and medium term, as well as providing a solid foundation for future growth of the sector.

He also said the Ministry will undertake pre-feasibility studies for remote and off-grid locations that will incorporate their commercial frameworks for the establishment’s utilisation.

He also argued that privatisation successes have shown clearly that Government alone cannot develop the power sector, but with shared responsibility with the private sector, more successes would be recorded.

The Deputy Managing Director, TCN, Mr. Abubakar Atiku, gave the assurance that the transmission company “can deliver 6,000MW without overloading the system.”

He said TCN since 2002, had embarked on ongoing projects aimed at expanding the wheeling capacity of the system, describing some of those projects as critical to ensuring grid stability.

Atiku however bemoaned the paucity of funds in the 2015 appropriation, where only N1 billion was provided for TCN. In order to bridge this funding gap, TCN is exploring external funding sources to complete some of its ongoing projects.

Other sector players, who spoke at the event including the Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency, REA, Mr. Ken Achimugu, enjoined distribution companies, Discos, to play its role and key into its already completed projects.

He described the Agency as a socio economic one created to address the electricity needs of the rural poor.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015 —27

OBAFEMI Onashile i

AUN showcases locally fabricated architectural wonder

By Mike Ebonugwo

T

HE American University of Nigeria, AUN, Yola boasts of its fair share of architectural splendour given the many magnificent buildings that dot its expansive space.

The latest of these, an administrative building, was commissioned recently, precisely on November 14, a day the high profile institution marked its 10th Annual Founder ’s Day and Commissioning Ceremonies.

Though not an imposing structure, but the building named after the Chairman AUN Board of Trustees,Mr Akin Kekere-Ekun, certainly elicited a lot of oohs and aahs from those seeing it for the first time. The interest and curiousity it aroused was not so much for its physical presence, but for its multi-purpose functionality and the fact that it was innovatively constructed using recycled materials, while the project execution relied on the most part on local labour, local vendors and local craftsmen to achieve a sustainable objective.

Indeed, at first sight, one is apt to dismiss it as an architectural oddity serving a common purpose of providing shelter.

But a closer examination reveals that it is a lot more than that, perhaps approximating an architectural wonder. The project was developed and supervised by the AUN project team led by Mr Alex Cobo, who is the institution’s Executive Director, Projects. According to him, the building, which is the fifth major

The locally fabricated wonder

This project embraces sustainability as an integral part of its design and development. It starts with the reuse of 14 shipping containers to form a complete building

project completed by the AUN Project Office since 2011, is different and special for several reasons. ‘’This project embraces sustainability as an integral part of its design and development.

It starts with the re-use of 14 shipping containers to form a complete building. Its steel roof was manufactured on site by local craftsmen; it has 52 solar skylights that bring in sunlight so efficiently that no electric lighting is required during the day. It uses ventilation and insulation to reduce AC needs by 30 percent. (Also) 100 percent of the water it uses is recovered and treated biologically for re-use in irrigation. All lighting is LED, which requires 60 percent less power to operate,” Cobo

informed during the building commissioning. He did not stop there.

“The building is completely insulated against ambient heat. All bath fixtures are low consumption and faucets are timed. All windows have double-pane glass. The parking lot... will be covered by canopies that hold solar panels and will provide 100% of the building power. If located in the US or Europe it would qualify for certification as a sustainable project with high marks. Its open office design saves space, eliminates partitions, promotes collaborative work and accountability, improves operational efficiency Its landscaping is native and consumes less water.

We didn't re-award contract for Abuja Centre of Excellence building — CPN

By Emeka Aginam

T

HE Computer Professionals’ (Registration Council of Nigeria) CPN, has debunked rumours that the contract for its Abuja Centre of Excellence Building has been reawarded to a new contractor.

The clarification, according the President/Chairman of Council, Prof.

Vincent Asor, has become necessary due to rumour making the round that the initial contractor handling the project has been sacked. Asor who issued a statement made available to Vanguard Homes & Property denied the insinuation.

“For the avoidance of doubt, no contract has been cancelled or terminated and neither has a new contractor been engaged or contract reawarded to anybody,” he posited.

Giving details of the contract, the

university don explained that the CPN Centre of Excellence Building in Abuja was started over five years ago.

“The building contractor since then has been AE&E Associates with funding for the project coming from the capital development fund allocations from the Federal Government. Though the project was initially awarded for completion over a six month duration, steady rise in the costs of materials and paucity of funds from the government, couldn’t allow the work to progress as planned.”

“Renewal of rent for the current rented apartment where CPN’s Abuja office has been located over the last ten years has become unaccommodating with the little funds from government and internally generated revenue. The rent for the current year, 2015, expired on October 31st 2015.

Prior to the expiration of the rent, the landlord had indicated his intention to increase the rent again. The Council at her 75th regular meeting of 9th October, 2015 resolved that resources should be directed at making a wing of the ground floor habitable so that the Abuja office can move in. This was considered a better alternative than paying rent for another year.

“Following there from, the landlord magnanimously gave CPN about six weeks grace to locate to her new office.

It was in view of this that a supervisor was engaged to coordinate the various direct labourers hired to make a wing on the ground floor of the uncompleted Centre of Excellence Building habitable for staff to use in the interim as a measure to save cost and time considering the limited resources available,” the CPN boss added.

“It is designed to capture rainwater and return it to the groundwater reservoir The acoustic panels required to control noise were made by groups of empowered local women who use tailoring scraps. Toilet partitions are made of container cutouts. Our two decorative water fountains at the entrance have been manufactured of container scraps. This building has a special skin. Its skin is made of laterite, prepared the old way, mixed with grass and natural resins, molded by local hands, preserving ancient traditions,” he said.

On the building’s functionality, he said: ‘’It will hold over 120 working stations of different type, a 100 person training facility, an open air formation area, changing rooms with showers, toilets and resting areas for staff.’’

Mr Cobo also informed that the principle behind the project was informed by the vision of former Vice President and Founder of AUN, Atiku Abubakar, to create a development university of international standard, while empowering and developing Yola, Adamawa and Nigeria. He added that ( it was also inspired and encouraged by the leadership of AUN President Margee Ensign in making the Founder ’s vision a reality.

According to him: “She was willing to entertain our ideas and take them to our Board of Trustees It answers the urgent need for AUN to consolidate its administration on main campus, in a modern facility, with low operating costs, and with the budget constraints of academic institutions.”

28—VANGUARD, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

Lafarge introduces low-cost housing solution

By Kingsley Adegboye

A

new approach capable of delivering houses within 17 days and at reduced costs, has been unveiled by Messrs Lafarge Holcin, manufacturers of Elephant Cement products. The new approach was introduced by the company to offer a wide range of affordable housing solutions to prospective home owners across Nigeria with a view to bridging the housing gap currently put at a staggering 17 million units.

These facts were disclosed by Lafarge’s General Manager, Independent Power Project , IPP Mr. Lanre at a capacity building forum organised by the Ibadan branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE in collaboration with Lafarge Cement.

To make the solutions affordable Nigerians, he disclosed that the prices of the houses range between N2 million for one bedroom bungalow and N4 million for a three-bedroom bungalow. The prices, according to Opakunle,do not include cost of land and infrastructure. A prospective home owner, he said is expected to already have a piece of land for the project.

On the mode of payment, he said there are two schemes. “One is for affordable housing where you tell us you have land and we verify that and go through the process of designing the house, giving you technical experts to support your project from beginning to the end; linking you up with a microfinance bank to get your loan. This is for affordable housing,”he said. The second scheme is the mass housing which according to Opakunle, is designed as tall buildings. “Under this scheme, prospective developers who already own land approach Lafarge and depending on who we are partnering with, will define the payment structure,”he said.

According to Opakunle, Lafarge is

Lafarge’s affordable housing solution

Lafarge is currently building one of these tall buildings in Lagos for the use of the company as its pilot scheme

currently building one of these tall buildings in Lagos for the use of the company as its pilot scheme.

He noted that the company ’s partnership with the Ibadan branch of NSE is based on their long-term relationship with the Society and the desire to “grow the knowledge within the Nigerian engineering space”.

“We have a research centre in Leon, France where we are able to develop building solutions severally and we share knowledge from there through this kind of training

organised by the Ibadan NSE. It is like professional development. The Society is aware of the value Lafarge brings to the construction industry and that is the reason for the sustained partnership. It is a relationship and our staff are also members of the NSE,” he said The Principal Secretary of the NSE Ibadan branch, Mr. Kunle Olaoye said the main focus of the new executive was to have more training workshops for members both in-house and in other branches of the NSE.

Quantity surveyors inaugurate new exco

Seek greater participation in politics

Mr Onashile -Deputy President

By Jude Njoku

Q

UANTITY surveyors rounded off their 26th biennial conference in Lagos weekend, with the inauguration of Mrs Mercy Torkwase Iyortyer as the first female president of their professional body -the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS. She will, for the next two years, preside over the new executive council of the Institute which has a former Lagos State Chairman of the Institute, Mr.

Mrs Iyortyer -President, NIQS Obafemi Onashile as Deputy President.

Onashile defeated three other contestants to emerge as the second in command while the former Secretary, Professional Development and Library, Dr. Ejike Anunike was returned as the Vice-President of the Institute.

For five days, the Lagos Oriental Hotel along the Lekki -Epe express road, was a beehive of activities as quantity surveyors abandoned their offices and construction sites to brainstorm on Politics, policies and

national development -the role of professionals.

Declaring the biennial conference open, the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who is a Fellow of the NIQS, enjoined the construction cost experts to take active part in politics in order to influence policies affecting the country and the construction industry. el-Rufai who was represented by Kaduna State Commissioner of Works, Alhaji Hassan Usman, an engineer, explained that the uncommon transformation going on in Kaduna State today, was made possible by the visionary leadership of a quantity surveyor.

In his own remarks, the Secretary to the Kano State Governor who is also a quantity surveyor, Alhaji Suleiman Bichi, enjoined construction cost experts to take more than passive interest in the governance of the country. By actively participating in politics, he said they would be able to positively influence the policies of government.

Immediate past president of the Institute,

Mallam Murtala Aliyu said the choice of the conference theme was “informed by the way and manner professionals as collectives, disregard the consequences of ignoring politics, leaving things as important as the fundamental aspect of their survival in the hands of persons with little or no capacity to handle such sensitive enterprise”.

“If one takes a census of the leadership of political parties especially at the subnational levels, one is likely to find the quality of the occupants of those positions unacceptable. These persons determine the agenda upon which our party politics are based and also determine the emergence leadership at all levels,” Aliyu who is a former Minister of State, in the Ministry of Power and Steel, said.

Although many quantity surveyors have occupied top political positions in the country, the former NIQS boss said “politics to quantity surveyors and indeed other professionals, is not a new frontier. "

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015—29

Lagos unfolds plans to build world-class park in Ibeju-Lekki Seeks private sector participation in regeneration effort

By Ikenna Asomba

T

HE Lagos State Government will next year, commence work on the construction of a Metropolitan Park on a 5-hectares parcel of land at Ayeteju in Ibeju-Lekki, along the Lekki-Ajah expressway.

The proposed recreational park will serve the people of Lekki, Ajah, Ibeju, Epe and its environs.

When completed, it will be the biggest publicly -owned park in sub-Saharan Africa, and will feature a mini zoo, playing area of children, fitness centre, multipurpose game court, and other features.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode disclosed this last week at the maiden edition of Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency, LASPARK, Greening Stakeholders’ Forum with the Private Sector .

The Governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tunji Bello, called on the private sector to partner with the state government in the continued campaign for environmental regeneration and sustainability, through the building

of more parks and gardens across the state.

He noted that the idea of setting-up parks and gardens all over the state is as a result of the Green Lagos agenda.

At the event themed: Sustaining Our Green Lagos, Ambode,, disclosed that the state government had in the last eight years, set-up no fewer than 300 parks and gardens across the state.

This effort, he said, has created over 97, 000 jobs.

The governor affirmed that collaborating with the private sector on this initiative would further create more jobs for the unemployed in the state.

“All over the world, the issue of environmental degradation and the consequent threat to mankind has been of great concern to all stakeholders; government, corporate bodies, nongovernmental organisations, religious bodies, as well as environmentalists. The Lagos State Government has invested a lot in creating and maintaining these parks and gardens. This greening initiative by the state government is capital intensive and to sustain

it, funding has to be sourced from other sources,”Ambode said:.

Governor Ambode, urged the private sector to step up and join the state government to sustain a greener Lagos. According to him, areas like the Adeniji Adele loop at Third Mainland Bridge; Oshodi under Bridge; Ile-Zik

along Agege Motor Way; Sure-P site, Tollgate, Iyana Oworo at Oworosoki; Apakun under Bridge along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, among others, have been transformed to beautiful parks and are now places of relaxation, family retreats, reunions, children excursions and places for

individual relaxation and renewal.

Earlier, the State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Babatunde AdejarecommendedLASPARKfor putting up the programme. He stressed the need for collaboration between the state government and private sector for effective greenery of the state’s urban space.

Experts seek stakeholders collaboration to stem environmental degradation

T

By Tare Youdeowei

HE Society for Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Mitigation, SETPOM, has called on stakeholders to provide innovative solutions to mitigate security challenges associated with environmental degradation. The group believes that the over exploitation of the ecosystems is a threat to securities of communities and nations.

The President of SETPOM, Dr. Funmilayo Doherty who made the call at the 2015 Fellows Award Conferment and International Conference of the group at the University of

Lagos, said “Nigeria, like many other countries, is exposed to climate change induced dangers of desertification, erosion, flooding and other ecological problems” . Doherty who spoke on the essence of the theme; Environmental Management, Safety and Security,explained that Nigeria’s efforts and actions must be informed by these realities. Environmental stakeholders must therefore provide innovative solutions to mitigate security challenges associated with environmental degradation.

“The theme for this year ’s conference has been carefully

chosen to address issues of environmental management with safety and security. There is a growing understanding that environmental pollution, destruction and overexploitation of ecosystems can threaten the security of communities and nations.

Similarly, trans-boundary pollution or environmental accidents and disasters with cross-border consequences often negatively affect the relations between neighbouring states.

In recent years climate change has been recognised as a core development challenge that carries potentially serious implications for international peace and security.

30—VANGUARD, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

VON lists gains, pains of vehicle assembly as Senate committee visits V

ON Automobiles Nigeria Limited, a Lagos based multiple vehicle assemblers has advised the Federal Government to concertedly execute the national automotive policy to rapidly influence capacity utilization and production of larger volume of passenger cars and commercial vehicles at the various vehicle manufacturing plants in the country.

VON Automobiles Managing Director, Tokunbo Aromolaran who made this plea last weekend during an oversight inspection of the plant by the Senate Committee on Import Waivers, Concession and Grants said the factory has attained 30% local content in bus production since it began operations in 2012.

Among the senate delegation that were taken round VON Automobile facility and vehicle warehouses were Senator Mohammed Aliero, Chairman Senate Committee on Import Waivers, Concession and Grants, Senator Gershom Bassey (member), Mr. Victor Efiong, clerk of the Committee and Mr. Felix Okonti a consultant.

Earlier in his presentation, Mr. Aromolaran told the legislature that prices of locally assembled vehicles can only become competitive when policy and environment are right to justify economics of car production.

“It is my ultimate goal to produce at least 1000 units of vehicles monthly so as to bring down unit prices of locally assembled vehicles but there is yet no volume to operate at optimal capacity,” Aromolaran lamented.

He particularly craved the

L-R: Senator Gerhom Bassey (member), Senate ad-hoc Committee on Import waivers, Concessions and Grants, Mr. Happy Singh, Director, Stallion Group, Mr. Tokunbo Aromolaran, Managing Director, Mr. Prakash Kharat, Plant Head both of VON Automobiles Nig. Limited and Senator Mohammed Aliero, Chairman, Senate ad-hoc Committee on Import waivers, Concessions and Grants during an oversight inspection of VON Automobile plant in Lagos at the weekend

indulgence of the legislature to enact policy that would restrict importation of used vehicles into the country to forestall emission consequences of old vehicles on the environment and intimidating breakdowns in vehicular traffic.

According to him, “It is

OME Thursday, at Eko Ho tels, Victoria Island, the Nigeria Auto Journalist Awards, NAJA, will be recognising industry players, product and services that stood out in their various categories in the auto sector.

Several categories of awards like Car of the Year, Sport Utility of the Year, Pick Up of the Year, Mini Bus of the Year will bhe decided at the award nite.

Others are, Luxury Sedan of the Year, Corporate responsibility of the Year, Tyre brand of the Year, Showroom of the Year as well as auto workshop of the years to mentioin just a few.

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small cars at very low prices.

And as you are aware, tokunbo vehicles pollute the environment and cause gratuitous breakdowns on the roads,” Mr. Aromolaran said.

Also warning it was time Nigeria ceased to create Jobs in foreign countries where fully-built up vehicles are

C&I Leasing sponsors 12 to ship building training in Romania

C

&I Leasing plc a leading brand in operational leases and logistics support services in Nigeria, is sponsoring 12 people to the Damen shipyard in Romania for six weeks training, to study different aspects of ship building. This gesture,

NAJA awards holds at Eko Hotel

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imperative government introduce proficient road worthiness act and vehicle emission standard to forestall wanton importation of unserviceable vehicles into the country.

“If only you would help us to control tokunbo cars, we can produce a whole lot of these

made, the plant managing director said: “We are not going to develop our local industries and our children won’t get to work if adequate measures aren’t implemented to raise the bar for local production.”

“VON Automobiles can create substantial direct and indirect employment if the environment is right, as all the safety materials we use in buses assembled at our factory are sourced locally. Some of these items include windshield, window frames, sealants and labour.” he said.

VON Automobile has since it began vehicle assembly three years ago, improvised series of factory infrastructures currently used at the plant for production and these gadgets have saved huge foreign exchange cost, the managing director affirmed.

“We started operations in 2012 before the auto policy was inaugurated and we have since then been determined to integrate backwards. A lot of our infrastructures are locally fabricated and this is because we are an import substitution industry.”

“Instead of keeping people in Japan working, let’s kick-start our factories here, we will never get there if we don’t start,” Mr. Aromolaran reasoned.

The award/dinner nite will kick off by 6:30 pm and players in the industry are expected to grace the event.

In the last four years, the Nigeria Auto Journalists Awards had become the most authoritative award for the Nigeria auto industry. The award was instituted by members of Nigerian Guild of Motoring Correpondents to encourage players and stakeholders to redouble their efforts in service and product delivery to their customers in Nigeria. Part of the highlights of this years award include the launching of the Guilds annual journal as well as their website.

as it was disclosed is part of a strategic plan to encourage national capacity development, particularly in the marine sector.

The training is part of the company’s contribution to ensuring the requisite skills necessary for achieving the Nigerian Content goal of wholly built Nigerian vessels are domiciled in country. The trainees departed Nigeria on the 3rd of October 2015 and have already made significant progress since their departure.

Speaking at a brief pre-departure ceremony, Technical Assistant to the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Jeff Tuatongha who represented the Executive Secretary, congratulated the candidates and encouraged them to be on their best behaviour as their post training progress will to a large extent be impacted by how well they perform in the course and applicable assessments throughout the training.

Mr. Tuatongha was full of

praises for the management of C&I Leasing for the initiative, citing that the gesture was a significant contribution to the human capital development mandate of the NCDMB under the Nigerian Content Act (NOGICD Act 2010). He concluded by reminding the trainees to conduct themselves as worthy ambassadors throughout their stay.

Also speaking at the event, Mr. Wisdom Nwagwu, General Manager Petrotech Ma-

rine, on behalf of C&I Leasing explained that this initiative was in fulfilment of a commitment to develop local capacity at the bidding stage of a contract for the provision of four security patrol boats to NLNG. He further disclosed that Damen’s Shipyard in Romania is one of the largest shipyards in the world and advised the trainees to make the most of the opportunity they have been given.

The Executive Director of C&I Leasing Plc, Mr. Andrew Otike-Odibi with the candidates of the ship building training at Romania.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015—31

By Theodore Opara

Ford plant in Nigeria, another milestone for Coscharis — Maduka T

HE president of Coscharis Motors, Dr. Comas Maduka has described the production of Ford vehicles from its plant in Lagos as another milestone in the history of the company.

As part of its ambitious expansion in Africa, Ford Motor Company assembled the first Ford Ranger in Nigeria last week.

The all new 2016 Ford Ranger was presented to the press at Coscharis showroom in Lekki, Lagos in a ceremony attended by top Ford Management team from sub-sahara led by the President/CEO, Mr. Jeff Nemeth.

Other senior members of Ford team from Ford sub-Sahara Africa who graced the occasion include Mr. Ocker Berry, Vice President Operation, Rob Johnson, Regional Manager Sales and Aftersales, Alisea Chetty, Corporate Communications Manager, Eugene Prinsloo, Market Manager Nigeria as well as Claude Roux and Kobus Jansen in charge of Ford Nigeria SKD team.

Vision and policy The Coscharis Motors boss who could not hide his excitement over the achievement commended Ford Motors for keeping to its words to assemble cars in Nigeria as the only place, outside South Africa where Ford is assembling cars in Africa.

“I specially welcome our partners from Ford Motor Company who have immensely ensured that yesterday’s vision and policy is now a reality for us today,” he said.

According to him, Coscharis was glad to celebrate the confidence of the iconic brand, Ford, reposed in us to roll plant in Nigeria.

He added that “this milestone

marks another first in the evolution of the company towards remaining timeless in its relevance.

Dr. Maduka disclosed that the though the automotive policy was introduced in 2014, the idea to set up an assembly plant was conceived by his company four years ago which came to fruition last week with their reliable partner, Ford rolling out the first pick up, a Ranger from the plant.

Urging he Federal Government to give to the auto policy the best support it could, Dr. Maduka explained that the auto industry can create jobs and guarantee economic growth.

On their part, he said: “Coscharis Motors as one of the leading indigenous automobile dealershipm is showing its commitment to substaining the automotive policy though the assembly plant which is basically a semi knockdown plant.

Ford, he said had supported them with all fitted equipment and technical backup as well as training their personnel to handle the assembly plant.

Apart from the Ikeja plant, Maduka that another one is already constructed and will be ready for commissioning in 2016. The new plant when completed at their Awuyaya Lekki Group head office will produce more vehicles to meet Nigerians vehicles needs.

Also speaking, the Group Managing Director, Mr. Josiah Samuel stated that it had been their long time goal to create a strategic partnership between Ford and Coscharis beyond strict dealership representation, adding that this official announcement of manufacturing, signals the long journey to realising this all important objective.

President/CEO, Sub-Saharan Africa Region, FORD, Jeff Nemeth (left) unveiling the first Ford Ranger assembled in Nigeria with President/CEO of Coscharis Group, Dr Cosmas Maduka, during Announcement of the Ford Assembly Plant on Tuesday, 17th November, 2015 at Coscharis Ford Showroom, Lagos, Nigeria According to him, it is not only leveraging on over 100 years of experience of Ford in manufacturing of automobile but without doubt the launch of our SKD/ CKD operation will most certainly give further visibility to the

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AND Rover has driven its flagship Range Rover luxury SUV across a bridge made of paper. The freestanding structure in Suzhou, China, spanned five metres without glue or bolts to hold it in place.

Land Rover commissioned the unique bridge to mark the 45th anniversary of its Range Rover family and to highlight 45 years of Range Rover innovation ahead C M Y K

economy in the world with a growing middle class of over 38 million and potential vehicle market of one million vehicles a n n u a l l y .

To this end, he said the Nigerian automotive industry with its current

Hyundai Genesis G90

G90 to top brand’s luxury model range

H

YUNDAI Motor has re vealed the first rendering of its new range-topping G90 luxury sedan. The elegantly designed, technology packed model hints at the recentlylaunched Genesis brand’s design identity and future direction.

Range Rover completes world-first drive across one-off paper bridge of the Guangzhou Motor Show in China.Range Rover defined the luxury SUV sector when it debuted in 1970 and the latest model was the first SUV in the world to be constructed from lightweight aluminium when it debuted in 2012.

The hand-built paper bridge took three days to construct in the ancient water city of Suzhou, which is famous for its bridges

Ford brand in Nigeria and catalyse our quest for continuous increase in market.

Mr. Samuel further explained that Nigeria is one of the largest auto markets in Africa and the seventh most populous

and nicknamed ‘Venice of the East’. The unique crossing was made of high quality paper supplied by specialist British manufacturer James Cropper PLC. The job of drivingthe Range Rover was entrusted to Land Rover Experience Chief Instructor, Chris Zhou, and the landmark crossing showcased the innovative lightweight body construction and all-terrain capability of Land Rover’s flagship SUV.

Jin Kim, Vice President and Head of Operations for Hyundai Africa and Middle East, said, “The G90 concept images of this new luxury sedan are guaranteed to instill confidence in our customer base which is continuously looking for world-class design and new levels of luxury. This model will arrive next year and it will be the first of six new Genesis models which will be launched in Africa and the Middle East by 2020.”

Following the global announcement of the Genesis brand launch earlier this month, we are delighted to release these concept images of our new large luxury sedan. Africa and the Middle East has a taste for all things luxury therefore we are confident it will prove popular with our customer base across both regions when it launch-

es next year.”

As the Genesis brand’s flagship model, G90 is a blueprint for change and innovation that will distinguish the Genesis brand. Majoring on ‘human-centered’ technology combined with engaging driving dynamics, G90 boasts a raft of world-best safety features and technological innovations to set itself apart in the luxury market.

G90 also showcases the Genesis brand’s hallmark design style ‘Athletic Elegance’, interpreted by the newlyformed Prestige Design Division to bring graceful and profound elegance to G90’s significant proportions. Crowned by the Genesis emblem, the grand radiator grille combined with sophisticated headlamps communicates the car’s dynamic, future-orientated character.

32—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

likelihood of picking another candidate for APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu may not be disposed to this arrangement.

The emergence of Yahaya Bello will lead to the end of the road for Faleke, as the party may settle for a running mate from the Eastern Flank of the state, being the most populous Senatorial District and in view of the fact that the PDP candidate, Wada hails from the zone.

With this arrangement, the runner-up in the APC governorship primaries would be drafted in as the candidate of the party in the election to compete with other candidates.

As it stands, more legal challenges lie ahead as the tenure of the present administration is expected to terminate by January 2016.

Latest turns and twist in APC

•Audu:

•Wada

DEMISE OF AUDU:

Options before Kogi

By Kingsley Fanwo

I

T is no more news that the first executive governor of Kogi State who was cruising to another victory in the inconclusive governorship election, Prince Abubakar Audu, has passed on.

He died in the early hours of Sunday. Family sources alleged that his death was not natural, as he started complaining of stomach cramp, minutes after eating a meal.

Until his death, Prince Abubakar Audu had distinguished careers, first as a top banker and later as an accomplished politician. He was the moving rotor in the opposition engine for more than two decades.

What are the lawyers saying?

As it is, lawyers are divided on the position of law on the issue given that the constitution didn’t envisage the Audu scenario.

The constitution was silent on what happens when a candidate dies or withdraws from the race while voting is in progress.

The lack of pinpoint provisions to take care of the

present logjam might have been responsible for the different opinions that are converging to form a cloud of uncertainty.

From the logic, letters and spirit of law, the following will suffice in lightening the legal darkness enveloping the Kogi governorship election.

substantive governor.

Runner-up in the election Should be declared Winner?

Can Faleke take the place of Audu?

In some legal circles, this opinion has been amplified.

They are of the opinion that since Audu and Faleke are running on the same ticket, Faleke should be put forward to complete the process.

However, opponents of this view are reasoning that since Faleke didn’t go through a primary election, he is legally unqualified to be allocated the ticket of the party.

Some legal opinions are even saying the death of Audu leads to the repudiation of Faleke’s mandate as running mate.

Had Audu been declared winner and sworn in as governor before his death, Faleke would have legally been qualified to step in as

The demise of Prince Abubakar Audu has no doubt created a legal lacuna as no known law is in place to deal with the situation

Some PDP apologists are already pushing this position that Wada, the PDP candidate who was runner up should be declared winner.

To people in this school of thought, the demise of Prince Audu means the automatic declaration of the runner-up in the election, Capt Idris Wada as governor-elect.

This argument stems from the fact that the re-run is immaterial in view of the margin between the runnerup and the second runner-up.

This position is however punctured by APC members who say that the people of Kogi State had already endorsed the party in a general election before the demise of their candidate.

Re-run option This option seems to be the convergence zone among legal luminaries and political stakeholders in the state.

It is also believed to be the political solution to the imbroglio through the invocation of the doctrine of necessity.

With this coming with the

The demise of Prince Abubakar Audu has no doubt created a legal lacuna as no known law is in place to deal with the situation.

But beyond the legal frictions, APC is believed to be at crossroads on the issue.

The Tinubu Caucus is believed to be pushing hard for the replacement of Audu with Faleke, his political godson.

Tinubu was believed to have been instrumental to the choice of Faleke as Audu’s running mate ab initio. Faleke was a Council Chairman in Lagos before his elevation to the House of Representatives where he is representing Ikeja 2 Federal Constituency.

On the other flank, leaders that are more favourably disposed to the candidature of Alhaji Yahaya Bello are also making a legitimate case against Faleke on the ground he didn’t participate in the governorship primary of the party. To the Yahaya Bello supporters, it is not feasible for anyone to emerge governor without going through a valid primary election.

INEC’S line of action: In the coming hours or days, INEC is expected to make an informed proclamation on the Kogi governorship election.

The legal department of the commission is believed to be consulting widely to ensure they arrived at a less controversial position.

The Supreme Court and the Attorney General of the Federation are also expected to play a pivotal role in resolving the palpable confusion in the confluence state.

Will it be Faleke, Wada, Yahaya Bello or a re-run? The world is watching the unfolding drama in the Confluence State.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015—33

New challenges for PDP in Bayelsa

BAYELSA DECIDES

By Samuel Oyadongha

F

OR the first time in history, Bayelsans are witnessing a highly competitive campaign for the Creek Haven, the Bayelsa Government House from the political parties, two of which have shown consistency and left none in doubt of their desire to lead the state in the next four years.

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party PDP, though the occupant of the Creek Haven in the predominantly riverine state since the advent of civil rule is seriously being challenged by the All Progressive Congress APC, a party that dismantled the former dominance at the centre in the last Presidential polls and has vowed to replicate same in Bayelsa.

Though dismissed as a non starter by the ruling PDP given the slow take off of its (APC) campaign, the APC penultimate Saturday formally flagged off its campaign at Governor Seriake Dickson, Sagbama council area of the state.

The choice of Sagbama and the massive mobilisation which resulted in the huge crowd at the venue of the campaign flag off, according to an APC chieftain, was a strategic move to unsettle the PDP. PDP partisans, however, claim that majority of those that thronged the arena were ferried in from Yenagoa and neighbouring towns as they insist that Sagbama remains a PDP stronghold.

The grandstanding notwithstanding, the Sylva-Igiri APC campaign organisation driven by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has hinged its message on returning the state to the era of prosperity if elected into office.

Governorship campaign The APC which though started late has taken its campaign to Sagbama, Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw promising better days.

Speaking at the maiden flag off of the APC governorship campaign, the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun had affirmed the sincerity in the promises made to the people of the state by the party’s flag bearer, Timipre Sylva.

Presenting the party flag to Sylva, he said the last four years of the Governor Seriake Dickson administration in the state has been characterized by poverty and under development.

His words, “the party does not need to work on the people of the state and convince them to vote for the APC. The people know that the last development efforts witnessed in the state was carried out by the Chief Timipre Sylva administration. And I was told that there is somebody in the state Government House pretending to be the governor.”

Chief John Oyegun, who also received into the APC three aides of Governor Dickson and two ex-officio of the State Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), however assured the people of the

•Dickson & Sylva state that a vote for Sylva and the APC will bring prosperity.

Speaking at the occasion, Lokpobiri who is driving the campaign said the issue of campaigning for the December 5 governorship election goes beyond television coverage and frivolous claims.

Senator Lokpobiri said a recent survey conducted by the APC in Bayelsa showed that the party will score over 75 per cent of the votes to be cast during the December 5 Governorship election, “the PDP go to television and portray themselves as if they will score 10 per cent of the expected votes. They brought hunger and poverty into the state but the APC has brought jollification.”

The APC flag bearer, Sylva, after receiving the party’s flag called for a minute silence for the late former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and late APC stalwart and former PDP Chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd). He likened the APC train to the biblical Noah’s Ark saying persons who failed to enter the ark would be swallowed by the Opuabadi (sea).

Era of poverty and hardship He said when voted in, his administration would bring prosperity to the state and end the era of poverty and hardship.

“A new day is dawning over Bayelsa.

We are going to bring prosperity and empowerment to you people especially the youths. It is our responsibility to look after the youths,” he said.

He said the APC government would be about the people promising that youths would play active roles in his

government. He said the first thing his administration will do is to embark on quick-win jobs to empower the people and reduce the scourge of unemployment in the state. He vowed to stop over taxation of civil servants saying it was inhuman to centre development around the salaries of civil servants.

We are going to bring prosperity and empowerment to you people especially the youths. It is our responsibility to look after the youths

Sylva also dispelled speculations that if he wins, he would relocate the College of Education to his town where it was formally sited before Dickson took it to his council. “I am not going to do that. I am going to show him (the governor) that l am not vindictive and vengeful like him. I love my people and l know that my people love me.”

At Ekeremor, home base of the APC campaign director general and minister of state for agriculture, Senator Lokpobiri, the party also solicited the support of the people.

Interestingly, Ekeremor council area parades some of the big names in the politics of the state. The Director General of the PDP Restoration Campaign Organisation and member of the House of Representatives, Fred Agbedi is from the council area, the wife of the incumbent governor, Mrs. Rachel Dickson is also from the area.

At Ekeremor, Sylva said a new day had dawned in Bayelsa, and urged the people to embrace change in order to move the state to the next level of socio-economic and political development.

Though the PDP led government in the state has taken the ongoing Sagbama-Ekeremor Road project beyond Toru-Orua already tarred, with sand filling beyond Ofoni, the APC candidate mocked the former’s effort saying if elected his (Sylva) administration would not shortchange the people but would run a transparent government.

Sylva said, “I will link Sagbama with Ekeremor by road. I want to assure Bayelsans that I will not play ‘419’ because some people are doing 419 with the road.

34 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

• Lagosians queueing to fetch water at a public water tap

LAGOS WATER MASTER PLAN:

In coma, five years after

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

T

HE continued shortage of water in Lagos has forced residents to raise concerns over the 10-year ‘Lagos Water Supply Master Plan,’ drawn five years ago to address water shortage in the state.

The residents argued that less than a year to the completion of the short-term section of the plan, they were yet to feel the impact of the 2010 plan. Water is an essential need for every household. This makes it a primary demand in Lagos homes. Residents of Lagos use it for cooking and bathing.

Consuming it when not well processed leads to water-borne diseases. Due to this, it became important for the government to provide portable water to its citizens wherever they reside.

In a bid to perform its responsibility to its citizens, the state government constructed water works across the state to cater for residents need. The state in 1915 commenced the provision of portable water with the construction of the Iju water works with 2.42 million gallons per day, (MGD).

As the population of the state grows, the government conC M Y K

structed more water works. Notable among the water works was Adiyan Phase I commissioned in 1992.

Few years after, water shortage hit the state; not minding the N40.43 billion assets of the Lagos State Water Corporation.

The shortage, Vanguard gathered, was not lack of infrastructure but daily increase in population; which gave the state an edge over other states in the country.

Due to its population, Lagos years ago joined the league of megacities. The city was listed by the United Nations, UN, after attaining the required population standard, even as it predicted that the population of Lagos would in 2015 rise to over 16 million.

Second megacity However, the population of the second megacity in Africa has surpassed the figure according to the state government; considering the influx of residents of other states and foreign nationals into Lagos.

After reviewing the World

Urbanization Prospects last year, the UN noted that the largest urban growth will take place in Nigeria especially in Lagos, India and China. And that they will account for 37 per cent of the projected growth of the world’s urban population between 2014 and 2050.

By 2050, Nigeria including Lagos is projected to add 212 million people to world urban dwellers. The exploding urban population growth creates unprecedented challenges for Lagos.

The water demand in Lagos by 2020 will be 733 million gallons per day (mgd) from its present demand of 540 million gallons per day

30 years before the time projected by the UN, the population of Lagos which at present is believe to stand at 21 million is expected to increase to 29 million by 2020. The water demand at this time will be 733 million gallons per day (mgd) from its present demand of 540 million gallons per day.

Understanding the enormous demand this huge population would have for water, the state government in 2010 drew a water master plan for the state to address the water shortage.

According to the plan, the state would require $3.5 billion to execute the state water master plan. And it would increase water productivity by the government from its current 210 million gallons per day to 745 million gallons by 2020.

The master plan provided for the construction of large schemes that would utilize water from rivers and lagoons scattered across the state.

The corporation earlier in the years said that the state cannot solely undertake as it will require two and half years to fund with revenue generated deployed to the water sector only.

Worried by the huge funds, the

government in the master plan indicated plans for Public Private Partnership, PPP, to accelerate the development of water infrastructure in the state.

The master plan include shortterm (2010-2016), Mediumterm; (2014-2018) and Longterm; (2019-2020) solutions for water shortage in the state.

Projects in the masterplan Projects included in the shortterm for completion according to the master plan, were Adiyan II, Odomola I, Ishasi Expansion (12 MGD) and Oto-Awori water works. With the plan, these projects should have been at least at 80 percent completion. The short-term which was expected to elapse in 2016, is expected to add 107 million gallons of water per day to the existing water supply.

Former Managing Director of the Lagos Water Corporation, Mr. Shayo Holloway had earlier in the year said that the government has commenced the implementation of the master plan with the ongoing construction of Adiyan Phases two.

According to him, the state government has also completed the Otta-Ikosi water works to serve 11 towns in Ikorodu and Epe areas.

In the medium-term were Adiyan phase 111, Yewa and Continues on page 35

VI

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015 — 35

Lagos W at er Mast er Plan: In coma, ffiv iv ear Wat ater Master ivee yyear earss af aftter

• Water installation Continues from page 34 Ibeshe (desalination), Odomola 11. These projects would be adding 260 Million Gallon Per Day to increase water production from the government to 577 Million Gallons Per Day. While projects in the longterm were Yewa 11, Odomola 111 and upgrading of Ishasi water works to meet to exceed the water demands in the state.

These projects would produce 168 million gallons of water daily.

Even as the government works to actualize the plans, the government under the previous administration embarked on the construction of miniwater works.

Sources said that the state government has 14 micro or mini water works. Some of them are located at Victoria Island annex, Eredo, Otta-Ikosi, Agege, Epe, Isolo, Apapa, Surulere, Amuwo-Odofin and others.

Water shortage It added that the state government has over 30 water works in the pipeline with expectant 55.1 million gallons of water per day. But to the surprise of many residents of Lagos, these mini-water works are yet to reduce the water shortage across the state.

They often complained that they rely on water from either unhygienic boreholes or from water vendors popularly called Mairuwa for their daily water C M Y K

needs.

They explained that lack of public water facilities had resulted in the proliferation of private boreholes, wells and continuous engagement of the Mairuwa services to meet their daily demand for water.

Sources said that a larger percentage of these private facilities lack the good treatment plants to turn the sourced water into drinkable one because they are from shallow wells.

And the owners do not have the financial capacity to procure the required water treatment plants, forcing them to use their water without treatment.

Vanguard gathered that few areas that had laid water pipes experienced unstable water supply, thus they wait for water distributors or settle for sachet water.

A resident in Alapere, Mrs. Mary Olatunbosun speaking to Vanguard on how the state government had helped in providing their daily water needs, said angrily; “We do not have access to public water facility here, either from the Federal or state government. We source for water daily and this is done individually.

“And daily, the state government boasts of providing water to the public through their water works in Iju and Adiyan water works. But to our surprise, we have none to drink in our community.”

Vanguard learnt that the two water works produce 115 million gallons of water per day and they are powered by an Independent Power Plant, IPP.

Sources said that the state government has over 30 water works in the pipeline with an expected 55.1 million gallons of water per day.

The sources added that the state government also has 14 micro or mini water works.

Some of them are located at Victoria Island annex, Eredo, Otta-Ikosi, Agege, Epe, Isolo, Apapa, Surulere, Amuwo-Odofin and others.

Mr. Damilare Fasasi, another resident lamented: “What can we do when government has abandoned the supply of water to citizens? We will rely on the available source of water supply. You know that we cannot do without water. I've never had access to public water or sighted any public tap in

The state government boasts of daily provision of water to the public through their water works in Iju and Adiyan water works. But to our surprise, we have none to drink in our community

this community since I came few years ago. All I do is to rely on any source of water. If we have running water at our disposal, the mairuwa will be phased out because they will have no one to sell to. '' But until then, we have no option than to patronize water vendors. Either portable or not, they are doing much more than the government at the moment."

Mr. Olatunbosun Tijani, another resident, said that the mairuwa lacked the wherewithal to manage or distribute water effectively, adding “Aside this, we have to manage the water by evolving common water cleansing methods. Also, patronize the neater vendors.”

Mrs. Olabisi Akanbi emphasised: "Let's not muddle up responsibilities; the government ought to provide portable water for its citizens and not the water vendors who operate for profit. So the government should try and improve on the accessibility and availability of water supply to its citizens,”

We are working to address challenges — Govt Responding last week, Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Babatunde Adejare, in a statement issued said the government appreciates the concerns and the difficulties Lagosians are experiencing in accessing public water supply.

Adejare attributed the challenge to technical hitches, how-

ever assuring that efforts are currently being made to address them once and for all.

His words: "The state government is on top of the situation and I can assure residents of the state that before the week runs out, they will begin to enjoy regular water supply. The Lagos Water Corporation is working round the clock to address the technical hitches and we need to get it right once and for all.”

Epileptic service He said the state government is still on course to deliver 733 million gallons per day of clean and portable water by 2020 so as to ensure residents are safe and healthy.

On the reason for the miniwater providing epileptic service, the state water corporation attributed the challenges to poor power supply in the country.

The corporation lamented that continuous voltage spark often damages the facilities in the mini-water works, noting that for constant service delivery, uninterrupted power supply is required.

The corporation lamented that the prohibitive cost of diesel (4kobo/litre of water produced) makes alternative power solution unviable at current tariffs.

It added that none of the water agencies across the country had been able to recover costs at the unsustainable tariffs which operate nationwide.

36—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 , 2015

Why NASS can tightlip Buhari over immunity proposal

By Kolawole Olaniyan

I

MAGINE that members of the Eighth National Assembly had announced during the recent general election campaigns exactly how they were going to tear up section 308 of the 1999 Constitution (which protects the president, vice president, governors and their deputies against civil and criminal proceedings while they are in office) to grant their leaders immunity from prosecution for corruption and money laundering.

“Fellow Nigerians and patriots, we promise you that we will immediately after the elections make sure that our leaders enjoy immunity from prosecution for corruption, money laundering and other similar crimes. We will make sure that our leaders are no longer subject to the criminal law to reflect their powerful positions and show that you are not like any one of us. We stand here today to tell you that we will be doing this to shield us and our leaders from our political foes.”

Had they done this, it’s almost certain that they would not have been elected (or re-elected) as parliamentarians in a free and fair election. But a few months after becoming ‘Honourable members’ of the Eightth National Assembly they announced through the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Leo Ogor, that they would begin the process of constitution amendment to grant the Senate President and his deputy, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and his deputy immunity from prosecution for corruption and money laundering.

According to reports, extending constitutional immunity to these powerful officials is the only way to counter what they see as ‘the constant external influence and manipulations in the choice of presiding officers of the National Assembly.’ This immunity initiative is coming on the heels of the trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki on 13 counts of false assets declaration before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, thus suggesting that the two may not be unconnected. The immunity initiative looks like a revenge job, and one for self-aggrandisement. This is undoubtedly a low period in public esteem for our ‘lawmakers.’

Yet, the success of President Muhammadu Buhari’s proclaimed fight against corruption hinges not only on his ‘integrity record’ or members of his cabinet but also the collective involvement of all branches of government, in particular the National Assembly and the judiciary. What the National Assembly is doing is patently at odds with the ‘anti- President corruption agenda’ Buhari should of President be aware that Muhammadu Buhari and the the immunity ‘political change’ initiative that Nigerians voted poses serious for.

This is like taking risks to his Nigeria back to the middle ages. And it anticlearly undermines corruption the rule of law as it portrays the agenda, and lawmakers as being the likelihood above the law. It’s double standard for of it being the lawmakers to compromised make laws to is very high regulate others

while tearing up the constitution to be free of regulation themselves. The 1999 Constitution (as amended) recognizes the role of the National Assembly to “make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the Federation.”

This suggests that when it comes to issue of corruption, members of the Eighth National Assembly should worry less about their own interest and more about the citizens who are the real victims of corruption. As a law-making body whose primary duty it is to make laws for good governance, its purpose ought to be to rid the country of impunity for those who will commit high level official corruption, with a philosophy that doesn’t recognize immunity or give leeway to the most powerful or influential. Extending rather than limiting immunity from prosecution for corruption involving parliamentarians is a licence to impunity and lawbreaking, which clearly isn’t compatible with good governance. Parliamentarians promoting and granting immunity to themselves can only serve to launder the rule of the powerful rather than the rule of law. And it’s patently inconsistent with the United Nations Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.

The convention in fact requires Nigeria to achieve “appropriate balance between any immunities” and to “ensure effective investigation, prosecution and adjudication of corruption offences.” Part of making laws for good governance of Nigeria is to serve the desire of victims of corruption for accountability, for justice, for dignity, and the members of the Eighth National Assembly will be fulfilling their constitutional role by, for example, addressing as a central priority the situation of victims of corruption including by clearing the way through public hearings and progressive legislation that can provide legal standing and access to effective remedies for victims of corruption.

Victims of corruption It is not by clinging to whatever will shield them from their perceived political foes that members of the 8th National Assembly will better perform their lawmaking role. And it doesn’t have to be at the expense of the fight against corruption.

After all, there is always the judiciary and due process of law to take care of any perceived abuse of anti-corruption laws by the authorities.

If only members of the Eighth National Assembly can grasp the thinnest slice of what victims of corruption experience they will re-think their proposal to grant their leaders immunity from prosecution for corruption. It is to be hoped that members of the Eighth National Assembly will have the courage to drop this out-of-fashionimmunity-proposal for the ‘love of the country’ and its impoverished citizens.

Also, President Buhari should be aware that the immunity initiative poses serious risks to his anti-corruption agenda, and the likelihood of it being compromised is very high. He should speak out and move swiftly to dissuade members of the Eighth National Assembly from taking forward the immunity initiative if his vision ‘to be remembered as a Nigerian president who fought corruption to a standstill’ is to be effectively realised.

•Olaniyan is Legal Adviser at Amnesty International’s International Secretariat, London

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 , 2015—37

2011 Bonga spill: Prevail on SNEPCo to pay $3.3bn compensation, victims beg FG, Britain A

By Emma Amaize

SABA—SHORELINE communities and fisherpersons in the Niger Delta affected by the Shell Nigeria Exploration Company, SNPECo, Bonga oil spill of 2011, have requested President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly and the British and Netherlands governments to prevail on Shell to release the $3.6 billon compensation and punitive damage evaluated by the Nigerian government against the company.

The communities, in a statement, yesterday, by the leader/coordinator, F. A. Monday and the Amananawei of Aghoro II, HRM I. Ojukonsin, said: “In line with earlier directives by the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream and House of Representatives Committee on Environment, SNEPCo should provide relief materials to the said victims pending when the money is paid.”

Accusing the company of “nonchalant attitude” to letters from the communities on the said pollutants, they said SNEPCo was continuously delaying and refusing to comply with government directives to settle

with the victims.

They warned: “We will no longer tolerate SNEPCo’s actions, which we consider to be a slight on the Nigerian government as well as a calculated attempt to instigate the peace loving victims into protests within the Niger Delta region.”

Expressing disappointment at the attitude of the firm, they

recalled that SNEPCo accepted responsibility for 40,000 barrels crude oil spill from its Bonga facility, on November 20, 2011 and the use of harmful chemical dispersants to scatter the oil.

The victims maintained that the said pollutants contaminated ecological resources in the sea, where they carry out their regular fishing activities and caused

aquatics to migrate to other areas, thereby depriving them of their sources of livelihood and income.

“We also wish to inform the general public that the said victims that have been identified by the government are not in any court with SNEPCo having voluntarily agreed not to engage in any

AWARD: From left: President, Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Olorogun James Omeru presenting an award to MD/CEO, CMC Connect Burson Marsteller Mr. Yomi Okusanya, during the 2nd National Mandatory Seminar of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, in Lagos, yesterday.

Kachikwu not romancing Delta PDP —NDIMRC T

HE Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change, NDIMRC, has given the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, a clean bill of health, dismissing an allegation against him that he was fraternising with the leadership of the Delta State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. A group, Buhari Movement for Change, BMC, had in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, alleged Kachikwu’s romance with the leadership of the PDP in Delta State.

But reacting, NDIMRC, by its President, Nelly Emma, implored President Buhari to ignore the group, saying its members were out to give the minister a bad name while at the same time seeking for self recognition.

NDIMRC said it was not true that the minister was romancing with the Delta State PDP, noting that it was too early in the day to call for the head of the minister.

Emma said the minister should be allowed to settle down to his national assignment rather than distract him at this early stage and crucial period for the country.

Giving the President a pat on the back for the wise choice of the minister, the group implored the President not to take the

allegation against the minister seriously.

“We want to draw your attention to the recent publication by the

group going by the name Buhari Movement for Change in which they faulted you for the choice of Kachikwu as the Minister of State

for Petroleum and also accuse him of romancing with the leadership of the Delta State Chapter of PDP.”

Delta APC, LP urged to rally round Okowa for state's devt

U

G H E L L I — A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, Mr. Joshua Atigogo, has appealed to politicians especially those from All Progressives Congress, APC and Labour Party, LP, in the state, to rally round the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, towards the positive repositioning of the state.

Speaking yesterday on the economic challenges before the state, Atigogo said that it had become necessary for all hands to be on deck in rescuing the state from negative forces.

Appealing to Deltans, irrespective of political affiliations, to rally round the state governor, Atigogo said: "It is time for all political actors in the state to sacrifice personal ambition for the collective interest of peace, prosperity and unity.

"I am appealing to all contenders in the state to sheathe their swords in order to support the vision and programmes of the state governor."

Yuletide: NSCDC warns criminals to repent or flee Delta

Court stops installation of Eze Ndigbo in Edo

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

ENIN—AN Edo State High Court sitting in Benin, has ordered the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Chris Ezike, to stop the installation of one Chief Luke Abbas as Eze Ndigbo of Edo State.

Trial judge, Justice Alero Edodo-Eruaga, gave the order sequel to an ex-parte motion by

Chief Fecus Ezekwere and two others on behalf of the Igbo community union in Benin City.

The court also restrained Abbas from presenting himself to Eze Nwosu Ibe for installation as Eze Ndigbo of Edo State.

The court also restrained Ibe and his agents from installing Abbas as Eze Ndigbo of Edo State pending the determination of the

motion on notice.

The court also restrained the state Commissioner of Police from “permitting or allowing Ibe and Abbas to assemble at Abbas’s residence for the purpose of installing him as Eze Ndigbo of Edo State.”

The case has been adjourned to December 22 for hearing on the motion on notice.

Edo APC to Igbinedion: Stop sentiments, defend yourself recanted their stories and the

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN—THE All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State has called on the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, to defend himself over the allegations levelled at him by Governor Adams Oshiomhole in his address at the ceremony to mark his 7th anniversary in office and stop whipping up sentiments.

In a statement by the APC State Publicity Secretary, Godwin Erhahon, the party said the Bini chief has been circulating falsehood to distort the facts of the

governor’s address in order to score cheap points.

He said: “We have watched with amusement, the desperate attempts by Chief Igbinedion and his sympathizers to portray Governor Oshiomhole as a villain.

“It will be recalled that Chief Igbinedion had, since 2012, deployed his radio and television stations to conduct incessant and undeserved campaign of calumny and falsehood against the person and office of Governor Oshiomhole until early this year.

“The Independent Radio and Independent Television had at a time publicly apologized and

virulent attacks abated. From what we now know, the renewed onslaught against the governor is directly attributable to the fact that he exposed the transfer of state land to the chief in questionable circumstances during the tenure of his son Chief Lucky Igbinedion as governor.

“There is also the issue of using government facilities to train students in private institutions owned by Chief Gabriel Igbinedion at the expense of Edo tax payers while the chief smiles to the bank with hundreds of millions of naira."

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA—AHEAD of the yuletide, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Delta State Command, has warned criminals to either repent or leave the state.

Handing down the warning after receiving one Operational Hilux Van from HRM Omene Udurhie I, the Ovie of Mosogar Kingdom, the state Commandant, Beatrice Irabor, said that officers and men of NSCDC were fully mobilized to ensure a crime-free season.

She enjoined those involved in acts of pipeline vandalism to stop forthwith, saying, “No one would be spared in the command's resolve to fight the menace that has resulted in huge financial and material loss to the country’s economy.”

Irabor said the NSCDC would collaborate with traditional institutions, security agencies and other stakeholders to ensure a hitch-free celebration.

38—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

Nuel Mark to launch NGO for less privileged

Court of Appeal reserves judgment on certificate forgery case

By Chidi Nkwopara

By Starrys Obazei

O

WERRI—THE Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, has reserved judgment for a later date, on the appeal filed by the member for Ideato South state constituency in Imo State House of Assembly, Mr. Ikechukwu Amuka, over his alleged forgery of the West African School Certificate, WAEC, result he used

Nuel Mark & Partners, a renowned firm of estate surveyors and valuers, registered and recognized by the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria, has rolled out the drums to celebrate its 10th anniversary with an annual lecture and a reach-out to the less privileged.

Speaking at an interactive media session, Emmanuel Mark, Lead Consultant and Head of Practice of Nuel Mark & partners said: “Our tested reputation based on experience, maturity, professionalism and prompt service delivery remains our hallmark.”

He added that as part of her Corporate Social Responsibilities, CSR, the company also intends to officially unveil her Non-Governmental Organisation -The Nuel Mark Foundation (for giving back to the society) on November 26, 2015.

“God has been very kind to us and we’ve decided to use this platform to put smiles on the faces of the less privileged in our society. When you choose to think good, speak good and do good, you can find your place in the world,” Emmanuel Mark said.

And as part of the 10th anniversary, Mark said their first ever annual lecture on ‘Land acquisition, affordable and sustain- able housing development in the Niger Delta region,’ will be held in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

I

n one day, the man is declared the winner of Kogi governorship election, the same day the election is declared inconclusive, before the day ends the man dies. God have mercy on our land and help the families of the bereaved. -Miss Anasthesia Ezeka, Worker

during the last general election.

The lower tribunal had, during the hearing of the election petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the state assembly seat, Mrs. Nkechi Ugwu, alleged that Amuka forged the WAEC certificate he used for the election.

The tribunal equally ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to withdraw the certificate of return it issued

to Amuka and transfer same to Mrs. Ugwu.

Besides these two orders, the tribunal also recommended that the embattled lawmaker be dragged before a competent court of the land to face trial for forgery and perjury.

Apparently grieved by these pronouncements of the Tribunal, Mr. Amuka approached the Court of Appeal, seeking to quash the judgment of the lower tribunal.

Vanguard recalls that already all the parties in the suit had filed their processes before the Court of Appeal, as well as closed their submissions and were now awaiting a date for judgment.

A staff of the Court of Appeal, who spoke on strict grounds of anonymity, confirmed that the court would appropriately communicate with the parties on when to come for judgment.

academic exercises, but most evidently ,we were used to get full NUC accreditation for many departments in the university,” they added.

The ex-staff said: “Since our employment, we have discharged our academic duties diligently, which included lecturing, invigilating during examinations, marking of quizzes and examinations scripts, and preparation of results, as well as taking active part in June 2015 accreditation exercise.”

On whether they had made

their grievances known to the state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, they said that they had written him on the matter but had not received his response.

“The management of ESUT has decided to use the school as a fertile ground for politics as against an institution where teaching, and other academic functions thrive," they added.

The ESUT Director for Public Affairs, Mr. Ossy Uwoti promised newsmen he would speak as soon as he had consulted his principals on the issue.

ESUT sacks 153 lecturers

By Emeka Mamah

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NUGU—ENUGU State University of Technology, ESUT, Enugu, has sacked 153 lecturers from its employment.

No official reasons were given for the sacking of the lecturers, but sources told Vanguard that the dismissal, which also affected a professor and a reader, cut across various departments in the institution.

One of the sack letters signed by the Registrar of the university, Leonard Khama and dated October 23, 2015, stated: “I am directed to inform you and you are hereby informed that the university is presently not positioned to employ you.

“You should, therefore, hand over any university property in your possession to the Head of Department. If, however, your services are required in the future by the university, you will be informed accordingly.”

Briefing newsmen in Enugu, yesterday, on the development, some of the affected lecturers, who spoke under the aegis of the 'Disengaged Members of Staff of ESUT,' noted their ugly experiences, saying that it was unjustifiable for the university to employ them in a bid to get accreditation from the National Universities Commission, NUC,

only to dismiss them after seven months without pay.

“In spite of the huge debts we have incurred in the process of living up to our responsibilities and keeping our jobs, no salary was paid to any of us between February and this month when we were employed,” they said.

According to the lecturers, they were employed because of the consistent refusal of the NUC to accredit most courses in ESUT. “The fruit of our employment have been felt in the vacuum we filled in classes and other

Regulatory high-handness killing businesses, NECA cries out

By Victor AhiumaYoung

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IGERIA EMPLOYERS’ Consultative Association, NECA, yesterday, raised alarm over alleged increasing regulatory high-handedness, warning that the practice is not only capable of crippling existing investments, but will hinder government’s drive for foreign investments.

NECA in a statement by its Director-General, Mr. Olusegun Oshinowo, contended that “some of the recent disturbing trends

included the heavy punitive charge of N1.04 trillion imposed on MTN Nigeria by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, for failure to deactivate over five million of its registered subscribers which had led to the loss of about a fifth of the company’s shares within three weeks of the pronouncement.

"Another was the slamming of an ‘administrative charge’ of N1 billion on Guinness Nigeria Plc

by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, for alleged violation of NAFDAC rules, regulations and enactments over a long period of time, among others.

“While NECA appreciates the essence of the roles of regulators and would also not support unfair practices by business operators, we are, however, aversed to heavy-handedness by way of sanctions that could snuff life out of the businesses."

Oshinowo warned that "in the course of performing their lawful duties, regulatory agencies must avoid sending wrong signals to the business community and the general public that its activities are pecuniary driven. While national interest is paramount, it must be balanced with the need to ensure the survival of the goose that lays the golden egg.”

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

On APC go ship candidat e’s death in K ogi govvernor ernorship candidate’s Kogi

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really think his deputy should take over. The election is based on party not individuals. A re-run will amount to waste of Kogi people's time; waste of resources an unnecessary retardation of Kogi’s life. -Mr. Joel Okoji, Student

H

e saw the promised land although with insignificant gaze (inconclusive result), he could not enter it. Death is the sudden reminder of the vanity inherent in life’s pursuits. We know today but unsure of tomorrow. -Miss Chioma Ani, Model

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udu had not been declared winner of the election yet, he was only leading and the result was declared inconclusive. So it does not apply to Section 181 of the constitution of Nigeria. The constitution did not provide for such. Miss Temilola Lawrence, Worker

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here is no constitutional lacuna here. No constitution in the whole world can envisage and provide for everything. If the flag-bearer of a party dies, then the party fields another candidate and the election starts all over again. -Mr. Ikehuamen Omokhui, Self Employed

A

PC knew Audu was sick, they chose him just to win the election, hoping that when he passes on, his deputy will succeed him. Almighty God has His own plans.

Election to be conducted is the supplementary election. -Mr. Augustine Nicholas, Banker

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 , 2015—39

Fashola, Ogbeh urged to hit power, agric sectors running

Zungeru Dam: Communities allege large scale fraud over compensation

By Chioma Obinna

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By Wole Mosadomi

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INNA — COMMUNITIES affected by the construction of Zungeru Hydroelectric Dam project in Niger State have alerted the Federal Government over a large scale fraud in respect of payment of compensation to members whose lands were acquired for the multimillion Naira project.

In a letter of protest addressed to the Minister of Power, Mr Babatunde Fashola, the communities accused officials of the ministry and the consultants who were saddled with the responsibility of compensating those affected, of total refusal to pay them, even when the money had been approved.

They called on the minister to investigate and bring those involved to book or be dragged to court in default.

The communities, under the aegis of Shabazhe Youth Movement Association, accused the two consulting firms of diverting their compensation for their own use.

In the letter signed by Zubairu Umar Jiko, Chairman, Umar Usman Maikakaki, Secretary and four others, the association said: “We call on you to investigate this. We also enjoin you to find time to investigate bank accounts of the consulting firms at Skye Bank. Doing so will reveal that the manner of lodgements into those accounts is contrary to civil service general order that stipulates that public fund can only be paid into a private account in the manner the lodgements were made only if the payee provided a bank guarantee or bond in the like sum which did not happen in this case.

“As at now, no payment has been made in respect of houses and structures.

Compensations for the land on which the people are to be settled have not been paid, ditto for the provision of social amenities such as schools, roads etc are yet to be provided at the so called resettlement site.

“To us, nothing has been done in the matter of resettling the people whose lands were acquired for the dam.”

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MEETING: From left: Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State; Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa'ad; Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Ibn Garbai; Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Bashir Iliyasu and Emir of Kano Alhaji Sanusi Lamido, at the Northern Traditional Rulers' Council meeting in Kaduna. Photo: Olu Ajayi.

68% IDPs are children —Dogara

By Emman Ovuakporie

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BUJA—SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, yesterday, said 68 per cent of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in Nigeria were children.

Speaking at the sensitisation workshop and launch of UNHCR hand book, "On Internal Displacement for Parliamentarians," Dogara said statistics from the UNHCR showed that 68 per cent of IDPs in Nigeria were children, adding that there had been about 60,000 births in IDP camps so far.

The speaker further stressed that today’s event offered the opportunity to restate the fact that there was no adequate legal framework for handling issues of internal displacement.

According to him, though Nigeria at the executive level has ratified the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention), it has not yet been domesticated by the legislature.

He said: “We need to further explore the theme of this handbook for parliamentarians, which is ‘Internal Displacement: Responsibility and Action’, in a nutshell, who and what is responsible for internal displacement and what action is being taken by relevant authorities to address the problem.

"For our purposes, I think we should adopt the description of IDPs as 'persons or group of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized state border.' (Article 1(k) of the Kampala

Convention).

“Large scale development and environmental projects can also generate IDPs. What is clear from the above definition is that IDPs are citizens of our country. They are not refugees from another country.

‘’They are our constituents, some of who voted us into office. As legislators, we have a duty and responsibility to care for them, protect them, assist them, provide for their needs, their welfare and to advocate on their behalf.”

FG to revive fishing, farming at Chad River Basin soon — Minister

By Tina Akannam

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UTSE — THE Federal Government is set to revive fishing and agricultural activities at the Chad Basin area of Borno and Adamawa states which was devastated by Boko Haram Insurgents.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Water Resources and Rural development, Sulaiman Adamu, in while responding questions from newsmen at Government House, Dutse, Jigawa State, on Sunday night.

Adamu, who said he was in Dutse to attend the All Progressives Congress, APC, stakeholders meeting, stressed

that since peace had returned to the embattled North-East, President Muhammadu Buhari directed him to do everything possible to revive fishing and farming activities in the area, so that youth could be employed.

According to him, one reason that expanded the activities of insurgency in the North Eastern states is the joblessness of youths in the the region.

He further disclosed that the Federal Government collaborated with Chad, Cameroon and Central African Republic to source water from Central Africa to Chad River to boost agricultural activities and fishing business.

Ambode petitioned over invasion of Ibeju Lekki villages

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AGOS — GOVERNOR Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has been urged to prevail on officials of the state New Town Development Authority (NTDA) which forcibly took over the farm and fish ponds land of Moliki Salabiu, Daudu Bashiru, Abolade Owoseni and Ishola Saidu villages in Ibeju Lekki Area.

According to a petition signed

by Prince Ademola Adewale of De-Vine Chambers, the forcible occupation of the villages took place on November 9, 2015, when the residents of the communities discovered that the state government officials invaded their farmlands, fish ponds and started clearing their crops planted on the land with caterpillar, with the aid of Police officers in the Lagos State New Development Authority

Security Backup Unit.

The communities condemned the use of the instrumentality of the Nigerian Police by the government to chase away people from their farmland and fish ponds without any prior notice.

They regretted that their farmlands and fish ponds had been destroyed by Lagos State Government New Town Development Authority which is against the policy trust of the present administration at the federal and state levels.

The solicitor to the communities claimed that its clients were told that it was Governor Akinwunmi Ambode who gave the instruction to destroy their farmlands and fish ponds.

OWER, Works and Housing Minister, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has been called upon to hit the ground running by holistically investigating the remote and immediate causes of epileptic power supply in Nigeria, with a view to resolving them.

President of Good Governance Initiative, GGI, and Managing Director, Blue Diamond Logistics China, Mr. Festus Mbisiogu, who made the call in a statement, said the power sector problem should be given priority by the new minister, if President Buhari’s administration must survive the present global economic down-turn occasioned by a fall in oil price.

The GGI president also asked the new Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, to fashion out policies that would boost the agric sector and also make it attractive to youths to reduce the wave of unemployment in the country.

Ambode, others brainstorm on nation’s economy

By Evelyn Usman

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MINENT personalities from all walks of life will converge on Lagos Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja Lagos, Thursday, to brainstorm on the way forward for the country’s economy, with a view to proferring solutions that would benefit the populace.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State will be the special guest at the event organised by Portfolio Management Institute of Nigeria to mark its 2015 annual national conference / induction and award..

The conference, with the theme ‘Strategic Portfolio Management in Enhancing Economic Development’ as explained by the institute’s Director of Media, Mr Nwachukwu Sidney, is aimed among other things, “ to bring all portfolio management professions and practitioners together to discuss and rub minds on issues that affect our economy and to proffer solutions."

Former Director General, Nigeria Stock Exchange, Apostle Hayford Alile, is expected to deliver the keynote address.

40—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

CONFERENCE: From left—Director, Global Reporting Initiative, Africa, Mr. Douglas Kativu; Head, Sustainability and Consumer Protection Department, Skye Bank Plc, Mrs Bola Adesanoye; Mrs. Ini Onuk, CEO, Thisle Praiz Consulting, and Chukwuemeka Onyekwe of Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Central Bank of Nigeria, at the 2015 stakeholders conference on sustainability Reporting hosted by Skye Bank in Lagos.

PRE-AGM CONFERENCE: From left; Mr. Peter Ndegwa,MD/CEO; Mr. Babatunde Savage,Chairman, and Mr. Sesan Sobolwale, Corporate Relations Director, all of Guinness Nigeria Plc., at the company’s pre-annual general meeting in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau.

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THANKSGIVING: From left—Prince Bambo Adesanya, Registrar, Lagos West Church of Nigeria, Justice Opeoluwa Ogunade, Chancellor, Lagos West Anglican Communion, Bishop of Lagos West Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Olusola Odedeji; Deputy Chancellor, Justice Ayo Philiphs, Diocesan Father, Chief Segun Oshunkeye, and Preacher, Rev. Olabode Daramola, during the Holy Communion/Thanksgiving to mark the 16th anniversary of the Diocese at Arch Bishop Vining Memorial Anglican Church Cathedral, Ikeja, Lagos. Photo By Diran Oshe

COMMISSIONING: From left— Mr Stefan Oschmann,Vice Chairman, Merck, Mr Philippe Durbiano, Area Manager, Bioscience EMEA, Merck, Prof. FracoisXavier Mbopi-Keou of University of Yaounde, and Mr Ingo Herbert, Consulate General, Republic of Germany, at the commissioning of Merck office and launch of MUSE Equipment in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

OPENING: From left—Dumebi Agbakoba, Executive Chef & Director of Samantha’s Bistro, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, and Yetunde Ogunnubi, Special Events & Communications Manager, at the opening of Samantha’s Bistro in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau.

ART & BOOK FESTIVAL: From left— Sheputa Icha, Head, Marketing, PAN Nigeria Ltd, Helon Habila,Writer & participant and Lola Soneyin, organiser of Ake Art & Book Festival, Abeokuta, during the festival.

MEETING: From left—Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Enugu State Council, Chief Louis Dilibe, Chairman, Colliery Old Boys Association, COBA, Enugu branch, Dr. Maxwell Ude, and Secretary, Mr Eyiuche Osy, during COBA's meeting in Enugu.

ORAL HEALTH PROGRAMME: From left: Assistant CSR Manager, Airtel Nigeria, Chioma Okolie; member, Nigerian Dental Association, NDA, Dr. Badejo Inotu; Education Secretary, Ijebu-North Local Government Education Authority, Mrs. Mistura Balogun, and Head Teacher, St. John’s Primary. School, Mrs. Okubanjo Adesola with the pupils, during the oral health programme sponsored by Airtel and Unilever Nigeria in partnership with NDA, at Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015—41

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42—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

TRIBUTE TO HID AWOLOWO—Ogun State, yesterday, paid tributes to late Chief HID Awolowo at Sagamu Stadium, along Ikene Road, Sagamu.

Left: Chief Ernest Sonekan, former Head of the Interim National Government; Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, wife of the Vice President; Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and his wife, Mrs. Funso Amosun at the event. PHOTO: WUNMI AKINOLA.

I'm devastated by Audu’s death, says Buhari •It’s a monumental loss —PDP •Saraki, govs, others pay tributes

By Clifford Ndujihe, Henry Umoru, Simon Ebegbulem, Chidi Nkwopara, Emman Ovuakporie, Dayo Johnson, Demola Akinyemi, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Aliyu Dangida & Ebun Sessou

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AGOS—THE polity was awash with tributes, yesterday, for the first civilian governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, who died on Sunday. Before his death, Prince Audu, who contested last Saturday’s governorship election on the plank of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was on the verge of being elected for the third time as governor of Kogi. He was leading his closest challenger, Governor Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with over 40,000 votes until the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared the polls inclusive and said there would be supplementary elections in 59 polling units which have 49,000 registered voters.

Audu’s death, which has created a constitutional crisis because the Constitution and the Electoral Act did not envisage that a candidate could die during an election, also threw the nation into mourning.

I’m devastated – Buhari

P r e s i d e n t Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, expressed shock over the news of Abubakar Audu’s death, saying he was personally

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devastated by the sad development.

President Buhari, who is currently attending the Third Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Tehran, Iran, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, described Audu as a talented politician, a loving family head and a respected community leader.

“He was immensely courageous. President Buhari condoles with the family of the late governor, the government and people of Kogi State as well as all our party members, men and women who stood with Audu in his bid to return as governor.

He ran as the favorite in the election as the early results have clearly shown.”

Audu was a visionary leader – Saraki

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, said Audu’s death is painful and shocking.

Senator Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, expressed deep sadness on receiving the news of Audu’s death and condoled with the immediate family of the

deceased, the government and people of Kogi State and the national and state executives as well as members of the APC over the irreparable loss.

He recalled the tenacity of purpose and unwavering loyalty of the deceased who he said remained committed to the course of his people and his party to the very last moment of his life.

Saraki said: “He was selfless, steadfast and patriotic in his services to the people of Kogi State and beyond. He was a visionary and patriotic party faithful. All his life time, he lived for the people. His death is extremely painful but we cannot question the will of the Almighty Allah in the present sorrowful circumstances."

APC has lost a strong pillar – Dogara

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, described Audu’s death as sad and shocking. Also, the Deputy Speaker, Sulaiman Lasun, said the death of the Kogi strong politician was a rude shock.

In a statement issued

by Dogara’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, the Speaker said the news of Prince Audu’s sudden death came to him as a shock.

Lamenting that the APC has lost one of its strong pillars who helped built the party in Kogi state, Dogara said Audu’s death is ’a major setback for the APC family but as people of

faith we cannot question the work of the almighty God who gives life and only Him can take it away."

Dogara regretted that Audu could not live to celebrate the imminent victory of the APC in the governorship election for which he was the leading candidate.

“Prince Audu was a dogged fighter, grassroots mobilizer, leader and politician par excellence whose influence transcends the frontiers of Kogi State,” he said.

Also, Lasun, in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr Wole Oladimeji said Prince Audu was a true party man who fought till the last breath to see that APC is rooted in Kogi State.

It’s a monumental loss –PDP

The National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said it is shocked by the news of the sudden death of Audu.

“At this critical moment, the PDP refrains from comments on the conduct of the election. That is not important now. What is important at this point is the sanctity of human life.

Our deepest thoughts and prayers go to the family of Prince Abubakar Audu and indeed, the APC fold.

“On this note, the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, charges all PDP members in Kogi and across the nation to keep Prince Audu, his family and loved ones in their prayers, as we mourn with them and the people of Kogi State over this monumental loss.”

Audu’s death a rude shock — Oshiomhole

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State also described the death of Prince Abubakar Audu as a rude shock.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Peter Okhiria, the Governor said: “I received with shock, the sad news of the death of Prince Abubakar Audu, candidate of our great party in the Kogi State gubernatorial election. I was with Prince Audu just a few days ago, at the mega rally of our great party, where we marketed our party ’s manisfesto to the electorate and he looked hale and hearty as he dished out his plans to

restore the glory of his state.

“His death, coming just as we were getting ready to celebrate his unassailable lead at the polls, is a sad reminder on the transience of life.

There is no doubt that Kogi State has lost a gentleman, a certified performer whose legacies as a first-term governor remain unmatched in the state.

Even as we mourn his untimely death, we are consoled that he made quality contributions to the development of his state and lived a life worthy of emulation."

It’s a lesson for all – Okorocha

Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, said he was shocked by “the sudden death of Prince Abubakar Audu because it happened when no one expected it."

In a press statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Samuel Onwuemeodo, the governor said: “The death of the APC governorship candidate in Kogi State came when no one expected it, but God knew why he allowed it to happen few poles to his coming back as the Executive Governor of that state”, adding however that the death of the Prince should be a solid lesson for everybody, irrespective of his status in life. It should also be a lesson to all of us to appreciate our limitations as human beings. We are all pencils in the hand of the Creator.”

Audu as painful and very shocking.

“It is particularly painful that Nigerians, especially the people of Kogi State have lost the services of Alhaji Abubakar Audu who was on the verge of being reelected as the governor of Kogi State, going by the results of the election declared so far by INEC. It is however note worthy that the political history of Kogi State will be incomplete without a chapter on the contributions of Late Abubakar Audu to the democratic and infrastructural development of Kogi state”, Ahmed said.

To Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, “the former Governor ’s death is most unfortunate and the day of his death will remain the darkest in the history of Kogi State.”

In his condolence message issued in Akure by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, the governor said news of Audu’s death came to him as a rude shock because no one would have envisaged that the late politician would not live to witness the end of the election proceedings.

Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Bello M. Zaki, condoled the entire people of Kogi State, all supporters of APC in the country and the entire nation over the loss of Prince Audu.

Badaru described the death of Prince Audu, who served twice as a governor of his state, as a great loss not only to the people of Kogi but also to the entire nation in general.

Govs Ortom, Ahmed, Mimiko, Abubakar speak Olajumoke, Also, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State in Oshun mourn a statement by his Senior Special Assistant, Media, Terver Akase, sympathised with the APC family in the country and Kogi State in particular over what he describes asan irreparable loss.

He says the late Prince Audu was a development-oriented man who was committed to selfless service and was loved by his people as shown in the results of previous elections and last Saturday’s polls so far announced. He added the late Prince Abubakar Audu who served meritoriously as finance commissioner in the old Benue State was an astute progressive throughout his political career.

Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed, described the demise of

Senator Bode Olajumoke, a member of the Board of Trustees BoT of the PDP , condoled with the government, the people of Kogi and the family of the former governor and prayed that the soul of the former governor rest in peace.

A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly and Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Moshood Oshun, said the death of Audu is a huge loss to the APC and younger politicians.

“It is a personal loss to me. Former Governor Audu had a lot of experience that young politicians had continued to tap on for great success.

Our dear party saw him as one who would make us proud and he did during the election."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015—43

Oke-Afa: Policemen watched as hoodlums looted, destroyed our shops, houses—Residents ‘

By Esther Onyegbula

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OR residents of Oke-Afa, Ilamoshe Estate area of Ejigbo Lagos, Thursday, November 12, 2015, will for a long time remain a day of sadness. It was the day hired thugs laid siege on the community and unleashed terror on the residents in broad daylight.

Vanguard Metro, VM, learnt that several hoodlums accompanied by court bailiffs and policemen who came to effect a court order that fateful Thursday morning attacked residents of the estate, looted shops and destroyed properties worth millions of naira.

VM gathered that the hoodlums who wore numbered purple and black T-shirts, brandished different kinds of weapon. They allegedly sang war songs, while boasting that the community would know that the messengers of death had visited them. Eyewitnesses told VM that whatsoever they couldn’t loot, they destroyed.

When VM visited the community, rubbles of destroyed houses and shops and broken glasses littered the streets. All the shops were under lock and key as business owners fled the area.

Among the properties and houses affected were Green Dale School located along Adejumo Street, Redeemed Christian Church of God, a Shopping Mall along Alade Apatira Street and Gold Medal School. Others were Grace Events Centre along Kudirat Adenekan Street and Slon Pharmacy Stores.

Ownership of the land VM further learnt that pupils were in their various classes when the hoodlums attacked Green Dale School and Gold Medal School.

They allegedly pulled down part of the school building.

Giving an insight into the genesis of the problem, a landlord in Apatira Street, Mr. Adeleke, told VM that the land dispute between Ojobaba and Adejumo families started decades ago. According to him, many landlords in the area didn’t know that there was a dispute over the ownership of the land when they bought their properties. “By the time we knew, it was already late and there was little or nothing we could do because the case was in court. I was surprised by what happened on Thursday morning. I had already gone to work when I received a call from one of my tenants that people who came to effect a court order were destroying buildings, looting shops and attacking people in the community.

When I came back from work, I discovered that part of my house had been destroyed,” he C M Y K

One of the schools destroyed lamented.

Adeleke who was visibly overwhelmed with sorrow said: “Just take a look at what they did to my house (pointing to his building). Where is it done that when effecting a court order, people’s houses would be destroyed without prior notice?

Instead of destroying our properties and looting our shops, the parties involved are supposed to sit down and reach an agreement that will take the innocent tenants into consideration”.

Recounting how it all started that morning, Mr Chiggo Okafor, said:” The court bailiff came in company of Mobile Policemen, regular policemen, officials of KAI, Civil Defence and hoodlums. As they were pasting the notices, the hoodlums busied themselves destroying fences, buildings and shopping malls, while the policemen and other officials watched helplessly. Hired criminals attacked and looted our property with the backing of law enforcement agents. Is this the definition of change in Nigeria?

Sincerely this is not change,” he alleged.

“At about 3:30pm that same day,

The Inspector General of Police must investigate the complicity of his men during this attack; if the police can’t protect us we should be allowed to protect ourselves

some tricycles(Keke Marwa) started coming into the estate with packs of food which were given to the policemen and the hoodlums.

An Aboki who was hawking was attacked, his N8000 and handset were collected from him and they used the money to order food from one of the food vendors. We have suffered losses like this over four times this year alone. Vandals will come with police protection to attack the residents. I lost properties worth over N3 million to the touts, “ Okafor said.

Another victim, who simply identified himself as Nath, said his wares were looted and shop destroyed. “I have an electronic showroom; I sell LCD TV and different kinds of electronics. I was in my shop yesterday (Thursday) morning after the market environmental sanitation exercise at about 10 am. I saw police patrol vans coming in with mobile and regular policemen. Curiously I asked one of the officers whether we are safe. He didn’t respond, hence I beckoned on another who said that they are enforcing a court order. He asked me to relax and go about my normal business. With that assurance, I relaxed. Some policemen sat in front of my shop, drumming and dancing.

Fifteen minutes later, I received a call from a friend at NNPC Busstop that I should lock my showroom and leave this area immediately. He advised me to find a way of alerting my neighbours to leave their shops.

Immediately I locked up my shop.

The policemen in front of my showroom asked me why I was locking the shop I said I was going to Alaba International Market to buy some goods. One of the officers asked me whether I was leaving

*Nath because of the call that I received and I said no. Then I alerted some of my neighbours to lock up their shops too. Before I knew what was happening, the hoodlums had begun attacking people. People had to pay so that these hoodlums will not beat them up. They were collecting N15, 000, N20, 000 from people whom they forced to pay.

Sponsorship by a money bag Because they are touts, the money they were collecting from people became another issue as they began to fight themselves.

Those boys came in batches and we had never seen before. Most of them were also meeting themselves for the first time. We later found out that they were lodged in a nearby hotel for three days. No doubt a money bag is sponsoring them,” Nath alleged.

He further claimed that the Division Police Officer in charge of Ejigbo Division came to the scene but did nothing to stop the demolitions.

Another victim who identified herself as Maria Onome claimed ignorance of the land dispute. “I

*Chiggo didn’t know about the case when I rented the shop. I only saw the inscription that this land belongs to Ojobaba family on almost all the buildings. Anytime there is crisis, they always loot and destroy our shops.

Yesterday these vandals used charms to force open shops they found difficult to open. They came in full force; they were prepared both physically and spiritually.

They attacked people who dared to stand on their way. They extorted money from shop owners, and residents. When they come to your shops or house, they will ask for money if you don’t want your shops or house to be vandalized.

They collected N5000 from me, which was why they didn’t destroy my shop. The landlord of this building had to pay N20, 000 yesterday that is why they didn’t destroy this building, “ she narrated.

“We are calling on Governor Akinwunmmi Ambode to please intervene in this crisis. The Inspector General of Police must investigate the complicity of his men during this attack. If the police can’t protect us we should be allowed to protect ourselves,” Onome said.

44—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

Police work is now driven more by intelligence •Solomon Ehigiator Arase, Police IG

HE came into the exalted office of number one policeman in Nigeria with an intimidating resume and experience. When his name was announced as the 18th indigenous Inspector-General of Police, expectations were high as many heralded his appointment. About seven months after, issues are being raised and his performances so far are seriously being put on a scale. Solomon Ehigiator Arase, 59, the man on saddle told Vanguard' in an exclusive interview in Abuja, that he has been able to lift the Nigeria Police Force at least a notch higher than he met it.

Excerpts: agreed period.

By Evelyn Usman We’ve also been able to ensure that intelligence drives most of HAT were the high and our policing culture in the counlow points since you astry. The arrest of prime suspects sumed office? of the Olu Falae’s kidnap that we On my assumption of office, I arraigned in the high court is an came up with some strategic polattestation of that. icy thrusts that I was going to run It was intelligence that allowed through. First, was that we are that to happen. The prime susgoing to put in place a patrol pects that were arraigned in the system called the Safer Highways. high court here in Abuja, it was That is now a reality. A lot of also intelligence that made that people thought that talking about happen too. Statistics across the dismantling of the road block was length and breadth of this counmore like, ‘we have heard it betry show that for every crime comfore.’ mitted, we’ve been able to fight They thought that after a time, back. we would forget about it. But, There is this hue and cry across we’ve been able to enforce it. the country that there is an upThose who are found to run foul surge in crime and criminality. I of the policy have been dealt with. got interested because as a scholSome have been tried, some are ar of police history, with my intelin court. We said we were also ligence background, I’m always going to set up a technical platinterested to know the trends and form that would be able to interpatterns of crime. I am not sayface with Nigerians. ing that crimes do not occur, but That we have been able to do. if they occur, what is the strategic The www.stopthebribe.com platresponse of the Nigeria Police? form is still there, working. On a daily and weekly basis, we continue to analyse it and we are even Strategic adding new platforms to that. Very response soon, the complaint response unit I think that should be the inwill also be unveiled to Nigeriterest of the Nigerian people. You ans, which is a platform where complaints of unprofessional know, are we able to respond? conduct, reporting of crime and What is our success rate? So, If issues of criminality would also you look at the number of statistics of our success rate, they far be brought on board.

I also talked about intelligence- outweighs those areas where we led policing as a policy trust. I have not been able to excel. But think I have been able to deliver we live in a country that is unapon that too because the issue of preciative of others. Anything you pre-trial detention is now virtual- can do to stigmatise an organisaly a thing of the past. We have tion or people, you don’t see monitoring teams that are going good things in others, you always around the length and breadth want to see the bad things. It is a of the country to ensure that peo- human thing, especially for the ple are not kept in custody for Nigeria Police force. The percepmore than the constitutionally tion has to change because polic-

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— ARASE ing is not like a one way traffic, it is something that is a collaborative effort.

I have talked about intelligenceled policing. We will continue to up our game. I’m not saying that we are there. It is all about capacity, commitment and that is why the strategic managers in the Police Force always meet once in a while to strategise and ask questions like: What are our shortcomings?

What are the crime trends in the country as at now? Have we been able to sufficiently crime map the country? Where are those areas we are having issues? What is supposed to be our strategic response to crime issues? So, we keep on upping our games. And you know, for you to sell your paper, you know that the negative stories are more catchy than the good ones.

When you come up with those negative ones, they say “eh!

Something has happened!” But when there is a success rate, that doesn’t make the paper sell , that one is downplayed and tucked in somewhere inside the paper.

Its those negative ones that sell the papers. I have been be able to reduce incidences of us dabbling into areas where we do not have comparative competencies like commercial investigations, civil matters that have always brought us in conflict with mem-

I want to dedicate the rest of my life to helping humanity, starting from my own immediate constituency, the Nigeria Police

bers of the public.

Instead , I have told my officers that those things that are not necessarily criminal, do not dabble into them. Instead, we are beginning to adopt Alternative Dispute Resolution ADR in settling issues. I have also, as a deliberate policy thrust, taken a look at the welfare of my men.

I believe that it is not enough for you to always reel out policies without you having social obligations towards the officers that work for you.

Moral obligation So, I have deliberately told myself that I’m going to have a social and moral obligation to these officers especially inspectors, rank and file who are always on the road 24 hours, who nobody knows whether they feed, whether their vehicles are fueled, to make sure that these set of people, their welfare is fully taken care of.

Talking about their welfare, what are you doing in this regard?

We have started building houses for them in the six geo-political zones of the country. All the Inspectors, rank and files, we are trying to see if we can arrange for a mortgage for them to have houses before they retire, at least, a two bedroom apartment. Corruption is borne out of fear, fear of the unknown. If you know that you are going to retire into penury, the temptation for you to engage in unprofessional conduct is high.

But if you know that there is a guarantee that if you retire, you will be taken care of by your organisation, the motivation for you to work for that very organisation is always very high. Those are the things that we trying to put in place to ensure that we motivate our officers. By December, we are supposed to launch the first set of houses.

Apart from that, as a deliberate policy through the assistance of the president, we are now making sure that those Safer Highway vehicles are fuelled, and that the men who mount those vehi-

cles, at least, get their allowances. That is our moral obligation to them, while the social obligation is the housing.

I have also been able to take statistics of the number of my officers who die on a daily basis. We lose an average of 20 officers in a month and at the last count, I got interested because I always want to work from the point of view of statistics. I got interested to know the number of widows that we have in the Nigeria Police.

I asked the Police Officers Wives Association, POWA, to do a survey, let them know how many out of the 36 states plus Abuja, (minus two states ). They were able to come up with a statistic of about 900 widows. So, when you say you have 900 that you have been able to capture in the past four years, what that translates to is that these widows also have children.

They have lost their bread winners and most of them are not skilled. So, we have been thinking about how to create skills for them, help them to access interest- free loans from our Micro finance bank so that we don’t surreptitiously start creating miscreants, whose parents used to be police officers serving the country but died in battle.We have incorporated a foundation that will now give scholarships to children of deceased policemen, and those who are still serving.

So, we are looking at 185 children on scholarships from primary to secondary school. Don’t forget that we have Police schools too. So, we want to give them that leverage so that they will be able to self- actualise and develop their own potentials too. Also, about 37,000 of them will be promoted across the board.

Helping humanity We are putting in things that will encourage them and, I am passionate about their welfare. I think the rest part of my life I want to dedicate it to helping humanity, starting from my own immediate constituency, the Nigeria Police.

What is your assessment of the security situation in Nigeria?

It is manageable, not intolerable. Yes, the security situation is bad but it is not intolerable. The only place where you do not find crime is the Antarctic, a place where you don’t have human beings. Even in New York or America, with their technological platforms, the number of murder cases you have in a week far outstrips what we have here in a year. They also have the capacity to deal with some of those things because they have technological platforms. We don’t have technical platforms. All the same, I believe that the Police has to up the game. We have to fight back. I keep encouraging my men to learn to fight back.

To be continued tomorrow

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015—45

•New vehicles on display at the launch of the Safer Highways Initiative by IGP, Solomon Arase. The Police need more equipment, technology and better pay to discharge its duties

The Nigerian policeman: Friend, fiend, or foe?

From extortion at checkpoints to extra-judicial killings and accidental discharges, Nigerians now love to hate a Police Force they need so badly

By Mike Ebonugwo & Bose Adelaja

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OHAMMED Dahiru Abubakar probably wrote his name in gold as Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, IGP, when he ordered the dismantling of police checkpoints nationwide.

This order was carried out on January 30, 2012, leading to the dislodgement of over 3,500 police checkpoints.

The action was widely hailed in the country, thus elevating IGP Abubakar to a cult hero in the eyes of most Nigerians. What informed this sentiment was the common belief in the country that checkpoints were usually set up by the police principally to extort hapless Nigerians either as motorists or commuters.

Conduct for the officers IGP Abubakar also endeared himself to Nigerians when he went ahead to successfully launch a code of conduct for the officers and men of the Force. The code of conduct was considered significant because it was thought to be based on the international code of conduct for police officers issued by the International Association of the Chiefs of Police, which is an integral part of the Law Enforcement Oath of Honour, Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, Law Enforcement Code of Conduct and Cannons of Police Ethics.

These important codes derive in turn from the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Personnel and the UN Basic Principles for the Use of Force by Law Enforcement Officers.

Abubakar’s actions in this regard only underlined the fact that something was seriously wrong with the Police for which he needed to clean the Augean stable of the Force. But whether he succeeded in doing that before retirement still remains to be seen. But the fact remains that he would be fondly remembered for taking the bull by the horn in dismantling police check points which many regard as notorious torture points.

Checkpoint culture: For the average Nigerian, the checkpoint, just like the police station, is a place that clearly defined the police man as an unrepentant corrupt law enforcement official.

Whereas in many climes, a motorist has nothing to fear when stopped at the checkpoint as long as he has not broken the law, the same, however, cannot be said in Nigeria when a motorist is stopped at a checkpoint by the Police.

Once flagged down or asked to pull over, the motorist is instantly made to feel like a law beaker or criminal even when no offence has been established against him or her. Reason? The popular sing-song question: Wetin you carry? is asked in a manner that implies that the motorist has already been adjudged guilty of an offence, known and unknown.

Invariably sometimes something goes terribly wrong when a motorists tries to assert his right or his innocence when stopped by beat police men. Indeed the media is always awash with reports of incidents of police shootings of otherwise innocent motorists, commuters, pedestrians at the checkpoints or during stop

and search operations. Sometimes the resulting killings are blamed on accidental discharge by the Police men involved. Other times, the police find reason to justify such killings, which gave rise to the spectre of complete dread of the Police during the “kill and go” era when men of the Police Mobile Force otherwise known as MOPOL, seemingly gave the impression that they possessed the authority to kill at the slightest excuse in the course of carrying out their security assignments.

Police: Friend or foe?

This is why to most Nigerians, the Nigeria Police Force is the most corrupt and compromised security institution in the country. And given the opportunity many will readily cite several reasons derived from bitter encounters with cops to buttress their belief in this regard. This is why the public relations attempts or campaigns to sell the Police as a friend to the public have always failed to achieve the desired objective.

As far as the average Nigerian is concerned, the Police, based on the conduct of its men, can never be a friend. Rather, many feel they have very strong reasons to be wary or to fear the Police even as much as they fear men of the underworld.

For instance, try telling travellers who were often on the receiving end of police high-handedness on the highways before exIGP Abubakar banned police checkpoints that the Police is their friend and watch their reactions.

For them, it is inconceivable that a man who would readily abuse the powers reposed on him to take advantage of them could ever be their friend.

In fact, many Nigerians say that they have learned from experience not to trust the Police who they accuse of being corrupt.

A good example is Mrs Akinlawon Rasidat, a hotelier in the Somolu area of Lagos who shared a disturbing experience about her encounter with criminally_minded police men. She said: ‘’There was a day I was coming from Cotonou and the commercial bus I boarded arrived Mile 2 at about 11.30pm. The driver said he could no longer continue with the journey and advised me to find somewhere to put up for the night. I was told that Mile 2 was safe provided I minded my business. I was also told to put up with a Hausa petty trader.

"With mixed feelings, I accepted to do so. But shortly at about 1am, a Police Land Rover stopped by the Mallam’s shed. A policeman alighted, opened the boot of the car and brought out two cartons which he kept beside the kiosk. He re-entered the vehicle again and drove off. Thirty minutes later, another white vehicle parked at the same spot and some-

Many Nigerians say that they have learned from experience not to trust the police who they accuse of being corrupt

body alighted from it, picked up the cartons left by the police man, loaded them in his car and drove off. I shouted to draw the attention of the Mallam to what was going on, but he just tapped me and said: ‘Ha! I tell you make you keep quiet, that one no concern you…’ At that moment, I became apprehensive and could no longer sleep, waiting for the day to break. Then at about 4am, another car returned the cartons; and 10 minutes later, the police van also returned to collect the cartons and took off again. At this point, the Mallam simply told me: ‘One carton for money, another carton for guns but make you keep quiet because of another time…’

On hearing this, I became even more afraid. And from that moment, I no longer have respect for Policemen.”

Modes of operation and ideologies When asked why the police men are generally perceived as corrupt, a policeman who pleaded anonymity said: ‘’When the body is rotten, it starts from the head.

Several Inspectors General of Police have come and gone with different modes of operation and ideologies. Many officers are members of secret cults who use some advantage over others. For example, a superior officer might be involved in a matter and the suspect may be a member of a secret cult who may coincidentally have a link with another superior officer and before you know it, the fraternity will use its strong connection to quash the case and nothing happens”.

Another policeman who also pleaded anonymity gave another example thus: ‘’Imagine when an officer puts in so much effort to investigate a crime, even refusing any gratification or bribe from the suspect in a bid to handle the case professionally; then a superior officer decides to intervene only to turn the situation around after money has changed hands. ‘’

46 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015—47

Tor Tiv is dead, as Tiv Traditional Council summons emergency meeting ....Northern monarchs mourn

BY Peter Duru, Mayen Etim & Faith Bature

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A K U R D I — CHAIRMAN of Benue State Council of Chiefs, Alfred Akawe Torkula, Tor Tiv IV, died yesterday in an Abuja hospital.

Vanguard learned that Chief Torkula was rushed to Abuja a week ago for medical attention after taking ill in Gboko and the news came as Northern monarchs expressed regrets over his passage.

News of the death of the paramount ruler filtered into town, yesterday morning, but at the time of filing this report, his rumoured death had not been confirmed by the traditional council.

The rumour was further heightened by the summoning of an emergency meeting of the Tiv Traditional Council in Gboko, yesterday It was gathered from an insider that after the meeting in Gboko, a delegation of the Tiv Traditional Council would depart for Makurdi to brief Governor Ortom on the development.

“It is after the briefing that the Tiv Traditional Council will announce whether The Tor Tiv, Begha-U-Tiv Orchivirigh Dr Alfred Akawe Torkura,The Tor Tiv IV, has in actual fact joined his ancestors or not,” a source said.

Meanwhile, Northern monarchs yesterday regretted the passing away of Tor Tiv, Dr. Alfred Akawu Terkula.

Chairman of Northern Traditional Council of Chiefs, the Sultan of Sokoto, Dr. Abubakar Sa’ad II, announced the demise of Tor Tiv, who was also Chairman, Benue State

Traditional Council of Chiefs, during a meeting of the council in Kaduna yesterday.

Sa’ad described the late Tor Tiv as a bridge builder who has led his people into prosperity and peace in his chiefdom and the

Northern region.

He said: “It is with a sad heart we announce the demise of one of our own royal father the Tor Tiv, Dr. Alfred Akawu Tukula who recently passed away. ‘’It is a sad moment to the

MEMBERS' EVENING: From left, President/Governing Council, Institute of Directors Nigeria, IoD, Mr. Samuel Akeju; Guest Speaker, First Female Judge, Federal High Court, Honourable Justice Roseline Ukeje; Immmediate past president, IoD; Chief Eniola Fadayomi, and former Information Minister, Chief Walter Ofonagro (inductee), during the New Members' Evening of IoD, at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos yesterday. Photo: Akeem salau

BOSG supplies over 60 bags of rice daily to IDPS in Dikwa camp —commissioner

BOKO HARAM:

By Ndahi Marama

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AIDUGURI—BORNO State government, BOSG, has said that over 60 bags of 50kg rice were being supplied daily to take care of over 33,310 Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, taking refuge in Dikwa town, following the activities of Boko Haram and ongoing military operations in the area.

The state government also sent a delegation, yesterday, to visit

Monguno, following the bomb explosion that was masterminded by two female suicide bombers on Sunday, killing 10 people, with scores injured.

This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Usman Zann, in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Zanna said following the ongoing operation by military under the ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’ in and around Dikwa axis and

Adamawa assembly member risks losing seat, if... who issued the warning at a violated the House rules by chalBy Umar Yusuf

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OLA—ADAMAWA State House of Assembly, yesterday, cautioned a suspended member Abdulrahaman Isa Abubakar, to have a re-think on the issue that led to his suspension or lose his seat, should he fail to meet the mandatory 100 days sittings contained in the constitution.

The warning followed a court case slammed on the House by the suspended member which the lawmakers felt would not be dispensed with in the next six months, considering negative utterances being exhibited against the House by the member, who represents Mubi South constituency.

Chief Whip of the Assembly and member representing Hong constituency, Hassan Burguma,

Council but we take solace that during his reign he contributed immensely to the development of Tiv kingdom and the Northern region. Our only prayer is that whosoever succeeded him will continue with good works he set on ground.

press conference in Yola, said the suspension slammed on him by the House remained in place until the case in the court was wholly determined.

“Honestly Abdulrahaman Isah

lenging its resolutions on the pages of newspapers, which forced the House to slam the three months suspension, backed by House orders 54 and 64 accordingly,” he maintained.

surrounding communities of Mafa, Marte, Kala Balge local government areas, IDPs were still trooping into Dikwa camp which was established by the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA. He said the state government had already released funds to carter for the victims of insurgency, particularly the displaced people, mainly drawn from the affected local government areas and now taking refuge at Dikwa.

He added a team of medical experts had been dispatched to Dikwa camp to cater for the sick and offer free medical treatment to IDPs who were mostly women and children. According to him, the military forces and the government are doing their best to ensure that peace returned to the affected communities.

Adamawa Peacemakers condemn Yola suicide bombing

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HE AUN-ADAMAWA Peace Initiative, a nongovernmental organisation, made up of religious and community leaders, has denounced the suicide bombing of a local market in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, describing it as senseless.

Over 30 lives were lost in the incident and several persons hospitalised.

AUN-API chairman, Margee Ensign, of the American University of Nigeria, said: “This senseless violence can

never be condoned and we sympathise with the families of those who lost loved ones as well as those injured. ‘’Our peace and development work will not only continue but will expand in response to such terrorist acts.”

The organisation thanked security agencies, hospitals, government, media, other NGOs and all the good people of Adamawa State for their contributions to safety and security, and for their assistance to the wounded.

The bombing was the second in Yola in less than a month, as a similar blast in a school mosque at Jambutu area of Yola on October 29, also claimed several lives and left many injured.

In the wake of the incident, AUN-API members, led by Dr. Ensign, paid a compassionate visit to the blast survivors at Federal Medical Center, Yola, and Adamawa State Specialist Hospital, Jimeta, as well as at the blast site.

Gridlock: FRSC, Lagos to create joint patrol team for traffic management

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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EDERAL ROAD S a f e t y Commission, FRSC, and Lagos State government are currently exploring ways to establish a joint patrol team to further ensure free flow of traffic and compliance with state’s road traffic laws, 2012.

Lagos State sector commander FRSC, Mr. Hyginus Omeje, who dropped the hint during a courtesy call on Special Adviser to Governor on Transportation, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, said the joint team would include FRSC, Vehicle Inspection Service, VIS, and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA. He explained that the initiative would address both the quality of vehicles on the road and ensure prompt adherence to the demands of the state’s traffic law, other extant laws as well as free flow of traffic.

Ogulagha youths lauds monarch over devt

By Elizabeth Uwandu

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A R R I — OGULAGHA youths in Burutu Council area of Delta State have commended their royal father, HRM Joseph Timiyan, Agbonu Torububor 1, the Ibezenawei of Ogulagha kingdom for his giant development strides since his ascension to the throne of his fore fathers.

The youths under the aegis of Ogulagha kingdom Youth Council in a statement by its president John Bebapere, Humphrey Oluku, secretary, and Ebikeme Abanre, public relations officer respect ively, congratulated the monarch on the occasion of his 10th coronation anniversary, saying that his reign had brought the desired peace and prosperity to the entire kingdom.

48—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

TB patient

High cost, ignorance, bane of TB treatment in Nigeria

By Gabriel Olawale

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IVING with Tuberculosis, TB, is not an attractive proposition by any standard. No one knows this better than 32-yearold Kunle, one of the hundreds of thousands of TB patients across the length and breadth of the Federation.

An encounter with him at the Direct Observation-Therapy, DOTS, Centre of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, showed all was not well with him.

Dressed in a faded T-shirt and jeans with a handkerchief around his nose and mouth, he elicited sympathy. Jobless and abandoned, his bloodshot eyes and lowly disposition painted the picture of a troubled soul.

Kunle, in a lamentable tone, related how in his predicament, he unknowingly infected his only daughter with TB. "I am the only male child and my father is late. Early this year, I received a call from my home town about my mother's sickness. I travelled home and stayed three weeks.

Although my mother had a cough but was being treated at home by a native doctor, we did not suspect TB till she eventually gave up the ghost."

Few weeks after he returned to Lagos, Kunle began to feel strange. Initially he thought it was the cold water he drank frequently, but the feeling persisted and even drugs from the nearby pharmacy did not improve his condition.

"Later I began coughing blood.

When I sneezed, my chest hurt.

It was in the hospital that I was

told I had tuberculosis. When they first told me, I was not alarmed. I was given treatment and given a mouth/nose guard that I was instructed to wear at all times.

"But as soon as my wife heard that I had been diagnosed with TB, her attitude changed. She wanted to leave me on the pretext of visiting her mother. I was suspicious and refused to let her go with my daughter. That was how Kemi remained with me and unfortunately, became infected.

She is now manifesting TB symptoms." Kunle is having a hard time coping with the treatment of his condition, along with his daughter who he accidentally infected.

Infectious disease Such is the nature of tuberculosis - an infectious disease which spreads from person-toperson through the air by droplets. It is a silent but deadly infection that is often misdiagnosed, under-treated and misunderstood.

Tuberculosis is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among People Living with HIV/ AIDS. Recently, the World Health Organisation ranked TB alongside HIV as a leading cause of death worldwide, being responsible for 4,400 deaths on daily basis with new cases accounting for 9.6 million deaths.

TB was declared a national emergency in June 2006 after which an emergency plan for the control of TB in Nigeria was developed. At that time, Nigeria

was ranked 5th among the 22 high TB burden countries in the world and second in the African region. The 2015 WHO report describes higher global totals for new TB case (9.6 million) than in previous years and more than half of the world's TB cases (54 percent) occurred in China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan. Nigeria, now with 170,000 deaths annually is still ranked a high TB burden country. Estimates show 3.1 percent of new TB cases are MDR-TB and of the 95 notified cases, 38 were started on treatment In 2014 alone, TB killed 890,000 men, 480,000 women and 140,000 children which make it ranks alongside HIV as a leading killer worldwide.

In 2008, the Department of Public Health of the Federal Ministry of Health had developed

With 170,000 deaths annually, Nigerian now ranks as a high TB burden country. Sadly, most of the needed drugs and tests are not covered under the country’s TB and Leprosy control programme

National control programmes that called for special attention to TB- infection control particularly in high risk settings such as HIV service delivery centres.

Certainly more effort is required to reduce the burden of TB to produce desired changes. A public health physician with more than a decade of experience in managing TB patients who spoke on condition of anonymity told Good Health Weekly that presently Nigeria lacks some of the crucial facilities and resources to tackle the disease.

The expert warned that failure to adjust in approach may lead to catastrophe. He said that the most dangerous aspect of TB now is that the resistant type which requires second line treatment is more prominent with lack of needed facilities for the treatment in the society.

"Many patients are now presenting for the first time in the hospital with resistance organism and it's very difficult to treat because most of the needed medications and test are not covered under National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme, NTBLCP, and they are very expensive. This huge cost of medication and lack of appropriate facilities contributed to large extent the setback we are witnessing in this country.

"Second line treatment will cost a patient close to a million naira, now imagine a patient that is poor with such complication, he or she will just abandon healthcare centre and start spreading the organism, that was why I said we all need to see TB as a collective problem.

"For instance Mainland Hospital provides secondary care for treatment of MDR but they are confronted with limited space. If the place is full and I want to refer a patient what will happened?

"The person will stay at home and continue spreading the organism in his or her environment.

There was a case of a patient that supposed to have started second line treatment at the Inefctious Hospital, Yaba but I was told no space that she had to wait till January next year. You can imagine how many people such a patient would have infected before that time.

Speaking further, he explained that there are some drugs that are covred under NTBLC programme such as 4 fixed drug combination (4 FDC), while others are not and they are all expensive.

"In the area of test, aside sputum smean microscopy which was included in the programme all other test like chest x-ray, manton x test, Sputum MCS among others are to be paid for by the patient and once they could not afford it, they will decide to stay at home and not come back to the healthcare centre again and we could all imagine what that means.

"Those who can afford to buy the medication are still confronted with challenges of counterfeit.

Aside from government institutions that source their drugs from NTBLCP which are excluded, other sources are confronted with issues of counterfeit.

Dietary supplements Quoting recent research carried out by WHO, he revealed that anti-TB drugs available in open drug markets with only one exception, are all counterfeit.

“When I say counterfeit, it is not that they do not contain active ingredient, but the needed concentration is absent.

"In the cause of treatment some patients may require dietary supplement to enable them respond timely to medication, others may need vitamins but all these are lacking and this contributed largely to why we are still battling with the huge burden.

Some of our patients lack access to balance diet to help them rebuild the tissues which has been destroyed by the organism.

In the view of the Coordinator, TB/Leprosy Control, Gwagwalada Town Clinic, Abuja, Mr. Umar Bako: "Extra-pulmonary TB, which is not infectious, affects any part of the body such as the bone, skin and brain, among others, while the pulmonary TB affects mostly the lungs.

In fact, a single person with TB can infect between 10 and 15 people per year.

A Public Health Physician, Dr. Continues on page 49

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015—49

Novel HIV/AIDS monitoring device debuts

By Chioma Obinna

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S the World Health Organisation, WHO, recently ranked HIV and TB as leading killer diseases, a leading science and technology company in healthcare, Merck has launched into the Nigerian market an innovative system, Muse Auto CD4/CD4 System, for monitoring the progression of the HIV/AIDS in adults and children.

The portable instrument provides rapid, simple and accurate monitoring of T cells in adults and children.

The low-cost system is designed to be easily portable and operational with minimal training, making it the ideal solution for clinics serving patients living in remote areas.

This is coming on the heels of 2014 UNAIDS report which showed that of the over 35 million people infected with HIV worldwide, 25 million live in Africa alone - and only 19 million are aware of their status. Many patients in developing countries like Nigeria, particularly those in rural areas, lack access to regular medical care. Treatment is often hindered by the long distances from the patient's village to the nearest hospital or clinic.

At a media presentation of the instrument, President and Chief Executive Officer of Merck's Life Science Business, Udit Batra said: "As a life science leader, we aim to deliver the most innovative, highest quality products and

Continues from page 48 Olukemi Longe-Peters who described HIV and TB as evil twins said the NTBLCP, of the Federal Ministry of Health needs to initiate the concept of local manufacturing of some of the TB dugs to help reduce the cost.

"Patients need support from both public and private sector because once TB patient is on treatment he or she has to take time off work, to visit the clinic and take their medications, so if there are some little assistance that would help them offset that cost, and more importantly is the cost of transportation for at least every working day for six months.

PRESENTATION: From left; President North & West Africa – Merck – Biopharma, Karim Bendhaou; Deputy CEO of Merck,Prof. Stefan Oschmann; Professor of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology & Infectious Diseases - University of Yaounde, Cameroon, Dr. Francois-Xavier Mbopi-Keou; and Senior Manager Bioscience EMEA - Merck Life Science, Philippe Durbiano during the official launch of the Merck Muse Equipment and the official opening of the Merck Nigeria office in Lagos. services to help our customers improve human health and life every day, everywhere.

"Through the launch of this system, we are enabling health professionals in Nigeria to more effectively respond to the healthcare needs of their patients and make progress towards the treatment, cure, and prevention of HIV/AIDS," he added.

He explained further that for people infected with HIV, CD4 cells provide an indication of the disease's progression. In the course of an HIV infection, CD4

cells indicate the state of the immune system and act as markers for T cell lymphocytes.

Patients with a low count of these cells in their blood are at increased risk of opportunistic infections.

The company partnered the University of Yaounde in Cameroon on the clinical testing of the Muse system.

Clinical trials were carried out under the leadership of Professor François-Xavier Mbopi-Keou of the Cameroon Ministry of Health, a Harvard University

Fellow, to determine if the product accurately monitored the progression of the virus. The output was successful in both adult and child patients.

On his part, Prof. Mbopi-Keou said the instrument combines a compact instrument with a unique assay and automated gating and acquisition software to easily monitor patients' CD4 T lymphocytes. "A user-friendly touch screen interface and intuitive software work together to simplify operation and analysis," he noted.

N1bn FINE: Guinness optimistic, reaffirms commitment to quality

By Sola Ogundipe

A

GAINST the backdrop of the N1 billion sanctions imposed by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, last week, management of Guinness Nigeria Plc, has expressed optimism to solve the problem even as it reaffirmed commitment to deliver quality products through application of the highest standards of good manufacturing practice.

Speaking during a media interactive session weekend, the company's Managing Director, Mr. Peter Ndegwa, said on account of its ongoing engagement with NAFDAC, the issues at stake would be clarified and resolved in a short while.

"We take our responsibility to deliver quality products seriously.

The meticulous and painstaking work, including rigorous quality assurance that precedes the final production of all our products, has a singular objective: to ensure that our consumers drink products that are healthy and comparable with similar products made by a Diageo facility anywhere else in the world," Ndegwa affirmed.

Confirming receipt of the letter from NAFDAC, the Corporate Relations Director, Mr Sesan Sobowale, said the alleged

High cost, ignorance, bane of TB treatment

infractions relate to a rented offsite warehouse where raw materials are stored. He said the raw materials store is not a production facility and that the quality of the company's products was never an issue.

"NAFDAC insists that its authorisation is required before we can carry out the destruction of expired raw materials or indeed in the process of approval of new best-before date by the manufacturers of these raw materials, and we were in the process of engaging NAFDAC for clarifications and resolution of the issues before the private correspondence from NAFDAC

to Guinness Nigeria was clandestinely passed to the media", Sobowale stressed.

The company's Supply Chain Director, Cephas Afebuameh, explained that there is an extensive and elaborate process by which basic raw materials are first converted during the

We take our responsibility to deliver quality products seriously

brewing stage, with lots of critical control points, before the products are bottled and released to the market. "Each of these painstaking steps is rigorously monitored for conformity with all necessary global standards which we regard as basic, as we always aspire to exceed the much higher standards that have been set internally by the Diageo Group."

The high quality of products from Guinness , he said,"has been attested to repeatedly not only by NAFDAC but also by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, as well as the internal quality controls of the Diageo Group."

Impact on patients’s income

"Opportunity cost of not going for their business is another thing because most of our patients are self employed and once they don't do their business for two to three days, it starts telling on them in terms of finance and otherwise." Longe-Peters warned that challenges of compliance remains a big chanllenge despite the advancements in treatment.

Pointing out another challenge, she said: "Once patients stop having symptoms, they do not comply with their drugs. Also, is the issue of stigmatisation, patients are very reluctant to come forward for treatment when they see symptoms due to stigma."

She explained that treatment of TB could last for 18 months or even longer but due to the recent shortcut, if the organisms that cause the disease are sensitive to treatment, within six months the person can be completely cured.

She, however called for more awareness among Nigerians as some people are still with the belief that TB is hereditary, "TB is a disease but not hereditary and it can be cured, the key is early detection. If detected early and treated appropriately, the person can be cured completely. TB is not a death sentence.

"In Nigeria treatment outcome has been good. Out of the patients that are detected and treated early more than 80 percent are completely cured.’’

PFIZER rewards outstanding pharmacists at PSN conference

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O encourage professionalism and recognise excellence, Pfizer Nigeria recently rewarded outstanding pharmacists at the just concluded 88th Annual Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, in Abuja.

Marketing Director West & East Africa, Mr. Winston Ailemoh said the award was to recognise excellence and positive contributions of outstanding pharmacists to sustain and further advance development within the sector. “Pfizer is proud to associate with individuals and

groups who are committed to improving the lives of Nigerians such as the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN. It is clear that the individuals recognised today have made their mark, with the contributions of every other person in this audience, to advance the course of healthcare.

Pfizer will continue to support the growth of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical and health care industry while rewarding many more who distinguish themselves through positive contribution to creating better healthcare

practices in the country,” Ailemoh added.

The highlight was the launch of Pfizer’s new supplements and multivitamin consumer productsCentrum and Caltrate.

Marketing Manager, Pfizer Consumer Health Sue Cartwright, said Nigerians face challenges in terms of gaining access to adequate nutritional contents, hence the need for a supplement that provides necessary nutrients that may be lacking in their daily meal.

“Centrum is a Complete from A

to Zinc vitamins and minerals, with key nutrients to help with good heart, bone strengthening and aid blood formation. It also enhances healthy eyes, supplements energy, and improves immunity.”

Erstwhile National President of the PSN, Olumide Akintayo acknowledged the support saying, Pfizer continues to play an integral role in the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry.

He thanked them for their sponsorship and continuous support for the PSN.

50—Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

FG, Unilever partner to eradicate Expert recommends dairy products for healthy living dental disorders •As WAMCO launches ‘Peak Wazobia’

By Gabriel Olawale

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HE need for Nigerians to have access to dental care and a cavity free future took the centre stage at a stakeholders’ forum held in Abuja to proffer solutions aimed at improving oral health of Nigerians.

The forum led by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Enahire in collaboration with Unilever, makes of Pepsodent Toothpaste, admonished Nigerians to see their oral health as closely integrated with their general health system as the mouth is the gate way to the body.

They said several oral diseases are related to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension also manifest in the mouth.

Flagging-off the 2015 National Oral Health Week, Enahire noted that Nigeria has marked improvements in oral health system through the renewed vigour invested in oral activities in the country, particularly, in the area of oral health promotion by relevant stakeholders and policy makers.

Reacting to the theme: “Good Oral Health... Better Health for Nigerians”, he said the ministry is collaborating with relevant stakeholders to rapidly reduce the burden of these diseases through prevention, early detection and management of cases.

Category Manager, Oral Care, Unilever Nigeria, Bunmi Adeniba pledged the company’s commitment to improving the oral health of 10 million children in Nigeria by 2020 through Pepsodent Brush Day & Night schools programme, adding

that about 1 million school children are being reached in 2015, the Pepsodent mobile dental clinic has also been delivering FREE dental care to thousands of Nigerians everyday across the country.

“We are driving positive habit change and promoting the culture of brushing twice daily – day and night- which is a global best practice to healthy (oral-care) living,“ the Brand Manager Pepsodent, Unilever Nigeria, George Umoh said.

As part of activities to mark the National Oral Health week, the FMoH and the Pepsodent toothpaste team visited schools across the FCT to distribute dental care, oral hygiene instruction and products.

By Chioma Obinna

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UTRITION expert, Prof. Ebenezer Ojefitimi has recommended dairy products as an integral component of healthy lifestyle.

Making the recommendation in Lagos at the official launch of 'Peak Wazobia' and a range of other low unit portion packs (LUPP) of Peak and Three Crowns brands evaporated and powdered milk to boost the fight against malnutrition in Nigeria, the Consultant and Professor of Community Health Nutrition, Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital,

LAUNCH: From left, Corporate Affairs Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC (FC WAMCO), Mrs. Ore Famurewa; Prof. of Community Health Nutrition, LAUTECH, Ebenezer Ojefitimi; Managing Director, FC WAMCO, Mr. Rahul Colaco; Marketing Director, FC WAMCO, Mr Tarang Gupta; and Operations Director, FC WAMCO, Mr Doyin Ashiru; during the company's media launch of eight low unit product packs of Peak and Three Crowns milk in Lagos.

LAUTECH, said dairy and its products have the potential to assist the country in achieving the number 4 and 5 Millennium Development Gaols MDGs." In his paper entitled: "The Role of Dairy in Promoting Nutrition: A Public Health Perspective", and presented at the launch of the products as part of activities to mark the 60th Anniversary of Peak milk in Nigeria, he spoke extensively on the significant benefits of quality nutrition in preventing issues of malnutrition across all life stages and economic groups.

Ojefitimi who endorsed the products said they are nutritionally beneficial, environmentally sustainable, economically viable and culturally acceptable.

Speaking, Managing Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, Rahul Colaco said the company is committed to ensuring better health for Nigerians through its quality healthy products. "This pillar focuses on issues of malnutrition which is also a growing national concern. We believe that with daily consumption of milk through increased accessibility of quality dairy nutrition, consumers have the opportunity of getting up to 50 per cent of the nutrients that they require daily, which the body cannot make on its own."

Also, Corporate Affairs Director, Ore Famurewa said the initiative is in line with "our mission to nourish Nigerians with quality dairy nutrition." Similarly, she said this initiative is positioned to help manage the growing incidences of malnutrition across the country as these product offerings come at affordable prices and are same premium quality as the big size packs.

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VANGUARD, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015 —51

France launches anti-ISIS strikes from aircraft carrier

F

RANCE has launched its first missions against Islamic State (IS) militants from its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, military sources said.

The newly-deployed carrier has 26 fighters, tripling French capacity.

French President Francois Hollande has vowed to intensify strikes against IS in Syria and Iraq after the group said it was behind deadly attacks in Paris.

Belgian police meanwhile said they had arrested five more people in antiterrorism raids.

France stepped up its bombings of IS following the attacks on Paris, in which 130 people were killed.

The latest series of strikes launched from the Charles de Gaulle targeted sites in Iraq, the French military said.

On Monday, Mr Hollande met British Prime Minister David Cameron for talks as part of a fresh

M

•French President Francois Hollande and UK PM David Cameron paying their respects outside the Bataclan Concert Hall in Paris yesterday.

diplomatic push. He will also meet the leaders of the US, Germany and Russia this week.

USSIA will resume ex porting nuclear technology to Iran, President Vladimir Putin has decreed on a visit to Tehran.

The move follows Iran’s agreement to international curbs on its nuclear programme. UN sanctions against Iran are to be lifted in exchange for that agreement, under a deal signed in July.

Russia says it will help Iran’s export of enriched uranium and modification of nuclear facilities at Arak and Fordo. Iran says its nuclear programme is only for civilian, not military, purposes.

Mr Putin is in Tehran to attend a summit of gas exporting countries. His talks with Iranian leaders are likely to focus on the war in Syria, where Russia and Iran are the main military backers of President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia has been conducting intense air and missile strikes against Syrian rebels including so-called Islamic State (IS), while Iran has been helping Mr Assad’s forces on the ground.

Under the July nuclear deal, six world powers se-

U

P to 10,000 troops could be deployed on to British streets in the event of a Paris-style attack, David Cameron has said, as he announced plans for an extra £12bn for military

cured a pledge by Iran to set long-term limits on its nuclear research.

Iran’s low-enriched uranium stockpile will be reduced by 98% to 300kg for 15 years.

In a decree published on Monday, President Putin said Russia would support Iranian efforts to export any surplus enriched uranium that is, above the 300kg limit - by sending raw uranium to Iran in exchange.

Russia will also help Iran to modernise the heavy water reactor at Arak and to modify two cascades at its Fordo uranium enrichment plant.

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equipment. The PM also said two 5,000-strong “strike brigades” would be created, as it was revealed the cost of renewing Trident could increase by £6bn.

The extra spending also includes new F-35 jets and maritime patrol aircraft.

Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn said proposed police cuts would reduce UK security.

It comes after the prime minister held talks with French President Francois Hollande following the 13 November attacks in Paris, claimed by so-called Islamic State (IS), which left 130 people dead.

Mr Cameron said he would make the case to MPs for extending air strikes against IS targets from Iraq into Syria on Thursday.

He also announced the replacement of the UK’s four ballistic missile submarines, with the MoD saying the estimated cost has now increased to £31bn.

Trump says US Muslims cheered 9/11

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S Republican presi dential candidate Donald Trump has defended claims that he saw “thousands and thousands” of Muslims in New Jersey cheering the attacks of 9/11.

There is no evidence of large-scale celebrations in New Jersey in the wake of the attacks.

Mr Trump made the comments first at a rally in Ala-

Belgium charges man over Paris attacks ELGIAN police have charged a man with involvement in the deadly attacks on Paris, the federal prosecutor said.

An unnamed individual was one of the five people arrested in raids on Sunday. Two have been released while the remainder are still under

Mr Hollande said: “We will intensify our strikes, choosing targets that will do the most damage possible to this army of terrorists.”

10,000 UK troops to tackle terror attacks

Russia resumes nuclear trade with Iran

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Mali’s president doubts al-Mourabitoun role in attack

inquiry.

A further 15 people who were held have now been released, the prosecutor said.

The Belgian capital Brussels entered its third day of lockdown on Monday, with security at its highest level amid fears of a Parisstyle attack.

bama on Saturday before reiterating them on TV on Sunday.

He has drawn criticism for his calls to increase surveillance of Muslims.

“I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down,” he said at the rally.

“And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down.”

Later on a Sunday morning political talk show, the business mogul said, “There were people were cheering on the other side of New Jersey, where you have large Arab populations. They were cheering as the World Trade Center came down”.

The mayor of Jersey City, Steven Fulop released a statement later saying “Trump is plain wrong, and he is shamefully politicizing an emotionally charged issue.''

ALI'S president has questioned claims that al-Mourabitoun, an al-Qaeda-linked group, was responsible for last week’s assault on a luxury hotel in the capital Bamako.

In his first interview since Friday’s attack that left 27 people dead, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said despite early speculation, his intelligence service suggested that another group, the Macina Liberation Front, was responsible for it.

“Initially it was said that this was the work of alMourabitoun but tonight all indications are it is the Macina Liberation Front who are behind this,” he said.

“They’re acting as if Macina was a country or territory that needed to be liberated. At this precise moment I have no more details.”

The November 20 assault on the Radisson Blu hotel was the latest in a series of deadly raids this year on

prominent targets in Mali, which has battled various armed groups based in its desert north for years.

On Monday, Mali began a three-day mourning period with flags flying at halfstaff.

Members claiming to be part of al-Mourabitoun quickly claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it carried it out “in coordination with Imarat al-Sahra group and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb [AQIM]”.

... State TV shows photos of against the hotel, a masterminds eration favourite of foreign busiMali state television showed images on Monday of two men, apparently dead, that it said were the “authors” of an attack by Islamist militants on a luxury hotel in the capital Bamako and appealed for information as to their identity.

Twenty people plus two gunmen died in Friday’s assault on the Radisson Blu hotel. The victims included six Russians, three Chinese, an American, a Belgian, a Senegalese and an Israeli.

Jihadist group Al Mourabitoun and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) declared they had carried out the attack in a joint op-

nessmen and diplomats.

The pictures on state television were of two young black men, one of them lying on a metal gurney, a trickle of blood running from beneath his left shoulder.

The broadcaster appealed for Malians who had any information about them to come forward.

The bloodshed, which came a week after Islamic State attacks in Paris that killed 130 people, underlined deepening insecurity in Mali and the difficulties French and U.N. peacekeeping forces are having in stabilising the former French colony.

Tanzanian gold miner dies after rescue

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NE of the five gold miners rescued in Tanzania after being trapped underground for 41 days has died.

Onyiwa Morris, 55, had digestive system complications after being admitted to hospital last week, his doctors said.

The other four men are still receiving treatment at the Kahama District Hospital, where doctors say their health is improving.

The miners survived on roots, soil, and insects after a shaft collapsed, blocking their exit from the mine.

Many Tanzanians have been touched by their survival story, turning up at the hospital with gifts.

These are likely to be gratefully received, given that many of the men’s possessions had already been shared out among family members, who presumed they were dead, the BBC’s Alice Muthengi reports from Tanzania’s main city

•The late Mr. Morris after he was rescued alongside his fellow miners, who claimed to have survived by eating cockroaches, frogs and other insects.

Dar es Salaam. Many people search for gold in unregulated mines in remote areas of Tanzania in the hope of becoming rich. The

US to sanction four in Burundi over violence

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HE United States will sanction four current and former Burundi government officials, including the minister of public

Kenyan soldiers wounded in blast claimed by al Shabaab

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HREE Kenyan soldiers were wounded, one of them critically, when their vehicle was hit in eastern Kenya by a roadside bomb that the Somali Islamist al Shabaab group said it had planted.

The blast in Hulugho, Garissa County, which lies next to the Somali border, shows the group still has the abilitytostageattacksoutside Somalia even though the rebels have been driven out of major strongholds inside

incident took place at a mine in the north-western Shinyanga region, 900km (500 miles) west of Dar es Salaam.

the Horn of Africa nation.

Kenya is part of an African Union force that has been battling the Islamist rebels. Al Shabaab has often staged attacks in Kenya and has said it will continue to launch strikes until Kenyan forces leave Somalia. “Three soldiers were injured. One was critical, but (they) were evacuated for medical attention,” Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) spokesman, Colonel David Obonyo, told Reuters in a brief message.

security, over ongoing violence in the country, the White House said on Monday.

The White House said it has received multiple reports of targeted killings, arbitrary arrests, torture and political repression by security forces in Burundi.

The White House said Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza’s pursuit of a third term in office has precipitated the crisis.

Thousands initially protested against the president and opposed his reelection in a disputed July vote. Various vigilante units have been formed, and more than 200 people have been killed in violence since April.

52 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

Vanguard CLASSIFIED Confirmation of names I, Ekiseh Benedict Tuborkeyi do hereby confirm that the names Ekiseh Tuborkeyi B.,Ekiseh B. Tuborkeyi, Ekiseh Benedict Tuboukeyi and Ekiseh Benedict Tubor refer to one and same me. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Confirmation of names I, Matthew Enetimi Faith do hereby confirm that the names Matthew Enetimi and Matthew Faith refer to one and same me. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Confirmation of names I, Martins Prince Godday do hereby confirm that the name Martins Prince also refer to one and same me.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Confirmation of names I, Uchenna Chimezie Nnaewulu do hereby confirm that the name Uche Henry Raymond also refer to one and same me. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EGEIN—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Egein Ebikiemo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ebikiemo Ekpegili Desmond. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

IZUNDU —I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Christiana Izundu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Christiana Daniel. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

MUSA—I, formerly

public please take note.

NNAMANI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Nnamani Chinasa Priscilla, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Emeji Chinasa Priscilla. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

SMART— I, formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Smart Goroke Timinipre Comfort, now wish to be known and addressed as Miss Ayafa Timinipre Comfort. All former documents remain valid. First Bank PLC and general public please take note.

ASINWO—I, formerly known and addressed as Olapeju Omolara Asinwo, now wish to be known and addressed as Olapeju Omolara AjayiBembe. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ELEANYA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Udumma U. Eleanya, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Joan John Okpan. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

JAMES—I, formerly known and addressed as James Kayinnenchi Philip, now wish to be known and addressed as Igboekweze Kayinnenchi Philip.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

known and addressed as Jehu Suleiman Musa, now wish to be known and addressed as Suleiman Jibril. All former documents remain valid. General

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Ajayi joins Dream team in Gambia C

S Sfaxien of Tuni sia’s hit man and Dream Team top scorer Junior Ajayi is the first overseas-based professional player yo hit the Flourish Resort, The Gambia camp of the Dream Team, in preparation for the 2nd Africa U-23 Cup of Nations holding in Senegal 28 November - 12 December.

The ever-smiling Ajayi arrived Banjul, capital of The Gambia aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight at about 4am (5am) in Nigeria, to the waiting arms of Team Secretary, Sirajo Hassan, who took him to the camp.

It was a surprise package for players and officials of the Dream Team who woke up on Sunday

to behold the presence of Ajayi at breakfast, hugging and backslapping each other, welcoming him to the camp.

Ajayi, who netted the goals in Port Harcourt that eventually eliminated Congo Brazzaville and sent the Dream Team through to Senegal, said.

“I can’t describe how I

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ALI Under-23 national team coach Cheick Oumar Koné announced a 21man squad ahead of the 2015 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, which will take place in Senegal between 28 November and 12 December, with the top three teams to

sharing the leadership.

Despite numerous injuries suffered at the start of the season. We are confident that we have a great squad of magnificent players. The most important thing for us is the success of the team and institutional stability. I understand that the fans are annoyed about Saturday but I ask for their support for the players. I will always work to make sure that the supporters are the only owners of the club.”

On if the manager still has full power, Perez said “full power, for sure. No one will ever suggest anything.

We’ve had lots of coaches and none will ever say that I have suggested anything.

They all have autonomy.

Siasia Continues from BP after the coach dropped Kingsley Sokari and Etor Daniel for insisting on leaving training camp to play a final league game with their club in Lagos.

There is also no room for any member of the victorious Golden Eaglets from the U17 FIFA World Cup in Chile with goal king Victor Osimhen the only of the Eaglets who was in training camp in The Gambia after four of them including skipper Kelechi Nwakali were called up.

As many as 12 players

With the arrival of Ajayi, the number of players in the Dream Team camp rose to 24, with the other invited overseas-based professional assuring that they will be arriving Banjul on Tuesday, 24th November to be part of the team’s last friendly game in The Gambia.

Mali name squad in quest for Rio spot

Benitez Continues from BP him keep working and he will achieve his objectives.

“We had a very bad match, these things happen, but it wasn’t for a lack of attitude,” he says. I suppose he’s trying to tell the fans they may want to put the white hankies away for the foreseeable future.

“We are convinced that we have a great squad that will give much happiness to a fanbase that deserves everything. Rafa Benítez is the chosen one to bring success to this squad that since January has struggled. Now more than ever he needs the support of all of our followers “Until the last two weeks of the league we were unbeaten, and

feel any time I report for national duty. For me, it’s an honor to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians, this I have come to do, God willing. I have come to contribute my little quota in ensuring that we not only pick an Olympic ticket but also win the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations.”

on this squad were not at the recent All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville, where Nigeria’s Dream Team VI placed third at the expense of the host team.

Nigeria will begin their campaign on Sunday against Mali in Mbour.

They will also battle Egypt on December 2 in Mbour and three days later play their final group B match against Algeria in Dakar.

The top three teams will qualify automatically for next year’s Olympics in Rio.

punch their ticket to the 2016 Olympics men’s football tournament.

Koné decided to bring along several bronze medalists from the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, including keeper Djigui Diarra, defenders Aboubacar Doumbia and Souleymane Coulibaly, We have a squad of very good players and choosing is something different.”

On if some leading players like Cristiano Ronaldo want him not to continue, Perez said “a lot of what happens is my fault. It’s not normal to have to deny things a lot. I understand. A lot of journalists want to destabilise us. On Saturday, a paper says on Thursday the president of PSG and Jorge Mendes met.

“That paper says that the president RM was there too. That day of the game! I can tell loads of stories like that. And it’s so easy to call me, or go to the restaurant. I think there are people who make lies their way of being to try to damage the image of Real Madrid because they think that without me they can have more influence in Madrid.

“Cristiano has never, ever said anything like ‘ with this coach we won’t win anything.’ No one has said anything against him. Ronaldo is a good guy; he’s never said anything. All this stuff people say is just to destabilise us. And it’s every day. And there will be some naive people who believe that.

I have to come out and say things ... like, we have not paid €10m for De Gea. But it’s every day. It’s terrible, it’s daily. Some people’s raison d’etre is to destabilise us. They try to undermine the stability of this club and I will not allow it.”

midfielders Diadié Samassékou and Souleymane Diarra and striker Souleymane Sissoko.

The Eagles have failed to qualify for the Olympics since making a maiden appearance at the 2004 edition in Athens, where they fell to Italy in the quarterfinals.

They will launch their continental campaign against Nigeria on 29 November, before taking on their other two Group B opponents, Algeria and Egypt.

Ronaldo more likely to join PSG than Man Utd Ron

T

HE European city with the largest Portuguese population outside of Portugal is Paris.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is expected to part company with Paris Saint-Germain when his contract expires at the end of this campaign leaving a vacancy for a superstar and the money freed up to pay superstar wages.

And PSG will undoubtedly want a bigname replacement for Ibrahimovic to be the club’s new figurehead.

A replacement who would immediately also become the star of France’s Ligue 1.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the PSG president, was in Madrid last Thursday and met with the superagent Jorge Mendes.

Al-Khelaifi, of course, meets leading agents all the time and on the agenda that day was an understandable desire to re-assure one of Mendes’ biggest clients, PSG’s Angel Di Maria, following the Paris terror attacks. But it may have not been the only thing on the agenda.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015 — 53

CAF U-23: Granada stop Success T S

AMSON Siasia’s quest to have Isaac Success in his team at the CAF U23 Africa Cup of Nations may not materialise as Granada, his club in Spain have blocked Success’ movement to Dakar, Senegal, where the tournament begins this weekend.

According to the club’s sporting director, Juan Carlos Cordero the former Golden Eaglets star will not be released for the contest, from where African representatives for the Rio 2016 Olympics will emerge. He was named in the list of 21 players released by Siasia yesterday.

“I have told you before he will not be released, he will stay in Granada, “ Carlos Cordero told allnigeriasoccer.com.

Success scored his third goal of the season in the Andalusian club’s 2 - 0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

The 19 - year - old has been invited to the Dream Team several times but commitments with Granada prevented him from honouring the call ups.

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HE adjudicatory cham ber of FIFA’s ethics committee has opened proceedings against suspended President Sepp Blatter and European soccer boss Michel Platini after ethics investigators called for sanctions against both men.

FIFA said on Monday the adjudicatory chamber intends to come to a decision during December.

Blatter and Platini were suspended for 90 days in October, engulfed by a deepening corruption scandal as the sport faces criminal probes in Switzer-

FIFA charge Blatter, Platini •I almost died— Blatter land and the United States.

This is just as Mr. Blatter revealed how he almost passed away after he took ill.

Blatter, 79, was taken into hospital earlier this month, having been implicated in the corruption scandal engulfing football’s world governing body earlier this year.

Swiss prosecutors have accused him of making a dishonest payment of £1.3 million to Uefa president

•Blatter Michel Platini.

“I was very close [to death],” he said. “I was among the angels singing and the devil with the fire.''

2018 World Cup qualifiers: No panic over Eagles opponents— Pinnick

N

IGERIA Football Fed eration president, Amaju Pinnick has assured fans that the Super Eagles will qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia despite fears, Nigeria will be

•Isaac Success

Doping and Corruption: Kenyan athletes protest

D

OZENS of Kenyan athletes stormed the Athletics Federation headquarters in Nairobi yesterday, locking out officials and demanding that top Athletics Kenya

(AK) bosses step down following allegations of graft and doping coverups.

Kenya, boasting some of the world’s finest middle and long-distance run-

ners, has in recent years been rocked by a spate of failed drug tests and the country’s athletics federation has drawn criticism for not doing enough to tackle doping.

handed a tough draw in the group qualifiers.

FIFA is expected to make the draws in June 2016. Nigerian fans, have foreseen a tough draw for the Super Eagles, based on the lowly ratings of the national team in the world and African brackets. “Our concern is to prepare the senior national team for the group stage of the qualifiers,” said Pinnick in Lagos at the weekend.

“We believe that all the 20 teams that made the last

stage are African super powers who merited their qualifications. So the best we can do is to prepare the Eagles for the task ahead and ensure that Nigeria qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, “ Pinnick said.

Nigeria beat Swaziland 2-0 on aggregate to join Gabon, Zambia, Uganda, DR Congo, Morocco, Guinea, Libya, Cameroon, Ghana, Congo, Egypt, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Cape Verde, Senegal and Mali.

54— Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

Enrique unleashes Messi on Roma

Bayern bid to win group

L

UIS Enrique warns Barcelona’s star man Lionel Messi is “recovered” to face Roma, and just needs playing time.

The Argentinian international missed seven weeks of the season with a knee injury, but made his return as a substitute in the weekend’s 4-0 win over Real Madrid.

“He has recovered,” Enrique said in his prematch Press conference.

“The injury has passed.

He just has to get his physical tone and match sharpness back, which he’ll do by playing. It’s no different to what happens with any other injured player.

“He’s fine, and now he just needs minutes in his legs so we can see the great Leo again.”

•Messi

Chelsea chase three points to Maccabi

•Costa

J

OSE Mourinho will be confident his Chelsea team can continue their winning momentum following their league victory at the weekend when they travel to play Maccabi Tel Aviv in theChampions League tonight.

The Blues ended a run of three straight Premier League defeats in their 1-0 win over Norwich City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, which demonstrated the team’s improved form and their desire to get back on track following their poor start to the season.

Mourinho said after C M Y K

the win, which took Chelsea into 15th place in the standings, he thinks the club’s chances of retaining their league crown is an impossible mission, but Champions League qualification remains a realistic target.

And with Chelsea sitting in second place in their European group, the Blues remain on course to book their place in the last 16 of the Champions League this term - with their game against Maccabi providing the club with the perfect chance to do just that.

Arsenal in win or crash Zagreb match A RSENAL face yet another injury crisis ahead of a match they simply must win against Dinamo Zagreb at the Emirates.

Both Francis Coquelin and Mikel Arteta picked up injuries that seem certain to keep them out of the Champions League fixture, with the latter reported to be facing months on the sidelines after being forced off in the 2-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

It could not have come at a worse time for Arsene Wenger, who faces the very real risk of his pursuit of glory in Europe and the Premier League collapsing as his star players take up residence on the treatment table.

The remaining men will have no room for mistakes against Dinamo, who defeated Arsenal in Croatia in the opening round of fixtures. Anything less than a win and Wenger’s side are out of the competition.

Coach Arsene Wenger said “the only thing we can do is bounce back on Tuesday night. It is a difficult moment for us, yes.

In the last two games we took one point out of six and that is very difficult and very disappointing when you are on such a great run. We have to come back quickly and focus.”

•Lewandowski

H

OLGER Badstu ber is set to make his long-awaited return to the FC Bayern München starting XI with the objective of securing top spot in their UEFA Champions League group when they host Olympiacos tonight.

“I was able to use the international break to improve my fitness level even further and now I’m ready,” Badstuber said in Munich on Tuesday. “It’s up to the coach to decide if I play or not.” If Guardiola nods his head, it will be a boost to Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who is looking forward to having extra protection in front of him with Badstuber back.

“We’re all delighted that he’s back again after such a long time out, and that he belongs to the team again,” Neuer said.

“He’s a fantastic footballer and everybody here at the Säbener Straße loves him. We all know that we need Holger and his quality.”

•Sanchez

Toure: City must win Champions League

Y

AYA Toure says he wants to turn Manchester City into “the biggest club in the world.”

“We have to win the Champions League, several trophies over many years,” Toure told the

Sunday Times.

“We have to show Manchester United, ‘Yeah we’re becoming like you.’

They’ve been winning trophies for years and I want City to be like them. That is what I am fighting for and I will never give up.”

•Toure

Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015—55

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015

Benitez survives Real storm R

EAL Madrid P r e s i d e n t , Florentino Perez has said that the board of the club has given its full support to Coach Rafael

I-N-S-I-D-E

Benitez to steer Los Blancos out of troubled water.

Speaking at a crowded press conference last night, Pérez said “ we

Siasia names final U-23 AFCON squad

No panic over Eagles opponents — Pinnick

have had a board meeting and analysed the sporting situation at Real Madrid. Rafa has all our support and all our confidence. Rafa Benítez has all the ability and has only just started his job here. Let Continues on Page 52

•Lists 12 new players N

IGERIA have named a final 21man squad for the 2015 U23 AFCON, which starts on Saturday in Dakar, Senegal, and which will also be used as qualifying tournament for next year ’s Rio Olympics.

Coach Samson Siasia has listed four overseas-

*Pinnick

Ajayi joins Dream team in Gambia Mali name squad in quest for Rio spot

*Coulibaly

*Awoniyi

based professionals with the rest of the squad drawn from the Nigeria league.

The pros are strikers Taiwo Awoniyi from German second division side FSV Frankfurt, Junior Ajayi of Tunisian club CS Sfaxien, Isaac success from La Liga side Granada as well as midfielder Azubuike Okechukwu, who is based in Turkey.

There are no players for seven-time champions Enyimba Continues on Page 52

*Benitez

Today’s Champs League games BATE Barca Arsenal Bayern Porto Maccabi Tel Aviv Zenith Lyon

*Siasia

v v v v v v v v

Leverkusen *Junior Ajayi Roma Dinamo Zagreb Olympiacos Dyamo Kiev Chelsea Valencia Gent

6pm 8.45pm 8:45pm 8:45pm 8:45pm 8:45pm 6pm 8:45pm

*Ronaldo

QUICK CROSSWORD

T OD AY'S PUZZLE ODA

FRI DAY'S ANS WERS FRID ANSWERS

ACROSS 3 Unhealthy (5) 9 Whole (6) 10 Give (6) 11 Fresher (5) 12 Press (4) 15 Centre (4) 17 Postponed (7) 20 Colour (3) 21 Vision (5) 23 Detail (4) 25 Grain-store (4) 26 Condescend (5) 28 Damp (3) 30 Spotted (7) 33 Revise (4) 35 Ripped (4) 36 Rule (5) 38 Store (6) 39 Position (6) 40 Prodded (5)

DOWN 1 Foul (5) 2 Seat (5) 3 Vase (3) 4 Required (6) 5 Thought (4) 6 Hill (3) 7 Chief (5) 8 Stitched (5) 13 Lived (7) 14 Nude (5) 16 Regain (7) 18 Lees (5) 19 Owns (3) 22 Power (5) 24 Encountered (3) 27 Fuss (6) 28 Jam (5) 29 Headdress (5) 31 Sum (5) 32 Dissuade (5) 34 Nought (4) 36 Material (3) 37 Bow (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Duress 5, Chapel 9, Lithe 11, Avisan 12, Tepid 14, Crab 17, Nor 18, Rate 20, Titan 22, Ailed 23, Sunning 24, Sleet 26 Tired 29, Lead 30, Bed 32, Date 33, Elder 35, Delude 36, Facade 32, Eager 38, Extent 39, Recent.

DOWN: 1, Deduce 2, Repeat 3, Slot 4, Siren 5, Chair 8, Herd 7, Postal 13, Pointed 15, Rifle 16, Based 19, Tenet 21, Nut 22, Ant 24, Sledge 25, Eaglet 27, Ravage 28, Decent 30, Bleat 31, Defer 33, Eden 34, Rare.

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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