100 more soldiers for court-martial

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62305

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Bauchi bombings: Death toll rises to 17 >>9

100 more soldiers for court-martial A

BUJA — About 100 more soldiers are to be court-martialled by the Nigerian military for a number of offences relating to the on-going fight against Boko Haram

•118 soldiers transported from Maiduguri to Abuja •To face trial for offences relating to war against insurgents •Buhari rakes in N54m through crowd funding project >>9

terrorists.

An online journal, Premium Times reported that its sources disclosed that 118 soldiers have been transported from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to face charges in Abuja, a week after 54 soldiers were sentenced to death for refusing to fight Boko Haram.

It is not clear when the troops will be arraigned before the court martial, the sources said. Unlike their colleagues who were convicted last Wednesday, the soldiers awaiting trial are not accused of mutiny.

Army spokesperson, Olajide Laleye, said he

Continues on Page 5

COLUMNISTS:

To be black, poor and vulnerable •P.19

What the next governor of Lagos State should do for •P.24 us (11)

Mr & Mrs CHRISTMAS MOOD—Above: Children balancing trays on their heads at a Christmas party organised by Gov. Babatunde Fashola and his wife in Lagos. Below left: Cultural carnival in Calabar. Below right: Christmas shopping at Wuse Market, Abuja, yesterday. Photos: NAN.

WAPIC Insurance gets AM Best's ‘B-’ rating >>10 Nigeria's economy APC, PDP in hot among largest going blind over in the world >>8 words over foul Residents alleged gas flaring in Imo language >>5 — Jonathan community See Pull-out inside C M Y K

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C M Y K

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C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 —5

POCKET CARTOON

FLAG-OFF—From left: Vice President Namadi Sambo, Abia State Governor Theodore Orji and Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, observing the National Anthem at the official flag-off of the Enugu- Port-Harcourt intercity train service in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday.

APC, PDP in hot words over foul language

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor & Dapo Akinrefon

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AGOS—THE All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were, yesterday, locked in a face-off over responsibility for the introduction of foul language in the political space just as the dominant opposition party affirmed that the country’s political landscape has been redesigned to the disadvantage of the PDP. The Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Governor Rotimi Amaechi in a press conference in Lagos yesterday, said the APC would monitor every polling booth in the country with agents in such a way that election results would only be twisted through the use of military force.

Earlier yesterday, the APC had flayed the PDP for resorting to foul language in its campaign, saying that in the absence of issues to hang on, the ruling party resorted to mudslinging.

The party in a statement

issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed noted that spokespersons of President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP had been particularly overactive since the APC convention ended on a crisis-free note.

APC tackles PDP

The statement was in apparent reaction to insinuations by PDP officials on Monday that APC presidential candidate, Muhammdu Buhari is a semi-illiterate.

"What is issues-based in calling Gen. Buhari a ‘semi-literate jackboot’ as the PDP’s National Secretary Wale Oladipo has incautiously said? Where are the issues in the pejorative reference to Prof.

Osinbajo as an ‘acolyte’ of Tinubu, or in describing Tinubu himself as a puppeteer, as the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh has said in the most vitriolic and irresponsible statement that can ever be issued by the spokesman of a ruling party anywhere?

"Where are the issues contained in the statement by the serial bumbler and gormandizer called Doyin Okupe, who regards Gen. Buhari’s refusal to enrich

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty —Maya Angelou What is inspiration? We call it intuition, inner wisdom, inner guidance, insight, instinct, sixth sense, gut feelings, or hunches. We use these words to describe how it is we know things, without knowing how or why we know them. Yet this marvelous inner wisdom seems to come from deep within our being. It feels like it belongs to us, although it appears to have a mind of its own. It comes to our awareness when our conscious mind steps aside and lets the subconscious mind take over.

When we are ‘mindful’ and open and aware.

Inspiration is much like a hungry butterfly. It flits into our consciousness sometimes unexpectedly and other times knowingly. The only way our conscious mind can capture it is to try to follow its path, and quickly glimpse a closer look when it momentarily comes to rest. Divine guidance is always with us.

But we must be open to listening, trusting and surrendering to our higher Self for true guidance in all aspect our lives.

himself from the public till as a vice rather than a virtue? Why would a ruling party go after the jugular of the opposition simply because it took its time in choosing its presidential running mate, especially since it did not run foul of any electoral law in doing so?

"The truth is that the Jonathan Presidency and the PDP have no issues to canvass during the electioneering campaign for the 2015 general elections because they have wasted the mandate given to them by Nigerians on the altar of unprecedented corruption, incomprehensible incompetence and cluelessness and perhaps the worst leadership ever inflicted on our country,’’ APC said.

PDP hits back at APC

Responding to the assertion, yesterday, the PDP through its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh accused the APC of being the one that fouled the polity with its negative ascriptions of its officials and particularly the president.

Insisting that the PDP would maintain the moral high ground, Metuh said: "In the PDP, we occupy the moral high ground as far as our commitment to issuesbased campaign is concerned. Our word remains our bond. Since we made that commitment, we have focused on issues.

“We have also taken up the responsibility of drawing the attention of Nigerians to the obvious cases of incompetence and failings of the APC and those who aspire to the leadership of our nation through that platform.

“There has never been any instance that we have maliciously attacked the characters of those on the presidential ticket of the APC; rather, we have been alive to our responsibility of offering public service so that Nigerians will not be deceived.

“The particular statement

by Professor Oladipo, referred to by the APC,

which we even consider as complimentary, does not in any way compare with the many instances of vicious, malicious and provocative attacks on the person and office of our presidential candidate, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, after we made the commitment to engage in a decent campaign.

“It is on record that a few days after the commitment alluded to by the APC, Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, attacked the person of President Jonathan, describing him as an ‘incompetent commander-in-chief.’ No personal attack could be more vicious and unconscionable.

“Similarly, the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has consistently prosecuted a hate campaign against President Jonathan, describing him as ‘an enemy of Rivers people.’ I ask the APC and my friend, Lai Mohammed, if this destructive campaign sounds like a love song to him?

“Also, the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun, at the church event to mark the 60th birthday of APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Segun Oni, in Ifaki-Ekiti, attacked the person of President Jonathan describing him as ‘a misfit’ for the presidency of the nation.

“Even my friend Lai Mohammed is not blameless. For him to declare to the world that President Jonathan was responsible for the killings of Nigerians by Boko Haram insurgents, when he knows those whose utterances and clandestine activities fuel the insurgency, smacks of political mischief.

“To worsen the entire matter, the APC presidential candidate himself, General Muhammadu Buhari, is complicit in the propagation of personal attack over and above issues. It was insulting for Buhari to say, as he did in Sokoto last Sunday, that ‘no right-thinking Nigerian will vote for Jonathan.’ Is this the APC’s understanding of an issues-based campaign.

“It is important to point out that President Jonathan has never, ever, whether before or after he became the candidate of our party, attacked the character or person of General Buhari.

In his declaration speech and acceptance speech after he was nominated as presidential candidate of our party, there was nowhere in the speeches or speeches made on subsequent occasions in which he attacked the person of Buhari."

Nigeria's electoral map has been redesigned — Amaechi

The assertions nonetheless, the APC presidential campaign pushed forward, yesterday, as Buhari’s campaign manager, Governor

Amaehci insisted that the prospects of his candidate were very bright on the grounds that the country’s electoral map had been redesigned.

At his inaugural press conference in Lagos, yesterday, Amaechi said the APC would provide agents in every polling booth to frustrate any plans to alter polling results.

According to him, “part of the problem of opposition parties in the past was that they didn’t have resources to employ agents. Agents are essential for monitoring of elections. So, once your agent is there and refuses that they won’t write results, they won’t be able to write results unless they use military to fight everybody.

We will ensure that there are people who are representing APC in all polling booths.”

Noting how the APC had become a frightening spectre for the PDP, he continued: “Before, you had three or four weak parties that used to confront the PDP. Now the PDP knows that it has a strong opposition, they know. Now, Nigerians want change and they will protect their results. We must be prepared to make sacrifices before we can have change. We don’t have to fight the PDP because we think that Nigerians will give us the money and we believe that Nigerians are the best people that can protect their votes by themselves.

Dismissing assumptions that the APC presidential candidate will not win next year ’s election, he said “there is a wrong assumption that Buhari won’t win but I believe that Buhari will win and it is simple electoral mathematics.”

He said “Buhari will win 2015 presidential election

by God’s grace and he will also win because the political map did not favour the president any more. In 2011, the South-South and South-East, we said he (Jonathan) is our brother and now we are saying he is not our brother.

“Before, the president had 100 per cent of the South-South and SouthEast but now, there is problem for the PDP in Cross River, there is problem for the PDP in Bayelsa, there is problem for the PDP in Rivers and in Delta. It wasn’t like that

before. By this time, the PDP would have been dancing, but have you seen them dancing?"

100 more soldiers face court-martial Continues from Page 1 was unaware of the development.

Sources also told PREMIUM TIMES that the soldiers are accused of relatively minor charges including loss or misplacement of rifles during operations against Boko Haram.

The allegations follow repeated reports of troops fleeing Boko Haram fighters and abandoning their weapons for the militants in Borno and Adamawa States.

Boko Haram militants have flaunted arms they claimed were seized from government forces in several videos.

The 54 soldiers who were earlier sentenced to death belonged to the 111 Special Forces battalion attached to the 7 Division of the army in Maiduguri.

They are to die by firing squad, the military court ruled last week.

The soldiers were accused of disobeying a direct order from superior officers to take part in an operation aimed at dislodging Boko Haram terrorists from Delwa, Bulabulin and Damboa in Borno State.

The soldiers said they refused to take part in the operation because the Army did not provide them with the required combat and support equipment needed for such operations.

Our sources said the convicted soldiers have been moved to Lagos to await appeal, pardon or execution.

Also, in September, 12 soldiers were sentenced to death by firing squad for shooting at a car conveying their commanding officer, Ahmed Mohammed, a Major General.

The attack occurred May 14 at the army’s 7 Division, Maimalari Barracks in Maiduguri, headed at the time

by Mohammed.

Others were also sentenced to life in jail for criminal conspiracy and attempt to commit murder.

The soldiers revolted after some of their colleagues were ambushed and killed by Boko Haram extremists, an attack they blamed their commander for.

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

2 brothers accused of assaulting Naval officer

By Bartholomew Madukwe

T

WO brothers, Adekunle Animashaun, 34, and Babtunde Animashahun, 32, were yesterday charged before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court in Lagos over alleged assault of a Naval officer.

The accused are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and assault.

However, when the charge was read to them, they pleaded not guilty.

According to the police prosecutor, Mr. Edet Okoi, the accused persons committed the offence on November 26.

The prosecutor said the brothers viciously assaulted a Naval officer, O. S. Mohammed, by hitting him on his hand.

Okoi informed the court that the brothers attacked the officer without provocation, assaulted him and then took photographs of him, and other officers on duty and their OPMESA patrol vehicle.

He said: “The men conducted themselves in a manner causing a breach of pubic peace. They hit the officer, inflicting severe injuries and began taking pictures at the scene.

“The men were apprehended following a formal complaint to the police from the Nigerian Navy authorities.”

He submitted that the offences contravened Sections 166 and 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

In her ruling, the Magistrate, Mrs Magaret Dan-Oni granted both men bail in the sum of N50,000 each, with one surety in like sum and adjourned the case to January 14, 2015 for mention.

ORANGE BUSINESS: Getting busy at Oshodi market, yesterday. PHOTO: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

Baby falls off mum's back on Okada, crushed by truck

By Perez Brisibe

U

GHELLI—A heavy duty truck, conveying crates of soft drinks, yesterday, at the Okorodafe Roundabout in Ughelli, Delta State, crushed a four-month-old baby girl, who had fallen off the back of

her mother travelling on a commercial motorcycle, popularly known as Okada.

According to witnesses, the mother of the baby, who is in her 30s and simply identified as Ese, was said to have been struggling to adjust the wrapper with which she

strapped the baby to her back, while the Okada was in motion.

One of the witnesses, identified as Efemena Okiemute, told Vanguard that the baby fell on the middle of the road and was immediately crushed by the truck, which

Police crush Keke-snatching gang in Lagos

By Esther Onyegbula

T

HE Lagos State Police Command have arrested a four-man armed robbery gang, which specialized in snatching tricycles and robbing riders and the passengers in Lagos and nearby states.

The suspects identified as Akazue, aged 26; Christian, 29; Paul, 20, gang leader, while

the fourth member, Monday, is still at large.

According to reports, the incident occurred on December, 11,at 9.30p.m., at Ikotun a suburb in Lagos.

Vanguard learned that when information came to the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kayode Aderanti, that one tricycle snatcher had been caught by Police in Ikotun, he quickly ordered the officer in

charge of SARS, Abba Kyari, to fish out the other hoodlums and crush the gang.

According to the selfacclaimed leader of the gang, Paul, “the idea to snatch tricycles and rob their drivers and passengers originated from me.

“I got the inspiration when I was smoking Indian hemp with Monday and one gang member called Roughman,

Ex-militants hold Delta Deputy Governor hostage

By Festus Ahon & Egufe Yafugborhi

A

SABA—AGGRIEVED exmilitants, yesterday, held Delta State Deputy Governor, Professor Amos Utuama (SAN), hostage at Government House annex, Warri, over what they described as undue delay in the payment of their monthly allowances by the amnesty office.

The ex-militants numbering

was directly behind the Okada.

When Vanguard visited the scene, officials of Ughelli Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, were seen clearing the remains of the dead baby from the road.

over 100, barricaded the entrance to the Government House, annex at 1p.m., insisting that they would not let the Deputy Governor leave until their demands were met or concrete promises made as to when their allowances would be paid.

It will be recalled that the ex-militants, last week Monday, blocked the EastWest Road for hours on same issue of their monthly allowances not being paid

when due.

Vanguard gathered that the ex-militants are demanding N1 million from each vehicle on the deputy governor ’s convoy before they would let them go.

At press time, the convoy was still being held hostage.

However, police and men of the Joint Military Task Force, JTF, were on ground to restore peace and order.

One of the ex-militants, who spoke to Vanguard on

telephone, said they were not being fairly treated by the government, adding that “Christmas is here and we have nothing to give to our family.

“This act of insensitivity on the part of government must stop. Mr. Kingsley Kuku should resign if he cannot handle our issue properly.”

The ex-militant, who did not want his name in print, alleged that Kuku was living well at their expense.

who is a receiver of stolen goods.

“Roughman promised to buy each TVS tricycle we snatch for N150,000, I am the one that called all of them.”

According to Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Kenneth Nwosu, “investigation is still ongoing and efforts have been intensified to track down Monday, who is now in hiding.”

Narrating how it all happened, one of the suspects Akazue, said: “I was the first person to be arrested because I was not able to escape with my colleagues when the mob was pursuing us.”

On how he joined the gang, he said: “Paul told me about snatching tricycles and I told him that the job was not good.

“The next day he came with Monday and asked me to join them and I did as he asked.

“The next day being Thursday, they called me to follow them to do the job which put me in this trouble.”

He said they used a toy gun and cutlass in the operation.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014—7

Farmer, 3 other suspects arrested with 6.135kg of narcotics

By Evelyn Usman

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OUR persons, among them a farmer and a Nigerian student of Tourism and Hotel Management in Cyprus, have been arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, with a total of 6.135kg of narcotics.

The drugs include 4.290kg of heroin, 570 grammes of methamphetamine and 1.275kg of cocaine.

The suspects include Taiwo, a 44-year-old engineer, who works in an automobile company in Barcelona; 25-yearold Charles, a hotel attendant in Lagos; Chidi, a 24- year-old student in Cyprus and Agomuo, a 44-year-old farmer in Imo State.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Commander at the Lagos airport, Mr. Umar Hamza, said: “Taiwo was found in possession of 525 grammes of cocaine and 1.540kg of heroin. He ingested 87 wraps and concealed others in his pants. He was on his way to Spain.

“Anikwe was intercepted with 570 grammes of methamphetamine concealed in his luggage handles on his way to Malaysia.

“Igwe was found with 750 grammes of cocaine hidden under his luggage, while Agomuo was caught with 2.750kg of heroin hidden inside

a duty free bag inside his luggage, while returning from Pakistan.

“They are cooperating with our team of investigators and will be charged to court soon.”

In his confessional statement, Taiwo who claimed to have been living in Spain for 14 years, said he was introduced into drug trafficking by a friend.

On his part, Charles said that a guest whom he was nice to promised to sponsor his education in Malaysia, only to

hand him a bag which unknown to him, contained drugs.

Meanwhile, Chidi, who recently gained admission into one of the universities in Cyprus, said that he agreed to smuggle the drug for 5,000 pounds.

Agomuo blamed his predicament on hardship, saying “I am a farmer in Imo State. It had been very difficult for me to feed my wife and only child. One day, a friend invited me to Pakistan, promising to

Chidi's alleged luggage.

Another suspect, Agomuo's.

2 arrested with human skull; 4 robberry suspects die in auto crash

By Dayo Johnson

A

KURE—POLICE detectives have arrested two suspected ritualists with a

human skull on the Ibillo-Isua Expressway in Akoko SouthEast Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Also, four armed robbers met

EXPLOSION: Shops destroyed by a bomb explosion at Bauchi Central Market, yesterday.

NAN PHOTO.

Man arraigned for allegedly beating Inspector

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

ENIN—A 20-year-old man, Mamode Samson, has been arraigned before an Egor Magistrate’s Court for assaulting one Monday Okungbowa, a Police Inspector attached to Ogida Police Station, Benin, Edo State.

sponsor the trip, with a promise to help me secure a good job over there.

“When I got to Pakistan, he told me there was no job but that I should take drugs to Nigeria.

He promised to give me half a million naira to start my business if I could take the drugs to Nigeria.

“Since life was becoming unbearable, I decided to take the risk. I was, however, not lucky because I was arrested at the Lagos airport.”

He was also accused of assaulting three siblings, Jennifer Okunrobo, Uyiosa Okunrobo and Eghosa Okunrobo on December 20.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the threecount charge.

Mamode was accused of hitting the police inspector with

his fists and tearing his police uniform.

Trial Magistrate, Taiye Omoruyi, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 and a surety in like sum, who must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction.

The case was adjourned to January 7, 2015.

their death in an auto crash after attacking a team of policemen, while on patrol on the Idanre Road in Akure metropolis.

Police Commissioner in the state, Isaac Eke said the four armed robbers were the killers of two policemen at a road block in Akure last month.

It was gathered that after the robbery, information reached the policemen attached to the ‘B’ Division of the state Police Command, who gave them a hot chase.

Their get-away vehicle, a white Hilux Vehicle marked 11/ 260 FG said to have been snatched at Ifon area of the state, crashed into a church fence and the four of them died on the spot.

Items recovered from them include two AK-47 rifles belonging to Okuta Elerinla Police Division said to have been carted away from the two deceased Policemen they shot dead in the state last month.

Also recovered were 126 live ammunition, three magazines, N160,120, two number plates (Edo State), 21 handsets, a substance suspected to be dynamite and charms.

Speaking on the suspected ritualists, the police chief said policemen, while on stop-andsearch duty on Ibilo-Isua Expressway, intercepted the suspects, who wrapped the human skull in a black polythene bag.

Fatal spiritual bath pastor arrested

By Evelyn Usman

P

ASTOR Samuel Olusoji of New Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ajah area of Lagos has been arrested by the Police, over the demise of two brothers, Abiodun and Ayinde Oniru, during a spiritual bath at the weekend.

The pastor, who reportedly fled when the incident occurred in a stream in Agombo area of Ajah, was arrested yesterday, four days after the incident.

He is currently being interrogated by policemen at Agombo Division over his alleged connection with the dead brothers, who were aged 23 and 20.

Police sources hinted that during interrogation, Pastor Olusoji denied having a hand in the death of the two brothers. He was said to have denied being anywhere near the river when the incident occurred.

He was also said to have said that he was informed that the deceased were swimming in the river when tragedy struck. He was also said to have stated that the deceased were members of his church.

A member of the church, who spoke on condition of anonymity told Vanguard: “What we gathered was that Abiodun and Ayinde arrived the river on Saturday morning, even before the pastor arrived.

“They were accompanied by some members of the church, who were also there for spiritual bath.

Everyone was cautioned against going near the river let alone to swim.

“But some of the members, including Abiodun and Ayinde, insisted they would swim.

Before anyone knew what was happening, they had drowned.”

But when asked how they were brought out of the river, he claimed other members brought them out, adding that before mouthto-mouth resuscitation attempt could be made, they gave up the ghost.

When contacted, spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Kenneth Nwosu said investigation was still ongoing.

8—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

FG records N46bn deficit in third quarter

By Michael Eboh

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AGOS — THE Federal Government recorded a deficit of N46.40 billion in its fiscal operations for the third quarter of 2014, compared to a N122.41 billion deficit recorded in the second quarter of 2014.

The deficit, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in its Economic Report for the Third Quarter of 2014, released yesterday, was as a result of a shortfall in receipts in the quarter.

Specifically, the Federal Government recorded retained revenue of N924.7 billion and an expenditure of N971.1 billion.

The CBN said: “Non-oil receipts, at N961.98 billion, were higher than the budget estimate and the receipts in the preceding quarter by 3.7 and 17.6 per cent, respectively.

Federal Government retained revenue was N924.67 billion, while total expenditure was N971.07 billion.

“Thus, the fiscal operations of the Federal Government resulted in an estimated deficit of N46.40 billion, or 0.2 per cent of the estimated GDP for the third quarter of 2014, compared with N122.41 billion in the preceding quarter and proportionate quarterly budget estimate of N241.05 billion.”

The CBN report put total federally-collected revenue at N2.685 trillion, representing an increase of 2.7 per cent above the receipts in the second quarter of 2014, adding, however, that it was a decline of 1.2 per cent below the proportionate quarterly budgeted estimate.

Oil revenue stood at N1.723 trillion, dropping by 3.92 per cent from N1.8 trillion recorded in the second quarter of 2014, while non-oil revenue stood at N961.98 billion, rising by 17.6 per cent from N817.77 billion recorded in the second quarter of 2014.

Revenue from the oil sector, despite dropping below the proportionate budget estimate and the level in the preceding quarter by 3.8 and 4.0 per cent, respectively, according to the report, accounted for 64.2 per cent of the total Federal Government revenue.

Nigeria’s economy among largest in the world — Jonathan P

ORT HARCOURT — PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan said, yesterday, that his administration had managed the country ’s economy to become the greatest in Africa and one of the largest in the world.

He said this in Port Harcourt at the inauguration of EnuguPort Harcourt-Enugu intercity train service.

He said: "We have managed the economy such that it has risen to be the greatest economy in Africa and one of the largest in the world.”

Represented by his Vice President Namadi Sambo, the president said his government had changed the course of history in the country.

"We have changed the course of history with the railway system in the last 30 years from the neglected sector to a rehabilitated and revitalised one by rehabilitating the existing narrow gauge railway lines, their operations and maintenance,” Jonathan said.

He said the administration would construct coastal railway line from Lagos to oil producing states of the Niger Delta and link up commercial cities in the South-East.

According to him, the AbujaKaduna rail project was at 90 per cent completion stage while the Warri-Itakpe project was at an advanced stage.

"We have introduced programmes that have impacted positively on the lives of the people and addressed key issues in our national agenda,” he said.

According to the president, he had fulfilled all his electioneering campaign promises he made to Nigerians during the 2011 presidential election.

In his contribution, Sen. Idris Umar, Minister of Transport, said the construction of Lagos-

Ibadan railway line would commerce soon, adding that the Warri-Itakpe rail project was progressing steadily.

He said more than 90 per cent of the existing narrow gauge rail lines in the country was being rehabilitated and noted that the railways were very significant to the country’s economy.

Mr Adeseyi Sijuwade,

L

AGOS — A SOLE Presidential aspirant on the platform of the Mega Progressives Peoples Party (MPPP), Dr Sam Nwanti, has withdrawn from the 2015 presidential race.

Nwanti, an international detective and former Washington, USA Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chairman said he withdrew from the race to boost the chances of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Nwanti, who was PDP acting chairman of Las Vegas

problem.

According to him, "the Aba mountain of refuse” of about five metres high was part of the challenges while a section of the track was buried, explaining that the challenges had made train services impossible in the South-East since 2009.

LETTER OF CREDENCE: President Goodluck Jonathan (left) receiving Letter of Credence from the new Ambassador of Cuba to Nigeria, Mr Carlos Trejo Sosa, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

60 journalists killed worldwide in 2014 —CPJ

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AGOS— AT least 60 journalists around the world were killed in 2014 while on the job or because of their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ, said Tuesday, making the past three years the deadliest for journalists since the organisation began keeping track more than two decades ago.

Syria was connected to two of the more horrifying killings of journalists this year, the

2015: MPPP presidential aspirant, Nwanti, withdraws for Jonathan

By Clifford Ndujihe

Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, noted that the rehabilitation of Enugu-Port Harcourt railway had many challenges.

He said 30 metres of the rail line was washed out by Aba gully erosion and explained that five metres wide reinforced concrete culvert of more than 366 metres long resolved the

Nevada State (2003-2006), acting chairman Denver Colorado State (2006-2011) and PDP chief investigator USA said in a statement yesterday: "Today I withdrew from contesting for the presidential race on the platform of MPPP. "The reasons are as the only Igbo man who is contesting in 2015, it may split the support of the Igbo. To avoid disintegrating and spoiling things for President Jonathan who has done well, I am withdrawing from contesting and therefore supporting President Jonathan for re-election in 2015.’’

beheadings by the Islamic State group of American freelancers, James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

Both had disappeared while reporting on the conflict.

The conflict in Ukraine between the new government and Russian-backed separatists saw five journalists and two media workers killed. They were the first that the CPJ had recorded in Ukraine since 2001.

An “unusually high proportion,” or about one-fourth, of journalists killed in 2014 were international ones, though the overwhelming number of journalists threatened continue to be local, the New York-based organization’s report said.

Two journalists for The Associated Press, AP, and a freelance translator for the AP were among the CPJ’s toll.

Those killed in 2014 include Anja Niedringhaus, an AP photographer, who was shot to death while covering elections in Afghanistan. AP video journalist Simone Camilli and freelance translator Ali Shehda Abu Afash were killed in an explosion at an ordnance dump in the Gaza strip in August.

In addition, AP photographer Franklin Reyes Marrero died in a car accident while returning

from an assignment in Cuba.

The CPJ does not count deaths from illness or car or plane crashes unless they were the result of “hostile action.”

“2014 was a tragic year for journalists worldwide and for our organisation in particular,” said John Daniszewski, vice president and senior managing editor for international news for the AP. "While the casualties stemmed from war and conflict in different parts of the world, “they remind us of the daily courage and sacrifices made by professional journalists to bring back the news and information that so many rely on and take for granted.”

The report said the number of journalists killed in 2014 was down from 70 the year before, but the past three years have been the deadliest since the organisation started compiling such records in 1992. Forty-four percent of the journalists killed were targeted for murder, the new report said.

The crushing conflict in Syria, now well into its fourth year, has been a major factor. The report said at least 17 journalists were killed there this year, with at least 79 killed since the fighting began in 2011.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014—9

2015: Buhari rakes in over N54m through crowd funding project zSays his strength is with ordinary Nigerians

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

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BUJA — BUHARI Support Organisation, BSO, the umbrella body of all support groups for the Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2015 election, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) has realised N54,415,386.70 through a crowd funding project launched by Buhari on November 19, 2014 in Abuja.

The money was meant to bankroll his election campaign.

Giving update on the activities of the group at a press conference, the APC presidential flag bearer who was flanked by Senator Olorunimbe Mamora and former FCT Minister, Malam Nasir el-Rufai said his strength was with the ordinary Nigerians.

To ensure transparency and accountability, Buhari revealed that he was a sole signatory to the account which is domiciled in FirstBank Plc. He said: “So far, so good. We have received donation of N54,415, 386.70 through direct deposit and sales of cards to the FirstBank account number: 2026724405. As I promised during the take-off that I will take responsibility for the account, we are here today to give you an update on the progress so far.

“Currently, 82 support groups have been registered under the Buhari Support Organisations, BSO, with over 475,796 coordinators and total membership in the region of 8,492, across the length and breadth of this country.

“We intend to use the registration and donation cards to enlist the members of the groups as volunteer change agents and also capture the spatial distribution of our donors.

“Let me reiterate that the only authorised account designated for the crowd funding which I am the sole signatory to, is the BSO account with FirstBank Plc.

Continue making sacrifice

“I know we live in a difficult times in Nigeria. There is insecurity, corruption, poverty and above all the uncertainty of life as it has become unbearable.

I want to appeal to all our supporters to continue making sacrifice till we get the needed change. It is a real demonstration that when people come together and put their minds to it, change is possible.

“I want to thank everyone here and outside this venue who has accepted to join us in securing Nigeria and efficiently manage our country, through your donations and support we shall

CHRISTMAS: Martins, Ademowo sue for peace

By Sam Eyoboka & Olayinka Latona

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BRIEFING: From left: Deputy National Coordinator, House2House Political Education Initiative, Prince Henry Obok; National Coordinator, Prince Olakunle Ehinlanwo; Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed and South West Coordinator, Olowofunekin Temitope and National Secretary during a press conference declaring support for APC Presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan. continue to foster the bond of friendship and goodwill for our country.

“Thank you for supporting, encouraging and praying for the ticket of Muhammadu Buhari/Yemi Osinbajo. Your contribution so far has humbled and inspired us.”

The highpoint of the conference was the cutting of a Christmas cake by Buhari to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.

My strength is with Ordinary Nigerians

Asked whether he would tow the path of President Goodluck Jonathan, who reportedly received a donation of N21 billion during a fundraising event in Abuja last week, Buhari said it was not necessary, saying his approach was the crowd funding project where the ordinary Nigerian would need to participate.

Making allusion to United States President Barack Obama’s election, Buhari said the approach would make him

more accountable to the people when voted into office next year.

“This is my approach, God knows and you know it. Go and ask my former running mate, Pastor Tunde Bakare. I heard him saying in an interview that when we started campaign with him, he never knew there was such a large number of people in the north. So my strength is mainly with the ordinary people.

“You know N100 is a lot of money for them, and I believed they will make that sacrifice especially when I told them that I’m going to sign the cheque to get even a kobo out of that amount. That is why I depend on them and we are taking this idea mainly from what happen in United States.

“When Obama came out to contest, he was a colourful person. The big companies were for him. But he knew that he needed the ground foot soldiers. So, when he came up with this idea, he was able to finance his campaign without looking for money bags or any influential person. So, he remains independent. This is

what I want to achieve.

House-to-House group declare support for Buhari

Meanwhile, a solidarity group known as House-toHouse Educational Initiative has pledged its support to Buhari.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, national coordinator of the group, Mr. Kunle Ehinlanwo, said members decided to support Buhari based on their conviction that he was a better candidate than President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. “Our initial idea was to support the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan believing that continuity will better secure our democracy, considering the stage we are in the democratic ladder but on a deeper review and careful analysis of the situation in the country, we are not convinced with the performance of the present administration."

Death toll hits 17 in Bauchi bomb attack

By Suzan Edeh

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AUCHI — THE death toll in Monday evening's bomb explosion at the busy central market area of Bauchi has risen to 17 while 27 injured persons are currently receiving treatment at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.

Giving the casualty figure to journalists yesterday, Chairman of State Emergency Agency, SEMA, Relief Distribution

Committee, Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Bello, said the hospital recorded 17 deaths, adding that 27 of the victims were currently on admission in the hospital.

Bello stated that 15 others have been treated and discharged.

Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Police Command had confirmed on Monday night that seven people were killed during the explosion, while 25 others sustained varying degree of injuries.

According to a statement

released by the command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Haruna Mohammed, of the 25 injured victims, six were treated and discharged, while 19 others were responding to treatment.

DSP Mohammed, however, assured that normalcy had been restored by combined security forces and patrols were being intensified within and outside the town.

He said investigation into the bomb explosion was in progress.

AGOS — CATHOLIC Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins and his Anglican counterpart, Most Rev. Ephraim Adebola Ademowo, have stressed the need for peaceful co-existence, calling on the National Assembly to re-examine and pass into law more relevant bills that would adequately protect Nigerian citizens against all forms of indiscriminate brutality in the hands of law enforcement agents.

Archbishop Martins, in his Christmas message signed by the Director of Social Communication, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, made the call in view of the many reported cases of assaults on citizens, in recent times, by men alleged to be Policemen. A case in point, he argued, is that involving a young couple, Mr. Ejeh Smith and his wife, Grace.

The archbishop said it was worrisome that some law enforcement agents, who had sworn to protect the lives and property of the citizens, have now allegedly turned against the very people they were meant to protect through acts of unwarranted brutality, warning that unless the trend was checkmated urgently, it was capable of creating an atmosphere of anarchy and lawlessness in the land.

He said: “In recent times, there has been an upsurge in media reports of police brutality and accidental discharges with corresponding negative consequences on victims.

In his message, Ademowo urged governments at different levels to pursue peace, noting that globally the world needs peace.

According to the archbishop, "we should allow the message of Christmas to have positive impacts on us, let us drop all vices of intolerance, political violence, indiscipline, fraud, kidnapping, terrorism and insurgency.”

He admonished politicians to do away with acts and provocative speeches, utterances capable of destroying our democratic structures, while calling on the youths to conduct themselves in a manner that will portray as God fearing, refusing to be used as instruments of electoral fraud, thuggery, killings, destruction and vandalism.

10— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

WAPIC Insurance gets AM Best's ‘B-' rating

SYNAGOGUE: NEMA, LASEMA ill-equiped

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AGOS—WAPIC Insurance Plc, a full line insurance service provider headquartered in Nigeria and with operations in Ghana has been rated B- by A.M. Best, a global credit rating agency.

The insurer was also awarded an Issuer Strength Rating, ISR, of ‘BB-’ by the rating agency.

In a statement, the firm said that the rating grade underscores its enhanced underwriting capabilities, performance and its strong enterprise risk management framework.

The rating also recognizes Wapic’s respectable liquidity position and strong risk-adjusted capitalization underpinned by the firm’s improved assets quality. Stemming from these, the company’s was assigned a stable outlook as its overall rating.

AM Best was cautiously optimistic that the rating assigned to Wapic, which is contingent on the successful implementation of the company’s corporate strategy will improve in the medium term given the company ’s strong execution capabilities.

While this rating affirmed Wapic Insurance’s financial strength and importance to the insurance industry in the West African sub-region, the rating could be noted as one of the immediate impacts of the company’s transformation as a result of its acquisition by Access Bank Plc, and eventual repositioning for optimal performance under the watchful eyes of Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, a business leader reputed for his uncommon management acumen and an accomplished turnaround manager.

This implies that Wapic Insurance has the capability to significantly grow its market share and create value for shareholders under the present management. Established in 1958, and listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange 20 years later in 1978, Wapic has built a strong franchise in the largest economies in Sub-Saharan Africa and operates two subsidiaries; Wapic Life Assurance Limited and Wapic Insurance (Ghana) Limited.

to manage disasters — WITNESS

By Abdulwahab Abdulah, Bartholomew Madukwe & Ebele Okafor

AGOS—THE Coroner's Court investigating the cause of death of people at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, was yesterday told that the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, were illequipped to manage disasters in the country.

This was the position of the National Executive Coordinator of Life Savers Foundation, LSF, Mrs. Fola Shoetan, who told the coroner judge, Mr. Oyetade Komolafe that it was the youths from SCOAN that played major roles in the rescue operations, while adding that statutorily, responders are not supposed to move away from a disaster site according to international practice.

She called on the Federal Government and the Lagos State government, to ensure that adequate equipment was provided for the agencies to effectively contain emergency situations whenever the need arose.

Shoetan who was testifying before the coroner court, advised that more Non Governmental Organisation,

NGO, should also come on board in the aspect of rescue operations.

According to Shoetan; “I don’t know when NEMA officials left the scene on the first day. But LASEMA officials left at 10:30pm on the second day. As at the time LASEMA officials left on the second day, persons were still trapped on the collapsed site. The LASEMA General Manager, GM, Dr Femi Osanyintola, did not co-operate very well with other responders and I kept telling him that. Even though he is very hard working

and always around at the collapsed site, what he does most of the time he is around is to hold meetings with his team from the state.

“The police I can confirm was present all through the period of the rescue operation and no security agent ever stopped us from working and to the best of my knowledge nobody was assaulted.”

Testifying also, the Chief Security Officer, CSO, to the church, Sunday Okogie, insisted that both NEMA and LASEMA officials were not prevented from

rescuing trapped persons in the collapsed guest house.

The CSO who submitted the unedited Close Circuit Television, CCTV, footages of the incident from September 12 to September 16, 2014 to the court, argued that the recordings contradicted their claims.

Okogie pointed out that both agencies arrived at the church about an hour after the building collapsed and gained access to the scene in less than a minute.

Further hearing was adjourned till January 6, 2015.

FLAG OFF: From left: Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Major Tunde Panox, retd, Managing Director LASAA, George Noah, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, and Corporate Affairs Adviser, NB Plc., Kufre Ekanem, during the governors 'flag off of Star Lagos Countdown 2014, at Bar Beach, Lagos, yesterday.

LAGOS GOV PRIMARIES: Obanikoro's

suit lacks

competence, PDP tells court

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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BUJA—THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to entertain the suit that was lodged before it by former Minster of State for Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro, challenging the outcome of the governorship primary election it held in Lagos state on December 8.

PDP in a preliminary objection it filed at the high court yesterday, queried the competence of the suit, describing it as a classical example of an abuse of court process.

It told the court that Obanikoro made criminal allegations including collusion, conspiracy, shootings and intimidation of delegates, without adducing sufficient particulars and proof.

The party noted that though the plaintiff made serious allegations against

the acclaimed winner of the said primary election, Mr. Jimi Agbaje and its chieftain in Lagos State, Chief Olabode George, he failed to join them as parties in the suit.

“There is no act of the 1st Defendant giving rise to jurisdiction of the Federal High Court pursuant to section 251 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or any applicable law whatsoever”, PDP argued.

It contended that the interim order of injunction that Obanikoro is seeking from the court, if granted, would adversely affect millions of members and supporters of the party who were neither made parties nor put on notice with respect to the suit.

“That the 1st defendant, PDP, has till Friday December 26, 2014, to send nominations for governorship candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, failing which it will be shut

out from presenting a governorship candidate for Lagos State.

“That the time table of the 2nd Defendant, INEC, for the conclusion of gubernatorial candidates nominations for all political parties in Nigeria has been set out several months ago, which cannot be altered in the overriding interest of the country”, PDP added.

The party said it duly complied with its Electoral Guidelines for Primary Elections 2014 in the conduct of the Lagos state primaries, “there was no over voting during the said gubernatorial primaries.

“Even if there was non compliance, it was not substantial to warrant the prayers sought by the plaintiff. This suit is contentious election matter that cannot be commenced by Originating Summons.

“This application and the entire suit is incompetent and this court lacks the

jurisdiction to hear and determine this suit. It is an abuse of court process”, PDP added.

Consequently, it yesterday urged Justice Ahmed Mohammed to dismiss the case or alternatively, strike it out in its entirety.

Meanwhile, INEC, which was cited as the 2nd defendant in the suit, yesterday, declined to enter its appearance before court.

Even though Justice Mohammed confirmed that the electoral body was duly served with all the relevant court processes on December 18, he yesterday ordered the service of fresh hearing notice on the commission to enable it to appear in the matter on the next adjourned date, January 14, 2015.

Obanikoro had through his lawyer, Mr, James Odiba, applied for an adjournment to enable him to respond to both the preliminary objection and counter-affidavit that was filed against his suit by the PDP.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 —11

Ondo PDP crisis worsens zAs Jimoh Ibrahim-led faction takes over party secretariat

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By Gbenga Olarinoye

KURE—THE Jimoh Ibrahim-led faction of the Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday took over the party secretariat, thereby deepening the three-month-old crisis of the Party in the state.

Within one month, three chairmen have taken over the secretariat in a bid to control the party structure.

The former embattled state Chairman of the Party, Hon. Ebenezer Alabi resigned following agreement reached during the integration of the new PDP from the Labour Party, LP. Consequently Governor Olusegun Mimiko-led faction who got the nod of the National Secretariat swore in another Chairman and other State exco members at the Abuja secretariat of the Party.

After the swearing of the new exco the former chairman Alabi handed over the machinery of the party structure to the new helmsman, Clement Faboyede.

However, the business mogul went to court to sack the Faboyede led exco after organising an election in Igbotako his home town in which Dr Olu Ogunye was elected even in absentia.

Ogunye incidentally is a former lecturer of Governor Mimiko during his university days in Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Addressing the faction of the business mogul, the new Chairman, Dr Ogunye said his

faction of the party is open to reconciliation with the Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s faction as there is nothing to gain in loss of the coming election.

Ogunye said a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has recognized his faction and the candidates presented by it to contest the elections.

He was optimistic that the party would deliver the state for President Goodluck Jonathan and still win all the elective positions in the state.

According to him, the crisis started when the governor insisted in getting majority of the elective positions

Ogunye said: “The governor wanted to take 17 members of the House of Assembly, six members of the House of Representatives and two senatorial slots at the expense of the old members of the party who had toiled day and night for the success of the party.''

He pointed out that “many of those being paraded as candidates of the party are not members of the party as they have not been registered at the ward levels.''

The factional Chairman said they would not surrender the sovereignty of the party to new comers.

He added that a reconciliation

committee would be set up to reconcile the aggrieved members of the party so that they would go to the election as one team.

“We are always open to reconciliation but one thing we will not subscribe to is hijacking of the party structure by the governor. We have all worked for the development of the party but we resist any imposition and dictation from the governor .

“We will always see them as part of us and they will be accommodated as part of us, they’ve come to join our party and cannot push us out of the party. “ Ogunye who acknowledged Governor Mimiko as a grassroots politician and mobiliser regretted that his joining the party has been a minus because of his domineering attitude.

XMAS CAROL: From left: Oyo State Labour Party governorship candidate, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala,his wife, Oluwakemi, and Senator Brimo Yusuf, during 2014 interdenominational Christmas Carol and Nine Lessons organised by the governorship candidate at his residence in Ogbomoso,Oyo State, yesterday.

Gen Adebayo urges Fayose to remain focused

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By Gbenga Ariyibi

DO EKITI—FORMER Military Governor of the old Western State, General Adeyinka Adebayo, has counselled Ekiti State Governor,Mr Ayo Fayose to remain focused and not to be discouraged by the wave of criticisms from his opponents Adebayo who is the father of the first executive governor of the state, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo urged Fayose to commence execution of his programmes irrespective of the criticisms from his opponents, saying the end results matter to the people Speaking while hosting the governor at his Iyin-Ekiti country home yesterday, General. Adebayo said going by experience, people would always have one thing or the other to say about government policies His words: “I am happy to see you here. My house is for everybody if you are doing good, as I see myself as a father to all. As the military

governor of the old Western State, I did my best for Ekiti people. I was lucky that I had the opportunity to serve Ekiti people. I was able to bring water, schools and hospitals to my people as governor.

“Since Ekiti State was created, the governors have been doing their best. What we need now is to generate more money for the setting up of industries. Forget what people say about what you do as governor as long as you are doing the right things.

“Ekiti people should support their government.

With the sincere support of the people, then those leading them will be able to do more,” he said.

Fayose had earlier told General Adebayo that he had to visit

him following a surprise call he got from the general on Monday.

“I am here to appreciate your love for Ekiti and the people of the state. I want to assure you that we will bank on your counsel and advice.

We are wishing you long life and the more you are here for us the better for us,” he said

Ogun govt swears in 10 new magistrates

By Daud Olatunji

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B E O K U TA — OGUN State government, yesterday, swore in 10 new magistrates in addition to the existing 22 magistrates in 16 magisterial districts in the state.

The newly sworn in magistrates were; Adeola Daudu, Oluranti Farounbi, Olatilewa Oyefeso, Olakoleyin Oke, Ajibolu Shomorin, Temitope Adebutu, Oyindamola Onifade, Temitope Ayobolu, Folarin Iroko and Sunday Ogongo.

The Chief Judge, Mrs. Olatokunbo Olopade who did the swearing in of three female and seven male magistrates at the Ogun High Court, Abeokuta, said that the appointment of the new magistrates became imperative because of the ever increasing work load in the magistracy.

According to her; ‘’ Prior to today, we had 22 magistrates, as at the end of November, there were 1,280 civil cases and 2,932 criminal cases pending before the 22 magistrates.

“Statistic shows that on the average, 230 criminal cases and 185 civil cases are brought to our courts on a monthly basis, it therefore became very necessary that more magistrates be brought on board,” she said.

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

UNIBEN ASUU petitions Edo CP, DSS over hoodlums' attack on members

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN—THE Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, University of Benin chapter, yesterday, petitioned the Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Folunso Adebanjo and the state Director of Department of Security Services, DSS, urging them to investigate the attack on its members by hoodlums over a disputed piece of land.

Hoodlums suspected to be community youths had last Friday invaded the residence of members of the union and unleashed mayhem on them.

Some of the victims were thrown out of their quarters after being manhandled by the youths.

In the petition, ASUU Chairman, Dr. Anthony MonyeEmina, described the attacks as barbaric and appealed to law enforcement agents to wade into the matter so as to save the lives of his members.

He said: “We write to draw the attention of the general public to the resort to lawlessness and gangsterism against some of our members on December 19, 2014. For the information of the public, the University of Benin

was in court over a landed property in the GRA, Benin City and judgment was delivered on December 16, 2014.

“During the pendency of the matter, the rest (subject matter) was tempered with and we strongly believe that this is against the rule of law. The

University of Benin promptly filed an appeal against the judgment of the state High Court and appealed for a stay of execution on December 17, 2014 which has been scheduled for determination sometime in January 2015.

“Our major concern is the

inhuman and barbaric manner in which some academic staff were mercilessly beaten by hoodlums and their property forcefully thrown out of their apartment even when the University of Benin is yet to be officially served the ruling of the High Court."

COMMISSIONING: From left: Regional Director, South-South, Sterling Bank, Mr. Emmanuel Emefienim; Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State and the Executive Director, Sterling Bank, Mr. Olarewaju Adesanya, during the commissioning of a branch of the bank in Yenagoa.

NDDC commissioner warns staff against corruption

By Gabriel Enogholase

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ENIN—EDO State Commissioner in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr.Peter Enogieru, has warned his staff to steer clear of corrupt practices that could tarnish the image of the commission.

Enogieru, who was represented at the first annual thanksgiving by a Director in the commission, Mr. Alexander Okeanwan, warned of dire consequences for involving in corrupt practices, just as he sued for support for President Goodluck Jonathan's transformation agenda.

He acknowledged the numerous human capacity development programmes embarked upon by the NDDC, noting that the commission had commissioned numerous capacity programmes involving youth’s skills acquisition training, educational support funding overseas for undergraduates for bright indigenes students, women support and empowerment programmes and staff trainings among others.

Outlining the achievements of the Jonathan administration in several sectors of the economy, he appealed to Nigerians to support his re-

election bid to further facilitate his transformation agenda for the country.

He said: “The board has pursued, completed and commissioned strategic

projects that would complement the Federal Government’s entrenched transformation agendas to bring to bear, meaningful development.”

He lamented the challenge faced by the commission with regards to funding, which he said has caused serious setback on some of its projects.

‘FG's N15bn compensation to Odi, not part payment'

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT—THE leader of the group in Odi, Bayelsa State, that dragged the Federal Government to court over the 1999 military invasion of the community, Professor Kobina Imanana, has dismissed as untrue, media reports that the government paid over N15 billion as compensation to the community for the destruction suffered by the people.

Professor Imanana, yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said though the court ruled that the Federal Government should pay N37.6 billion as compensation to the community, the government only offered N15 billion as all it could pay.

According to Professor Imanana, the matter dragged on even as far as to London before the Federal Government finally agreed to negotiate with the legal team engaged by his

committee, Odi Destruction Case Prosecution Committee, through the office of the Attorney General on what it could pay.

He said when the government offered N15 billion,

they had to accept it for life to move on.

“We signed an agreement in the office of the Attorney General called the Deed of Settlement, accepting the N15 billion.”

2015: Emerhor promises N10bn devt fund for youth, women enterprises

By Egufe Yafugborhi

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ARRI—DELTA State All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, has said that he will institute a N10 billion enterprise development fund to make many Deltans self employed if elected as governor in 2015.

Emerhor, who was in Warri, where he honoured the invitation of the (Ighele) Youth Wing of the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, to face an intended debate between him and Chief Ogboru, towards picking a consensus Urhobo

candidate for the 2015 governorship election, said: “The greatest threat to growth in Delta State is lack of prudent use of resources. Governance has become too impulsive and uncoordinated. When I become governor, I intend to establish a N10 billion empowerment fund to set up youths and women in medium sized businesses with accessible branches in all localities.

“In the big picture, there is a plan to revive dead industries while new ones will be raised in public private partnership arrangement."

My deputy'll come from Abak Division —AKPAN

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By Chioma Onuegbu

Y O — T H E governorship candidate of Accord Party, AP, in Akwa Ibom State, Bishop Samuel Akpan, has said that the party will select his running mate from Abak Division of Ikot Ekpene senatorial district of the state.

Akpan, who disclosed this to newsmen in his campaign office at Ewet Housing, Uyo , yesterday, explained that he will allow the party structure and leaders from the area to select whosoever they found fit for the position themselves.

He said: “As the substantive governorship candidate of Accord Party for the 2015 election, I want to run an all inclusive government where all the segments of the state will be brought in to participate in my leadership. I have to justify my new role as a highly detribalized person.

“I am an Ibibio man by origin and my deputy will come from Annang, the second largest ethnic nationality in Akwa Ibom but from Abak division."

Delta Ijaw group backs Karetimi for Okowa's running mate

By Onoja Innocent

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OMADI—AN Ijaw political think-tank, Ijaw Political Elders Forum, IPEF, has thrown its weight behind Chief Oluwole Karetimi, Chairman of Bomadi Local Government Area, as running mate to the Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, in 2015 general elections.

IPEF, in a statement after its meeting at Bomadi, said it deemed it necessary to take the position to ensure that a true democrat with impeccable character and experience with obedient disposition from the Ijaw nation occupies the highly revered office.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014—13

Sambo flags off Enugu-Port Harcourt-Enugu inter-city train

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— VICE President Namadi Sambo, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, flagged off the Enugu- Port HarcourtEnugu intercity train.

Meanwhile, Chairman, Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, General Martin Agwai (rtd), has said that the East-West Road will not be completed by the end of this year.

General Agwai, who spoke yesterday, in Port Harcourt, noted that though the EastWest Road was about 82 percent complete, it would not be delivered this year. According to him, the terrain was part of the delay.

Sambo, at the flag off of the inter-city train, said that the railway interchange project was a major success in the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that it would enhance the transport network in the country.

He said that the Federal Government will continue to

TAN vows to deliver Jonathan, Okowa

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RANSFORMATION Ambassadors of Nigeria, TAN, has promised to mobilise support for President Goodluck Jonathan and the Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, in the 2015 elections.

Facilitator of the group, Mr. Alanza Ugboma, noted that TAN, which is a political pressure group under the PDP, must work for the success of its candidates.

He spoke at the inaugural meeting of its Delta State chapter in Asaba, yesterday.

He informed the gathering made up of senatorial and local government coordinators from the 25 local government areas of the state that their primary responsibility was to sensitise and mobilise the people to deliver all PDP candidates.

Ugboma said the state coordinator of TAN, Ned Nwoko, had directed that all coordinators should reach out to real PDP members and others so that they could achieve results.

C M Y K

provide qualitative service to Nigerians.

He said: “Our administration has given top priority to infrastructural development, one of which is the railway sector as the component of the transformation agenda. The Federal Government initiated and articulated the strategic plan for the railway development in Nigeria which had suffered neglect in the past 30 years. We are determined to

transform Nigeria to a very viable height. We have kept faith with the Nigerian people in keeping all our electoral promises. We are gradually implementing our projects that will transform the lives of Nigerians. With the continued support of Nigerians we shall see all those projects through.”

Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Mr. Adeseyi Sijuwade, said that the eastern line rehabilitation was

challenging because of the degree of dilapidation, noting that refuse along some of the rail tracks also contributed to the challenge the corporation had to contend with.

On his part, Chairman, SURE-P, General Agwai said his body invested N82 billion naira in the railway project round the country, adding that the Enugu Port Harcourt Interchange consumed about N34.6 billion.

BRIEFING: Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State State (left) and Mr. Davis IbiamuIkana, Chairman, All Progressives Congress, APC, Rivers State, during a press briefing to announce APC presidential campaign activities in Lagos, yesterday.

Defence Headquarters orders 30 gunboats for N-Delta JTF

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—THE Defence Headquarters has ordered 30 gunboats to combat pipeline vandals, illegal bunkerers and crude oil thieves in the Niger Delta.

Commander of the Joint Task Force, JTF, code named Operation Pulo Shield, Major General Emmanuel Atewe, disclosed this in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, while briefing newsmen on the activities of the task force in the year 2014.

Represented by the outgoing media coordinator, JTF, in Niger Delta, Colonel Mustapha Anka, the commander said that some of the military gunboats had already been delivered while others are on the way.

He said: “I am glad to state that Defence Headquarters has ordered 30 gunboats.

Some have already been delivered while the rest are on the way.”

General Atewe added that the command impounded 53 vessels, 200 barges and

destroyed 840 illegal refineries and arrested large numbers of Cotonu boats in the outgoing year.

“The JTF has vigorously carried out a sustained attack against illegal bunkering and an aggressive hunt against oil related crimes in the region with its campaign tagged,

zero tolerance on oil theft.

“JTF's vigor and determination in the war against crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other criminal activities in the Niger Delta is because they affect the socio-economic development of the region and Nigeria at large.”

G-22 denies meeting Buhari, restates commitment to PDP

U

YO—THE Akwa Ibom State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirants forum, G22, yesterday, denied media reports and online platforms claiming that the forum had a meeting with the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday.

A statement by Nsima Ekere, said the reports which indicated that the purported meeting was at the instance of an APC governor, were not only false but unfounded.

Ekere said that the G22 dissociates itself from the publications, adding that it had at no time contemplated such interaction.

He said that the G22 members were resolutely committed to pursuing their cause through the internal conflict resolution mechanisms of the PDP. Ekere said: “We believe in the capacity of the leader of our party, President Goodluck Jonathan, and the National Working Committee, (NWC) of our party to amicably resolve the political impasse in our state.”

Urhobo in diaspora drum support for Okowa, Amori, Oboro

U

RHOBO in diaspora have called on their people in Delta State to vote for Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in the 2015 general elections and Chief Ighoyota Amori, the Delta Central senatorial PDP candidate.

They also called for support for Evelyn Oboro, the candidate for House of Representatives in Okpe/Uvwie federaed constituency.

Speaking after a meeting of the group, its National Coordinator in London, Ejiro Ofoye, called on her members to work for the PDP at all levels by mobilising and supporting all the PDP candidates, saying that the Urhobo cannot be in the opposition.

The group also said that the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, had no right to tell its people who to vote for. They also passed a vote of confidence on former Minister of Information and Culture, Prof. Sam Oyovwaire.

Omenogor wins Diamond award

T

HE General Manager of Arkleen Oil and Gas Limited, Dr. Dele Omenogor, has bagged the Meritorious Diamond Award for National Development, MEDA 2014, of Corporate and Media Africa Communications Limited.

Chairman of the award ceremony, General Abudulsalami Abubakar (rtd), in his remarks, described the communications outfit as a reputable organisation known for its excellence.

Receiving the award Dr. Omenogor thanked the management of the communications company for finding him worthy of the award, adding that the award was a call for more service to the society.

14—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Group vows to campaign nationwide for Buhari's election

A

PRESSURE group, House-to-House Educational Initiative, has vowed to campaign vigorously for the election of Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo ahead of the next general election across the 36 states of the Federation, the FCT and the 774 Local government areas in 2015.

National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Kunle Ehinlanwo told reporters in Abuja that “House-toHouse Educational Initiative was formed to promote good governance and pro poor policies through national dialogue and intervention on issues of national development and till date, we have done quite extensive work in this regard.

“In achieving our set goal, we use sensitization and awareness as drivers of development. In recent times, however, we are beaming the searchlight on political development, to see how we can work with the Nigerian people and other partners to build the nation’s democracy and its processes.’’

According to him: “Our initial idea was to support the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan believing that continuity will better secure our democracy considering the stage we are in the democratic ladder. But after a deeper review and careful analysis of the situation in the country, we are not convinced with the performance of the present administration.

“We have consequently decided to throw our support in favour of General Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who, we are convinced, is a better man for the challenging job.

“For the record, our organisation is engineered and powered by concerned citizens and patriotic volunteers throughout Nigeria to achieve this common objective.

"We are concerned about the future of this great nation buffeted by bad leadership. We have, therefore, taken the bull by the horn to do our honest bit in the quest for change.”

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40 NASS bills awaiting presidential assent, says Zakari T

HE CHAIRMAN, House Committee on Information, Zakari Mohammed, yesterday, said 40 bills were awaiting President Goodluck Jonathan’s assent to become Acts of the National Assembly.

Mohammed, representing Baruten/Kaiama Federal Constituency of Kwara, said this at a forum organised by Correspondents’ Chapel of

the Oyo State Council of NUJ in Ibadan.

According to him, the House would have invoked the relevant portion of the constitution to deal with the situation, but “the political mood of the country had been a sort of handicap.”

Mohammed had earlier delivered a paper, entitled: “The Nigerian Press and Democratic Governance; The

Journey So Far,” at the Chapel’s programme, Guest Forum.

Mohammed said the media coverage of democracy in the last 16 years had not been impressive.

He said there were a lot of vices going on within the polity which the Nigerian press had not done enough to report.

“Not only that our media

FAREWELL: From left, retired Director in Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Useni Farouk; Chief Chudi Uwandu, Dr. Akinwumi Adeshina, Minister of Agriculture, and former Director, Federal Ministry of Agric, Dr. Odeyemi Julius, during Farewell Dinner in honour of retired director, in the Ministry of Agriculture, in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan

practitioners are not doing enough of whistle-blowing; the political actors run to the media for cover,” he said.

Mohammed said Nigerians should be tired of politicians and the media in the last 16 years because of their unwritten collaboration to rob the country of robust democratic gains.

“How much of corruption have the media been able to expose in the country?”

The lawmaker charged the media practitioners to place the interest of the country above any other consideration.

“To entrench democracy, we should not monetise the profession; we owe this country a lot; other countries are only better than Nigeria because of organisation.

“The dullest of lawyer is treated with decorum; there must be an entry point into the profession like the medical, law, accounting and other professions to enhance the dignity of the profession; the image of journalists should be worked upon.

“If you are shabbily treated, you will be shabbily rewarded,” he said.

He said that some of the practitioners in the National Assembly had been making efforts to ensure legislation against poor remuneration of journalists with a promise that they would not relent.

Navy acquires war ships to fight maritime crimes

By Evelyn Usman

I

N ITS renewed fight against maritime crimes in the country and the Gulf of Guinea, the Nigerian Navy,NN, is expecting two ships from China and the United States of America before the end of year 2014.

To this end, the NN said it had enhanced its operational efficiency by way of sustaining

its prioritization of training and human capital development.

In his welcome address at the occasion of the Navy ceremonial sunset and 2014 end of year ball held at the NNS Quorrah, Apapa Lagos, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jubrin disclosed, aside ensuring safety in the maritime domain, the NN was also working closely with sister services in the area of

countering insurgency and all forms of insecurity across the country.

Jubrin stated that the NN had recorded some achievement in its policing duties and implementation of transformation plan , which he said has led to the drastic reduction of crude oil theft and other maritime crimes.

In furtherance of its mandate, the NN he said , had extended

Why Ajaokuta Company cannot commence full production —Minister

By Gabriel Ewepo & Caleb Ayansina

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BUJA — THE Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Musa Mohammed Sada has said lack of raw material was one of the major factors affecting full production of liquid steel at the

Ajaokuta Steel Company, in Kogi State.

Other challenges against the mining sector include funding, low level of geo-sciences information, and inadequate mine site infrastructure to facilitate mineral resource development.

Sada, who was speaking at a

JOGS 74/79 set organises family picnic

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HE ANNUAL family picnic of Ijebu-Ode Grammar School Old Boys Association, JOGS 74/79 set, holds on Sunday December 28, 2014, at Fun Factory, Itamaga, Ikorodu.

President of the association, Dimeji Ogunniyi, said activities include a visit to an orphanage home, novelty match and quiz competitions just as he said that dignitaries from all walks of life will be in attendance.

Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja, said the Federal Government was working assiduously to ensure that the plant functioned optimally.

He maintained that most of the bad components of the plant had been reactivated with the rolling mill units functioning optimally.

“One of the major challenges of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant has been the problem of infrastructure like the railway for transporting raw materials to the plant,” he said.

Sada lamented that government spent huge amount of money on the importation of steel products into the country. “In 2013, N488.7 billion was spent on the importation of 2.01 tonnes of steel products into Nigeria,” he said.

the frontiers of its cooperation with both local and foreign agencies and organisations, as it recently hosted the meeting of the Chiefs of Naval Staff from Togo , Benin Republic, and the head of Gendarmerie from Niger a part of efforts to enhance regional cooperation in the area of maritime security.

In spite of the progress, Jubrin noted that a lot still remained to be done in view of where the NN is coming from and where it aimed to be. For instance, he said basic infrastructure such as jetties and repair facilities were inadequate and would need augmenting and rehabilitation, as well as supply of material such as Petroleum oil and lubricants and spares for the the regular maintenance of the new platforms the navy was acquiring.

“Though this demands are heavy, the consequences of neglecting them are more dire especially for a nation like Nigeria whose livelihood and well being are very closely tied to the maritime environment” The occasion was also used to honour a total of 58 officers, comprising 17 Rear Admirals, 25 Commodores, nine Captains, three commanders and four lieutenant commanders who retired from the Nigerian navy within year 2014.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014—15

Funeral service for Amb Olugbenga Ashiru

FUNERAL: From left, wife and children of the late Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru, former Foreign Affairs Minister, during the funeral service for late Ashiru, at Our Saviour Anglican Church, TBS, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

From left, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, his wife, Funke; Dr. Omobola Johnson, and Mr. Segun Aganga, Minister of Trade and Investment.

Cross section of friends of Late Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru during the funeral service

Prof. Oladapo Ashiru; Mrs. Idowu Ashiru; and Prof. Olu Osoba.

... for Mrs Grace EbunOluwa Marinho

Children of late Mrs. Grace Marinho, during their mother's funeral, at St. Paul's Catholic Church, Ebute Meta, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor

From left, Mrs. Biola Agbaje, Mrs. Teshoma Onwuka, Mrs. Lola Ade-John, Miss Barbara Lawrence , and Mrs. Kofo Dosekun

From left, Yinka Marinho, and Tunji Osuntokun, sons of the deceased.

Cross section of personalities, at the funeral service.

16—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Beneficiaries of Okorocha's youth programme protest unpaid stipends much and had planned

By Chidi Nkwopara

O

WERRI—SCORES of angry youths, who are beneficiaries of Governor Rochas Okorocha’s Youths Must Work Programme yesterday stormed the State Secretariat Complex, Port Harcourt Road, Owerri, demanding immediate payment of their unpaid stipends.

When Vanguard visited the scene during the protest, it was observed that the officers charged with the welfare of these youths, securely locked their offices, for fear of being attacked by the angry youths.

Some of the youths who spoke to Vanguard, lamented what they termed “the manner we have been made slaves in our fatherland.

The state government has not been taken good care of us, since we were

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recruited under the Youths Must Work programme”.

They also complained that all those engaged in the programme did not have employment letters to show for their being part of the programme.

“We do not have employed letters. What it means is that we are just being toyed with, as there is no job security for us. This job is not pensionable and we can be thrown out at the whims and caprices of the governor. This is not the best the government should offer us”, they fumed.

Vanguard however gathered from one of the staff, who spoke on conditionb of anonymity that “Governor Rochas Okorocha is not happy that the youths are owed this

to clear it before the end of the year”.

Although he stoutly resisted the temptation of being drawn into explaining why the youths were not paid in the past months, the staff however revealed that efforts were on to put smiles on the faces of the protesting youths

very soon.

Meanwhile, another government official said Governor Okorocha had directed the Head of Service and the Accountant General of the state to commence payment of the backlog of arrears owed the youths without further delay.

Apart from promising to treat the youths fairly in the months ahead, Okorocha was also quoted as saying that his administration would engage more of the unemployed youths in the days ahead.

Clerics urge love, peace at Xmas

By Vincent Ujumadu

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WKA—THE Cath olic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Reverend Valerian Okeke and his Awka counterpart, Most Reverend Paulinus Ezeokafor, have called on Nigerians to show love and preach peace, especially at this period of Christmas season, saying both peace

Abia APGA gov candidate vows to lift Aba

By Moses Nosike

G

OVERNORSHIP candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, has promised a radical transformation Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, and indeed the entire state if elected governor in 2015.

Speaking at the popular Ariaria International Market in Aba, APGA governorship candidate

expressed displeasure over the filthy and horrendous state of Aba, the once glowing and vibrant commercial city of the state.

In his respect for the grass root, Otti had a very healthy interaction with all shades of persons during the market tour and the traders were well at home to have a heart-toheart chat with him and laid before him some of their concerns.

In some of the interac-

tions, Obinna Innocent, a trader at the market said that casting their votes for him was sure, saying that his only worry was the ability of Otti and his supporters to secure such votes against the enemies of Abia.

Also speaking, another trader, Mrs. Duru expressed dismay at the state of the International market and Aba in general, urging the APGA flag bearer to keep to his promises ‘when’ elected.

and love are needed at this trying time.

In their separate Christmas messages, they observed that no meaningful development could take place in an atmosphere of rancor.

Okeke said: “As we celebrate Christmas, my message is a request to all children of God and men of goodwill to give peace a chance. The mission of the redeemer of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ, is to bring peace. He lived peace and signified peace and He expects everybody to imbibe peace in all their dealings.

“We know that at all times, human beings, including politicians, priests and others, search for peace. It is unfortunate that politicians are making the game of politics a do or die affair. And I pray that as we enter the election year, peace should be uppermost in the minds of Nigerians. Peace is not a one chance thing.''

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014—17 —17

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 FIVE years ago, the high cost of governments was a hot issue. The principal concern was the jumbo pay the National Assembly instituted for its privileged 469 members. Once the debate extended to other areas of government, it died. The Presidential Advisory Council, PAC, suggested reduction in the number of Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

PAC’s advice was ignored; then PAC ceased to exist. Ministries and agencies are fertile soil for political patronage. Ministers, directors-general, permanent secretaries, directors, are the echelons for dispensing resources the budget awards to that section of government. Contracts funnel the resources to intended destinations. Instead of reduction, more government agencies sprouted. As political opportunities diminish in States and Local Governments (and with them patronage), the federal pool becomes the only one with resources to accommodate rising number of unemployed politicians.

Appointments are only available if more ministries and government agencies exit to meet the demands for political appointments - political expediency over-rules economics.

One of the biggest fights among Ministers is about their status, especially if they are Minister of State, which reads Junior

Running Cheaper Governments Minister.

The argument, leaning on constitutional provisions on equality of States, hammers on the absence of equity in subjugating one State to another. The political solution lies in 36 federal ministries, each with sufficient resource base to appease politicians, or agencies that are more wasteful than ministries.

The National Assembly creates agencies without thinking of the financial implications of laws that expand bureaucracy. Each new commission or department of government adds to the cost of governance.

However, these agencies hardly improve

government services. They result in additional tension as government battles with political correctness in appointments. Anticorruption agencies are good examples. There was the Code of Conduct Bureau, then Independent Corrupt and other Offences Practices Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Their roles often clash. Most petitioners patronise all three. Resources are stretched and wasted.

Government ignores calls to merge them for more efficiency in costs and operations.

Similarly, some commissions should be departments within ministries.

Other wastes are in the unlimited number of aides for the president and governors, and spurious appointments like Chief of Staff and Chief Security Officers for local government chairmen, and even their wives. The size of governments and the agenda to cut waste should be issues in the 2015 elections.

Resources are dwindling. It would require more prudent management for governments to meet their obligations, including fulfilling the promises they would make at campaigns.

It is not too late to run governments that reflect the realities of the economy. Oil income funded these wastes, which for years denied the country resources that it should have used for development.

OPINION

By Jackson Ekwugum

S

URPRISE. Shock. Upset. Those were some of the words the media used to describe the emergence of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the Delta PDP gubernatorial flag bearer. But to those who know Senator Okowa, the result of the Delta PDP gubernatorial primary election was anything but surprising. It only cemented his profile as a consummate politician, consensus builder, and popular grassroots mobiliser.

In 2010 when he contested for the Senate, he faced even more daunting prospects than the recently concluded governorship primary election. He battled for the party ticket with Marian Ali, the wife of the then PDP national chairman. Not many people gave him a chance of winning as the party hierarchy was effectively aligned against him. There were suggestions from wellmeaning people for him to opt for a ministerial appointment instead of fighting what looked like a lost cause. However, Okowa, who had just quit as the Secretary to the State Government, stayed the course and against all odds he defeated Mrs .Ali with a landslide. With that in mind what was surprising is that many people wrote him off from the gubernatorial contest even before it started.

Senator Okowa’s journey into the political arena could be said to be fortuitous or divinely orchestrated depending on how you want to look at it. It began in 1991 during the ill-fated third republic. He was a medical practitioner at the time, and was approached by a group of politicians to participate in

Understanding the man, Okowa the emerging political process. After some initial hesitation, Okowa obliged and joined in the formation of the Social Democratic Party in Ika Local Government Area of Delta State. In the ensuing election, the party clinched victory and a satisfied Okowa quickly made a return to his clinic to continue his practice.

However, fate played a fast one on him as the party appointed him the secretary to the local government. Again, he resisted the overture but after much persuasion he accepted the offer even though his salary in a month as LG Secretary was less than what he made in a day at his clinic. Destiny beckoned on him six months later when Ika North East Local Government was created and he became the pioneer Executive Chairman (1991-1993). His tenure witnessed the provision of electricity and promotion of small-scale business enterprises in such places as Ute-Ogbeje, Ute-Okpu, Igbodo, Owa, Ekwoma, and Mbiri.

Since that humble beginning in 1991 Okowa’s political star has kept shining brighter and brighter. With the commencement of the fourth republic in 1999, Okowa joined the People’s Democratic Party and made valuable contributions to the formation and growth of the party in Delta State. Subsequently, he was appointed Commissioner of Agriculture and Water Resources, and under his watch there were remarkable strides in oil palm, pineapple

and cowpea plantations, provision of loan facilities through cooperative societies and the supply of farm inputs and tractor hire services. There were also cassava projects, inputs for modern fish farming, and the use of agricultural development and procurement agencies for the benefit of the farming communities throughout Delta State.

He also served as Commissioner of Water Resources where he engendered the introduction and sustenance of solarpowered water schemes and rehabilitation of urban and rural water provision centres across many communities in the State.

Okowa subsequently headed the Ministry of Health, and was Secretary to the State Government (2007-2010) before he resigned and contested for election into the 7th Senate of the National Assembly.

However, as impressive as his political profile is, it is pertinent to point out that this is not what defines Okowa as a person. What has distinguished him from politicians of his generation is his compassion and selfless commitment to empowering the people economically. Senator Okowa is a man genuinely touched by the suffering of people and he tries his best to make a difference in their lives. In virtually all local governments in Delta State, you will find people who are ready to swear by him because of how he has helped to transform their lives. His yearly Empowerment Day as a Senator has served to lift a number of people in Delta North

Senatorial District out of poverty. In one of those events, Senator Smart Adeyemi (PDP Kogi West) rightly observed that “Senator Okowa is an advocate of good standard of living for the downtrodden people.”

As a person Okowa is intelligent, meticulous, and articulate. He displays a depth of understanding of the issues that affect his people and Nigerians as a whole.

Quietly but steadily he is leaving his imprints on the sands of time. Without much ado, he has distinguished himself in the Senate where in three years he sponsored twelve bills, an achievement that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan described as a “feat.”

In declaring for the governorship of Delta state, Senator Okowa unveiled his social contract which offers insight on why he wants to be governor. As is his custom, the programme is focussed, specific, detailed, and measurable, not the typical sloganeering and sound bites that politicians are accustomed to. With a vision to make Delta State “the pacesetter in the Nigerian federation by building an enduring legacy of wealth and prosperity,” Okowa has pledged to build a state where there will be “gainful employment opportunities, a flourishing agriculture and agri-business sector, effective health and educational systems, and renewed urban infrastructure and security that would enhance continued economic growth and the prosperity of all Deltans.”

•Mr. Ekwugum, a journalist, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014—19 —19

To be blac k, poor and black vulnerable

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HERE is so much else happening around Nigeria and the rest of the world that the focus on the activities, especially failures of Nigeria’s political leaders, seems obsessive. The tendency to concentrate on Nigeria betrays what might look like a mind-closing narcissism. But then, another look at the matter would reveal that in Nigeria so much, if not everything, is tied to politics. Even the seemingly apolitical is in the long run political. The same can be said about other places. The difference is that, in Nigeria everything seems to carry the bold sign of politics. This makes it inevitable that when Nigerian politicians set out on their usual roll in the mud, making a mess of us all, right thinking people cannot afford to turn a blind eye.

The consequence of this, that is of emphasizing the obviously political, is that one loses sight of other issues that are no less political except one is being naïve or duped by the mask thrown around such matters.

But our talking point today centres on the institutionalized

racism in American police and justice system. This, in recent weeks, has led to questions being asked about the worth of black life in America if any white person in uniform can freely dispense with it. The first of the incidents in question involved an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, that was allegedly shot dead by a white police man with whomhe had an argument. Some of the details of this incident are disputed but what nobody has been able to dispute is that Brown was unarmed when he was shot. Many accounts had it that the teenager had his hand up in a gesture of surrender and was, perhaps, running away from the white police man when the latter released lethal shots into him. The incident happened in Ferguson, a black-dominated town in Missouri. Although most of the citizens of this town are black, the police force is almost 100% white.

The mistrust this is capable of creating among a population who believe that the police is unduly strict and hostile can only be imagined. But if the police in Ferguson, like the police in most

By Moshood Isah

T

HE Federal government has finally decided to introduce some austerity measures despite its recent claim that the drastic drop in global oil prices will not affect the economy negatively. The measure is meant to insulate the economy from the crashing oil price in a bid to balance economic growth. In this vein, government has already scaled down crude oil bench mark for the 2015 budget from $78 to $73 per barrel. Simply put, governments at all levels will have to cut cost of governance in order to cushion any effect which the dwindling oil price may engender.

Austerity measures are strict channels that are undertaken by a government to help bring expenditures more in line with revenues. It is usually official actions taken by the government, during a period of adverse economic conditions, to reduce budget deficit using a combination of spending cuts or tax rises. In this vein, the Nigerian government has decided to be prudent in its spending while also mandating tax agencies to rake in more revenues in order to endure this period of lowering crude oil prices in the international market.

Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala explained that the decision to cut revenue projection was part of measures designed to maintain economic stability, boost non-oil revenues further, plug loopholes and waste, as well as cut unnecessary expenditures in order to cope with the situation. The minister emphasised the need to make needed sacrifices in order to face the serious challenge confronting the country with regard to the crashing of oil price globally. As expected, the government also promised to continue the funding of infrastructure in agriculture, human capital development and especially the health and education sectors.

The government vowed to stop foreign travels by civil servants unless for purposes

It was terrible to see a man talking one moment and the next he is dead.

The time between when he was talking and his death was captured on camera. And yet the jury that heard this case thought nothing fit than to set the killer police officer free other places, could be accused of irresponsible conduct, excessive hostility and use of force on the population it serves, better could be expected of the justice system.

But this, more often than not, is not the case as a white-dominated jury discharged without cost the white police officer that murdered Michael Brown. This sparked violent confrontation between the people and the police that came out against them in the fashion of an invading army in full military gear. Neither the questions this raised had been answered nor the smoke from the riots cleared when another white-dominated jury set another killer police free in an incident that involved another black man, Eric Garner.

Garner ’s case was simply pathetic and a clear evidence of the injustice that the police or any security agency (as the American Senate reports recently showed of CIA activities) that considers itself above control is capable of. In this

very case, the evidence of police abuse was captured on camera for the whole world to see. Which makes it all the more mindnumbing that the jury that heard the case could come to the decision it finally reached. As the video recording which is freely available on YouTube shows, Garner was accosted in a street by about five police men, all white. He had been accused of selling cigarettes, a charge he denied. He kept on repeating his innocence and warning the police off, saying he knew nothing of what he was being accused. One of the officers moved in to hold his hand and he turned to ward him off. Others moved in from other sides when one of them, from behind, grabbed Garner on the throat and he was wrestled down by the others. Although asthmatic, it is clear from the video that not one of these police officers could on his own have taken on Garner who had the built of a heavyweight wrestler. But for the chokehold that eventually led to his death, not even three of the officer could have taken down Eric Garner even though they all looked well-built. But at five or six to one, with one holding tightly to his throat, they quickly brought him down.

As he went down, he could be clearly heard saying, ‘I can’t breathe’. He repeated this severally but this did not make the officer who held him in a ‘chokehold’ loosen his grip. The chokehold, as a restraining procedure, had been banned for at least ten years by the police because it led to frequent death.

But here was a white police officer applying it on an unarmed black man accused of an offence that was yet to be proved. After Garner had been held down and handcuffed,

the police men still held him down, and by the time they rose from the floor the man was no longer responsive- he was dead. Forming what looked like a circle around his body on the floor, the white officers looked on as if confused.

They apparently thought he was faking his own death, going by what the female paramedic who attended to him seemed to be saying. But the outrage of this scene came when the killer, Daniel Pantaleo, was seen waving at the cameras in obvious satisfaction at his own grim handwork.

The whole thing was avoidable, and that it happened made it all so painful to see. It was terrible to see a man talking one moment and the next he is dead. The time between when he was talking and his death was captured on camera.

And yet the jury that heard this case thought nothing fit than to set the killer police officer free! The image of the dead Eric Garner and the manner life was snuffed out of him would and should continue to haunt the American criminal justice system for as long as it condones the kind of impunity that would make a police officer kill a citizen without thinking twice. The protests that the incidents in Ferguson and, especially, New York have caused hack back to the civil rights era in America. They are justified and are a reminder that the black man is yet not free in America. Eight years into the presidency of Barack Obama, it is obvious that sections of the American society are not yet ready to see the black person as an equal partner in the enterprise of sharing in and gaining from the American Dream. For this category of white America, to be black is to be vulnerable and dispensable. The world must reject this.

Nigerian economy: Always back to square one that could be fully defended as absolutely necessary. More so for the time being, the government has also decided to stop foreign training programmes, all in a bid to curb wastage and cut excessive expenditure.

Already, states and local governments are feeling the pangs of dwindling oil prices with a commissioner for finance quoted as likening the situation whereby “you have been taking tea and milk before but you can now use only Lipton with warm water and drink it until the situation improves”. Many other state governors have also had to abandon some capital projects because of need to minimise spending. Furthermore, local government council officials now have to wait a little longer for their salaries and other entitlements.

Federal government proposed a budget of N4.495 trillion for the fiscal year 2014 based on oil benchmark of $74 per barrel.

Fortunately, oil had sold far above the projected oil benchmark in recent times. As

Austerity measures are not a problem but the issue is whether the government is sincere about the whole idea.

These measures can be forced down the throat of a country if for instance it defaults on its debt and obtains a loan from the International Monetary Fund

late as August 27, 2014, oil price was just below $103 per barrel for October delivery, meaning that government made at least $20 extra on each barrel sold in the past 20 months or so. With this fact, it will be safe to say that the Excess Crude Account which was created in 2004 to act as a buffer against anticipated shortfalls in Federal Government revenue from oil and other income sources shouldn’t be short of cash within so short a time.

Surprisingly however, even by October end, government was already scampering for various austerity measures to cushion the situation. Okonjo-Iweala was quick to announce that states were canvassing for the sharing of money in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) resulting in the depletion of the account from $9 billion to $2 billion last year. This is the clearest indication yet that there is little or nothing to fall back on despite posturing by the minister and other senior administration officials.

In itself, austerity measures are not a problem but the issue is whether the government is sincere about the whole idea.

These measures can be forced down the throat of a country if for instance it defaults on its debt and obtains a loan from the International Monetary Fund. They could also be voluntarily implemented to bring deficits down like in this case of Nigeria.

On January 1, 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan made an unpopular effort to cut costs by removing subsidy on the pump price of fuel. Despite the crisis, protest and strikes that followed the government succeeded in partially removing the subsidy. This was accompanied by mouth watering promises of good social amenities and needed infrastructures. This is 2014 and the scandal that rocked the subsidy regime has not been resolved. The subsidy scandal which was regarded as one of the biggest in the nation’s history included bribery of lawmakers by oil moguls.

Governments have also indulged in extra budgetary spending on non essential issues considered as wasteful by economic experts.

One of such numerous wasteful spending was that involving Minister of Petroleum Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives raised an alarm and consequently passed a resolution for the probe of the minister who was accused of spending about N10billion of public funds on the maintenance of a Challenger Jet for her private use. Barely a week after, the House said it also discovered that in addition, Alison-Madueke maintains another jet for international trips only, retained for about N600,000 per trip.

A similar scandal happened in 2013 when former Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Odua was indicted by a presidential committee for spending an unbudgeted N255m to purchase bulletproof cars. In October of that year, there were reports that with the approval of the Minister, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority purchased two bulletproof BMW cars at an allegedly inflated rate of N255m. After much public pressure, Odua vacated her office but was never punished for the infraction.

These amongst other unsavoury scams have fractured the economy in recent years.

Also Nigerians have not forgotten about the letter written to President Jonathan by the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, alleging non-remittance of about $50billion crude oil sales receipt to the nation’s coffers.

The letter alleged that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) “failed since 2012 to account for nearly $50bn in crude oil sales that should by law have been remitted to government coffers.”

Continues tomorrow on pg 18 •Mr. Isah, a public affairs analyst, wrote Abuja.

20— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 — 21

LCCI flays Customs over hike in invoice values

By Franklin Alli & Naomi Uzor

T

he Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has petitioned the Presidency and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy against the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over allegation of arbitrary increase of the value of invoice of imported items from 50 to 100 percent to drive up collectable revenue.

LCCI also complained against the exclusion of some genuine transactions by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from the bi-weekly foreign exchange auctions via the Retail Dutch Auction System (RDAS). In a statement, Alhaji Remi Bello, President, LCCI, said “The LCCI has been inundated with complaints by importers of deliberate and arbitrary revision of the value of cargoes by the Customs driven perhaps by the quest to generate more revenue in line with its new target.

“We do not believe that this is the best way to improve revenue generation by the NCS. There should be a credible ground to

dispute the value of invoice on imports. Most of the prices are global prices and are easily verifiable. But in many of the instances, the actions of the NCS have no bearing with these global prices. Regrettably there

is no dependable dispute resolution mechanism in place.

Invoice values have been arbitrarily jerked up by between 50 to 100 percent. “Many importers including reputable companies have suffered from this

arbitrary revision in value. The result is that investors are compelled to pay higher duties and other charges without any justifiable reason. “We request the Presidency and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy to look

From left: Chief Executive Officer, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar Onyema; CEO, Teragro Commodities Limited, the agri-business subsidiary of Transcorp Plc, Dupe Olusola; and Executive Director, Business Development, NSE, Haruna Jalo-Waziri when NSE presented the Most Compliant Listed Firm Award to Transcorp in Lagos.

urgently into this issue. There should also be an independent dispute resolution mechanism in place that could resolve valuation disputes within three days because of demurrage implications. The current arrangement whereby appeals are made to the customs headquarters is not consistent with the principle of natural justice. The Nigeria Customs should not be a judge in its own case. “These are not the best of times for the economy and the private sector. Prevailing macroeconomic issues, triggered by the slump in global oil prices, have created profound challenges for the public and private sectors of the economy. However, in responding to the current situation, it is important for government and its agencies to avoid actions that would further complicate matters for investors in the economy.”

On access to foreign exchange through the Retail Dutch Auction System (RDAS) window, LCCI said “We share the concern of the CBN about the pressure on the foreign exchange market and the need to ensure exchange rate stability. However, reports reaching us indicate that many transactions that are not on the exclusion list have been denied access to the RDAS window. This has caused serious shocks and dislocations to many businesses, with most of them thrown instantly into loss positions.

‘Shipping industry can create 5m jobs in 4 yrs’

By Godfrey Bivbere

T

he n e w l y e l e c t e d president of the Nigeria Shipowners Association, NISA, Captain Niyi Labinjo has said that the shipping sector of the maritime industry can generate five million jobs over the next four years.

Labinjo, who disclosed this in an interview with Vanguard in Lagos, said the Federal Government only needs to implement the clause in the Cabotage Act which empowers local ship owners to have option of first refusal for all government cargoes unless they do not have the capacity to do so.

“We projected that in the next four years, we can create employment for five million people. For every ship, there will be shipping company, ship chandler, w a t e r s u p p l i e r, g r e a s e supplier and also food supplier. “ When we say we are creating five million jobs in four years in the industry this is what we mean,” he C M Y K

said. According to him,apart from the cargo available in the Cabotage catchment’s area, the retired Navy Captain noted that the cargo in the oil and gas sector also provide ample opportunity for the growth of local

capacity.

He further explained that should the federal government pay attention to the industry, the sector could employ more than five million in four years, especially with the new

collaboration with the management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety A g e n c y, NIMASA. He noted that developed nations that provide employment for their citizens do so through

BEDC explains power outage in Ugbowo area of Benin

the efforts of the private sector. He stressed that dependence on government for employment for Nigerian youths in the past has been a major problem for the nation’s economy.

$175.0 $2,975.00

$14.94

B

enin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) has come out to explain the recurrent power outages in Ugbowo area of Benin City, saying the challenges being faced by residents of the area are caused by load limitation on Guinness 33KV line from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

A statement from the company stated that as a distribution company it relies on supply from generating companies through the transmission networks, and that a transformer failure from the TCN can affect its business of distributing power to households and companies. It cited the recent failure of a 60 MVA transformer at

the Sapele Road location of TCN as the major cause of outage in the area last week which resulted in protests from residents of the area.

It however stated that work is ongoing to fix the faulty transformer and that partial supply has been restored to the area. “For the area to have uninterrupted supply, the load limitation on Guinness line will have to be resolved by the TCN,” the statement continued.

The company specifically requested customers in its area of coverage to cooperate by reporting faults promptly, safeguarding power assets in their vicinity, paying bills promptly, and desisting from by-pass of meters.

-$0.65 $10.00

-$0.05

$62.15 +$2.88 $56.91 CURRENCY BUYING DOLLAR 167 STERLING 261.2214 EURO 204.9758 FRANC 170.0957 YEN 1.4008 CFA 0.297 WAUA 243.9185 RENMINBI 26.8696 RIYAL 44.4859 KRONA 27.5459 SDR 243.2689

+$2.41

CENTRAL 167.5 262.0035 205.5895 170.605 1.405 0.3079 244.6488 26.9505 44.6191 27.6284 243.9973

168 262.7856 206.2032 171.1143 1.4092 0.3179 245.3791 27.0314 44.7523 27.7109 244.7256

CBN Exchange Rate as 23/12/2014

22 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 You may modify the cover to third party, fire and accident or third party theft and accident with annual premium at 75 per cent of the market rate on basic comprehensive cover

,

Mutual Benefits joins efforts to reduce housing deficit …gives keys to home owners Stories by Rosemary Onuoha

P

oised to reduce the housing needs of Nigerians and to provide affordable homes to all Nigerians, Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc commissioned and handed keys to owners of its housing estate in Iponri Lagos.

The estate known as Mutual Alpha Court is made up of four bedroom apartments on two floors with an additional two bedroom apartment on the ground floor as service quarter or income generator if leased to a tenant. Overall the estate has 18 blocks of 54 units and two blocks of two units and is accessible to main arterial axis roads to the Island and the state capital.

Speaking at the c o m m i s s i o n i n g , Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel, applauded the effort of the company in not only taking insurance to the grass root but also making affordable housing possible in Nigeria. The Commissioner who was represented by the Deputy Director National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Mr. Faruna Monday Adaji, said that housing needs in Nigerian has been put to 17million, adding that insurance companies have a big role to play in making sure that insurance play an enduring role in the lives of customers.

He assured that NAICOM is in total support of Mutual Benefits efforts to impart positively in the lives of Nigerians through sale of

micro insurance products and housing development.

Speaking further, Senior Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on housing, Mr. Micheal Akindele, representing the Commissioner of Housing, commended Mutual Benefits Assurance for the giant strids, adding that provision of affordable housing should not be left in the hands of government alone. According to him government alone cannot provide the 17million housing needs of Nigeria, so all hands must be on deck to ensure that affordable housing is provided to all Nigerians.

Also speaking, the Group Managing Director, Mr. Akin Ogunbiyi, said that a flexible payment plan has been put in place by the company with a mortgage firm on 60 percent of sales prices. He added that the company is poised to use insurance to bring enduring value to the relationship with its customers, adding that the company’s needs based selling model makes it compelling for the company to provide beneficially unique risk management solution.

According to him the company’s involvement into housing development was to compliment governments’ initiatives at providing affordable homes to fellow Nigerians.

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

INSURAN

,

You have a choice to modify your vehicle's comprehensive cover A

S a vehicle owner in N i g e r i a , you have the option to choose between third party motor insurance cover and comprehensive motor insurance cover. If you opt for the comprehensive cover, you should know that a basic comprehensive motor insurance policy covers; third party insurance; fire damage to your vehicle; theft of your vehicle; collision or overturning damage to your vehicle; medical expenses incurred on you or your family members arising from injury sustained from accident to

your motor vehicle subject to the limit specified by your insurer; towing expenses incurred on your motor vehicle following accident and up to the limit specified by your insurer.

Premium Annual premium for comprehensive cover is between 10 -12.5 percent of the value of your motor vehicle.

Compensation Compensation under comprehensive policy to you is on fault or no-fault basis.

Some insurance companies charge below the market rate

of five percent of value.

Vehicles may be loaded with extra amount because of their extra-hazardous nature.

The basic comprehensive cover excludes the risk of riot, strike, civil commotion and flood but you may secure these by paying a little extra premium.

Additional benefits that may interest you on your motor vehicle You may modify the cover to: Third party, fire and accident or; third party theft and accident with annual premium at 75 per cent of the market rate on basic comprehensive

From left: Dr. Ben Ukaegbu, Director, Technical and Education; Dr. Semiu Adeyemi and Mr. Chidi Ajaegbu, ICAN President during presentation of laptops and acounting textbooks to tertiary institutions by ICAN.

Royal exchange boss charges insurers to develop strategies to boost sector

G

ROUP Managing Director, Royal Exchange Assurance Plc, Mr. Allan Walmsley has asked insurance operators to take advantage of huge potentials presented by the industry to develop strategies to boost their businesses.

Presenting a paper in Lagos he said that, with a penetration rate of less than one per cent, the industry boosts of a huge untapped market for the insurance industry and a massive opportunity for insurance companies of the likes of Royal Exchange and others.The huge untapped market is fortuitous especially in the context of the recent consolidation in the insurance industry, he said.

Speaking further he noted that pre-consolidation, the

capitalisation level of the entire insurance industry was below N30billion pointing that in the aftermath of consolidation, it stands at well over N200billion.

He said that consolidation has ushered in a lease of life to the insurance industry, an opportunity for it to reinvent and prime itself, not only to exploit the huge opportunities that abound in the Nigeria market but also to optimize value in so doing.

According to him, a very key step towards doing this would be for the industry to systematically deepen public awareness and understanding of insurance and to tactfully manage popular expectations of insurance companies.

It does not appear as if there has been much of a concerted and sustained effort to deepen

public awareness and appreciation of the value of the insurance industry in the past.

If there has been such an effort, then it probably has been as vibrant and sustained as it ought to have been, given the degree of palpable ignorance that still exists out there with regard to the benefits and essence of insurance.

The Royal Exchange Group, he said, would need to work closely with the industry regulatory body, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM). In doing so helps to strengthen the body ’s regulatory prowess, enabling it to provide regulation that is proactive and robust enough to deliver long-term value for the industry and the country at large.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014,

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CE & YOU cover.

Extend cover to strike, riot and civil commotion at extra premium not more than half percent of the sum insured on your motor vehicle.

Extend cover to flood damage at extra premium of not more than half percent of the sum insured on your motor vehicle.

Increase your third party property damage limit from N1.0m to say N5.0m at half percent of the extra amount required.

Increase the limit of your towing expenses to a reasonable amount at 0.25 percent of the extra amount required.

Increase your medical expenses limit to a reasonable amount by paying half percent

of the extra benefit. Buy back the excess (deductible) on your motor claim at 1.0 percent of the sum insured on your motor car. Extend cover to loss of fixed accessories in your car at half percent of the sum insured on your motor car. Get a replacement car from your insurer from when your insured motor car is being repaired or stolen to when you have it back at no extra premium. (Look for the underwriters that provides this benefits) Secure compensations for loss of use of your commercial motor vehicle following theft or accident at no extra premium.

Secure payment for your personal effects of laptops, shoes and clothing in the

event of theft, fire or accident to your motor vehicle at 1.0 percent of a specified limit.

Secure compensation for death or permanent disability to you and your family members following accident to your motor vehicle at 1.0 percent of the total amount selected for medical expenses, death and permanent disability.

Extend your third party cover to other ECOWAS countries in case you need to drive your car in any of them at a premium already fixed.

Secure compensation for replacement of your broken wind screen at no extra cost. Secure free vehicle tracker subject to specific sum insured on your motor vehicle.

RNP restates commitment to quality standard ...wins Best Storage Tank of the Year 2014

By Nkiruka Nnorom

R

ida National Plastics Limited, RNP, manufacturers of plastic furniture, water storage tanks, PVC flooring tiles, PVC pipes and plastic household products, has restated its commitment to continue to entrench quality standard in all its products.

The Sales Manager, Mr. Sunday Adetunde, gave the assurance at a media parley with the company ’s top executive team in Lagos.

Speaking on the backdrop of the Best Storage Tank of the Year 2014 award bestowed on the company by Institute for Government Research Leadership Technology in Abuja recently, Adetunde said the company ’s consistent maintenance of high quality in its operation has been its distinguishing factor.

He noted that those were the two factors that stood the company out and earned it the award, adding that the award was an acknowledgment of the company’s contribution to the development and growth of the economy.

He said, “The major thing that has been sustaining us is quality and consistency.

When you talk of Rida, you talk of quality because we have a slogan that says ‘produce to last’. We make very durable plastics and all our products are of high

quality. So, that has been the major thing that has kept us going.

“The plastic industry is growing; people are coming in to establish their company, but like I told you, what has been keeping us is quality and consistency. There are some companies that when you buy their plastic today, they break tomorrow, but because of our quality, people can buy our products and go to sleep because we give people value for their money.

“In five years, we still expect you to see us as number one in Nigeria and entire West Africa; we will not compromise and we will not allow other people to beat us,” Adetunde added.

He promised that the company will triple its workforce in less than five years from about four hundred at the moment to over one thousand in line with president GoodLuck Jonathan administration’s agenda of job creation and youth empowerment.

Speaking further, he noted that competition has helped the company to grow and imbibe good manufacturing practices in over its 40 years of existence in Nigeria.

According to him, consistency and quality have also helped the company above challenges and competition.

“If there is competition, it will help you to do more research and to develop in

order to stay in the market, but if you don’t do research and you don’t develop, definitely, the competition will sweep you aside, but it has made us to be solid,” he affirmed.

He, however, lamented the epileptic power supply and security issues in the north east part of the country, saying that they are having negative impact on businesses and distribution network.

— 23

The necessary steps to take before retirement are: liaise with PFA within six months to retirement; supply PFA with official notice of retirement from employer as well as provide other documents required by the PFA

,

Let your PFA know your next-of-kin I

t is important that you introduce and confirm your Next-of-Kin to your Pension Fund Administrator for record purpose because no one knows when Mr. Death may come calling.

Many contributors under the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, expect that when they retire, their Pension Fund Administrators, PFAs, will automatically begin to pay them their retirement benefits. However, these contributors fail to realise that they need to inform their PFAs six months to their retirement so that the necessary verification exercise will be carried out on them to enable them access their retirement benefits on time and retire with ease.

However, instances have proved that many contributors are not aware of this fact; consequently, they wait till after retirement only to be told that they should have done verification six months before.

The necessary steps to take before retirement are: Liaise with PFA within six months to retirement.

Supply PFA with official notice of retirement from employer.

Provide other documents required by the PFA. Re-introduce/confirm Next of Kin to PFA before/at

retirement.

Provide details of bank account for receiving retirement benefits.

Provide contact address after retirement.

Negotiate mode of withdrawal of benefits with PFA (programmed withdrawal or annuity).

Objectives of the CPS The Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, seeks to, amongst others, ensure that every worker receives his retirement benefits as and when due.

The scheme is contributory and mandatory.

Employer contributes 10%, while employee contributes 8% of employee’s annual emolument into the Retirement Savings Account (RSA) opened by the employee.

An employer may however elect to contribute the entire 18% on behalf of its employees.

In addition, voluntary contributions are allowed.

Scheme is mandatory for employees of the Federal Government, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and private sector organizations with three or more employees.

Contributions are remitted into individual Retirement Savings Account (RSA) & fully funded (100% asset backing).

RSAs are privately managed by Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and custody of assets is maintained by Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs).

From left: Managing Director, UBA Pension Custodian, Mr. Bayo Yusuf; author of the book “Homebound” Angel Okwuosa; mother of the author and Compliance Officer, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, Idu Okwuosa; Managing Director/CEO, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, Mr. Demola Shogungle and the Father of the author, Mr. Nnamdi Okwuosa, at the launch of the book Homebound in Lagos.

24 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

What the next governor of Lagos State should do for us (11)

W

BRIEFING: From left: Executive Director, North & Corporate Banking, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Kayode Lawal; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Yemi Adeola and the bank’s Executive Director, Finance and Strategy, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, at the endof-year media briefing with the bank’s MD/CEO, in Lagos.

SEC, NBA to partner on capital market development Stories By NKIRUKA NNOROM The Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, has announced plan to work together with the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to facilitate capital market development.

Consequently, the commission and the NBA have reached an agreement to set up a standing committee for the purpose of developing the market.

The Director-General of SEC, Ms. Arunma Oteh, made the announcement while receiving the NBA president, Augustine Alege, and some members of his executive in her

Abuja office.

She explained that said the partnership is essential for the two organizations and the country in general to drive the present administration’s transformation agenda.

Oteh said Nigeria’s capital market has had big issues that have affected the integrity of the market, saying that the timing is perfect for the SEC and the NBA to look at ways of collaborating in the interest of investors and the country’s economic development.

“The timing is right for us to look at how we can strengthen the relationship due to the value of the legal profession in fostering the rule of law in

the society and the markets and the value of the capital market in transforming our economy. We can’t have a country that has such great potentials, has men and women that are entrepreneurs and still have a market this small.

“Nigerians by nature are business men; the capital market, in collaboration with the legal profession, should help to promote such businesses so that there is integrity and these businesses can grow to their full potentials by leveraging on the capital market. One area that people are beginning to talk about is the value of wealth distribution and addressing income inequality.”

Transcorp emerges NSE’s most compliant company

T

ransnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) has emerged the most compliant firm among the companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). The Most Complaint Listed Firm award is given by the NSE to the company that demonstrates the highest degree of compliance with the rules and regulations regarding disclosure obligations of listed companies to the exchange in a particular year.

Such a company is also expected to have demonstrated its recognition for the importance of corporate governance. Transcorp won the coveted award at the weekend, beating Nigerian Breweries Plc and others.

“This award is significant.

When Heirs Holdings took over Transcorp in 2011, one of the core objectives agreed was the need to transform Transcorp to be an institution with world class corporate governance in all its processes, reporting and C M Y K

compliance. This award is an indication of a job well done and the approval from the NSE for all the efforts made in the Group by all to achieve this,” Transcorp said.

Since the coming of Heirs Holdings into Transcorp, the

company ’s fortunes have continued improve.

Shareholders of the company received a dividend of N1.9 billion for the 2013 financial year for the first time in seven years.

Afrinvest’s NDIF gets ‘A’ rating

T

he Nigeria International Debt Fund (“NIDF”), a Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE listed mutual fund that invests in fixed income securities of Federal and State Governments, has been rated “A-” by Global Credit Rating Company (GCR). This rating by one of the leading global rating agencies is among the best for mutual funds in the market.

In rating the NIDF, cognizance was taken of the management quality of the Asset Manager, Afrinvest Asset Management Limited, as well as the consistency of the team of individuals

managing the fund, says a report prepared by GCR. According to the report, “The fund’s 3 year performance track record (in terms of return on investment) to 31 December 2013 is considered satisfactor y, averaging 12 per cent annualised, which compared favourably with the minimum return expectation of 10 per cent.”

The report also noted that the accorded rating reflects the credit quality of the fund’s assets, comprising mainly high investment grade rated sovereign and municipal bonds as at full year 2013.

hen one is coming out of the Ogudu G.R.A. and one wishes to travel towards Oworonshoki, the street one passes through and the adjoining streets make up an open market where tomatoes, peppers and other food items are on display for sale. These streets are outside of the government layout. The question that arises is why is an open market not an integral part of the Ogudu G.R.A. or of any other government layout. Is food not a basic need of the people living in these layouts? In long established neighbourhoods outside government layouts such as Bariga, one finds open markets on long stretches of the road as one moves from the C.M.S Grammar School towards Oworonshoki. This particular road should be a major route for traffic but market activities restrict traffic flow. We should therefore find spaces in all our neighbourhoods, new and old, for open markets for food items.

The Lagos State Government, LASG, released in 1981 the Lagos State Regional Plan for the period 1980 to 2000.

Governor Jakande in his introduction to the plan stated that many of the popular towns and districts sprung up as contraventions and government accepted them as defacto townships given the scale of the contraventions.

T h e s e settlements i n c l u d e Ajegunle, A i y e t o r o , Onibaba, Badia, Amukoko, Coker V i l l a g e , M a k o k o , Somolu, Bariga, Oworonshoki, Ketu, Ojota, Ilado, Maroko, Aguda and J.M.J. quarters while newer settlements were b e i n g established at Ejigbo, Egbe and Akowonjo among others. In t h e s e settlements, the

pattern of development was such that footpaths for pedestrian access which were essentially the boundaries between different land owners were expanded into the main roads through the settlements.

Governor Jakande made arrangements for streets to be linked together within and between these settlements to make for easier access.

The 1980 to 2000 regional plan indicated the different land areas to be used for residential, agricultural, industrial, conservation and other purposes. In the Lekki peninsula for example, a lot of the land zoned for agricultural purposes is being used or being proposed to be used for residential purposes. The Victoria Island to Lekki to Epe expressway is the one road through the length of the area.

There is need for persons on either side of the expressway to be able to move about on their side of the expressway without having to make use of the expressway. Alternative routes were recently provided in this area for persons who do not wish to pay toll charges on the expressway. A lot needs to be done to create routes through the different land holdings on either side of the expressway.

There is pressure on agricultural land in other parts of the state. There have been reports of the activities of land grabbers in the Ikorodu-Imota area and one of the places

There is need for persons on either side of the expressway to be able to move about without having to make use of the expressway

mentioned in the reports is Igbokuta where there are farms with a lot of kolanut trees.

LASG should t h e r e f o r e introduce new zoning plans for the state and should support the zoning plans by acquiring land corridors to be used for major roads in an area long before any development starts in the area.

Land owners would be required to submit their layout plans in conformity with the zoning plans.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 — 25

DIARY z ARTEMIS &ITEA Cosummit Berlin Mar 10-11, 2015 zTelecoDays

Prague Marriott HotelPrague Czech Republic Mar 23-24 2015

Preview

World's fastest camera A camera that captures light at 4.4 trillion frames per second was invented by researchers in Japan, setting a record for the world’s fastest camera.

The Sequentially Timed All-optical M a p p i n g P h o t o g r a p h y (STAMP) camera is so fast that it can capture the movement of light. “ H i g h - s p e e d photography is a powerful tool for studying fast dynamics in p h o t o c h e m i s t r y, s p i n t r o n i c s , phononics, fluidics and plasma physics,” the researchers said.

The STAMP, developed by a 12man research tem from The University of Tokyo and Keio University in Japan, can capture consecutive images at a rate of one per every one-trillionth of a second.

C M Y K

ITU FORUM: From left, Mr. Michael Ikpoki,CEO, MTN Nigeria; Dr. Eugene Juwah, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communication Commission, NCC; Dr. Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology; Mr. Ibrahim Dikko, Executive Director, Etisalat Nigeria and Mr. Joseph Tegbe, Principal Partner, KPMG at the Nigeria investment meeting during ITU Telecom World 2014, in Doha.

Nigeria campaigns for broadband investment at ITU 2014

By Prince Osuagwu

A

lthough the Nigerian Telecommunication industry has grown in leaps and bounds, broadband penetration still remains at a meager 6 percent.

This is why at the International Telecommunication Union, ITU, conference held recently in Qatar, the Nigerian delegation, led by the Minister for Communication technology, campaigned for investment in the area of broadband penetration.

ITU, the global ICT regulatory arm of the United Nations, turns 150 years in 2015 but looking back, the regulator thinks that the last 20 years or so have been especially eventful and Nigeria stands out in the telecommunication revolution which began in 2001.

Speaking at the conference, Johnson agreed that although much has been done in the sector, there is still a long way to go. She told participants during the fourday event that ICT has now become the next “oil and gas,” and Nigeria is a gold mine. The Minister reeled out in her presentation statistics to prove that successes have been recorded in ICT, but the sector remains work in progress.

According to her: “The ICT industry has significant enabling effect on other sectors of the economy, contributing a combined 2.56% of added value.” Adding that”investment opportunities are huge as a result of accelerated roll out of robust,

reliable and cost-effective ICT infrastructure to increase citizen access to ICT.” She listed market indicators to include: Four undersea fibre-optic cables with combined design capacity of approximately 10 terabit per second, 100,000 Km of terrestrial fibre-optic cables, approximately 28,000 (2G), 15,000 (3G) transceiver stations, 134 million phone subscription representing 96% teledensity and over 74 million internet users representing 52 percent of the population.

However, despite these giant strides, she opined that broadband penetration remains at only six percent, hence the campaign to improve on this side of ICT through deployment of terrestrial fibre optic networks among others. The minister said government has put in place a national broadband strategy and roadmap that seeks to increase broadband penetration from six percent to 30% by 2018.

I NSamsung Stargets young I consumers with D EGalaxy A series

devices

This will be covered by: 3G/Long Term Evolution (LTE) for up to 80 percent of the population.

Fixed broadband of about 16% of population based on fibre by 2018 to gurantee minimum download of 1.5 mbps among others.

The Minister listed some success stories of non-telecommunications companies to include; IHS Towers which manages over 21,000 towers with 14500 in Nigeria. Only recently it took over 9,151 mobile towers in a deal it struck with MTN Nigeria. “In 2014, IHS successfully raised $2.6bn in debt and equity bringing the total raised by HIS since 2012 to $4.5bn.” the Minister also the audience that Techno Mobile will establish a factory to assemble phones in Nigeria by 2015.

The minister said e-commerce companies with retail infrastructure contribute to a growing demand of wholesale/retail services via ecommerce. She listed these to include: Konga, Jumia, Dealdey, Kaymu among others. Principal partner of KPMG, Mr. Joseph Tegbe, who serves as consultants to the soon to be licensed Infracos gave an overview of the ICT environment in Nigeria at a session tagged “Nigeria Investment Meeting.” the Minister, Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Eugene Juwah, Chief executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Michael Ikpoki and

Continues on page 28

Closing ICT access gap in Nigeria: USPF example

26 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Samsung targets young consumers with Galaxy A series devices

By Emeka Aginam

W

ITH refined, trendy design backed by the most advanced functions to support social networking, Samsung Electronics West Africa at the weekend in Lagos unveiled the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 series respectively.

For young consumers seeking practicality and functionality, the new devices are ideal.

Both devices, according to Samsung, are designed to empower younger consumers to quickly and easily capture meaningful moments, connect to social media and share their daily experiences. “The Galaxy A5 and A3 offer a beautifully crafted full metal unibody, slim design, superior hardware and the best possible social media experience.

These devices make our advanced Galaxy experience even more accessible to young and trend conscious consumers,” Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas, Director of Hand Held Products for Samsung Electronics West Africa, said. According to Revmatas, the

devices will be available in the market in the New Year and the first set of consumers to purchase the devices will be given a Selfie Stick, a monopod specifically designed to be held at arm’s length for that perfect shot.

“With the improved Adjustable Audio function of both devices, our consumers can enjoy top quality sound at any time and place without disturbance. This is a testament to our leadership and innovation in the smartphone market and commitment to developing best-in-class products to meet the ever-changing needs of our consumers,” Revmatas added.

Speaking on the launch of the devices at his movie premiere, Banky W said: “The Galaxy A series is an innovative smartphone for today’s upwardly mobile youth. The phones are all about connectivity, sharing exciting moments with friends and family and being socially relevant.”

Featuring refined full metal body designs, the products are Samsung’s slimmest smart-

NEW GALAXY A: From left: Head, Business Development, Information Technology and Mobile, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Olumide Ojo; Head, Product Marketing, Information Technology and Mobile, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Ms. Olajumoke Okikiolu and Business Development Director, Information Technology and Mobile, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Daesong Ra, at the unveiling of the new Samsung Galaxy A smartphone series and premiere of Banky W’s “A Music Film Experience” movie, in Lagos. phones to date.

The devices are available in Pearl White, Midnight Black, Platinum Silver and Champagne Gold, to accommodate the personal style and preference of diverse users.

The two devices come with 2 Hybrid SIM slots that allow users to decide between the option of using 2 SIMS or alternating the second slot for memory expansion with a micro SD card.

We help customers gain access to economic opportunities, Paypal WITH more people across the globe be coming more comfortable with online transactions ,the Regional Director Africa and Israel, PayPal, Efi Dahan in this interview with Emeka Aginam highlights how Paypal is helping people to gain access to economic opportunity and greater control over their money.

He said that with PayPal account , people can shop at sites around the world in just a few easy clicks, while ensuring security of customer’s financial information. Excerpts:

E

NTRY into the Nigerian market Entering any new market requires investment as well as careful planning and preparation. We take our responsibility to manage people’s money very seriously. Enabling services for paying on overseas websites allows us to monitor and assess how PayPal is received in Nigeria and to help improve our service. Our aim is to build demand among local consumers and introduce our global network of merchants to the new market opportunities.

PayPal uses the highest level of encryption commercially available, state-of-the-art fraud-prevention systems, and expert staff to monitor transactions twentyfour hours

*Efi Dahan Benefits of using PayPal At PayPal, we put people in the centre of everything we do.

Our aim is to help people around the globe gain greater access to economic opportunity and greater control over their money. With a PayPal account you can shop at sites around the world in just a few easy clicks, knowing your financial information is never shared with the seller.

More secure: When you make a payment with PayPal we do not share your financial details with the seller. This gives you more control and

Other exciting features of the Galaxy A5 and A3 include a superior mobile and social experience for young consumers who want to express their unique style while constantly staying connected. With an advanced 5MP frontfacing camera, taking vivid selfies is now easier than ever before. Innovative photo-taking features such as Wide Selfie, Palm Selfie, Animated GIF, Beauty Face Features, and Rear-cam

Selfie let users capture attractive selfies in high resolution by automatically detecting and focusing on a person’s face.

Both devices are equipped with an extraordinary Super AMOLED display and Adaptive Display technology to deliver clearer images with deep contrast and better viewing angles for more vivid, colorful content in virtually any environment, even under bright sunlight.

provides an extra layer of security for your purchases. We also protect eligible purchases with PayPal Buyer Protection.

If an eligible item doesn’t show up, or turns out to be different than described, we’ll help sort things out with the seller.

Millions of customers around the world use PayPal because it is safe, fast and simple. When checking out with your PayPal account, you do not need to type in all your card details and shipping information for each transaction- everything is already stored in your PayPal account and kept secure. All you need is your PayPal account’s email address and password and you will get through the checkout in no time.

With a PayPal account you can shop around the world in just a few easy clicks, knowing your financial informationisnever shared with the seller.

Implementation of peer-topeer in Nigeria Nigeria is a very interesting market and over time we may expand our presence, but for now we are satisfied to help the first Nigerians register for a PayPal account and make payments on overseas websites.

How secure is PayPal in relation to other online payment methods?

As a leader in global payments, we commit significant resources to combat crime online and work collaboratively with law enforcement agencies around the world, making the Internet a safer place for everyone.We have spent the last decade building a risk manage-

ment infrastructure and fraud management expertise.To keep your information secure, PayPal uses the highest level of encryption commercially available, state-of-the-art fraud-prevention systems, and expert staff to monitor transactions twentyfour hours.

Why millions of customers around the world use PayPal Founded in 1998, we continue to be at the forefront of the digital payments revolution, giving people direct control over their money. PayPal is the faster, more secure way to pay.

What helped to continue developing and growing the company is staying close to our original purpose - giving people simpler ways to send money without sharing financial information with the seller, and with the flexibility to pay using their credit or debit cards.

PayPal active user accounts globally and in Nigeria We are very happy to see that PayPal has been widely welcomed by Nigerians since the launch of the service in the country.PayPal has more than 157 million active accounts worldwide and is available in 203 countries and markets.

PayPal’s total payment volume processed In 2013, PayPal facilitated one in every six dollars spent online. PayPal’s net Total Payment Volume, the total value of transactions in Q3 2014 was $56.6 billion, up 29% year over year.

Also, in Q3 of 2014 our customers made 895 million transactions, nearly 10 million transactions per day.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014—27

MTN offers scholarship to 167 blind

T

COMMISSIONING: Front row from left, Chairman of the Board, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Mr. Peter Igoh; Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Rahamon Bello, Minister of Communication Technology, Dr. Omobola Johnson, Prof. F. T. Ogunsola, Provost of College of Medicine, University of Lagos ; Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Eugene Juwah and the Secretary, Universal Service Provision Fund, (USPF) , Mr Abdulahhi Maikano, during the commissioning of University Inter-Campus Connectivity, (UniCC) project at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos last week in Lagos.

Experts debate hazards of mobile phone technology

A

By Laju Iren

RE there any health effects from the use of mobile phones? A large number of studies have been performed over the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk.

To date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use.” These were the words of Dr. Omobola Johnson, the Minister of the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology, FMCT, at the 2nd West African Conference on Electromagnetic Fields Exposure and Health which held in Lagos recently.

The assertions made by the minister here, echo the findings of the World Health Organisation and other organisations around the world.

However, the fears of the average Nigerian that mobile phone technology has an adverse effect on health have not been allayed.

It seems that even among experts, there are differing opinions. The conference, titled: EMF in a highly connected society: Understanding the myths and realities, presented an opportunity for these different opinions to be heard.

The representative of the Minister, Oluwole Edun, who is the Director, Planning and Statistics at the FMCT said: “Even as we celebrate the gains of the telecom revolution, it is important that we are mindful also of the health of our people, both in the short and in the long term. Mindful of the concerns, which have been expressed both locally and internationally, on whether exposure to electromagnetic fields poses any health hazards to humans; and determined to ensure that the people of West Africa are well

advised as to the facts regarding the issue, the Federal Government of Nigeria decided to take the initiative to bring about this conference, which is a follow up to the first one held in 2012.”

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC, Dr. Eugune Juwah opined that although the World Health Organisation studies are yet to find any clear risk or health hazards associated with electromagnetic fields based on current findings, “as responsible regulators and governments, we need to constantly be on top of the game by keeping the citizenry informed and reassured as information becomes available regarding any health risks associated with electromagnetic fields, which need to be properly considered and reported during the rollout of new technologies as they become available.

Then, it was the turn of the experts. Prof. Idowu Peter Farai of the University of Ibadan, represented by Dr. Nnamdi Jibiri who spoke on the differences between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, said that GSM radiation is about 100 million times less in frequency and energy than the

...the World Health Organisation's studies are yet to find any clear risk or health hazards associated with electromagnetic fields based on current findings

radiation that can cause ionization and serious health effects. Adding that, “claims of the various health effects from GSM are myths as there is little evidence in humans and less in animals to support them. Mobile phone technology is safe, except it is used while driving.”

The President of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Dr. Kayode Obembe however called on Nigerians to take precautions “before we are told whether or not it causes complications.”

According to him: “We have not followed this new technology long enough to know its inherent complications.

Inherent complications In medical research, to truly study a trend, you must have followed it for at least fifty years.

And this kind of technology has only been around for about ten years.”

Following the same line of argument, Dr. Anago Peters, a consultant and clinical pharmacologist said that according to the World Health Organisation, WHO, there is no convincing evidence that weak Radio Frequency, RF signals from base stations and wireless networks cause adverse effects on human health. However, according to him, “EMF has been loosely implicated in alterations in cerebral blood, issues in infertility, hypersensitivity among others.

Precautions must be taken so that if it is not true that there is a link, we have lost nothing, but if it is true, then we have ourselves to blame. We must enforce articulated standards developed with the help of relevant international agencies and adapted to local conditions.”

By Emma Elebeke

HE hopes of 167 blind Nigerians were revived at the weekend by MTN Foundation with award of scholarship to pursue their courses of their choice at various institutions of higher learning in Nigeria. Similarly, about 1,205 Nigerian youths were also awarded with various categories of scholarship to complete their career at their institutions of study.

The scholarship award was granted to brilliant blind scholars and high performing science and technology students, who distinguished themselves in an aptitude test for the 2014 season in continuation of the annual scholarship scheme by the MTN Foundation.

The Executive Secretary of MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugboma, who announced the awards at the 5th MTN Foundation Science, Technology and Blind Students Scholarship Scheme Award held in Abuja said the gesture was in line with MTN Foundation’s tradition of empowering less privileged Nigerians to attain their potentials.

The Foundation scribe explained that the scholarship scheme was part of MTN’s corporate social responsibility, CSR efforts aimed at building a better future for Nigeria by investing in education and guaranteeing better livelihood for tomorrow’s leaders as well as providing them with an opportunity to pursue their dreams despite financial limitation. “We are here today to celebrate academic excellence in students who have worked extremely hard and who unquestionably deserve an opportunity to continue to pursue their dreams of a higher education.

“We also recognise the exemplary effort of a special group of students who have to overcome daily challenges in their quest for a brighter future,” she said.

Beyond the scholarship scheme, the arrangement had been made to take the scholars through a employability workshop after graduation from the Scheme to prepare for the challenges of world of work. Ugboma, however, charged the beneficiaries to continue to maintain the required Cumulative Grade Point Average, CGPA Scores every year in order to benefit in subsequent years, adding that N200,000 will be given to each of the beneficiaries.

Fly mobile phone enters Nigerian market

By Nkirika Nnorom

N

IGERIA'S discerning consumers have just been giv en a new and attractive option when buying premium mobile phones, with the entrance of a leading European mobile player, Fly, into the country’s lucrative mobile phone market.

Speaking at the launch of the mobile phone in Lagos, Nitin Sood, Managing Director, Fly MEA said: “West Africa, and Nigeria in particular, is a strategic new market for Fly, with its growing demand for smartphones, and we are excited to enter this market with First Choice as our partner, which will further help us penetrate the Nigerian market.”

“Fly was the number one selling smartphone in Russia in 2013, a top performer in many European markets, and has been doing exceptionally well this year in the Arabian Gulf states. With its commitment to style, functionality, and advanced technology, Fly has created a brand that has set new global benchmarks in the mobile industry”, he added.

He said that the new product range – a series of six power-packed smartphones and three feature phones, designed with the world’s very latest technology for an unparalleled user experience – will soon be available across Nigeria.

Abdul Jabbar, Vice-President, Marketing, Fly MEA said: “Fly is a challenger brand, and we are bringing our latest handsets which are technologically advanced and stylish and are sure to appeal to the consumers in Nigeria. And, given the global demand shown for our new range, we believe that there will also be demand here for premium quality mobile phones at reasonable prices.Partnering with First Choice as its exclusive distributor, given its extensive distribution network across Africa with over 4000 points of sale, Fly is one of Europe’s leading mobile phone manufacturers, and sells its stylish, functional, and technologically-advanced smartphones and feature phones across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, and Russia.

In Nigeria, Fly has been partnering with First Choice as its exclusive distributor, given its extensive distribution network across Africa with over 4000 points of sale.

28—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Nigeria campaigns for broadband investment at ITU 2014 Continues from page 25

CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE: From left: Minister of Communications Technology, Ms Omobola Johnson; Chief Executive Officer of Phase3 Telecomm, Mr Stanley Jegede and Mosunmola Jegede at Phase3 Telecommunications Christmas Carol Service, in Abuja.

Executive Director, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Ibrahim Dikko also made presentations, told the gathering that Infracos licensing will begin with those for Lagos and the North central regions; including Abuja.

According to him, N i g e r i a ’ s telecommunications sector has undergone rapid transformation on account of the liberalization in 2001.

ICT is the fastest growing sector in Nigeria. “While data services have not recorded the same level of growth as voice, key trends indicate that demand for these

‘UnICC project to unleash e-learning in tertiary institutions’

By Emeka Aginam

W

ITH the global paradigm shift from traditional to smart classroom gaining ground, efforts by the Nigerian government to adopt the e-learning model of learning in the tertiary institutions across the nation has started yielding the expected results.

Just last weekend, the Universal Service Provision Fund, (USPF), of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, commissioned the University Inter-Campus Connectivity (UnICC) project at the College of Medicine of the University.

Accordingly, the initiative has shown government commitment to encourage smart classroom in the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

The UnICC Project is designed to seamlessly connect the networks of the main campuses of selected universities to the networks of their corresponding medical colleges and teaching hospitals through the deployment of fibre optic cable and its associated equipment.

Objectives of the project The objectives of the project are to facilitate seamless connection between the Universities and their Medical Colleges to achieve bidirectional communication for the purpose of sharing and accessing information, provide a platform for sharing bandwidth resources and creating a reverse path for backup in the event of downtime and provide the requisite link for voice, data, video and other multimedia services including conference

facilities. With optimism, the Minister of Communications Technology while commissioning the project said that the project would encourage smart classroom in the universities.

Unique model of collaboration The project which was implemented by Teledom Nigeria Limited through subsidiaries provided by the USPF, according to Johnson exemplified a unique model collaboration among government agencies as a means of optimizing scare resources.

The Minister said that UniCC project would enhance e-learning in the Nigerian tertairy institutions across the country in the nearest future.

She said that in the first phase of the project USPF would deploy over 300 kilometers of 48 core single mode optic fiber cables, (OFC) between the main campus of 17 Universities

UniCC project would enhance elearning in the Nigerian Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education across the country in the nearest future

and their corresponding annexes.

She further disclosed that the project is creating and equipping 17 smart classrooms at the medical colleges with an interactive smart board, overhead projector, audio visual support systems with lecture recording and playback capabilities and 50 wireless enabled touch screen PCs” she explained.

What USPF is set to do According to the Minister, “What the USPF is set to do is to provide the underlying infrastructure for the adaptation of various technologies including immerse video conferencing, smart classroom, VoIP telephony, among others.

The project will also ensure the extension of the 10GB fiber optic NgREN network to all the 40 Federal universities, 28 satellite campuses and 12 Medical Colleges as well as accommodating the other tertiary institutions such as Satte Universities, Polytechnic as well as Colleges of Education in the nearest future”.

She further disclosed that the project would also enhance the 43 data centers located in these universities by providing thirty four 10kVA power inverters and associated batteries in addition to providing biometric access controls and CCTVs at each location to enhance the physical security of the data centers.

Facilities to enhance research These facilities, the Minister added are expected to enhance teaching, research and even daily workings of the universities and eventually facilitate the creatuion of the larger NgREN network that

would link all universities, polytechnics, colleges of educations and other tertiary institutions.

For the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof.

Rahamon Bello, the commissioning of UniCC portends the beginning of of the realization of a solid ICT base necessary for the attainment of the nation’s contemporary education objectives.

Connecting all campuses of an institution, according to the UNILAG VC would improve both academic utility of the Nigerian Research and Education Network, NgREN.

services is on the rise,” Tegbe submitted.

As part of key actions to implement the National Broadband Policy, the NCC launched the Open Access Next Generation Broadband Network model in 2013.

The Next Generation Broadband Network (NGBN) will change the way businesses are done by the people in Nigeria. As Tegbe put it, Nigeria has done very well in the strides to implementing NGBN,” but the journey has just begun, because an estimated $2bn in funding/ investment will be required yearly over the next five years to bridge the broadband infrastructure gap.” Despite some challenges, Nigeria remains one of the most attractive investment destinations globally.”

Nigerian Ambassador to Qatar, Mr. Shuaibu Ahmed concurred, saying that since the establishment of the Nigerian Mission in Doha, Qatar, “our primary mandate has been to make Nigeria the preferred investment destination, because Qatar has an investment appetite of over $50b and it is eyeing Nigeria.”

He said, Qatar wants to divest its economy and investment from oil and gas for which it has over reliance of 90%. “Having conjured investments in Europe and Asia, Africa is the next on its agenda and Nigeria is preferred. Ahmed added that “the Nigerian Embassy is laying the basic framework for fruitful business partnership and the Qataris have demonstrated good fate in investing in Nigeria.”

S&T Ministry partners Mosanto on biotechnology

By Emmanuel Elebeke

M

INISTER of Science a n d Technology, Dr. Abdu Bulama has called for a strong partnership between the ministry and Mosanto, a French based Company with a view to reviving the Moribond Cotton Industry in Nigeria.

The Minister remarked that Mosanto’s expertise and technological innovations in biotechnology cotton over the years, are the key ingredients that Nigeria needs at the moment to revive her own cotton.

He stated this when he received Notalia Voruz, Commerical Lead West Africa (Mosanto) and other members of the delegation during a courtesy call in his office, in Abuja.

According to Dr. Bulama,

the activities of Mosanto, which are focused on improving high breeds, agricultural production and development of farming in general, are quite significant to federal government’s transformation agenda which has strong base in agriculture for employment generation and wealth creation.

The Minister said that partnership would be anchored basically in three major areas which are: to strengthen the biotechnology sector; capacity building through technology transfer and developing farmers with improved seed production.

He applauded Mosanto and stated that his visit to its Corporation Headquarters has given the Ministry the opportunity to see the well organized management, the production pattern and the overall technological innovations to develop Nigeria’s agriculture.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 — 29

C M Y K

30— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014—31

I am the happiest woman on earth, Ibinabo declares

By Benjamin Njoku

E

X-beauty queen and incumbent President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, Ibinabo Fiberesima could not hold back her joy, when she declared weekend that she is the happiest woman on earth.

The actress made this declaration shortly after tying the knot with her man, Uche Egbuka, last friday, in her home town, Okrika, Rivers State.

Ibinabo’s traditional marriage rites which was chaired by Chief Ateke Tom took place a day before the white wedding. Those who witnessed the ceremony described it as ‘a colourful celebration of love.’

The mother of three children who dazzled in her traditional attire, while surrounded by

young and beautiful bride’s maid during her traditional marriage took to her Facebook page to share her excitement.

‘Today I begin the process of being a full married woman. I start my traditional rites to be one, with the love of my life today. Daddy Jesus I love you endlessly. You make me shine always.

Government officials May your glory and grace continue to glow through me in Jesus name Amen!I am the most happiest woman on earth,’ Ibinabo writes.

The wedding was graced by top government officials, including the Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi.

Top Nollywood stars in attendance were Patience Ozorkwo, John Okafor a.k.a

•Ibinabo & hubby Ibu, Jennifer Eliogu, Florence Onuma, Elder Maya, Lilian Bach, Prince Ifeanyi Dike, Sunny Mcdon W, Victor Okhai, Victor Osuagwu,

Room 25 launches out with ‘Battery Go Low’

Tosan and Lawal

T

OP flight club,Escape was ignited weekend as sensational duo of Asin Tosan (D’Chaze) and Lawal Jubril ( Corporate Junior) better known as Room 25.

‘Room 25 officially was unveiled to the public after dropping their fresh and hot single ‘Battery Go Low ’ released on C M Y K

December 13, 2014.

‘Battery Go Low’ described as a club banger was written by Room 25 and produced by award winning music producer Soso Beat for Omo Obasuyi’s Vanes Entertainment record label.

The Room 25 duo are undergraduates of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State. While Asin Tosan is studying Electrical Engineering, Accountancy is Jubril’s preffered course. Both met in school and bonded to form Room 25. “ We are excited to be signed to Vanes, the prospects and the vision is so encouraging. What we have seen and gotten so far is indeed a reassurance that we made the right decision to team up with Vanes,”Room 25 explained.

Obasuyi, a US based businessman and CEO of Vanes Entertainment said, his foray into the entertainment business was inspired by his wife who encouraged him in the midst of challenges to forge ahead and beat the best in the Nigerian music industry to take the number one spot.

“Vanes Entertainment is committed to giving the best. No price is too much to pay to be the best,” he said.

Fathia Balogun, Jibola Dabo, Toyin Aimakhou-Johnson, Chief Fabian Adibe, Remi Ohajianya, Abubakar Yakubu,

Zeb Ejiro, Francis Duru, Chico Ejiro, Fidelis Duker, Doris Simeon, Segun Arinze among others.

PMAN moves to fight piracy

By Anozie Egole

N

EWLY declared President of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria, PMAN, Pretty Okafor of the Junior and Pretty fame has vowed to fight piracy to a standstill in Nigeria. Okafor made the vow, while speaking at an agenda-setting world press conference which held recently in Lagos.

According to the former singer and

Pretty Okafor, PMAN President)

entertainment entrepreneur, the new leadership of PMAN is determined to address the problem of piracy in the country. He said, “Our latest anti-piracy agenda will be operated on the platform of Media Distribution Network. The essence of the platform is to monitor the channels of music distribution.”

Speaking further, he noted that the neutralization of Nigeria’s pervasive piracy menace that robs Nigerian musicians of their income is one of the association’s concerns.

“That is why our first major assignment now is to host our traditional PMAN Patrons Dinner to showcase our new patrons which cut across party lines. Because of the fierce urgency of the moment, we hereby throw open the hosting right to all 36 States of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory. Whichever meets our conditions shall have the right to host the event,” said Okafor.

After the patrons’ dinner, Okafor said PMAN will announce the commencement of the programme for the hosting of the next Nigerian Music Award (NMA). In his words, the world acknowledges the speedy growth of Nigeria’s entertainment sector even though the global recognition of the entertainment sector is restricted to quantity.

32 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Pillars won’t underrate Champions League foes K

ano Pillars forward Ubong Ekpai has insisted they will not underrate their CAF Champions League preliminary round opponents Malakia FC of South Sudan.

Pillars will travel to South Sudan for the first leg in the weekend of 13, 14, 15 February while the second leg games were scheduled for 27, 28 February and 1st March 2015.

Former Akwa United hitman Ekpai said there are no small teams in football again and that his team will prepare well for the game.

“How opponents sound simple and easy because they are not known, that will make them more dangerous to play because there qualities is not known. But for them to have qualified for this competition, they deserve respect,” he warned.

“I am sure we will have good games against them and scale through. We will not underrate them, we have to prepare very well ahead of the game and take them seriously.

“We will go all out and play for victories in both legs and God will grant us victory.”

•Pillars

Matic confident Chelsea can win historic quadruple N emanja Matic has insisted that Chelsea have the squad to make history in 2015 by winning the quadruple.

Chelsea secured an impressive 20 win at Stoke last Monday night to restore their three point advantage over defending champions Manchester City in the title race.

Next month they play Liverpool in the Capital One Cup semi-final and also begin their quest for the FA Cup with a Third Round tie at home to Watford.

In February Chelsea will take on Paris Saint Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League and are strong favourites to progress in all three cup competitions.

Matic believes the quality of Chelsea’s football has made them start thinking the almighty feat of lifting all four trophies this season is a realistic target.

He said: “I think it’s (the quadruple) possible - we have a chance. I don’t want to say that we’re going to win it but we’re going to try.

“We have quality but other teams are also strong and have quality also. But we will try and we will see if we can do it.

“I am confident, I believe in my team, my team-mates, so everything is possible.

“Its always important when you are mentally prepared like we are to win. In this moment we are confident, we are top of the table and we will try to continue like this.”

•Matic

•Ghana

Okocha tips Blac Stars for Afcon tit A

ustin “Jay Jay” Okocha does not envisage any surprises at the Afcon 2015. He tips Ghana and three others to win.

The Nigeria football legend saw his country, who won the 2013 edition, fail to qualify for Equatorial Guinea. The 2012 Afcon saw a determined Zambia emerge surprise winners but the 41-yearold ex-midfielder doubts a repeat of that at the Equatorial Guinea tournament.

“I do expect no surprises during this Afcon [2015], as was the case in 2012 when Zambia won the trophy,” the retired footballer said.

Okocha believes one of the big boys, Ghana, favorites Algeria and perennial under-achievers Ivory Coast will go on to win the finals.

“For me, the favourites are Algeria, Ghana, Tunisia and Ivory Coast who for some time now have always been tipped to win the Afcon,” Okocha said.

He is however baffled by how the golden generation of the Ivory Coast national team keeps missing out on the Afcon trophy.

“The Ivorians have a team of talented players. I do not understand how they keep missing [the trophy] every time,” he wondered. “Maybe 2015 will be good for them,” the ex-Bolton star hopes.

Assessing Algeria’s chances in the ‘group of

death’ of the Afcon, Okocha said the wide tipped favourites could go all the way.

“Algeria is likely to advance to th quarterfinals. I would say the team has th chance to win the African Cup. We saw ho well they performed at the last World Cup advancing to the last 16 was a respectab

W

Wenger eyes

enger expects Mesut Ozil and Mik Arteta to return to action in Januar while Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey an Laurent Koscielny are due back imminent to help reignite the Gunners’ quest for top-four finish in the Barclays Premie League.

The Christmas schedule features fixture against QPR, West Ham and Southampto and Wenger believes Arsenal, who occup sixth place in the table, will soon be in position to realise their potential.

“To give absolutely everything in ever single game until the end of the season replied Wenger when asked to outline h aspirations for his team heading into th

Abia community cries out over alleged land encroachment VOL. 1 NO 17

PAGE 2

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

•Gas flaring

Residents going blind over alleged gas flaring in Imo community ...3 monarchs affected as NDDC organises free healthcare services

By CHINONSO ALOZIE

O

WERRI—IZOMBE in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State is an oil and gas bearing community. The community which has more than 20 villages is known for its annual cultural festival known as Okorocha.

However, the people of the area are suffering following the oil exploration and gas flaring activities, identified as a major cause of blindness in the area.

At the Free Health Care exercise organised in the area recently, it was discovered that three traditional rulers from Izombe had become blind as a result of gas flaring activities in the community.

The three traditional rulers who were introduced as Eze Pius Muforo, the Abor 1 of Abrshi Autonomous Community; Eze Boniface Nwauwa, Obiukwu 1 of Ndiulokwu Au-

tonomous Community and Eze Oliver Okorowu, Obi 1 of Obeabor Autonomous Community were introduced at the Federal Medical Centre Owerri (Comprehensive Outreach Centre) Izombe, where the event took place.

Look at our three traditional rulers, they cannot see because of the gas flaring activities in our area. We cannot dethrone them, rather we want you people to restore their sights

Introducing them when the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, led by a Commissioner in Imo State, Mr. Kyrian Uchegbu visited Izombe to monitor the exercise organized by the NDDC, one of the community leaders from the area, Chief Maraus Nnannah said: “We have suffered so much. Izombe people cannot be proud of their natural resources. It has caused more harm than good.

Look at our three traditional rulers, they cannot see because of the gas flaring activities in our area. We cannot

Continues on page 3

•Bassey Dan Abia, NDDC Chairman, Dan Abia

•Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH, Eze Samuel Ohiri

ALSO IN THIS EDITION

New Anglican Knights of St. Christopher vow to shun secret cult — PAGE 4

2015: Police, stakeholders brainstorm on violence-free polls Abia — PAGE 7 C M Y K

2— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Abia community cries out over alleged land encroachment Accuses Lands Ministry of conniving with others

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA—THE people of Ndume community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State have cried out to Governor Theodore Orji, over alleged illegal encroachment into their communal land by people working in cahoot with some unscrupulous staff of the state Ministry of Lands and Survey. The community said that the unnamed government’s officials had constituted themselves into a syndicate in the ministry, adding that they normally encroach on people’s land with the aim of selling same illegally to unsuspecting members of the public.

According to the community, if the Government does not urgently wade into the matter, the situation would degenerate and lead to a breakdown of law and order as the community can no longer tolerate the activities of the syndicate.

The land in question, according to leaders of the community; were about 30 plots, located at Isi Okata, opposite Winners Church, Ihie Ndume, which they said was their an-

cestral heritage; acquired by the Abia State government but later returned to them, for farming purposes.

However, the community leaders stressed that although the plots were returned to them by the government, some land speculators in the Ministry of Lands had formed themselves into a syndicate and had resorted to selling them to unsuspecting buyers.

According to the community, already some portions of the land had been sold to a company said to belong to a female Magistrate, who had since entered into the land to develop it. They further said that attempts to stop her were rebuffed.

They also alleged that the Magistrate had been harassing and intimidating them to the extent that some youths from the community were said to have been framed up by the law officer as having made attempt to kidnap her, following which two of the youths were remanded at the Umuahia Federal Prisons, even as the matter was still pending in court.

The community is, however pointing accusing fingers to

some unscrupulous youths from the village, some of who they said were past executive committee members of the town union but now conniving with the land speculators in the ministry to enable them encroach more on their communal land.

To avert any ugly situation that would make the aggrieved youths of the community to take laws into their hands and cause breach of the peace in the state, the community through their lawyer, Ben Ukandu and Company, wrote to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Land and Survey on the said encroachment on their land.

According to the letter, the community complained that “unlawful and illegitimate members of the executives of Ihie Ndume led by one Ugochukwu John Nwoko,” in active connivance with some senior officials of the Ministry of Lands, and embarked in an exercise of ravaging and encroaching on plots of land belonging to Isi Okata people in Ihie Ndume.

The community is, however, claiming N200 million as compensation from the Ministry for “pain, suffering, agony and

•Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State.

trauma inflicted on them by their acts of trespass, destruction and damages,” warning that no further encroachment on the land would be tolerated any longer.

The ministry has, however, denied any involvement in the alleged sale of plots of land in the community. In a reply the letter of complaint signed by the Director of Lands, Egonu Ezumah, the ministry stated that it did not do any work on the land in the month of August 2013, as alleged by the

community.

“If any building(s) was/were affected in the said demolitions of August, 2013, it is unconnected with the office of Director of Lands or the Ministry. It is not part of the schedule of the Director of Lands to delineate boundaries. However, if for purposes of development control, the plots were affected, it would be appropriate to channel the letter to the General Manager of Umuahia Capital Development Authority,” the ministry added.

Tributes as Rev. Chukwuka retires as Anglican Bishop, marks70th birthday

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

O

•Bishop Chukwuka.

C M Y K

NITSHA—IT was a day of ju bilation and tributes in Awka, Anambra State, as people from all walks of life gathered from far and near at the St. Faith Anglican Church Cathedral in the town weekend, to honour the retiring Anglican Bishop of Isiukwuato/Umunneochi Diocese, Rt. Rev. Samuel Chukwuka.

The occasion also marked the 70th birthday celebration and thanksgiving ceremony of the cleric.

Among those who gathered on the occcasion which also co-incided with the launching of Bishop Chukuka’s Biography entitled: “The life, Ministry and Philosophy of The Rt. Rev. Samuel Chukwuka”, were the Anglican Archbishop of Province of Niger and Bishop of Aguata Diocese, His Grace, Most Rev. Christian Efobi who was the Chief Host; the Anglican Bishop of Awka, His Lordship, Rt. Rev. Alex Ibezim who was the Host and the Guest Preacher, Rt. Rev. Edmund Akanya who is the Archbishop of Kaduna and Bishop of

Kebbi Diocese, among others.

In his sermon, Bishop Akanya described Chukuka as a man of honour who dedicated his life to the service of God and humanity, adding that his voluntary resignation few years to his actual retirement date to enable him embark on grass root Christianity, was an ‘’eloquent testimony that he is a straight forward and faithful servant of God and humanity.”

In his speech, one of Bishop Chukwuka’s sons-in-law, Obiora Muojeke, a legal practitioner in Onitsha and son of first republic parliamentarian, Hon. Raphael Muojeke, described Chukwuka ‘’as a worthy father-in-law; man of principle and an ambassador of God and the church.”

Muojeke recalled that since he married one of Chukwuka’s daughters and became close to the family, he had discovered that the cleric and his wife, Cecilia not only brought their children up in the fear of God and respect for humanity, the same manner his life impacted on his flock at both All Saints

Cathedral, Onitsha and at Isiukwuato/Umunneochi Diocese where he professed the teachings of Christ.

Bishop Chukwuka who was born on September 25, 1944 at Umuru, Nnobi in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, was elected the Bishop of Anglican Church in 2005 and was posted to Isiukwuato/Umunneochi Diocese as their Bishop where he looked after the flock and created many parishes before his recent resignation and consequent retirement which was as a result of his burning desire to create more chances for him to get deeply involved in grass root evangelism.

Others who paid glowing tributes to the retired bishop included his children, grand children, in-laws, fellow clergy men, friends and wellwishers. Goodwill messages also came from prominent personalities, including Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, OON, President of Masters Energy Group and Chijioke Enekwa, Managing Director, Ceenek Pharmaceutical Products Limited, among others.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 —3

EBOLA: Hunters lament dwindling fortunes in Enugu •Fears extinction of trade

BY FRANCIS IGATA

E

NUGU—HUNTERS in Enugu State are gnashing their teeth over the adverse effect, which the outbreak of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, has brought to their trade in the last few months.

The hunters who are mainly involved in the killing of grass cutters, antelopes, alligator lizard, among others popularly known as bush meat are now living in penury following the adverse effects of the campaign against the consumption of ‘’bush meat,” especially monkeys, grass cutters and bats, following the death of a Liberian who died in Lagos having been diagonised of the disease.

Apart from the Liberian, some medical staff of the Lagos hospital where the deceased also died. Those who lost their lives included Dr Ameyo Adadevoh. During the period the fear of death prevented most people who enjoyed the bush meat delicacies from patronising the various ‘’joints” where various types of bush meat were sold.

South East Voice investigations showed that most people who were endeared to

bush meat delicacy had been abstaining from patronising bush meat sellers at relaxation centres in Enugu following the advice from health practitioners indicating that bush meat was the major source of contracting EVD. Most of the hunters who had made a living from the trade now find it difficult to fend for their families as hoteliers and food vendors no longer purchase bush meat from them.

Hunter cries out Raphael Amah, hails from Nkpologu, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of the state and had been in the hunting business for over two decades.

He said: “it seems as if the world is collapsing on me. I have used the proceeds from my hunting business to sustain my family of nine over the years.

“When we started hearing of the Ebola thing, we thought it was a joke but gradually, we realized that our old customers were no longer patronizing us. Sometimes, they will not tell you out rightly that they will not buy. If we take our merchandise to them, they will be under pricing them deliberately. Our customers were the ones who told us the reasons for their nonchalant attitude when we enquired

Residents going blind over alleged gas flaring in Imo community Continued from page 1 dethrone them, rather we want you people to restore their sights before they go blind completely, please.”

South East Voice gathered that apart from gas flaring and oil exploration in Izombe, the community is also known for its agricultural activities as the people of the area are engaged in the cultivation of cassava and yam as well as fishing.

Reacting to the information, the leader of the NDDC delegation, Mr. Uchegbu promised that a special presentation will be made to the leadership of the commission in respect to the health conditions of the traditional rulers.

He said: “I am touched by the condition of these our fathers. I promise to take immediate action by making request to NDDC for special treatment.”

Also speaking, the Managing Director of NDDC, Dan Abia, represented by George Uzowanne said that the commission was committed to ensuring that the people of Izombe do not regreat having oil in their soil. ‘’We will make sure that these three traditional rulers get full medical attention,” he added.

from them. They were the ones that told us that people no longer buy bush meat at their relaxation spots in town.

“After a while, they stopped buying from us entirely. That was when the camel’s back was broken. I used to make about N45,000 to N50,000 monthly from the business.

But now, all that is gone.

“There is nothing to fall back on. I wish government can develop a scheme to rehabilitate people like us. I had apprentices that were learning the trade from me and we were all making a living from the business until the EVD struck.”

Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh; (First doctor to die of Ebola Virus Disease in Lagos.)

Ebonyi community groans over poor state of roads

By PETER OKUTU

A

BAKALIKII—THE people of Amikeaba Community in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State are groaning over the poor state of their internal roads in the area.

The community which has large network of internal roads had not felt much of government’s impact in terms of road construction, grading or installation of street lights among other infrastructural facilities provided by government as dividends of democracy.

The internal roads are those leading to the homes of community members and government facilities like the Radio Nigeria Unity Fm station and several other investments by the people of the area. South East Voice visited the area and noticed that the roads were so bad that vehicles are usu-

ally trapped in muddy water where they would undergo series of repairs.

Prominent individuals who live within the community include chieftains of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, commissioners in Governor Martin Elechi’s cabinet, House of Assembly members, local government Caretaker Committee chairmen among others.

Speaking with South East Voice, a resident of the area, Mr. John Ndubuisi regretted the poor condition of the internal roads in the area, and called on the state government to reconstruct them.

“My brother, the roads are very bad. When we enter the rainy season you will notice what I am talking about but; even now, dust has been dealing with us. In fact, it is contributing to the health hazard facing every body living in Amikeaba”.

Assuring residents of government’s commitment towards awarding contracts for the construction of roads across the state, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr. Chukwuma Nwandugo noted that the state government had invested so much towards constructing and upgrading internal roads throughout the state.

“Government has not stopped mobilizing resources for construction of internal roads across the state especially within the state capital; that of Amikeaba community is not left out; remember that roads construction is in phases and very soon every community will feel the impact of government before this administration goes in May next year.

•Ebonyi community road C M Y K

4 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

CSOs fault Anambra’s 2015 budget •Demand gender justice and social inclusion in implementation

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA—CIVIL Society Or ganizations, CSOs, in Anambra State have faulted allocations to the various sectors of the state’s economy in the 2015 appropriation bill recently passed into law by the state House of Assembly.

The N164 billion ‘Budget for wealth creation and social cohesion’, which is yet to be signed into law by Governor Willie Obiano, has an allocation of N15.872 billion to the social sector, representing 14.3% of the total capital budget.

Some officials of the CSOs who reacted on the budget, regretted that despite their efforts to make input during its preparation, they were not given the opportunity.

Speaking under the aegis of ‘Equity and Social Inclusion Budget Platform, ESIBUP, the CSOs recalled that it was only in 2009 that they had the opportunity of making input in budget preparation and implementation, noting that their inability to be part of the budget preparation and implementation over the years has adversely been affecting the poor and physically challenged people in the state because their interests were not properly accommodated.

Coordinator of ESIBUP, Mrs. Eucharia Anaekwe said in an interview in Awka that while her group appreciates the state government’s commitment to have budget to continue to strengthen social cohesion in the state by ensuring that all social and demographic segments, including the youth, women, the retired, the aged, and those with disabilities were properly considered in the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, sidelining them during budget submissions was not good enough.

She said: “There are major gaps in the approved budget that will make it difficult for His Excellency’s vision for equity and social cohesion to be achieved during implementation. The 2015 approved budget is gender neutral as there was no sex disaggregation on allocation of resources. The budget does not show direct beneficiaries of allocated resources across sectors.

“There are no detailed activities along the budget line items, indicating lack of detailed planning and raising the probability for budget not to C M Y K

From left; Godwin Orjiakor, Eucharia Anaekwe, Ernest Ebenebe and Gloria Nwafor, all members of ESIBUP. meet the targeted population and his Excellency’s vision and commitment.

“The allocation of N15.872 billion to the social sector, representing 14 per cent of the total capital budget is quite poor, given that human development index is measured around important sub-sector

like health and education. It is imperative to note that education and health issues cut across every sector of the economy.

“The allocation of N430.20 million, representing 2.7 per cent social sector and 0.39 per cent of the entire capital expenditure given to Ministry of

Women Affairs and Social Development is too poor, considering that it is the only ministry that has clear allocation for women, people living with disabilities, orphans and vulnerable children.”

Similarly, Mrs. Gloria Nwafor, the executive director of the organization, said that

while the investment in agriculture promises economic returns, evidence abounds that women cannot inherit land and is unable to process land ownership in the official government system.

She said: “In all probability, women and girls will not be able to benefit from the initiatives and investments in this sector except special attention is paid to gender main-streaming or to stand alone strategic projects for those excluded by reason of gender or sex.”

To ameliorate the situation, a member of the group, Chief Godwin Orjiakor appealed that: · Gender and social inclusion should be main-streamed by all MDAs during the implementation of their budget line items;·Projects should be implemented in such a way to ensure that socially excluded persons are fully considered; and there should be a clear commitment by the government to include the needs of youth, women, the retired, the aged, and those with disabilities.

Another member of the group, Mr. Ernest Ebenebe suggested improvement of inter-sector and inter-agency coordination for strengthening gender mainstreaming management system to ensure that each ministry captures the traditionally excluded groups.

According to him, there is need to increase targeted spending for women, girls and persons with disability, focusing on equity and empowerment towards raising their status, rather than welfare related charity.

New Anglican Knights of St. Christopher vow to shun secret cult

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

O

NITSHA—THE six members of the Anglican Communion who were newly inducted as Knights of Saintt Christopher, KSC, together with their wives have vowed never to join secret cults, saying that they owe allegiance to no one but the Lord Jesus Christ.

In their oaths of allegiance administered on them by the Anglican Bishop on the Niger, Rt. Rev. Owen Nwokolo at the All Saints’ Cathedral, Onitsha, Anambra State, during an order of service for their investiture, the new Knights also confessed before God and His Church that they had never been members of any secret cult.

The Knights maintained that their loyalty to Jesus Christ would always be absolute, total and undivided, adding that they would not back on the oath so as not to put themselves under the curse of God. Among the new Knights,/ Dames and Ladies invested were the immediate past Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Edozie Aroh and his wife, Olufunke; Gilbert Emeka Udechukwu and his wife, Ve-

ronica; Ebenezer Nonso Okeke and his wife, Uzoamaka.

Mrs. Jessie Balonwu, Mercy Chinwe Ilondu, Josephine Ifeanyi Ofodile and Vivian Onwuekwe were invested as Dames along with late Mrs. Mabel Amobi who was given a posthumous honour.

In his sermon at the investiture service, the Anglican Bishop of Ihiala Diocese, Rt. Rev. Ralph Okafor charged them to maintain their vow in their own interest, adding that as a Knight, they must put on

the armour of God at all times to enable them defeat evil temptations.

Okafor further commended the new knights and their wives for rising to such a pinnacle in Christianity and urged them to remain steadfast and prayerful as the country was currently witnessing series of political and economic crises, insurgency and transformation.

In his speech, Bishop Nwokolo urged the Federal Government to equip the military with more sophisticated weapons that would enable

•Knights of the Anglican Communion

them defeat the Boko Haram insurgents currently in the North East, adding that the military themselves must increase their intelligence mechanism in order to surmount the problems.

Highlight of the occasion included a N50 million fund raising for the building of hotels at Camp of Faith embarked upon by the Anglican Diocese on the Niger.

Among those at the event included the President-General of Niger Diocesan Joint Council of Knights, Joseph Ilonze; his deputy, Dr. Ike Okonkwo, Secretary, Dr. Ben Ogbuagu; Publicity Secretary, Sir Oseloka Offor; Director of Protocol, Tony Madueke; Chief of Protocol, Dave Anezu; the Archdeacon in-charge of Oyi Archdeaconry; Venerable Joseph Nweke and Venerable Josiah Ofoegbu, Venerable Obiora Uzochukwu, Sub-Dean All Saints’ Cathedral, Onitsha and the Chancellor of the Diocese, Nnamdi Ibegbu, SAN, among others.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 — 5

UNN, citadel of abandoned projects

By CHINENYEH OZOR

N

SUKKA—WHEN the other day the premier citadel of learning, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, called its stakeholders to brainstorm on a way forward for the beleaguered institution, the office of the Vice-Chancellor prepared a four-page document entitled, “The University of Nigeria and the Challenges of Restoring the Dignity of Man.” The conclusion in the brief was blunt. It said, “The University of Nigeria is sick.”

There is almost a consensus among members of the university community that the new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ben Ozumba, has an uphill task.

However, rather than spend his time apportioning blames, he has rolled up his sleeves to see how much of the mess from the previous mismanagement he can clear. The brief at the stakeholders meeting summarized what seems to be his philosophy in the task. “One does not cure a sick person by flogging him.” So, he began by inviting stakeholders to brainstorm.

Many members of the university community that were interviewed saw the last administration under the Vice-Chancellorship of Professor Barth Okolo as the most disastrous in the half-a-century history of the

university. The abandoned projects under Professor Okolo count in billions of Naira.

Worse, according to sources, the money originally budgeted for the projects also disappeared. The present administration under Professor Ozumba now groans under severe lack of fund.

Some suggest that the present troubles of the university would have been averted or minimized if the former supervisory Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, had listened to earlier warnings of the former Chairman of Council, Dr. Emeka Enejere, who raised the alarm over the large scale of irregularities and lack of due process in many of the projects that were being undertaken by the former administration. Instead Enejere was curiously fired as Chairman of Council, and even more strangely Professor Okolo was rewarded with a national honour last October.

A highly placed university official who does not like to be named said that Professor Okolo did not complete any building or road whose contract he awarded. The source took South East Voice to some of the buildings and roads. Three of the roads were said to have been awarded for the total cost of N124 million.

South East Voice gathered that out of this, the Okolo ad-

•Department of Pharmacy, UNN.

•CEC- First Bank Road, UNN. ministration said it already paid contractors N105 million before it left. Yet, on two of them (the one passing through the Medical Centre and the one passing through the First Bank); not even one shovel of sand had been put there up until when South East Voice went there to take pictures for this story. Work had not started on the roads, yet 85 per cent of the contract sums had already been paid by an outgoing administration.

South East Voice noted that some buildings looked new but one of our sources said that such buildings were in two catego-

ries. There are ones like the School of General Studies and Department of Economics that were either refurbished or painted at exorbitant costs but are otherwise old buildings. There were others like Centre for Sociological Studies which were built by benefactors at no cost to the University administration.

Head of Sociology, Professor Eze Anugwom, was said to have travelled when our reporters called on him but another lecturer who would not allow her name in print said that the building was donated to the University by Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.

ENUGU FIESTA: Food, alcohol vendors make

brisk business at Okpara Square

By FRANCIS IGATA

E

NUGU—THE annual Enugu fiesta has afforded food and alcohol vendors of all sorts an avenue to eke a living within the two weeks duration the carnival will elapse.

Enugu Fiesta is packaged to showcase the rich cultural and tourism potentials of the state, with an array of events aimed at attracting local and international tourists into the state.

South-East Voice visit to Okpara Square, main venue for the Fiesta showed that over 50 make-shift kiosks have been erected at the designated space allotted to food and alcohol, beverage drinks, pepper soup and food vendors.

The fiesta would also serve as a convergent point for prostitutes and pimps in the city to carry out their trades in the

evenings.

Kiosk operator speaks A lady, in her late thirties who simply identified herself as Stephanie said,”how I wish the fiesta will be a daily thing. It

has afforded me an opportunity to make small money this period.

“At least, I have been busy since the fiesta started. There is nothing more rewarding than being busy. It will dispel

Some of the kiosks with plastic chairs in front

thoughts of negative inclinations especially now that the harsh economic situation is biting harder.

“For me, I make an average of N5,000 to 6,000 daily selling beverage drinks and pepper soup. The government should find a way of making it a frequent exercise. If it is quarterly, it will help us cope than this once in a year thing.”

Another respondent, told South-East Voice that although the erection of shops has defaced the aesthetic beauty of Okpara Square temporarily, the idea behind the fiesta was laudable.

He noted that most hotels in Enugu would be fully booked with guests from afar to join in the frills and thrills of the fiesta.

REACH US DO you have any news of neglect or abandoned projects or your representative at the local, state or federal governments are not representing you well?

Do you have unique cultural activities coming up or any community news to tell us?

Emeka Mamah (Co-ordinator): 08033218645 Austin Ogwuda(Enugu): 08037136440 Francis Igata 08033387069 Vincent Ujumadu(Awka): 08035804090 Anayo Okoli(Umuahia): 08034046839 Chidi Nkwopara(Imo): 08033391108 Peter Okutu (Abakaliki): 08032680756 Chinenyeh Ozor (Nsukka): 08185664011 Nwabueze Okonkwo (Nnewi): 08037794782 Enyim Enyim (Onitsha): 08169297179 Or: e-mail us: easternvoice@yahoo.com

6 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

20 students emerge winners of Archbishop Valerian Okeke Science Competition *Receive laptops, cash

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA—NO fewer than 20 students from the various Catholic Secondary Schools in Onitsha Archdiocese in Anambra State, who emerged winners at the maiden Archbishop Valerian Okeke Science Competition in 2014 have been celebrated at an impressive ceremony held at the premises of the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha.

It was organized under a foundation set up by the Archbishop, with the Diamond Bank , Hyper Thread Concept, Imaging Realities and Radio Sapiensa, Onitsha lending support to themselves to ensure the success of the compe-

tition.

Seventy six schools in the six Episcopal Regions in the Archdiocese took part in the competition in the subject areas of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, with Master John Paul Ezeilo of All Hallows Seminary, Onitsha coming first in the senior category, while Miss Cynthia Ekwo of Mater Christi Secondary School, Awada coming first in the junior category.

Similarly, Master Kenechukwu Nnaemeka of St. Charles’ College, Onitsha came second in the senior category, while Miss Chioma Okafor of Dominican Sisiters’ College, Abatete came third. In the junior category, Kyrian Obikwelu of All Hallows Semi-

•Archbishop Valerian Okeke with a winner of the the science competition and officials of the sponsors nary came second, while Oluebube Okeke of Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha came third.

The first prize winner in the senior category received a laptop with N50,000 cash, while the first prize winner in the junior category received N40,000 cash. Those who came 4th -10th positions in the senior and junior categories received consolation prizes of N10,000 each.

Elated Archbishop Okeke

said the idea behind the competition was to ginger the students to develop interest in sciences, which he described as the basis for technological development.

He said: ‘The exercise is to give honour to whom it is due and to remind the students that they can be better in life if they work hard. We specifically set up the Foundation to tell the young ones that they can make it in life through hard work.

“We have therefore placed this

8 MONTHS AFTER OKO MASQUERADE SHOOTING:

Chidozie Anyaene ‘s whereabouts still unknown O

NITSHA—EIGHT months after a masquerader, Chidozie Anyaene, 35, was allegedly shot at Oko Community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, by men in uniform, his whereabouts still remain unknown.

However, Chidozie’s parents have asked the Army and the police whose personnel shot the man while on a joint operation to produce the masquerader dead or alive.

Father of the missing masquerader, Mr. Linus Anyaene and his mother, Rhoda said that their son, was shot at close range by some uniformed officers at Eke Oko Market Square on Easter Saturday, April 19, 2014, while wearing a masquerade garb, adding that all attempts to locate him live or dead had not been fruitful since then.

They further said that their attempts to report the incident at the nearby Ajalli Police Station failed as they were asked to pay N100,000 before the issue could be investigated. He gave the name of the officer who allegedly demanded the N100,000 simply as Tunde.

The Anyaenes who spoke in an interview with South East Voice at Oko who described their experience as ‘’nightmarish,’’ regretted that nobody had been forthcoming on the whereabouts of his son since he

was shot by security men who were called in to stop a local festival following the misunderstanding between the traditional ruler of Oko, Professor Laz Ekwueme and the authorities of the Federal Polytechnic, located in the town.

The crises reportedly polarised Oko town as some people supported Ekwueme while others supported the authorities of the polytechnic.

However, the Anyaenes said, ‘’We have not been sleeping very well since our first son, Chiedozie was shot. Rhoda and I are yet to recover from the shock arising from our inability to find out the whereabouts of our son who was allegedly gunned down by yet to be identified security agents ‘’Life is now meaningless for us. We feel miserable as we cannot find Chidozie or his dead body. We can no longer sleep either in the day and night as a result of our sordid state of dejection since the alleged shooting and taking away of his body that fateful day.’’

The couple further said that they were more worried about the incident because eye-witnesses informed them that those who gunned Chidozie down while he was wearing the masquerade allegedly took him away to an unknown destination.

Linus explained that before

the incident, the town union executive and Igwe -in -Council had met and issued a circular banning masquerade outing, as usual during this year’s annual Easter celebrations.

He admitted that following the directive, he cautioned two of his sons, including Chidozie, now missing never to join any masquerade group, to avoid inconveniences.

He disclosed that in the morning of the fateful day, he reminded his sons about the ban on masquerades before leaving for his farm, only to hear on return that Chidozie had been shot while wearing a masquerade garb. ‘’On enquiry, I was told by Chidozie’s mates t h a t

• Linus Anyaene

Chidozie was wearing the masquerade garb and as they were heading towards Eke market, some armed personnel in camouflaged uniforms suddenly stopped their vehicle and allegedly opened fire on them.

He said as the camouflaged uniformed men opened fire, all the masquerade members fled, leaving the masquerade itself which they gunned down and threw it into their vehicle and zoomed off to an unknown destination,’’ he added He contended that either the police or the Army were hiding him somewhere, dead or live and therefore urged the authorities concerned to produce him without further delay. He also asked the federal and Anambra State

Continues on page 7

opportunity before you to enable you prove who you are.

Therefore, begin today to rediscover yourselves because your future is bright. You cannot continue to recall the feats of the late Professor Chike Obi, the renowned mathematician, Professor Emeagwali, the renowned computer scientist and others. You must work hard to develop yourselves and be like them or even surpass them so as to contribute to the growth of the society. Once you are able to rediscover yourselves, the world will notice you and the sky will be your limit.”

Chairman of the Foundation, Reverend Father Pat Ezeobata described the competition as unique, adding that it is one thing to dream dreams and another to translate the dreams into reality as the Archbishop has done.

Ezeobata said: “The Archbishop himself has passion for sciences, especially Mathematics. In fact, he taught Mathematics and he indeed loves the subject and it is therefore not surprising that he had to institute a competition among secondary school students to give them the opportunity to develop themselves and excel.

“Presently, he has many students enjoying his scholarship at all levels of education, including primary, secondary and tertiary. This competition took off in Onitsha Archdiocese, but the Archbishop has said that it will ultimately be extended to other dioceses in the state.”

Education secretary in the Archdiocese, Rev Father Paschal Onwugbenu in a lecture to the students described science as the basis for development.

“It is science that makes it possible for the mankind to develop such things as Airplanes, vehicles, trains, computers, ships, etc. To deny anybody the opportunity to study science therefore amounts to enslavement. We need to produce and this can only become possible if we acquire the necessary knowledge provided by science.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 —7

2015: Police, stakeholders brainstorm on violence-free polls Abia

By FELIX OGBONNA

U

M U A H I A — STAKEHOLDERS in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State have agreed that it required the commitment of the electorate, government, politicians, security agencies and the general public to stop electoral violence and ensure free, fair and credible elections in the area.

They spoke on the need to ensure violence free elections in 2015 at a seminar organised by the Nigeria Police, Ohuru Isimiri Division, in the local government. The interactive session was organised to sensitise stakeholders on the electoral process.

The session which featured the Transition Committee Chairman of the council, Prince Obinna Nwabiaraije; Electoral Officer for the local government, Mr. Peter Okorie; Chief Organization and Mobilization Officer, National Orientation Agency, NOA, for the area, Mrs. Kalu Ojingwa; President, National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Obingwa chapter, Mr. Ihuoma Gideon; members of the Police Community Relations Committee, PCRC; traditional rulers and the general public, witnessed the various stakeholders proffering solutions on how the people could partner with security agencies to check electoral violence.

Speaking on the occasion, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, for the charge of the area, DSP Titus Ugwuoke, said the workshop which was authorised by the Inspector General of Police, IGP, through state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Adamu Ibrahim was put in place to sensitize the grassroots about the need to ensure violencefree elections.

Ugwuoke added that stakeholders in the electoral process such as politicians, security agencies, political parties and youth groups among others must play their parts well to provide the opportunity for citizens to make the best choice of who governs them.

According to him; “The seminar was held on the directive of the IGP through the Commissioner of Police. It has been held in Umuahia; we are carrying it to the grass-roots

to sensitize stakeholders to ensure a hitch free election.

Politicians should refrain from arming youths to cause violence during elections because violence erodes the credibility of elections.

“Politicians should sensitize youths to shun thuggery. Violence affects the credibility of elections. When you arm youths to hijack ballot boxes, it is not easy to collect the arms from them after the elections. They now turn round to terrorize the society. All hands should be on deck to stop electoral violence. The people need to ensure that the elections to be conducted in 2015 are credible, free and fair.

What the people sow during elections, they also reap in the quality of governance,” he said.

He listed other forms of electoral violence to include, disorderly behaviour at political meetings, campaigns and elections, undue interference by contestants, their agents and supporters in the electoral process, misuse of political power and incumbency

The police have more than 80 per cent of the roles to play in the conduct of elections

•DSP Ugwuoke, Nwabiaraije and a police officer on the occasion

•A cross section of members of the NYCN. privileges, misuse of security aides to intimidate opponents and bullying of election officials, among others.

In his remarks, the Transition Committee chairman, Prince Nwabiaraije said that for peaceful polls to be recorded in the country, the police and other security agencies must discharge their duties without fear or favour. He further stressed that security agents should be blamed for incidents of violence during elections.

“I commend the police for organizing this seminar.

Through this seminar, the police are trying to speak to

the grass while the grass speaks to the roots. The police have more than 80 percent of the roles to play in the conduct of elections. If the police and other security agencies are alive to their duties, the incidence of violence would be minimized during elections. Policemen must discharge their duties without fear or favour because any election that is not free, fair and credible cannot be regarded as a peaceful election.”

While commending DPO Ugwuoke for giving a facelift to the Ohuru Isimiri Police Division, President of NYCN

in the council, Mr. Ihuoma Gideon said that his administration had through the support of Nwabiaraije, embarked on sensitization rallies across the 11 wards of the council and assured that Obingwa boasts of enlightened youths.

In their separate speeches, the Electoral Officer for the council, Okorie and the Organization and Mobilization Officer, NOA, Mrs Ojingwa, described the seminar as timely, adding that if the police and other security agencies would do their jobs effectively, electoral violence would become history in the country.

Chidozie Anyaene ‘s whereabouts still unknown Continued from page 6 governments to wade into the matter between the Oko Community and the Federal Polytechnic, because the community has its own right, having built the school and handed over to the government just as the institution had its own mandate.

Chidozie’s mother lamented that she had never slept since then because each time she wanted to close her eye and sleep at night; she would start seeing certain strange visions or hearing strange sounds that would easily wake

her up and keep her sleeples all through the night.

The Legal Adviser to Oko Peoples Union, OPU, Uchenna Okonkwo-Okom who spoke on the issue at Oko, stated that he heard from Chinedu Ezeokeke who was one of those accompanying the masquerade when the incident occurred saying that he was with Sunday Ejiofor and Chidozie’s younger brother when the uniformed men arrived.

Okonkwo-Okom noted also quoted Ezeokeke as telling him that he was not too sure whether the uniformed men

were soldiers or policemen because as soon as they sighted them, both himself and the masquerade took to their heels, adding that while the masquerade ran into one Chief Noel Ezeofor’s compound, himself and two others took to different directions.

He noted that Ezeokeke told him that he (Ezeokeke) later heard that the uniformed men traced the masquerade to Ezeofor’s compound and shot him at close range.

8 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Luxury bus operators decry poor state of Milverton Avenue in Aba

By FELIX OGBONNA

A

BA—LUXURY bus op erators in Aba, Abia State have decried the dilapidated state of Milverton Avenue which is located at the heart of the commercial city.

The road which serves as the hub of luxury bus business in the city has become a death trap with its many deep gullies making it impossible for motorists to connect the Eziukwu, Ama Ogbonna, and Okigwe areas with the ever busy Aba-Owerri Road from the main motor park.

However, the road has now been turned to a parking lot for heavy duty trucks as buses now avoid the area due to its poor condition.

Ancillary business operators like food vendors an beer parlour owners, among others in the area have also, complained of low patronage as a result of the bad state of the road.

Lamenting the situation, an official of the Luxury Bus Owners Association who spoke on the condition of ano-

nymity told South East Voice that the bad condition of the road was hampering their operations.

“Our passengers who buy goods from the Ariaria Market which they transport to the Northern part of the country have been complaining that the bad state of Milverton Avenue has led to increased cost of business as they are made to go round through other roads to get to our park rather than taking the short cut from Eziukwu road. They complain to us that tricycle operators now charge them higher for their goods from Ariaria Market for the longer journey to our park at Milverton Avenue.”

A staff of one of the luxury bus companies plying the Aba-Abuja-Kano route, Mr Anayo also told South East Voice that the poor condition of the road was responsible for the incessant traffic gridlocks being witnessed on the Asa road/ Milverton Avenue Junction around the Aba Main Motor Park which was now the only access route to the area.

“If the government rehabilitates Milverton Avenue, it will reduce the traffic gridlock on Asa road particularly at the Milverton Junction. Motorists passing through the motor park area will easily go through Milverton Avenue and get to Eziukwu- Okigwe road and Ariaria areas.

The situation is usually worsened in the evenings when traders and other travellers flood the area with their goods/ cargo.

With the Eziukwu end of the Milverton Avenue impassable due to the big gullies filled with muddy water, the situation at the park was always chaotic with luxury buses, trucks and other articulated vehicles blaring their loud horns and struggling for right of way.

South East Voice gathered that the Milverton Avenue which was one of the 16 roads rehabilitated and commissioned in April 2012 by the state government soon went bad due

•Milverton Avenue

•Another bad portion of the Milverton Avenue. to alleged shoddy work done.

South East Voice visited the road and noticed that fully loaded buses belonging to the Young Shall Grow, Chisco, GUO, God Bless Ezenwata,

among other luxury buses were seen trying to link Asa road to connect the Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway through the Aba — Owerri road.

SURE –P, NACA storm Onitsha for free healthcare services

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA—THE Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P and the National Agency for the Control of Aids, NACA, were in the commercial city of Onitsha last week during which they offered free healthcare services to the people as part of a nationwide programme designed by the federal government to bring health care services closer to the people.

With the hype in the electronic media in the state announcing the arrival of the medical team, the ancient Imeobi, the ancestral arena for Onitsha people, where the exercise took place was a beehive of action as enthusiastic residents trooped into the area to receive treatment.

There were enough drugs to go round and as people were treated, they went into the town informing others who closed their shops and other businesses to seek good health before pursuing wealth. The

younger ones were seen dragging their aged parents to the arena to obtain a service that could have cost them thousands of naira if they went to conventional hospitals.

The exercise, which is the first phase of a programme that will eventually be extended to all the states in the country, took place simultaneously in the six selected states of Anambra, Delta, Bayelsa, Enugu, Niger and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. The Onitsha exercise had full compliments of healthcare team, including 10 medical doctors, 20 nurses, four laboratory scientists, four pharmacists and 15 HIV testers.

The prevention focal person for SURE-P, Dr. Uduak Essien said in addition to exposing people to the various medical tests, it also provided an opportunity for them to know their health status and receive the necessary advice from the professionals, adding that at the end of the exercise, analysis will the done to determine the prevailing diseases in various parts of the country.

The executive director of Initiative for Health Awareness and Care, a non governmental organization, NGO, which is coordinating the programme, Philip Ivoke, told South East Voice that there is an emerging trend between government and NGOs to improve health care services in the country, which, he noted, was the reason for the establishment of the programme.

He observed that most Nigerians were not concerned about their state of health, expressing happiness, however, that the residents of Onitsha showed great enthusiasm to participate in the programme, hence the decision to carry out the exercise in the city.

“Onitsha is very strategic in this country, being a centre of commerce and we are fully prepared to serve the people residing here,“ he said.

A public health physician with NACA and senior programme officer of SUREP, Dr. Ibrahim Mamadu spoke of the importance of the exercise, noting that many

Cross section of health officials attending to patients in Onitsha people walk around thinking that they are healthy when they are very sick.

He said that one of the expectations was that after the exercise, most beneficiaries would change their life habits and imbibe the culture of healthy living in their own interest.

Some of the beneficiaries

commended the federal government for the programme, noting that though they were well aware that they were not healthy, financial difficulties had remained a drawback to obtaining quality health care services and hoped that the exercise would become regular.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 — 33

Falcons motivated to excel R

eigning African Women’s Champions, the Super Falcons of Nigeria should be well motivated as the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) have increased the prize money for the winning team at the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada.

The amount will double from the previous tournament, FIFA has announced.

The winners will receive $2m (approximately £1,280,000) compared to the $1m won by Japan in 2011.

A total of $15m will be on offer for the tournament in Canada, which runs from 6 June to 5 July, up from $10m four years ago.

Super Falcons of Nigeria will be competing with USA, Sweden and Australia in the Group D of the 7th edition of the tournament.

Nigeria have appeared in every edition of the biggest women’s football in the World.

•Super Falcons

ck tle

ely

he he ow p– ble

Ferguson: Van Gaal can make United world-beaters

S

•Okocha

achievement. Algeria also had a very good run in the Afcon qualifying which shows continuity,” he said.

The Afcon kicks off in Bata on January 17 with an Equatorial Guinea-Congo opening match. The final match is set for the same venue on February 8, 2015.

s strong finish

kel ry, nd tly a er

es on py a

ry n,” his he

festive period.

“I believe that with the injuries coming back we will have a much stronger squad than we had for the past two months.

“I believe 2015 can be very exciting if we manage to get our injured players back and have a good run. “Finishing in the top four is always the minimum required here. We have the Champions League and we have the FA Cup and we want to come back in a much stronger position in the Premier League, and I think we will.

“Our Christmas is not an easy schedule it’s a tough schedule. There are three games in a very short period of time and we can make up points.

ir Alex Ferguson has backed Louis van Gaal to turn Manchester United into world-beaters again.

Van Gaal was handed the task of bringing the glory days back to Old Trafford following the failed reign of David Moyes, who replaced Ferguson when his successful 26-year tenure came to an end in May 2013.

Van Gaal spent over #150million on six new signings in the summer, but after 17 games United are third and trail Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea by 10 points.

Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Ander Herrera, Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao, along with several of their new team-mates, have all suffered injuries since moving to Old Trafford though, thus limiting their impact.

But once Van Gaal has a full compliment of players to choose from, the Dutchman will make United a real force to be reckoned with, according to Ferguson, who won 38 trophies during

•Feruson Van Gaal

his reign at Old Trafford.

“I don’t know how Louis van Gaal can expect to get the best results with the injuries he’s had,” Ferguson told BT Sport.

“When he gets the best players back, you watch United go - because he’s a great coach, he will do well.

“They have still got great players.

“I’m not interested with what is happening with the players he’s brought in, as that will take time.

“When I brought in Patrice Evra and

Nemanja Vidic in the January of the same year, they were all over the place. They took five months to get used to playing for Manchester United - the culture and the history of the club.

“And these new players will be exactly same.”

Michael Carrick also suffered a serious ankle injury in pre-season, but he is now fit again.

The 33-year-old has been key to United’s recent upturn in form. Since he returned to the starting XI seven games ago, United have dropped just two points.

•Manchester United

34—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 24, 2014

Kate Middleton

I

f Diana, Princess of Wales stole hearts by her extraordinary beauty, her daughterin-law whom she never met has stolen the heart of the global public by her ordinariness.

But perhaps basketball king Lebron James took this a little too literally when he draped a long arm over her royal shoulders recently for a photo, sparking outrage last week as the royal couple visited America.

LeBron James made what some are calling a royal faux pas last week and has been severely criticized: in bad taste, a departure from what is considered appropriate protocol But while Middleton reacted “awkwardly” to the gesture, some newspapers had claimed royal protocol prohibits anyone from touching or kissing members of the royal family.

But, according to the Buckingham Palace website, there are no obligatory codes of behaviour — just courtesy when greeting a member of the Royal Family.

It’s the land of the free, stupid!

Patti Boulaye N

igerian British 80s sensation might now seem a persona non grata on the Nigerian entertainment scene these days, but not so in Britain, where she has continued to stay relevant over the decades, looking as stunning as ever if her twitter and facebook photos are anything to go by.

Recently, she celebrated herself via social media on account of a recent decoration. Patti was proud to receive the Freedom of the City of London a couple of weeks back and the Nigerian blogosphere took ownership, expressing immense pride.

Kate Middleton

Iyabo Obasanjo

M

aking the rounds on social circles is the latest in the saga of the Obasanjo ‘ letters’ the one written by Baba himself as reply to the innuendo-filled letter credited to Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello wherein she had purportedly written: It brings me no joy to have to write this but since you started this trend of open letters I thought I would follow suit since you don’t listen to anyone anyway. The only way to reach you may be to make the public aware of some things…

He had remained silent since Iyabo’s open letter to him was published in the media last year, but has now responded in volume one of the three-volume memoirs.

Obasanjo writes, while blaming the opposition for the mishap: I got a warning that this administration was attempting to induce two of my daughters,

Iyabo Obasanjo

including Iyabo, to do a dirty job…

While some on blogosphere berate the powerful family for washing their linen in public, others have expressed admiration for the family’s objectivity.

Hilary Clinton

A

Dolapo Osinbajo

Aisha Buhari/Dolapo Osinbajo

A

lso trending in the past week has been photos of the better halves of former head of state and 2015 APC’s presidential and vice presidential candidates; Muhammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo.

Dolapo Osinbajo is a granddaughter of late Obafemi Awolowo and is a writer, while Aisha Buhari graduated from Ahmadu Bello. Mrs Buhari is currently a graduate student of International Affairs and

strategic planning.

The Adamawa born beauty had made a debut of a sort in November, when she attended the second term inauguration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State.

It is not clear how the release of their pictures to blogosphere is going to swing the polls, especially considering they are being judged more for the fairness of their face than anything else.

nd who better than Hillary Clinton, the former US Secretary of State, to bring back the bringbackourgirls campaign to social media?

The former US Secretary of State in separate events in New York City has once again said the Nigerian government under President Goodluck Jonathan, squandered its oil resources, and indirectly h e l p s

Hilary Clinton

corruption to fester in the troubled country.

Nigeria has made bad choices, not hard choices.

They have squandered their oil wealth, they have allowed corruption to fester and now they are losing control of parts of their territory because they wouldn’t make hard choices.

In late April, upwards of 270 students were kidnapped and days later, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said in a video statement that he planned to sell them into slaver y.

The kidnappings quickly gained international attention by using the hashtag

#BringBackOurGirls. The hashtag has been used to update people on the state of the search, but also to criticize the Nigerian government for their handling of the kidnapping.

The Nigerian government has failed to confront the threat or to address the underlying challenges,” Clinton said of the kidnappings. “Most of all, the government of Nigeria needs to get serious about protecting all of its citizens.

Standing in front of high profile financiers and donors at the opulent Waldorf Astoria, Clinton went on to urge Nigerian citizens to hold their leaders accountable and implored religious leaders, Nigeria’s neighbours, the African Union and the international community to continue to stay involved.

Clinton has joined in on the social media campaign, too.

Access to education is a basic right & an unconscionable reason to target innocent girls. We must stand up to terrorism. #BringBackOurGirls, she had tweeted on May 4.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 24, 2014 — 35

Your business doesn’t grow until you reinvest in it — Bolanle Adewole, Director, TLP A lawyer turned educationist out of love for providing top-notch education for children aged 1-12, Mrs Bolanle Adewole is the Founder/Director of Lagos-based school, The Learning Place (TLP) and also TLP Centre, a centre for children with autism and other related developmental disorders. Bolanle who trained in Montessori education in the UK and worked in several schools in the US before relocating to Nigeria to set up TLP in 2004, reels out, in this interview, business strategies that have sustained and advanced TLP in the last 10 years.

By Josephine Agbonkhese

Y

OU’VE operated this school in highbrow Lekki for 10 years; how has the journey been?

So far, we’ve seen over 950 children go through the school; for the Montessori school learning, after care and holiday care. We’ve had about 200 members of staff gone through us and we’re constantly training and retraining. So, you find that the staff that come to us, at the end of the day, end up saying “Truly, this is the

learning place”. This is because the name itself is not just for children but is a learning ground for everyone.

We call ourselves a niche school because we give highly personalised care to children.

This, we d o , through o u r Montessori

teaching method which is a very practical way of teaching, focusing on everything; not just academics. This is because education goes beyond academics. We aim at grooming world-class leaders, therefore, we also engage our children in a lot of external activities, even collaborating with schools abroad. Our children have ranked very highly and we always get good feedbacks from all those that have moved on. TLP is not about me; it God’s school and that’s why we’ve continued to flourish. For example again, where we are presently is actually our own property and to the glory of God, we got that in four years of existence.

You got that through loan or what?

We didn’t require any loan, and that was because we always reinvested back into the business. You see, if you don’t invest back into

your business and you expect it to grow to the next level, it never will. It’s important you understand that you always have to maintain standards and keep improving. The world is revolving and you cannot be left behind. Simply put, your business just stays the way it is. But the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. For example, we make it a duty to invest in our members of staff to make sure they are of international standards.

For many entrepreneurs, moving into their own property is always a major challenge. How and where did TLP start and what did it cost you to own your own property?

Interesting question! We started in 2004 with twelve children and two of them were children with special needs.

That marked the beginning of our work with special children, and six years later, TLP Centre was born to cater essentially for special children with autism and autismrelated developmental disorders.

All what we used to start the business was actually donated by myself and other family members. But what I had going for me was the fact that I had worked in schools outside the country; we actually had just relocated to Nigeria from the US in 2003.

It’s important you understand that you always have to maintain standards and keep improving.

The world is revolving and you cannot be left behind Bolanle Adewole

I was a pioneer staff at the last school I worked, so, that exposed me to starting and running a school. That was Franklin Montessori School in Washington DC. But with discipline and consistency in re-investing back into the business, we were able to offset some of those that supported us and also purchase our own property.

Let us talk about maintenance; you find that most school buildings and even companies come up looking radiant but soon begin to cry out for attention…

That’s one thing I’ve noticed in Nigeria; the maintenance culture is deplorable. People start a business, you attend the launch and the business place is nice and sparkling, but you go back within a year to find that the paint is already fading; the reception is beginning to rip around the edges, etc.

Training of staff Those kinds of things should not be overlooked; you have to maintain regularly because it is cheaper to maintain than to totally replace when it wears out finally. In fact, if you fail to keep up with standards in any business, you soon begin to notice your clients begin to move to places that look cleaner and brighter. I worked for several years at schools in the US, and I learnt a lot. So, at TLP, part of the best practices that we put in place is to always put back into the business, maintain and train staff, make them happy, take the children out to explore, and more.

(Cuts in)And your ‘typical Nigerian’ employees do not go away after those trainings?

Incidentally, they have not always gone away. I’ve found out that the ‘move ahead’ syndrome is the thing with Nigeria; we always want to look for where an extra N5,000 can be added to our pay. So, at TLP, we try to beat other employers at their game by increasing salaries and adding more benefits for our members of staff so they understand that we really care. Apart from getting professional development, they get personal development as well and therefore stay on without being forced to.

36 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014—37

•Wike: On his own in Rivers

•Ikpeazu: Under fire in Abia

Governorship candidates:

•Isiaka: Is he the candidate in Ogun?

Unending

confusion in PDP THE long dominance of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in some states is being threatened by internal discord arising from the recent round of party primaries. How patient aggrieved members can wait for President’s Jonathan’s assurance of a solution is another matter

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

D

ESPITE the media frenzy that heralded the acclaimed inroads made by the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP into Ebonyi State prior to the 2007 general elections, the people of the state remained unmoved in their choice of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the main elections.

However, confidence of a repeat rebuff by the PDP to the opposition in the days leading to the 2015 general elections are increasingly rising even among top leaders of the party in the state.

Even the governor according to one of his close aides is not sure of voting the party.

Governor Martins Elechi the aide told some newsmen has already directed his supporters to move over to Labour Party where many of the governor’s associates are hoping to actualise their electoral hopes in 2015.

Such threats to the once impregnable fotress of the PDP in some of its strongholds are raising concern across the polity. In Akwa Ibom, Abia, Rivers, Oyo, Ogun among others, the PDP is driven in crisis that even as at yesterday a definitive mention of the party’s flag bearers in some of

the states could not be made.

Where the party establishment has thrown up names as in Akwa Ibom and Abia the choices thrown up are strongly being rejected by significant stakeholders that entering into the election in the present condition could imperil the party ’s chances in the forthcoming election.

22 of the 23 governorship aspirants of the party in Akwa Ibom who have jointly taken a position against what they allege as the crooked procedure that led to the emergence of Mr. Udom Emmanuel as the party candidate have now threatened to defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC. A last minute meeting with Governor Godswill Akpabio last weekend did not yield fruit as the aspirants stuck to their demand for the substitution of Emmanuel, who in any case emerged from the zone as stipulated by the party.

The aspirants it was learned are now contemplating honouring a meeting with the APC presidential flag bearer with the prospect of a mass defection to the party and adoption of Buhari as the sole presidential candidate of the people of the state.

In Abia a number of the governorship aspirants and party stakeholders are still up

in battle against the adoption of the erstwhile deputy general manager of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as the candidate. Ikpeazu is largely believed to be the choice of the outgoing governor, Chief Theodore Orji

Such threats to the once impregnable fortress of the PDP in some of its strongholds are raising concern across the polity

and a number of stakeholders are questioning his adoption given what they claim was his emergence from an agency that failed to clean up Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the state.

While a newspaper report that he was pelted with sachet water in Aba last weekend was disconcerting to some, a petition addressed to the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu‘azu has also raised as yet unsubstantiated allegations bordering on inconsistencies in tax payments.

The Abia stakeholders thus called on the party chairman to save the party the prospect of losing the election through the courts on the fear that the candidate could have challenges if presented.

The situation in Ogun State remains confusing as the national working committee of the party has taken position against the efforts of the state chapter in organising a primary that was not sanctioned by the former. In the primary organised by the state chapter, Gboyega Isiaka, a one time ally of the former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel now allied to Kashamu Buruji has emerged. However, the immediate past speaker of the House of Representatives,

Dimeji Bankole is also staking his claim to the ticket and is reportedly being backed by powerful figures in the national secretariat.

“We don’t know who is the candidate for the PDP in Ogun State for now and we are all waiting for December 26 to get our bearing,” a stakeholder from the state said yesterday.

The scenario in the state is set to re-enact the infighting that triggered the party’s loss to the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in 2011.

Governorship primaries In Cross River State it is also being feared that the party’s identity as a one party state may for the first time since after the advent of the Fourth Republic be smeared given the rancour that characterised the governorship primaries. Jeddy Agba, a former senior official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC was on course to claim the party’s governorship primaries after the ward congresses when a last minute intervention of the party directed fresh congresses that were won by those aligned by the outgoing governor, Senator Liyel Imoke.

For now those who lost out have not been as vehement as those in neighbouring Akwa Ibom and Abia, but the fear of a last minute resurgence of illfeeling is not being ruled out.

In Rivers State 16 of the 17 governorship aspirants boycotted the primaries leaving immediate past minister of state for education, Nyesom Wike as the sole aspirant in the contest.

The 16 who alleged that the primary was stage managed by the party to favour Wike are threatening to vote against the

Continues on page 39

38—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Akwa Ibom 2015: Intrigues in PDP, APC UYO- In Akwa-Ibom State, the political waters are still very hot and turbulent. Hitherto friends and allies are now sworn enemies and those in support of injustice, are now pitched

against those who desire justice, truth, equity and fair-play.

The situation is similar in the two leading political parties in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

BY Tom Moses

H

OW thugs had a field day at APC primaries The governorship primaries of the APC held at the Uyo Township Stadium on Thursday December 4, 2014 which culminated in the emergence of Obong Umana Okon Umana would have become bloody if the policemen and other security operatives at the arena did not exercise restraint.

If they had attempted to resist the over 400 thugs who marched into the stadium with one of the governorship aspirants to cart away election materials, casualties and even deaths would not have been avoided.

The member representing Uyo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Emmanuel Ekpenyong and former Chairman of the party in the state, Mr. David Ekanem condemned the aspirant’s act saying he lacked the leadership infrastructure to lead the party.

The APC leadership and the electoral committee headed by Hon. Ahmed Sasiwo had resorted to Option A-4 for the nomination of the flag bearer at the end of which Obong Umana Umana emerged after defeating Group Captain Sam Ewang (retd.), Hon. Emmanuel Ekpenyong and Senator John James Akpanudoedeghe.

Unfolding events in PDP Events in the PDP are not any better and even more pernicious, tribal sentiments are openly being expressed with the Ibibio, the majority tribe becoming disenchanted with the seemingly unpretentious unity of the Annang with their kin, Governor Godswill Akpabio, to their detriment.

Even the Oron people are not comfortable with the governor as they alleged marginalization and biased development of the state, discriminatory appointments and employments of mostly the Annang by Akpabio such that all sectors of the state’s economy seem to be controlled by the Annang.

These have fuelled the stout opposition Governor Akpabio is having to the emergence of Mr. Udom Emmanuel, his former secretary and cousin succeeding him through the PDP. Mr. Bassey Asuquo, a legal practitioner and political analyst opined that if Udom had come independently to seek the governorship of the state, he

•Udom: PDP candidate would perhaps, have been accepted than to have come through Governor Akpabio.

According to Asuquo, the coming on board of Udom is tantamount to perpetuation of the Akpabio’s dynasty.

Beginning of open confrontation in PDP To the bewilderment of these other aspirants, the list that was to be used for the primaries held at the Uyo International Stadium on Monday December 8, 2014,

Even the Oron people are not comfortable with the governor as they alleged marginalization and biased development of the state

•Umana: APC candidate was completely different from the harmonized list.

Obong Umana Umana, former Secretary to the Akwa-Ibom State Government (SSG) and one of the leading governorship aspirants who was formerly in the PDP had an early insight into the development and quickly left the party for the APC before the primaries.

Protests by the remaining 22 governorship aspirants, excluding Udom Emmanuel, that the authentic delegates list to be used to determine their fates were also rebuffed by the PDP national officers who conducted the primary election leading to their walk-out in the contest.

An ensuing petition to the Chairman of the PDP Governorship Electoral Panel, Akwa-Ibom State, Prince Bola Oyebowale, which was copied to President Goodluck Jonathan, National Chairman of PDP and the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Akwa-Ibom State among others, where the aggrieved governorship aspirants alleged “fundamental irregularities affecting the substance of the gubernatorial primaries in Akwa-Ibom State” received no attention.

“We note the multiplicity of the lists of elected delegates in AkwaIbom State freely published in various news media. Notably is the first list that emanated from Akwa-Ibom Consolidation Alliance, ACA and signed by Obong Paul Ekpo, the State Chairman of PDP claiming same to be fake. Ironically, the list that

was earlier denied is the same list that is used for inviting delegates to this congress as announced on the Akwa-Ibom Broadcasting Corporation, AKBC.

Accreditation of delegates “Despite the plethora of lists, there is no accreditation of delegates by your electoral panel to certify the individuals who are being trafficked in heavily guarded buses to the venue of the congress from the Government House, Uyo. “It should also be noted that all the purported delegates from the entire state were invited to the Government House where they were addressed, threatened, intimidated and induced with the sum of One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00) each to ensure compliance by voting for the governor’s preferred aspirant, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel.

‘It is curious and unconscionable that in a clear violation of the guidelines of the party for primary elections and the Electoral Act, the contrived list of ad hoc delegates is populated by political appointees of government and civil servants.

This impunity and disregard for the electoral process and the law cannot be ignored. We therefore call on you to resolve all these anomalies”, they stated.

The aggrieved aspirants include, Arc. Nsima Ekere, a former deputy to Governor Akpabio, Senator Helen Esuene, Ambassador Asam Asam, Engineer Patrick Ekpotu, also a

•Akpabio: Incumbent former deputy to Governor Akpabio, Chris Abasi-Eyo, Barrister Ekpenyong Ntekim, immediate past Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Effiong Abia, Professor Richard King, Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs and Barr.

Asuquo Asuquo Okpo.

Others are Anietie Johnny Ufot, Engineer Larry Esin, Samuel Udonsak, Jerome Isanedighi, Dr. Peter Esu, Effiong Usin, David Okpon, Ita Udo, Engineer Ime Ekanem, Barr. Michael Sebastine Etuk, Hon. Okpulomp Ette, Benjamin Okoko and Ime Albert Akpan.

It was gathered that since the Presidency and the National Secretariat of PDP appeared to be inconsistent in handling this petition, the group also known as G-22 decided to take their matter to the Abuja High Court presided by Justice Y. Halilu,

Continues on page 39

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014—39

Nasarawa 2015: Upside down!

The outcome of the governorship primaries in the two major political parties in Nasarawa State turned out to be anti-climax for the major tribes in the state.

By Abel Daniel

H

OW did the majority ethnic group lose out in the two major political parties during the governorship election in Nasarwa State? That is the poser that is begging for answer in the state. It is a situation that runs contrary to the situation south of the border in Benue where the dominant Tiv population even with the weight of Senator David Mark, president of the Senate and the zoning prescriptions of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP refused to yield space to the long suffering Idoma ethnic group.

In the All Progressives Congress, APC, Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura, who is from the Gwandara, a minority tribe defeated his two opponents James Amgbazo and Engr.

Reuben Audu who are both from one the dominant Eggon ethnic group.

Almakura polled 1630 votes, James Amgbazo scored 73 votes while Engr. Reuben Audu got 17 votes. A similar trend prevailed in the PDP where Yusuf Agabi, from Agye, a minor ethic group

wrestled with Senator Solomon Ewuga, Labaran Maku and Chris Mamman all from the Eggon tribe and Aliyu Akwe Doma, who is Alago, another large ethnic group next in

Intrigues in Akwa Ibom Continues from page 38 which slammed an injunction on the PDP restraining it from forwarding the name of Udom Emmanuel as the candidate of the party to INEC. However, the state PDP and Udom Emmanuel on December 19 got the injunction vacated by the Abuja High Court and in effect, a clearance for Udom.

In spite of the court clearance, some observers said the battle is not over yet as some Akwa-Ibom stakeholders remain determined

to stop Udom at the polls. If all the 22 other aggrieved governorship aspirants and their supporters team up with Umana Umana or Bishop Akpan, the PDP may be in a cul-de-sac in Akwa-Ibom State.

However, Pastor Anietie Ukpe, Chief Press Secretary/Special Adviser Media to Governor Akpabio, believes that the PDP would win any election in the state convincingly and with wide margin.

PDP governorship races: Unending confusion Continues from page 37 party in the elections.

One of the more formidable aspirants, Tonye Princewill who has moved over to Labour Party, has predicted dire outing for the PDP in the election with Wike as candidate.

“Looking at PDP. I decided not to support Nyesom Wike simply because by my opinion he cannot win. It is just pointless to me that if Wike loses and APC wins, we are sitting there and watching it

•Al-Makura: Incumbent seeks second term with APC

•Agabi: PDP candidate

happen,” Princewill told a national newspaper in remarks published this week.

It was perhaps in response to the fissures that President Goodluck Jonathan last weekend appealed to party members not to flee the party as he assured that efforts would be made to address their complaints.

But with the deadline for submission of names to the election authorities this weekend, no one is banking on that.

ranking to the Eggon.

The situation is compounded by the fact that the Eggon ethnic group despite its placing as the largest ethnic group in the state has never held the governorship seat since the creation of the state.

The other two zones have had their share of eight years in power.

By all calculations, Nasarawa North was expected to produce the governorship candidate for 2015 but unfortunately a minority tribe from Nasarawa South, a zone that has had it in the past eight years still clinched the ticket to run for another four years and probably eight years.

This is the reason analysts say Nasarawa is a state where the minority dominates the majority.

What an irony?

Primary contests The problem for the Eggons entering into the primary contests was the determination of all the Eggon aspirants to follow the process to the end leaving them to divide the votes among themselves.

Indeed, ahead of the PDP governorship primary which was the cynosure of most eyes, party officials and stakeholders had talked much of a consensus candidate as part of their resolve to win the state from the APC which is presently in control of the executive arm.

The idea was almost working as various aspirants gave their support, but behind the support was the restraint from nearly all of them that they would fully

support it so long as it favoured the person.

The state chairman of the party Hon. Yunana Illiya did his best to persuade the aspirants to come up with the most popular candidate but it could not work because Labaran Maku, the former minister of information opted out and insisted that the candidate must be produced through the primaries.

Eight aspirants purchased the governorship form under the PDP. They included: Senator Solomon Ewuga (Nasarawa North), Labaran Maku (Nasarawa North), John Michael Abdul (Nasarawa North), Deputy Governor Dameshi Barau Luka (Nasarawa North), Chris Mamman (Nasarawa North), Agabi Yusuf (Nasarawa South), former Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma (Nasarawa South), Musa Husain (Nasarawa South) and Col. Jibril Bala, retd (Nasarawa South).

The PDP had earlier agreed that the seat of the governorship should rotate to Nasarawa North given the fact that the two other zones have had their eight years as governor respectively while Nasarawa North is yet to produce the governor since the creation of the state.

There was huge expectation that the 2015 PDP governorship candidate would emerge from Nasarawa North but it did not materialise as Nasarawa South still clinched it again.

Till the day of governorship primaries consultations were still ongoing on who should step down for the other but they could

not reach a compromise.

The election was conducted in a free and fair atmosphere.

Before the commencement, all the aspirants were made to sign an undertaking that they would accept the result in good faith as the election would be conducted in line with the rules of the game.

Accreditation and the voting The accreditation and the voting started concurrently at about 4.20pm under the watchful eyes of the party electoral chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara and some INEC officials and ended at about 11.30pm.

Announcing the result, Senator Wabara declared that Alhaji Yusuf Agabi polled 214 votes, Labaran Maku got 160 votes, Aliyu Akwe Doma scored 129 votes. The rest were Ewuga (31 votes), Mike Abdul (28), Col. Yakubu and Chris Mamman got a vote each.

Barr. Musa Husain stepped down for Akwe Doma earlier before the commencement of the election.

To win the ticket Agabi pulled 214 votes. All the aspirants with exception of Labaran Maku who left earlier when he observed that he had lost, congratulated the winner and promised to give him their support.

In his acceptance speech Agabi thanked his supporters and the party for the manner in which the election was conducted. He assured that if finally voted in he would make ensure that peace returns to the state.

40—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Effective surveillance, major tool in healthcare system — Idris

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HE Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris has identified effective surveillance as a major tool in driving quality and functional healthcare delivery system.

The Commissioner who spoke at the State Health Sector Partners’ forum put together by the state government to strengthen the state government’s ownership and leadership role in the management and coordination of external assistance disclosed that the state was able to battle against the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease due to its effective surveillance system.

According to Idris, there is no health system without an effective surveillance system.

“The Ebola outbreak was a test of our health system but we were lucky that certain structures were already in place in Lagos state.

Our surveillance system must be solid if we want a prosperous health structure,” he added.

Stating that the state is working towards improving on its surveillance system, the Commissioner cited averted epidemic of cholera cases in the state through its surveillance activities recently.

“Surveillance is basically tracking disease information or occurrence of diseases using data.

With surveillance, you will be able to detect the disease status, collate

UNTH acknowledges Toyin Saraki’s contributions to maternal, child health

By Sola Ogundipe

T

• Dr Jide Idris, Lagos State Commissioner for Health. data and established a pattern if you don’t do that you can never know whether there is an increase in a particular disease or not.

“When the state noticed a rise in cholera cases, we were able to traced where it was coming from through our surveillance system.

It was coming from a particular source and that gave us information to go back to that area and find out what is happening and addressed it. This is how some epidemic is contained early enough.”

Idris explained that the forum was informed by the realisation that significant challenges continues to confront the coordination of interventions in the health sector in the state; both between interventions by

different units and programmes of the state Ministry of Health and other relevant government agencies and partners/donors on the other hand.

He said the strategic goal of the meeting was to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of development assistance in the state.

He also disclosed that some of the partners are trying to assist the state in ensuring that maternal and mortality rates are reduced. He said the focus of the meeting will be based on what the partners have on the table for the state.

On the progress of the meeting, Idris said the partners were happy with the state because they were addressing a common purpose to the benefit of all.

HE University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital’s Institute of Child Health, in Ituku Ozalla, Enugu State, has acknowledged the wife of the erstwhile Kwara State Governor, Mrs. Toyin Saraki for her invaluable contribution to advancing the cause of maternal and child health in Nigeria.

Saraki who is PresidentFounder of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, WFBA, was recognised alongside the wife of the Enugu State governor, Mrs Sullivan, Prince Arthur Eze, Senator Ken Nnamani, and Arc. Ifeanyi Echendu.

In a goodwill message, Saraki said: “As part of my longstanding commitment to child health and survival, the Wellbeing Foundation The WBFA is a leading frontline African Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) and empowerment organization, dedicated to transforming the lives of women and children through advocacy and action.

WBFA achieves this goal by forming strategic partnerships and engaging local and international stakeholders while providing practical support interventions and tools such as the IMNCH Personal Health Record.

“The WFBA has advocated for the reduction of maternal and child mortality as well as the provision of essential commodities that will end preventable under-five deaths, which is especially important as the Millennium Development Goals deadline fast approaches.”

Having strongly supported the Institute through various initiatives during her former capacity as First Lady of Kwara State, Saraki expressed keenness to see increased improvement in the Enugu State public health system, and advancement in Nigeria’s maternal, newborn and child health, MNCH indices.

The Institute’s Biennial Guest Lecture themed “Vision 20:2020 – Challenges before the Health Sector,” was delivered by the Former Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, who outlined steps being taken to address challenges of the sector to include implementation of an integrated maternal, newborn and child health, IMNCH, strategy, free family planning services at public health facilities, and the operation of the national Midwives Service Scheme, MSS —a joint initiative between the federal, state, and local government, to deploy midwives to under-served areas in the country.

Stomach infrastructure I don’t know who coined the term “stomach infrastructure” in Nigeria, however, I would like to propose an enlargement to its definition and wider implications.

Imagine what the Emiratis would feel if their beautiful imposing city of Dubai was devoid of good schools or hospitals. The erection of stone edifices is an essential part of development. It provides employment and, in may ways, boosts the economy.

What about non solid, non physical infrastructure like health and education?

The stomach is an important (infra)structure in the body. We do not call it a “vital” organ probably because we can shorten it , bypass it or even remove it.

Many things can adversely affect our stomach....beyond hunger.

Trauma, infections with bacteria, viruses and parasites, benign and cancer tumors, as well as allergic conditions like Celiac disease, can all destabilize our stomach infrastructure.

Things like pepper and alcohol, that we ingest, can also harm our stomachs.

They say that....give a man fish and he will eat for a few days, TEACH (educate) him how to fish and he will feed himself forever.

The political insinuation of “stomach infrastructure” is not to be taken lightly.

It is more, much more than the temporary distribution of rice and food for a temporary false satiety. It should include the provision of good healthcare services and good education for the people.

“Stomach infrastructure” applied beyond nutrition, involving great primary, secondary and tertiary

education and health services, is what is needed in Nigeria. The term, when applied comprehensively, should include ALL Nigerians, irrespective of socio economic class.

There exists only minutes of stabilization and survival in most emergent medical (and surgical) situations.

Surely, our wealthiest Nigerians, be it in Private or Public life, must know that before they reach the $250k air ambulance or private jets, urgent conditions can deteriorate fast.

By the time a plane taxis and takes off, things could be worse; not to mention the turbulence and pressurized cabin. I have trained in and transferred patients on Royal Air force helicopters in the past. It is done in life threatening situations only.

Is it not simpler and more cost effective to focus and invest in hospitals and emergency services in Nigeria?

In England, Members of Parliament, like everyone else, are rushed to the nearest Government/NHS hospital in an emergency. A team is ready waiting.

Yes, they do sometimes receive “special” treatment in the availability of senior nursing, medical and administrative personnel, but the quality of care remains equitable to that of any other patient arriving with the same condition.

It behoves such highly placed policy makers to ensure the personnel, drugs and services that they may need is available in these NHS hospitals. While this is a constant debate in the UK, the NHS still remains a world leading health service.

One of the top 5 Trauma Centers in America, is Grady Memorial Hospital in downtown Atlanta. Many pray they would be taken to Grady if they were involved in

doctor@lagospainclinic.com a vehicle accident or emergent medical or surgical condition. Rich or poor, insured or not, you are guaranteed top notch care. I know because I have worked there.

And, guess what? Grady is a state funded Government hospital.

Nigerian doctors have complained, begged, shouted, fought, gone on strike, resigned, relocated...for decades...for a good health system in this country.

Changes and improvements are slow, sporadic, inconsistent and un sustained.

The greatest hurdle I have found in providing a new world standard pain management service to Nigerians is the availability and accessibility of Pain medications.

Regulation and restriction of opioid medications by the Federal Ministry and its parastatals is significantly hindering chronic and cancer pain treatment in this country.

Access and availability of pain treatment is a RIGHT of every Nigerian, and not a privilege.

It is sad that the same (cheap) analgesic I prescribed a week ago in the UK, or a month ago in the US, is not available for the elderly lady I saw today in Lagos.

“Stomach infrastructure” must include the basic FOODS of life.....health and education.

As 2015 approaches, let every voter and candidate remember this.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 — 41

Uduaghan, deputy bag African Church awards

D

Oritsejafor gives out 7 cars

By Sam Eyoboka

I

N fulfilment of a dream to extend a helping hand to the active poor in the society and in the spirit of Christmas, the National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, and founder of Word of Life Bible Church, Warri, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has perfected plans to give out seven brand new cars, 20 tricycles and 100 grinding machines to members of the society on Boxing Day. Despite the harsh economic climate in the country which is responsible for the very austere Christmas season, the Word of Life Bible Church in collaboration with its Eagle Flight Micro Finance Bank has decided

to increase the number of items it is giving out this year to seven cars.

The church gave out six cars last year and in keeping with the tradition of raising the stakes each year, is adding one more car and five tricycles to bring the number of tricycles to 20.

All these items would, without any prejudice, be given out through a ballot process tomorrow morning at a ceremony scheduled for Ajamimogha Road in Warri, Delta State.

In addition to the raffle draw which will produce seven car owners, 20 Keke owners, Eagle Flight Micro Finance Bank will also use the occasion to render its balance sheet for the

year and reward some of its customers and hard working staff.

The vision which began eight years ago with one car, a number motorcycles has steadily risen to seven cars. In a recent interview, Pastor Oritsejafor said the annual empowerment programme was his own way of giving back to the society, especially the less privileged, noting that the essense of wealth was about sharing with the needy.

According to him, the level of poverty in the country motivated him to alleviate the suffering of the few he can reach, tasking wealthy individual Nigerians, politicians, governments and corporate organisa-

tions to always consider the plight of the poor masses in the society.

Oritsejafor maintained that if most of the corporate organisations could set aside a certain percentage of their annual profits for the empowerment of the youths of the country, some of the security challenges Nigeria is currently facing would have been a thing of the past.

"Why is it that wealthy Nigerians and cororate organisations cannot do much more that the church is currently doing in terms of bringing succour to the people," he appealed, warning that the young people we refuse to help today will be the ones who will hound the society tomorrow.

GKM celebrates Christian Feast of Tabernacles

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HE Arch minister of God’s Kingdom Mission, Brother Roland Oghene has urged Christians to be Christ-like in words, deeds and to do good and help one another at all times.

According to him, to do good was to be addicted to charitable acts for the sake of God and humanity and for the joy and the inner peace that came with it.

The cleric said this during the God’s Kingdom Mission Christian Feast of Tabernacles themed: “In vain is salvation hoped for from the hills,” which took place at GKM headquarters, Hope Bethel, Enerhen, Warri, Delta State from December 14 to December 20, 2014.

Speaking on the topic: “The relevance of the Feast of Tabernacles to Christ-ians”, Brother Oghene explained that the feast is distinct from the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles which is being celebrated by the natural Israelites in the ancient time in obedience to the Mosaic ordnance, adding that the feast is not only meant for the natural Jews but for all nations, people, race, colour amongst others.

“True Christians of today observe the feast in keeping with the prophetic divine injunction in the Book of Zachariah. Christians are therefore not bound by the letter of the laws of Moses but are guided by the spirit of it and faith of Jesus Christ,” he said.

Enjoining Christians to celebrate the feast and not to follow the Mosaic ordnances, Oghene made it clear that Christians are spiritual Jews by reason of their faith in Jesus Christ and that all nations should part-take in the celebrations of this festival in order to receive God’s blessings of prosperity and peace.

*Pastor Ladi Akinsanya of Glory Chapel, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Agbelekale, Abule Egba, Lagos (right) and some members of his choir after the parish's carol night on Sunday.

ELTA State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and his Deputy, Prof. Amos Utuama, have been honoured by the Christ African Church, Warri in recognition of their contribution to evangelism, growth of the church and the security of the state.

The event took place on Sunday during the church's thanksgiving/award of honour service.

Speaking during the occasion, Gov. Uduaghan said his administration will continue to support and encourage religious organisations in the state in order to promote peace, security and development, noting that peace and security are paramount to his administration, adding that no sacrifice is too big to sustain the relative peace in the state.

The governor and his deputy were jointly represented by the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Religious Affairs, Rev. Godspower Agbuduta.

Uduaghan commended the church for the honour done to them, saying that his administration remains committed to the wellbeing of all religious organisations and the good people of Delta State.

He urged all Christians to be law abiding during the Yuletide period, calling on men of God to pray for a peaceful, smooth, free and fair election during the coming year in order to have a peaceful democratic transition in the state and the nation in general.

Earlier, in his sermon titled, 'Harvest of Sacrifice', Ven. Best Agbolayah, noted that the will to give good sacrifice depends on the individual devotion to the work of God, adding that giving good sacrifices will always attract good blessings from God.

January 1 date for Open Heavens mobile app launch

O

PEN Heavens Mobile App 2015 edition, the daily devotional of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, is set to launch worldwide on January 1, 2015. The mobile app also known as “iOpenHeavens” will be available across mobile platforms such as Apple iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Java, Kindle, Windows OS Laptops and PC. The app will allow users of the daily devotional written by the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, access the devotional on the GO!.

According to the CEO, Seyi Fakoya of CREO Consulting Ltd, the firm behind the iOpenHeavens brand assured us that iOpenHeavens promises to go a step further in revealing God’s word daily. He says: “I am excited about the Open Heavens mobile app launch, we have worked in-house to bring the best user experience yet to users of this amazing devotion. I am glad

that we are custodians in partnership with Daddy G.O and his team in bringing the content into people’s mobile devices.”

He also mentioned some key features which will be available in the mobile app: “We have been working to ensure that user experience is better, we have added easy to access icons, to help users navigate through the app to read their favourite devotion on their mobile devices and much more...”

In summary, the functions of the Open Heavens 2015 app are: • Daily study guide with dayto-day devotions • Quick access menus • Bookmarking • Devotional Sharing capability • Allows you to read previous and future devotions with a calender feature.

• Audio Listening • Video Feeds • and more The Open Heavens Mobile App will also be available in Teens

and French language with subsequent release in Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba languages. The App will be available on iTunes App Store, BlackBerry App World, Google Play (previously Android Marketplace), Amazon App Store and Nokia Ovi Store.

The App is FREE to download but will require an activation code which costs N500 (Five Hundred Naira only). The activation code can be purchased from the website www.iopenheavens.com

Adeboye storms Warri today

By Akpokona Omafuaire

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ARRI - THE General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, storms Warri and Sapele today for a special spiritual revival.

Adeboye's visit is on the occasion of a special Let's Go a-Fishing December annual programme of the church.

Pastor-in-charge of RCCG Region 23 (Delta Region), Pastor E. A. Kalejaiye, the host has promised attendees of the programme salvation, healing, deliverance, joy and peace, among other God's Kingdom benefits.

The theme of the outreach is "The Everlasting Father" with scriptural backing from Isaiah 9:6.

Vanguard gathered that Adeboye's first ministration will

be at the Warri Township Stadium at 1:00 p.m before proceeding to Sapele Towship Stadium, Sapele where he will also minister.

Already, varying banners of the event have been placed in various parts of the towns with the people agog for the rare visit of the man popularly called Daddy G.O. by his spiritual children and admirers alike.

42 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Shoppers making last minute Christmas purchases

CHRISTMAS: Nigerians groan under pains of dwindling economy

By Charles Kumolu

J

ESUS Christ was born over 2,000 years in a manger, a place reserved for animals in Bethlehem. The true origin of Christmas is filled with controversies and compromise. December 25 was originally the date pagans celebrated the birthday of the Sun-god called Mithra. It was not until 336 AD that Emperor Constantine officially converted this pagan holiday into the Christian holiday of Christmas. Many preachers have insisted that the date is immaterial. What matters, according to them, is that God sent his son into the world to save mankind from sin.

Traveling peaks: Aside the controversies, one thing that is certain about Christmas, especially in Nigeria, is the fact that it is a season when the challenges people are grappling with, naturally fizzle out, at least temporarily.

Both the rich and poor are usually carried along by this festive breeze that is expected to keep blowing for the next two weeks when many people would be tied to Christmas

festivities.

The movement of people to the hinterlands peaked last week as commuters thronged the various bus terminals to board vehicles to their destinations.

Indeed, the manner Christmas is celebrated in this part of the world is so unique that some people go the extra mile to ensure that they have fun to the fullest.

Festive groove

Nike Ademola, was arraigned before an Osogbo Chief Magistrates’ Court for throwing fire-works, an act that was likely to cause a breach of the peace.

Police Prosecutor, Isiaka Ajadi told the court that the accused committed the offence at Orita Elelede area of Osogbo.

Ajadi said that the accused threw the fire-works at one Kehinde Elegbeleye with the aim of injuring her.

He said the act was punishable under Section 249

It is not uncommon for some people to toil, beg, borrow or even steal in order not to be left out of the festive groove. In Nigeria, Christmas is celebrated as if the culture originated from Africa’s most populous nation.

Another thing that distinguishes this season is the fact that it is also a period of uncommon happenings.

Interesting, peculiar and weird things are already happening in the buildup to this one-day celebration.

Period of uncommon happenings: In 2013 for instance, a nursing mother,

I was in India when our currency was devalued; it affected me so much because I had to spend beyond my budget

of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. 11 Laws of Osun State 2003.

Many might wonder what led an adult into such an act.

But the truth is that the festive mood cuts across ages, hence, she resorted to throwing bangers around.

Lagos Police command bans fire-works Already, the Lagos State Police Command, has banned the use of fire works in the state during the yuletide season.

The Force threatened to deal with any defaulter within the ambits of the law.

Consequently, the Police has called on parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to desist from the use of fireworks, especially banger.

The Command’s boss, Mr Cornelius Aderanti, in a statement signed by his spokesman, Kenneth Nwosu, explained that the ban was declared with a view to ensuring public safety and averting all manner of dangers associated with its use during the harmattan season.

“The state Command wishes

to inform the general public that the use of fireworks is banned. Parents are therefore advised to warn their wards to desist from its use to avoid being caught on the wrong side of the law as defaulters will be punished”, he said.

While wishing Lagosians a warm Christmas celebration, Aderanti assured of his command’s commitment to ensure their safety during the season.

In spite of this ban, investigations by VF showed that fireworks are still being used across the state.

Effects of Naira devaluation A major recurring feature of the season is the hike of the prices of goods and services.

Checks by VF revealed that contrary to expectations, the prices of goods and services have remained relatively stable. ‘’We are surprised that prices have not gone high. I have not experienced such since I have been in this market. In the past, prices easily sky-rocket. We hear that the economy is not doing well, which has led to the rise in exchange rate. That could be responsible for the low patronage, we are experiencing,’’ Ebuka Okenwa, a transporter in Mazamaza bus terminal, told Continues on page 43

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 —43

Nigerians groan under pains of dwindling economy Continues from page 42 VF. He explained that unlike what obtained in the previous years, there is low turnout of commuters. He alleged that this scenario might be responsible for the unusual price stability.

Last Saturday, travelers to Onistsha, Enugu and other states in the South East, paid between N3,000 and N3,500 unlike in the past when the fare rose to N5000 and above.

A similar experience was also shared by Mr. Ifeanyi Nwakasi, who runs a boutique in Lagos Island.

He bemoaned the low patronage being experienced by those in his line of business. According to him, the problem started before the Christmas season. ‘’Before I traveled to India to buy goods, people were complaining about poor sales. We thought that things would get better during the Christmas season but the situation has remained the same. I have so many unsold goods now in my warehouse. Even those I supplied goods to, have not been able to clear their debts,’’ he lamented.

Devaluation of currency Continuing, he said: ‘’I was in India when our currency was devalued. It affected me so much because I had to spend beyond my budget. With such a situation, it is expected that we increase the prices so as to recoup our money. But we can’t do that in the face of the current low patronage. Under the present circumstances, we will be at loss because the propensity to spend is low now.’’

For sellers of food items, VF found out that it was a different scenario in view of the importance of the foodstuff in the celebrations.

VF’s random survey in Agboju and Ijegun Markets in Festac and Satellite towns, showed that prices have also remained relatively stable. ‘’We don’t have reasons to increase the prices of our items. The local price of fuel, which often leads to price hike, is still the same.

Increasing the prices would be unfair to buyers,’’ Abubakar Sani, who sells food items said.

From an evil forest to tourist haven:

The transformation of Ibadan criminal hideout

By OLA AJAYI, Ibadan

T

HE joy of hundreds of school children who thronged the Agodi Resort and Conferences Centre to enjoy the rustic environment, knew no bounds as they played with the state of the art recreational facilities provided in the once “evil forest”.

Prior to its transformation by Senator Abiola Ajimobi-led administration, Agodi Resort and Conferences was largely seen as a an ‘evil forest’ because it was a hideout for criminals who made Agodi and its environs, a dreaded place.

Apparently irked by the activities of these hoodlums, the state government embarked upon the reconstruction of the abandoned garden. The government last week, showcased the new-look centre which instantly became a tourist destination. Apart from attractive facilities like circus train, children’s and adult’s swimming pools, the lush green environment gives the place a befitting scenery.

•Governor Ajimobi after commissioning the Resort

Befitting scenery No wonder students came from Sunshine Group of Schools, The Concord School, British-African International School and Solid Bridge Group of School, stormed the Resort to play with its modern facilities. The centre which has added to the aesthetic beauty of Ibadanland, will also increase the internally generated revenue of the state and add to other relaxation and resort centres like the Trans Amusement Park and others.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi said the facility will generate about N500 million into the coffers of the state government annually.

The new resort sits on 62 hectares of land in-between the State Government Secretariat and the popular Premier Hotel in the heart of Ibadan.

Justifying the project, the governor said his administration was motivated to embark upon the reconstruction of the gardens which was neglected by successive administrations in the state.

“Agodi Gardens was in a sorry state when we first visited the place. It was desolate and empty. Everything was very bad. It had deteriorated so much and it was very shameful to us in Oyo State,” he said.

Governor Ajimobi said that the project had transformed from a mere garden to an ultramodern resort centre in an ecologically attractive environment, with facilities

Agodi Resort and Conference Centre, Ibadan such as a recreation centre, golf course, chalets, a conference centre as well as zoological garden and an amusement park.

“Places like that are in South Africa, Dubai and others. This is what we want to recreate in Oyo State. We want people to come here from all over the world and enjoy themselves in a world-class hospitality centre,” he said. He described the new-look Agodi gardens as the best form of stomach infrastructure for the people of the state.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of J. D. Capital, the Consultant that handled the project, Mr. Makin Soyinka said the project will restore the ancient town to its fading glory.

“Our visionary and hardworking governor has jump started the process of placing Ibadan back on the global space. This journey to the rejuvenation of our ancient and historic city, the rustic city of Ibadan is clearly exemplified

through what he has done with Agodi Gardens. It is a clear testament of the clarity of vision and purposeful leadership of a great leader of our time.

Agodi Gardens was in a sorry state when we first visited the place, it was desolate and empty

This dream and vision must not die or suffer any setback, rather must be celebrated and supported to ensure it goes to the next level,” he said.

Continuing, he said: “The first step in this rebirth process is the rebranding and creation of a brand identity for the garden. This has commenced with the renaming of Agodi Gardens to “Agodi Resort & Conferences Centre”. He said the centre will provide international class entertainment for both children and adults especially during the yuletide and news year celebrations.

The Commissioner for Tourism commended Governor Ajimobi for his unflinching support throughout the decision making process. While promising that a lot more would be done to ensure the resort meets international standard, the commissioner said what is on ground now is just a tip of an iceberg.

44— VANGU ARD, ANGUARD,

WEDNESD A Y, DECEMBER 24, 2014 WEDNESDA

Pregnant after a one-night stand Dear Bunmi,

A

She deceived me she enjoyed love all these years!

Dear Bunmi,

I

’VE been married for over six years and my wife and I have a great sex

life for, at least I thought so.

I got the shock of my life a few weeks ago when she confessed that though she loves me, she didn’t partic-

She’s making a fool of herself with a toy boy Dear Bunmi,

M

Y best friend and I are in our 60s. She’s a lovely lady and a valued friend, but recently, she told me something that shocked me. She said she’s been inviting a slightly younger man to her flat after dark for sex. He’s currently living alone, though he has children from two women. She says the relationship is a bit of fun and better than masturbating.

Since her kids have all left home, they know nothing about their mum’s sex arrangement and she says they’re not hurting anyone as neither of them has a partner. Everyone has a high opinion of her. If only they knew...

What should I do?

Christine, By e-mail.

Dear Christine, don’t think this is any of your business. If your friend has no attachments, why shouldn’t she have a male friend? This sounds like an arrangement they’re both happy with. Being in your 60s doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy sex.

Your friend and her man are both consenting adults and it should be no concern of yours what they do in their own time.

Would you rather your friend sat at home being miserable with no interests at all? I say good luck to a woman who still enjoys sex in her 60s! And, her grownup kids have their own life to live.

Do I sense a bit of jealousy here? Don’t upset your friend by even letting her know how you feel; spice up your love life instead!

I

Co-habiting without a proposal!

Dear Bunmi,

M

Y boyfriend of three years has suggested we move into a flat together.

He did it in such an unromantic way that I’m worried he only meant us to be a sort of flat mates. He said it made sense to move in together because we’re wasting money renting two places when we are constantly in each other’s company.

The snag here is that he was

silent about both of us spending the rest of our lives together.

We haven’t discussed marriage, but I would like to think this moving in thing is a precursor to it. What do you think?

Anjola, By e-mail.

Dear Anjola, ould you describe your boyfriend as romantic otherwise? If the an-

W

It’s totally reasonable to ask where he thinks the relationship is going after three years together

ularly care for the way we have had sex for years. As you can imagine, I’m still reeling from the shock!

What do I do now?

Gbenga, By e-mail.

Dear Gbenga, f course, you’re in shock at the idea that your wife not only dislikes sex with you, but has pretended she did all these years.

Now she’s finally found the courage to stop pretending, you can start turning things round. Begin by re-assuring your wife how much you love her, ask her to be honest about what she likes and doesn’t like in bed.

In the meantime, get as much write-ups about sex as you can. Visit reputable book stores, you’ll be amazed at what you can pick up at these ‘bend and select' book stands all over the place.

For all you know, this could be the start of a great love life for her - and an even better one for you!

O

Begin by re-assuring your wife how much you love her, ask her to be honest about what she likes and doesn’t like in bed. swer is no, it could be he is just not comfortable making flowery speeches and felt less anxious presenting it as “it makes financial sense and he did confessing undying love.

Just because he didn’t say it doesn’t mean he’s not feeling it. But I certainly would make sure that you’re both on the same page before moving in. It’s totally reasonable to ask where he thinks the relationship is going after three years together. Tell him you’re thrilled to move in with him but would like to think it’s a trial run for marriage.

Does he see it that way?

T a recent family wedding reception at my brother-inlaw’s house, I had a really drunken night with a few family friends, including my brother-in-law. Things got out of hand and we ended up having sex in a spare room in his house, I regretted immediately as I’m very happy with my husband.

We have two children and are planning for the third. Now, I’ve just discovered I’m pregnant and there is a good chance my brother-in-law could be the father.

Should I discuss this with him before I tell my husband?

Dunni, By e-mail.

Dear Dunni, can’t make this decision for you. If you come clean, you’ll destroy your marriage and your husband’s family as there’s no guarantee your brother-in-law would keep quiet once he knows.

If you keep quiet, then you’ll have to live a lie, and since your brother-in-law and your husband are blood brothers, you might just get away with it.

You need to do a bit of soul-searching though. You say you’re happy with your husband, but if you were, things wouldn’t have got out of hand with his brother.

Whatever you decide about the baby, you need to take a hard, long look at what’s happening in your marriage.

I

He’s worried I don’t orgasm Dear Bunmi,

I

am 28 and I have had sex a few times, but I have never enjoyed the act or had what experts call an orgasm. I have a man that I love very much and he is very worried that sex doesn’t give me as much pleasure as it gives him. I told him not to worry about me as I was more concerned about his pleasure, but he said he doesn’t want to be selfish.

Can I ever have an orgasm?

Sherifat, By e-mail.

Dear Sherifat, ou should really learn to enjoy sex. Orgasm is not the be all and end all of all sexual relationships. Now, ask yourself, do you encourage fore-play? Are you always completely relaxed during love-making? Are there any fears that stop you from really letting go during intimacy?

Fortunately, you love your man and that’s important. Now, encourage him, to teach you all he knows about sex, and be open-minded enough to learn.

Y

Does she want her ex back?

Dear Bunmi, Y new girlfriend never shuts up about her ex-boyfriend, who recently dumped her. She’s always telling me how great he was, or what his opinion would have been on any issue. It has got to a point where I won’t hesitate to walk away if she doesn't stop.

Walter, By e-mail.

M

Dear Walter, won’t advise you to leave your girlfriend, but need to warn you that she may be the one to walk away. When an important partnership ends, experts believe we often choose the next relationship as a kind of ‘convalescence’ a chance to be loved while we recover from the break-up. It sounds like your girl-friend’s with you for comfort, but her heart still belongs to her ex. The problem is that when she’s feeling better, she’ll probably move on from you. If you really care, help her to face the end of her old relationship and start living in the present. But don’t count of this relationship lasting.

I

Share your problems and release your burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014—45

Ughelli South PDP pledges to deliver Okowa, others

By Akpokona Omafuaire

W

ARRI—THE Delta Political Vanguard for Okowa, Ughelli South Chapter, yesterday, in Okpare-Olomu, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, has declared its support for Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2015 general elections.

The group, made up of all PDP members also vowed to deliver all PDP candidates in the forth coming elections.

Dr. Amos Itihwe, UghelliSouth Coordinator, speaking on next year’s polls, said: “I want to thank you all for the roles you played in ensuring Okowa's emergence. This is our project. Okowa is a detribalized Deltan and he has shown that in his dealings.

“I appeal to our people, the Urgobo Progressives Union, UPU, to reconsider its stand on the Uvwiamuge declaration of Urhobo governor and build bridges that will lead to the rise of Urhobo political fortunes again.”

Itihwe charged PDP faithful

Crisis rocks Edo North

T

HE dust raised in the just concluded Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primaries is tearing the party apart in Edo State.

In a statement in Benin, Secretary, Edo North People’s Forum, Mr. Alaba Izuagie, said: “Since the conduct of the ward congresses to pick the three ad-hoc delegates, the party has moved from one trouble to another in Edo State.”

The statement claimed that the party that was once the bride of all the electorate eight to 10 weeks ago, has suffered serious setback capable of bringing the party to its knees in Edo North.

It also claimed that a top party chairman was accused of telling all selected delegates that a high ranking party man had instructed that no delegate should vote for any of the newly decamped aspirants to the PDP.

C M Y K

in Ughelli South to do everything possible to deliver all PDP candidates at all levels as anything short of that will spell doom to their political careers.

He added that the group has set up machinery to reconcile all aggrieved PDP members who might be offended in the

build up to the primaries.

“We want to go back to where PDP was in Ughelli South so that we can take our pride of place and achieve all what we want to achieve for UghelliSouth,” Itihwe added.

The group appointed Chief Eric Obofukoro as Chairman, Elders Council to liaise with

other elders in the area to ensure that objectives of the group were attained.

Chief Samuel Oboramohwoyeren, on his part, urged members to stand firm in order to deliver Okowa, appealing to aggrieved members to reconcile and march onward to victory.

CONSECRATION: Most Rev. Camillus Umoh, Catholic Bishop of Ikot Ekpene, consecrating St. Lucy Catholic Church, Ukana built and donated by Governor Godswill Akpabio and family.

Oil firm threatens to stop assistance to host communities

By Egufe Yafugborhi

W

A R R I — M I D WESTERN Oil and Gas, MWOG, one of the upstream companies operating marginal fields under Oil Mining Lease, OML, 56, in Kwale, Delta State, has threatened to stop its empowerment assistance to its host communities over beneficiaries’ alleged abuse of the opportunities.

At the presentation of starter packs to batch three beneficiaries of its skills acquisition training in Kwale, the company expressed disappointment that some previous beneficiaries of the training sold their starter packs and abandoned establishing their own businesses as expected at the end of the programme.

Managing Director and Chief

Executive Officer, MWOG, Mr Charles Odita, in his remarks on the occasion, told the beneficiaries and community leaders that the abuse of the opportunities amount to wastage on the company and clog in the wheel of progress for the host communities.

Odita said: “From the

beginning when we came in to do business here, we realised that much as we cannot employ everybody, it was imperative to explore other empowerment opportunities through skill acquisition to gainfully engage as many unemployed indigenes as possible as panacea for sustaining peaceful operating environment."

Delta restates determination to reform primary education

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA—CHAIRMAN of Delta State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Mr. Elijah Ologe, has restated the determination of the Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan administration to reform the primary education system in the state.

Fielding questions from newsmen shortly after his thanksgiving service at St Mathew’s Cathedral, Western Izon Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Patani, Patani Local Government Area of the state, Ologe expressed thanks to God and Governor Uduaghan for his appointment.

Warri South gets new SLG

W

ARRI—THE Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State, Mr. Mofe Edema, has sworn in a new Secretary to the Local Government, Mr. Bawo Nana, with a charge on the new SLG to key into the people driven policy of his administration.

Administering the oath of

office on the new SLG, at his office in the Warri South council, Edema advised the new SLG to carry out his duties with great sense of responsibility.

According to the Warri South council boss, if the new SLG offers people oriented service, his political career will

experience more growth.

Responding, the newly sworn-in SLG, appreciated God and the council Chairman for the opportunity to serve.

Nana, a former Deputy Leader of Warri South Legislative Arm, pledged to work with Edema to achieve his people-centered policy and programmes.

2015: Emami displeased with ethnic bigotry —OGBORU

W

A R R I — D E LTA State Labour Party, LP, gubernatorial candidate in the forthcoming 2015 polls, Chief Great Ogboru, has said that the Akulagba of War ri Kingdom and frontline Niger Delta activist, Chief Ayirimi Emami, was not happy with ethnic bigotry in Delta State contrary to speculations.

Ogboru, when he led Sir Richard Odibo and other supporters on a consultative visit to Chief Emami at Ugbuwangue in Warri, noted that Deltans were fed up with ethnic bigotry and blamed ethnic sentiments in the state on deprivation, stressing that what people desired in the state was equal opportunity.

Chief Ogboru, who described Chief Emami “as one of his enemies,” said he (Emami) “is a very important figure in the area,” hence we came to consult with him.

On the possibility of Urhobos in Delta Central splitting their votes between him and Olorogun O’tega Emerhor of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the governorship election, Chief Ogboru, said: “Urhobos know who I am.

They know who has the vote and who can win the election.”

Passage

E

LDER Okon Amma, a.k.a Ufok Odiok, is dead, aged 90.

A statement by the chief mourner, Pastor Nyong Okon Jackson, said the late Elder Amma was laid to rest, weekend, after a funeral service at the Mount Zion Mission Church, Okiuso Udung Ulo, in Okobo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Late Elder Amma

46—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Pray for 2015 elections, Orji urges Nigerians

Why I wrote books on financial mgt—LAGOS PERM SEC

By Anayo Okoli

U

M U A H I A — G O V E R N O R Theodore Orji of Abia State has called on the people of the state and Nigerians to pray for the success of 2015 elections, even as he thanked them for the support given his government.

Orji, in his Christmas message to Abia people, also urged them to use the period

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

P

ERMANENT Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Bayo Sodade, has said he wrote his latest books, Financial Control in the Nigerian Public Service and Biblenomics, to bridge the knowledge gap in public budgeting and financial management.

Bayo, who spoke at the launch of the books in Lagos, said while preparing for various examinations as a junior officer in the public service, he had cause to read books that were lacking in quality.

He said he felt the compelling need to broaden knowledge by writing books that combine long years of practical experience in public finance management and budgeting.

“So I started thinking of doing something that will add value to readers,” Sodade said at the launch of the books published by Dayo Alabi.

Mr. Ben Akabueze, the state Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, and the Adedotun Gbadebo, Alake of Egbaland were at the event.

to show love, peace, gratitude and hope to one another.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Ajunwa, the governor said: “We are grateful for the divine assignment that God gave to us about seven and half years ago to make Abia one of the progressive states in our nation.

“We are grateful for your support and we thank God

that we have another Christmas to celebrate in peace and prosperity.

“Christmas provides that opportunity to relax and reflect on the values taught by our Lord Jesus Christ, which every of his creature is admonished to imbibe.”

He tasked Nigerians to take the advantage of the Christmas celebration to commit 2015 elections into the hands of God to ensure

Voters now wiser—OGIDI

that it is peaceful, saying “Nigerians must show love for our country as we look forward to the 2015 elections by asking God to guide us.

“God hears prayers always and there is no better time than now to cry to him and ask for guidance for the forthcoming elections.

“As we look to the New Year, let us pledge ourselves to living out those values by reaching out and lifting up those in our communities who look to us for a raise.”

zAs Okoro says no division in Delta PDP

By Oboh Kenneth

F

ORMER Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chairman, Chief Emmanuel Ogidi, has said no matter what politicians do or say, the electorate will make their choice because they are now wiser and more educated.

Speaking to journalists in his Warri residence, Ogidi said instead of defecting from one party to another, politicians should enlighten voters and appeal to their conscience.

On Delta State PDP governorship primaries, the party chieftain said as soon as a candidate emerged, the party and other aspirants

closed rank.

Speaking in the same vein, Mr. Emmanuel Okoro, Chief Adviser on Legislative Matters to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, said there was no division in Delta PDP. Asked why it seems like Uduaghan’s administration was pursuing many projects across the state in its twilight, Okoro, the pioneer Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, said the first tenure was greatly handicapped by many court cases.

On presidential election

On the 2015 presidential election, Ogidi said: “It is

LCCI ICT group appoints new officers

T

HE Executive Head, Business Development Group of Vodacom Business Nigeria, Mr. Zakari Usman has been appointed Chairman, Information Communication Technology & Telecommunication Group, ICT&T, of the Lagos Chamber

of Commerce and Industry.

He takes over from Engineer Adejare Amoo who had steered the ship of the group in the last four years.

Other members were also appointed into the executive committee of the group to work with Usman.

going to be very interesting, but easy for us because PDP has no opposition.

“In All Progressives Congress, APC, you have a pairing of strange personalities. But President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo have been together for long and the electorate know them. Two cannot work together except they agree.”

He said cases of violence and criminal activities were attributable to impatience and some overzealous elements, especially those that refused to realize that power comes from God. Ogidi said: “These things also manifest in our daily lives. An example is breaking simple traffic rules.

Thank God graduates and true Christians are coming into politics.

“When they enlighten their followers and the electorate, things will improve. It might take time, but politicians must respect God’s grace.”

NTI inaugurates housing project

T

HE National Teachers Institute, NTI, has commenced an owneroccupier housing programme for staff.

Dr. Aminu Sharehu, the Director-General of the institute, who performed the ground-breaking ceremony, said his vision was to ensure that each staff retired into his or her own home.

According to him, “the staff are not only land owners but very soon, through convenient monthly deductions from salaries, they are going to have decent accommodations of their own.”

Sharehu said the project, located at Issa community in Jere area along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway, was in line with his vision of providing accessible and affordable housing for staff of the institute.

What is your yuletide message to Nigerians?

W

ISHING everyone out there a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year ahead with all the best things in life. I love you all. However, even if expectations were not really met in 2014, they will be met 2015 in Jesus name. Amen.—Miss Anwulika Nduba, NYSC Member.

H

APPINESS is not something you postpone.

It is something you design for the present. I am wishing all Nigerians a happy Christmas and a new year that will be free from killings and destruction of property.— Miss Blessing Adichie, Student.

W

E shall celebrate in health and happiness. Death and misery will never see us.

Things we could not do this year as a nation and as individuals shall be achieved and surpassed next year. 2015 will be a good year for us all.

Amen.— Miss Tina Mba, Student.

I

am using this medium to say happy Christmas to Nigerians. I want to also seize this opportunity to wish them and their loved ones a merry Christmas and a happy New Year in advance. I feel certain pains as a Nigerian. I know others do, too.—Mrs Maggie Unuane, Graduate.

C

HRISTMAS in Nigeria is a family affair; a time when lots of family members come together to celebrate and have fun. So as people go out to catch their fun, I wish them a splendid time with their family and loved ones.—Mrs Ogbue Immaculate, Student.

F

OR those travelling home for Christmas, I wish them a successful journey to and fro. And for those not travelling, I wish them a wonderful celebration as no weapon formed against them shall prosper in Jesus name. Amen.— Miss Ukogu Chinasa, Musician.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014— 47

Yero presents N203.7bn 2015 budget zAs Taraba acting Gov presents N97.3bn to Assembly

By Charles Kumolu & John

K

Mkom

ADUNA—THE Kaduna State governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero and his Taraba State counterpart, Alhaji Sani Danladi, yesterday, presented their 2015 budget proposals totalling N301,019, 964,298 to their state Houses of Assembly for consideration and approval.

Yero budgeted N203,700,855,271 out of which N130,912,013,495, representing about 64.28 per cent was for capital expenditure while N72,788,841,776, representing about 35.72 per cent of the total budget is for recurrent expenses.

The Taraba State Acting Governor, Alhaji Sani Danladi also presented a budget of 97,319,103,027, saying that its focus was to ensure the completion of some key projects started by the administration with few critical initiatives.

The budget includes recurrent expenditure of N42,652,509,453 while N53,300,985,274 was allocated to capital expenditure.

However, giving a breakdown of his budget, Yero said that Works and Transport received the highest allocation of N29.4 billion followed

by Education with N20.5 billion.

Other key sectors include; Water Supply- N16.8 billion, HealthN12.2 billion and Agriculture N7.17 billion.

Speaking during the ceremony, Yero said that, the proposal tagged “Budget of Consolidation and Continuity ” was based on government’s genuine determination to ensure the completion of all ongoing projects.

“Completion of all ongoing roads projects in 2015 is our number one priority in this sector as doing so will facilitate the movement of goods and people for the economic growth of our dear state.”

Also speaking on the performance of this year’s budget, Danladi said it was a dangerous trend in the development effort of the state.

“We should resolve to change the trend. The state had budgeted the

sum of N83,355,337,529 for its services during the year but the provisional figures as at September 2014 shows that our total receipt from all sources stood at N50,924,392,058, out of which N40,771,878,992 has been expended on recurrent

SABA—THE leadership of Anioma Nation for Jonathan, a socio-political support group for the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan has called on Nigerians to support and vote for President Jonathan in next years’s presidential election.

In a statement issued by the national coordinator of the group, Dr. Sylvan Ebigwei and Secretary, Mr. Emma Fejokwu, it stated that the formation of the body is aimed at ensuring the victory of President Jonathabn and other Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidates of Anioma extraction come 2015.

period of our economic life, it will take a lot of hard work, great sacrifice and tremendous discipline for us to achieve our targets but I have no doubt that with collective commitment to the cause of the development of our state, we shall achieve the targets," he added.

EMPOWERMENT: Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed (2nd right) and his wife, Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed presenting working tools to one of the beneficiaries of LEAH Foundation special empowerment programme for women at Government House, Ilorin.

Blast paralyses business activities in Bauchi condemned the bomb blast that

By Suzan Edeh with agency

report

B

AUCHI—BUS I N E S S activities have been crippled in Bauchi State as major markets have remained closed following the bomb explosion that killed 17 persons and left many others injured at the market on Monday. Altogether, 70 shops were razed following the blast.

Investigations by Vanguard yesterday showed that many traders closed their shops as customers were shunning crowded areas such as markets.

This was even as Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has

Anioma group urges support for Jonathan's re-election

A

issues while the balance of 10,152,513,066 is on capital projects,”he said.

He asked all stakeholders in the state to join hands with him for the projected estimate to be realised.

“I acknowledge that at this

Ebigwei, however, frowned at the continuous use of vulgar utterances by some politicians and warned that the group would no longer fold its hands and watch the name of Mr. President being dragged to the mud.

The group also hailed the emergence of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State and the PDP candidate for the 2015 governorship election, while also commending the Anioma Congress led by Asagba of Asaba, ObiProfessorChikeEdozienandsome traditional rulers for their roles in ensuringvictoryforthePDPcandidate during the primary election.

claimed some lives and injured many.

Apart from Bauchi Central Market, other busy markets like the Wuntil and Mudal Lawal markets witnessed few customers as very few traders and customers were seen transacting business while most shops were closed.

However, security had been beefed up at the market areas to forestall any breakdown of law and order with the few traders and customers coming into the markets being frisked by the security agents.

Some of the traders who spoke to Vanguard at the various markets lamented that terrorist activities had disrupted businesses in the north-east,

thereby leading to poor sales and lack of patronage by customers.

Two provision stores owners at the Wuntil Market, Mallam Yusuf Danlami and Mohammed Dauda said the festive periods were times when businesses boomed with traders recording huge profits from sales, but stressed that the continued attacks by insurgents in market areas had crippled commercial activities.

“A market is supposed to be a place where you freely walk in and purchase commodities, but it is very unfortunate that terrorists now see these areas as spots where they carry out their nefarious activities, leading to loss of lives and property," Mohammed said.

....As price of Kerosene rises in Kano

K

ANO—PRICES of kerosene have increased in Kano, barely few days to the Christmas and New Year celebrations, the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports.

A survey conducted in Kano shows that a four-litre gallon of the commodity which cost N600 last week is now being sold at between N650 and N700.

The survey indicated that following the sudden increase, a drum of kerosene was now being sold at N28,000 as against the usual N26,000.

According to the survey, the increase in the prices is due to the recent scarcity of petroleum products experienced across the country.

Kerosene buyers at the market have complained over the rising cost of the commodity.

One of the buyers, Mrs Kande Gorge, called on the government to ensure adequate supply of the commodity, especially during the Yuletide celebration to check its scarcity.

FRSC records 128 deaths in 325 accidents in Plateau, says sector commander

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OS—THE Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, said in Jos yesterday that 128 deaths were so far recorded in 325 vehicular accidents in Plateau between January to December 2014 Mr Sunday Maku, the sector commander of the corps in Plateau, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, said 725 people were injured in the accidents.

Maku attributed the rate of road carnage in the state to reckless driving, speeding, overloading and wrong overtaking by drivers, adding that FRSC was doing its best to arrest the situation.

He explained that the number of carnage recorded was lower than that of 2013, and attributed the drastic reduction to the promptness of the officers and men of the corps

2015: Group

inaugurates c'ttee for Okowa's election

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ARRI—A PRESSURE group, Peoples Democratic Party Crusaders, has inaugurated a committee charged with the responsibility of working for the election of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the next governor of Delta State.

A statement by the Publicity Secretary of the group, Comrade Michael Tidi said the group has coordinators at the national, local government and ward levels.

It also said the patron of the forum include; Chief Michael Diden, Sen James Manager, Mr. Victor Nwokolo, Evelyn Oboro and Kingsley Otuaro His words: ‘’This noble group of visionary men was put together to ensure that Delta gets the governor it truly deserves. The decision to do this was informed by our desire to have a governor, who will carry everyone along."

Golden Lamps presents 2015 Roadmap

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AGOS—GOLDEN Lamps Christian Centre, CLCC, Egbe, Roadmap to a prosperous 2015 and beyond programme holds on Sunday, December 28.

The event which is meant to usher Christians into a glorious new year will take

place at 22, Kudaki Street, off Hostel Bus Stop, Egbe, Lagos.

According to Rev. Olawale Stevens, the Bishop of the church, every child of God deserves a better lifestyle in the year 2015 and beyond, calling on the people to come and discover how to live in abundance.

48—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

MoU: Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele (right), and Chairman of NIREC, Sam Amadi, discussing shortly after CBN Governor signed Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, on power with other stakeholders, in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamika

SWEARING-IN: From left, Lagos East Lawmaker, Sen. Gbenga Ashafa; Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olasupo Sashore; Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Funmilayo Atilade, and the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), during the swearing-in ceremony of three judges of the high court of Lagos State, at Alausa, Lagos.

CONFERENCE: From left, Mr. Patrick Olowookere, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager NB Plc; Mr. George Noah, Managing Director LASAA; Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, Lagos State Commissioner for Information; Omawumi, and Fade Ogunro, during the press conference to announce Star Lagos Countdown 2014, by Lagos State Government.

UNVEILING: MTN’s Customer Relationship Manager, Kano, Kabiru Kazaure (right), and MTN’s Regional Trade Marketing Manager,North West Region, Abdulhamid Hassan (left), congratulating Muhammad Isah, a N1million winner in the ongoing MTN Cash Quest Promo, at the MTN Office, in Kano.

PARTY: From left, mother of the overall winner, Mrs. Omolayo Fajimi; Welfare Manager,Total Nigeria Plc, Mrs. Neolyn Nwaokolo-Oba; overall Principal Officers of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, led by the Manager,Total Nigeria Plc, Mrs. Neolyn Nwaokolo-Oba; overall winner, Vice -Chancellor Professor Adebiyi Daramola (middle), at the institution's 2014 Oluwatoni Fajimi; and Manager, Employee Relations, Mr. Debo Atunwa, Christmas carol service. during the 2014 Total Christmas party, in Lagos.

CALENDAR: From left, Alhaji Najeem Ibrahim, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Lagos Chapter; Mrs. Oluwatosin Adegun, Director, Local Government Staff Pensions Board; Mr. Ashimi Jamiu, Permanent Secretary, Local Government Staff Pension Commission; Mrs . Adenike Falade, Director, Pensions Administration Teachers' Establishment & Pensions Office, Lagos State, and Rev Kayode Owoyemi, Chairman, Teacher Pensioners, Lagos State, during the launch of the maiden issue of The Lagos State Teacher Pensioners 2015 Calendar, at Old Secretariat, Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

ENGAGEMENT : From left, Disha Agarwal, brand manager, Grand Oil; Modinat Moses; Afusatu Adebisi, both consumers of Power Oil, and Chikodiri Ogbuagu, supervisor, Power Oil, at the company’s consumer engagement activity, in Lagos, Photo: Akeem Salau

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014—49 —49

50— 50—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 — 51

52 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24 , 2014

Algerian army kills top jihadist

T

Sex slavery pushes ISIL victims to suicide

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OMEN and girls from Iraq’s Y a z i d i religious minority forced into sexual slavery by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group have committed suicide or tried to, rights group Amnesty International said.

The London-based rights group said on Tuesday, women faced torture, rape, forced marriage and were “sold” or given as “gifts” to ISIL fighters or their supporters in Iraq and Syria. ‘’Hundreds of Yazidi women and girls have had their lives shattered by the horrors of sexual violence and sexual slavery in ISIL captivity,” Amnesty ’s Senior Crisis Response Adviser, Donatella Rovera, said in a statement.

“Many of those held as sexual slaves are

children, girls aged 14, 15 or even younger,’’ Rovera added.

Based on interviews with over 40 former captives, the Amnesty report , Yezidi women and girls face harrowing sexual violence , said fearful of

rape, some of the women had tried to kill themselves.

A 19-year-old named Jilan committed suicide out of fear she would be raped, Amnesty quoted her brother as saying.

A girl who was held with her but later

escaped confirmed the account, saying: “One day we were given clothes that looked like dance costumes and were told to bathe and wear those clothes. Jilan killed herself in the bathroom.”

US economy growing at quickest pace in 11 years

T

HE US economy grew at an annual rate of 5% in the third quarter, its fastest pace for 11 years, official figures suggest.

The US Commerce Department said GDP rose faster than the previous estimate of 3.9% for the July-to-September period, boosted by stronger consumer and business spending.

This was the fastest rate of growth since the third quarter of 2003.

The strong figure

builds on the secondquarter growth rate of 4.6%.

Much of the third quarter growth came from consumer spending, which accounts for around two-thirds of US economic activity.

Consumer spending grew at an annual pace of 3.2%, the fastest since the fourth quarter of 2013.

Growth in business investment was raised to a rate of 8.9% from an earlier estimate of 7.1%.

There was a stronger

pace of spending than previously thought on equipment, intellectual property products and non-residential structures.

After two strong quarters for the US economy, economists predict that growth will slow to an annual rate of around 2.5% in the current OctoberDecember quarter.

But they predict growth of about 3% in 2015, which would be the fastest pace since 2005.

HE Algerian military has killed the leader of an Algerian terror group that beheaded French hiker Herve Gourdel earlier this year, the state-run Algeria Press Service reported Tuesday.

Gouri Abdelmalek, leader of Jund al Khilafa, and two other militants were killed in the Algerian city of Isser after the military set an unspecified “trap,” for them, APS reported Tuesday, citing Algeria’s defense ministry.

The report of Abdelmalek’s death comes roughly three months after Jund al

Khilafa — a small Islamist group formerly linked to al Qaeda — published a video showing the beheading of Gourdel in what the group said was a display of support to al Qaeda’s rival ISIS. Gourdel, 55, was hiking in central Algeria’s Djudjura National Park when he was abducted in September. Jund al Khilafa, having just declared allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), then published a video of Gourdel’s beheading on September 24.

Hong Kong tycoon guilty of corruption

A

billionaire who jointly controlled Asia’s biggest property development company and a man who was once Hong Kong’s secondranked official were sentenced to prison for conspiracy to commit misconduct in one of the city’s most significant corruption trials.

Tycoon Thomas Kwok received a five year sentence Tuesday, and

former chief secretary Rafael Hui got seven and a half years, after having been found guilty by a Hong Kong high court jury last week.

Kwok was also ordered to pay a $64,453 fine and $1.6 million in costs to the prosecution, while Hui was ordered to pay the Hong Kong government $1.4 million, equivalent to the amount of bribes taken.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014— 53

54—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

MTN commences draws to choose winners in cash quest promo

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N a bid to consolidate on its on-going Season of Surprises campaign, Nigeria’s leading telecommunications and ICT Company, MTN, has launched another massive customer reward promo. Tagged MTN Cash Quest, this latest promo is a platform through which a millionaire will emerge daily, from December 4th, 2014 till March 13th , 2015.

At the first draw held at the Ikoyi premises of the company on Friday, December 19th, 2014, to select the first batch of winners, two winners, Sadiya Mohammed from Bauchi State and Isa Mohammed from Kano State SHOPPING FOR XMAS: People making last-minute shopping for Christmas at emerged the first set of beneficiaries of MTN’s largesse, through Okokomaiko Market in Lagos State yesterday. Photo by Bunmi Azeez. the Cash Quest promo. The news was broken to them through phone calls amidst lot of commendations from everyone present.

While addressing members of the press shortly before the draws were held, the General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN, Mr Richard Iweanoge said that MTN Cash Quest is a promo targeted at new and existing subscribers. For existing customers, theirs is an interactive gaming promo with significant winnings that will open doors and create opportunities for Nigerians who use the MTN network. While for newly joined MTN customers, they are not left out as they stand a chance of joining the millionaires’ club simply by buying an MTN sim, registering it and making a call to loved ones. AccordINVESTITURE: From left, Past Presidents of Junior Chamber International, ing to him, Nigerians are about JCI Eko, Oluwole Akingbola, 2012; Jide Adeyemi, 2013; Seun Osikalu, 2010 and to witness the making of million2015 JCI Nigeria President, Gladstone Awoniyi; Babatunde Omole, 2008; Aro aires, as MTN will dole out cash David, 2007; Wale Edalere, 2014; and Tunji Adekoya, Charter President, 2000- winnings on the daily basis to 2002, at the investiture of Gladstone, the 2015 President of JCI Eko, in Ikeja, Lagos. give both existing and new customers more reasons to cele-

FUEL SCACITY: 335 trucks supply fuel to FCT —DPR

By Chris Ochayi

A

B U J A — T H E Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, said yesterday that about 335

trucks of petroleum products have been released from Suleija Depot between Monday and yesterday to ease the challenge of fuel scarcity in Abuja and its environs.

The Zonal Controller, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Abuja, Mallam

Usman Mohammed, in an interview, said the long queues for fuel in the city was as a result of the refusal of petroleum tankers drivers to lift fuel following a minor disagreement between Con Oil, Mobil, Total and depot managers.

There have been long queues of vehicles for fuel in Abuja on Monday and yesterday, almost one week after the city experienced petrol scarcity, as hundreds of motorists besieged the few filling stations that sold the product.

Many petrol stations, especially in the city centre were shut to customers without any explanation.

Hundreds of motorists thronged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s mega stations on Olusegun Obasanjo way Central Area and ZubaAbuja expressway in a bid to get fuel.

According to Mohammed, the problem was also compounded

by panic buying and the rush by those travelling for the holiday.

He however said that the problem between the oil major and depot managers had since been resolved and the Petroleum Tankers Drivers had started to lift fuel from the depot to Abuja.

“As at Monday we have about 205 trucks of petroleum products supplied to the city, while about 130 trucks were lifted yesterday.

“By this evening, the situation will ease off, I am just coming from the central area, the problem is mainly from there.

There is fuel outside the city.

“The queues have started to go down because many of the filling stations that were not selling have begun to sell now.

“Definitely by tomorrow morning the queue would have disappeared,” he said.

He said the scarcity became so pronounced because it was weekend and there was no lifting of fuel.

brate this festive season.

Present to witness proceedings at the draws was the Head, Regulatory and Monitoring; National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Lagos Zonal Office, Mr Jude Ogaga Ughwugabo.

Challenge Arena game debuts, to splash cash on winners

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HE inaugural edition of the Challenge Arena game show, an indigenous blend of sports and entertainment quiz game show, has debutted in Lagos.

The game show is aimed at empowering several youths in the country.

The Challenge Arena game is being organised by Mayfield investment Limited, in conjunction with Caveri capital, at Ark studio Ogudu, GRA, Lagos started few days ago.

Wale Adegboyega of Cavari Capital, stated that any of the final constants would have the privilege of wining between the sum of N250 to five million naira, if they get the right answer to all the question within the stipulated time.

He also said that eight contestants would be given the chance to answer questions on the global happenings on sports and entrainment within 15 minutes.

“It is a TV quiz game show aimed at promoting sports and entertainment and is targeted at people from age 15 to 50. The concept came from the desire to spur sport-loving Nigerians to challenge their knowledge about sport entertainment and information, he said.

“The Challenge Arena has eight contestants and they will answer questions on sports and entertainment. They are scored by the computer, which grades them by how fast and accurate they are in answering their questions. They have a total of 10 questions in the first stage. At the end of the stage, the three people with the lowest marks will be eliminated. However, those eliminated will be given a sum of N20,000 each.

“In the second stage, there are eight questions. And contestants have a total of 50 seconds to answer a question. At the end, the three with the lowest marks will be eliminated again and they will be given cash prize of N50,000.

“The remaining two finalists will answer five questions with 15 seconds for each question. At the end, the winner proceeds to the final while the runner up rewarded with N150,000 cash prize. At the final, the finalist, depending on the points he has garnered can play for N1m or N2m,” he said.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 — 55

Jang presents N215.4bn budget to Plateau Assembly

2015: Monarch urges prayers for honest, God-fearing leaders

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AFIA—A first class monarch, Emir of Karshi, Nasarawa State, Alhaji Mohammad Bako, has appealed to Nigerians to continue to pray for the emergence of credible, honest and God-fearing leaders in the 2015 general elections.

The traditional ruler made the appeal in Karshi, Karu Local Government Area of the state, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday.

Bako explained that Nigeria needed prayers now more than ever before, adding that prayer was the only weapon that would put the country on the right path.

“Ceaseless prayer from all and sundry will give us good, credible, trusted and God-fearing leaders during the forthcoming 2015 general elections”, the royal father said.

According to him, “prayers by both Muslims and Christians have become imperative as the coming elections were biting the nation’s polity”.

The traditional ruler, however, added that with sustained prayers by the adherents of the two major religions in the country, Nigeria would surely remain a single indivisible entity.

He urged Nigerians to also pray to God to give us leaders who would deliver the country from the high rate of unemployment, poverty and insecurity.

“Anyone, no matter his tribe, religion or zone, who will solve Nigeria’s problem, should be the matter of concern now”, he stressed.

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

J

DISTRIBUTION: Founder, House On The Rock Church, Pastor Paul Adefarasin distributing food items to Lagosians as part of the church's Project Spread Programme in Lagos.

XMAS: Gaidam bans movement in and out of Yobe

By Soni Daniel

A

PPARENTLY fearing possible onslaught by the Boko Haram sect, Yobe State Government has banned vehicular movement into and out of the state capital during the Christmas celebrations.

Governor Ibrahim Gaidam handed down the restriction order in a statement made available to Vanguard in Abuja on Tuesday.

In the statement signed by his Special Adviser on Press Affairs and Information, Abdullahi Bego, Gaidam said the restriction became imperative after a joint meeting with heads of security agencies, which reviewed the security situation in the state.

The restriction, which takes effect from 6pm on Wednesday (today) to 7am on Sunday 28th December 2014, affects all vehicular movement into and out of Yobe State.

However, the governor said that people in respective towns across the State can move with

their vehicles freely within their own towns only except during the curfew hours that were imposed and announced earlier.

The statement made it clear that hospital ambulance services on emergency assignments are exempted from the restrictions.

The statement said: “Following a routine meeting with heads of law enforcement agencies in which the security situation in the State was reviewed, His Excellency the Executive Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam has Okayed the placement of special restriction on movement across the State as follows: “No vehicle coming into or leaving the State will be allowed within this period.

“The State Government and security agencies took these decisions in view of the need to ensure the safety and security of citizens throughout the State, especially in the Festive, Yuletide season.

“The Governor urges people

to show understanding and patience as these measures are taken in the best interest of the State and the people.

“The Governor also appreciates people’s support to the security agents and asks that they continue with their support and cooperation for the full restoration of peace and security.''

OS—GOVERNOR Jonah Jang of Plateau State yesterday presented the 2015 budget estimate of N215, 465, 835, 418 to the state House of Assembly for consideration.

The budget tagged “Budget of Transition and Inclusive Growth (V) shows a 4.26 percent drop from last year’s estimate which the governor said was as a result of dwindling economic fortunes in the country.

According to him, “the budget will be funded from internally generated revenue, statutory revenue allocation, SURE-P, expected reimbursement from the Federal Government and expected capital receipts among others.”

The governor also explained that N92,494,335,822 was for recurrent expenditure, representing 42.93 percent while the capital expenditure would gulp N122,971,499,596 or about 51.07 percent.

NEMA holds workshop on emergency response, fire prevention

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ALINGO— THE Nation al Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Gombe Operations Office, has organised a workshop to sensitise stakeholders on basic emergency response and fire prevention and control techniques.

NEMA Head of Gombe Operations Office, Alhaji Saidu Minin, said in Jalingo that the workshop was for stakeholders from Bauchi, Taraba and Gombe.

Minin said the workshop was necessary because of onset of

harmattan in the region.

He added that “you can agree with me that in the North East, we have started experiencing harmattan with its accompanying heavy wind that causes fire outbreaks.

“This workshop has become very necessary in this region where there are lots of security threats in worship centres, motorparks, markets and other gatherings, especially during the yuletide.”

CLO slams FG over non-implementation of 2014 confab recommendations

By Bartholomew Maduekwe

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AGOS—THE Civil Liber ties Organization, CLO, yesterday, accused the Federal Government of allegedly reneging on its promise to implement the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference.

Speaking at a news conference in Lagos, on the state of the nation, CLO’s Interim President, Comrade Igho Akeregha, said that the report of the 2014 Na-

tional Conference was gathering dust at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, adding that the N7billion tax payers money spent on the conference must not be in vain.

Akeregba then asked President Goodluck Jonathan to implement the recommendations without further delay.

Regretting that it was over four months that the Conference concluded its sittings with landmark recommendations, in-

cluding contributions for a new constitution, nothing was being done to ensure that these recommendations were implemented.

Also, CLO expressed dissatisfaction over the process adopted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the distribution of the Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVC’s nationwide.

“Already, many registered voters risk being disenfranchised in the coming elections

by INEC’s refusal to issue them

with their PVC’s. INEC, by this unacceptable action, raises doubts on its readiness to conduct a credible, free and fair election that will be certified transparent and generally acceptable in 2015.

“CLO is also worried that the parties have conducted one of the worst primaries in the history of Nigeria. In some cases, candidates who won the primaries held where disqualified in preference to certain anointed candidates; while in some re-

spects, multiple primaries were held in one state for the same category of election, thereby producing more than one candidate for the same position,” Akeregha stated.

The CLO then, demanded among other things, that INEC revisits the distribution of PVCs all over the country, especiaaly where the exercise was marred, so that those who were duly registered as voters and were not issued with their PVCs would get the voting material.

56— 56—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Vanguard, WEDNEDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 — 57 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 TAURUS: THE Moon fluctuates as it moves out of your star . That is why you will need to guard against confusion likely to be caused by others.

GEMINI: THE Moon position INFLUECES YOU TO BE COME AGGRESSIVE which is capable of bringing unnecessary argument and avoidable confusion. To before warned is to be fore armed.

CANCER: EARLY morning blues will affect many people today (yourself inclusive) but luckily for you, things will go according to your plans. And you will need to be more careful with money.

LEO: THE Moon fluctuates early in the morning. And if care is not taken you would promise more than you can actually deliver to the resentment of others. Yet, you’ll win.

VIRGO: BEHIND-the-scene-activities are sources of avoidable trouble especially before mid-morning period when influence of the moon’s fluctuation will last. Avoid inordinate ambition.

By Richard Eromosele

A

miracle is an act or event believed to be caused

by God. It is an experience or happening beyond human comprehension. For example, the birth and growth of man, sleeping and waking up. Life itself is a

Believe in miracle? miracle.

Whether we like it or not there are miracles in our life.

The problem with us is that we are too familiar with our problems that we take them for granted.

TERROR MUDA

Look around you; you will see a lot of miraculous happenings around you.

May be yours is that you have not been admitted into the hospital before, in spite of your fragile

in “Never say goodbye”

appearance. Yet, there are those stronger than you in appearance who have made the hospital their permanent home. And you say there are no miracles? There are miracles, even you.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

LIBRA: IT’S important you don’t allow your thought for and/or about the future derail your plans for the present so that success will not elude you. Romantic attractions along your career/business lines may become stronger sooner than you think.

SCORPIO: EARLY morning blues will affect many people around you meaning that not everybody-morning period especially along your career/business lines.

SAGITTARIUS: MAKE sure you perfectly understand what you are doing within your working arena before mid-morning period or else costly mistakes would be made. Be tolerant.

CAPRICORN: TOMORROW is your day. Therefore you are advised to leave some important decisions and/or action till tomorrow when the heaven will smile at you. Your love life is favoured.

AQUARIUS: TOMORROW will prove more challenging.

Thus, if there are things you should do now, you better don’t contemplate procrastination as you are likely to be stretched full lenght tomorrow. Watch with you tell others early in the morning.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

PISCES: AS the moon fluctuates early in the morning some people may promise more than they can actually deliver.

And if you take them for granted, you would be disappointed.

ARIES: CERTAINLY some people will get on your nerves yet you must not over-react at least because of the immediate future. Truly thus is the wrong time to gamble with love.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

What are my chances?

Dear Joshua, KINDLY analyse my star and tell me about myself especially my luck. I want to know about my love life, social life and how to become successful in life. I have seen people who are close to me became big success without much struggle from them. Would my own be like them too?

Jerry, Ibadan.

Dear Jerry, You are different to those you said came by success: in your own case you will need to work hard and earn success.

It is important you watch and take practical precaution about inability to hold on to your gains for long. Some times unexpected assistance use to come your way at 11th hour.

Your being friendly with the influential personalities especially WOMEN will help your finance greatly speculative (and) venture is not the best for you.

Your magnetic personality makes it difficult for members of your opposite sex to the betterment of your love life.

Luckily for you, you know how not to allow your rugged/ rigid personality to harm your love life; you are a sweet lover, although can be argumentative some times. Love happiness indicated for you.

If you can analyse both your environment and social situation, you will have more to gain from social activities more than it’s attendant pressure.

You will need to drop unnecessary rebellious approach when dealing with your social life; although what looks like radical approach can earn you a few number of friends who may not be in position to assist you.

Many people love your gentle approach and will be willing to assist you especially the more influential personalities.

Once again women can be helpful here If you expect easy success, you would be frustrated because Saturn-the planet of delay, frustration but greater reward after much struggles, was with the sun (basic-self-hood) when you were born. Thus it will not allow easy success. And at the same time will not deny you whatever you deserve.

The same Saturn will reward you with RECOGNITION WOMEN, children and younger people can enhance your prospects. Colours RED, WHITE and pink are good for you.

Sleeping North/South axes with your head to the North is good for you.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

58 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY,DECEMBER 24, 2014

Boko Haram leadership...now using women as suicide bombers

Women as suicide bombers

By Chioma Gabriel

A

T about 11 a.m., Monday, a bomb explosion went off at the popular Dukku Motor Park in Gombe State, killing scores of people at a park that was filled with passengers “who wanted to travel” for the Christmas and Boxing Day holidays. It was not the first time female bombers are taking the centre stage. All over the world, women are respected as custodians of the home, wives and mothers are becoming home wreckers. The “givers of life”, the “keepers of home and family” are now becoming the murderers.

From Nigeria to the Middle East, women are increasingly turning their bodies into bombs, blowing up markets, schools, churches and mosques.

New twist of terrorism Who are these women and why are they dying to kill? With the increasing spate of terrorism and attacks in a society where hopelessness begets rage, murder fuels martyrdom and women are increasingly dying to kill, one wonders what the world is turning into. For years, Nigeria has been fighting insurgency in the north east region of the country.

Terrorism a new twist introduce by the sect, Boko

Haram members appears to have come to stay with the worst aspect of it being the use of female suicide bombers to terrorise the citizens and cause havoc in the country.

A female suicide bomber on Wednesday, November 12, lost her life while her partner in crime sustained serious injuries after unsuccessfully attempting to bomb students in an auditorium at the Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Niger State. Before then, a female suicide bomber detonated a bomb during a morning assembly at Government Comprehensive Senior Science Secondary School Potiskum, Yobe state and killed over 48 students and teachers while inflicting injuries on 79.

The bomber was dressed in a school uniform, and entered the school before carrying out the attack. The dead toll later increased to 58. As it is, the insurgents are already tending towards what obtains in countries where terrorism is a challenge. Many fear that the abducted school girls from Chibok in Borno State could be among those indoctrinated to carry out the dastardly task.

Since the kidnap of Chibok girls by the terrorist early this year, female suicide bombing appears to be trending. Not long ago, 52 female suicide bombers were reportedly let on the loose in Maiduguri, Borno

State. The female bombers were said to have been “commissioned to explode bombs at high density areas.''

Women easier to operate with Since male bombers are becoming easy to identify, the terrorists have devised a new scheme to infiltrate the towns through innocent-looking female suicide bombers. Before now, terrorism was alien to Nigeria but the evil has crept into a hitherto simple society.

Two female suicide bombers attacked a market in Maiduguri and killed 35 people.

Shortly after, another pair of female suicide bombers attacked Maiduguri Monday market and killed six people, with 36 injured. The truth remains, however, that the use of female suicide bombers has great implication on security of lives because women are generally known to be helpmate, reliable, soft hearted that rarely hurt.

According to Cecilia Brume, a wife and mother of six, “This is a grave problem. It means nobody is safe. Women are not known for outright violence and when you see them now, especially the Muslim women that cover up, you begin to run away because they will do terror better. Using female suicide bombers is a very

dramatic strategy by the terrorists. It makes it easier to penetrate targets because people are less suspicious about women.”

Frank Mba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, in a recent writeup stated that, “it is also easier for women to be

Women are not known for outright violence and when you see them now, especially the Muslim women that cover up, you begin to run away because they will do terror better

indoctrinated especially when they are intellectually immature, uneducated and perhaps from very poor and deprived backgrounds.”

How they began in Nigeria The first female suicide bomber emerged in Nigeria on June 8, 2014 when a middleaged woman arrived on a motorcycle at a military barracks in Gombe, detonating an explosive killing herself and a policeman. Not long after, on July 27, a teenager with an explosive device concealed under her veil blew herself up at a university campus in Kano, injuring five police officers.

The next day, a young woman reportedly joined a kerosene queue at a filling station in Kano before her bomb detonated, killing three people and wounding 16 others.

Another teenager thata day injured six people after exploding her device at a shopping centre in Kano.

The present dimension obviously portends ominous signs and analysts are of the opinion that government needs to strategise as the military confronts insurgents in the region.

Saidu Kano, a businessman in Yobe said, “It is easier to use women who wear traditional Northern Nigerian dresses and long Muslim headscarves. In the past, it was rare to hear about women terrorists. But recently and in many cities in

Continues on page 59

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY,DECEMBER 24, 2014—59 claims to be making strides, Nigerian forces have failed to curb the violence and protect civilians from the terrorist group that has killed thousands of civilians this year and with the general elections coming up soon, the fight against insurgency appears to be in the back burner.

Women as suicide bombers Continues from page 58 the world, they have increasingly taken active roles in carrying out suicide bombings, hijacking airplanes, and taking hostages in such places as Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, and Chechnya.

“Islamist terrorists have long used women as suicide bombers, but now, their combatant role has expanded with al-Qaeda’s formation of an all-female jihadist fighting unit whose primary mission is purportedly to attack coalition targets in Afghanistan.”

Across the world in the last decade, there has been a rise in women’s participation in terrorism. The use of women as human explosives has gained growing admiration among Jihadist circles.

This admiration has been evidenced since 2010 by the growing swell of al-Qaeda and Taliban-run suicide training camps along the Afghan-Pakistan border designed to specially train female bombers.

Female bombers The all-girl military group, dubbed the “Burkha Brigade,” came to light in an online video that showed a bevy of fully covered women firing off a wide selection of heavy weaponry, including machine guns, assault rifles, and rocketpropelled grenades. The women enlistees are believably recruited from Chechnya, the semi-autonomous republic in the Russian Federation and a state which has long provided fertile ground for producing female jihadists.

That disturbing history was most notably on display in 2002 when bomb-strapped Chechen women were among 50 Islamist militants who held over 800 people hostage in Moscow’s Dubrovka Theatre. In that assault, nearly 130 civilians were killed. Muslim women, dressed as males, have in the past fought alongside Islamist militants. The creation of an allfemale fighting force adds a new twist in the escalating use of women combatants by alQaeda, the Taliban and other Islamist terror groups.

Part of their deadly curriculum is instruction on how to wear suicide vests, carry bomber bags, and drive bombladen vehicles. Some women have reportedly voluntarily joined the ranks of suicide bombers out of true jihadist fervour, a promise of a heavenly reward, or simply a need to avenge the deaths of their husbands and brothers lost in battle.

But what would compel a woman to strap on a bomb, kill herself, and take the lives of innocent by-standers? It is unquestionable that most female suicide bomb recruits, tragically and unsurprisingly, are unwilling participants, dragged to the terrorists cause through abduction or coercion.

Horrific crimes

This is a fatality rate that is comparable to the Islamic State, or ISIS, insurgency in Iraq. The terrorist group has reportedly deployed over 50 female suicide bombers in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, to kill 100,000 people before the end of the year. Since they started using women, there have been 15 attacks or attempts by Boko Haram female suicide bombers, who have had an increasingly salient role in the violent insurgent movement.

“Recruiting women as suicide bombers is an effective tactic that Boko Haram most likely learned from terrorist groups abroad. Women traditionally are not expected to be in the role of a suicide bomber in Nigeria. They are less likely to be suspected, inspected, or detected.

“This is the trend in terrorism overseas. The Islamic State recruited women into the Sunni millitant group as well. A wanted British woman known as the “White Widow” joined ISIS and started training an all-

was to create an Islamic state in northeastern Nigeria. They have declared loyalty to the Islamic State group, which aims to establish an Islamic

Not the Chibok girls There is fear that Boko Haram may be using some of the abducted Chibok school girls to carry out their recent suicide bombings across northern Nigeria but people from Chibok town have denied such claims saying none of the photographs of the girls involved in the attacks matched any of the missing girls..

A government official from Chibok town, who spoke with a national daily under strict condition of anonymity said most of the photographs shown in both the conventional and social media did not match the faces of any of the 219 abducted girls.

“They can’t be Chibok girls because, the parents are still alive, even some that have died still have other children and relatives who usually see the photographs and judge if any of the suicide bombers resemble the abducted girls; and so far, we have not seen anyone yet.

“Though each time we hear

And now, Nigeria’s terror group, Boko Haram has embraced female suicide bombers. Were these women forced to commit these horrific crimes? In Russia, the place has Recruiting recently become a hot bed of terror and the capital of female women as suicide suicide bombers known as bombers is an black widows.

The world got its first glimpse effective tactic that of black widows in 2002 when Boko Haram most 700 people at a Moscow theatre were taken hostage during a likely learned musical. There were 41 from terrorist terrorists and 18 of them were women. The women wore the groups abroad bombs.

Looking at the development, Evelyn Johnson, a security expert said: “Women seem to have several advantages over men when it comes to carrying out a suicide attack.Women can also carry more explosives on their person by carrying them around their waists, which can give the appearance of being pregnant. Also, women are generally more likely to evade suspicion or detection compared to men.

Because of this, they can pose an even greater danger”.

Nathaniel Sumner, a graduate of international relations said that “ Such women probably are on the lowest end of the socioeconomic scale with little or no education or job. They also tended to be unmarried, overtly confident, determined, rebellious and A casualty of an earlier suicide bombing by Boko Haram in a marketplace in the city of Jos o u t s p o k e n , characteristics that are often female brigade of suicide state cross Sunni areas of Iraq girls being used for bombing deemed as unusual or bombers for the group. The and in Syria. attacks, we are very worried, “The violence has become so group has also established an unacceptable in their society. but so far, none of them looked “Female suicide bombers all-female squad in the Syrian bad that people don’t have lives like our girls. As a matter of fact, could be motivated by anger, city of Raqqa that is charged anymore. They cannot go to even the ones arrested in Kano hatred and revenge. The girls with policing other women their farms, they cannot go to and Maiduguri were not could be indoctrinated to hate under ISIS’s interpretation of their businesses. It dominates speaking like Chibok girls and people’s lives every single day. the society and become Sharia law. some of them claim to have “The all-female squad is to They have no help form the come from the North-western martyrs. As we all know, the Islamist militant group Boko “ raise awareness among army, the people who are states. This actually gives us Haram has gained worldwide women, and arrest and punish supposed to protect them. They the assurance that our girls are notoriety this year for women who do not follow the are scared, and that fear is real.” still alive and perhaps Although President Goodluck intensifying carnage in Nigeria religion correctly.” Since Boko somewhere, and we hope they that has claimed more than Haram militants terrorizing Jonathan has pledged to defeat would return back home some 10,000 lives in just 12 months. Nigeria in 2009, their one goal Boko Haram and the JTF day”.

60— 60—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014—61 —61

C M Y K

62 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Pros fight home boys for AYC shirts I

T will be a battle of the foreign-based pros and their counterparts based at home when the Flying Eagles resume training camp in Kaduna on Saturday.

Coach Manu Garba has invited nine pros to battle 21 players based at home for the 21 places on the final squad to the 2015 African Youth Championship in Senegal.

The pros include Granada CF striker Isaac Success, Taiwo Awoniyi from Kalmar of Sweden as well as Manchester City pair of Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali.

Players from the domestic scene include Kingsley Sokari from Enyimba, Obinna Nwobodo of Enugu Rangers and the El Kanemi pair of Ifeanyi Matthew and Sulaiman Abdullahi.

The Flying Eagles have been drawn in a tough Group A of the 2015 African Youth Championship along with hosts Senegal, Congo and Cote d’Ivoire.

They open their AYC campaign on March 8 against Senegal in Dakar.

They then battle Congo On March 11, before their final group game against Cote d’Ivoire on March 14 in M’bour, which is 80 kilometres south of Dakar.

•Iheanacho

Monaco, Nice battle for Haruna

T

HE future of forgotten Super Eagles midfielder Lukman Haruna appears not to be in Ukraine with reports linking the Dynamo Kiev man with a move to Nice and Monaco.

Reports in French media say that talks are already underway for the 24 year old on a return to France where he once starred for Monaco.

Monaco face stiff competition for his services from Nice who are also in the market for a defensive midfielder this winter.

Lukman Haruna is back

to full training for Dynamo Kiev after recovering from a knee surgery but he is yet to play in the league despite appearing thrice for the reserve team as he bids his way back to match competitiveness.

In his previous stint in France he made 44 appearances for Monaco scoring three times before leaving the team following their relegation to the lower league in 2011.

Since Joining Dynamo Kiev he has made 50 appearances with five goals to his name in three years with the team.

•Eduok

T is understood that Sarpsborg 08 are in the driving seat for the signature of Nigeria B international Emem Eduok, but the Norwegian Premier League side face competition from Strømsgodset and Lillestrom.

Even though personal terms have been agreed with the player, the transfer fee being demanded by Dolphins of Port Harcourt has been the stumbling block.

Sarpsborg 08 chiefs are hoping that the club

can thrash out financial terms with their Nigerian counterparts before their first preseason game on January 26.

Another sticky point in ongoing negotiations is the sell-on clause that should be inserted into the contract, but at the moment the figure is below the 50 percent which is being bandied in the local media.

If the i’s have been dotted and the t’s crossed, Emem Eduok will pen a three -year deal with the Østfold county-based outfit.

WARA United football club of Ilorin have been promoted alongside Wikki Tourists, into the Glo Premier League from Group A of the Nigeria National League by a decision of the Nigeria Football Federation.

The Afonja Warriors were finally freed to advance into the elite division following the decision taken after their game against Ranchers Bees of Kaduna was abandoned.

The final 28 minutes of the game was ordered to be played in Abuja when the original fixture, tied at 2-2, was abandoned in the 62nd in Kaduna.

The 28 minute game was also abandoned with 10 minutes left to play, when the center referee awarded a penalty to the Ilorin side, leading to the disruption of the encounter.

Milan to send Torres back to Atletico Madrid

A

C Milan have been forced to recently deny reports that they are looking to cut short Fernando Torres’ miserable Serie A loan spell, but The Guardian reports that the San Siro side have opened negotiations with Atletico Madrid over the striker regarding a potential swap deal for Alessio Cerci.

Torres has just one league goal to his name since joining the Rossoneri on loan from Chelsea this summer, and new coach Filippo Inzaghi seems to have lost faith in the subpar Spaniard.

With Italy international Cerci struggling for game time at Atleti, Inzaghi is hoping some form of switch can be made for the pair.

European clubs scramble for Eduok

I

Kwara Utd gain promotion K

•Haruna

Udoh can’t wait to open Eagles account

T

OP scorer in the history of the Nigeria Professional Football League, Mfon Udoh says he is biting at the bit and is hoping to open his goals account for the Super Eagles when they play Mali and Ivory Coast in two international friendly matches in January.

The home based Eagles will prosecute the games against the Malians and the Ivoirians in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and Udo, who usurped Jude Aneke’s previous record of 20 goals in a single season in the Nigerian league, says having scored 23 goals in the league last season, he would like to

start scoring for the Super Eagles.

“It is my dream to score for the Super Eagles and also help to win games,” Udoh said.

“As a striker, it is always my dream to put the ball in the back of the net and playing for the Super Eagles will be no different.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 — 63

Mourinho hails win at Stoke J

OSE Mourinho be lieves Chelsea’s 2-0 win at Stoke, which secured top spot in the Premier League at Christmas, was worth “more than three points”.

John Terry and Cesc Fabregas weighed in with the goals that moved Chelsea three points clear of Manchester City.

After suffering defeat at the Britannia Stadium last season, Mourinho was happy to get the job done this time.

“To win here they must be a really very good team with the capacity to adapt to Stoke’s style of play,”

Mourinho said.

“These victories mean more than three points. To win and get three points, the players need the right spirit and mentality.

“Only with a great team performance is it possible to be successful against Stoke.”

The one controversy of the match came when referee Neil Swarbrick elected only to caution Stoke defender Phil Bardsley for a full-blooded challenge on Eden Hazard.

‘I have always loved Arsenal’

M

•L-R: Technical Director, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Shuaibu Amodu; Thankgod Nnoron, Most Valuable Player for the 3rd Place Match for U-16 and the Consultant to Pepsi Football Academy, Mr. Iain Nelson during the Pepsi Football Academy’s Gala Night in Lagos at the weekend.

Van Gaal will thrive — Ferguson S

IR Alex Ferguson has backed “great coach” Louis van Gaal to turn Manchester United into world-beaters again - once he gets a fully-fit squad.

Van Gaal was handed the task of bringing the glory days back to Old Trafford following the failed reign of David Moyes, who replaced Ferguson when his successful 26-year tenure came to an end in May 2013.

Van Gaal spent over

•Van Gaal

£150million on six new signings in the summer, but after 17 games United are third and trail Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea by 10 points.

Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Ander Herrera, Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao, along with several of their new team-mates, have all suffered injuries since moving to Old Trafford though, thus limiting their impact.

But once Van Gaal has

Carlos backs CR 7 for Ballon d’Or

R

OBERTO Carlos believes Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo deserves to win the Ballon d’Or for a second successive year.

Ronaldo won the prestigious award for the second time last January and the Portugal captain

is in the running to take the gong once again after being named on a threeman shortlist for 2014.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, who had won the Ballon d’Or three years in a row before being dethroned by Ronaldo, and Bayern Munich goalkeeper

Siasia Continues from B/P team in the future, the doors of this team are not shut to you, if you improve and we see you playing for your clubs we will invite you to come and fight for a shirt, so don’t be discouraged at not being selected.

“For those of you selected, you are just lucky, but to keep your place in this team you must go back home and continue training so as

not to fall by the way side when we begin the next phase of camping, I have been impressed with what you guys have shown me and I can safely say we have a future.”

The U23 team coach then said he had to select only 4 foreign pros, so as not to build of team of foreign players, and that as the team progresses more of such players will be invited to camp to also be part of the team.

Manuel Neuer are also in contention to receive the prize at a glittering ceremony in Zurich on January 12.

Former Brazil and Real left-back Carlos – who left his role as head coach of Turkish club Sivasspor last week – feels Ronaldo has done enough to be crowned the best player in the world once again following another stellar year.

“I am a big fan of Lionel Messi, but Cristiano Ronaldo has been more

•Ronaldo impressive,” he told Perform.

KER Casillas has no intention of leaving Real Madrid after re-establishing himself as the European champions’ first-choice goalkeeper.

Real ended a stellar year by beating San Lorenzo 2-0 to claim the Club World Cup in Marrakech on Saturday.

The Spanish giants also won the UEFA Champions League, Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana in a memorable 2014. Club captain Casillas has endured a mixed year.

“Let’s take things one step at a time. I’m under contract and have no reason to think about leaving.”

•Sissoko

Onazi

Continues from B/P and the international admits that he’d be unable to turn down a move to the Premier League.

“If the opportunity to go to Liverpool presented itself to me I could not say no,” Onazi told Supersport.

Casillas: I´m going nowhere

I

a full compliment of players to choose from, the Dutchman will make United a real force to be reckoned with, according to Ferguson, who won 38 trophies during his reign at Old Trafford.

“I don’t know how Louis van Gaal can expect to get the best results with the injuries he’s had,” Ferguson told BT Sport.

“When he gets the best players back, you watch United go - because he’s a great coach, he will do well.

OUSSA Sissoko has revealed his loves for Arsenal and suggested he will seek to leave Newcastle United to further his ambitions.

Sissoko, 25, may have only scored a single goal and recorded one assist in Newcastle’s Premier League campaign this season, but the France international has made a significant contribution in helping Alan Pardew’s men recover from their slow start to the season.

Though he is under contract at St James’ Park until 2019, Sissoko admitted he still has a soft spot for Arsenal, the team he supported as a boy growing up in the Paris suburbs.

“We’re talking about a big club, and I’ve always wanted to play in England.

“The transfer window hasn’t opened yet, and there will be a lot of offers from all over the world but it’s a complicated situation.”

Keshi

Continues from B/P However, this group is opposed by a majority on the NFF executive committee who has stuck to a “unanimous decision” in October to sack Keshi.

It will be recalled that the NFF fired the coach only to later be forced to rescind this decision on the orders of President Goodluck Jonathan.

There is certainly no love lost between Keshi and his employers even

before this sensational U-turn and the frosty relationship has been worsened by the Sports Minister ’s decision to directly pay the coach 14 million Naira as salaries for his work in October and November.

Most recently several top coaches including Shuaibu Amodu, Christian Chukwu and Adegboye Onigbinde have asked Keshi to walk away from the job because he has failed.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014

Siasia picks 4 pros, 35 others C

OACH Samson Siasia has selected 35 home-based and four foreign-based players for a final phase of preparations for an

Keshi divides NFF O

FFICIALS of the Nigeria Football Federation are at loggerheads on whether out of contract Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi deserves a new contract, with a majority still seriously opposed to this.

It has exclusively been gathered that a section of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) leadership want Keshi to be given a new contract despite failing to qualify Nigeria to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations so as to, at least, keep their plum jobs.

A top source informed that the group that favours a new contract for the failed coach believes Keshi’s “very powerful friends” will finally accept them if they give him a new deal.

Continues on page 62

All Africa Games qualifier against Gabon.

The selected players are expected to arrive the Serob Hotel camp in Abuja on January 4.

Siasia disclosed that the team’s training will now move into the more serious phase as he and his technical team have been able to select the boys from the men, and that this is time to go into tactical.

“I must commend all those who came for the exercise, that we did not select you does not mean you are not good enough, but the reality is that only 35 players must be selected, and

•Siasia that was the job we did,” he said.

“We have dropped you now, for you to go back to your clubs and work extra hard to make this Continues on page 62

Onazi: I can’t turn down Liverpool

L

•Keshi

AZIO midfielder Ogenyi Onazi admits that he ‘could not say no’ to Liverpool if the English side were to make an offer.

The 21-year-old Nigerian midfielder has been used sparingly by Aquile Coach Stefano Pioli this term, making just four Serie A starts, Continues on page 62

•Pinnick

TOP STORIES INSIDE: •Pros fight home boys for AYC shirts •Monaco, Nice battle for Haruna •European clubs scramble for Eduok

•Page 62

•Onazi

Okocha tips Black Stars for Afcon title — Centrespread QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Crease (4) 4 Beaker (3) 6 Fortune (4) 8 Skin-trouble (6) 9 Occupier (6) 10 Method (3) 12 Play (5) 14 Fire (5) 15 Era (5) 18 Keg (6) 20 Schedule (6) 24 Old-fashioned (5) 26 Pass (5) 28 Heading (5) 30 Beverage (3) 32 Crib (6) 33 Span (6) 34 Run off (4) 35 Fasten (3) 36 Female (4)

DOWN 2 Happen (5) 3 Visionary (7) 4 Talon (4) 5 Compassion (4) 6 Meal (5) 7 Harmony (7) 11 Curve (3) 12 Name (3) 13 Imitate (3) 16 Elderly (3) 17 Headgear (3) 19 Clothing (7) 21 Obtain (3) 22 Revising (7) 23 Hatchet (3) 25 Expert (3) 27 Elbow (5) 29 Beer (5) 30 Marquee (4) 31 Competent (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 2, Scope 7, Ditto 8, Ended 10, Error 12, Don 13, Clean 15, Reflect 17, Ramed 19, Tee 20, Repress 23, Seem 25, Stop 26, Radical 30, Nil 31, Terror 34, Ravaged 37, Genre 38, Sag 39, Denim 40, Miner 41, Oiled 42, Saint.

DOWN: 1, Villa 2, Steam 3, Corner 4, Poor 5, Endless 6, Bench 9, Doe 11, Retreat 13, Crisp 16, Fee 18, Defiled 21, Stern 22, Spare 24, Manager 27, Dig 28, Legion 29, Basin 32, Remit 33, Order 35, Van 36, Deft.

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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