Yuguda, FCT minister at each other's throat

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62328

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

INEC disqualifies 7 governorship candidates

54

ATTACK ON JONATHAN IN BAUCHI:

Yuguda, FCT minister at each other's throat •Yuguda, mole in PDP —Bala; 70 of your thugs arrested —Yuguda •We won't deploy election observers to N-East— EU 14 The Soludo debate

Finding forgotten Cross River hamlet

Mkpot can only be reached on foot See Inside

By Henry Umoru

A

BUJA—STRONG indications emerged that the cold war between a political godfather and his son has reared its head again, following accusations and counter accusations between Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Senator Bala Mohammed.

Their disagreement followed the governor’s claim that the minister hired thugs that stoned the president’s convoy in Bauchi last Thursday.

However, responding to the accusation yesterday, Senator Mohammed described Yuguda as, ‘’not only a fifth columnist but a mole in the Peoples Democratic Party, who claims to

Continues on page 55

COLUMNISTS:

Buhari vs Jonathan: Beyond the election

Muhammadu Buhari lied under oath •P.17

— Soludo (2)

Good governance isn't by Goodluck

PGs.40&41

....Peter Obi reacts

3 •P.5

Mr & Mrs

55 NSCDC averts bloodbath as herdsmen, farmers clash in Jigawa 6 C M Y K

PRESIDENCY 2015: ABOVE: President Goodluck Jonathan addressing a PDP Presidential rally in Ilorin, Kwara State, yesterday. BELOW: Presidential candidate of APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (Ret) fielding questions from journalists after a meeting with European Union, EU, election observation team in Abuja, yesterday. With him are: EU Chief Observer, Mr Santiago Fisas (R) and Director-General APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Gov. Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State. Photos: NAN.

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — 3

C M Y K

4 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015—5

POCKET CARTOON

CORPORATE FORUM—From left; Chairman of the Corporate Forum, Otunba Funso Lawal; Minister of Agriculture, Dr.Akinwumi Adeshina; President Goodluck Jonathan and Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at "The Corporate Forum"- an interactive forum by President Jonathan and the Organized Private Sector and leaders of professional bodies, in Lagos, Sunday.

B-Haram: US halts Israeli aid to Nigeria •Blocks purchase of military helicopters from Israel

By Emeka Mamah,

Deputy News Editor, with agency reports

L

AGOS—TWENTYFour hours after US Secretary of State, John Kerry met President Goodluck Jonathan and former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, pledging his country’s determination to work with Nigeria and other countries to end activities of the Boko Haram terrorists, the Israeli media, yesterday, revealed that the US stopped Nigeria’s purchase of Chinook military helicopters from Israel to fight Boko Haram.

The sale/transfer of such aircraft required a review by the US, to determine its “consistency with US policy interests,” Obama adminis-

tration officials told The Jerusalem Post.

It quoted White House Assistant Press Secretary and Director for Strategic Communications, Ned Price, as saying that reviews of such kind take place in the case of “any requests for one country to transfer US-origin defence items to another country.”

Nigeria’s largest arms purchase ever reported was from Israel in 2007, in a deal with Aeronautics Systems worth $260 million. That company is Israeli, however, not American.

A single Chinook costs roughly $40 million to produce.

Vanguard had reported the Nigerian military in the past as saying that the country also resorted to sending its personnel to

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world—Desmond Tutu Plato the famous Greek Philosopher wrote centuries ago that is it good and beautiful to “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” Always be kinder than necessary. What goes around comes around. No one has ever made themselves strong by showing how small someone else is.

Whatever can be done, can be done more effectively when you add kindness. Whatever words are spoken, will always be more compelling when expressed with kindness. The kind deeds you exert in just one moment can have a positive impact that lasts a lifetime.

Your days will be brighter and your years fuller when you add kindness to your purpose. Choose to be kind every day, and you’re truly choosing to live in a better world.

Russia and China because of the refusal of the US administration to sell arms to the government.

The US based its reason on “unfounded allegations of human rights violations by our troops,” among others.

However, the reports quoted unnamed Nigerian officials as also saying that the US blocked the order “after the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had initially approved the purchase.”

Policy directives

US officials told The Jerusalem Post that such transfers must be consistent with a policy directive revised by President Barack Obama in January, which outlines the criteria for conventional weapons sales.

The policy requires US transfers, including Boeing aircraft, to take into account “the risk that significant change in the political or security situation of the recipient country could lead to inappropriate end-use” of the weapons.

While the Nigerian report suggests Abuja sought the purchase of Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters, Israel predominantly uses Sikorsky CH-53 aircraft for missions involving heavy-lift transport. Both Boeing and Sikorsky are American companies.

Israeli laws concerning the export of arms are

less restrictive than those in the United States. Israel, however, is a member of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms and, in 2009, reported to the body that Israel, in practice, refrains from transfers “ where there is imminent risk that arms might be internally diverted, illegally proliferated and re-transferred, or fall into the hands of terrorists or entities and states that support or sponsor them.”

Sixteen nations operate the Chinook helicopter, none of which are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nigerian officials were reported as saying that “ we had even tried to procure arms from Russia but this was stalled because of the Ukrainian crisis, thus compelling

us to turn to other nations like Israel. But even this has been frustrated by the US.” They further said it was not just in the area of arms procurement that US has been most unhelpful, adding that contrary to its public stance that it was assisting in the rescue operations of the abducted Chibok secondary school girls, it has done nothing significant to help Nigeria in this regard.

Other intelligence sources also cited the fact that the US has refused to share intelligence with Nigerian security forces in a timely manner. They said: “When we complained, they started sharing some intelligence, but days after such intelligence is of little value”.

Boko Haram gained notoriety around the world after its militants kidnapped 276 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State in April last year. The US sent military personnel to assist in finding the girls.

Amnesty connection

In August, Amnesty In-

ternational said it had gathered video footage, images and testimonies that “implicates the Nigerian military in war crimes” which the Nigerian government vehemently denied.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said in Nigeria recently that the United States remains committed to helping the government combat Boko Haram.

“We are engaging with the Nigerian government at all levels to identify areas of counter-terrorism cooperation,” other state officials earlier said.

This was contrary to what the US ambassador to Nigeria James Entwistle told reporters last October while speaking on the refusal by his country to sell high calibre weapons to Nigeria.

Entwistle told reporters that “the kind of question that we have to ask is, let’s say we give certain kinds of equipment to the Nigerian military and that is then used in a way that affects the human situation, if I approve that, I’m responsible for that. We take that responsibility very seriously.”

I'll defend Nigeria's unity if re-elected — Jonathan

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

J

OS—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has said that the task of keeping Nigeria one, despite the security challenges, remained one of his priorities if reelected on February 14.

Jonathan spoke at the Rwang Pam Township stadium in Jos during a campaign rally, yesterday.

He appealed to the people to vote the PDP in all the elections as Plateau State was the

home of PDP and its people, asking the residents to ensure that the party did not lose at the polls.

“I thank Plateau people for their commitment to ensure that PDP remains in power. Plateau is the home of PDP and PDP is the only party that is democratic and ensures that no one is intimidated.

“I signed the FOI bill to ensure freedom of speech, I will work hard to ensure freedom and peace in the country as keeping Nigeria one is a

task all of us must undertake,” he said.

Earlier, the state Governor, Jonah Jang had reiterated the need to continue in the infrastructural development of the state and urged all to support the party’s candidates in the general elections.

Similarly, the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Gyang Pwajok thanked the people for the opportunity to serve adding, “the younger generation is ready to take the state higher in the next dispensation.”

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

JOHESU STRIKE:

Health workers protest in Benin

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

E N I N — H E A LT H workers in Edo State, under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU, yesterday protested the alleged unwillingness of the Federal Government to implement a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, reached with the union.

Members of the union, who were drawn from the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, and the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Benin, wore black wrist bands, and decried the non-payment of the salary adjustment arrears and the two months arrears paid to medical doctors.

State chairman of the Senior Staff Association of University Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, Mr. Frank Igbinovia, had disclosed that government had entered into an agreement with the union on August 26 and 27, 2014, to implement the National Industrial Court verdict in favour of JOHESU. He said the agreement was on the non-skipping of salary CONHESS 10, call/ shift duty and other professional allowances, among other issues.

He said: “The court judgment favoured us.

Implement everything for us and we will come back to work. Please, answer us and let us come back.

“Even if they think they can manage the patients in private hospitals, all of us know that what they do there is quackery.”

NSCDC averts bloodbath as herdsmen, farmers clash in Jigawa

By Tina Akannam

D

UTSE—THE Jigawa command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has averted another bloody clash between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Malam-Madori Local Government Area of the state.

NSCDC State Commandant, Dr. Muhammad Gidado, who disclosed to this to Vanguard, said field officers of the

agency got to the scene of the clash on time and nabbed some herdsmen, who were encroaching on a farm of one Malam Adamu Muhammad with their cattle.

Said he: “The prompt intervention of officers of the Corps helped in avoiding what could have turned to a fierce fight between farmers and cattle rears that could have resulted in bloodbath in the area.”

Dr. Gidado, who noted that both parties had agreed to settle their dispute amicably, following his intervention, explained further that the herdsmen was led by Adamu Haruna, while Hamza Muhammad led the farmers.

He said the herdsmen agreed to compensate the farmer whose farm was destroyed by the grazing cattle.

According to him, part of the

RAZED: Warri Lower Erejuwa Motor Spare Parts Market, yesterday. PHOTO: Akpokona Omafuaire.

Suspected kidnappers kill Imo Assembly Commissioner

By Chidi Nkwopara

O

WERRI—A serving commissioner in Imo State House of Assembly Commission, Mr. Tobias Onyekele, was Sunday night killed by unidentified gunmen at Ugwu Orji, Owerri North Local Government Area of the state.

Onyekele, who had served as Chairman of Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area, was said to

be driving a sports utility vehicle when the dare-devil hoodlums overtook his vehicle and forced him to stop.

It was also gathered that Onyekele, who refused to comply with the demands of the armed men, was subsequently shot at close range.

Confirming the incident to Vanguard, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, said the hoodlums wanted to kidnap the deceased

at a point near the fly-over bridge at Ugwu Orji.

He said Onyekele refused to comply with the assailants’ orders and in an attempt to escape after alighting from his vehicle, was shot several times by the bandits.

While noting that the police had deposited the remains of Mr. Onyekele in the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, morgue, the PPRO also confirmed the killing of two

Fire guts Warri spare parts market

By Egufe Yafugborhi & Akpokona Omofuaire

W

ARRI—THE popular Lower Erejuwa Motor Spare Parts Market in Warri, Delta State, was yesterday gutted by fire.

The market association’s leadership estimated that more than 50 shops, stocked with various automobile parts belonging to about 200 traders, were razed in the single-storey

decision taken at the reconciliation meeting was that both parties should sign a peace undertaking, a copy of which was kept with the command.

The Commandant then sued for peace and harmonious coexistence between farmers and the Fulani herdsmen and charged them to report any case of misdeeds to authorities concern, instead of taking laws into their hands.

building with the cumulative cost estimated at hundreds of millions of naira.

Some affected shop owners struggled to put out what was left of the fire when Vanguard visited the scene, with heaps of burnt merchandise littering the premises.

The cause of the incident could not be ascertained, but some shop owners said it could not have been triggered by faulty electricity because

there was power outage at the time the fire started.

Some victims, who spoke to Vanguard, estimated their loss to be between one and three million naira.

Chairman of the Lower Erejuwa Motor Spare Parts Dealers Association, Chief Donatus Chiaha, who said the fire started at about 3am, said: “The loss here runs into hundreds of millions because we have no less than 200 men

who trade here and you sometimes have two to three independent traders in one shop.

“This is a very big loss because most of us, recharging for a new business year, borrowed from cooperatives, village meetings and different other lending sources to adequately stock the shops, with the intention of paying back at the end of the year.”

suspected armed robbers yesterday, at No Man’s Land, along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway.

Giving details of this latter incident, after showing the lifeless bodies of the robbers to Vanguard, Mr. Enwerem said the patrol team was still tracking the fleeing kidnappers when it received a distress call that armed robbers were operating along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway.

He said: “Police quickly moved in and on sighting the patrol team, the robbers opened fire. During the exchange of fire, one of the robbers was killed and others escaped with gunshot wounds.”

Enwerem said police combed the area, found the second suspect, who, however, died on the way to hospital.

He said: “Items recovered from the hoodlums are one locally-made shot gun, two machetes, three expended cartridges, torchlight and a toy gun. The Command is still investigating the two cases.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015—7

‘How my conductor introduced me to robbery’

By Esther Onyegbula

T

HE Lagos State Police Command has arrested a member of three-man armed robbery gang, which specializes in snatching vehicles in Lagos and its environs.

The suspect, identified as Chukwudi Iwueke, was arrested at the scene of the robbery operation along Pedro, Somolu, while two others escaped.

It was learned that the trio chartered a Toyota Camry at Lekki Roundabout. The driver charged them N15,000 to take them to Oshodi, not knowing they were robbers.

Trouble started when the robbers ordered the driver to pull over, while approaching Palmgrove.

Realising that the passengers were armed robbers, the driver stopped the vehicle and initially resisted the robbers.

He was, however, immediately dragged out of the car by one of the robbers at gunpoint, but was able to hold on to one of the robbers and call for help, while the other two zoomed off with the vehicle, his wallet and phones.

It was gathered that the victim bought the Toyota Camry two months ago, and decided to pick passengers on his way home from work.

The police recovered one locally-made gun and four live cartridges at the scene of the robbery operation.

Vanguard gathered that the case, which was transferred from Pedro Divisional Police to Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, is currently being investigated, even as the command is making efforts to arrest other members of the gang, who are currently at large.

Speaking to Vanguard, the suspect, 30-year-old commercial bus driver, who identified himself as Chukwudi Iwueke, said: “I was arrested because I went to a robbery operation with members of my gang. My friend asked me to join them for the operation to snatch a car that we would sell.

“We succeeded in the operation, but the other two

members of the gang drove off with the car after the owner of the car held unto me, raised alarm and people around caught me and then took me to the police.

“I was a commercial bus driver before I went into robbery. I ply Ikotun/Iyano-Ipaja route.

“Initially, I was a company driver before the Indonesia expatriate travelled back to his country; hence I started driving the commercial bus last year April.

“I was introduced to robbery by one David, who was my

HE Benue Police Command said a businessman, Mr. Ronald Mnyim, was last Sunday, abducted by suspected kidnappers in Katsina-Ala at 8.30pm.

Confirming this yesterday in Makurdi, the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP John Bako, said seven gunmen abducted the businessman at a relaxation

leader, Sunny, asked him to carry us on charter from Lekki to Oshodi.

“Unknown to him that we were armed robbers who wanted to snatch his vehicle, he agreed and billed us N15,000.

“I was sitting behind the victim, while David was beside him at the front, with Sunny beside me at the rear.

“Immediately we got to Jibowu area, Sunny signalled me to make a move, which I did by pointing a gun at the victim but he was stubborn and resisted us initially.”

Police helping accident victims at Central Area in Abuja, yesterday. NAN PHOTO.

Man beheads kinsman in Abia

By ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA—TRAGEDY struck in the sleepy rural community of Umuokwe, Umuhu Ezechi in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State last week as a young man said to be in his early 30s, Ahamefula Mba, was beheaded by his kinsman, Chinedu Okorie.

Police confirm kidnap of Benue businessman

T

conductor, while I was a commercial bus driver.

“When we started having issues on the road with Police and LASTMA officials and found it difficult to deliver the daily pay to the owner of the bus, he introduced me to armed robbery.

“I agreed to participate in the operation as they promised to give me N100,000 after we sold the car to sort my accommodation problem.

“We were at Lekki roundabout when the victim stopped to pick up passengers. The gang

joint in Katsina-Ala. Bako said Mnyim was relaxing with friends when the hoodlums struck and abducted him.

He said no ransom had been demanded by the kidnappers and appealed to the public to volunteer information that could lead to the arrest of the culprits.

Mnyim runs petrol stations in Katsina-Ala and Makurdi.

The incident was said to have happened at the village stream, where he had gone to fetch water.

Late Mba, said to be a relation of the former Commissioner for Lands in the state, Chief Paul Chikezie, was reported to have squatted to fetch water from the stream when his assailant came from behind and chopped off his head.

The suspect, Okorie, is said to have gone into hiding since the incident as both the community and the police have been on his trail.

According to a source in the community, the suspect bought a new machete and sharpened if for seven days without those around him knowing what he needed it for.

Mba’s headless body was discovered by children who went to the stream and raised alarm, which attracted the attention of the villagers, who immediately began searching for the suspect who the children saw before he made his escape.

Unable to track down Okorie, angry youths in the community were said to have gone on rampage, destroying the home, farmland and other economic trees of the suspect’s family.

A source in the community said the suspect had recently been behaving strangely and was even said to have bought a machete previously, which he sharpened for days before it was taken away from him.

He was, however, said to have bought another machete with which he killed the victim.

The source said: “We never knew that he had gone out again to buy another machete and we got to know that he had been sharpening the machete for the past seven days prior to committing the dastardly act on the late Mba.” State Police Public Relations ASP Geoffrey Ogbonna, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident, saying the command was intensifying efforts to track down the fleeing suspect.

FEES HIKE: Protesting FUPRE students barricade East-West Road

By Emma Amaize & Egufe Yafugborhi

S

TUDENTS of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun, FUPRE, in Delta State, yesterday, laid siege to the East-West Road, disrupting traffic for hours over increase in school fees by the authorities.

Students Union Government, SUG, President, Victor Ovorabua, however, said the students, who also locked the institution’s gate, were enraged that the management increased fees for returning students from N26,400 to N40,000, while accommodation fee was increased from N10,000 to N50,000.

A student said they were angered by the manner the acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Olatunde Damisa, addressed them on the matter.

However, soldiers, who got wind of the peaceful protest, were at the school and expressway with the students to ensure the protest was not hijacked by hoodlums.

However, acting Registrar, Mr. Amiso Iniowuari, who spoke to Vanguard on phone, said: “All I can say is that they have been asked to come for negotiation on Tuesday by 10.00am.”

Ovorabua corroborated his claim that a meeting had been scheduled for next Tuesday.

Management of the university also denied allegations of ethnic discrimination against host Urhobo.

In a statement

by Iniowuari, FUPRE said: “It is quite unfortunate that despite m a n a g e m e n t ’ s conscious publication of the staff distribution of Urhobo employees against other ethnic nationalities in FUPRE, some interest groups still continue to misinform the public for reasons best known to them.”

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

212m ’ll be out of job globally in 2019, ILO warns

By Victor AhiumaYoung

G

E N E V A — INTERNATIONAL Labour Organisation, ILO, has warned that unemployment will continue to rise in Nigeria and other parts of the world in the coming years, as the global economy has entered a new period combining slower growth, widening inequalities and turbulence.

Specifically, ILO while quoting “World Employment and Social Outlook, WESO” – Trends 2015, lamented that by 2019, more than 212 million persons will be out of work, up from the current 201 million.

According to the ILO Director-General, Mr. Guy Ryder, “more than 61 million jobs have been lost since the start of the global crisis in 2008 and our projections show that unemployment will continue to rise until the end of the decade. This means the jobs crisis is far from over so there is no place for complacency.”

ILO in its latest reports, noted that employment situation had improved in the United States and Japan, but remained difficult in a number of advanced economies, particularly in Europe.

Vulnerable employment According to the ILO, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa which include Nigeria, accounted for three quarters of the world’s vulnerable employment.

The report said: “East Asia is among the regions that are likely to make the biggest dent in vulnerable employment, which is expected to be reduced in the region from 50.2 per cent in 2007 to 38.9 per cent in 2019.

"The employment situation has not improved much in Sub-Saharan Africa, despite better economic growth performance. And in the Arab region and parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, the employment outlook has deteriorated.

“The steep decline in oil and gas prices, if sustained, may improve the employment outlook somewhat in many advanced economies and several Asian countries according to some forecasts.

By contrast, it will hit labour markets hard in major oil and gas producing countries, notably in Latin America, Africa and the Arab region."

How Jonathan is promoting one Nigeria,

by Shagari zSays Nigeria is maturing politically

By Clifford Ndujihe, Deputy Political Editor

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AGOS — SECOND Republic and first executive President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, is happy that the country has witnessed 16 years of unbroken democratic rule and wants the trend sustained.

The octogenarian, who will be 90 years on February 25, said the country is maturing politically and commended President Goodluck Jonathan for promoting the unity of the country.

The former president, who was toppled on December 31, 1983 by the Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) military coup stressed the need to strengthen our democratic, saying: "I sincerely could never have imagined that in my life time, under constitutional rule, with a deep and broad mandate, a zoologist from Bayelsa, one of our youngest states, could rise to become Commander-in-Chief.

"There is no better indicator that, while much remains to be achieved, our beloved Nigeria is slowly but surely maturing politically.

Almost unwittingly, we are strengthening our democratic practice. And we must acknowledge and be thankful of the fact that Jonathan has taken it upon himself to diligently promote one Nigeria not only in words but in action.”

Shagari conveyed the thoughts through his foreword to the book; "Jonathan: A Photographic Journey to the Presidency,” which was circulated, weekend, in Lagos when President Jonathan took his re-election campaign to the top echelon of the country’s business community.

In the seven-paragraph foreword to the 398-page book, Shagari, who recalled Jonathan’s topsy-turvy journey to power, said the president’s accelerated electoral reforms and political will ensured that the 2011 general polls were credible and peaceful.

His words: "Without the acceleration of electoral reforms achieved as a result of President Jonathan’s political will, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, would not have been able to guarantee relatively free and fair elections in 2011.

Much remains to be done

"While the Jonathan administration lays claim, and rightly so, for assuring that INEC could carry out its work unimpeded by what had become almost routine ‘bottlenecks’ and practices in the administration of Nigerian elections hitherto, we must not forget the role popular opinion played as well. Much remains to be done, but we are now more confident that INEC can become an effective and independent institution.”

On the book, he said: "As I looked through the book, I was reminded of the responsibilities and roles our leaders undertake daily to help move our beloved nation forward. In the case of President Jonathan, a lot

has been said and written about his style, strategy and keenness. Anyone who picks up at this book will surely appreciate how hard he works, how earnest he is and how much energy and bonhomie he brings along with him.

"The book also reminds me of how much Nigeria’s states and communities are inter-linked in so many ways. This is a reminder of the role citizens play in securing democracy and democratic institutions.

And Indeed Nigerians have been at the forefront in ensuring that ‘things’ get better.

"Most of all, I was reminded how much, over the past four years, our

young democracy has grown in terms of tolerance and inclusion which embraces, accepts and celebrates our diverse cultures and communities."

The elder statesman hoped that the book will lead to the production of more books with stories "that will heighten our collective understanding of how our democracy is being built. Stories that will remind us of how far we have come.

Stories that will inspire us to continue to hold our political leaders accountable for ensuring that Nigeria delivers the basic needs of Nigerians, and that it takes on its global responsibilities and leadership with same sense of focus with which it is nurturing and building its democratic traditions."

ROUNDTABLE: From left: Engr. Mohammed Sulaiman, Registrar/Chief Executive,

Nigerian Institute of Management, (NIM) (Chartered); Dr. Nelson Uwaga, President and Chairman of Council, NIM; Amb. Christopher Kolade, Past President/Chairman of Council, NIM and Chairman of occasion and Dr. Nelson Olatunji Olaniyi, Senior Advisor/Permanent Representative to the United Nations and guest speaker at NIM Business Breakfast Roundtable, in Lagos. Photo: Oscar Ochiogu.

CERTIFICATE CONTROVERSY:

Abuja lawyer drags Buhari to court

By Innocent Anaba

L

AGOS — THE controversy over the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari’s academic certificate has shifted to the court, as an Abuja-based lawyer, Mr. Chike Okafor has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, to disqualify Buhari from contesting February 14 presidential election on account of false information given by the candidate in the affidavit he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in support of his nomination form.

Okafor in suit No. FHC/ ABJ/CS/01/2015, predicated the case on Section 131 of the

Constitution which prescribes a minimum qualification for nomination to participate in Presidential elections and Section 31 of the Electoral Act that stipulates all presidential candidates to depose an affidavit in proof of compliance with constitutional requirement to be President of Nigeria.

The claimant is contending in the suit that Buhari failed to prove that he has the minimum educational qualification to run for President.

He is further contending that Buhari’s affidavit that he possesses the West African School Leaving Certificate (WASC) are false, as not only did he not

attach it to his Nomination Form, as compulsorily required, but his claim that the certificates are in the custody of the military had been denied by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Olajide Laleye.

Okafor is, consequently, praying the court to disqualify Buhari from contesting the February 14 presidential election, citing Section 31(5) of the Electoral Act that allows a person that has reasonable grounds to believe that false information has been given by a candidate in his affidavit or document submitted to INEC, in support of his nomination form, to approach the court for the candidate to be disqualified.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 —9

APC doubts Jonathan’s pledge on handover date

By Charles Kumolu

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AGOS — THE All Progressives Congress, APC, has expressed doubt over President Goodluck Jonathan’s promise that the May 29, 2015 handover date is still sacrosanct, noting that the dates for the presidential and governorship polls should also remain sacred.

It also warned against postponing the exercise on the basis of insurgency in the North-West geo-political zone to avoid giving victory to insurgents.

Briefing newsmen yesterday in Lagos, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the APC would not accept any postponement, adding that the party is ready for the elections.

His words: "APC is ready for the elections and under no circumstance will we accept a postponement. For us, February 14 and 28 are as sacrosanct as May 29, the handover date.

The government has had four years to prepare and the dates for the elections were announced over a year ago. Therefore, there is no going back now.

"We note that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has also said it is ready for the polls.

That is good news. Let them now end their clandestine push for either postponement or the formation of an interim government, stop engaging in scare and scandal mongering

zSays polls' dates should also remain sacred zAdds: ‘The party is ready for elections’ and dwell on issues, ahead of the polls.

"We are satisfied with the assurances by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that it is ready for the polls, and we call on the Jonathan administration to give the electoral body all the support and resources it requires to organise successful elections.

We’ ll not accept any postponement

"Any postponement of the election will mean that INEC is not independent and that it is being dictated to by the Federal Government, a position that will hurt the credibility of the electoral umpire.

"Any postponement on the basis of the insurgency in the North-East will represent a victory for the terror group, Boko Haram, and will create a constitutional logjam that will take Nigeria back to 1993.

Believe me, we have travelled that route before and it was not pleasant.

"The APC strongly rejected the call by the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, for the postponement of next month’s general elections, ostensibly to give more time to INEC to distribute the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs). In spite of this, we have noted with dismay that the Jonathan administration has

continued to pursue the plot to shift the elections. That plot in itself is one of the twopronged approach being pursued by the administration to either shift or scuttle the elections which are scheduled for February 14 and 28.

Interim Govt

"The other is the campaign for an Interim Government. It is important to state here that for the APC, as a party, both options represent the Devil’s Alternative (apologies to British writer Frederick Forsyth, who has a book by the same title), and are totally, absolutely unacceptable to us under any circumstance. ‘’When President Goodluck Jonathan met with US Secretary of State, John Kerry, on Sunday in Lagos, the President said he told the visiting US top diplomat that "the May 29 handover date is sacrosanct."

"We say this is not reassuring enough, and that for us, the February 14 and 28 dates for the elections are as sacrosanct as the handover date of May 29. Therefore, we are more assured by the call made by Mr. Kerry, that the elections should be held on time as scheduled. Nothing short of that will be acceptable to our party.’

"We are also satisfied with the assurance by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it is ready for the elections. The electoral body has also said it will continue with PVC distribution until the eve of the elections.

Therefore, the orchestrated campaign about INEC not being ready for the elections is sheer baloney.

"Now, make no mistakes about it, we are aware of the limitless capacity of the PDP and the Jonathan administration for antidemocratic and desperate actions in pursuit of selfish motives that have nothing to

do with the interest of the good people of Nigeria.

"We are aware of the clandestine moves, including reaching out to various interest groups and hiring talking heads to make the television rounds, being made by the administration to get the elections shifted.

"If indeed the Jonathan administration is genuinely concerned that many Nigerians have not received their PVCs, let it declare a three-day public holiday to give working Nigerians the opportunity to collect their PVCs. Let the government work with INEC to ensure that the PVCs are distributed at the polling units. If these steps are followed, within five days, the distribution would have been completed."

FG to build 25,000 barrels per day refineries

By Michael Eboh, with agency reports

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BUJA — THE Federal Government, yesterday, announced plans to build modular refineries with capacity of between 10,000 and 25,000 barrels per day to boost domestic fuel supply.

Group Coordinator, Planning and Strategy, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Tim Okon, who disclosed this, said this becomes necessary after efforts to get investors to build bigger refineries failed to yield positive results.

He further stated that the Federal Government was already working on the modalities of the project and was p r e s e n t l y considering the economic benefits and the environment impact assessment, among others.

He said: “The government is working on a policy to develop modular refineries of 10,000 to 25,000 barrels per day. This will be implemented once we are able to finalise the issue of the economics, the environmental impact assessment, and other logistics.”

He blamed the inability of private investors to build refineries, despite licences given to them in that regard to a number of factors ranging from the

delay in carrying out the reforms in the oil and gas sector, the nonderegulation of the downstream segment of the petroleum sector and the uncertainty of price expectations.

He lamented the fact that local refining capacity had failed to keep pace with petroleum products consumption in Nigeria, adding that Nigeria’s petroleum consumption has risen to more than 70,000 litres per day from 17 million per day in year 2000.

The NNPC had in its Monthly Petroleum Information for September 2014, put the respective average capacity utilisation for Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) and the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) at 0.00 per cent, 8.77 per cent and 0.00 per cent respectively.

This means that only the Port Harcourt Refining Company was functional in September.

The NNPC said: “This month, zero metric tonne (mt) of dry crude oil, condensate and slop was received by the three refineries, KRPC, PHRC and WRPC. With an opening stock of 253.26 thousand mt, total crude oil available for processing was 253.26 thousand mt, out of which 74.64 thousand mt was processed.”

The NNPC further stated that total national domestic refining produced 46,920 metric tonnes of finished and intermediate products, adding that the Pipeline Products Marketing Company, PPMC, which lifts products from the refineries evacuated 174,440 metric tonnes of products.

10— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Lagos PDP flags off gov campaign zAccuses APC of ‘governance without human face'

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By Dapo Akinrefon & Ikenna Asomba

AGOS—FORMER Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George; erstwhile Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and governorship candidate of the PDP, Mr Jimi Agbaje yesterday flaggedoff the party ’s governorship campaign lambasting the current state government of running a government without human face.

They also said that if voted into office, the PDP will bring a change to governance in Lagos State.

The trio said this at the flag-off rally held at Skypower, near Archbishop Vinning Anglican Church in Ikeja.

Addressing party supporters yesterday, Chief George, who accused the All Progressives Congress-led government of mortgaging the state said; “In the last 16 years, they (APC) has taken us on a journey to no where.

“Lagos has been mortgaged, Alpha Beta has been taking N5 billion every month from our treasury, we cannot continue like this, there must be change.”

He urged Lagosians to cast their votes for President Goodluck Jonathan and Jimi Agbaje during next month’s general elections saying “PDP is a party to trust.”

The PDP chieftain also warned PDP supporters to eschew violence during the election urging them to, however, protect their votes.

“The APC is not ready to win but I want to appeal to you to ensure there is no violence during the elections but also know that, we will not allow them to steal our votes again. Jimi Agbaje is okay, please vote for him,” George said.

Reassuring party members that there was no division in the Lagos PDP, he said: “I want to say this to our teeming party members that in Lagos State, there are no dissenting voice in our party, we are one.”

In his remarks, former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Obanikoro took a swipe at the APC governorship candidate, Mr Akinwumi Ambode, saying that “Ambode does not have what it takes to govern Lagos.”

He noted that Agbaje remains the best candidate among the contestants.

Canvassing support for Agbaje, he said; “Our candidate is his own man and not an archaic civil servant that does not have what it takes to govern Lagos. We do not want an emperor in Lagos but a man with the fear of God.” He faulted the taxation burden on Lagosians, saying “since 1999, we have been paying taxes in Lagos but Alpha Beta collects 10 per cent of our taxes.”

On his part, the PDP governorship candidate, Mr Agbaje berated the state government for not implementing people-oriented policies.

According to him; “The present government has no human face for anybody, they only think about themselves. We have gone round and we have answered so many questions.

They (APC) say they want continuity, but we are saying that we want change. There is nothing like continuity. The election is for us to win but we must work for it. We’re going to show the people that we are on ground.”

Agbaje also expressed optimism that he would emerge victorious at the end of next month’s governorship election.

Also, former governorship aspirants, Messrs Deji Doherty, Tokunbo Kamson and Babatunde Gbadamosi, who contested against Agbaje at the primary, pledged to work for success of the party at the polls.

Notable party leaders present

at the flag-off include former Minister for Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe; former Minister for Integration in Africa, Dr Abimbola Ogunkelu; former acting PDP secretary, Mr Remi Akitoye; Mrs Modupe Sasore, Dr Modupe Chukwueneke, Chief Bode Oyedele, Mr Hakeem Gbajabiamila, Alhaji Kola Balogun and Senator Semiu Kukoyi among others.

CPP endorses Agbaje

Meantime, the Conference of Political Parties in Lagos State, CPP, yesterday, endorsed Mr. Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as their consensus candidate for next month’s governorship election in the state.

Spokesperson of the group, Chief Adesumbo Onitiri, who appealed to Lagosians to cast

their votes for Agbaje, said: “The PDP flag-bearer, Jimi Agbaje remains the best candidate needed at this moment to end the slavery, oppression and dominance of one man rule in Lagos State. Inspite of the 16 years of APC rule, the state is still rated as one of the dirtiest city in the world and the most unsafe to live in among world capital cities.

“APC government has failed to provide portable water, good education, affordable housing for the masses and good access to health. Go to Ipaja, Ojo, Ejigbo, Ikorodu, Agege, Ikotun, Isolo, Ikeja and see the bad state of roads, and you will feel sorry for Lagosians who go through hardship. Inspite of the huge internally generated revenue, most of which is siphoned into private pockets, the state is still largely underdeveloped,” he lamented.

UNILAG's Housing workshop holds

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AGOS—AS the Federal Government continues in its quest to provide house for all in the shortest possible time, the Department of Building, University of Lagos, Akoka has finalised plans to organise a workshop on how to make this project feasible.

The seminar titled: National Vision on Housing and Infrastructure: The role of project management, which is the 10th edition of its annual project management lecture series,beginsonThursday,February 5 at the Unilag multi-purpose hall.

Thelecturewillbedeliveredbythe managing director and chief executive officer, Aso Savings and LoansPlc,Abuja,Mr.HassanUsman.

Nollywood movie, The Department hits cinemas Jan 30

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FLAG OFF: From left: Deputy governorship candidate, Alhaja Safuratu Abdulkareem, Mr Jimi Agbaje, PDP goverernship candidate, Chief Olabode George, party chieftain, and Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, former Minister of Defence, during the Lagos State PDP flag off rally for the governorship election, at SkyPower ground, Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi .

By Onozure Dania

AGOS—A captivating, romantic and triller moive The Department is set to hit the Cinemas across the country come January 30.

The movie which stars a mix of Nollywood legends and fast rising stars which includes Desmond Elliot, Jide Kosoko, Majid Michel, Osas Ighodaro, O.C Ukeje, Kenneth Okolie, Seun Akindele and Somkele Iyamah.

The movie is about a lady Tolu Okoye, who used to live in Lagos and run the industrial sabotage department for a Nigerian conglomerate until she gotmarriedandmovedtothesuburb where she became bored as a house wife and needed to do something, meanwhile the department wanted her back to do one last job.

Lull at Lagos Fed High Court as JUSUN resumes L AGOS—ACTIVITIES did not commence fully on Monday at Federal High Court in Lagos, following the suspension of the three-weekold strike by Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN. JUSUN embarked on nationwide industrial action on January 2, to press for obedience of a court order that affirmed financial autonomy of states’ judiciary.

JUSUN called off the strike on Sunday, January 25, after a meeting at the Supreme Court, Abuja, but suspension only affected Federal High Courts, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and the National Industrial Court.

At the Federal High Court in Lagos, some of the courts’ registrars were seen at their various desks, waiting for the commencement of court

proceedings.

Deputy Chief Registrar of the court, Mr Bello Okandeji, however, confirmed the resumption of activities in the court but added that at the moment, only skeletal works were going on in preparation for

full court sittings.

Some lawyers at the court premises expressed relief at the suspension of the industrial action in the federal courts, and appealed that same be extended to state high courts.

A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr Femi

Adedayo described the suspension as a big relief for lawyers.

“The news of the suspension came to me as a big relief and that is why I hurriedly came down to court today to file some processes," he said.

Lagos APC rejects shift in election schedule Assembly speaker, Jokotola forthcoming general elections

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Ebun Sessou

AGOS—ALL Progressives Congress, APC, has challenged the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof.

Attahiru Jega to be forthright in his decision in making sure that the February elections hold.

The party while calling on Nigerians to reject any proposal by any group agitating the postponement of the

said, postponement of any sorts if allowed would lead to further unrest in the country.

During one of its campaigns in Agbowa area of Epe, Lagos State organised by a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Segun Olulade said the party reiterated that, Jega, will be writing his name in gold if he ensures the elections hold next month.

Speaking, former Lagos State

Pelumi said postponement of the February elections is suicidal.

“Giving all the indices, we can see that PDP is jittery. The party knows that APC is in the driving seat," he said.

While urging youths to be law abiding during and after the elections, he said youths are most productive in driving the initiative of the party, adding that without them the party cannot move.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 —11

Ogun confirms outbreak of bird flu in Ota, Sagamu, others zNo cause for alarm— Poultry Association

By Daud Olatunji

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BEOKUTA—THE Ogun State government yesterday confirmed the outbreak of Avian Influenza otherwise known as H5N1 and also known as bird flu.

The state commissioner for

Agriculture, Mrs Ronke Sokefun while addressing newsmen said samples from Sango, Sagamu and Ifo live birds market tested positive to the highly pathogenic bird flu.

She said samples of birds taken from another poultry farm on Obalende-Ikangba Road in

Odogbolu Local Government area of the state had tested positive.

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, had on January 21 in newspaper reports, l isted Ogun State as one of the seven states harbouring the bird flu virus.

SENDFORTH: Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State (2nd left), a retiree, Mrs.Taiwo Oyewole (right),while chairman of the occasion, Chief Adebayo Oyero (left) watches, at the send-forth ceremony in honour of Local Government retirees in Ibadan, yesterday. Photo: Oyo Government House.

According to him, the discovery was made after a statewide surveillance and live bird market decontamination exercise initiated along the border towns of Sango, Ifo, Akute, Sagamu, and MoweIbafo axis, considering their nearness to Lagos.

She said: “Other markets in Abeokuta, Ijebu Ode, Ilaro and Ayetoro were not left out.”

She said the samples were sent to the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, near Jos in Plateau State.

Meanwhile, the state chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria, Dr. Olalekan Odunsi, however, said there was no cause for alarm.

Dr. Odunsi said the association in conjunction with other neighbouring states had held stakeholders meeting on ways of containing the virus.

He said: “We have sent SMS to our members on advocacy and the need for them to take preventive measures on their farms.

“There is no need to panic.

The areas affected are under surveillance.”

Aggrieved Oyo gov aspirants return to PDP

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By Ola Ajayi

BADAN—SOME aggrieved governorship aspirants who had distanced themselves since the former Senate leader, Senator Teslim Folarin was picked as the party’s governorship candidate for the February 28 polls have returned and joined the candidate in his campaign.

The aggrieved aspirants who had resolved to work for the success of the party include Alhaji Hazim Gbolarumi, Mr. Femi Babalola (Jogor), Professor Soji Adejumo, Senator Ayoade

Adeseun, and Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan.

They were all present at a rally organized by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ibadan yesterday for President Goodluck Jonathan and its governorship candidate, Senator Teslim Folarin.

The coordinator of the rally, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide who is the Minister of State, FCT, warned that people should not vote for General Muhammadu Buhari who she claimed, had threatened that Ikoyi Prison would receive many visitors if he should become

president.

Instead, she told Nigerians to vote for Jonathan who during his tenure, signed into law the Freedom of Information Act, FoI, which allows for freedom of speech and expression among Nigerians.

Speaking further, she noted that other candidates in other parties had been tested, but Folarin who is a young person “is capable and competent. He is my younger brother and he has promised to work with President Jonathan to ensure we get Ibadan

State,” she said.

Others present included Alhaji Yekeen Adeojo (Seriki Musulumi of Yorubaland, former Deputy National Chairman, South, and PDP Leader), Chief Lekan Balogun, Senator Hosea Agboola, Senator Ayoade Adeseun (Oyo Central), Oyo PDP Chairman, Akeem Yinka Taiwo, Alhaja Modinat Abosede Adedibu. Others were the House of Representatives members, Muraina Ajibola, and Olusegun Odebunmi, Hon. Asimiyu Alarape (former House of Assembly Speaker and DirectorGeneral, ‘Teslim Folarin Campaign Organization’), Moroof Atilola (former Speaker, Oyo Assembly), among others.

Adeyeye threatens N10bn suit against APC

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DO EKITI— MINISTER of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye has threatened to file a N10 billion libel suit against the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State and its spokesperson, Taiwo Olatubosun over claims that the Federal Government paid N22 billion to Ekiti State government as refund on construction of Federal roads in the state.

The minister said neither himself nor President Goodluck Jonathan said at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential campaign rally in Ado Ekiti that N22 billion was paid to Ekiti State by the Federal government as being claimed by the APC. He said: “The APC and Taiwo Olatubosun must retract this malicious falsehood within the next 14 days or risk N10 billion libel suit.”

Speaking further, Adeyeye said; “the road was initially awarded by the administration of Segun Oni for N6.3bn and was later increased to N7.5bn by the same government.

“The APC government of Kayode Fayemi increased the contract from N7.5 billion to N11 billion."

10 injured as Lagos-based Ekiti varsity students protest

By Monsuru Olowoopejo & Laju Iren

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AGOS—NO fewer than 10 students of the Micheal Otedola College of Primary Education, MOCPED Epe were yesterday injured during a protest to demand clarification on the allegations of irregularities leveled against the institution.

The Management of Ekiti State University, EKSU had last week alleged that MOCPED, an affiliate of the University, was yet to remit some funds into the coffers of the institution. Also, that they failed to present the results of students of the College to Senate of EKSU for approval which would enable former and graduating students obtain their certificates.

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Works Minister assures on early completion of Benin-Lokoja dual carriage way

By Gabriel Enogholase

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ENIN—MINISTER of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen, has assured Nigerians that the Benin section of the Benin-AuchiLokoja Road dualisation project would soon be completed.

He was in the Edo State capital, Benin City, to inspect the Diamond Interchange construction work meant to free traffic at the Enyaen Bypass flyover axis of the road.

He said that over 12km of the 47km first-phase stretch of the road between Benin and Ehor awarded by the Federal Government to Reynold Construction Company, RCC, at N35 billion had been completed.

He listed the benefits of the dualisation of the road to include reduction in travel time and on-going drainage work around the Court of Appeal area in Benin, which he said will solve the perennial flooding of the area.

He said: “This is one of the

many things Mr. President has brought to Edo State. He has brought about N11 billion to fund tertiary education in Edo State, an Almajiri school is

being built in Etsako.”

The minister explained that Edo State was yet to access N1.7 billion Universal Basic Education Fund provided by

the Federal Government for funding primary schools in the country because of the state’s inability to pay its counterpart component of the fund.

BIRTHDAY: From left: Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd); state governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson; his wife, Rachael; Chief Dan Etete; Chief Edwin Clark and Chief Judge of the state, Justice Kate Abiri, during a state banquet in honour of Chief Etete on his 70th birthday celebration at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa.

Ekiyor flays inflammatory statements against Jonathan

By Emma Amaize

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ARRI—DELTA State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, yesterday, expressed concern over the inciting statements by those he described as misguided and disgruntled elements in the political class, against President Goodluck Jonathan and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Speaking to Vanguard, Ekiyor, said: “Most of the arguments advanced bothered on claims of a clueless and weak president.

What was mere social media display of hate is now being displayed even before the president’s campaign organisation.

“The situation is worrisome to the extent where All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari and indeed the APC, directed their supporters in Bauchi and Kastina states to stone and molest a Commanderin -Chief whose humble disposition is the reason for which he is in the first place referred to as weak.

“May I posit that the president needs to stamp his feet down and exercise some constitutional power in clamping down on persons for felony and treason.

An attempt at all by whoever to attack Nigeria’s president is a call for war and a threat to the entire country.

“Whereas Gen Buhari and his C M Y K

APC cohorts are allowed to campaign freely around our Niger-Delta area and given necessary support in places like Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, among others, the PDP is being prevented in the northern Nigeria from free movement to the extent of attempt to stone the

president’s convoy.

“Never in the history has any Nigerians president been so undermined by any section or region. The time is, therefore, apt for President Jonathan to use the powers provided by the constitution to protect himself and other innocent Nigerians by

whatever means necessary.

“If Mr. President truly wants peace, he must then be prepared to give war to all the bad elements trying to destroy our common destiny as a nation. I am worried about what will be of Nigeria if our people return to the creeks and demand that our son return home so Nigeria can be left alone.”

Dickson seeks Ijaw support for Jonathan

By Samuel Oyadongha

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E N A G O A — GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa Stats has said that President Goodluck Jonathan's re-election bid could only be made possible through the collective efforts of leaders of the Ijaw nation and their sincerity of purpose.

Dickson, at the 70th birthday of former Petroleum Minister, Chief Dan Etete, tasked the people to stand up for what was right.

According to him, no one can pretend to be supporting the re-election bid of President Jonathan and in the process engage in acts that can destabilise the state for personal gains.

He said: “So, I count on all our leaders to stand up for what is right, fair, decent and protect what is good and I count on you all to continue to join us to mobilise our people in this state and outside to

support the re-election of the President.

“Let me use this opportunity also to thank all our leaders, despite their retirement and challenges, who have continued to stand up to

mobilise support, building networks and alliances in our country to make the dream of Jonathan's re-election possible.

I count on you all to also continue to work to support the government of this state.”

Oshiomhole approves payment of 27.5 % Teachers Special Allowance

By Simon Ebegbulem

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OVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has approved the payment of 27.5 percent Teachers’ Special Allowance and implementation of other demands of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, in the state.

Also, the governor approved the payment of the November and December, 2013 salaries of over 322 teachers of Ovia North-East Local Government Area of the state.

Other approved demands of the NUT which were presented on their behalf by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, include payment of 10 percent salary relativity increase and the consequential 27.5 percent TSA therefrom and payment of financial benefits of the last set of promotions approved for primary school teachers.

Meanwhile, the governor also directed the payment of the monthly salaries of workers of Edo Line Transport Company with effect from January, this year.

Reps aspirant woos Bomadi/ Patani electorate

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By Jacob Ajom

HE African Democratic Congress, ADC, House of Representatives candidate for Bomadi/Patani federal constituency, Delta State, Mr Perez Omoun, has promised to attract massive development to his constituency if voted into power, just as he charged the electorate to vote out the incumbent for lack of performance.

Omoun, during a consultation visit to members of the Warri chapter of Uduophori Community, yesterday, vowed to tackle the incumbent member of the House of Representatives in the forthcoming general elections to bring about the needed change and “liberate his people from political bondage.”

He said that he was not against the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and the Delta State governorship candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, but was against the political ambition of their legistlator in the House of Representatives.

Omo-Agege seeks Itsekiri's support for Ogboru

By Godwin Oghre

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OKO —FORMER Secretary to Delta State Government and Labour Party ’s Delta Central senatorial candidate in next month's elections, Obaisi Ovie Omo-Agege, yesterday, called on the Itsekiri nation to support the governorship ambition of Chief Great Ogboru, who is contesting the position on the platform of Labour Party.

Omo-Agege, who described Ogboru as, “A man with focus, vision and preparedness to take the state to greater heights,” revealed that Ogboru, who is contesting the position for the fifth time, had been victorious in his previous contests, but had consistently been robbed of his electoral victories.

The former SSG spoke in Koko, headquarters of Warri North Local Government Area of the state, during a rally of the party.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — 13

14—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Jonathan deserves a second term — PDP senatorial candidate

By Evelyn Usman

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SENATORIAL candidate on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Lagos West, Segun Adewale, has described allegation by the All Progressives Congress, APC, that President Goodluck Jonathan has not performed as mere propaganda, asserting that the President deserved a second term.

Adewale, who contested in 2011 for same seat in the upper legislative house, alleged that the last election was marred by rigging, even when it was glaring that he defeated his APC opponent, Lekan Adeola, then.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos, Adewale stressed the need for staff of the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, in the state to be impartial in its duty.

He alleged that what the opposition party normally did was to influence INEC, get the police and the Judiciary to do their bidding.

Military regains full control of Maiduguri, Konduga .Curfew lifted; President's team leaves for Abuja

By Kingsley Omonobi

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BUJA — MILITARY authorities said, yesterday, that Nigerian troops were fully in control of Maiduguri and Konduga, the two cities Boko Haram attacked in the early hours of Sunday, noting that the

fighting lasted into the early hours of yesterday.

Consequently, the curfew imposed on the capital, Maiduguri, has been lifted, while members of President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign train who were trapped as a result of the curfew, left for Abuja, yesterday.

They include journalists,

medical personnel and body guards.

A statement posted on the Defence Headquarters twitter handle, yesterday, said: “More casualties were inflicted on terrorists as troops battled fleeing ones and reinforcement at outskirts of Maiduguri and Konduga Sunday night.

INSURGENCY: Our poll observers not for N-East, EU declares

By Henry Umoru & Levinus Nwabughiogu

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BUJA — AHEAD of next month’s presidential and general elections, the European Union, EU, yesterday, declared that its observers would not monitor elections in North East states of the country, citing insurgency in the zone as reason.

The EU made the declaration when its observers visited the headquarters of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and

presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari Speaking, yesterday, at the national secretariat of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observer Mission in Nigeria, Ambassador Santiago Fisas, said: “For security reasons, unfortunately, we can’t deploy into North East region.”

Fisas, who led members of the mission to the secretariat and were received by the PDP National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo,

stressed that though the mission had been in the country since November last year to monitor the primaries of the political parties, it would not observe the general and presidential elections in the North East states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Taraba and Gombe.

He disclosed that over 90 EU observers were deployed to monitor the election in all the states of the federation but noted that the mission would not cover the North-East zone due to activities of insurgents.

FEB POLLS:

Ashafa harps on collection of PVCs

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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ENATOR GBENGA Ashafa has reiterated the need for eligible voters to collect their Permanent Voter’s Cards, PVCs, from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in order to avoid being disenfranchised in next month’s general elections.

He, however, cautioned them not to vote for Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at the national level, saying it had nothing to offer Nigerians in future.

Ashafa, who represents Lagos East senatorial district in the Senate, made the remarks while addressing members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers of Nigeria, NURTW, among other unions, at a stakeholders meeting at Ikosi-Ketu.

“Substantial amounts of heavy weapons have been captured, as more terrorists died in the fight which lasted till early yesterday morning “Our forces also recorded some casualties. Meanwhile, ground troops are in charge and airforce patrol still ongoing."

HOSTING: From left, Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Lady Valerie Ebe; wife of the State PDP governorship candidate, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel; State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr. Gloria Edet, and wife of Mkpat Enin Local Government Council Chairman, Mrs. Idara Akpan, during the hosting of the women of the state, at Government House, Uyo, by Lady Ebe.

“We have been here since midNovember for observations. We followed the primaries, election propaganda, media and possible claims after the election,” he said.

Fisas expressed support for the Abuja Peace Accord, adding that the EU had no favoured candidate or political party.

“We apply international rules for the election; that means we must be neutral, we don’t interfere at all as a mission. I will give you an example: it is like a football match, we are not the referee, we are just spectators,” he said.

Responding, PDP National Secretary, Professor Oladipo, assured that the PDP would not go back on the peace accord, in spite of recent attacks on its campaign train by suspected supporters of the All Progressives Congress, APC. He said: “On the Abuja Accord PDP stand. Only yesterday there was a meeting of National Peace Committee that was set up by eminent Nigerians and the party attended the meeting and we resolved that the Abuja Accord is good for this country, it is good for our future, it's good for our economy, good for our image and good for our well-being.”

At a meeting with the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, in Abuja, also yesterday, Fisas reiterated that the mission would deploy 90 observers to monitor the election across the country.

APC SMS SHUT-DOWN: NCC dismisses Fashola's allegations

By Emmanuel Elebeke

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XECUTIVE Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, yesterday, dismissed the allegation by Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, that the Commission shut APC’s SMS platform established by his team to raise fund for General Muhammadu Buhari’s election campaign.

Juwah said it was wrong for the governor to make such an unfounded allegation, when

the rules regulating SMS platform on the nation’s telecommuni- cation network were not made for political gains.

The EVC stated this at African Preparatory Meeting, APM 15/ 3) for the World Radiocommunication Conference, holding in Abuja, Nigeria.

The Lagos State Governor had, last Thursday, accused the NCC of shutting down the SMS platform by his team to encourage small donors to support the APC presidential

campaign.

The governor, who described the directive as a betrayal of democratic ideals, asked President Goodluck Jonathan to live by his democratic ideals and honour the peace pact he signed by directing the NCC to restore the 35350 platform.

Fashola, who is the Director of the Buhari-Osinbajo Presidential Campaign Fundraising Committee, described the NCC’s action as a “disgraceful repression of freedom.”

The EVC described the

allegation by the governor as baseless and unfounded, saying the NCC as a public agency, was non-political and "does not make rules for election purposes.

“We are a public service agency, we are not political, people are allowed to raise money, but they must conform with the rules. We didn’t make these rules looking at elections but in the interest of development of the telecommu nications industry and we'll keep those rules whether there is election or not,” he explained.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015—15

APGA backs Jonathan, Ihedioha ....INEC reinstates Iheakanwa

By Chidi Nkwopara

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WERRI — A faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has adopted the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, and President Goodluck Jonathan as its choice for the February 14 and 28 elections respectively.

Factional national chairman of APGA, Chief Ejike Uche led some members of the Board of Trustees, BoT, and National Working Committee, NWC, to make the declaration while addressing journalists in Owerri, yesterday.

According to him, the group’s decision was based on the outcome of several meetings and consultations within and outside the party and urged all members of the party and the Imo electorate to demonstrate their support for the duo of Jonathan and Ihedioha by casting their votes for them.

Uche said members of the faction did not accept the former Interior Minister, Capt Emma Iheanacho, as their candidate, in view of his affiliation with Chief Victor Umeh, claiming that the position of the group was a coalition and not merger.

Those at the briefing were a former Attorney General of the state, Professor Francis Dike, a former President of Orlu Zurume cultural group in the state, Chief Reuben Okoro, a former Mayor of Owerri Metropolis, Chief Uche Njoku, a Personal Assistant to Ihedioha and a member of his

campaign organisation, among others.

In another development, the crisis rocking APGA seems endless, as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has reinstated the

candidature of Jude Iheakanwa, as the party ’s senatorial candidate for Owerri zone.

This development might have put paid to the senatorial ambition of Mr. Paschal Nneji.

According to a certified true

PRESENTATION: From left, former Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim; Deputy Speaker and PDP Governorship Candidate in Imo State, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, his running mate, Hon. Chuma Nnaji, and Chief Ozichukwu Chukwu, during the presentation of Ihedioha to the people of Isiala/Ehime Mbano Local Government Area, by Chief Ikedi Ohakim, yesterday.

....Ihedioha urged to apologise to Ararume

By Sebastine Obasi

S

OME CHIEFTAINS of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Imo State, have advised the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, to apologise to Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, if he wishes to get the support of the Imo people in his bid to become the governor of the state.

Ararume is challenging the declaration of Ihedioha as the winner of the PDP

By Bartholomew Madukwe governorship primaries in court.

In a statement by the PDP chieftains on NE OF the topmost satellite cable the platform of Concerned Chieftains of TV service providers in Nigeria, Imo PDP and signed by Mr. George MultiChoice Africa, has launched an Okoronkwo, they expressed disaffection emerging global news and entertainment over the inability of Ihedioha to recognise channel known as ARISE NEWS on DStv his fellow governorship aspirants in his and GOtv. speech during the presidential rally in Speaking at the launch, MultiChoice Owerri on January 17.

Managing Director, Mr. John Ugbe, According to Okoronkwo, who is also explained that ARISE NEWS would be the national leader of Imo Equity on DStv channel 416 and GOtv channel Assembly, “during the presidential rally 44 respectively, saying that it will join in Owerri, we expected Hon. Emeka other global news channels such as Ihedioha to use the opportunity to extend CNN, BBC, SKYNews, CCTV, Al Jazeera an olive branch to his fellow PDP and Bloomberg on the MultiChoice governorship aspirants such as Senator platforms.

Chris Anyanwu, Hon. Bethel Amadi, “We are glad to welcome ARISE NEWS Professor Jude Njoku, Senator Bright to our bouquet of news channels on Nwanne, Chief Emma Ojinere and DStv and GOtv," he said Evang. Chrisbrown Amadi.

"We have demonstrated over the years Ihedioha should do everything possible our support of ‘Africanness’. And what to reach out to Senator Ararume and his better way to prove this than to celebrate former boss and friend, Ikedi Ohakim. as ARISE NEWS comes home to Africa He claimed that the protest votes against through our network.

Ohakim in 2011 supplementary election "We have no doubt that uptake will be in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area immediate, owing to its success across was because of Ihedioha, warning that countries and continents for their “going into 2015 elections with a divided immediacy in breaking news about world PDP will not be healthy for the party.” events,” he stated.

MultiChoice launches Arise News on DStv, GOtv

O

copy of its report on the APGA primaries, INEC made it clear that Iheakanwa, being the only aspirant, who stood for the primaries, which INEC monitored, was returned unopposed by the 152 delegates.

CPC boss awarded US State of Georgia's citizenship

D

I R E C T O R G E N E R A L , CONSUMER Protection Council, CPC, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, has been awarded the honorary citizenship of the State of Georgia, United States of America, in recognition of her continued contributions to the development of the Nigeria.

The Director General was notified of the award while receiving a delegation of visiting US lawmakers from the Capitol Hill of the Georgia General Assembly, comprising the Chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, Hon. Rep. Dee Dawkins - Haigler, and Senator Donzella James, including the Chief Executive Officer of African Leadership Magazine, Dr. Ken Giami.

According to the Chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, the award of honorary citizenship of Georgia is conferred on “individuals deemed worthy, and who have great experience and knowledge, doing great work abroad.”

16 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — 17

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HESE are interesting times.

Muhammadu Buhari, the APC presidential candidate whose only policy plank is that he will fight against corruption without wavering, is not as straight-forward as he would have Nigerians believe.

Buhari lied under oath. He perjured himself claiming his school-leaving certificate is with the military. This has now been revealed to be a tissue of lies.

This is a scandal of immense proportions in an aspiring presidential candidate. Under no circumstances should it be swept under the carpet. For this blatant perjury, Buhari must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. It should also lead to his disqualification from contesting for election as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In the language of Buhari’s own anti-corruption rhetoric, Nigeria must be shown to be a nation of laws and of the rule of law. No man, no matter how highly-placed, no matter his ethnic or political pedigree, should be shown to be above the law. For this reason, a public example must be made of Buhari.

Non-existent certificates Buhari has run for the presidency on three earlier occasions. On those occasions, he did not contravene any law with regard to his non-existent certificates because there were no provisions for them. However, with the new Electoral Act, there is now a requirement for proof of credentials. But instead of providing his certificates to INEC, as now required by law, Buhari deposed in an affidavit at a High Court in Abuja that: “All my academic qualifications documents as filled in my presidential form, President APC/ 001/2015, are currently with the Secretary, Military Board as of the time of presenting this affidavit.”

This affidavit has turned out to be false. The military board says it does not have Buhari’s academic qualification credentials. That means Buhari committed perjury when he swore on oath that the military has them. As a matter of fact, the military board does not even have the photocopies of Buhari’s credentials because he did not submit them when he enrolled into the Nigerian Army.

Maybe Buhari expected the military to let sleeping dogs lie about this. However, the Nigerian Army released the following statement which quickly gave the lie to Buhari’s affidavit: “It is a practice in the Nigerian Army that before candidates are shortlisted for commissioning into the officers’ cadre of the Service; the Selection Board verifies the original copies of credentials that are presented. However, there is no available record to show that this process was followed in the 1960s. Neither the original copy, Certified True Copy (CTC); nor statement of result of Major General M Buhari’s WASC result,

Muhammadu Buhari lied under oath is in his personal file.”

Guilty of perjury: This denial by the army that it has Buhari’s certificates has put the APC presidential candidate on the horns of a dilemma. As I said, it shows Buhari committed perjury.

In the bid to repair this damage, Buhari cobbled together a press conference during which he said the following: “I had assumed all along that all my records were in the custody of the Military Secretary of the Nigerian Army.

Much to my surprise, we are now told that although a record of the result is available, there are no copies of the certificates in my personal file.”

This excuse is hogwash. An experienced politician like Buhari who is running for president surely has a panoply of aides, assistants and advisers.

He should know that it is not acceptable for a man to swear an oath in court based on assumptions “all along.” Oaths are sworn as certification that what is said is true. Truth is not amenable to assumptions. Section 118 of the Nigerian criminal code reads: “Any person who commits perjury is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years.” This is the fate that must now befall Muhammadu Buhari who must not be allowed to be above the law.

As soon as the judiciary strike is over, Buhari must be prosecuted for perjury to the full extent of the law

Buhari stated in his affidavit that his academic qualification documents: “are currently with the Secretary, Military Board as of the time of presenting this affidavit.” However, the evidence indicates that Buhari must have known that this was not true at the time he swore on oath to this.

This is because Buhari was the Military Secretary, Army Headquarters, from 1978-1979.

That means Buhari should not be believed when he says: “I had assumed all along that all my records were in the custody of the Military Secretary of the Nigerian Army.” On the contrary, Buhari knows from his experience as Military Secretary that certified true copies of the credentials of military men are not kept with the military board. Nobody keeps the originals of their credentials with the organizations where they worked: only photocopies are kept there. Therefore, Buhari was just being disingenuous when he claimed his certificates were with the military.

New gambit Having been thrown under the bus by the military brass, Buhari came up with another gambit. He now declared that Provincial Secondary School, Katsina (now known as Government College, Katsina), which he attended over 50 years ago, would make available to the public the school’s copy of his Cambridge/WASC certificate. In doing this, Buhari blundered yet again. He shows that, in spite of his highfalutin campaign on the platform of integrity, he does not believe in transparency.

Buhari failed to explain the contradiction in the letter of recommendation from his school principal to the military which suggests he had not graduated from school before he opted out to join the military. The principal said: “I recommend him fit for military commissioning. I consider that he will pass the WASC examination in English, Math and three other subjects.”

If you want to confirm your exam credentials, you don’t write to your school asking for a copy of your result; you ask the relevant examinations council to

provide you with a copy of your result. Instead of Buhari to ask for his result from Cambridge/ WASC, he asks for his primary school in Katsina to tell us his result. The primary school then presents a result that is inadmissible as evidence of Buhari’s result. It presents a result headlined “Katsina State Government,” when Katsina State did not even exist in 1961 when the result is alleged to have been given.

Inadmissible credentials A statement of result by Katsina Provincial Primary School is inadmissible, according to Buhari’s INEC affidavit. To repeat: Buhari said in an oath to INEC that “all” his academic qualification documents are with the military. When that did not work, he turned to his primary school. But what his primary school provided is not his academic qualification document.

It provided what is ostensibly a photocopy. However, in law, you cannot authenticate a document by providing the photocopy. You must provide the original.

The credentials Buhari needs to rest his case are with Cambridge/WASC; and only Buhari can apply to get them.

Therefore, if he is really interested in putting this matter to rest, he should stop wasting time. The military board cannot apply for his credentials on his behalf; neither can Government College, Katsina.

The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), now known as Cambridge Assessment, affirms this position on its website. It says: “We can only confirm or verify results at the direct request of or with the permission of a candidate. This is in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 and section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.”

In short, Buhari should apply for and get his certificate by himself. That way, he would not have to go through the dubious circuitous routes he has been following to his detriment. If Buhari truly wants all the brouhaha over his certificate to

die down, he needs to request for his certificate from Cambridge/ WASC with the utmost urgency and quickly present this to INEC as proof of his compliance with electoral regulations. Otherwise, APC has a big problem in its hands.

Suspect documents: The document Government College, Katsina has presented is suspect.

It contains an obvious alteration on the Mathematics column which effectively renders it invalid. Indeed, the document itself states that: “any alteration or erasure renders this Statement of Results invalid.” Other anomalies evident in the statement include a recent photograph on an old document; a wrong name (Mohamed instead of Muhammadu); and the absence of the principal's name.

There are other nagging questions pertaining to the validity of the results published by the Katsina State government.

How come the expectations of Buhari’s grades as expressed by his principal turn out to be virtually the mirror-image of his alleged results? This suggests the likelihood Katsina State might have fabricated the Statement of Results to fit in with the grades predicted by the principal. In effect, the evidence suggests that what Buhari has asked Government College, Katsina to present to INEC as evidence of his credentials is a forged certificate. According to Section 137 (10) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution: “A person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if he has presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission.”

Anti-corruption stance Forgery is implied in this case because the Katsina Ministry of Education issues the transcripts of an examination it did not conduct. The Ministry of Education, Katsina, did not conduct WASC exam in 1961.

Therefore the ministry could not have issued Buhari a WASC certificate in 1961.

INEC cannot address this matter because in the precedence established in the case of Atiku Abubakar in 2007, only the judiciary has the power to ban a candidate. However, the courts are on strike at the moment.

Nevertheless, Buhari needs to save himself and his party future embarrassment by coming clean now.

Many of us, knowing Buhari’s antecedents, have always insisted his anti-corruption stance is a ruse. Buhari “talks water but drinks wine.” He preaches anticorruption but is surrounded and sponsored by the corrupt. This scandal of his non-existent certificate has again confirmed our fears. Buhari is not fit to be president of Nigeria. As soon as the judiciary strike is over, Buhari must be prosecuted for perjury to the full extent of the law.

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 CONCERNS about the future of Nigeria are growing, unfortunately they tend to centre more on whether elections are conducted or not.

Demands for conferences, summits, to address the challenges the country faces, usually start and end as more opportunities to recount the issues and apportion blames. Most of the attention goes to the 1999 Constitution, which some have pointed out began with a fallacy about “we the people”.

They forget that the spirit of the Constitution can only be evoked and sustained by the operators and “we the people”. What is “we the people” when governments that represent us are self-serving?

The preamble to our Constitution starts off: We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Having firmly and solemnly resolved, to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under God, Dedicated to the promotion of inter-African solidarity, world peace, international cooperation and understanding And to provide for a Constitution for the purpose of promoting the good government and welfare of all persons in our country, on the principles of freedom, equality and justice,

We The P eople…

People… and for the purpose of consolidating the unity of our people Do hereby make, enact and give to ourselves the following Constitution.

Nigerians never gave themselves the 1999 Constitution. The military did! The House of Representatives’ effort through town hall meetings in Nigeria ’s 774 local government areas to amend the Constitution was shot down only on issues that would have affected the well-being of “we the people”.

State Houses of Assembly voted overwhelmingly against financial autonomy for local government administrations. These administrations are the closest to the people and it would have been possible for the people to hold them accountable.

Why would the legislators oppose financial

autonomy for local government administrations?

Ironically, the legislators were aware enough about the importance of financial autonomy that they included it in the Constitution for state legislatures.

Their short-sightedness is captured when we consider the preambles of other constitutions. We intend to make constitutions for ourselves, not posterity.

We the people of the United States , in order to …secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity…

We, the people of Kenya …adopt, enact and give this Constitution to ourselves and our future generations.

Parliament passed the Kenyan constitution on 1 April (Fools’ Day) 2010. Kenyans voted (66.9 per cent in a referendum) on 4 August 2010 in its favour.

“We the people” get no better chances to express our feelings about Nigeria and its future than at elections. As the votes are cast next month, our decisions should reflect our concerns about Nigeria and its future. These votes could be more profound than constitutional amendments.

OPINION

By Francis Ewherido

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HE first time I encountered Olorogun Otega Emerhor was in 1995. I was then head of corporate affairs dept of Industrial and General Insurance Company and he was putting together Standard Alliance Insurance. What struck me was his sense of organization, his thoroughness and the dexterity with which he assembled the Standard Alliance team. By the time Standard Alliance emerged from the ruins of the defunct Jubilee Insurance Company, it was apparent that Emerhor is also a man of great vision. Although I did a number of insurance and other transactions with his company, I rarely met him thereafter, but his high intellect and vision permeated the entire company.

By the time I met him again, in company of my late brother, Senator Akpor Pius Ewherido, the turf has changed from insurance to politics. My brother always spoke well about Emerhor; he had high regards for Emerhor’s intellectual capacity.

Therefore, when recently Emerhor came out for the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship and won the primaries, my hope for the actualization of the great potentials of Delta State, which I always shared with my late brother, was rekindled. Delta State is at a cross road and needs a governor of great intellect and vision at this point, a turnaround specialist like Emerhor.

Delta needs a turn around. Emerhor is a first class brain both in theory and

Emerhor and Delta guber race practice. His footprints dot the corporate world, from banking to insurance, shipping to the hospitality industry and other sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Delta state needs his business acumen, we need his sense of organization and thoroughness; we need his experience and his ability to pick a winning team.

Emerhor can easily spot a superstar even in his/her raw form. He has discovered and nurtured a handful of such individuals, some of whom now bestride the corporate world.

Some people bother us with the issue of experience in governance. The question is, those who have been in government since 1999 and even before then, where have they led us to? What is their track record? Where are their achievements in the various positions they held? What major policies and projects have they come with up with to transform the lives of the ordinary Deltan? Sometimes these people in government behave as if they

One major advantage Emerhor has as an opposition party candidate is that the APC has a good national spread and a strong centre

lead animals not human beings. The bottom line is that business is about people, so is government. Delta State needs change; we need private sector efficiency which Emerhor represents and will certainly bring into governance.

The other argument is the much hackneyed elitist propaganda of power shift along ethnic lines. The only power shift I believe in is that which will replace inefficiency with efficiency, profligacy with efficient utilization of resources; bad planning with good planning. Delta is littered with so many projects that have either have overshot the runway, both in time and budget, or have been abandoned.

Nobody has been able to explain how power shift along ethnic lines benefits the majority for whom democracy is meant.

It is always about transfer power among the elite. We need power shift that will uplift majority of our people, a power shift that will bring about the implementation of APC’s people-oriented programmes in Delta State. This is the power shift Emerhor represents. For too long, incompetent leaders have been foisted on Nigerians in the guise of power shift. Deltans must rise and destroy this elitist monster. Let it not be heard again in Warri, nor published in the streets of Asaba that somebody wants to be governor, or ascended the position of governor, under this elitist arrangement.

Deltans must also fight for the institution of one man, one vote. We

have too many people in positions without the mandate of the people. We must resist the intimidation of mandate thieves. It can be done. That was how my brother, Senator Ewherido, got to the senate. We can do it again, we will do it again.

One major advantage Emerhor has as an opposition party candidate is that the APC has a good national spread and a strong centre. The parties that came together to form APC have a track record of protecting their votes. They also have a good record of recovering stolen mandates.

One of the parties, Action Congress, recovered stolen mandates in Edo State, Osun State and Ekiti State. This time around, the APC will not even allow any mandate to be stolen as it has found the formula for dealing with mandate thieves.

On February 28, the voters of Delta State will have their destiny in their hands. We shall have the opportunity to elect a new governor who can harness our enormous human and material resources to make us the first class state that we are and the best material for the job is a first class brain like Emerhor.

Emerhor will deliver first class governance, first class infrastructure, first class services and first class peace and security, not the current situation where people move around with trepidation after dark. I firmly believe that Emerhor is by far the best of the pack.

*Mr. Ewherido, is a columnist with Saturday Vanguard.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015— —19

Terrorism and the collective will

By Sunny Ikhioya

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HE scenerio this Sunday 11th January 2015 was quite amazing, over a million people, from different parts of the world and from diverse religious and political shades, gathered in Paris, to show solidarity on the fight against terrorism. They were defiant and called the bluff of the terrorists ISIS and al-queda.

If the intention of the killings of the Charlie Hebdo and other Paris attacks was to cower journalists into retreat and subdue the voices of free speeches and expressions, they failed in this instance.

The record crowd was by far bigger than those who gathered against the Nazis in the past.

From reactions so far, it is clear that the terrorists' actions have back fired, good will always prevail over evil and the inalienable right of man to express his own free will shall never be truncated, not by any force from hell.

That is the spirit, that is the only force that can defeat the terrorists, that is the only way we can bring Boko Haram to its knees. We have witnessed the steady destructions of villages, towns and cities in Nigeria, especially in the north eastern areas of the country. Displaced citizens of

Nigeria are scattered all over neighbouring countries. The actual number cannot be determined but they run into several thousands. Nigeria and her forces are now the butt of jokes but what has made it impossible for the Boko Haram to be flushed out easily? The reasons are not far fetched; it is a combination of apathy on the part of the populace, greed and ambition on the part of people using it to further their economic and political interests and the politics of divisiveness by our present day politicians, who have nothing to offer the people.

When the Boko Haram strikes these days, they do not know whether you are Christian or Muslim, PDP or APC, southerner or northerner, Fulani or Hausa, man or woman, children, etc.

Their conscience is beyond beyond redemption, so they go to markets and other public places to plant bombs and destroy innocent lives, the down trodden and oppressed. They avoid the presidential villa, or governors' lodges and the homes of other people of inflence who manipulate the destiny of this country. They go for innocent persons, their conscience is really dead.

If the Boko Haram is not tackled by the collective will of the

By Johnnie Carson Continues from yesterday's pg 18

I

N addition to his legal credentials, Osibajo is a senior pastor at a large evangelical Christian church and a member of a prominent Yoruba royal family. Osibajo’s presence on the ticket is likely to divide Nigeria’s large evangelical community which has traditionally voted for Jonathan. Buhari has also allied himself to some of Jonathan’s strongest political critics in the southeastern part of the country where the president has traditionally drawn his greatest support.

The popular governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has come out strongly for Buhari saying that Nigeria needs change in Abuja, that the violence and instability in the north threatens all of the country, and that Buhari is the only person who can put an end to the Boko Haram crisis.

As February 14 approaches, the prospects of a very close contest are increasing– and so are the prospects for post-election violence.

If President Jonathan should win narrowly, with less than the number of displaced eligible voters in the north who are unable to cast their ballots, widespread and sustained violence is almost certain to erupt.

Credible reports of vote rigging and blatant interference in the electoral process by security forces will also spark northern violence. Although some observers predict violence in the southeast if Jonathan loses, no one expects those protests to generate the type of reaction expected in the north.

Economic Pressures Mounting: Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy is going through a turbulent period. The sharp drop in global oil prices has had a negative impact on the country’s entire economy and clouded the outlook for 2015. For most of the past decade, Nigeria’s economy has been growing at seven percent a year, but that has come to an end. Declining oil revenues have put additional stress on President Jonathan’s government as he prepares for elections and deploys additional resources to battle Boko Haram in the north.

Oil production accounts for thirty five percent of GDP, eighty percent of C M Y K

people, nothing any government can do, the government can only act to the extent the people give it liberty to perform, even if you bring in the best generals in the world to govern. We are all living witnesses to the failure of the great United States army to contain terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya and the on going Syrian war. Let us be frank about it,Boko Haram will not be defeated unless we collectively agree on it, it should not be a matter campaign.

Reducing to a campaign issue is to trivialise the matter and it a great injustice to mankind to play politics with thousands of lives been needlessly destroyed daily.

The people of Paris France have sent a message to the terrorists; 'your killings will not cow us'. By now the collaborators of the killings will be hiding their heads in shame because even

But back home, Boko Haram is a campaign issue, thereby emboldening them to commit further devilish acts

their muslim brothers like the Hamas group have all condemned their actions. So, if they are thinking of a repeat performance, they will be forced to do a rethink.

But back home,Boko Haram is a campaign issue, thereby emboldening them to commit further devilish acts. People are campaigning, whole towns and villages are being destroyed and subdued by terrorists. Some are even calling for elections in these areas, how they intend to see it through, I do not know.

The paris demonstration has shown to us that when it comes to confronting terrorism, there is no black or white, ethnic or religious colouration, all we have is a common enemy. When America goes to war, the republicans and democrats put aside their individual ideological divide and support whoever is in government. When America goes to war, the whole country is one, they are united.

How have we fought this Boko Haram battle? Can we honestly say to ourselves in this country that we have been united in fighting this Boko Haram war? I doubt it.

Imagine if five hundred thousand or a million Nigerians, drawn from across various sections of the north and together with the Bring Back Chibok girls group , gather in Maiduguri and with one voice, say no to Boko Haram.

It is the conscience of these misguided youths that we should be addressing. When their own people come out in the open to

condemn their actions, they will sit up.

We have failed to address our Boko Haram challenges properly because, some people felt it was not their problem, so regarded them as heroes or present day Robbin Hood, until the whole thing spurn out of control.

We have treated it with levity by allowing barely literate, hate filled, itinerant preachers to hold sway in that part of the country, sowing seeds of discord amongst the people without taking any action, now the single match stick has transformed into a conflagration.

We have treated it with levity because we saw death and destructions in our fellow countrymen but we refused to lend our hands in support, now it is threatening to engulf the whole nation and people are still playing politics or the division game with it. We have seen a sample of what they can do when they invaded the city of Mubi and forced the emir and his team on exile.

They do not respect institutions, whether traditional, religious or government. They destroy anything in sight like a raging Tsunami.

It is in the interest of everyone therefore, that we put this Boko Haram issue to rest and it is a joint responsibility.

Politicians must stop the politics and unite the country towards a common force to truncate this evil in our land. *Mr. Ikhioya, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.

Nigeria: Time for more international community attention and action government revenue and ninety percent of the country’s foreign exchange. The value of the naira has fallen by seventeen percent, forcing the government to devalue the currency.

Nigeria’s benchmark interest rate has also gone up to thirteen percent and the country’s once booming stock market has lost thirty percent of its share value.

The government has reduced its spending and placed new foreign currency restrictions on companies. With Nigeria importing over eighty percent of what it consumes, including large quantities of wheat and rice, inflation and the cost of living are rising.

Nigeria is Too Big and Important to Ignore: Although weighed down by multiple challenges, Nigeria is Africa’s pre-eminent country and largest democracy. With a population of 177 million people, it is Africa’s most populous state, the seventh largest in the world, and the world’s fifth largest Muslim country. Nigeria is also Africa’s leading economy with a GDP substantially greater than that of either of its two closest rivals — South Africa and Egypt.

Nigeria is a player in the global petroleum market. In addition to being Africa’s biggest oil producer, it is the sixth largest oil exporter in the world. In West Africa, Nigeria is the top economic and commercial power, dominating the banking, insurance, telecommunications, transportation and small scale manufacturing sectors. And even though its troops have performed poorly at home,

The Administration also needs to tell Abuja and the Nigerian people that the international community is watching the election process closely

Nigeria is one of the UN’s top ten Peacekeeping contributor nations.

What happens in Nigeria directly impacts not only the people of that country but the entire West African sub region and the larger international community. If Nigeria faces a crisis like the one that followed Kenya’s disastrous 2007 presidential elections or is overwhelmed by further Boko Haram advances, there is no international power capable of responding quickly or effectively.

Washington and London Have a Role To Play: Given the likelihood of a close and highly-contested election followed by significant violence throughout the north if Buhari loses, the United States, Great Britain and the European Union need to be more openly and actively engaged in working with Nigeria to navigate the difficult period it is going through. The first order of business is to help ensure that there is a free, fair and peaceful election. A flawed election that ends in violence will exacerbate the security problems in the northeast and further undermine the country’s tightening economy.

Washington, London, and Brussels should be acting now. In Washington, the Obama Administration should be calling publicly for: •Peaceful, transparent and well organized elections;• Full and immediate funding of the Independent National Election Commission’s (INEC) budget; • Expedited passage by the Nigerian National Assembly of legislation allowing eligible northern voters who have been displaced to cast their ballots outside of their home states; • Assurance from President Jonathan that presidential elections will be held throughout the entire country, including in the northeast. (The U.S. and UK know that if elections can be held in Iraq and Afghanistan, they can be held throughout northern Nigeria).

The Administration should call on both candidates to personally pledge that they

(and their political parties) will engage in a non-violent process, that they will adhere to election guidelines and that any electoral disputes will be adjudicated in the courts and not on the streets.

Recognizing the role that local political leaders play in the process, the Administration should send a strong and clear signal to State governors saying they have a responsibility to ensure the electoral process goes well in their respective states, and they need to cooperate with INEC to make that happen.

The Administration also needs to tell Abuja and the Nigerian people that the international community is watching the election process closely, that flawed and or violent elections will set back Nigeria’s economy and undermine its image. The Administration should also know that Washington will condemn anyone seen to be undermining the electoral process, provoking violence or engaging in vote rigging.

Presidential phone calls to African leaders are not common place at the White House, but this is probably a time for Mr. Obama to reach out directly to President Jonathan and Mr. Buhari before any potential crisis occurs. Prime Minister Cameron and the President of the EU would be wise to do so as well. The Nigerian elections are going to be close and potentially violent and destabilizing – much like the flawed Kenyan elections of December 2007. Working to ensure a good election before “Things Fall Apart” will be better for Nigeria, all its neighbours and its friends in the international community. Once this election is over, the U.S. and Nigeria need to deal with the second order of business: how to develop a realistic and workable strategy to degrade the continuing onslaught of Boko Haram.

Concluded •Mr. Carson is Senior Advisor United States Institute of Peace & Senior Fellow, Jackson Institute, Yale University.

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — 21

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he Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has warned that a number of oil projects in the country are expected to suffer delays due to the continuous decline in crude oil price.

The Managing Director, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr. Joseph Dawha, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the 19th Offshore West Africa Conference held in Lagos.

Represented by the Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Service, NAPIMS, Jonathan Okeh, Dawha said,”A large number of deep water projects will suffer delay. This projects include; Three in Nigeria, One in Angola and One in Ghana. While in shallow waters, we have two projects in Angola, one in Nigeria and two in Ghana.”

He however noted that despite the hard times, the country has always responded positively to such short comings. “If we can recall, in 1986, 1998 and 2008, the country responded with innovation by applying the right balance of incentives because the oil and gas industry is important in the overall economic outlook of the country.”

He further stated that Politics, economic instability, technology and the environment are always the critical factors in the oil and gas business, which is often referred to as the four forces.

“The current price in the oil price has caused the combination of factors mainly lower than expected demand growth. This is mostly due to lower growth in China and in Europe. All this factors poses significant implications to the oil and gas industry.

AWARD - From left: Mrs Mojisola Bakare, General Manager, Corporate Banking, Sterling Bank; Mr Jimi Tewe, winner, Twitter handle of the year, Social Media Award Africa and Mrs Justina Lewa, Company Secretary and Legal Adviser, Sterling Bank during the Social Media Award Africa presentation sponsored by Sterling Bank Plc, in Lagos.

Oil projects to suffer delays over crude price decline — NNPC

By Ediri Ejoh “At current price levels, a large majority of fields will continue to be economic. However, many companies

have had to stretch cash flow statement and would have to reduce capital expenditures to maintain healthy balance sheet.

“This will result in delays in the development of otherwise economic

Naira devaluation has forced us to reduce prices —Bajaj

viable projects. Many analyst are of the view that at this level, 80 percent of North America light tight oil wells will still be in the money at $80 per barrel, but that cash flow concerns might reduce spending in the medium time.Meanwhile, some project may still be viable at $50 dollar per barrel, however delays in major projects will be a features in many companies plans and programmes especially for larger offshore and oil projects as companies tries to balance cash flow project.

By Princewill Ekwujuru

B

stated that the introduction of tricycles in the Nigeria transport system has helped to ameliorate the problems associated with transportation in the country.

A situation he described is an indication to improvement on the present state of the transport system, as well as helping in boosting the economic fortunes of Nigerians and that of their families.

Mr Ahmad who said the competition is to test the speed, durability and stability of the new RE 4S tricycle amongst representatives from various parks around Lagos will have the winners rewarded with the new Bajaj RE 4S worth about N400,000 and two BM The competition 100 motorcycles for the first, second and is to test the third positions respectively. speed, Speaking on availability of the parts durability and Ahmad said that the company has been able to decentralize its spare parts selling stability of the points to meet with the demand of their new RE 4S customers, putting into consideration tricycle amongst attempt to by unscrupulous individual to representatives fake its parts. The marketing personnel from various went further to say that the new 4S tricycle parks around has 28 features which has given it an edge over other competing brands in the market.

Lagos

ajaj Nigeria, manufacturers of Bajaj three wheelers says Naira devaluation has forced the company to reduce prices of its tricycle, as it plans to expand and improve on transport business with introduction of car-like four wheeler before 2015 ends.

The Head, Sales & Marketing, Bajaj Nigeria, Mr. Firpous Ahmad disclosed this during a competition tagged; “Speed to lead championship,” organized at the instance of three wheeler operators in Lagos, where he said that the challenges facing businesses in Nigeria are all engrossing, that which is facing the tricycle business in Nigeria today is Naira devaluation which has forced the company to reverse its prices.

Ahmad who said the company has the majority share in tricycle business worldwide is the largest exporter of automobile in India. “We produce 60,000 tricycles a month in India, the biggest tricycle manufacturer worldwide.”

The Sales & Marketing personnel

C M Y K

$163.80

-$1.35

$2,752.00

-$3 00

$15.35

-$0.18

$48.28 $45.31 CURRENCY DOLLAR STERLING EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA

BUYING

$-0.51 $-0.28

CENTRAL

167 167.5 252.4539 253.2098 193.3192 193.5298 192.9521 191.625 1.4203 1.4246 0.2757 0.2857 236.4325 237.1404 RENMINBI 26.4633 26.543 RIYAL 44.4527 44.5858 KRONA 29.7063 29.7953 SDR 237.2235 237.9338

168 253.9656 194.4768 194.1075 1.4288 0.2957 237.8483 26.6227 44.7189 29.8842 238.644

CBN Exchange Rate as at 26/1/15

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

The reality and difference is recognizing that investment, like many aspects of life, is a risk, it involves risk; the possibility that something may happen that would hinder or undermine the achievement of the intended objectives

,

TOP 10 PERFORMING STOCKS

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

O

n the top 10 performing stocks last week were the shares of UAC of Nigeria P l c , Guaranty Trust Bank P l c , Mansard Insurance Plc, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, N.E.M Insurance Co (Nig.) Plc and Lafarge Africa Plc. Others were Unilever Nigeria Plc, Zenith International Bank plc, UACN Property Development Co Plc and Airline Services and Logistics, ASL plc.

UACN, which ranked second on the top 10 stocks two weeks ago, came top on the list last week, rising by 19.43 percent or N6.02 to close at N37.00 from N30.98. It had risen by10.33 percent or N2.90 to close at N30.98 the previous week. UAC has made a number of acquisitions over the last few years in a bid to strengthen its footprint in the key sectors of the economy and achieve a conglomerate structure. Among the acquisitions recently made were the take over of Livestock Feeds, where it has 51 percent equity stake, Chemical and Allied Products Plc, where it also has 51 percent interest and Portland Paints & Products Plc, where it has 51 percent interest as well.

Available 2013 financial statement of the company showed that the intrinsic value in the acquisitions intrinsic is being unlocked as indicated by improved financial outing.

It grew its turnover by 13 percent from N69.6 billion in 2012 to N78.7 billion in 2013, while operating profit rose from N11.5 billion to N15.3 billion. Livestock Feeds and Portland Paint, which became members of the company in 2013 contributed N6.30 billion to the group’s turnover.

The chairman, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, attributed the growth to innovative and proactive measures the company adopted to tackle market dynamics and competitive pressures in the operating environment, while expressing optimism that the company will record modest growth in 2014.

UAC of Nigeria Plc (UAC) is a leading diversified company, operating in the food and beverages, real estate, paint and logistics sectors of

the economy.

GTB closed as the second most active stock with 17.32 percent or N3.10 price increase to close at N21.00 from N17.90.

GTB is one of the banking stocks that has managed to break into the two digit region after the blow dealt the stock market by 2008/2009 crash, even standing as the most priced besides Stanbic IBTC holdings Plc, which now listed in Other Financial Institutions sub-sector.

The bank opened the year with accolades, clinching the ‘Best Corporate Governance Africa, 2015, an award that recognizes outstanding companies that have exhibited exceptional leadership in the area of governance and professional ethics to ensure protection and long-term value for all their stakeholders. The award, according to the organizers, Ethical Boardroom Magazine UK, is an acknowledgement of the bank’s strong corporate governance practices, commitment to high standards of ethical leadership a n d compliance w i t h regulatory standards. Despite the minimal increase the bank achieved in turnover in third quarter in 2014, the bank’s profit is on the decrease.

The bank’s gross earnings for the period climbed by 9.5 percent to N199.2 billion from N182 billion in the Q3 of 2013.

However, its profit before tax (PBT) declined 2.0 percent to N81 billion from N82.3 billion recorded the corresponding quarter of 2013, while the profit after tax (PAT) dropped by 3.6 percent to N66.7 billion from N69.2 billion in the same period of 2013. Similarly, the fully diluted earnings per share dropped to a negative 3.7 percent from N2.44 in the Q3 of 2013 to N2.35 in the review period of 2014.

Mansard Insurance followed with 10.53 percent or N0.30 appreciation to close at N3.15 from N2.85 per share. The underwriter just completed the acquisition of 60 percent interest in of Penman Pensions Limited, which extended its subsidiaries to four. It recently informed the investing public through the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, that the process of transferring the ownership of Assur Africa Holding Limited (AAH) to AXA was completed on December 8, 2014.

INVESTORS

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‘I don’t want to lose money’

By Babajide Komolafe

T

he series on “You can invest”, which dovetailed into the one on “Why you are not investing”, received interesting responses from readers.

These responses indicate interest for savings and investment, as well as concern about the investment options

available in Nigeria among Nigerians. One common theme is the question about other types of investment besides shares and bonds etc. But before we address this, let us address another major reason why you may not be investing.

There are many people who know they need to save and invest, but they are scared of losing money in

the process.

This fear is created and fuelled by stories of people who lost money in the process of investing either due to ignorance or failure in the financial system. There are examples of people who invested in bank deposit, only to learn that bank has collapsed or failed, and their money trapped. There are also those who lost money

MARKET NEWS

SEC okays Access Bank's N52.6bn rights issue

By Nkiruka Nnorom

A

ccess Bank Plc has secured approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to proceed with plans to raise N52.6 billion in a share sale as it pursues expansion and stronger cash reserves.

Access Bank Plc, with operations in eight other countries, will be selling shares to existing shareholders by way of Rights Issue of 7,627,639,636 shares of 50 kobo each at N6.90. Shareholders of the Bank had approved the Board of Directors’ proposal to raise additional equity at an Extra Ordinary Meeting (EGM) held in Lagos on October 13, 2014.

The capital raising falls in line with Access Bank’s fiveyear corporate strategy plan to be one of the top three banks in the country and the “ world’s most respected African bank”. This will be anchored on four critical pillars – capital, human capital,

governance and risk management. It will also enable the Bank to be more competitive and meet the funding needs of its blue chip customers that meet its credit risk criteria.

The capital raising falls in line with Access Bank’s five-year corporate strategy plan to be one of the top three banks in the country and the world’s most respected African bank

Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc, Herbert Wigwe said the proceeds from the offer will be used to upgrade the Bank’s information technology platforms to enable it provide better services, upgrade the Bank’s branch networks and further improve the working environment.

“The funds raised would provide Access Bank with additional capacity to further consolidate its leading corporate banking business as well as additional capital headroom to support our increasing market share in the SME and retail segments’” Wigwe said.

He noted that despite the challenging conditions in the nation’s banking sector with regulatory changes and increased competition, Access Bank has continued to sharpen its execution skills, thereby ensuring a solid platform to build on.

Access Bank Plc launched a

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — 23

,

S FORUM investing in shares. Many people lost money during the stock market crash of 2008/ 2009. Some also lost money invested in fake fund managers, Microfinance Banks, and mortgage banks or even finance houses. But while it is true that people lost money in the process of investing, it is also true that there are people who made money, and in fact did not lose any dime.

The reality and difference is recognizing that investment, like many aspects of life, is a risk. It involves risk; the possibility that something may happen that would hinder or undermine the achievement of

The starting point for anybody that wants to invest is to recognize that the investment might fail and he may lose that money

highly successful $400 million Eurobond in June 2014. The transaction follows the bank’s highly successful

the intended objectives.

Those who made money investing recognized this risk even before they invest.

So, the starting point for anybody that wants to invest is to recognize that the investment might fail and he may lose that money. This would induce an attitude of care and caution in your choice of what to invest in and who you should invest with.

Rather than make decisions based on sentiments, you would be guided by facts.

According to the five basic laws of money stated in the book, The Richest Man in Babylon (by George S. Clason), there are three major reasons why people lose money in investment.

The five laws are: Money comes to those who save; money multiples for those who invest; money stays with those who entrust it to wise people; money is lost when invested in things you are not familiar with; money is lost at a fast rate when invested in ‘Get rich quick’ schemes.

The next edition will dwell more on the last three laws.

(To continued next week).

Please send comments, questions to vanguardinvestors@gmail.com

$350 million five-year senior debt issued in 2012. Access Bank is rated B (Fitch) and A+ Agusto & Co.

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INVESTORS SPEAK

Anono

Oderinde

Seplat's dollar dividend: Shareholders took that decision

By Providence Obuh

S

ome shareholders of Seplat Petroleum Development Company (Seplat) (a Nigerian oil company based in Lagos) have expressed dissatisfaction over the company’s decision that they should open a domiciliary account for their dividend to be paid into such account.

In this interview with Vanguard, some shareholders said a number of them took the decision for the company to pay dividend in dollar at the last Annual General Meeting, AGM held in 2014 and a resolution was taken to that effect. Excerpt: Chairman, Nigeria P r o f e s s i o n a l S h a r e h o l d e r s Association, Mr. Godwin Anono:

From left: Former Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms Arunma Oteh with Chairman, Elumelu Foundation, Mr. Tony Elumelu during the birthday celebration of the former Director General of SEC, in Abuja.

There are many people who know they need to save and invest, but they are scared of losing money in the process, this fear is created and fuelled by stories of people who lost money in the process of investing

They are into oil exploration, they earn their money in foreign currency that is why they ask shareholders to go and open a domiciliary account

W

hen you buy shares in naira, you are supposed to be paid dividend in naira. Is a new development by Seplat, asking shareholders to open a domiciliary account.

It has never been done before although I don’t know the reason behind it, there might be reason for doing that because ordinarily when companies declare dividend they don’t ask shareholders to open a domiciliary account, what they do is that they introduce the dividend warrant which is almost like a cheque, you can collect it from the Registrars and pay into your account.

The management of Seplat has not told shareholders what is actually behind this idea they have brought forward.

For me it may not be well especially at this time when people are planning to buy more shares and you are telling them to open domiciliary acount for their dividend to be paid in.

This is a bottleneck for shareholders to cope and to me is not proper. I agree that the price for dollar has gone up but going over to open a domiciliary account I don’t understan the reason .

I have a domiciliary account where all my investments are paid in dollar and they credit my account and if that is what they are doing, I think it will make it easier for the shareholders who want to travel abroad not to go to black market to exchange naira.

National Coordinator, Proactive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr. Taiwo Oderinde

B

ase on my little experience in the capital market, there are companies which earn their income in foreign currency. There have been acquisition of some companies in the past. For example, when you talk of the issue of conversion, people will say they did the conversion in official rate different from what they gain from the black market. Black market is always higher than official rate . Official rate is N155 to a dollar and there is a black market which sells for N190, by the time they do such and pay you in naira people begin to complain.

Some of us attended the Seplat maiden AGM because the company got listed November 2013, they held their first AGM last year and some of the shareholders raise the issue about domiciliary account, so they said well, if that is how you want it, then open a domiciliary account so that we can pay you the equivalent of the dividend in the dollar. The company is into oil exploration, they earn their money in foreign currency that is why they ask shareholders to go and open domiciliary account so that they can be paying them their dividend through such account. But since they are quoted in Nigeria you have to buy their shares in naira. That was the resolution that was passed at the AGM although,it will pay the company to be paying us in naira but that is what shareholders wanted. It was not the company that took that decision it was the shareholders of the company that took that decision. They said if Seplat are earning their money in dollars they too should be paid in dollar and not in naira and that was how they resolved that people should open a domiciliary account. The company should not be blamed

24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY,

JANUARY 27, 2015

Petrol price reduction: FG considers increase in marketers’ margin

By Michael Eboh

T

he Federal Government has reached an agreement with major oil marketers in the country’ for an upward review of traders/ marketers margins in the sale of imported Premium Motor Spirit, PMS or petrol.

Mr. ObafemiOlawore, Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers of Nigeria, MOMAN, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Lagos, said the Minister of Petroleum Resources has agreed to set up a committee to look at the dealers and marketers’ margin, with a view to addressing their grievances.

According to Olawore, over the years, marketers have been clamouring for an increase in their margins, without success, making it difficult for the oil marketers to meet their financial obligations, carry out expansion and upgrade programmes among others.

He said, “Since 2007, dealers and marketers margins have not been reviewed. It has been fixed at N1.75 per litre ever

CONFERENCE: Field Marketing Manager, Schneider Electric, Anne Ezeh; Vice President, IT Business, Schneider Electric, Ayo Adegboye; Country President, Schneider Electric, Walid Sheta; and Vice President, Retail Business, Schneider Electric, Tonye Briggs, during a press conference, held at Schneider Electric’s head office in Lagos to discuss the company’s strategic focus for the year. since, despite changes in workers’ salaries among others.”

He called for the quick payment of outstanding subsidy claims owed marketers, which he said has

been mounting due to increase in the exchange and interest rates.

He also expressed concern that the Federal Government budgeted N200 billion for fuel subsidy, despite the fact that the

amount owed oil marketers as subsidy in 2014 is about N250 billion.

“Because of the delay surrounding the payment of our subsidy claims, oil marketers have been having

problems with accessing funds from banks to finance their operations,” he added.

He said some banks have threatened to stop funding oil marketers in respect of imported petrol due to difficulties associated with paying the interests on foreign exchange.

Continuing, he justified the new price of N87 per litre, saying that the devaluation of the naira, rising freight cost, non-functional refineries might be some of the reasons it is impossible for the price to go lower than N87.

According to him, if our naira had been stronger than it is currently, it would have been an advantage to the country in terms of the final cost of petrol.

However, he said, “This is the best time for the Federal Government to deregulate the petroleum sector, as this is what will help guide against all the issues currently propping up. When the sector is deregulated, any upward movement in price will be as a result of a joint consultation with key stakeholders, so as to prevent crisis.” He lamented the fact that, unlike in the past, oil marketers were not consulted before the new price was announced, adding, however, that the marketers will comply because the law does not mandate the Minister of Petroleum to hold consultations before announcing any price changes.

Nigeria’s production down by 160,000 bpd — Alison-Madueke

By Sebastine Obasi

N

IGERIA is losing about 160,000 barrels of oil daily due to the activities of pipeline vandals, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke has said.

The minister who stated this at television monitored programme, Kaakaki , in Lagos, last weekend, said that but for sabotage and vandalism, Nigeria would have attained a production peak of 2.4 million barrels per day.

She said: “In terms of our crude production, we have 2.24 million barrels per day;when really, if not for this high spate of vandalism, we should be heading towards 2.4 million and above.”

The minister further said that saboteurs go as far as under the water to puncture pipelines in order to disrupt the economy.

She said: “If you have people who are paid to swim under the water to puncture gas pipelines, clearly, nobody is going to gather gas. So, it is being with the clear intent

of damaging and disrupting this economy.

“I must say for the record. I find this so highly irresponsible and unacceptable. If a government is striving to provide infrastructure for its people, because by this time, if not for this level of vandalism, we should have achieved a much higher level of power output in terms of megawatts.

“You cannot police over 5,000 kilometers of pipeline. That is what we have in Nigeria, 5,000 kilometers of crude pipeline. At any point in time, as much as you are trying to secure your pipelines, there will be people who set out along the creeks to puncture them.

“However, the result is that we have to shut in those holes in the pipelines for x number of weeks or so to actually repair them, and that means that we have what we call shut in production or deferred production and our daily production drops.”

Alison-Madueke, who described the activities of the vandals as political, also absolved the federal government from being part

of it.

She noted: “Well, I will only imagine that it is political, because it cannot be the government of the day puncturing the pipelines. We

It is our hope that as President of OPEC, we will be able to bring the players around the table to look at the downward trend and see how best we can stabilise it

desperately need the revenue for Nigeria. As the crude oil prices drop, the more stable your production is in terms of millions of barrels per day, the more revenue you hold to boost your foreign exchange reserves, etc. the more you have to distribute at the end of every month for FAAC to all the states, because we still have a system where all the states depend on the centre.

“It becomes a major problem when the main source of revenue, which is the joint venture crude payments are going lower and lower because some months they cannot meet their normal quota that they put into our revenues due to vandalism and shut-in production.”

Speaking on why the impact of the reduction in petrol price has not been felt, the minister explained that it will take about 45 days to be effective.

She said, “It takes about 30 to 45 days from Port to the fuel stations to actually feel the impact of any change, even globally in the price of crude and therefore the price of petrol. Of course, it does not happen instantly or

overnight. NNPC has moved in to ‘kero direct’ to try support and we hope in the next couple of weeks, we will see price stability in that direction as well. We are looking at it in a holistic fashion from every angle.”

As regards the division among the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, the Minister stated that members would meet to stabilise oil price.

She said: “It is our hope that as President of OPEC, we will be able to bring the players around the table to look at the downward trend and see how best we can stabilise it. We do understand in an ideal world, Saudi’s position, which was that they will drive inefficient producers out of the market.

They produce at a very low cost and others produce at a very high cost.

“They are of course talking about the large producers such as the United States, with their shale production of about nine million barrels per day and of course Russia that also produces about nine million barrels.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — 25

full deregulation of the downstream sector. While SDNs have been successful in preventing shortages, the deregulation was unfortunately and inexplicably stalled, resulting in increased domestic debt for the government, and continuing inefficiencies and distortion in the downstream sector.

FG still subsidising petrol at N87/ litre — PPPRA

By Chris Ochayi

A

BUJA — The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, said last week that the Federal Government is still subsidising petrol at N87 per litre.

The Executive Secretary of the PPPRA, Mr. Farouk Ahmed, who said this in Abuja, explained that the pump price reduction came about on account of the drastic fall in the price of crude oil , and therefore the need to relieve some of the burden on Nigerians.

He said, “The price of crude oil averaged $62 in December, 2014 and dropped to an average of $50 per barrel for the first half of January, 2015.

“It was after a consistent and diligent monitoring of the trend, since the beginning of the current drop in crude oil price that Government was able to confirm its ability to reduce the pump price of gasoline, commensurate with the amount announced.”

Ahmed said that even at the lowest crude oil price of $47.23 per barrel recorded on January 16, 2015, the open market price of petrol was about the same as the erstwhile price of N97/litre.

“What this means is that at the new price of N87 per litre, government is still subsidising the pump price of petrol,” Ahmed explained.

On the argument that the price of crude oil has reduced by about 50 percent and so the pump price of petrol must reduce in the same ratio, he explained that crude oil price is only one of the several components in deriving the pump price of petrol.

Therefore, there is no linear relationship between the price of crude oil and the pump price of petrol.

He noted in addition that when the price of crude oil reached its peak of $114.26 per barrel on 18 June, 2014, the open market price of petrol was N157, but government still maintained the regulated price of N97 per litre and subsidised the difference of N59.51 per litre.

He added that in determining the amount of reduction on the pump price of petrol, Government is mindful of the impact that an upward swing in the price of crude oil would mean in the amount of subsidy exposure.

•Filling station

Pump price reduction: Whitewashing a broken fence

By Jide Olateju

T

here have been two huge developments in Nigeria’s petroleum sector over the last couple of days. First was the (still not officially confirmed) news that filtered into various international media that oil trading giant Trafigura had ended the Nigerian oil swap deal. The second was the announcement by the Petroleum Minister that the pump price for petrol has been reduced from N97 per litre to N87 per litre.

This short write-up will focus on the reduction of petrol (PMS) prices; I’ll also leave the political analysts to debate on the significance of the timing of price reduction and just focus on the economic and fiscal impact of these moves.

Pump price reduction I made an appeal to the Presidency a few weeks ago on the need to urgently and immediately remove all the subsidies on petroleum products in Nigeria. Given the multifaceted damage caused by subsidies, the purported lower price to the public has never been a good enough justification for a governmentdetermined central subsidised price for petroleum products.

Without a doubt, any reduction in the price of a product as important as petrol is a welcome development, as it leaves more money in the pockets of Nigerians. The multiplier effects on other costs are also very positive. What is deeply troubling is what was not included in the Minister ’s statement. The serious unresolved issues going on behind the scenes that have

destroyed the downstream sector in Nigeria and put the country in a perilous fiscal situation.

Pricing template At current global crude oil prices, petrol should sell for between N71 and N75 per litre without taxes imposed. The PPPRA and its heavily criticised template currently have a landing cost of N82.41 and an open market price of N97.90 on its website. So using the PPPRA template as a guide, a subsidy of N10.90 per litre of petrol will be paid at the new prices.

There are however a number of very serious problems with this scenario: The PPPRA template is based on the inefficient highest cost importer of petrol and guarantees risk-free oligopolistic profit level for operators. While the pursuit of profit is a major objective of all business concerns, the profit seeker should bear the inherent risks. Riskless profit is called arbitrage and is illegal in all countries and industries except the Nigerian downstream petroleum sector.

The price of crude oil averaged $62 in December, 2014 and dropped to an average of $50 per barrel for the first half of January, 2015

It is important to note that NNPC is reportedly the largest importer of PMS into the country and definitely the largest recipient of subsidy payment from the government. However, all the focus on purported abuse of the subsidy scheme is on members of MOMAN (major oil marketers) and IPMAN (smaller independent marketers).

Based on the reported national daily consumption of 41 million litres of petrol per day, the implied PPPRA calculated subsidy of N10.90 on the N87 price means that the country will pay N447 million per day or N163 billion per year in unnecessary subsidies derived through disputed calculations. While this is only a tiny fraction of what was paid in recent years, it is simply crazy to bear this burden given the diminished revenue situation and the struggles the government is currently facing in meeting its obligations. The dwindling government revenues means that the government will struggle to finance its 2015 budget, and the meagre revenues received must be chanelled to the most productive use and not spent servicing unnecessary debts and sovereign debt notes (SDN).

SDNs were introduced in 2009, to clear the backlog of payments owed to oil importers who had stopped importing products, causing massive shortages in the country.

It was only meant to be a short term measure pending the removal of subsidies and

Outright deregulation •Beyond a nominal reduction in prices, what is urgently needed is an immediate removal of all consumption subsidies on petroleum products in the country.

Under current global conditions, and with competition, this will result in even much lower prices than the state mandated N87 per litre.

•NNPC must be stopped from further involvement in the importation of refined products, as its participation in schemes like the crude oil swaps have discouraged transparency on several fronts and have been used as a basis for all sorts of actions including the withholding of revenue from the federation account.

•The removal of all subsidies will end the current market distortion, which encourages and rewards fraud and corruption. Instead, an environment which attracts and encourages investments (and not rent seeking), and rewards innovation will be created. With the removal of subsidies, there will be the natural incentive for local refining of petroleum products.

•All forms of central price setting by the government through the PPPRA must be ended immediately. The PPPRA’s regulatory activities should be limited to licensing, quality control and consumer protection. There is no evidence that there will be significant price differentials in various parts of the country. If beverage bottlers and noodle sellers can distribute products and consumers pay similar prices, oil marketers will be able to the same.

Moreover, Nigeria has a sophisticated pipeline system spread all over the country. This should be concessioned or privatised since NNPC/PPMC has proved incapable of running it successfully.

•Subsidy removal will attract investment and create hundreds of thousands of new technical and management cadre jobs in the country. It will be the most significant and positive reform in the country since the telecoms reform.

As previously mentioned, the price reduction is a tiny token as it puts more money in Nigerian pockets, and reduces costs.

However, unless accompanied by an immediate and complete removal of all forms of consumption subsidies, it is a band-aid solution that does nothing to solve the significant problems in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector. It could actually worsen the nation’s corruption problem and the government’s fiscal challenges.

•Jide Olateju coordinated the activities of the Presidential Committee on the reform of the downstream sector in 2009.

26 — Vanguard, TUESDAY,

JANUARY 27, 2015

Power needs 10yrs backbone investment — Schneider

Egbin Power invests N50bn …Targets 10,000MW

By Sebastine Obasi

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esidents of Lagos and its environs may be in for improved power supply going by the investment of N50 billion for the restoration of 220 megawatts of unit six of the Egbin Power Plant.

The Minister of Power, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo, said in an interaction with journalists in Lagos that but for privatisation the venture would not have been possible.

“Egbin spent N50 billion to get things to this level. The entire budget of the federal government for all the GENCOs and DISCOs would not have been up to that before privatisation. This is a bold venture by a private sectorowned power.

“This work by Egbin Power Plant is very commendable. If you think of what it costs to bring a brand new 220MW to fruition you then know Egbin has done marvelously well in trying to regain capacity that was lost several years ago,” he said.

The minster also said, “It has been out of operation for 10 years. Since then it has been moribund and has not given a single megawatt. But then the government having owned the facility for so long did not have the money to revamp it,” he said.

By Sebastine Obasi

F

Oil rig

According to Nebo, “the Federal could not have mustered the kind of money used to put the facility into use for one power plant. So, it is kudos for the Federal government for privatising the sector. This 220 MW is just the beginning for Egbin.

Egbin has committed to even doubling their capacity.

Currently, Egbin is the largest power plant in Nigeria. It has capacity for generating over

1,300MW. They are working hard to make sure that it is even doubled by 2016. They want to keep doing that over a decade until they get up to 10,000 megawatts.”

He explained that other generating companies have submitted their business plans to the Bureau for Public Enterprises, BPE, which indicate how they are going to move from present capacities, recovering

With the privatisation of the Generation and Distribution sub-sectors, a total of 47,000 disengaged workers of the defunct PHCN are on the list of persons to be paid by the BPE

FG clears 1,669 ex-PHCN workers for payment

By Chris Ochayi

A

BUJA — The Federal Government announced last week in Abuja that it has concluded arrangements for the payment of severance package to another batch of 1,669 staff retirees and Next of Kin of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN. The Implementation Committee on Payment of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, terminal benefits of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, has released the time-table for the payments of severance benefits in nine Centres across the country.

The Chief of Staff to the Minister of Power, Prof.ChidiOnyia, who made this known while reacting to the threat to public property by aggrieved union members and exworkers of PHCN, last week in Abuja, said the beneficiaries, would be paid between January26 and February 6, 2015.

He said that “Record shows that 45,000 persons have been paid, with another 1,669 beneficiaries cleared, thus remaining less than 1,000 workers who are yet to be verified, they would be paid at 9 designated centres across the country beginning from 26th January – 6th February, 2015.”

Onyia recalled that, “With the privatisation of the Generation and Distribution subsectors, a total of 47,000 disengaged workers of the defunct PHCN are on the list of persons to be paid by the BPE.”

According to him,Nigerians deserved to have adequate information in order to have informed position of the issues involved.

Onyia said the Committee, which also have representations from the Ministry and Office of the Accountant General, has diligently handled all issues pertaining to the verification and drawn up a check-list for beneficiaries to bring to the various designated centres for them to be paid.

He said Mr. President has demonstrated a clear understanding of the nation’s labour law, which informed his directive to the handlers of theseverance package to be diligent in the validation processes, adding that Government does not want to pay ghost workers but only the right people.

He said so far, a whopping N372 billion has already been paid out to disengaged PHCN workers, stressing that Government has always treated its workers with utmost dignity and respect. Furthermore, he debunked the assertion that Government has remained insensitive to the plight of the disengaged PHCN workers, saying that the Minister has directed that all issues pertaining to this be resolved on time.

He said this action has nothing to do with the forthcoming general elections, just as he reiterated that the Minister of Power is desirous of building harmonious labour relationship for the entire power sector, assuring that the core or residual staff in the sector would be paid as at when due.

capacities that were lost due to lack of maintenance or unserviceability of the turbines and to a place where many of them are planning quadrupling capacities.

As regards transmission, he said that the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has the capacity to transmit 5,000MW, as a lot of investments are being made to strengthen the transmission infrastructure.

“We have the capacity to transmit over 5,000MW. A lot of investments are going on in the sub-sector to make sure that the transmission infrastructure is strengthened. Mr. President is committed to it and funds have been sourced from international financing and developing agencies as well as the sales of the NIPPs where the President approved after the recommendation of the National Economic Council that $1.6 billion from the proceeds of the sale be devoted to transmission infrastructure,” he added.

or Nigeria to make headway in its quest for stable power supply there must be a backbone, long term investment of up to 10 years, Schneider Electric Country President, Mr. WalidShetahas said.

Sheta, who spoke at an interaction with Journalists in Lagos, also said that investments are needed in power generation so as to boost the sector. “Massive investments in generation are needed. At least 10 generating companies with about 2,000 megawatts are needed to upgrade the sector, and transmission needs to be enforced strongly,” he said. This he said will be possible if government collaborates with the World Bank and other international financiers.

Ar tisans condemn use of auto machines by oil firms

M

embers of the Nigeria National Fitters Association, and Nigeria Welders Association, have condemned the use of automatic welding machines by Next Oil Nigeria Plc and OilServ Nigeria Limited for the maintenance of their pipelines.

The group stated this in a letter signed by Mr. MorristerIdibra, General Secretary of the Fitters, and Mr> Pius Itama, President for the Welders, and addressed to the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Content Development and Minority Board, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.

They alleged that the use of the automatic welding machines for the pipelines running from Omoku in Rivers through Delta and Edo states negate the local content policy.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015— —27

28 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

drive rental value, hinted that “ we build to last. We are focused on development and disciplined to our investors”.

Explaining that Diamond Estate phase 2 is within driving minutes from the new Lekki free trade zone, pointed out with an International Airport and a deep-sea port soon to come to the area, it is easy to share the optimism that the estate represents genuine investment for players in the real estate sector.

For those who are particular about the living environment according to him, Diamond Estate Phase 2 is a significant upgrade on the flagship estate in Diamond Estate Phase 1, stressing that the second phase has even more facilities than the latter.

Central gas supply Some of the houses at Diamond Estate Phase I

Firm unveils Diamond Estate Phase 2 in Lekki

By Kingsley Adegboye

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ASKING in the euphoria of the success recorded in the complete sell out of all the housing units in Diamond Estate Phase 1 in Lekki, Lagos, Femab Properties, a notable Lagos-based real-estate development firm, and developers of Diamond Estate Phase 1 at the weekend unveiled Diamond Estate Phase 2 with over 200 serviced plots already sold out.

With drainage works and perimeter fencing already going on as observed during the tour of the site at the weekend, construction of 50 housing units of various types is expected to commence in the next one week at the Diamond Estate phase II project which is strategically located along Lekki-Epe expressway.

According to John Moronfolu, an architect and project coordinator, Femab Properties, while taking journalists round the massive project said the estate consists of 151 housing units located on 25 acres of land with well planned environment.

Disclosing that the phase 2 will be built in clusters, Moronfolu said to start with, they will commence with the development of 20 units of their Flagship housing type, 20 units of their Grand Royale housing type and 10 units of Arcadia

houses simultaneously in the next one week in the fast developing Sangotedo Area of Lekki-Epe axis.

According to Saheed Amusa, head of sales, Femab properties, the houses come in moderately priced luxurious units that include four-bedroom detached duplexes, fourbedroom bungalows with pent houses, four-bedroom terrace houses, four-bedroom semi detached duplexes and regular four-bedroom flats that are exclusively finished with the finest building materials.

Describing the project as investors’ destination, the Managing Director and Chief executive Officer of Femab Properties, Mr. Abiodun Aguda said the development principle

We have left no stone unturned in creating an environment that is guaranteed to please and pamper its occupants

of company is hinged on long term benefit, rental values are driven by high capital appreciation.

Femab Properties boss who noted that investment objective is key to long term benefit, added that this is part of unique selling point of houses developed by his company, pointing out that investors can buy cheap houses elsewhere

but they will have to endure for long because of defects here and there.

He noted further that partnership with four major banks in the country also make Femab Properties reliable, as work, live and recreate is another cardinal point in the development of Diamond Estate Phase 2. Aguda who stated that credible neighbours

“The estate has its own central gas supply system, fast internet facilities, treated central water system, security and control systems, amongst other ultra modern living facilities.

Located within the environs of the attican beach resort, Diamond Estate 2 is also a few minutes’ drive away from Lakowe International Golf Course. Victoria garden city is a ten minutes drive away and the Lagos business school is 5 minutes away. There is more to the networking potential of the estate.

“We have left no stone unturned in creating an environment that is guaranteed to please and pamper its occupants. It also reputably boasts of having well laid asphalt interlocking tiled roads with good drainage system".

International building, machinery and construction fair holds in Lagos

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LANS have been concluded to hold a three-day building and construction exhibition in Lagos between February 3rd and 5th, 2015 at Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island. Described as first of its kind, Mr. Paul Ayodeji Olugbade, the managing director of Atlantic Exhibition, organisers of the international fair, said the upcoming exhibition is being put together in collaboration with Merid Yen International Fair Organisation and endorsed by the Ministry of Economy, Republic of Turkey as well as Nigeria Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NICCIMA).

According to Olugbade, the three-day event is an international fair, and exhibitors are expected from various part of the world to show case their products and services.

He said over a hundred exhibitors are expected at the fair, just as he listed companies from Republic of Turkey, Dubai, Italy, China, Egypt, South Africa, Indian and many others to participate at the

exhibition.

Some of the exhibitors from Nigeria he noted include Wood stone electronics, Bozac roofing, Witchtech roofing, Dulux, Ag Leventis, Sun group, DFN and many others.

He added that the Nigerian building and infrastructure contractors, building materials dealers/ manufacturers, architects, surveyors, house owners/managers, estate managers, distributors, agents, wholesalers and major retailers who are driving demand, government agencies and other built environment stake holders should see the exhibition as an opportunity to invest in new business ventures.

He also said product groups expected at the fair include building machinery, roof covering, glass and transparent elements façade covering, curtail wall systems, doors systems and accessories, railing/banisters systems and accessories, shutters blinds and window system, lights and accessories among numerous other building materials and furnishing.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — 29

Firms launch joint venture deal to standardise property management Stories by Kingsley Adegboye

I

N a bid to increase its international presence and bring its real estate expertise to West Africa, Cluttons, the international real estate services company which operates in over 50 countries across the world, has launched a partnership deal with a foremost Lagos-based facilities and management services firm, Alpha Mead Facilities & Management Services Limited (AMFacilities).

By this partnership, Cluttons Nigeria will provide a range of commercial and residential real estate services including commercial agency valuations and management, commercial and retail management, and strategic consultancy through its corporate services team.

Speaking at the formal lunch of the Cluttons-AMFacilities Joint Venture in Lagos last week, Ian Gladwin, Head, Cluttons international, said his company which is 250 years in UK decided to come to Nigeria because “ we identified an opportunity in an exciting market for a global business like Cluttons”.

Increased urbanisation Gladwin added that the rapid growth in the country’s real estate environment is a result of increased urbanisation, improving economic conditions and Nigeria’s emergence on the global stage, stressing that “Lagos is the gateway to West Africa, and having a strong presence here is an important step in strengthening our established global platform”.

According to him, “Nigeria offers us the opportunity to leverage our 40-year history in the Middle East, linking together two of the most dynamic regions in the world.

We aim to create an investment and knowledge bridge, offering investors, multinational organisations, banks and developers our real estate expertise”.

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer, AMFacilities, Femi Akintunde, an engineer, said the decision of both companies to go into partnerhip to raise the standard

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of property management in Nigeria is borne out of the dire need to deliver best practice to the Nigerian market, especially as Nigeria increases its dominance of the African economy.

Akintunde pointed out that his firm as a facilities management outfit that is leading in the delivery of best practices to the African market, many of the company’s clients have asked us to venture into real estate services so we can replicate the capacity we are currently demonstrating in the facilities management industry.

“But we have refused that temptation, instead we have decided to partner with a renowned brand like Cluttons to bring that quality of real estate services that the Nigerian business space is looking for”. We are therefore delighted to partner with Cluttons to form this company in Nigeria after many years of a mutually beneficial business

From left: Mr. Ian Gladwin, Director, Cluttons LLP UK; Mrs. Erejuwa Gbadebo, CEO, Cluttons Nigeria, and Engr. Femi Akintunde, CEO Alpha Mead Facilities & Management Services Ltd (AMFacilities) at the official launch of a Cluttons-AMFacilities Joint Venture in Nigeria.

We have refused that temptation, instead we have decided to partner with a renowned brand like Cluttons to bring that quality of real estate services that the Nigerian business space is looking for

relationship.

“We are confident that having an international brand like Cluttons in Nigeria, with a presence in over 50 countries, will contribute significant value to the Nigerian real estate industry. It will help to raise the standard of professional practice, boost the confidence level and attract more international real estate investors.”

The Cluttons Nigeria office will be headed by Erejuwa Gbadebo, who joins Cluttons having previously worked with the Broll property group where she was CEO. Gbadebo is a member of the Royal Institute

of British Architects (RIBA), with 28 years of post qualification experience in both Nigeria and the UK. Working alongside Gbadebo, as chief operating officer, will be corporate real estate specialist Lesley Orr, who has previously worked at CBRE and Standard Chartered Bank in the Middle East, North America and Africa.

Nigeria is Cluttons’ first venture in West Africa following its success in the UK, Europe, Middle East, North Africa, India and South Africa.

Surveyors canvass improved human capacity T

HE Nigerian Institution of surveyors (NIS), has canvassed the need for improved human capacity in a competitive world in order to address the country's socio-economic and political challenges.

The surveyors who gathered last week at the 10th Annual Adekunle Kukoyi Memorial Lecture, put together by the Lagos State Chapter of NIS, unanimously agreed that improved human capacity is what the country needs to confront the socio-economic and political challenges Nigeria is currently facing.

Speaking on “Improving Human Capital in a Competitive World” which was the theme of the Memorial Lecture, Professor Paulina Makinwa Adebusoye, the guest lecturer, said there are 12 pillars of global competition such as institutions, infrastructure, macroeconomic environment, and health and primary education.

Others are higher education and training; goods market efficiency, financial market development, technological readiness, market size, business sophistication and innovation.

Professor Adebusoye noted however, that despite the importance of the 12 pillars of competitiveness for all countries, the relative importance of each depends on a country’s stage of development.

She stated that Nigeria, as well as majority of African countries and other least developed countries worldwide are

in the first stage of development, pointing out that these are factor-driven economies whose ability to compete successfully in the global market and to move the next level that is of the efficiency-driven economies, that depend more importantly on good performance on specific pillars.

According to her these include institution, appropriate infrastructure, macroeconomic framework and good public health and primary education, arguing that against the backdrop of Nigeria’s sustained economic growth in recent years and the imperative to maintain this growth trajectory in order to attain the second stage of development, the global

competitiveness index (GCI) serves as a useful diagnostic tool. She said it determines how Nigeria is faring in the four pillars that will ensure a high level of productivity and keep the country growing quickly.

The guest lecturer who lamented the position of Nigeria, she said the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) global competitiveness report (GCR) for the period 2014-2015 released by Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), ranking last September, ranked Nigeria 127th of the 144 countries assessed.

Guests at the 10th Annual Adekunle Kukoyi Memorial Lecture

30 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015— —31

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32—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

By Theodore Opara

Peugeot loan scheme receives boost in South-West

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UYING a brand new car has long been regarded as an expensive luxury due to the amount of money required to own one. However, according to research, running a brand new car can be as much as 73 per cent cheaper to run than a used car popularly known as ‘tokumbo’ of just five years older. Set this alongside generous low rate finance deal, which means some new car buyers

VW achieves 1st goal of strategy 2018 •Delivers 10m vehicles for first time T ”

HE Volkswagen Group achieved the first goal of its Strategy 2018 last year: “In 2014, the VW Group delivered over ten million vehicles in total to customers, ranging from the e-up!* city car to heavy commercial vehicles.

That is impressive confirmation we are vigorously implementing our Strategy 2018 despite challenging market conditions. We are also making good progress with our other main goals – return on sales, customer satisfaction and top employer”, the Chairman of the Board of Management of V o l k s w a g e n Aktiengesellschaft, Prof.

Dr. Martin Winterkorn, said in Detroit on Sunday.

In total, 10.14 (prior year: 9.73; +4.2 percent) million vehicles were handed over to customers worldwide

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from January to December 2014.

Developments in the month of December were also positive, with deliveries running at 881,000 (December 2013: 857600; +2.7 percent) units. Group Board member for Sales Christian Klingler commented: “Our group

Our group has doubled vehicle deliveries in the last ten years, that is an outstanding performance

has doubled vehicle deliveries in the last ten years. That is an outstanding performance and an impressive result, and all Group brands have played their part in achieving this despite at times very difficult market conditions.”

Including the figures for heavy commercial vehicles, Group brands delivered a total of 3.95 (3.75; +5.1 percent) million vehicles to customers on the overall European market in 2014.

2.03 (1.90; +7.2 percent) million customers took possession of a new vehicle in Western Europe (excluding Germany).

1.24 (1.19; +4.5 percent) million units were delivered in the home market of Germany. The Group handed over 670,900 (668,300; +0.4 percent) vehicles to customers in Central and

Eastern Europe in the period to December, of which 275,800 (316,000; 12.7 percent) were delivered in Russia.

The company delivered 891,900 (890,600; +0.2 percent) vehicles in the North America region from January to December, of which 599,700 (611,800; -2.0 percent) were handed over to customers in the United States. The Volkswagen Group delivered 795,700 (992,300; -19.8 percent) vehicles in the South America region during the same period, of which 629,800 (755,200; -16.6 percent) were handed over to customers in Brazil.

The Group continued to record encouraging figures in the Asia-Pacific region, where annual deliveries topped the four-million mark for the first time. The Group

handed over 4.06 (3.65; +11.3 percent) million vehicles there from January to December, of which 3.68 (3.27; +12.4 percent) million were delivered to customers in China (incl. Hong Kong), the Group’s largest single market.

Outline developments Group brands

of at

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 6.12 million vehicles to customers worldwide from January to December 2014. This means the brand has doubled deliveries since 2004, and topped the sixmillion mark for the first time.

Audi delivered 1.74 (1.58) million vehicles to customers worldwide in 2014, a substantial increase of 10.5 percent.

The premium brand from Ingolstadt grew deliveries year-on-year in almost all regions.

The sports car manufacturer Porsche delivered a total of 189,800 (162,100; +17.1 percent) vehicles in the period to December.

Demand for models from the Stuttgart-based carmaker was particularly high in Western Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America.

The ŠKODA brand delivered over one million units worldwide for the first time in the period from January to December 2014, handing over 1.04 (0.92) million vehicles to customers, a year-on-year increase of 12.7 percent.

never end up paying out the full price at once and they end up looking for a good option at the end of the day. Although the initial cost of buying a new vehicle is higher, safety tends to be a guarantee for brand new cars while advancements in technology denotes they gulp less fuel and are easier to maintain in terms of overhead cost of overhauling the vehicle when the need arises. In addition to the above stated benefits, new cars also come with a warranty – typically three years; while several new versions of popular models have low emissions, meaning they are environment friendly.

All these and many more are the gratifying benefits that PAN Nigeria Limited is offering all its numerous customers across Nigeria through its recently introduced ‘Peugeot Vehicle Acquisition Finance Scheme’ (PVAFS), geared towards aiding Civil Servants, Private Sector employees and middle-class Nigerians own their brand new personal Peugeot cars at a low equity contribution rate.

The PVAFS is designed to offer maximum value to customers far above any existing scheme that is currently offered by competition in the country.

Embellished With over 40 years experience in the Nigerian auto market, PAN Nigeria has continued to produce exquisite brand of Peugeot vehicles that offer unsurpassed value to customers in terms of durability, reliability and affordability.

Recently, Professor Fatimah Abdul-Kareem, a lecturer at the School of Medicine, Idiaraba, Lagos State, became the first customer in South-West Nigeria to acquire a brand new Peugeot 301 Luxury car via the Peugeot Vehicle Acquisition Finance Scheme. Professor Fatimah was full of excitement and expressed satisfaction with the scheme, stating that “once you have a stable salary, you can also achieve the goal of having a brand new Peugeot car of your choice by simply walking into Jaiz bank Plc or Enterprise Bank Plc” she said.

Ex-militant bathes former lover with acid PAGE 2

VOL. 1: NO. 34

Ogoni forms indigenous government, elects 8 govs

AGEND A GENDA

PAGES 8

TUESD AY, JANU ARY 227, 7, 20 15 TUESDA JANUARY 201

Finding forgotten Cross River hamlet

Mkpot can only be reached on foot

By Emma Una

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KPOT—MKPOT in Akamkpa Local Government Area, Cross River State, is one of the rare settlements in Niger Delta region where no teacher and health official employed

by government agree to work in, in spite of the presence of government’s health centre and primary school in the community.

At Mkpot, if anyone falls sick and could not be treated with local herbs, he stays there and dies because there is no

*Health centre, school have no single personnel *Calabar Catholic Archbishop led 2-day pilgrimage *Crossing colonial-era bridges health official to attend to him, while the children cannot go to school since there

TOP: Catholic Archbishop of Calabar, His Grace, Joseph Ekuwem leads the way to Mkpot (left); Followers on the trail (right). ABOVE: A street in Mkpot.

is no teacher to teach them.

In Cross River State, the mere mention of Mkpot in Oban, an Ejaghan tribe, evokes a feeling of nightmare among those familiar with the community.

Indeed, the plight of Mkpot is legion.

Besides lack of health officials and teachers, there is no road to the community.

The difficulty in accessing the place, which is through a dense tropical forest, is heart-rending.

When Niger Delta Voice headed for the settlement, Thursday, January 22, it took 12 hours: part of the trip was in a vehicle, but the remaining 22 miles was on foot.

After compulsory mountaineering across several hills, climbing over many fallen trees and wading through seven streams, the team finally made it to Mkpot. No vehicle, be it bicycle, motorcycle or car, had ever reached the community.

Pilgrimage!

The expedition to Mkpot started when our reporter stumbled on information that the Catholic Archbishop of Calabar, His Grace, Joseph Ekuwem, would be undertaking a ‘pilgrimage’ to Mkpot to meet with the Catholic faithful in that area on Thursday, January 22.

Pilgrimage is actually a journey to a holy place in search of moral or spiritual significance, but whenever it is used, it is usually in relation to Christians’ travel to Israel/ other holy places or Muslims’ visit to Mecca. So why would an Archbishop in Calabar, Cross River State, be undertaking a pilgrimage to a church in the same state?

At the scheduled time for departure from Calabar, which was 2pm, this reporter was at the Bishop’s Porch, along Bishop Monagh Avenue, State Housing Estate. It was not until 3pm that the ‘pilgrims,’ led by Archbishop Ekuwem, who was behind the steering in his Land Cruiser Jeep, took off.

Continues on Page 7

2—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Ex-militant bathes former lover with acid DELTA...

FINGER OF GOD

By Egufe Yafugborhi

*She discovered he was married with 3 children *Needs N5m for treament in Indian

W

ARRI—AN accidental meeting between 24year-old hair stylist, Miss Juliet Osimen from Esan West Local Government Area, Edo State, and Austin, a native of EmuUnoh, Ndokwa West Area, Delta State, in Warri, glued them together.

Barely three years into the affair, Austin, shattered the promising life of his lover with a cruel acid bath.

Today, after battling to survive with a year-long intensive care at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, Benin, Edo State, Juliet still requires over N5 million lifeline for a medical trip to Indian, as she struggles to pick up the pieces of her devastated life. ... in the beginning Juliet met Austin while working at a fast food centre in the Niger Cat neighbourhood of Ekpan, Delta State, where her father, Pastor Sunday Osimen, farmer and Head at the Mountain of God’s Grace Ministry in the area, also owns a modest home.

Recalling the good times, Juliet said: “Austin was very generous in the relationship and often granted most of the requests I made. As a result, I hardly hesitated when he started making proposals for marriage and coming close to my family.

“When we met, he was living with his uncle at Nnewi Street, off Aka Avenue, Effurun.

“As the relationship grew, we rented a self-contained apartment at satellite Ugolo community, Okpe Council area, where we shared privacy occasionally, while I still lived with my parents.

‘My fears’

“Though, I cherished his uncommon generosity towards me and my siblings, I started getting worried about the source of his income, which to me did not connect with the

Juliet, before and after the acid attack. generator repairs job he told me he does for a living.

“My suspicions were confirmed the day we went to Obiaruku for the marriage of his friend. There is a particular bag he does not allow me or anyone else touch at all.

“This fateful day, as he was having an after wedding drinking spree with friends in the hotel we lodged, I opened the secret bag in our room.

“I was shocked by two items I found. An identity card as a Federal Government Amnesty beneficiary and a document list of guns and other dangerous weapons submitted by his group during the arms mop up.

I was to sit for JAMB before the attack. I still want to get higher education; I still want to be useful to myself

“From that moment, my interest in the affair died and I wanted out immediately. I knew I was living with an unrepentant criminal because he is easily irritated and always bragging about how tough he is and how he can deal with anyone and go away with it.

Conflict

“That night at Obiaruku, I confronted him on his criminal identity and why he kept it from me. He said he was worried I would leave him and he does not want to lose me.

“That moment, I made it clear I was no longer interested and would not marry a criminal disguising as repentant. I meant every word of it.

“But I knew it was dangerous to make a sudden quit, so I started limiting my contact with him and thinking of how best to stop the affair permanently.

“Then, I further learned that the man I was planning to marry is a father of three, married to a woman elsewhere.

“I confronted him. He admitted and again said he kept that from me for fear of losing me. He said he could not do without me, so he wants me as second wife. I said over my dead body.

... and the threats began “As I gradually limited my contact with him, he introduced a catch phrase whenever the issue of breaking the relationship came up.

“He would say, ‘You can’t leave me. If you try it, I will so damage you that no man would want to look at you, so I will still be the only one to marry you.’

“I could tell from his anger and tone, whenever he says it, that this was no empty threat, but I needed to get out of the affair.

“I trained as a hair stylist and work for a salon owner, while also doing home service for some clients on Sundays.

“One Sunday, I was home fixing a customer ’s hair when my phone rang. It was Austin’s call so I ignored it.

“Usually, he is very jealous and gets upset if he does not know my whereabouts and cannot get me on the phone for a second and he can beat me for that.

Pulling a knife; the acid bath

“At night at Ugolo that day, he pulled a knife from the kitchen, threatening to kill me, saying he saw a man taking me out the period I failed to pick his call.

“I was afraid he could harm me so I refused confrontation with him before he dropped the knife. Next morning, he came to my work place apologizing for his action after complaining to my madam.

“The evening of the Monday (February 25, 2013) preceding the Sunday he threatened me with a knife at Ugolo, I refused his calls again after closing from work and went to my parents’ home.

Continues on Page 4

THE TEAM Emma Amaize, Editor Jimitota Onoyume Samuel Oyadongha Simon Ebegbulem Gabriel Enogholase Festus Ahon Egufe Yafugborhi Emmanuel Una Akpokona Omafuaire Godwin Oghre Tom Moses Chioma Onuegbu Ike Uche Davies Iheamnachor Emem Idio Brisibe Perez Barnabas Uzosike Nath Onajoke Chijioke Nwankpa

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015—3

Bayelsa sea food industry dead, trawlers grounded BA YELS A ...

BAYELS YELSA

THE GLORY OF ALL LANDS

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—THE prospects of Bayelsa State, which has the longest coastline in the country, boosting its economy and creating job opportunities for its teeming unemployed with its huge investment in the fishing business have crashed.

In fact, the sea food company established by the state government has gone moribund, while the stateowned fishing trawlers, MV Dame Patience and MV

Margaret, named after wives of President Goodluck Jonathan and former governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, respectively, are currently lying waste and exposed to the vagaries of the weather at the Ogbia jetty.

Dashed hope

Remarkably, expectations were high when the state took delivery of two of its five projected fishing trawlers, some seven years ago, to challenge the foreign domination of the fishing business on its coastal waterways.

This was because prior to acquisition of the trawlers, fishing expedition in the coastal enclave of the state was dominated by foreign firms using hi-tech vessels to

the disadvantage of the locals.

The immediate past administration had projected that it would be able to supply half of the shortfall of Nigeria’s 900,000 metric tonnes annual fish requirements and went ahead to establish the Niger Delta Sea Foods Company to redouble efforts to position the state in the fishing business.

The state government’s action was triggered by Federal Government’s spending of N30 billion annually on fish imports, as well as the need to diversify its revenue base.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Thomas Commander, could not be reached for comment, but Bayelsans, who spoke to Niger Delta Voice, expressed discontent over the abandonment of the trawlers.

Citizen Ebi blasts Dickson

A concerned Bayelsan, Jones Ebi, said: “The philosophy behind government's acquisition of those trawlers is because the state has the capacity of becoming a major hub for food production in Nigeria and indeed, West Africa, thereby driving the oil and gas sector to a second position in economic considerations. ”It is sad that even our governor, Seriake Dickson, who admitted that the state's treasure lies in its vast marine environment, has not done anything to resuscitate those vessels.”

Window dressing, propaganda stuff —ACTIVIST

Also speaking, renowned environmentalist, Mr. Alagoa Morris, said: “It is very sad and unfortunate that certain government projects are not well thought out and not really meant to meet common good.”

According to him, such project could pass as mere window dressing and propaganda stuff.

His words: “I see the trawlers named after wives of President Goodluck Jonathan and Chief Diepreye Alamieyesiegha lying waste at the Ogbia waterfront more as liability than asset because with each passing day, they are reducing in quality and capacity to be of any use.

“If really the trawlers were in use and our youths were rightly trained to man them, by now, the cold room facility, opposite Twon Brass, would have been functional and those foreigners, who invade our territory, would have been kept at bay.

No protection for local fishermen

One of the trawlers.

Ndokwa East tasks security agencies on peace

A

BOH—CHAIRMAN of Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State, Mrs. Nkechi Chukwurah, has charged security operatives to come up with proactive security strategies to sustain the prevailing peace and security in the area and also avert

breakdown of law and order.

She made the call at a security meeting in Aboh, the council headquarters, to reappraise the security situation in the area.

Chukwurah said the council would not condone acts of violence during next month’s polls and urged politicians

and their supporters to exhibit the highest degree of civility, responsibility and decorum before, during and after the elections.

The meeting was attended by the heads of the Police, DSS, Army, Nigeria Civil Defense Corps and leaders of various political parties in the area.

Shell uses voter’s card to identify, pay oil spill victims

“Our fishing folks are always lamenting how the trawlers operating on our waters have been destroying their fishing nets and pointing guns at those who dared to confront them.

“This is not only unacceptable, it is pathetic and shows that the authorities are not doing anything to protect our fishing folks.

“The sea food company, as far as I am concerned, is another window dressing. How many people are in their employment and what are their duties and products so far?

“Only concerted efforts by government to get refocused for the desired goals of diversification of the economy would help us.”

RIVERS… THE TREASURE BASE OF THE NATION

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT— CONTRARY to speculations that the £35 million compensation by Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, to the people of Bodo community, Gokhana Local Government Area, Rivers State, was going to tear the villagers apart, the money was shared by 15,601 inhabitants without rancour, using the voter’s card as the means of identification.

Border communities were not even aware of when the beneficiaries got their share.

Last month, Shell offered an out-of-court settlement of a six-year dispute with the community over impact of two major oil spills in the area in 2008 and 2009, traced to equipment failure.

The incidents destroyed economic life in the area.

The volume of spill is still unknown, but community sources said it was over 100,000 barrels.

In the settlement, Shell is to part with £55 million as compensation. £20 million will be for the community, while the balance £35 million is for 15,601 victims, who suffered direct loss in the spills.

One of the community leaders, Pastor Christian Kpandei, who lost his fish farm to the spill, said the community was excited with the development.

He said each of the 15,601 victims got N600,000, adding that they had all received their money.

Kpandei said the foreign lawyers handled the payment process very neatly, adding “all we got were alerts from our banks.

“There is excitement in the whole community of Bodo.

After several oil spills, this is the first time Shell made an offer to pay both small and big. And the money got to the individuals without any third party.

“It was the lawyer, who handled the case that shared the money directly from England. Your bank in Nigeria only text you how much was paid into your account.

“If I did not tell you my money had come, you would not have known.

15,601persons were paid.”

4—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Ex-militant bathes former lover with acid Arrested

Pastor Osimen asserted, “back to Delta at the close of 2014, we opened the case to prosecute Austin at the Warri Area Command.

“After two years in hiding, within which even his uncle at Aka Avenue also relocated to unknown location, the police caught him, last month.”

It was learned that a source who knew him, noticed that he was in custody at the Ekpan Police Station, having been arrested and brought from Lagos in connection with a kidnap case.

According to Juliet’s father, “ when I met him at Ekpan Police Station, I said to him, ‘Igwe is this you?’ he replied, ‘Daddy, I beg.’

“I said, ‘you are begging to go free after deliberately maiming my daughter?’”

Austin and Juliet, when the going was good.

Continues from Page 2 “He then called my younger sister, asking if my parents were home. That was about midnight.

“It was very hot that night. At some minutes to 1am, February 26, I had just my towel tied on me when I slept close to the window.

“Suddenly, I heard and felt a shower of liquid from outside through the window. The person aimed and poured it all over my body as I lay faced up.

“Immediately, I started shouting, 'Igwe (Austin) had poured acid on me' repeatedly and ran out as the liquid was burning my body. I saw him running away.”

A father's story

Her father, Pastor Osimen, said he and the wife, Caroline, were at their farmhouse at Orega, along Sapele Road, where they farm most weekdays before retiring home to the children and church service on Sunday, when he got a distressing message.

He said: “I was contacted after she had been rushed to the Ekpan General Hospital.

I returned from the farming expedition and lodged complaint at the Ekpan Police Division.

“We could not focus on the police case because saving my daughter ’s life first was uppermost.

“From Ekpan General Hospital, she was referred to the Oghara Teaching Hospital, Oghara in Delta State. From there, she was referred to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, in Benin, Edo State.

“She was under intensive care at UBTH for almost a year with the medical bill rising to N2 million, way beyond my purse. But by some divine intervention, some persons

from the Edo State government, I guess, came and set-

N5m lifeline to save a soul tled the huge bill before she was discharged.”

Austin’s trial was supposed to start, Thursday, January 29, at an Effurun court in the state.

At press time, the suspect was

on remand at the Warri prisons.

Juliet’s doctor said at least N5 million was required for further treatment abroad to further manage the dreadful scars of the acid burns, especially her face and the chest region, as well as the health challenges the attack still posed to her.

Juliet said: “It is hard to explain how bad and demoralized I feel over this condition I have found myself.

“I am, however, very grateful to God and those who have assisted me. But I need to be able to fulfill my dreams in life.

I was to sit for JAMB before the attack.

“I still want to get higher education; I still want to be useful to myself. Now I can hardly do anything meaningful.”

Joined by his wife, Pastor Osimen said: “We are appealing to the public to please help us and our daughter with donations to go to India for her surgery.

“May God help you as you send your donations to Osimen Sunday, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, account number, 3054669825.”

SUBEB, Catholic priest clash over demolition of school building DELTA...

FINGER OF GOD

By Ochuko Akuopha

U

GHELLI—CHAIRMAN of Delta State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Mr. Elijah Ologe, has described as lawless and unfortunate, the demolition of a block of six classrooms and headmaster’s office at Ihwreko Primary School, Ughelli, Delta State, allegedly on the orders of the Parish Priest of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Ughelli, Very Rev. Fr. Stephen Oghenovo.

It was gathered that the church had demolished the building on December 29, 2014 and built a block of staffroom and headmaster’s office for the school, which is situated in its premises.

However, the church, in its reaction, said it had not destroyed the structures of the school “as alleged in some quarters,” emphasizing that it brought down abandoned and dilapidated structures within the church premises, which had become death traps and habitat for dangerous animals.

Speaking with newsmen when he visited the school on Monday, Ologe held that the demolition of the building was a “lawless operation by a person who is expected to be a respecter

The school, before and after demolition. of the law by virtue of his position as a parish priest.”

He said there was an understanding that the church would provide a space for the construction of a new building before embarking on the demolition.

Ologe said he would meet with the state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Tony Nwaka, “so that government will decide on what line of action to take.

Meanwhile, the church in a statement, said: “In her mission to evangelize and meet her role of charity for the sake of our children and after due consultation with relevant authorities of government, community, church and parents

of the pupils, the church brought down all abandoned and dilapidated structures within is premises, which have become death traps and habitats for dangerous animals to safeguard our children.”

The statement, by the parish priest, Very Rev Fr. Stephen Oghenovo; Secretary, Mr. Richard Benin and three others, said the action stemmed from the desire to “avoid the reoccurrence of what happened in 1984 in Oharisi Primary School, Ughelli, where one Miss Ubini Ruoboga Martha was a victim of a collapsed building and is still paralyzed and wheel chairbound till date.

“The church authority is very much aware of the state and

church relationship and both are partners and agents of peace, progress and development, hence the church has provided an ultra-modern staff room for the teachers, borehole and other utilities for the school.

“Also, let it be known that the school, Ihwreko Primary School, Ughelli, has resumed fully and academic activities are ongoing smoothly.

“Therefore, the government and the general public should know that the structures of Ihwreko Primary School, Ughelli, are still intact.

“The church continues to pray for Delta State government, all parasatals of government and the country for free, fair and peaceful elections next month.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — A1

A2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — A3

A4 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — A5

A6 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — A7

A8 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015—5

STRANGE HAUSA FISHERMEN

Migrate to Kogi when flood submerges community

The Hausa fishing community on the bank of the Niger in Agenebode, Edo State.

By Simon Ebegbulem

I

N most Nigerian rural villages, where Hausa people reside, they are mainly engaged in trade and farming, while the women earn money by processing, cooking and selling food, and so on.

But in a small island at the bank of River Niger, near Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area, Edo State, where the Niger State natives have a migrant settlement, they specialize in fishing.

Niger Delta Voice took a trip to the island occupied by nomadic Hausa people, who move from Agenenebode to Idah, Kogi State, North Central region of the country, when the settlement is

submerged during the rainy season and return during the dry season.

The entire family, including children, survive solely living on fishing.

It was gathered that the natives live in huts without disturbance from the Agenebode indigenes, who inter-marry with Idah people.

We fish till 2am

21-year-old Abubakar Ali, an SSS II student told Niger Delta Voice : “We are from Niger State, but we have been living here for over 20 years.

We stay here in this settlement.

“When school resumes, we will go back to Kogi. During cold nights, we find it difficult because we always fish at night till 2am.

”But during the cold, we do not go at night, only afternoon. During the rainy season, we will go back to Kogi State and we will still continue the fishing over there.

“We will vacate from this place because water will take over the entire area; so there is nowhere to live here. We will now move back to Kogi until the water here dries up.

“We have not had any problem with anybody since we came here. We have over 100 families here, some live in the town.”

Fishing is our life Speaking also, 17-year-old Ibrahim, explained: “We are from Kogi State. We fish here; we stay here every six months.

“We came back here on December 24, but after six months, we will go back to Kogi. We have lived here for over 20 years.

“We live in Idah, but we are from Niger State. We move from one place to another. Our culture is fishing.

“Right now, schools are on strike, so we come and assist our family in fishing because that is how we get our school fees. We train family members through the money we get from fishing.

“Fishing is all that we do right from the time of our forefathers and that is what we use to survive. We do not engage in any other business like farming. We fish and sell to people.

“From there, we can get money to sponsor our

education and also take care of our smaller brothers and sisters. Fishing is our life here and we are a peaceful people anywhere we go.”

Asked how they survived the flooding, which devastated so many communities in the country, including Agenebode, two years ago, following an overflow from the River Niger, Ibrahim said: “It was a very difficult moment for us because business was slow.

“We could not go out to fish because people were scared and the situation was not conducive for us. We became homeless even in Idah where we stayed.

“The flood took over everywhere. We thank God we were able to overcome that challenge.”

6—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

PODIUM… NDDC surprises Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Abia communities with projects communities.

“We thank NDDC for giving us the necessary amenities that are now attracting our people to come back home. We are particularly grateful for the internal roads and the solarpowered street lights.”

Ravaging erosion

In Akwa Ibom State, NDDC team inspected several projects, including roads in Etinam, Ibiono and Itu Local Government areas.

At the 15-kilometre Ikot Isong-Ikot Akpabio-Edemekpo-Ndoneyo Road, Dan-Abia expressed satisfaction with the quality of work on the completed section, but regretted that the road was being threatened by erosion.

He said that a ravine that had developed at a point along the road, was not anticipated and was not factored into the design. He promised that appropriate action would be taken to protect the road from the threatening erosion.

Akwa Ibom raises bar in road construction ABOVE: The hostel.

LEFT: From left: Mr. Bassey Dan-Abia, NDDC MD; Professor Henry Edeoga, Vice Chancellor, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike; Professor Nkpa Agu Nkpa, Abia State SSG and Aniete Usen, during an inspection of the NDDC hostel in the university.

U

YO—UNLIKE before when top officials of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, sit in their offices in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and contractors perform abracadabra with projects awarded to them, the Managing Director of the Commission, Mr. Bassey Dan-Abia, has changed the sit-in-office mentality.

In line with the new philosophy, DanAbia, leading senior officials of the interventionist agency, started the commission’s 2015 activities with inspection of projects in Akwa Ibom, Abia and Ondo states, saying that time was not on the side of NDDC. He said: “The new NDDC requires that we move out of the office to inspect projects. You cannot plant crops and fail to visit the farm to see whether it needs weeding.”

Excitement over Ugbo-Oghoye Road project, Ilaje

The first port of call in Ondo State was the multi-billion naira 21.4 kilometre Ugbo-Oghoye Road with four bridges in Ilaje Local Government Area. The regional project is to connect hitherto inaccessible communities by road.

There was excitement in the air as the NDDC officials were taken through the sand-filled portion of the road to the point where the pilling for the first bridge was ongoing.

The project manager of the contracting firm, Engr. Sciandrello Emmanuel, said Dan-Abia was the first NDDC chief executive to visit the project since they mobilized to the site in 2011.

Dan-Abia observed that the project was strategic and regional because it would link up with the Koko-Oghoye Road in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, adding that the communities should thank President Goodluck Jonathan for making it possible for the commission to undertake such a gigantic project.

The NDDC Chief Executive underscored the enormous challenges posed by the environment, prompting him to call on other Nigerians to show more understanding of what it takes to develop the Niger Delta.

On hand to throw light on the construction work was Mr. Augustus Owowa, the Project Consultant, who gave graphic details of what it took to cut through virgin swamp land.

He said: “We have to fill up to four metres with sharp sand to stabilize the soil. Here, we are working on the first bridge and we have drilled 63 metres deep, yet we are still coming up with clay soil. Such challenges will invariably lead to variations in the design.

“This Ilaje area is a typical Niger Delta terrain and I wish other Nigerians will appreciate the peculiar problems we encounter in the region. With this kind

of setting, people should not be surprised that the cost of executing projects is usually high.

“However, we look forward to driving on this road to Ayetoro soon.”

Dream accomplished in Igbokoda

If the Ugbo-Oghoye road is filling the swamps with hope and anticipation, the 10.5-kilometre Igbokoda-Orere Ara Road is a dream already realized. The 7.3-metre-wide asphalted road with side drains has already opened up new areas for development as the road has been completed.

The joy and excitement of the people were written all over their faces. Mr. Benson Amuwa, the representative of Ondo State on the NDDC board was not an exception.

He conveyed the satisfaction of the people for the road, which has linked Igbokoda, the commercial nerve centre of Ilaje, to Orere Ara and other neighbouring communities.

Enchanted monarch

The Ugbonla monarch, Oba Henry Ogunfeyimi, expressed delight that NDDC had raised the status of Ugbonla and made it to stand out as far as basic infrastructure was concerned.

He said he was particularly impressed by the quality of the 3-kilometre Ugbonla Township Road, which he said had become a model for other rural

The NDDC boss remarked that the Akwa Ibom State Government had raised the bar in terms of quality roads, adding “the NDDC cannot afford to do anything less.

“Although we are not competing with the state government, we will push our contractors to march the Akwa Ibom standards.”

At the 10.1-kilometre Ididep-Ikot Odiong-Ikot Ibiono Road and bridge project, he said by overcoming the challenges of hills and valleys along the road, NDDC had demonstrated its capacity as an interventionist agency.

He said: “The road traverses several communities in Ibiono, which is one of the largest local government areas in Akwa Ibom State. Again, the road links up to the busy Calabar-Itu Road.”

The NDDC team also inspected the 12.4-kilometre Oko Ita-Itu-Mbak AtaiOku Iboku Road, in Itu Local Government Area.

The project consultant, Engr. Eyo Peters, said in spite of the challenges in the payment of compensation to some of the property owners along the road, all other things were in place to facilitate the completion of the road very soon.

It also visited hostel projects at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, which was ready for commissioning, as well as the one at the permanent site of the University of Uyo, which has also reached an advanced stage.

Michael Okpara Varsity VC calls for speedy action

In Abia State, the team visited the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, and inspected other projects.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Henry Edeoga, appealed to NDDC management to speed up action on the 522-bed modern hostel it is building for the university.

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015—7

Finding forgotten C-River hamlet Bicycle, Okada, car has never reached Mkpot Archbishop, and to be mounted along the way to serve as sacraments, the final leg of the journey began.

Throwing off baggage

In a single file, with most of us not aware of what awaited us moved gleefully. But in less than half a kilometre, the hilarity and jolly talks turned to pants and squeals as sharp stones and shrubs began to pierce the feet and skins of the pilgrims.

Soon, the 14 crosses, one after the other, were abandoned at the roadside and the refreshment laden in wheel barrows was also discarded.

The first to go were the water melons and bags of sachet water. For it dawned on us that there were numerous streams and creeks spewing forth fresh water, thus there was no need for the water melons and bags of water.

As the voyage progressed, clothes thought to be cumbersome on the body like shirts, jean, and boots were also thrown by the way side.

Pilgrims taking a lunch break.

The girl that passed out

The Arcbishop and a tree to cross.

Continues from Page 1 There were two other buses overflowing with ‘pilgrims’ and another pick-up van, packed with food and drink.

From the Mobil Filling Station, along Murtala Highway, Calabar, the convoy headed towards MCC Road, from there to Anineje down to Mfamosing, the home of the famous UNICEM Cement Factory and that was where the smooth drive terminated.

The journey

The remaining distance of about 80 kilometres was on a devastated bumpy alley called the Oban- Ekang boarder road.

Apart from the deep craters on the road, the bridges

constructed during the colonial era are so narrow that once any vehicle was on it, whether bicycle or motorcycle, any oncoming vehicle from the opposite direction would have to wait for the one on the bridge to go through first.

Eventually, the journey that was supposed to last for three hours took five hours, as we arrived our transit point at 8pm.

The next day, Friday, January 23, which was the actual day of the trip, the “time keeper” went round at about 4am, ordering everyone to wake up, bath and dress as the journey to Mkpot would start at 5am.

Everyone had to hastily take his or her bath and off we went to congregate at the point of commencement of the journey,

The journey continues. a 15-minute stroll from where we slept. We waited till 6am for the Archbishop to arrive from the St Benedict’s Njiaye sanctuary, where he spent the night.

After the protocol of counting those on the trip, the movement proper began. That was when we were told that Mkpot is 22 miles away from that point and only accessible on foot as no form of vehicle, be it bicycle or motorcycle can get there and none has ever been there.

With each ‘pilgrim’ carrying a bundle of clothing, refreshment and water cans on his head, and some younger ones assigned to carry some crosses produced by the parish priest of St. Benedict Church, Reverend Father Raphael Akpan, on the instruction of the

“The distance is 22 kilometres and the natives make it in nine hours, but at our pace, you can make it in 12 hours,” one of the young girls on the entourage told Niger Delta Voice.

Already fagged out in just two kilometres, I came up at the rear and as I struggled to take every step, heavy drops of sweat poured down my body, yet surprisingly, the archbishop, who only in December, marked his 60th birthday, was a long distance away.

He kept chatting and encouraging the fatigued ones on the trip.

After climbing and descending several hills, manoeuvring across many fallen trees and wading through seven streams, we finally made it to the 6th mile, where we sat down under tall trees to take some refreshments at 12.00 pm.

We trudged on for another three hours, still under the canopy of tall tropical trees of the Oban Forest, before we came to another river where we again sat down and took lunch.

This was where we came across a girl, who out of sheer love for adventure had accompanied a Labour Party, LP, candidate for the House of Representatives for the area, Mr. Obo Mkpanam, on a campaign trip against advice, passed out.

After the girl received a kiss of life, the journey went on till 6pm, when we got to the foot

of the mountain that leads to the village of Mkpot. Here the Archbishop asked everyone to take a bath in the stream and rest before making the climb, which took two solid hours to be conquered.

Celebration in Mkpot

When we emerged, a group of dancers rushed towards us in celebration.

Archbishop Ekuwem told Niger Delta Voice on Saturday morning, after celebrating mass in the local church, that he took the pains to undertake such an arduous trip to fulfill his promise to visit all churches in his archdiocese.

He said: “I was here last year to meet with them because I was told I could not get here. But I was determined to visit all churches in my archdiocese because these people here are as important as brethren in other parts of the world. So they have to be visited as is our tradition.”

Archbishop Ekuwem called on the Federal and the Cross River State governments to construct a road to link the people with the outside world.

His words: “The people here depend on this forest for survival, but I hear logging of timber, hunting and even cutting of vegetables is prohibited. So how do they want the people to live?

“They should be given a road and not to talk about relocating them, which would amount to grave injustice if not done.

Community elder’s reaction

An elder of the community, Pa Amber Eba, said their great grandfather, Mkpot, whom the community is named after, was a great hunter who left Mbershot village on a hunting expedition to the place and never went back.

He said: “His wife and children joined him and from there a community was formed here and we do not know any other home than Mkpot.”

He also appealed to the government to construct a road through the forest to allow vehicles to access the area so that they can sell their crops and animals in the markets in the town.

Pa Eba said: “We thank government for building us a health centre and a primary school, but no teacher agrees to stay here and no nurse in the health centre.

“So if anyone falls sick, he stays here and dies and our children cannot go to school.”

8—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

AGENDA

Ogoni forms indigenous government, elects 8 govs

Paramount ruler of Zaakpo community, Bori Province, Chief Sampson Adamugbo, pouring libation for the success of the Ogoni Indigenous

Authority.

By Davies Iheamnachor

T

HE Ogoni people in Rivers State have formed an indigenous government, Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority, OCIA, and elected eight provincial governors to administer the affairs of the ethnic nationality.

Niger Delta Voice learned that the new government was founded on the United Nations ‘declaration of rights of indigenous people to have indigenous government.’

FG aware of our govt—LAWRENCE

Chairman of Ogoni Governors Forum, Mr. Lipnee Lawrence, who led other governors on a tour of the eight provinces, said: “Federal Government is aware of our existence and activities, that is why we floated four political parties and we were not arrested.

“We call on all the Ogoni people to accept our government, which is found on the UN declaration of rights of the indigenous people to have their indigenous government. That is our legal backing.

governors from the eight provinces. We have come to show ourselves. No one should be afraid of abandonment. We are with you. If we were not in the right, the police would have arrested us as we are moving with siren.”

Monarchs counsel govs

Paramount r uler of Zaakpo community in Bori Province, Chief Sampson Adamugbo, responding to OCIA’s declaration after appeasing the gods for the success of the government, said: “I am happy with the message brought to me today. But I plead that it should be as stated; else I will not be happy.

“The things you told me should be real and should not turn out to be false.

I pray God’s grace as you continue in this journey. ” The king of Luubara, King M. S. H. Eguru, the Gbenemene Kenkana Kingdom, who spoke through his son, Prince Lebosi Eguru, said: “Your conducts should be peaceful.

“It should not involve crisis that may bring Ogoni to be deserted. We want to grow to the point of talking to international communities. The King is rightly behind you in the struggle.”

Familiarization tour

”After our inauguration as the governors of the eight Ogoni provinces, we decided to make this familiarization tour for our people to know what is happening. The struggle of this government has a great emphasis for the execution of the UNEP report.

“The Ogoni government is on course.

Ogoni people have elected their

‘We thank Jonathan'

Chief of Staff and the Deputy Leader, Ogoni Legislative Assembly, Mr. Dumade Budam, said: “I believe that Ogoni has achieved the efforts of Wiwa.

We have evoked the United Nation’s declaration of the rights of the indigenous people. We thank President Jonathan for giving us audience because he loves the Ogoni

The Chairman of Ogoni Governors Forum, Mr. Lipnee Lawrence,

flanked by an Ogoni security official. people.

“If he does not love us, he would not have allowed us parade an indigenous government under him. So I believe he loves us and we appreciate him.

MOSOP ceases to exist

“There is no Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP,

again in Ogoniland. What we have now is Ogoni indigenous government.

MOSOP ceased to be a body after the 22nd Ogoni Day anniversary.

“This is because what MOSOP was established for has been actualized.

MOSOP was formed to fight for the freedom of the Ogoni people for justice, self-governance and fair play.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015—33

By Theodore Opara

Kia global sales rose 5.9% in 2014

K

IA Motors Corpora tion announced today its 2014 full-year global sales figures (export sales, domestic sales and sales from overseas plants) for passenger cars, recreational vehicles (RVs) and commercial vehicles, recording a total of 2,907,757 units sold.

This figure represents a 5.9% cumulative year-on-year increase compared to 2013.

In 2014, Kia posted a yearon-year sale increase in China, North America, general markets* and Korea of 17.5% (678,196 units sold), 7.0% (650,241 units sold), 2.1% (524,345 units sold) and 1.6% (465,200 units sold), respectively. Meanwhile, 2014 sales in Europe* experienced a slight drop of 0.1% (589,775 units sold).

For the month of December 2014, global sales of Kia vehicles grew by 20.7% with all major regions experiencing year-on-year growth.

Sales in China, North America, Korea, general markets and Europe grew by 35.9% (69,111 units sold), 34.2% (48,939 units sold), 17.1% (48,018 units sold), 12.0% (41,349 units sold) and 2.4% (44,975 units sold), respectively in December.

Kia’s bestselling model in overseasmarketsduring2014 was the B-segment Rio (known as ‘K2’ in China) with 491,613 units sold. The C-segmentCerato(knownas ‘Forte’ or ‘K3’ in some markets) was the second best seller with 432,420 units delivered, while the Sportage compact CUV, Optima Dsegment sedan and Soul urban crossover followed with 416,856,300,685and194,572 units sold, respectively.

Jaguar F-PACE

Jaguar's cross-over ready next year •Creates 1,300 jobs

J

AGUAR Land Rover will in 2016 add a new Jaguar model into its family. The new Jaguar, a performance crossover will be produced at the company’s plant in Solihull, UK. The new Jaguar will be known as Jaguar F-PACE. Jaguar Land Rover has also announced plans to create 1,300 new jobs as it continues to accelerate its industry-leading expertise in aluminium and lightweight technologies.

This latest announcement from the Detroit auto show will see Jaguar Land Rover’s Solihull manufacturing plant continue to develop its world-class capability in aluminium vehicle construction for which the company is synonymous. It also marks the start of an incredible year for the British manu-

facturer who will deliver 12 significant product actions in the next 12 months alone.

Jaguar Land Rover CEO Dr. Ralf Speth said: “Today’s announcements once again demonstrate our commitment to the UK and the advancement of a high-tech, high

Jaguar Land Rover is committed to delivering more great products, it is that innovation and relentless quest for new technologies that sets our products apart

skilled, manufacturing-led economy.

“Jaguar Land Rover is committed to delivering more great products. It is that innovation and relentless quest for new technologies that sets our products apart. We want to offer customers greater choice, with even more exciting vehicles, crafted with that special British flair. We want to improve the quality of life for our customers and for our own employees, creating opportunities for more people to be part of the Jaguar Land Rover experience.”

To support the introduction of its new aluminium and lightweight technologies Jaguar Land Rover has already invested £1.5bn. The new facilities represent the largest single investment in the Solihull plant in its 70 year

Coscharis Group Managing Director, Mr. Josiah Samuel (right) in a hand shake with Prince Demola Eletu-Odibo during the hand-over of four Rolls Royce cars purchased by the Eletu family in Lagos recently, while the Coscharis Rolls Royce Sales Manager, Tolulope Gbadamosi watches.

history and created an impressive ‘factory within a factory’.

Incorporating Europe’s largest aluminum body shop and final assembly hall - collectively the size of 22 football pitches, the new state-of-the-art facilities bring the Jaguar brand to Solihull for the first time, and continues to showcase the company’s pioneering leadership in aluminum vehicle construction which dates back to 2003 with the introduction of the seventh generation Jaguar XJ. As a result of the continued developments at Solihull, Jaguar Land Rover is creating an additional 1,300 new jobs at the site. Applications for

the new roles are now being accepted and following its commitment to enhancing employment opportunities for former service personnel in the wake of the Invictus Games, Jaguar Land Rover is welcoming applications from military personnel who are leaving or have left the services.

The expansion of the Solihull site is the outward expression of the continued drive to reinvigorate every aspect of the company.

Today, the plant builds world-renowned vehicles such as the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Land Rover Discovery and is home to the iconic Defender.

GM delivers 2nd year of record global sales

G

ENERAL Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) is reporting its second consecutive year of record global sales. In 2014, the company and its dealers delivered 9 924 880 vehicles around the world, surpassing by 2 percent the record set in 2013.

“GM is making solid progress and has good momentum. Our customer focus, the new cars, trucks and crossovers we launched in China and North America, technologies like OnStar with 4GLTE and the revitalisation underway at Opel helped us achieve another record year, despite very challenging market conditions in different parts of the world,” said GM CEO Mary Barra.

Among GM’s major launches are the new Opel

Corsa, which arrives in European showrooms later this month and the Chevrolet Trax small crossover in the United States, which began arriving in showrooms in December 2014. In addition, GM is increasing U.S. production of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon mid-size pickups, which launched late last year. Launches in China include three Chevrolets, two Buicks and two Cadillacs. OnStar is also expanding into Europe and launching 4GLTE service in China.

Deliveries in North America rose 6 percent in 2014 to 3 412 714 units and the company’s estimated market share of 16.9 percent was equal to 2013.

C M Y K

34—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

• Where are the health care workers?

Shortage of medical personnel:

Tougher times ahead for Nigerians (1) • Less than 30,000 medical doctors, 150,000 registered nurses nationwide • Average Doctor-Patient ratio = 1:53,333; Nurse-Patient ratio = 1: 1,066

E

VEN before the current health workers’ strike, a visit to public hospitals in Lagos and other parts of the country on a weekday, is an eye-opener. The situation at any of the primary, secondary or tertiary health centres highlights a depressing scenario. One is bound to ask were the nurses, doctors and other health workers have gone, because there are always too many patients and not enough health care personnel around to cater for them. Even during the last Ebola outbreak in the country, health worker shortage was a big threat to the containment effort. In this special report, the immediate and long-term effects , consequences and remedies regarding health worker shortage are highlighted: Excerpts:

By Sola Ogundipe, Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale

I

N Lagos, it is not uncommon for patients to sleep in hospital premises overnight or arrive hours before the crack of dawn so as to be at the head of the queue. But even after spending several hours on the queue, chances of being attended to before the close of the day's work are not often guaranteed as many patients return home without obtaining the treatment they seek.

The problem is obvious.

There are too many patients and not enough healthcare providers. Day after day, incidences of attendant effects of health worker shortage are exhibited in excessively lengthy queues, & 0 < .

abnormal waiting times, audible patient dissatisfaction at the various outpatient clinics are instructive and an insight into the fact that all is not well with the system. From dawn to dusk, thousands of patients that converge at the hospitals seeking attention for sundry health problems often leave in frustrated annoyance.

This chronic health worker shortage that has prevailed in public hospitals over the years in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole has steadily gone from bad to worse.

On the average, a doctor that should not see more than 30 patients in one day is compelled to attend to average of 100-150 or more patients daily. Sometimes, one doctor is on call for two, three or four days at a

stretch. Not only is there a shortage in numbers, there is shortage in specialisation.

The World Health Organisation, WHO, defines a health worker as “all people engaged in actions with the primary intent of enhancing health,” including those paid as “health service providers” and “health management and support workers.”

However, the hospital staff shortage transcends the medical personnel and there are times medical staff needs to carry out administrative work just to keep things going.

Even as the government is struggling to contain the unsavoury trend, indications reveal it may be fighting a lost battle.

For chronic health management, the situation is particularly serious. Patients with conditions such as cancer, kidney failure, diabetes, asthma, stroke and coronary heart disease and others requiring specialist attention are worse off. The dearth of health workers is contributing to the death of patients.

Evidence suggests that shortage of healthcare personnel, notably doctors and nurses in the state are detrimental not only to quality of patient care, but

also to staff morale, affecting staff retention, patient welfare and weaker standards of practice. Worse still, the loss of confidence and overall failure of the health system is apparent.

High patient-doctor ratio

“Persistent under-staffing leads to a high patient-todoctor,” stated a commentator on national health issues. “It is largely responsible for the series of frustration, stress, job burnout, poor attitude to work and workplace incivility and higher turnover of healthcare

The hospital staff shortage transcends the medical personnel and there are times medical staff needs to carry out administrative work just to keep things going

personnel is killing healthcare delivery in public hospitals.

A World Health Organisation publication entitled: “Establishing and Monitoring Benchmarks for Human Resources for Health: the Workforce Density Approach,” notes that it is as difficult to comprehend the extent of the shortage of health workers across the country as it is challenging to contemplate a solution. Going by WHO standards, Nigeria is not on track to meet the very low benchmark of 2.5 doctors, nurses and midwives per 1,000 people.

In Nigeria, Human Resources for Health represent the cornerstone of the health system and no health intervention can be successful without an effective workforce. As one of the eight pillars of the National Strategic Health Development Plan, a skilled and fortified health workforce in the right proportion and combination is essential towards provision of the desired improvement in health indices.

National Health Workforce Registry Continues on Page 35

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015—35

Tougher times ahead for Nigerians (1) Continues from page 34 In 2011, the Federal Ministry of Health assisted by the World Health Organisation, WHO, and the Centre for Diseases Control, CDC, inaugurated the National Steering Committee for the National Health Workforce Registry and the Committee on Nigerian Public Health Training Initiative, towards establishing a functional human resources information systems and registry to account for and track all health workers in the country.

At that time, WHO Country Representative, Dr. Ruiz Gama Vaz noted that inadequacies in number, mix and quality of human resources for health posed greatest challenges to the nation’s health system’s capacity to deliver effective and equitable health services. Vaz said addressing health workforce shortages, competencies and productivity is a critical intervention to undertake.

In line with current global practice, the National Registry would track all Nigerian Health Workers by capturing routine pre-service training, graduation, work entry and exit retirement as well as attrition.

Initiated by the Federal government in collaboration with the Carter Foundation to improve the quality and quantity of health professionals serving the country, the Health Workforce Registry is expected to monitor a sustainable check and balance system; to monitor progress towards production and provision of real-time data on the availability of required health personnel at all levels of healthcare service delivery.

It is also to provide data for the general management of Human Resources towards optimising production, deployment, utilisation and retention of skilled healthcare workers at all levels in an equitable manner.

But allegations that government has not done enough to address the dire shortage of health workers in the country continue to make the rounds especially as the health workforce crisis is a national emergency.

Findings by Good Health Weekly show that Nigerian health professionals as a whole are unanimous on the issue of health workers’ dissatisfaction, burnout, stress, and motivation that are influencing their recruitment and retention.

“Although the WHO recommends one pharmacist per 2000 population, in Nigeria we have approximately one pharmacist per 12,000 population. This is taking into account that many have died and those who have migrated,” says the Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Mohammed Elijah.

Nursing care, a big challenge

The scenario is as precarious for nurses, the largest group of health professionals, veritable caregivers and the strength of the nation’s health system.

Registered nurses are the hospitals’ workhorses. In providing essential services and health care support, the average nurse’s daily workload to meet

& 0 < .

• Patients in a long wait for attention at a public hospital. up with the clinical requirements of patients is enormous.

The nurse is in charge of new outpatient assessments and monitoring of patients on admission in the wards.

The nurse takes the patient’s vital signs including height, weight, pulse, temperature and blood pressure and dispensing of prescribed medications.

Nurses probably develop closer relationship with the patient more than any other healthcare personnel and are crucial to the smooth running of any hospital. They provide or assist in providing services in every imaginable area from the surgical theatre, Accident & Emergency, to the paediatric and labour wards.

Patients requiring surgery, vaccinations, specimen withdrawal, and treatment of fresh wounds or changing of dressings on old wounds, setting up drips, administering regular injections or treatment for ongoing health conditions among dozens of other needs, often rely on the nurse for their care and upkeep.

But the nursing profession has been experiencing persistent shortage for years and is now in dire straits. For close to a decade and a half, the scale of nursing shortage has been termed a global crisis because the supply of nurses cannot meet the demand. The

Nigeria has less than 150,000 registered nurses to cater for an estimated 160 million population, giving an average nurse population ratio of 1 :1,066 patients

WHO recommends a nurse to a population ratio of 700, but according to the Open Journal of Nursing, 2014, Nigeria has less than 150,000 registered nurses to cater for an estimated 160 million population, giving an average nurse population ratio of 1 to 1,066 people.

Modupe O. Oyetunde of the Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, and Olabisi O. Ayeni of the Lagos State School of Nursing, Lagos, in their study entitled “Exploring Factors Influencing Recruitment and Retention of Nurses in Lagos State, Nigeria within Year 2008 and 2012”, found that the turnover rate of nurses in Lagos State Health institutions is higher than obtains in Federal health institutions in the country and also higher than the national average.

The study published in the Open Journal of Nursing 2014, said increment in salary and allowances rated the best influence on recruitment and retention of nurses in Lagos State.

The study identified lack of nursing leadership; sense of job security and work environment as major factors influencing recruitment and retention of nurses in Lagos health institutions.

“There is need for adequate human resource planning; increased efforts and formulation of policies that will improve recruitment and retention of nurses in Lagos State of Nigeria,” the study concluded.

Bound by policy

A registered staff nurse at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, who simply identified herself as Esther, noted that, ordinarily, the recommendation for maximum number of patients that a nurse can see safely within an eight-hour shift period ranges from 25-30.

“But that is on paper. In practice, providing nursing and care support in

a teaching hospital such as LASUTH something else. There are not enough of us, and we sometimes double shift to cope with the thousands of patients that flock here daily. Honestly there is no limit to the number of patients a nurse sees. You just do what is humanly possible,” Esther explained.

Toyin, a Staff Nurse/Midwife at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi Araba, Lagos, tells a similar story. “We are bound by the government policy not to turn away any patient, even when there is no bed space. There are times when there are so many patients at the clinics, even on appointment, it is impossible to attend to them all, so we often ask them to come back the next day. But if someone urgently needs to see the doctor and can’t wait until the following day, we could make an exception. If it is an emergency, we take it on that basis. But no patient is rejected. Every patient is seen.”

In the bid to find solution to the crisis of nursing shortage, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) initiated priority areas, top among which is retention and recruitment of nursing personnel.

Experts argue that recruitment and retention of nurses and other health personnel are two human resources functions that require strategic thought and planning for effectual and effective outcomes.

It is argued that successful recruitment begins with proper employment planning and forecasting, however, systemic factors such as constraints in hospital budget; remuneration, practice autonomy, work load, flexible shift, and opportunities for career advancement remain a hindrance.

Worse still, an ageing nursing work force, coupled with decline in the number of nurses graduating from the schools of nursing among other factors are a stumbling block to the availability of nurses for employment.

36—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Inspection of patent medicine shops continues — PCN

I

N its bid to reposition the procedure of Drug Registry in Nigeria and enhance regulation of Patent Medicine Vendors and other regulatory activities, the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, PCN, has said unscheduled inspection of pharmacies and patent medicine shops will continue as an essential part of its regulatory mandate to ensure rational distribution and dispensing of medicines in Nigeria.

However, the Council said only accredited PCN inspectors with identity cards will be involved in the exercises across the nation to avoid abuse of the process and urged members of the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers, NAPPMED, to insist that inspection officers properly identify themselves.

The PCN has also directed NAPPMED to encourage its members that meet requirements to establish Mega Drug Distribution Centres, MDDCs, to do so before the deadline of July, 2015.

These and other resolutions are contained in a 19-point Memorandum of Understanding, MoU , signed between the PCN and NAPPMED with its associates, viz, Lagos state Medicine Dealers Association, LSMDA. According to the agreement, NAPPMED and LSMDA shall partner with PCN to carry out regulation of Patent Medicine Vendors in Nigeria.

Further, the PCN will liaise with other stakeholders and relevant government agencies to review, from time to time, the approved drug list for Patent Medicine vendors in line with the national drug policy.

The PCN assured that it will continue to contribute to the training of Patent Medicine vendors through orientation courses, Continuing Education Programmes and other collaboration with developmental partners, and ensure compliance in states where the training schedules are not complied with.

NAPPMED shall communicate to its members the need to avoid unnecessary litigations and to first consider dialogue with the PCN before seeking redress in the law courts and further to prevail on its members to withdraw all pending suits against the PCN across the nation.

JOHESU ready to end strike if...

By Gabriel Olawale

H

EALTH workers under the aegis of the Joint Health Sectors Union, JOHESU, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH branch, last week staged a peaceful protest over what they described as government insensitivity to their demands even as they expressed willingness to call of the strike should the Federal Government release the much expected circular on their demands.

Addressing a large number of health workers bearing placards with inscriptions such as, ‘save the lives of Nigerian masses,’ ‘FG correct injustice

• Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Pharm Elijah Mohammed (right), handing over the signed MOU to NAPPMED President, Vincent Mamah, during a joint meeting in Abuja recently.

in Nigeria health sector,’ at the premises of the hospital, the Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, SSAUTHRIAI, Kehinde Adegoke said the Union is ready to shift grounds but insincerity on the part of those representing the Federal Government is the major cause of the setback in the quick resolution of the crisis.

"Those that are negotiating on behalf of government are not sincere in the arrangement. We have been on this struggle since 2nd November 2014 and the last time we held meeting with the Federal Government which is on the 22nd December, 2014 they promised that in the next two weeks they will address our issue, it is more than two weeks now we are yet to receive any circular.”

“We know that President Jonathan is having tough time clamouring for vote, but we are urging him to ascend to our demand so as to continue in the business of saving the lives of Nigerians," he added.

Chairman, National Association of Nurses and Midwifery, LUTH Branch, Mr. Oluwagbenga Ajala, however, said if labour disputes, which have led to breakdown of health services in about 50 federal health institutions are not addressed, the government may meet a collapsed sector after the February polls.

“We are asking Federal Government to address needless deaths in its hospitals and put an end to this strike before the elections. Members of JOHESU embarked on an indefinite strike October 16 to protest non-implementation of collective bargain agreement and Memorandum of Understanding it had with the Federal Government.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015—37

•Bala: I was not involved

•Yuguda: Bala embarassed me

The Minister and his group sponsored small boys of not more than seven years of age and gave them brooms to give the impression that they were from the opposition party

The question begging for answer is ‘why wasn’t Governor Yuguda stoned by the rampaging thugs when he was on the podium addressing the same rally

•Jonathan

JONATHAN’S MEN: The stoning and stormy story of Isa and Bala

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

L

AST week’s stoning of President Jonathan’s campaign team in Bauchi and Katsina had drawn strong rebuke from the president’s associates who saw it as a demonstration of the reported inclination for violence by the opposition.

The reaction of President Jonathan’s key associates from the South-South was equally foreboding. A meeting of former militants summoned by Governor Serikae Dickson last weekend in Yenogoa ended with a stern resolution that the president must not be harassed out of office by his traducers.

The opposition All Progressives Congress, APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari was also apparently disturbed by the development and saw it as a potential danger for his campaign. Handlers of the APC presidential candidate at the weekend sought the platform of the BBC to air a message

from Buhari in Hausa language to distance himself from such attacks on the president.

The PDP had on its part blamed the APC for the attacks.

Spokesman of the Jonathan campaign, Chief Femi FaniKayode was quick to blame the APC and its candidate, Buhari for the stoning in Katsina.

“The Katsina show of shame was the first case of violence unleashed on our candidate by supporters of Buhari, after the signing of the historic Abuja Accord by the presidential candidates of all the parties participating in the election.

The purpose of that accord was to discourage violence before, during and after the election.”

Embarrassing turn However, all such permutations that the violence was sponsored by the APC or induced by its supporters took an embarrassing turn for the PDP last weekend when Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State seemingly exonerated the

APC and accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed of sponsoring the attack in Bauchi.

President Goodluck Jonathan’s reenergised campaign for a second term at the weekend suffered a puncture when two of his key associates from the Northeast entered a political brawl that is bound to embarrass the president and elicit enthusiasm from the opposition

The assertion from the governor was a bombshell and fell into the position articulated by the APC that the attacks were a fall out from the internal discord within the PDP arising from the governorship primaries.

“The Minister and his group sponsored small boys of not more than seven years of age and gave them brooms to give the impression that they were from the opposition party whereas they were all wearing T-shirts branded with his name and that of TAN,” Governor Yuguda, one of the president’s key associates in the Northeast said.

“Before the arrival of the boys the presidential rally was going on smoothly. When they entered the venue they started signing “sai Jonathan”, “sai Jonathan” only for them to begin to chant “ sai Buhari”, “sai Buhari” to the bewilderment of all present.”

“I feel very bad over the sad incident caused by Bala and his group to discredit me and all that I have been able to accomplish in Bauchi. I must

say that I am very sad and disappointed by the antics of the minister.”

The assertion from the governor was, however, rebuffed by the minister who ironically was equally pelted at the rally last Thursday.

“It is totally illogical, irreconcilable, wicked and fallacious for anybody to insinuate that the Hon. Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed imported thugs to stone and attack himself while addressing the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s presidential campaign rally in his home state, Bauchi,” Bala said in a statement issued by his spokesman Nosike Ogbuenyi.

“The question begging for answer is ‘ why wasn’t Governor Yuguda stoned by the rampaging thugs when he was on the podium addressing the same rally?’

“Every sincere person in this country can attest to the fact that the loyalty of the FCT Minister to President Goodluck Jonathan and his commitment to the success of the PDP in all elections have never been in doubt.

“Whatever, the story of the discord between Governor Yuguda and his onetime key aide and special assistant as minister of aviation is one of many intrigues.

Bala, a former journalist turned politician was at a time a key strategist in Yuguda’s political machine and was instrumental in the popular rebellion that was stirred against Governor Ahmadu Mu‘azu that led to the installation of Yuguda as governor on the ticket of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP in 2007. Yuguda was forced to move to the ANPP after he was shut out from the PDP by Mu‘azu.

Bandwagon against the PDP Bala who moved with him to the PDP came in as a senator as part of the bandwagon against the PDP that was fired by the hysteria in Bauchi over Muhammadu Buhari who was the ANPP candidate of the ANPP in the presidential election.

However, Yuguda’s decision to seemingly eat his vomit in returning to the PDP in 2009 led to him and his onetime Man Friday, Bala parting ways.

From friends they became bitter foes as Bala described the defection back to the PDP as a betrayal.

Remarkably, when President Umaru Yar‘adua took ill, Bala became a kingpin in the group of senators known as the

Continues on page 38

38—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Chief Alfred Mordi-Ojubi is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State. A community leader, philanthropist and a retired civil servant. In an interview with selected journalists, Chief Ojubi spoke on the gubernatorial primaries of the PDP in the state and Senator Ifeanyi Okowa’s emergence as the party’s flag bearer among other national issues.

Why Okowa has the edge – Mordi-Ojubi

By Festus Ahon

H

OW will you describe the victory of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa in the PDP governorship primaries?

The election was very peaceful.

There was no fight and majority of our people stood behind Senator Okowa. He is our candidate. We thank our brothers and sisters from Delta Central and South Senatorial Districts for assisting in the emergence of Senator Okowa from Delta North as the PDP governorship flag bearer.

What is your advice to those who contested against Senator Okowa?

We appeal to them to join Senator Okowa to build our state (Delta State) We do not blame them for contesting. They have the right to contest. They were all qualified to contest but I think Senator Okowa was the most qualified aspirant of all of them.

So the rest should join him in building Delta State.

Does the emergence of Senator Okowa as the Delta State PDP governorship standard bearer represent the so called zoning formula or power shift in Delta State?

Whatever it is called whether power shift or zoning, you know that since the creation of Delta

Mordi-Ojubi State from the defunct Bendel State in 1991, nobody from Delta North (Anioma) has been the governor of the state.

It has been either someone from the Central or South Senatorial district that has been ruling us.

So Senator Okowa’s emergence is a welcome development and a thing of joy. That is why we thank them (our brothers and sisters from central and south Senatorial districts) for their support and contributions to the emergence of Senator Okowa.

Come February, Senator Okowa of PDP, Great Ogboru of Labour Party and Otega

Emerhor of APC will slug it out, what are the chances of these

If Okowa becomes the governor of Delta State come May 29th; I can assure you he will run an all inclusive government

three candidates?

I will say that Senator Okowa has more chances than the other candidates. If you take the recent primaries into consideration, you will find out that majority of Deltans from the three Senatorial Districts of the state voted for Senator Okowa and the same thing is going to happen in the February general elections in the state.

How do you assess Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration in the last seven and half years?

He has done his best.

Government is continuity.

Senator Okowa by the special grace of God will continue from where he will stop come May 29, 2015.

The battle line has again been drawn between President Jonathan and General Buhari in the forthcoming presidential election. What are their chances?

Dr. Jonathan is the incumbent President of Nigeria. You know, it is always difficult to pull an incumbent officer from his seat.

And from my calculations, President Jonathan is more popular than Buhari and I am sure that the generality of Nigerians will want Dr. Jonathan to come back to the seat.

President Jonathan’s achievements and his transformation agenda speak volumes and I can tell you that Nigerians will want him to remain in Aso Rock come May 29th.

If Senator Okowa eventually becomes the governor of Delta State, what areas do you want him to focus or give priority attention?

If by the special grace of God Senator Okowa becomes the governor of Delta State come May 29th, I can assure you he will run an all inclusive government. He will surely build on the foundations already laid

by Governor Uduaghan for the purpose of continuity. Uduaghan has performed creditably well, so he needs somebody who understands the system and somebody who will build on his legacies because government is a continuum.

Diversification of the economy Hopefully Okowa should focus on agriculture because dependence on oil will cause havoc or tragedy in future.

Diversification of our economy is necessary.

Unemployed graduates are so many in our country today. The high rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria today portends great danger. So giving attention to the development of agricultural sector is the antidote to curb youth restiveness and engage them meaningfully for a better tomorrow.

If we diversify into agriculture, majority of the youths will key into it. Senator Okowa is an experienced politician and administrator. I can assure you that he has the magic wand and the blue print to turn the fortunes of Delta State around for better when he becomes governor come February. We rely very much on him for a greater Delta State and for even distribution of democratic dividends to all Deltans.

The stoning and stormy story of Isa and Bala Continues from page 37 National Interest Group, NIG who met regularly in the residence of Senator Ehigie Uzamere. The group of about 70 senators was instrumental to the installation of Dr. Jonathan as acting president. Part of the deal between the NIG senators and Dr. Jonathan was that one of them must be appointed as a minister and the group specifically indicated its preference for the FCT portfolio. Bala who was chairman of the group became the beneficiary.

Having jumped to the other side, Bala became strong

loyalist of the president and remarkably, turned into a near relative of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.

Like his former boss he also made desperate efforts to return to the PDP but obstacles were repeatedly put on his way reportedly by Yuguda, but he eventually returned setting the stage for what everyone expected to be his bid for the governorship.

However, reportedly on the advice of Aso Rock, he refused to follow other ministers who had gubernatorial ambitions in leaving the cabinet last October as he was stopped by the powers that be in Abuja.

Yuguda meanwhile had in concert with the national chairman of the party, Mu‘azu, successfully positioned his own man, Awaal Jutau as the PDP governorship candidate.

The governor was also alleged to have also helped to position Abubakar Mohammed as the APC candidate, so that head or tail, he would not lose out.

The governor has, however, denied the insinuation saying that he could not work for the opposition.

Political leg men Bala’s failure to get the ticket

was, however, a sore if not to him, but to many who had rallied round him in the state.

A recent meeting of Bala’s political leg men in Bauchi was said to have been laced with much antagonism against the governor.

Remarkably the governor heard of the ill-feelings poured against him at the meeting where Bala was present but what Bala said remains unknown.

That development was said to have again festered the sour in the relationship between the two men leading to the latest development.

Remarkably, the stoning

incident last Thursday was against the background of the reported resurgence of the APC in the state.

So when the president’s convoy was attacked as he left the den of the opposition, the governor was not surprisingly uncomfortable and against assertions by party officials traced the attack to Bala.

The internal brickbat between two of the president’s foremost supporters is a serious drawback for him and his party and gives the opposition the opportunity to take a respite from the tirade of the PDP that it is the harbinger of violence.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015—39

The squandering of a Goodluck

By Louis Odion, FNGE

C

AUGHT between the iceberg of possible defeat and the tempest of certain shame, this is a crunch moment for President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan indeed. With the economy unhinged, the naira in a free fall and his approval rating increasingly stuck at the nadir barely three weeks to the presidential polls, it is clear something is about to give in the world’s most populous black nation.

In a way, the near destitution of Jonathan’s Nigeria of today bears a faint similarity with the dire circumstance the United States found herself a decade ago. Creeping global financial crisis had weakened America’s economy, exposing the underbelly of the Republican Party, made softer by the costly adventure in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Cognitive abilities Stretched beyond the limits of his modest cognitive abilities, President George Bush had no answer. His Republican party would pay a colossal price in the next election, made historic not only by restoring the Democrats to power but also the crowning of the first black president, Barak Obama...

From the pan-Nigerian formation at his disposal to clinch the presidential trophy in 2011, how ironic that the regiment behind Mr. President now consists mostly of dubious contractors and political mendicants. Back in 2010, a

LOUIS ODION broad coalition from across the nation’s divides had gathered at Aso Rock gate to champion GEJ’s coronation as acting president following initial disappearance and eventual incapacitation of Yar’Adua, invoking the spirit of the law. By raising their voices and standing to be counted for what was just then, those citizens no doubt helped in large measure to give patriotism its true meaning.

Today, the big tragedy is that from that lofty overtones of 2010/ 2011, agitation for GEJ’s reelection is increasingly hijacked by the likes of Edwin Clark, Tompolo and Asari Dokunbo.

Drunk on new-found power, Asari and co , in fact, regrouped in Yenagoa last weekend and openly threatened to levy war on Nigeria should Jonathan lose the February 14 poll.

Much trumpeted anti-violence pact They spoke after meeting with Governor Seriake Dickson at the Government House. In sheer contempt of the much-trumpeted anti-violence pact signed two weeks ago by political parties.

Characteristically, Mr. President looks the other way. No less confounding also is the DSS’ loud silence so far. Like bullies, its operatives appear adept only at showing strength over hapless members of the opposition.

Of course, these overfed political hirelings are only looking for what to eat. Their worry actually is the sustenance of obscene contracts and other mouth-watering largesse they are getting from Abuja. So, they cannot possibly be speaking for the generality of Niger Delta people who, just like other Nigerians, are at the receiving end of Jonathan’s fumbling and wobbling.

Now, GEJ’s new fair-weather friends want to show their own love is greater than the unconditional national brotherhood shown him in 2010 or the pan-Nigerian solidarity of 2011. Unable to sustain the argument of logic further, they then resort to hurling personal abuse or issuing threats like ill-bred motorpark touts (apology GEJ).

But they miss the point.

Before a global audience in Turkey in January 2011, Jonathan had hinted he would do only a term. As editor-in-chief of a national newspaper then, this writer recalls that it was the lead story in most national dailies on February 1, 2011. It helped to finally disarm some northern agitators who had mounted a vociferous campaign that one of their own be allowed to fly PDP’s flag in the pending presidential polls in view of “Yar’Adua’s right to two terms”.

Having enjoyed fifteen months of the four years of Yar’Adua’s first term, GEJ pleaded for four more years, if only to write his own name in gold. If granted, he boasted that his focus would be

President Goodluck Jonathan to make blackout history in Nigeria. His exact words: “ If I’m voted into power within the next four years, the issue of power will become a thing of the past. Four years is enough for anyone in power to make significant improvement and if I can’t improve on power within this period, it then means I cannot do anything even if I’m there for the next four years.”

For the avoidance of doubt, he ruled out the possibility of Nigerians in Diaspora participating directly in the voting exercise of 2011: “I would have loved that the Nigerians in Diaspora vote this year. But to be frank with you, that is going to be difficult now. Presently, the law does not allow the voting outside Nigeria and so this year Nigerians in Diaspora will not vote but I will work towards it by 2015 even though I WILL NOT BE RUNNING FOR ELECTION (emphasis mine).”

Under GEJ’s watch, human condition is growing more desperate in Nigeria

Against this weighty backdrop, that GEJ could still keep a straight face today and be gallivanting all over the land asking for a renewal of his tenancy at Aso Rock could only mean two things: a contemptuous assumption the nation is condemned to amnesia or he sees no shame in not keeping his words. But what defines a man is honour. The most elementary measure of a man’s honour is the weight his own very word carries.

To be sure, newspaper reports of GEJ’s Turkey declaration would certainly not have become an issue now had he delivered on his own self-assigned priority: power and security. Weighed against the resources and opportunities available, the hard truth is GEJ has failed woefully on both counts. Today, power supply remains epileptic with all Nigerians sentenced to pay more for darkness.

Energy power Under Jonathan’s watch, we have been treated to some funny coinages like GENCOS (Generation Companies now humorously pronounced as GECKOS) and DISCOS (Distribution Companies) in the name of liberalizing the energy power. But like everything, the devil has been in the details.

Public assets as well as the commanding heights of this critical sector have only ended up mostly in the hands of GEJ’s cronies with little or no clue on how the sector should be run.

They are often the first to announce multi-billion naira donations at any fund-raisering occasion hosted by their benefactor. As Edo governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, recently put it, “Nigerians will never have power as long as PDP remains in power… And when PDP said they would be in office for sixty years, I am sure they meant to say sixteen years.”

Really, had GEJ delivered on power alone, the generality of Nigerians themselves would by now be the ones championing his return “to continue the good

works”. We would, therefore, have been spared the abominable spectacle of a clown on parade wherever PDP’s campaign train had stopped in the past few weeks, uttering words that make little or no sense.

Today, the mess in the power sector is perhaps only equaled by the bungling of the national security. Whereas the Nigeria GEJ took over in May 2010 boasted of 774 councils. Today, close to thirty of those territories are being occupied by insurgents, with their dark, blood-stained flag fluttering defiantly there.

Over 200 Chibok girls are yet to be accounted for under GEJ’s watch. While it is true that Boko Haram took inspiration from the global terror order, the truth that still needs to be admitted is that the Nigerian variant has metastasized largely on account of official impotence. While it is now so convenient to accuse our ill-equipped soldiers of running away from battles with the rampaging insurgents, what is often added in hushed tones, perhaps out of charity, is that the nation itself is left to endure the shame of a runaway commanderin-chief.

Despite strident clamour, GEJ never saw any wisdom in visiting beleaguered Borno until few days ago. Footages of Mr. President were shown on national television touching the foot of a wounded soldier on his bed. Very touching indeed. But coming in the middle of electioneering, many are left wondering if the visitation was not entirely a political gimmick.

Political gimmick Again, whereas the national navy is starved of funds, its statutory duty has been outsourced to a known thug at a jaw-dropping fee. Perhaps, the only area where presidential competence has so far been demonstrated was in neatly loading millions of dollars, sack after sack, into a rented jet on the way to secure arms from black market in South Africa.

So, Asari and co need be reminded the case against Jonathan is not personal. It is about changing a model that does not work and stave off national hemorrhage inflicted by thieving incompetence. Those who have had personal interactions with Mr. President are often quick to attest his good nature. But the guy you engage in the debauchery of beer and banter in a pub is not usually the type you need to think up fresh ideas to drive changes in the boardroom.

In fact, last week, a joke gained currency in the social media. It goes thus: “If you insist PDP must return in 2015, then also pray that God should run your life the way Jonathan is running Nigeria.”

Today, the prosperity PDP and its town-criers tout is not shared.

Under GEJ’s watch, human condition is growing more desperate in Nigeria. For the first time in recent history, federal workers marked the yuletide season last December without Continues on page 55

40—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Buhari vs Jonathan: Beyond the Election (2) In the first part of this discourse which was published in Vanguard, yesterday, Dr. Chukwuma Soludo insisted that rebasing the GDP has nothing to do with government policy and that with the naira-dollar exchange rate continuing to depreciate, the GDP in current dollars will also shrink considerably soon E were reminded of kwashiorkor. He pointed out Jonathan’s agricultural that since it is the likes of Peter ‘revolution’. But someone cut in Obi who are the advisers to and noted that for all the Jonathan on how to manage the propaganda, the growth rate of economy (thereby confusing the agricultural sector in the last micromanagement which you do five years still remains far below as a trader with macro the performance under governance) it is little wonder that poverty is fast becoming Obasanjo.

One of us reminded him that another name for Nigeria. It was no other president had presided a very hilarious evening.

My advice to President over the slaughter of about 15,000 people by insurgents in a Jonathan and his handlers is to peacetime; no other president stop wasting their time trying to earned up to 50% of the amount campaign on his job record. of resources the current Those who have decided to vote government earned from oil and for him will not do so because he yet with very little outcomes; no has taken Nigeria to the moon. other president had the rate of His record on the economy is a borrowing; none had significant clear ‘F’ grade. forex earnings and yet did not add one penny to foreign Unprecedented public reserves but losing international debt accumulation reserves at a time of boom; no As one reviews the laundry list other president had a depreciating exchange rate at a of micro interventions the calls its time of export boom; at no time government in Nigeria’s history has poverty achievements, one wonders reached 71% (even under whether such list is all that the Abacha, it was 67 -70%); and government could deliver with under no other president did an unprecedented oil boom and unemployment reach 24%. an unprecedented public debt Surely, these are unprecedented accumulation. I can clearly see records and he surely why reasonable people are worried. Everywhere else in the ‘outperformed’ his predecessors! world, government performance What a satire!

One of those present took the on the economy is measured by satire to some level by comparing some outcome variables such as: Jonathan to the ‘performance’ of income (GDP growth rate), the former Governor of Anambra, stability of prices (inflation and Peter Obi. He noted that while exchange rate), unemployment Obi gloated about ‘savings’, there rate, poverty rate, etc.

On all these scores, this is no signature project to remember his regime except that government has performed his regime took the first position worse than its immediate among all states in Nigeria in the predecessor— Obasanjo regime. democratization of poverty - mass If we appropriately adjust for oil impoverishment of the people of income and debt, then this government is the worst in our Anambra.

According to the National history on the economy. All Bureau of Statistics, poverty rose statistics are from the National under his watch in Anambra from Bureau of Statistics.

Despite presiding over the biggest oil boom in our history, it has not added one percentage point to the growth rate of GDP compared to the Obasanjo regime especially the 2003- 07 period.

Obasanjo met GDP growth rate at 2% but averaged 7% within 2003- 07. The current government has been stuck at 6% despite an unprecedented oil boom. Income (GDP) CHUKWUMA SOLUDO growth has actually performed 20% in 2004 (lowest in Nigeria worse, and poverty escalated. then) to 68% in 2010 (a 238% This is the only government in deterioration!). Our friend our history where rapidly likened it to a father who had no increasing government idea of what to do with his expenditure was associated with resources and was celebrating his increasing poverty. The director fat bank account while his general of NBS stated in his children were dying of written press conference address

W

Map of Nigeria in 2011 that about 112 million Nigerians were living in poverty.

Is this the record to defend?

Obama had a tough time in his re-election in 2012 because unemployment reached 8%.

Here, unemployment is at a record 24% and poverty at an alltime 71% but people are prancing around, gloating about ‘performance’. As I write, the Naira exchange rate to the dollar is $210 at the parallel market.

What a historic performance!

Please save your breathe and save us the embarrassment. The President promised Nigeria nothing in the last election and we did not get value for money.

He should this time around present us with his plan for the future, and focus on how he would redeem himself in the second term—if he wins!

Sadly the government’s economic team is very weak, dominated by self-interested and self-conflicted group of traders and businessmen, and so-called economic team meetings have been nothing but showbiz time.

Economic growth The very people government exists to regulate have seized the levers of government as policymakers and most government institutions have largely been “privatized” to them. Mention any major government department or agency and someone will tell you whom it has been ‘allocated’ to, and the person subsequently nominates his minion to occupy the seat. What do you then expect? The economy seems to be on auto pilot, with confusion

My advice to President Jonathan and his handlers is to stop wasting their time trying to campaign on his job record

as to who is in charge, and government largely as a constraint. There are no big ideas, and it is difficult to see where economic policy is headed to. My thesis is that the Nigerian economy, if properly managed, should have been growing at an annual rate of about 12% given the oil boom, and poverty and unemployment should have fallen dramatically over the last five years. This is topic for another day.

Terrible policy choices So far, the Government’s response to the self-inflicted crisis is, at best, laughable. They blame external shocks as if we did not expect them and say nothing about the terrible policy choices they made. The National Assembly had described the 2015 budget as unrealistic. The fiscal adjustments proposed in the 2015 budget simply play to the gallery and just to pander to our emotions.

For a $540 billion economy, the so-called luxury tax amounts to zero per cent of GDP. If the current trend continues, private businesses will come under a heavy crunch soon. Having put economics on its head during the boom time, the Government now proposes to increase taxes during a prospective downturn and impose austerity measures.

Unbelievable!

Fortuitously, just as he succeeded Shagari when Nigeria faced similar situations, Buhari is once more seeking to lead Nigeria. But times have changed, and Nigeria is largely different. First, this is a democracy and dealing with corruption must happen within the ambit of the rule of law and due process.

Getting things done in a democracy requires complicated bargaining, especially where the legislature, labour, the media, and civil society have become strong and entrenched.

Second, the size, structure and institutions of the economy have fundamentally altered.

The market economy, especially the capital market and foreign exchange market, impose binding constraints and discipline on any regime.

Third, dealing with most of the other issues— insecurity, u n e m p l o y m e n t / p o v e r t y, infrastructure, health, education, etc, require increased, smarter,

and more efficient spending.

Increased spending when the economy is on the reverse gear?

If oil prices remain between 4060 dollars over the next two years, the current policy regime guarantees that foreign reserves will continue the precipitous depletion with the attendant exchange rate depreciation, as well as a probable unsustainable escalation in debt accumulation, fiscal retrenchment or taxing the private sector with vengeance.

The scenario does not look pretty.

The poor choices made by the current government have mortgaged the future, and the next government would have little room to manoeuvre and would inevitably undertake drastic but painful structural adjustments. Nigerians loathe the term ‘structural adjustment’.

With falling real wages and depreciating currency, I can see any belated attempt by the government to deal with the bloated public sector pitching it against a feisty labour. I worry about regime stability in the coming months, and I do not envy the next team.

The seeming crisis is not destiny; it is self-imposed.

However, we must see it as an opportunity to be seized to fundamentally restructure Nigeria’s political economy, including its fiscal federalism and mineral rights. The current system guarantees cycles of consumption loop and I cannot see sustainable long term prosperity without major systemic overhaul. The proposals at the national conference merely tinker at the margins. In totality, the outcome of the national conference is to do more of the same, with minor amendments on the system of sharing and consumption rather than a fundamental overhaul of the system for productivity and prosperity.

Requirements for debt resolution President Jonathan promises to implement the report of the national conference if he wins. I commend him for at least offering ‘something’, albeit, marginal in my view. I have not heard anything from the APC or Buhari regarding the national conference report or what kind of federalism they envisage for Nigeria.

In Nigeria’s recent history, two examples under the military and civilian governments demonstrate that where the political will exists, Nigeria has the capacity to overcome severe challenges. The first was under President Babangida. Not many Nigerians appreciate that given the near bankrupt state of Nigeria’s finances and requirements for debt resolution under the Paris Club, the country had little choice but to undertake the painful structural adjustment programme (SAP).

I want to state for the record that the foundation for the current market economy we operate in Nigeria was laid by that regime (liberalization of markets including market determined exchange rate, private sector-led Continues on page 41

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015—41

Buhari vs Jonathan: Beyond the Election (2) Continues from page 40 economy including licensing of private banks and insurance, deregulation, privatization of public enterprises under TCPC, etc).

Just abolishing the import licensing regime was a fundamental policy revolution.

Despite the criticisms, these policy thrusts have remained the pillars of our deepening market economy, and the economy recovered from almost negative growth rate to average 5.5% during the regime and poverty incidence at 42% in 1992.

Democratic experience Under our democratic experience, President Obasanjo inherited a bankrupt economy (with the lost decade of the 1990’s GDP growth rate of 2.2% and hence zero per capita income growth for the decade). His regime consolidated and deepened the market economy structures (consolidation of the banking system which is powering the emergence of a new but truly private sector-led economy and simultaneously led to a new awareness and boom in the capital market; telecommunications revolution; new pension regime; debt relief which won for Nigeria policy independence from the World Bank and Paris Club; deepening of de-regulation and privatization including the unbundling of NEPA under PHCN for privatization; agricultural revolution that saw yearly growth rate of over 6% and remains unsurpassed ever since; sound monetary and fiscal policy and growing foreign reserves that gave confidence to investors; establishment of the Africa Finance Corporation which is leading infrastructure finance in Africa; backward integration policy that saw the establishment and growth of Dangote cement and others; established ICPC and EFCC to fight corruption, etc).

The economy roared to average yearly growth of 7% between 2003 and 2007 (although average monthly oil price under his regime was $38), and poverty dropped from estimated 70% in1999 to 54% in 2004.

Obasanjo was his own coordinating minister of the economy and chairman of the economic management team— which he chaired for 90 minutes every week. I met with him daily. In other words, he did not outsource economic management.

We expected that the next government after Obasanjo would take the economy to the next level. So far, we have had two great slogans: the 7-point agenda and currently, the transformation agenda. They remain empty slogans without content or direction.

Let me suggest that the

fundamental challenge for the next government on the economy can be framed around the goal of creating twelve million jobs over the next four years to have a dent on unemployment and poverty. The challenge is to craft a development agenda to deliver this within the context of broken public finance, and an economy in which painful structural adjustments will be inevitable if current trends in oil prices continue.

Most other programmes on corruption, security, power, infrastructure, etc, are expected to be instruments to achieve this objective.

So far, neither the APC nor the PDP has a credible programme for employment and poverty reduction. The APC promises to create 20,000 jobs per state in the first year, totalling a mere 720,000 jobs. This sounds like a quota system and for a country where the new entrants into the labour market per annum exceed two million. If it was intended as a joke, APC must please get serious. On the other hand, President Jonathan targets two million jobs per annum but his strategy for doing so is a Job Board— another committee of sort.

Creativity and audacity Sorry, Mr. President, a Job Board is not a strategy. The principal job Nigerians hired you to do for them is to create jobs for them too. You cannot outsource that job, Sir. Creating 3 million jobs per annum under the unfolding crisis would task our creativity and audacity to the limits.

I heard one politician argue that once we fix power, private sector would create jobs. Not necessarily!

Well, this government claims to have added 1,700MW to the national grid and yet unemployment soars. Ask Greece, Spain, etc with power and infrastructure and yet with high unemployment. Structural dislocations play a key role. For example, currently in Nigeria, it is estimated that more than 60% of graduates of our educational

I heard one politician argue that once we fix power, private sector would create jobs. Not necessarily!

system are unemployable. You can understand why many of us are amused when the government celebrates that it has established twelve more glorified secondary schools as universities. I thought they would have told us how many Nigerian universities made it in the league of the best 200 universities in the world. That would have been an achievement. Surely, creating millions of jobs in this economy would, among other things, require ‘new money ’ and extraordinary system of coordination among the three tiers of government plus the private sector.

Revolutionary finance

prosperity.

If Buhari wins, he will ride on the populist wind for “change”.

Most people I have spoken to who have decided to vote for Buhari do not necessarily know the specifics of what he would offer or how Nigeria would be different under him. I asked my driver, Usman, whom he would vote for President. He responded: “If they no rig the election, na Buhari everybody go vote for”. I asked him why, and his next response sums it: “The man dey honest. In short, people just want to see another face for that villa”.

But if he wins, the honeymoon will be brief and the pressure will be immense to magically deliver a ‘new Nigeria’ with no corruption, no boko haram or insecurity, jobs for everyone, no poverty, infrastructure and power in abundance, etc. As a first point, Buhari and his team must realize that they do not yet have a coherent, credible agenda that is consistent with the fundamentals of the economy currently. The APC manifesto contains some good principles and wish-lists, but as a blue print for Nigeria’s security and prosperity, it is largely hollow.

The numbers do not add up.

Thus, his first job is to present a credible development agenda to

difficult agenda is cobbling together a truly ‘progressive team’ that will begin to pick the pieces. The lesson of history is that the best leaders have been the ones who went beyond their narrow provincial enclaves to recruit talents and mobilize capacities for national transformation. In Nigeria’s history, the two presidents who made the most fundamental transformation of the economy, Babangida and Obasanjo, were exceptional in the quality of the teams they put together. I therefore pray that Buhari will be magnanimous in victory – if he wins—to put together a ‘team Nigeria’ for the rescue mission.

If Jonathan wins, then God must have been magnanimous to give him a second chance to redeem himself. Most people I know who support Jonathan do so either out of self-interest or fear of the unknown.

Judgment of history As a friend summed it: the devil you know is better than the angel you do not know. One person assured me that we would see a ‘different Jonathan’ if he wins as he has been rattled by the harsh judgment of history on his presidency so far. I just pray that he is right. In that case, I would just draw the President’s attention to two issues: First, beside the coterie of clowns who literally make a living with the sing-song of transformation agenda,

Unfortunately, from what I read, the CBN is largely likely to be asleep at this time the country needs the most revolutionary finance. This is a topic for another day. Only the President can lead this effort.

Moreover, we are waiting for the two parties/candidates to spell out how they will create jobs, whether it is the 20,000 jobs per state by APC or 2 million per annum by President Jonathan.

Let us know how you arrived at the figures. Whichever of the two that is declared winner will have his job cut out for him, and I expect him to declare a national emergency on job creation.

Surprisingly, none of the parties/ candidates has any grand vision about African economic integration, led by Nigeria. There is no programme on how to make the naira the de facto currency of ECOWAS or the international financial centre that Gen. Buhari shaking hands with President Goodluck Jonathan. Behind them can attract more than are Chief Emeka Anyaoku and Kofie Annan $100 billion per annum. Where is the strategy for Nigerians.

President Jonathan must know orchestrating the revolutionary The second key challenge for that it remains an empty slogan. finance to power the economy Buhari and his team will be to His greatest challenge is how to during this downturn? For transit and transform from a save himself from the President Jonathan, I find it group of what I largely refer to stranglehold of his largely shocking that the most important as aggrieved people’s provincial palace jesters who tell initiative of his government to congregation to build a true him he has done better than God, secure the future of the economy political party with a soul from and seek out ‘enemies’ and

by Nigeria refusing to sign the the patchwork of political friends who can help him write ruinous Economic Partnership associations. It is surely easier to his name in history. Propaganda Agreement (EPA) with the oppose than to govern. won’t do it.

European Union is not even Second, Jonathan must claw being mentioned. President Mission and back his powers as President of Obasanjo saved Nigeria from the vision Nigeria. He largely outsourced potential ruin of an ECOWAS them, and must now roll his single currency while to his credit This should not worry us much. sleeves for a new beginning. I Jonathan safeguarded our After all, even the PDP which has take liberty to tell you this brutal industrial sector/economy by been in power for 16 years is still truth: if you are not re-elected, refusing to sign the EPA. Or does an assembly of people held there is little to remember your the government not understand together by what I refer to as regime after the next few years. the import of that? It will be dining table politics. I am not On 7th January 2004, I made a interesting to know the APC’s sure how many members can tell special presentation to an strategy for exploiting strategic you what their party stands for expanded economic alliances within Africa, China, or its mission and vision for and the world for Nigeria’s Nigeria. The third but more Continues on page 43

42 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Lagos challenges TAN: Despite the CP’s warning, in what seems like a first salvo, the Lagos State Government on January 23, was said to have directed the campaign group of President Goodluck Jonathan under the umbrella of Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, TAN, to remove all campaign posters and materials of the President, illegally placed on street lights poles in the state.

The LASAA boss, who issued this directive, warned that if the order was not acted upon, its enforcement team would remove the offending posters.

According to Noah, the usurpation of the poles for the PDP campaign threatens a N50 billion outdoor advertising industry in the state and has already made two outdoor agencies, Touch Point Limited and Clearedge Limited lose contracts worth N350 million.

He stated that the contracts had been terminated as a result of the parallel and illegal deployment of Jonathan’s campaign materials on poles paid for by two advertisersChinese Telecoms firm, Huawei and Globacom.

FG retaliates: Meanwhile, in a tit-for-tat, the Federal Government, on January 23, was said to have terminated existing approvals for outdoor sites previously given to outdoor practitioners in Lagos State.

•Campaign posters dot the landscape

Campaign posters war intensifies in Lagos

By Ikenna Asomba

S

OME 18 days to next month’s general elections billed for February 14 and 28, the controversies surrounding the pasting of campaign posters and materials by the two major political parties in Lagos State, the All Progressives Progress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, continues unabated, given dramatic twists it has assumed.

Since November 9, 2014, when the Lagos State Signage Advertisement Agency, LASAA, revealed its determination to checkmate indiscriminate use of campaign posters and banners along major roads in the state, it has indeed been no love lost between members and supporters of the ruling APC and the major opposition PDP. According to the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Law (2006), it is an offence to paste posters on walls except in mapped-out zones.

Unauthorised places Managing Director of LASAA, Mr. George Noah, who expressed worry on the indiscriminate pasting of campaign materials in the state,

stated that the agency was set to hold a meeting with political parties to spell out modalities guiding the use of campaign posters and banners with proper consideration for the environment under enabling laws.

Noah said: “We wish to restate our commitment to our earlier directive that posters will not be allowed within unauthorised places like high streets, highways, major roads, loops, bridges, pillars and triangulars. Posters are only allowed in designated zones such as walls of public schools, public hospitals and stadia.”

However, build-up to the polls, LASAA’s directive seem to have fallen on deaf ears, as all the political parties fielding candidates for the presidential, national assembly, governorship and the Lagos State House of Assembly race have their posters and banners indiscriminately dotting the unauthorised places across the state.

Vanguard gathered that posters now dot the Ojuelegba bridge, Third Mainland bridge, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way bridge, IyanaIpaja bridge; Barracks bridge,

LASU bridge, Trade Fair bridge, all along the LagosBadagry expressway, OshodiApapa expressway; Oworoshoki road among others.

Lagos CP’s warning: Pissed by this development, LASAA’s intervention to clear the unauthorised places of the mess of campaign materials, got a major setback, on January 5, 2015, following the warning issued by the Lagos State Police

If it fails to desist from the illegal act, the Command would invoke the full wrath of the law before, during or after the elections

Command that the agency should forthwith stop the removal and destruction of campaign posters of political aspirants.

Briefing journalists in his Ikeja office on the preparedness of the police for the forthcoming elections, the state Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti disclosed that the need for the Lagos State agency to thread with caution became necessary, as his office had recently been inundated with series of complaints from political aspirants of other political parties alleging mass pulling down of their posters and billboards by officials of LASAA. Citing Section 100 (2) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, Aderanti stated that LASAA as a state apparatus must desist from any act that will call to question its purpose against any political party, warning that “if it fails to desist from the illegal act, the Command would invoke the full wrath of the law before, during or after the elections on any individual or agency of government that conducts himself or itself in any way that is inimical to peaceful campaigns and elections.”

Outdoor adverts The termination order affects outdoor adverts locations on Federal roads/setbacks.

The cancellation was said to have come on the heels of the threats by LASAA, to remove PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan adverts placed on street poles, which have been paid for by some companies.

It was gathered that the decision to revoke the sites approvals came in a letter written by the Federal Ministry of Works to the President of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria, OAAN. At the time of filing this report, it was said that OAAN, the association representing outdoor agencies in Nigeria has called for an emergency meeting of its executive members on Monday to deliberate on this latest development.

OAAN is expected to discuss among other issues the N350 million loss suffered by some of its members as a result of the illegal deployment of PDP adverts on street lamp poles previously paid for by Globacom and Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications company.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — 43

Buhari vs Jonathan: Beyond the Election (2) Continues from page 41

Seven years after, miscreants still flock Oshodi market

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

I

N March 2008, when the current administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State took a bold step to transform the popular Oshodi market, residents heaved a sigh of relief, giving the terrorising activities of miscreants in the area then.

Seven years later, Vanguard gathered that the miscreants, mostly teenagers between the ages of 12 and 16 have lately beseiged the area again. The miscreants have continued to engage nefarious activities that disturbs public peace especially during the early hours of the day and late at nights.

The state Environmental and Special Offences Task Force Unit led by Chief Superintendent of Police, Bayo Sulaimon has continuously raided the area to arrest the miscreants. But efforts by the taskforce to dislodge them from the Oshodi Under-bridge, the railway line and drainage channels, which serves as their abode has proved futile.

Vanguard learned that the miscreants migrated into the state from neighbouring states-Ogun,

•Oshodi Oyo, Kwara, Osun, Ondo among others. Sources said that the continuous arrest by the state task-force unit have failed to yield any result. They have continued to flock the market.

Mrs. Salawat Hussein, a trader, recently narrated how she lost her valuables to the miscreants who posed as commuters.

Narrating her ordeal, Hussein said: “I thought they were also commuters, but I was surprised they crowded the vehicle. Within few minutes, rather than board the vehicle, they left after dispossessing me of my valuables.

“Despite the well-lit street, I lost my belongings to four teenage

hoodlums at the Oshodi area.

They accosted me brandishing dangerous weapons, so, I had to allow them have their way to save my life. “They made away with my hand bag containing various valuables, including my Blackberry mobile phone, Identification card, cash among others. ”Initially, I wanted to put up some form of resistance, because I see them as too young to rob me, but on a second thought, I decided to let go. Within a short time, the boys disappeared into thin air, as they dashed across the rail towards Anthony end. I called for help, but nobody came to the rescue.”

It was also gathered that the

major flashpoints where the underage miscreants operate is the Oko-Mola area in Oshodi axis of the state. This is one place that has since become a major settlement for underage in the state.

After dispossessing passers-by of their phones and other valuables at nights and early hours of the day, they return to this place to sleep.

Vanguard gathered that they sell the stolen products to unsuspecting residents during the day. It was also learned that the taskforce raid Oko-Mola every two weeks, but new set of miscreants return to the place.

Earlier, Sulaimon said: “Whenever we raid this place, we usually find [at least five miscreants who had been arrested before. This raises much concern, if there was a breeding place for miscreants outside the state before they relocate to Lagos.

“The court conducts adequate screening of the miscreants before the commencement of the trials. This is what we have adopted before now to ensure underage hoodlums were not imprisoned. That was why it is not possible for us to imprison any child.”

Economic institutions

Lagos to deploy 172 solar powered panels in public schools

By Dotun Ibiwoye

P

OISED to improve the learning environment of public schools across Lagos State, through the provision of constant power supply, the Lagos State Government, has finalised plans to install about 172 solar panels to light-up the schools.

Kick-starting the initiative, Governor Babatunde Fashola, last week, installed the first solar panel at Model College, Meiran, promising to replicate the installation of such solar panels across public schools in the state.

Speaking at the inauguration, Fashola held that in East Africa, especially Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia, which experience similar epileptic power supply like Nigeria, solar panels have provided electricity supply for their people because they invested massively in them.

Noting that the new initiative is a planned and an organized approach to resuscitating education from its challenges, the governor said the school would now be powered by renewable energy with very reliable maintenance and would serve the College for the next 25 years.

Fashola said: “We have done

the one for the Epe Health Centre last week. We are flagging-off today, the first one of the 172 schools that are in the first phase. Apart from the fact that the world is moving on and the ability of Nigeria to leapfrog with technology is dependent on technology and electricity.

“That one can buy all of the technology in the world and connect to the internet or the hotspot but what is uppermost is how to get electricity to power it.

But as you may have heard from our opponent in this election, they claim that they would

Over 50 percent of people now say they prefer their children to attend public schools at primary school

management team to set agenda for the new year (as chief economic adviser). The focus of my presentation was for us to identify seven iroko trees that would be the flagship markers for the administration as well as how to finance them. I use the same framework to evaluate your administration. What I say to you, Mr. President, is that your record of performance so far is like a farmland filled with grasses. Yes, they are many but there is no tree, let alone any iroko tree, that stands out. Think about this.

The beginning of wisdom for every President in his second term is to admit that he is racing against time to cement his legacy. So far, your report card is not looking great. You need a team of big and bold thinkers, as well as with excellent execution capacity. So far, it is not working!

Under the executive presidential system, Nigerians elected you to manage their economy. You cannot outsource that job. Our constitution envisages a federal coordination of the economy, and that function is performed by the National Economic Council (NEC) with Vice-President as chairman.

Indeed, the constitution and other laws of Nigeria envisage the office of the VP as the coordinator on the economy.

•Solar connect us to hotspots but they have not told you how to have power which is the primary responsibility that they have as a party in charge of the Federal Government.

“We are deploying solar panels to all schools in Lagos state by strategic partnership, they complain about debts but this is what that money does. This is the investment and 172 schools in the first phase would get this. You have seen the digital library that we have created and there are tablets powered directly from the sun and stored in inverters and batteries here.”

Fashola added that “Over 50 percent of people now say they prefer their children to attend public schools at primary school, while over 60 percent say that they prefer them in public secondary schools compared to the number available before.

“That is progress. Progress is

not an overnight thing, it is a journey planned. So, that is where we are. The next step now is how we can improve on that.

We think technology would help but the technological equipment is of no use without electricity and so they now have electricity for daytime use, they also have electricity for night time use because this is also a boarding school.”

Also speaking, the General Manager of Eko Electricity Project, Mrs Damilola Ogunbiyi, said the facility would give the pupils improved access to the internet.

Ogunbiyi said that the facility which has been provided in conjunction with EKO Project would serve as an outdoor resource room where all the pupils are able to have all their textbooks on a tablet and can also go online to check different things and different books.

All major economic institutions of the federal government are, by law, chaired by the VicePresident including the national planning (see functions of the national planning commission as coordinator of federal government economic and development programmes), debt management office, National Council on Privatization, etc. As chairman of National Planning (with Ministers of Finance, Agriculture, CBN governor, etc as members), the VP oversees the federal planning and coordination. Then the Constitution mandates the VP as representative of the federal government to chair the NEC, with only CBN governor and state governors as members—to coordinate national economy between federal and states. No minister is a member of NEC. Many people do not understand the logic of the design of our constitution and the role of the VP. Of course, the buck stops on the desk of Mr. President.

Only the President and VP have our mandate to govern us. Every other person is an adviser/ assistant. I bet that you will only appreciate this article AFTER you leave office. Now that you are in power, truth will only hurt! Be assured that those of us who are prepared to die for Nigeria will never spare you or anyone else this bitter truth.

Nigeria must survive and prosper beyond Buhari or Jonathan!

44 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015—45

Police witch hunting APC members, Rivers commissioner alleges

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT—ALL Progressives Congress, APC, members in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State have accused the Police of indiscriminate arrest of its members in the council over alleged unsubstantiated issues.

Commissioner for Lands and Survey and leader of the party in the council, Mr Ezemonye Ezekiel–Amadi, who spoke yesterday, in Port Harcourt, said the Police in the council have been witch hunting members of his party, adding that they recently arrested one Chibuike Olocha, a member of APC, who later died two days after he was released by the Police.

He said: “In December 2014, one Chibuike Olocha was arrested by the Police in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Council.

His offence was his soft spot for the APC. He was detained until last week and only released when the Police found out that he was close to death from beating he had received earlier. Two days after he was released from detention, he died. He is yet

to be buried.”

He appealed to the Police to be neutral in their relationship with the various political parties in the council, saying:

“We have called you here to pour out our sorrow to you just in case you can help us prevail on the Police to stop their attack on us.

“What we ask for is that the Police in our council should be neutral and abate the wanton cruelty on innocent APC members.”

PRESENTATION: From left: Prisca Sam Duru, Vanguard correspondent; Mr. Adewale Adebajo, Press Attaché of the British Deputy High Commission, Lagos; Mr. Victor Gotevbe, Vanguard Administration/HR Manager, and Vera Anyagafu,Vanguard correspondent, at the presentation of a souvenir to the British High Commission in Lagos.

Edo PDP blames member's death on APC

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

ENIN—THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State, has alleged that one of its members and leader of Ward 8, Otuo, in Owan East Local Government Area of the state, was murdered by suspected members of the rival All Progressives Congress, APC, while campaigning for a candidate of the PDP in the area.

State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Chris Nehikhare, in a statement in Benin, called on the state Police command, the Department of State Security, DSS and other law enforcement agencies to do all within their powers to bring the perpetrators of the alleged murder to book.

He said: “As a political party, we share in the grief that the family of late Mr. Lucky Ojo and our loyal and faithful members in Otuo Ward 8 are going through at this time. In the meantime, we are constrained to enjoin members of our great party and our numerous supporters to exercise restraint in the face of the blatant provocation while we await police action on the incident.

“But let us be clear that Edo PDP will do everything to ensure that the late Ojo’s family gets justice in the proper measure and that our numerous party members are protected C M Y K

against future re- occurrence.”

However, reacting to the allegation, APC state Publicity Secretary, Mr Godwin Erhahon, while sympathising with the family of the late Lucky

Ojo, said: “Ojo did not clash with anybody; he was said to have collapsed. Those who rushed to assist him found that he was wearing an amulet.

“We call on the Police to do a

proper investigation and as a civilized political party, we do not support violence. If he was found to have died from natural causes, nobody should be dragged into it.”

Muturu clinches Bomadi Community Chair

By Daniel Gumm

B

O M A D I — T H E people of Bomadi community in Delta State have elected Stephen Muturu to pilot the affairs of the community for the next two years.

Bomadi community, which witnessed jubilations after Muturu was declared winner, came all out to line up behind the former community chairman, who was re-elected for another two years in the administration of the community's government.

Muturu polled 67 out of the 74 votes to defeat other contestants including Akiefa Ayakpo, who had three votes to come a distant second position, Joseph Bekesuoyeibo and the immediate past community chairman, Clement Tikpa, got two votes, respectively.

The electoral body adopted option A-4, which started immediately after the accreditation at the Olou

Primary School venue of the poll which was peaceful.

In a statement after declaring Muturu winner of the election, the electoral committee, led by Patrick Etolor, expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the exercise.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after being declared winner, the chairman-elect offered an olive branch to his co-contestants and urged them to join him as a team to pilot the affairs of the community in the next two years.

Ndokwa elite back Okowa for Delta gov

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA—AHEAD of the February 28 governorship election, the Ndokwa Political Elites has thrown its weight behind the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, flag bearer in Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, describing him as the most qualified candidate for the job.

Speaking to newsmen on behalf of the group at a rally in Kwale, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of the state, a former governorship

aspirant, Chief Johnson Opone, hailed the victory of Senator Okowa at the primaries.

He added that Okowa was a tested politician who would live up to expectations. Opone expressed optimism that the party would win massively in all the positions in the elections.

Also speaking, the Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr. Godspower Ogege, said that the group would embark on door to door campaign for the PDP.

FEB POLLS: Urhobo in Diaspora urge indigenes to vote for PDP

U

RHOBO in D i a s p o r a , yesterday, in Benin City, Edo State, called on all Urhobo to vote massively for Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidates in next month's elections.

Speaking through its National Coordinator, Mr Ejiro Ofoye, the group vowed to mobilise all its members to vote for Dr Ifeanyi Okowa for governor of Delta State, Chief Amori for Senate (Delta central) Evelyn Oboro for Reps (Okpe,Sapele,Uvwie) federal constituency, Chief Sheriff Oborivwori for Delta State House of Assembly, Okpe constituency and all PDP candidates at all levels.

He said that only the PDP can liberate Deltans from poverty, hardship and spread the dividends of democracy to all parts of the state.

Ofoye commended the role played by former Minister of Communication, Prof. Sam Oyovbaire, in stabilising the ruling party through his fatherly role by making sure that all members work together for the good of the party.

Over 2,000 ex-militants root for Jonathan

B

O M A D I —M O R E h a n 2,000 ex-militants under the aegis for Niger Delta Youth for Peaceful Election, NDPE, have reiterated their support for President Goodluck Jonathan's re-election bid, volunteering to assist security agents in ensuring crisis-free polls on February 14 and 28.

Leader of the group, who is the Delta State Chairman, Phase Three Presidential Amnesty Programme, Mr. Preye Ekpebide, at Bomadi, Delta State, yesterday, warned that if the attack on the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential campaign does not stop, they would be forced to retaliate.

Ekpebide noted that despite the government's efforts in tackling the neglect of the North by previous administrations, northerners were venting their frustration on the president. t

46 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015— —47

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48â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

PDP presidential campaign in Kwara

From left, Alhaji Adamu Muazu,National Chairman, PDP; President Goodluck Jonathan, PDP Presidential Candidate; Emir of Ilorin, Ahaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari; Vice President Namadi Sambo, and Senate President, Senator David Mark,during the visit of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation to the Emir, in his palace, in Ilorin, yesterday. Photos: State House

President Jonathan, amidst the crowd, acknowledging cheers.

President Jonathan, being welcomed by the Emir of Ilorin Alhaji Gambari, in his palace.

President Jonathan, and his team followed by the crowd.

APC presidential campaign in Ondo, Ekiti

From left, Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret); APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former National Chairman, APC, Chief Adebisi Akande; Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and Member, House of Representatives, representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, at the APC presidential campaign in Akure, Ondo State, weekend. Photo: Joe Akintola (Photo Editor)

Crowd at the Democracy Park, in Akure.

Major General Muhammadu Buhari (right), and APC Ondo State Governorship Candidate,, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), at the APC Presidential Campaign in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State , weekend, Photo: Joe Akintola (photo Editor)

From left, Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; former National Chairman, APC, Chief Adebisi Akande; Senator representing Osun West senatorial district, Senator Mudasiru Hussain, and former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in Akure..

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — 49

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52—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Jonathan'll win Imo —ONWULIRI

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ROFESSOR Viola Onwuliri, the Minister of State for Education, and Deputy Coordinator, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential Campaign in the state, has said President Goodluck Jonathan will win Imo State in the forthcoming polls.

Addressing a group of Imo professionals in Owerri, Imo State capital, Onwuliri said victory for Mr. President in Imo would be monumental.

The minister said: “For the avoidance of doubt, Imo State is and remains a PDP stronghold. Recall that Imo PDP delivered over one million votes to President Jonathan in 2011, and nothing whatsoever has changed since then to suggest that Imo people will vote otherwise.

“Aside reclaiming the government house from the clueless All Progressives Congress, APC, on February 28, Imo PDP shall first and foremost deliver hundred percent votes for President Goodluck Jonathan on February 14 to further prove that Imo remains a PDP stronghold.”

Professor Onwuliri said President Jonathan had fulfilled his electoral promise to Nigerians through his lofty transformation programmes, which Imo State had immensely benefited from.

She also thanked Imo people for their patience in waiting for President Jonathan during the recent President’s campaign, stating that it was a clear indication of the direction their votes would go.

Prince Johnson Erijo, Delta House of Assembly Deputy Majority Leader, representing Isoko South Constituency 2 (2nd left); other contestants and party stakeholders, during the flag-off campaign by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for all its candidates representing Isoko in the national and state assemblies at Oleh Township Stadium, Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State.

CONFERENCE: All Progressives Congress, APC, National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed (right), addressing journalists at a press conference on alleged Federal Government's plan to postpone the February general elections, in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015—53

EPZ: Perform ground-breaking before Feb 14 or forget Itsekiri votes, DCC tells Jonathan

By Daniel Gumm

W

ARRI—RISING from an emergency meeting convened in the wake of President Goodluck Jonathan’s private visit to the Olu of Warri and Warri Council of Chiefs, a political pressure group, Delta Coalition for Change, DCC, has said that it would not be swayed by reports that President Jonathan promised members of the Warri Council of Chiefs that he will perform the groundbreaking ceremony of Ogidigben Export Processing Zone, EPZ, before the end of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s tenure.

DCC, in a statement in Warri by its President, Young Piero, said that it was not convinced by statements ascribed to President Jonathan, where he explained that the twice postponed EPZ ground-breaking had nothing to do with threats by Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo and his Gbaramatu kinsmen.

According to the group, the President’s position was not in tandem with the earlier explanation of the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who hinged the reason for the second postponement of the EPZ ground-breaking ceremony on “communal issues,” insisting that the media war that has since trailed the claims of the EPZ land ownership “is evident for all to see.”

The statement added that there was no reason why the ground-breaking of the EPZ is yet to be done when

those of NIMASA Dockyard and Shipyard as well as Nigerian Maritime University, NMU “which have large Ijaw interests despite being national projects were successfully performed.”

DCC noted that the only logical thing for President Jonathan to do is to “seize the opportunity of his planned campaign visit to Warri, February 4, to perform the EPZ groundbreaking if there is no obvious Ijaw agenda.”

It wondered why despite the obvious support President Jonathan enjoys from the Itsekiri-born Christain Association of Nigeria, CAN, President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, he appears to “be foot-dragging on issues directly affecting Itsekiri and other tribes in the Niger Delta,” adding that if the EPZ ground-breaking was not performed before February 14, “Itsekiri will vote for Gen. Muhammadu Buhari in the February 14 poll.”

Peterside unveils four-point agenda

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT— GOVERNORSHIP candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, yesterday, unveiled his fourpoint agenda for the state if elected governor in the February election.

Peterside, who promised to continue with the mono rail project started

by Governor Rotimi Amaechi, said his programme would be anchored on four pillars which he gave as security, public sector accountability, human and capital development.

Assuring that he will focus on job creation, Peterside said he will set up a Rivers State Security Trust Fund to assist security agencies, adding that

CCV cameras would be installed at different points in the state, while security helicopters would be deployed to enhance security.

“We understand the relationship between unemployment and security. So, we will productively engage our youths. We will secure the waterways and the entire state,” he said.

On transparency, Peterside said his government will implement the Freedom of Information law, stressing that everybody in his government will have no choice but to comply.

“We will domesticate the Freedom of Information Act. Government officials must comply with it. It is not optional. We will give quarterly account to the people,” he added.

Wike pledges to develop new Rivers State

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IVERS State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has formally presented his developmental blueprint, which according to him, was aimed at repositioning Rivers State for the advantage of the people and residents of the state.

Titled A New Rivers State, new vision, new thinking, better possibilities, the blueprint is expected to guide the incoming administration address developmental challenges that have crippled the state.

Presenting the blueprint to a cross section of Rivers people in Port Harcourt yesteray, Wike said: “My administration will end the misery of Rivers people and set the people on the path of development. The mandate of the people is the promise of hope. Rivers people are expected to choose between a risky continuity and a purposeful leadership propelled by a dynamic team. I know from our interactions that the people will vote in PDP to enthrone a new Rivers State.”

He described the blue-

print as a social contract between him and the people of Rivers State.

The Rivers State PDP governorship flagbearer said that the blueprint was premised upon employment generation which will drive infrastructural development, inclusive governance, administration of justice, education, roads and healthcare delivery.

He added that his administration through the development blueprint, will improve on agriculture, transport, housing, and industrialization.

Good governance isn’t by Goodluck

L

AST week, I watched with intense attention as President Obama presented his annual State of the Union address to the joint session of the U.S. Congress. He did so with a sense of accomplishment reserved for seasoned matadors. There he stood on the presidential podium, gleefully reeling off layers of his administration’s achievements, to the chagrin of his Republican Party opponents. House Speaker John Boehner sat there like an unfulfilled zombie, stoically refusing to applaud when the president provided indisputable evidence of good deeds by his government.

The fact is that upon his election and being sworn into office in 2008, the Republican cabal with current Senate Majority Leader, Senator Mitch McConnell as its spokesman, resolved to make Obama a one-term president. That clandestine meeting also resolved that the most effective way to derail and crush the new president’s administration was to say NO to any and everything Obama proposed or attempted to do.

That explained why the Republican Party was called the party of NO especially in Obama’s first term in office. So absurd was this practice of placing political road-blocks on Obama’s way that the crusading Republicans made several attempts to shut down the U.S. government for politically selfish reasons.

The list of what Republicans opposed is without an end. Obamacare, the healthcare bill that was meant to make affordable healthcare available to millions of impoverished and financially stressed Americans, was militantly opposed by Republicans and their Tea-Party allies.

Similar opposition was mounted against the government’s attempt to introduce a law that would enhance minimum wage for all Americans.

Equal pay for women for equal work done by them in the workplace? Republicans opposed it too. How about making it easy for people with crushing student loans to pay back?

Medicine to cure cancer The NO Republicans also said NO. Each economic reform introduced by the president was met with a resounding NO. This NO-mindset was so intense that President Obama once joked that were he to develop a medicine to cure cancer, Republicans would still vote NO to it.

Just before the 2012 presidential election campaign, Republicans switched strategy.

The same people who had said NO to everything Obama did or tried to do turned around to blame their president for all that did not go well in the country. Here is an example.

When the country’s unemployment figure was hovering around 12 percent, Republicans pounced and blamed the man they had frustrated in his attempts to make the economy work. When the plans Obama put in place began to yield fruit and the unemployment rate came down to 10 percent, Republicans dismissed the figure as bogus and manufactured by Obama’s “Chicago Mafia”. Finally, when it became clear that Obama was now turning the

economy around and the unemployment figure went below the magical two-figure threshold, that is, below 10 percent, the same people shifted gear. Their new mantra was on the “quality” of the jobs that were creeping back into the economy as they began to sneer that America was being inundated with low quality, meaningless jobs.

How the Republicans managed to keep up the tempo of their criticisms of Obama and making him look like a loser when in fact he was recording success after success is mystifying. The tempo was so high that Democrats who were up for re-election in the November 2014 mid-term elections put a huge distance between them and their president. They did not want Obama’s “tainted” image to rub off on them.

But, no one can hoodwink all people all the time. The irony today is that after some lily-livered Democrats ditched their president, eventually lost their re-election last November and ipso facto handed both Senate and House of Representatives to Republican control, Obama has emerged bright and shinning in near immaculate political robes. His current approval rating is slightly above 50 percent. And the opening sentences in his 2015 state of the union address reflected the overall economic resurgence and his enhanced approval rating. Here is what the president said: “….Tonight, after a breakthrough year for America, our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999.

Our unemployment rate is now lower than it was before the financial crisis. More of our kids are graduating than ever before; more of our people are insured than ever before; we are as free from the grip of foreign oil as we’ve been in almost 30 years…..America, for all that we’ve endured; for all the grit and hard work required to come back; for all the tasks that lie ahead, know this: The shadow of crisis has passed, and the State of the Union is strong.”

Obama’s successes so far were not fortuitously achieved.

The opposition one his way was monumental and continues to be so.

The job of economic reconstruction was, according to him, full of “grit and hard work” but he did not relent. He had an agenda and pursued it vigorously, relentlessly and with vision.

Good governance does not depend on good luck.

Obama understands this. That is why he had the courage to tell his Obama’s countrymen and women that “the successes shadow of crisis has passed, and the State of so far the Union is strong.” were not Such good tidings are fortuitously hardly heard from presidents in Africa and achieved the developing world.

54 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Despite suspension of JUSUN strike, courts yet to resume fully

By Innocent Anaba

L

AGOS—THE Federal High Court in Lagos, is yet to fully commence activities, after the suspension of a threeweeks old strike by the judiciary workers, in federal courts in the country.

Also, the gates of the Supreme Court, Abuja and the Court of Appeal, Abuja were also opened, though none of the courts sat. At the Federal High Court, Abuja court officials were seen on their duty posts.

Similarly, federal judiciary workers in Enugu State, resumed work, yesterday.

The workers under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, had commenced the industrial action on January 2.

The union had effectively closed down all courts nationwide following the refusal of the executive to comply with a court’s judgment, which ordered financial autonomy for the judiciary.

JUSUN however, on January 25, after a meeting at the Supreme Court, decided to suspend the industrial action in federal courts only.

The affected courts are the Federal High Court, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and the National Industrial Courts throughout the country.

At the Federal High Court Lagos, yesterday, some of the court registrars were seen at their various duty posts, waiting for court sittings.

Meanwhile, several registrars were seen cleaning the court windows, and dusting court files.

Some of the judges were present in court, but had to take their leave after waiting for a while.

Only one court however, briefly entertained proceedings, but rose shortly afterwards.

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal Lagos, was devoid of activities, as the gates were under lock and key, and no staff was in sight.

At the National Industrial Court, the main gates were still under lock and key, but the staffs accessed the court’s premises, through an alternative mini entrance.

INEC disqualifies 7 gov candidates ...For failing to nominate running mates

By Joseph Erunke

...Declares Reps candidate winner for not having opponent

A

B U J A — T H E provides that: If after expiration affected by the disqualification in Sokoto and Zamfara states Independent National of time for delivering of according to the INEC, are the respectively.

The commission said: “Section Electoral Commission, INEC, has nomination papers, withdrawal Peoples Party of Nigeria, PPN, declared the Peoples Democratic of candidates and the extension in Delta State; Labour Party, LP, 187 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as Party, PDP candidate for Ado/ of time as provided for in this Act, in Niger State and the New amended) provides that a Opoku/Ogbadibo Federal there is only one person whose Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, in candidate to the office of a Constituency in Benue State, name is validly nominated in Ogun State.

Governor shall not be deemed to Others are the Unity Party of be validly nominated for such Christian Adabah Abah, as respect of an election, other than winner of the February 14, 2015 to the office of the President or Nigeria, UPN, in Oyo state; office unless he appoints Governor, that person shall be United Democratic Party, UDP, another candidate as his general elections. in Rivers State; and Peoples running mate who shall occupy INEC also disqualified seven declared elected.”

The parties and the states Democratic Movement, PDM, the office of Deputy Governor.’’ governorship candidates from various parties from participating in the February 28 governorship election for failing to nominate their running mates.

Explaining reasons for declaring Abah winner for the election that was yet to hold, INEC said it was because he (Abah) is the sole candidate seeking election into the House of Representative election.

These were contained in INEC’s daily bulletin on the election yesterday, saying that the common offence of the governorship candidates was their inability to nominate their running mates.

In a Decision Extract signed by the Director (Commission’s Secretariat), Ishiaku Gali, INEC has also approved that the House of Representatives election in Ado/Opoku/ Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, being uncontested, the nominated candidate should be declared elected on the day of the election WEDDING: Phylis Omobolanle Ajala, flanked by her younger brothers, Lanre Ajala (left) by the Returning Officer,” adding and Ayo Ajala, during her traditional marriage with Elijah Adeyemi Araoye at St Louis that, “Section 41 (1) of the Catholic Church, Jos recently.

Electoral Act 2010 (as amended)

Save Nigerians from needless deaths, JOHESU begs Jonathan

By Chioma Obinna

L

AGOS—74 days into the strike called by Joint Health Sector Union, striking heath workers have appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to save Nigerians from needless deaths.

The workers who protested yesterday in Lagos over what they described ‘as government insensitivity’ to the plight of the workers warned that political office holders should also remember that though they can afford to take their relatives abroad for medical treatment they could also be caught up in the web of epileptic healthcare delivery.

According to them, like the old saying, ‘ when two elephants fight, the grass suffer’, patients are seriously suffering the effect of the strike and nothing seems to be happening on the part of the government.

Addressing the State chapter of the Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU, at the premises of the Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi

Lagos, the Lagos Chairman of the Union, Comrade Stephen Ibe who is also the Chairman, Federal Area Council, said there is need for the government to make the health system conducive for all group of health professionals.

Ibe who accused the Federal Government of fuelling discrimination among health

professionals said government is still adamant to their demands.

He appealed to the government to urgently release the much expected circular containing their demands as agreed by both parties. “We are ready to go back to work should President Goodluck Jonathan and his team release the circular. Government

has continued to ask for time. We have been on this issue for over four years. We have signed several agreements none of them have been implemented. ''One of the major agreements is to release the circular containing our demands.

Government has not shown any sensitivity to our demands.''

‘Why FG earmarked N9.6b for cooking stove project'

By Caleb Ayansina

A

BUJA—THE Minister of Environment, Mrs Laurentia Mallam, yesterday, said that the Federal Government embarked on the N9.6 billion cooking stove project to save women and children, who were dying due to smoke inhaled from firewood on daily basis.

The World Health Organisation, WHO, reported that about 95, 300 people died annually from indoor air

pollution in Nigeria, making it to be third killer after malaria and HIV/AIDs. Mallam, who stated this while declaring open, the Clean Cooking Energy Expo and Conference organized by the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, in Abuja, added that the project would also address problem of deforestation in the country.

According to her, “When the government announced the procurement of clean stoves, it generated a lot of arguments on

why government should vote such an amount for the project.

“There are reasons for the government to get involved in this project; it is to protect our forest and also to improve health condition of our women and children by decreasing indoor air pollution.

“Millions of women and children died annually due to inhalation of smoke. The importance of tree to our environment cannot be over emphasized, that is talking about climate change.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — 55

The squandering of a Goodluck Continues from page 39

Peter Obi tackles Soludo ...He's confused— PDP Campaign Organisation

By Chioma Gabriel & Henry Umoru

T

HE Presidential Campaign Organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has responded to ex- Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, governor’s article published in many national dailies where he suggested amongst other things that President should not run in this election but should throw in the towel. The Organisation said the statement was absurd and self-

depreciating.

In the same vein, the former governor of Anambra state, Mr Peter Obi has dismissed Soludo as man hunted by his past for stating that he (Obi) built no signature project in Anambra during his tenure.

Speaking through his Media Assistant, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, Obi described the article by Professor Charles Soludo as full of evidence of one who is still nursing deep hatred against those he wrongly

Yuguda, FCT minister at each other's throat Continues from page 1 be a member of the party in the afternoon, but works for the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, APC at night.’’

In a statement signed by Senator Mohammed’s Special Assistant, Media, Nosike Oguenyi, he said, “The attention of Senator Bala Mohammed has been drawn to an allegation by the Governor of Bauchi State, Mallam Isa Yuguda that he was the sponsor of the thugs that attacked the presidential campaign team of His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan in Bauchi on Thursday 22nd January, 2015.

“The question that the Governor must answer quickly without equivocation is: why did the thugs not stone him (Yuguda) whilst he was addressing the same rally, on the same podium and on the same day? Yugudu should also tell the world why he has suddenly turned into an APC spokesman, by exonerating the opposition party of culpability in the attack on the PDP presidential campaign team in Bauchi.

Governor Yuguda, however, insisted last night that Senator Mohammed was the one who imported the thugs as he said that the man hired by the minister to secure the services of the hoodlums and 70 of the thugs had been arrested. He said: “The Minister is a bigger APC mole, who should be disciplined by the President for trying to embarrass him and his office for selfish reasons.

“Contrary to his claim that the stoning was done by APC thugs, all the boys so far arrested by the police have turned to be Bala’s boys. So, who is an APC mole then?” the governor asked.

“Many Nigerians still remember recent media reports that Yuguda is the real godfather and sponsor of the APC gubernatorial candidate in Bauchi State and that he has not been campaigning for President Jonathan’s reelection in the state. Again, history is there to expose the Governor as an unabashed 5th columnist in the PDP. “It would be recalled that the

first attack Senator Bala Mohammed received for wholeheartedly supporting Dr. Goodluck Jonathan (then Vice President) was in 2010. The same Yuguda, in 2010, did everything humanly possible to recall and politically annihilate Bala Mohammed from the National Assembly as the Senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District.

“Bala’s only sin was that he mobilized fellow lawmakers to invoke the famous ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ to confer powers on the then Vice President Jonathan to act as President while former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was away in Saudi Arabia receiving medical attention.

“The second attack of the FCT Minister by Yuguda came later again in 2010, when he deployed enormous energies into creating all manner of obstacles to block Senator Bala Mohammed’s return and re-registration as a member of the PDP in his native Alkaleri LGA of Bauchi State.

Again, that attempt was futile as it failed disastrously for Yuguda.

Since then, Senator Bala Mohammed has become a force to reckon with at the highest echelon of the PDP... “Furthermore, in 2011 political thugs who were protesting the victory of President Jonathan in that “SenatorMohammed has consistently repeated that politics is not a do or die affair, hence he sacrificed his gubernatorial bid to allow peace to reign in Bauchi State. He is also sharply aware that this is the time for everyone to focus on issues that would promote rancour-free campaign and elections to ensure victory for the PDP. It is on these bases that it would be ridiculous to suggest that Senator Bala would hire thugs to attack the PDP and discredit the Governor in the state – more so, because he (the Minister) is not contesting any position with the Governor. In fact, anyone who believes his wild allegation would believe anything! By Yuguda’s latest embarrassing conduct, he has successfully exposed his chameleonic character as an APC mole in the PDP..’’

assumed were responsible for not renewing his appointment as the Governor of the Central Bank and those that thwarted his move towards becoming the Governor of Anambra State last year.

In a statement signed by Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, the Director of Media and Publicity of the Presidential Campaign Organisation, PCO, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, he described the former Governor of CBN, Professor Soludo as a confused Nigerian and one who has lost touch with reality.

Fani- Kayode said, “I read Charles Soludu’s contribution to the debate with amusement. I will be gentle with him because I have a soft spot for him. He has criticised the President, his government and his handling of the economy.

“Meanwhile Nigeria has just won the prestigious award of being designated as the largest economy in Africa and this has happened under the watch of President Goodluck Jonathan and no-one else. Should any rightthinking person who has the nation’s interest at heart be complaining about that? Needless to say my friend and brother Charles Soludo is confused and conflicted. He seems to have lost touch with reality and this is what often happens when you spend too much time with the Buharists.

Obienyem in his response agreed with some vital points raised by Soludo but regretted that the aim of the write-up was not to instruct or contribute to positive national discourse, but to hit back at those he is nursing secret grudges against.

Obienyem called how Soludo in 2013, said bi was the foundation upon which the new Anambra State was built, and went on to commend him on how he changed the fortunes of the state.

salaries; the same month “friends” raised a whopping N21b for GEJ’s reelection at a single sitting. Many states can no longer fulfill the most basic of their obligations: salary payment. Under GEJ’s watch, our common patrimony has been squandered.

President’s own excuse for owing salaries was most hilarious.

He blamed it on computer glitch.

But he failed to explain whether the same computer hitch affected his own “security vote” or the manna funneled to the growing tribe of fat cats around Abuja and elsewhere.

So, taken together, we can now see the mortal danger in depending solely on mere good-luck rather than hard-work for salvation.

True, the nation had been seduced at the outset by possible hypnotism of the name, Goodluck. Mindful of the meteoric rise of its then self-effacing bearer, not a few began to ascribe to him a talisman of sorts.

Political fortune To them, it explained how GEJ had his path charmed to a huge political fortune by first emerging governor of Bayelsa by default in 2005, then ending up as heir to a dying president in 2010. A transmogrification to be found only in the never, never world of fairy tales. So, in case none had existed, a new fable had to be invented to serve the myth of Goodluck Jonathan as he arrived the national stage.

Unfortunately, like every product, the good-luck talisman bears its own expiry date. But GEJ probably also counted on its efficacy to hypnotize the nation into forgetting the past. Only that could explain why he chose to accept to run for a second term last year against the solemn promise he had made in 2011.

Compounding this epic failing is the chronic loss of the sense of symbols and the inability to find the right word to, at least, inspire hope at otherwise defining moments. For a man whose administration, rightly or wrongly, is

Women’s Pro-Climate Federation roots for Buhari profession and has maintained

W

OMEN’S Pro-Climate Federation, a sociopolitical group, have said that the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) and his running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo are democrats who will improve the economic status of all Nigerians when voted into office.

Speaking at a press conference and mini rally in Lagos, the president, Women’s Pro-Climate Federation, Mrs. Ekaette Enitan Sanusi, noted that over 20,000 women will be mobilized by the group to support Buhari who she says is ''pro-rule of law, proaccountability and protransparency.''

According to Sanusi, Buhari has a distinguished track record in national service in his chosen

his reputation as a man that does not compromise his intergrity. ‘’We are representing all ethnic groups and various professions in support of presidential bid of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (GMB) and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

We are mobilizing the people of Nigeria to chorus loud and clear.

Enough is enough. All we are saying is vote GMB for president in the February 14, presidential election. ‘’Our group is highly interested in and committed to the betterment of the country, which we believe GMB will revive. He is pro-gender, pro-accountability, pro-human rights and proempowerment. Democracy is as good as those who practice it and elective offices should be percieved as an opportunity to offer selfless service rather than personal enrichment.

now commonly dismissed as a cesspool of corruption, one would have thought that Jonathan and his minders would be circumspect. But it would seem nobody really gives a damn, as usual.

Nothing perhaps graphically illustrates this lack of the sense of symbol than how GEJ chose to flag off his presidential campaign in Lagos two weeks ago. On a day he literally threw presidential comportment to the winds at the Lagos stadium blaming all the nation’s woes on all but himself, to his left on the podium stood Femi Fani-Kayode, a politician on whose bejeweled neck EFCC’s sword is still dangling for money laundering. To his left lurked Adamu Muazu whose own baggage with EFCC is in excess of N5b. And standing somewhere behind him, like patron saint, was Bode George . (Well, George may now be amusing himself by brandishing a belated discharge from the Supreme Court, it is however debatable how much weight that carries in the ultimate court of public opinion.)

Again, consider GEJ’s misspeak in Enugu few days ago.

Recall he had sensationally redefined political theory last year with a new ground-breaking postulation that ‘stealing is not corruption’. Anyone still in doubt about what GEJ had in mind only needs to replay the tape of his Enugu outing. His intention, it would seem, was to appeal to local sentiment at Buhari’s expense.

Under GEJ’s watch, our common patrimony has been squandered So, while addressing a crowd of supporters at the stadium, he argued that what Jim Nwobodo, the local political hero, “stole” as Anambra Governor between 1979 and 1983 was ‘too small’ compared to the long jail term slammed on him by the Buhari regime in 1984! Ha! They say you are a thief, then you proceed to the market square to flaunt a goat earlier declared missing.

Too bad, those inelegant words simply went viral on the social media. But, as usual, that hardly mattered to the Jonathan people.

A quick rebuttal here, little clarification there could have helped mitigate the effect of what was clearly an own goal. But their minds are elsewhere. Rather than device fresh ideas to stave Jonathan’s sinking makeshift canoe, these quack spin doctors are busy hunting for Buhari’s certificate that is not missing, perhaps just to justify their next ration of ‘stomach infrastructure’.

In the final analysis, GEJ may be left with a consolation prize after all. If his party loses the February 14 polls as all indicators now clearly suggest, he can at least return to his native Otuoke with this epithet: the first sitting president to lose election and took his fate like a man.

56 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27 , 2015

Ukraine rebels move to encircle government troops in new advance

R

USSIAN-backed rebels advanced to encircle a Ukrainian army garrison town on Monday in a new offensive that has again unleashed all-out war after a five-month ceasefire and brought threats of new Western sanctions against Moscow.

Meanwhile, the United States and the European Union are considering new measures after accusing Russia of openly supporting the latest rebel advance with money, arms and troops on the ground.

Ambassadors of NATO countries and Ukraine met in Brussels on Monday to discuss a response to the fighting, their first such emergency meeting since August.

The military was out in force in Maiduguri during President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit at the weekend.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels yesterday.

Moscow denies playing a military role.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Kiev of prolonging the conflict by refusing to talk to the rebels.

In a provocative new charge, Putin also said

a “foreign NATO legion” was fighting alongside Ukrainian forces. NATO called the accusation “nonsense” and said the only foreign troops in Ukraine were Russians.

Greek leftist Tsipras sworn in as PM to fight bailout terms

G

REEK left-wing leader Alexis Tsipras was sworn in on Monday as the prime minister of a new hardline, anti-bailout government determined to face down international lenders and end nearly five years of tough economic measures.

The decisive victory by

Tsipras’ Syriza in Sunday’s snap election reignites fears of new financial troubles in the country that set off the regional crisis in 2009. It is also the first time a member of the 19-nation euro zone will be led by parties rejecting Germanbacked austerity.

Tsipras’ success is like-

The head of radical leftist Syriza party Alexis Tsipras speaks to supporters after winning the elections in Athens at the weekend.

ly to empower Europe’s fringe parties, including other anti-austerity movements across the region’s economicallydepressed south. The trouncing of the conservatives represents a defeat of Europe’s middleground political guard, which has dallied on a growth-versus-budget discipline debate for five years while voters suffered.

Sporting his trademark no-tie look, the 40year old former student Communist Tsipras became the first prime minister in Greek history to be sworn in without the traditional oath on a Bible and blessing of basil and water from the Greek Archbishop.

Obama ends Indian trip, pledges $4b investments, loans ment nevertheless ran

T

HE United States President, Barack Obama yesterday ended a landmark day in India with a pledge of $4 billion in investments and loans, seeking to release what he called the “untapped potential” of a business and strategic partnership between the world’s largest democracies.

Earlier in the day, at

the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Obama was the first U.S. president to attend India’s annual Republic Day parade, a show of military might that has been associated with Cold War antiAmericanism.

It rained as troops, tanks and cultural floats filed through the heart of New Delhi, but excite-

high over Obama’s visit, which began on Sunday with a clutch of deals to unlock billions of dollars in nuclear trade and to deepen defense ties.

Both sides hope to build enough momentum to forge a relationship that will help balance China’s rise by catapulting democratic India into the league of major world powers.

Boko Haram: African leaders urged to curb growing threat

A

FRICAN states should act quickly and collectively to curb the growing threat posed by Nigeria’s militant Islamists, the African Union chief has said.

Cross-border raids into Cameroon showed the dangers the Boko Haram group posed, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said.

Nigeria has rejected AU or UN intervention, saying regional armies are capable of dealing with the threat.

Its troops repelled a new attackbyBokoHaramonthe key north-eastern city of

Maiduguri on Sunday night.

Boko Haram launched a full-scale insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria in 2009 to create an Islamic state.

In an address to African foreign ministers at the AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, Ms Dlamini-Zuma said recent attacks by Boko Haram were deeply horrifying.

AU heads of state had agreed to include the conflict on the agenda of their summit, due to begin on Friday, she said.

Correspondents say Boko Haram and Somalia’s militant Islamist group alShabab will now dominate the summit, which was supposed to focus on women’s empowerment and development.

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Nigeria on Sunday to call for peaceful elections next month. Boko Haram seized the northeastern Nigerian town of Monguno on Sunday, raising further doubts about whether elections could be held across the country on 14 February.

Egypt anniversary: 516 ‘Brotherhood elements’ arrested

E

GYPTIAN police arrested more than 500 supporters of the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood when deadly violence erupted on the anniversary of the 2011 uprising, the interior minister said yesterday Protesters and security forces clashed Sunday after Islamists called for demonstrations against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s government as Egypt marked the fourth anniversary of the toppling of exstrongman Hosni Mubarak.

Supporters of Mubarak’s successor, Islamist Mohamed Morsi, have regularly clashed with security forces since he was ousted by then army chief Sisi in July 2013.

Rights groups have repeatedly denounced the use of “excessive force” by the authorities to crush opposition rallies and accused police of making sweeping arrests.

Opponents to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah alSisi run for cover during clashes in Cairo, on Sunday.

Liberia: Only 5 people treated for Ebola

L

IBERIA yesterday said that there are currently only five confirmed cases of Ebola in the entire country, a dramatic turnaround in the West African nation where the virus has taken its deadliest toll. At the height of the outbreak in August and September, Liberia was recording more than 300 new cases of the virus every week. To date 3,636 Liberians have died of Ebola, according to the World Health

Organization.

But the outbreak has begun to wane. Now there are now just five people in the country being treated for Ebola, Tolbert Nyenswah, who heads the country’s Ebola response, said Monday.

In her state of the nation address Monday, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said that, at the height of the outbreak, Liberia was the “poster child of disaster.”

V anguard, TUESD AY, JANU ARY 27, 2015 — 57 Vanguard, TUESDA JANUARY YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

GEMINI: YOUR best bet today is to seek important co-operation of influential people and that of your spouse/partner. The more legal conscious you are, the better for you.

CANCER: IF others want you to conclude an important financial transactions that can possibly be done today, you’ll need to say no and go ahead as tomorrow may not be as conducive as today.

LEO: IT’S important you don’t take things and people for granted now because they may not be as co-operative tomorrow as they are now. Be more loving.

VIRGO: ALTHOUGH there seem to be an air of understanding within your working arena today, tomorrow’s full-moon may turn the whole thing the other way.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

T

HE world ‘well’ here is metaphorical. It means when will you get prepared? In order words when will you start planting?

When will you start

you do not dig your well when it is raining. Wells are normally dug in expectation of rain. It is move? When will the same thing with you make that nec- whatever goal you want to pursue. essary contact?

The truth is that Prepared in advance.

When Will You Dig Your Well? that project? When will you take that step of faith? When will you make the

TERROR MUDA

in “Never say goodbye”

By Lanre Kehinde

LIBRA: HERE is an exciting day that will climax tomorrow. After a long time, others will see how passionate you can be even in love. Don’t gamble, please.

SCORPIO: IF your desire is to make money today, you will need to be less emotional and prepare for domestic challenges tomorrow. Enjoy your love life.

SAGITTARIUS: GOOD relationship between the Moon and lucky Jupiter will bring you good opportunities. Be less argumentative.

CAPRICORN: THIS is your day when things will go according to your plans. Financial success indicated but if you wait till tomorrow, opposition’ll bring disappointment.

AQUARIUS: THE moon in your star sign that encourages you to be as assertive are likely to oppose you tomorrow. Try to be more friendly.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

PISCES: HAPPENINGS within your working arena should be taken more seriously now or else, avoidable trouble would start tomorrow. Again, it’s important you are more practical about your health.

Be more loving.

ARIES: EVEN, if friends and others are helpful and pledging loyalty today, they may be forced and get on your nerve tomorrow when effects of fullmoon’ll come to play.

TAURUS: WHATEVER can lead to avoidable trouble tomorrow, either at home or along your career/business lines, should be well taken care of today. Be very open.

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,

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

What’s my immediate future?

Dear Joshua, I am interested in what you are doing. Please tell me what I should expect concerning my immediate future. Would I succeed travelling abroad for business?

Mustapha, Mushin.

Dear Mustapha, Few years back you have started a very longer (years) great cycle of success and happiness, and this year you will be moving closer to the peak of the said cycle; meaning that your 44nd year on earth will be much more better than all your previous ones on earth.

Visible signs of the positive things will physically manifest during your major first period of the year 2015 that will come between Jan 10 and Feb 16, 2015.

Then because of transiting lucky Jupiter in Sagittarius – your Solar 9th house of travelling and distant affairs you can be successful at acquiring visa and have a fruitful foreign travels.

However that is not to say that there will not be any challenge during the year. Actually like it happened about six/seven months ago when work and accident related issues were the major challenges, there will be repeat of such when Lunar Eclipse of March,2015 will hit the position it occurred around September last.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

58 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 — 59

Aussie Open

Williams sisters on collision course T

HE Williams sisters are back in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, and neither one is there just to watch. Venus Williams continued her impressive career resurgence at the Australian Open with a 6-3, 26, 6-1 win over sixth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska on Monday night, reaching the last eight at a major for the first time since the 2010 US Open.

Younger sister, Serena Williams, was supporting her and cheering for her from the stands at Rod Laver Arena, just hours after she had to dig deep for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 comeback win over Garbine Muguruza on the same court.

The sisters haven’t both advanced this far at a major since Serena won Wimbledon in 2010, their careers seemingly veering off at opposite trajectories.

Serena has won five

Grand Slam titles in the interim, lifting her tally to 18, while seven-time major winner Venus has labored for years since being diagnosed in 2011 with Sjogren’s syndrome, which causes fatigue and inflammation. She’d only been beyond the third round once at a Grand Slam event since the start of 2011, and many thought she’d never return to the last eight.

Even so, she’s not getting too excited four wins into a tournament.

“I guess from the outside looking in, I guess it could look like that,” Venus said.

“But for me I’m just really focused and poised right now. I feel like I’ve been here before, so it’s not like I’m jumping up and down for joy, ‘Oh, shoot, what is this?

I’ve never done this.’

“Yes, I’ve done this. This is what I’m always going into each tournament thinking I want to do. Now is my

moment and I want to keep this moment going.”

The 34-year-old Venus next face Madison Keys, a 19-year-old American who was inspired to play tennis by watching the Williams sisters.

Serena was motivated by a Grand Slam loss that stung her more than any last year in her match against No. 24-seeded Muguruza, who had conceded only four games to her in a second-round upset at the 2014 French Open.

“She made me play a lot better,” Serena Williams said. “I had to play the best match of the tournament or else I was going to be out.”

The five-time Australian Open winner next faces Dominika Cibulkova, who reproduced the kind of tennis that took her to the final here last year as she beat two-time champion Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Keys

IMMINENT FACEOFF . . . The Williams Sisters, Venus (L) and Serena advanced to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal with a 62, 6-4 win over good friend and fellow American Mad-

Tues Page 59

26/01/ 2015

ison Brengle.

“It’s a huge opportunity for me. I’m going to make the most of it,” she said. “I

want Io be at the end of the tournament holding the trophy up. That’s my goal in the long run.”

60 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Sportsmen move for Jonathan A

N assembly of top sports stars and personalities across the country and from various sports has expressed faith in the transformation programme of President Goodluck Jonathan especially with regards to sports and has called on members of the Nigerian sports community and the public to support his re-election as an imperative for the continuity of the development and progress of the sector as well as the advancement of the welfare of Nigerian sportsmen and women.

The assembly which converged at the National Stadium, Lagos, during the weekend included leading Nigerian Olympians, ex-internationals, elite and grassroots coaches across various sports, athletes and players representatives, club managers, sports administrators and sports supporters group.

In a communiqué jointly signed by various segment leaders of the group comprising Henry Amike, President of the Nigerian Olympians Association, Enefiok Udo-Obong, Sydney 2000 Olympic gold medalist, Yusuf Alli, former African and current Nigerian long jump record holder, Peter Rufai, Clement Temile, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo of the Supporters’ Club, Prince Are Feyisetan, national coach in Powerlifting and Special Sports, Babatunde Popoola, Uche Ugwu of the Grassroots Coaches Association among others, the sports community noted that “President Jonathan has demonstrated a unique commitment to the development of sports and has performed creditably

well in the transformation of the sector in his first tenure as evidenced in his support for and the achievements of various Nigerian representatives in various continental and international championships, his exemplary initiative for reforms following the Presidential Retreat on sports and his outstanding and robust support, motivational, rewards and awards system for performing and emerging sportsmen.

HE 2015 IT TFAfrica Senior Championships hosts, Egypt are in celebration mood as they retained the Men’s and Women’s Team titles after beating Nigeria in the finals of the two team events.

The North Africans were pushed to the wall by their Nigerian counterparts but they were nonetheless happy to see off the challenge posed as they maintained their dominance on the continent yet again.

In the women’s team event, the Egyptians recorded a memorable recovery; coming from two sets down before finally securing victory.

Nigeria made the ideal start with Offiong Edem beating Nadeen ElDawlatly and veteran Olufunke Oshonaike also dispatching Dina Meshref.

However, 19-year old Yousra Helmy started the revival for Egypt as she beat Cecilia Offiong to spark the fight-back.

Egypt got their chances

Parker

Continues from BP went on to lose 3-1, and they should have scored more in the 1-1 draw with Senegal as well.

Parker believes they have to harness their creativity in front of goal.

“We’re good in combining, we’re good at clicking well in the final third but we don’t get the final pass or take the initiative,” he told reporters in Mongomo.

“I don’t think maybe we’re aggressive

BY BPETER DURU, Makurdi

T

•Jonathan

•Amike

ITTF-Africa Senior Championships: Egypt celebrate double over Nigeria

T

enough in terms of taking responsibility in the final third.”

Coach Mashaba singled out a reluctance to shoot as their biggest single failing - especially after the Senegal game.

With Bafana Bafana needing to win to have any chance of progressing, Parker and his colleagues know they must find their scoring boots - or go home at the first hurdle.

FUA Makurdi, VC promises best NUGA games ever

further boosted when Dina Meshref returned to form to inflict the one and only defeat in the whole event over Offiong Edem, before Nadeen El-Dawlatly accounted for Olunfunke Oshonaike to complete the recovery and remarkable win.

In the men’s team final the hero of the hour for Egypt was El-Sayed Lashin.

Having suffered defeat against Quadri Aruna in the opening match of the fixture, he beat Ojo Onaolapo to seal the victory.

•Funke

Glo-Super 6 Continues from BP on the head and he immediately went comatose. The player was motionless for some time before the medics battled to revive him with oxygen before taking him to an undisclosed hospital.

Before the incident, which happened late in the second stanza, the Flying Eagles had already taken a 2-1 lead over reigning Glo-Premier League champions Kano Pillars. In their opening match the coach Manu Garba tutored team handed a 20 victory over reigning Federation Cup champions, Enyimba International of Aba. Sulieman Abdulahi got the curtain raiser after a

through pass from Taiwo Awoniyi to beat Pillars’ goalkeeper, Theophilus Afeluka.

However, Pillars got a breather when Flying Eagles captain Musa Mohammed headed an aerial ball into his own net.

Awoniyi who was voted man of the match restored dominance in the 35th minute after he carefully rounded up two Pillars’ defenders to slot in a beautiful goal which turned out to be the game decider.

Earlier in the first match of the day, Enyimba International salvaged some pride when they defeated War ri Wolves by a lone goal, scored in the first half of the encounter.

HE Vice Chancel lor of Federal University Of Agriculture Makurdi, Prof. Emmanuel Kucha, has promised that the coming NUGA games to be hosted by his institution in November would be the best in the history of the sporting fiesta.

Prof. Kucha made the pledge in Makurdi while briefing journalists on preparations for the successful hosting of the institution’s 21st. convocation ceremony and some achievements

so far recorded by his administration in the last two years old.

He said arrangements were already in top gear to commence the construction of critical facilities that would aid the successful hosting of the games, for the first time in a non-conventional university in the country.

“You know that in the history of the games, this is the first time a non-conventional university is granted the hosting rights of the games and we are prepared to host the best games ever, in the history of the sports fiesta,

Uche commends Oshoala’s move to Liverpool

F

ORMER Super Falcons head coach, Eucharia Uche has described as a welcome development the recent switch to the English FA Women Super League champions, Liverpool Ladies by Nigeria international, Asisat Oshoala.

The reigning Africa female and youth player of the year was recently handed a five-year contract by the English FA WSL side. Uche said the switch of the Rivers Angels markswoman to the top rated English women side will further enhance her standard of play as well as add more value to the national

•Oshoala side. “It’s a highly welcomed development the successful switch to the English women side, Liverpool Ladies by Asisat Oshoala.'

“Her breakthrough is expected to improve and strengthen the domestic league as well as the national team."

Afcon 2015: Safety concerns mount with assistance from poContinues from BP

built 5,000-capacity stadium is too small for the huge crowd expected for the match.

The tournament has already seen spectators breaking through fences at the opening game in Bata on 17 January with the 35,000-capacity stadium there overflowing.

At other venues, segregated areas for VIPs and media have also been overrun at times by supporters, with police battling to gain control of the situation.

In Ebibeyin, organisers are using recruits from a nearby police college to provide security

lice from Angola - a force of 350 has been drafted in from Luanda to help Equatorial Guinea.

Moving the quarter-final to a bigger venue would be unprecedented but is likely to be discussed by the Confederation of African Football and the Local Organising Committee.

Authorities could now be looking to play the match at Bata Stadium, the largest venue in the country and where Equatorial Guinea have played their three group games in front of packed crowds.

Bata will host the final on 8 February.

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Djokovic, Wawrinka, Raonic reach Aussie Open quarters N

OVAK Djokovic powered into his eighth consecutive quarter-final at the Australian Open as Stan Wawrinka kept his title defence on track yesterday. The Serb world No 1 was too strong for unseeded Gilles Muller of Luxembourg, winning 6-4, 7-5, 75 in the night match on Rod Laver Arena.

The four-time champion did not have his service broken as he powered through to play Canada’s Milos Raonic for a place in the semi-finals. Djokovic was outstanding on service, winning a high 82 per cent of first serves and fighting off four break points.

The Serb top seed hit 47 winners and only 16 unforced errors in a masterly performance against the left-handed Muller.

“I got the crucial three breaks at the important moments, especially in the second and third at 5-all, managed to play some good passing shots,” Djokovic said.

“I was fortunate to serve very well in important moments in the third set and not allow him to capitalise on his break point opportunities.”

Raonic became the first Canadian man to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals in 47 years in a five-set battle with Feliciano Lopez. The eighth seed thundered down 30 aces as he made the last eight with a 6-4, 46, 6-3, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3 win over the 12th-seed in 3hr 5min on Hisense Arena.

Raonic created Canadian tennis history by becoming the first man since Michael Belkin in 1968 to win through to the quarters at the Australian Open.

OVER STRETCHED . . . Serbia’s Novak Djokovic tries to return a shot during his men’s singles match against Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller on day eight of the 2015 Aussie Open tournament in Melbourne. Photo:AFP

•Wawrinka

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Glo-Super 6: Medics battle to save player’s life D

ANGER was averted yesterday at the Abuja National Stadium during a Glo-Premier League Super 6

Afcon: Safety concerns mount E

Q UAT O R I A L Guinea’s progress to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations has created a potential safety dilemma for the Local Organising Committee of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

The hosts shocked neighbours Gabon 2-0 on Sunday to finish second in Group A. The team will now play a quarter-final match against the winner of Group B in Ebibeyin on Saturday.

Ironically, the host’s qualification for the quarter final has raised fears that the recentlyContinues on Page 60

BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja

match as medics battled frantically to revive Flying Eagles defender, Izu Omeego who was eventually taken away unconscious to an undisclosed hospital.

The defender ’s problem started after he stretched to clear the ball off the feet of a Pillars attacker, but the opponent matched him Continues on Page 60

We must be more ruthless against Ghana – Parker

S

OUTH Africa striker Bernard Parker says his side must be more ruthless against Ghana in Tuesday’s decisive Africa Cup of Nations Group C match.

Bafana Bafana have only a draw and a defeat to their name so far, despite creating most of the attacking football against both Algeria and Senegal. “The coach [Skakes Mashaba] has asked us many times when are you going to shoot,” Parker said.

“It is just up to us, the players, to choose our

Result *BATTLE: Tunisia’s forward Ahmed Akaichi (L) jumps to head the ball with DR Congo’s defender Issama Mpeko during the 2015 African Cup of Nations match yesterday. The match ended 1-1. Photo: AFP

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

FRI DAY'S FRIDAY'S

ANSWERS

Cape Verde 0 Congo DR 1

•Garba, Flying Eagles coach

Zambia Tunisia

0 1

•Parker moments.”

South Africa took the lead against Algeria but Continues on Page 60

Today's matches Senegal S. Africa

vs vs

Algeria Ghana

7pm 7pm

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 4 Molluse (5) 7 Masticated (6) 9 Observe (3) 10 Deity (3) 12 Active (5) 13 Egg-shaped (4) 15 Instrument (5) 17 Newest (6) 19 Organ (4) 20 Decipher (5) 22 Drag (3) 24 Embarrassed (7) 27 Number (3) 28 Destroys (5) 31 Carpets (4) 33 Entry (6) 35 Sculpt (5) 37 Ruler (4) 38 Harbour (5) 39 Total (3) 41 Heave (3) 42 Office (6) 43 Repasts (5)

DOWN 1 Transversely (6) 2 Memory (6) 3 Fasten (3) 4 Arch (4) 5 Fabric (5) 6 Intrusion (8) 8 Idiot (4) 11 Lengths (9) 14 Magma (4) 16 Particle (4) 18 Try (4) 21 Stubborn (8) 23 Existed (4) 25 Top (4) 26 Powder (4) 29 Published (6) 30 Cover (6) 32 Aroma (5) 34 Stick (4) 36 Burden (4) 40 Container (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Soil 4, Era 6, Clip 9. Air 10, Altitude 11, Near 14, Bar 16, Sleep 19, Competed 21, Tenet 23, Detained 24, Watch 27, Won 31, Mute 33, Examiner 34, See 35, Fear 36, Due 37, Eddy.

DOWN: 2, Oily 3, Lair 4, Educated 5, Apex 6, Canal 7, Lie 8, Irate 12, Screw 13, Smart 14, Bet 15, Renew 17, Event 18, Pride 20, Detonate 22, Tan 25, Amuse 26, Cheer 28, Mend 29, Fire 30, Tend 32, Tea.

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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