PDP suspends Amaechi, Rivers Gov

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...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61891

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TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

•P.14 Don't give up, Boko Haram APGA: Court upholds Okwu, 9 .

P tells fleeing terrorists • others election

PDP suspends Amaechi, Rivers Gov •My life under threat, he says; seeks prayers •Atiku, CPC, Sagay, David-West, others react

CHILDREN'S DAY

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, OKEY NDIRIBE, EMMAN OVUAKPORIE, HENRY UMORU, JIMITOTA ONOYUME, CHRIS OCHAYI, CHARLES KUMOLU & GBENGA OKE

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AGOS —HOURS after he was suspended from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, yesterday, solicited prayers from citizens of the state against desperate persons who he claimed were after his life.

The suspension of Amaechi from the party

Continues on Page 5

COLUMNIST:

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Mr & Mrs

CHILDREN'S DAY PARTY—First Lady, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan and Women Affairs Minister, Hajia Zainab Maina at the 2013 Children's Day party at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

BPE clears 3 firms to bid for NITEL —P.9

2—Vanguard , TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013—5

POCKET CARTOON

AU —President Goodluck Jonathan (R) with former President Olusegun Obasanjo after the 21st Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Governments of African Union, AU, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sunday.

PDP suspends Amaechi Continues from Page 1 was agreed during an unscheduled and unu-

sually early morning meeting of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party at the

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

I learned that it is the weak who are cruel, and that gentleness is to be expected only from the strong –Leo Rosten. Be strong and cruel not!

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come —M . A. Hack

H

ERE are some thought-provoking quotes from Mack and Angel Hack about life lessons that may help you adjust your way of thinking. There isn’t anything noble about being superior to another person. True nobility is in being superior to the person you once were. Trying to be someone else is a waste of the person you are. You will never become who you want to be if you keep blaming everyone else for who you are now.

People are more what they hide than what they show. Sometimes people don’t notice the things others do for them until they stop doing them. Don’t listen to what people say, watch what they do. Being alone does not mean you are lonely, and being lonely does not mean you are alone. Love is not about going on fancy dates, or showing off. It’s about being with a person who makes you happy in a way nobody else can. Anyone can come into your life and say how much they love you. It takes someone really special to stay in your life and show how much they love you. Love and appreciate your parents. We are often so busy growing up; we forget they are also growing old. Learn to love yourself first, instead of loving the idea of other people loving you. When someone tells you, “ You’ve changed,” it might simply be because you’ve stopped living your life their way. Someone else doesn’t have to be wrong for you to be right.

residence of the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. The meeting, Vanguard learnt, commenced at 8.00 a.m.

The meeting came two days ahead of the regular meeting of the NWC which normally holds on Wednesdays. It was also three days after Amaechi beat the odds with his reelection as chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum, NGF. He had been allegedly opposed by the PDP Governors' Forum, PDP-GF ahead of the election.

The governor spoke amidst strong opposition from his loyalists and some party chieftains over what they described as the continued reign of lawlesness in the party. Former VicePresident Atiku Abubakar in a sharp reaction called on the founders of the party to mobilise against what he described as the party’s slip towards disintegration.

The suspension of the governor was, however, welcomed by the newly inaugurated Rivers State executive of the PDP that is opposed to the governor.

The governor's suspension was hinged on what the party described as his refusal to order the reinstatement of

members of the Obio Akpor Local Government executive who were suspended from office by the orders of the Rivers State House of Assembly upon allegations of corruption raised against the LG executive.

Hours after the suspension was announced, the party at a press conference said that it had constituted a committee headed by Mr. Joe Gadzama, SAN, to probe allegations raised against Amaechi.

Other members of the committee are PDP National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon; Inalegwu Onche, Friday Nwosu, Udorji Amedu, Ola Kukuyi, Wakil Mohammed, Yusuf Jangwe, Mrs Bola Doherty, Mr. Tanimu Adamson and Anicho Okoro as Secretary.

The time frame for the committee’s assignment was, however, not given.

NGF crisis assumes new dimension However, Vanguard gathered, yesterday ,that the crisis rocking the Nigeria Governors’ Forum has taken a new dimension, with the Governor Jonah Jangled parallel faction ap-

pointing Mr. Osaro Onaiwo as Sole Administrator of Jang's office in Maitama, Abuja. He is to act pending the appointment of a substantive director-general.

In the statement conveying the governor ’s suspension issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, yesterday, the party said: "The National Working Committee at its emergency meeting on Monday, May 27, 2013 considered the petition submitted by the PDP Rivers Executive Committee against His Excellency, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Executive Governor of Rivers State for violating Articles 58 1 (b), (c ), (h) and (m) of the PDP Constitution following his refusal to obey the lawful directive of the Rivers State Executive Committee to rescind his decision dissolving the elected Executive Council of Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

"The National Working Committee after preliminary hearing, in exercise of the powers conferred

by Articles 57 (3), 59 (3), 59 (5) and 29 (2.b), hereby suspends the Executive Governor of River State, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as a member of the PDP and refers the matter to the appropriate disciplinary committee of the Party.

"This is in furtherance of the determination of the leadership of the party to enforce discipline at all levels within the party."

My life under threat — Amaechi Reacting to his suspension during an interactive session with youths of the state, Amaechi called for prayers saying that desperate people who he

claimed did not follow the due process of hearing from him could also be after his life.

He, however, vowed that God who kept him in the face of the sixmonth intrigues that preceded his inauguration in 2007 would also see him through. The interactive session with the youths with the theme: “Consolidating on Rivers of our Dreams” took place at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Port Harcourt.

Noting the desperation of his foes, he said: “The way these people at the federal level are desperate, they may come after my life. So when you pray, remember to pray for me to remain alive.

“Who has power to suspend Obio/Akpor council? Now you see political witch-hunting; it is so ridiculous, my party must rise above political witch-hunting. The Governor did not suspend Obio/Akpor council, I hope you know. My power is to dissolve and remit it to the House of Assembly, but I have not done that yet, what the Assembly has said is ‘we are investigating corruption’ then the party says we should not investigate corruption, is that fair?”.

Amaechi said the NWC issued a press statement to suspend him without any invitation and fair hearing. “I was not invited by the National Working Committee of PDP, I was not given fair hearing. What I heard was ‘ why did I refuse to reinstate the suspended Obio/Akpor Council executive? Who suspended them?’, he asked.

His question received the enthusiastic response of the youths who chorused: “The Rivers State House of Assembly.”

Continues on Page 52

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Ajah clash: Police arrest Lagos chief

BY IFEANYI OKOLIE

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AGOS — THE Police in Lagos have arrested a member of the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs. Vanguard learnt that his arrest was in connection with weekend’s communal clash in Ajah area of Lagos,where six persons were killed and several others injured.

His arrest, as gathered, followed information that he was allegedly fuelling the lingering crisis in the area.

As at 5pm, yesterday, 15 patrol vans carrying policemen led by the Area Commander ‘J’, Mr Felix Vwamhi were still conducting searches in his palace in Ajah after reportedly cordoning off the area.

Police sources told Vanguard that "there was information that he is harbouring hit men in the palace and that there are also arms there.”

The suspect, as gathered, was arrested Sunday night and immediately taken to the Special AntiRobbery Squad, Ikeja, even as investigation was said to be ongoing at press time.

Thugs operating on motorcycles, Saturday morning, attacked some Ajah indigenes playing football on a pitch in the area with guns and other dangerous weapons. The attack spiralled into a bloody clash that led to the death of six people with many others injured.

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

DID THEY KNOW IT WAS CHILDREN'S DAY?

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LORIN — ECONOMIC and social activities were, yesterday, paralysed in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, following demonstration by students of Kwara State Polytechnic over the killing of one of their colleagues by a police escort.

An Accountancy student of the polytechnic was feared dead following gun shots from the police escort of one of the leading banks in the state, leading to violent protests from his colleagues.

Vanguard learnt that the student was about to board a vehicle to the school at the Post Office area of the town when he was suddenly shot severally on his legs. He later bled to death.

The vehicle which the deceased would have boarded was said to have been stopped by the policeman who was escorting the bank’s bullion van before the suspect suddenly started firing gun shots which hit the student on his legs severally.

However, the aggrieved students consequently went on the rampage to protest the incident, leading to total paralysis of commercial and other social activities in Ilorin and its environs.

The incident which occurred at about 2.10p.m led to stampede at the popular Murtala Mohammed Way, Post Office area among others, leading to traffic logjam as motorists were unable to move due to born fire by the students on the major roads.

An eye witness who identified himself as John Abodunrin, however, told Vanguard that the policeman attempted to shoot the tyre of the vehicle which was carrying the student, pointing out that his gun was not deliberately aimed at the deceased.

“The student was inside a taxi cab when the bullion van belonging to one of the foremost banks sped past us with its siren on.

However, the bullion van suddenly stopped the vehicle. The policeman in an attempt to demobilise the vehicle, shot at the tyre but unfortunately, the student, Ahmed Dayo, a National

A beggar and her children at Ikeja Along bus-stop pedestrians bridge at a time when others were celebrating Children's Day, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Kwara poly students protest killing of colleague by police escort Diploma student in the Department of Accountancy was killed.

The bullets shattered one of his legs leading to loss of blood."

It was further gathered that bullion van operators did not attempt to rescue the injured student who was immediately taken

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NITSHA— THE Move ment for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has given the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Chief Joe-Martins Uzodike, a three-day ultimatum within which to tender an unreserved apology to the movement over his (Uzodike’s) alleged provocative and insulting statement against it.

In a statement in Onitsha, Anambra State, yesterday, shortly after their meeting, MASSOB leaders quoted Uzodike as instructing his fellow Awka-Etiti people and the entire Anambra people to dis-

regard the group’s directive on the proposed June 8, 2013 sitat-home order in honour of Igbo people massacred in some northern parts of the country, because the dead people were on their own.

In the statement jointly signed by the Media Assistant

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI

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AGOS — TEACHERS and students in Lagos State public schools are living in fear as

to Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, Mazi Chris Mocha, and MASSOB’s National Chairman for Sports, Chief Nathaniel Nwafor, MASSOB also quoted Uzodike as saying that MASSOB members were mainly Okada riders.

EFCC arrests NFF VP

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AGOS — THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested the Vice President of the Nigerian Football Federation, Mr. Mike Umeh.

According to a statement by the commission’s Acting Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson

took over the streets soon after the incident.

Contacted, the state police command’s spokesman, DSP Fabode Olufemi, said he was yet to receive any official report on the incident.

Hoodlums take over Lagos public schools

MASSOB asks Anambra Information Commissioner to apologise within 3 days

BY OKONKWO EZE

to a nearby private hospital, where he was only given first aid treatment and then referred to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.

The driver and other policemen in the vehicle reportedly zoomed off to escape from the mob which

Uwujaren, Umeh was picked up by operatives of the commission, yesterday, in Lagos following a warrant by a Sokoto High Court.

He will appear before Justice Bello Abass of the Sokoto High Court today.

hoodlums have taken over the schools, not only posing threats to the security of the students, but also stealing and vandalizing valuable schools’ property.

Though investigations reveal that this is a common occurrence in most schools in the state, most affected are schools in Alimosho, Apapa and Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs).

According to investigation, the hoodlums took advantage of the porous security situation in these schools to commit atrocities. Almost on a daily basis, the students are subjected to clearing used condoms, cigarette stubs and Indian hemp wrappers left behind by the hoodlums.

Giving a graphic detail on their mode of operation, Chairman, School Management Committee of Alimosho LGEA, Pastor Hezekiah Osoba, said once it was 2 pm, the hoodlums would approach either the head-teacher or principal and inform them that they would be taking over the school by 2:30pm. ”By 2pm daily, they would

come to the schools and say the school should close the morning session because they would be taking over for the afternoon session by 2:30pm, and the school authorities have no choice than to obey to prevent ugly situations. ”In most cases, they remove school gates from their hinges with a note on the damaged gates that the schools should not bother to fix them because they would still remove them. ”In the morning, the students have to clear cigarettes stubs, empty bottles, sachets of alcoholic drinks and used condoms that litter everywhere. They also defecate in nylon bags and hang them on the ceiling near the black boards such that it will be dropping on the floor and the whole place would be smelling."

While calling on the state government to provide better security in the state-owned schools, Education Secretaries of the affected Local Government Education Authorities said the situation has become threatening to the point that it was affecting teaching and learning.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013—7

Sea bandits kill one, maim 10 in Delta

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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Businessmen from Pelewura Market, Lagos, protesting alleged plan to close down the market at the Lagos State House of Assembly, yesterday.

Gunmen abduct Bayelsa ex-Perm Sec's wife, injure wife of Dickson's aide

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA — UNKNOWN gunmen, weekend, abducted the wife of a retired Permanent Secretary, Mrs Anne Ziworitin, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.

Also injured in a separate attack was the wife of the Special Assistant on Radio to the Governor, Mrs. Vivian Ikio Iziama.

Both incidents which caught operatives of the state security outfit, Operation Doo Akpo, napping occurred Saturday night at Biogbolo, a suburb of Yenagoa.

While Mrs. Ziworitin was reportedly abducted along the Otiotio road area, Mrs. Iziama was injured with the butt of a rifle for refusing to part with the key of her Toyota Sienna car.

Mrs. Iziama‘s daughter, it was learnt, was inside the vehicle when the gunmen struck as she was about to drive into her compound. Her younger sister, who was about to open the gate, was forced to raise alarm on hearing

the cry of her niece.

The hoodlums were said to have fled in a black Golf salon car with which they trailed their victim.

It was, however, learnt from a source close to the Ziworitin family that kidnappers of the retired permanent secretary’s spouse have demanded N5million for her release.

Confirming the attack on his wife, the Special Assistant to the Bayelsa Governor on Radio, Mr.

3 killed in renewed Ikwerre cult war

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

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ORT HARCOURT — THREE persons have been shot dead in renewed supremacy battle between Degban and Dewell cult gangs in Omuawa community, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Man, 60, allegedly kills wife, seizes corpse

BY EVELYN USMAN

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AGOS — ORONNA Street in Abule-Egba area of Lagos was, yesterday, thrown into confusion after a 60-year-old man who allegedly killed his wife over his missing N500, locked himself up with the corpse.

Reports said fight broke out after the man identified as Gbadebo Elegbede, accused his 17-yearold son of stealing his N500 at about 7am. His wife, Maria, was said to have defended his son, an action that reportedly led to a verbal confrontation with her husband,which degenerated into a scuffle.

In the process, Gbadebo was said to have hit his wife with a hard object on the face, causing

Ikio Benson Iziama, said a formal report had been made to the police.

Spokesman of the Bayelsa Police Command, Mr. Alex Akhigbe said though he was yet to receive full details of the incidents, the police's effort at ensuring the security of lives and property in the state had led to the discovery of a cache of arms and ammunition at Koluama community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

her to slump.

His son, Johnson, was said to have attempted to lift his mother from the floor only to discover that she was motionless and bleeding from the mouth and nose.

Johnson reportedly ran out to alert neighbours to come to his mother’s help, but they met the door of the apartment locked from inside, with Gbadebo threatening to kill anyone who attempted to force the door open.

Eye witnesses said some of the deceased’s relatives who rushed to the scene were also prevented from seeing Maria’s corpse as the door was still locked.

Policemen at nearby divisions who were contacted said they had not been informed about the incident yesterday evening.

The supremacy clash which resumed Sunday night also resulted to the arrest of five suspected cultists by the Rivers State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Jonah Nnnana, a resident who recounted the gun battle said: “It was bloody. The fight was started at about 6:30pm by members of Degban cult said to be avenging the death of their members killed in earlier battle with the Dewell cult in a neighbouring community not long ago.”

He said innocent residents caught in the fierce shooting also sustained various degrees of gunshots injury as most people deserted the village to neighbouring communities for safety.

Mr. Welendu Obilor, member of the local vigilance group in the area said people had to make distress calls to SARS whose swift response helped to calm the situations.

He said: “SARS intervention resulted in the arrest of five suspected cultists. We are calling on the police to concentrate investigation in the locality and see to the arrest of the kingpins to forestall further insecurity of lives and property of the innocent in our community."

ARRI— GUNMEN, suspected to be sea bandits, have killed a 30-year-old boat driver, Godknows Wuruke, and injured over 10 persons in Delta State.

Vanguard was informed that the bandits ambushed two passenger boats, moving from Warri to Aghoro community in Bayelsa State at River Forcados tributary, behind Burutu, headquarters of Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State and robbed the passengers.

Wuruke left Warri waterside at about 5.20 p.m and was allegedly shot dead by the gunmen because he tried to prevent them from robbing his passengers.

Chairman of the Aghoro waterside boat drivers, Mr. Cletus Itari, who confirmed the incident to Vanguard on phone, yesterday, called on security agents to mount surveillance on the waterways in Burutu area, as it was obtainable in Warri axis to ensure the safety of the people.

Driver, conductor docked for assaulting LASTMA officials

BY MICHAEL NWOPOKE

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AGOS— THE Police, yesterday, arraigned a commuter bus driver and his conductor before an Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrates’ Court, sitting at Oyingbo, Lagos for allegedly assaulting a Zonal Coordinator of Lagos State Transport Management Authority, LASTMA, Joshua Dada and some of his men.

The two accused, Bolaji Owolabi, 28 and Kayode Elijah, 33, are facing three-count charge of conspiracy, assault and forceful dispossession of the victims’ property.

According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened Sections 172, 278 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State,2011.

The prosecutor, Inspector Frank Inah told the court that the accused persons committed the crime on May 19, at about 10:15 am, along Herbert Macaulay Way, Ebute-Metta, Lagos.

Dockworker dies at Five Star Logistics Terminal

BY GODWIN ORITSE

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AGOS — ANOTHER tragedy was recorded, weekend, at the Five-Star Logistics Terminal, Tin Can Island Port, Lagos when a dockworker died in the course of duty.

The deceased, identified as Ahmed Usman, who resided at 10, Seriki Street, Idi Araba in Mushin and hailed from Nasarawa State, died at about 1 a.m, Saturday. He was a member of the dockworkers branch of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria.

Sources close to the terminal told Vanguard, yesterday, that late Usman was a specialist in forklift at the terminal and that he died while trying to avoid an accident while on night shift.

Giving an insight into how he met his tragic end, one of the deceased colleagues, who spoke on the condition of anonymity said: “Usman tried to control the tractor while descending from the vessel at night but unknowingly to him, there was an SUV parked at the outer part of the ramp which he tried to avoid. ”In the process, the tractor reversed straight into the water pushing Umar down the quayside and into the lagoon.”

Obosi monarch escapes assassination

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA — THE traditional ruler of Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Chidubem Iweka has narrowly escaped assassination at the ever busy Nkpor area near Onitsha. Suspected assassins fired bullets on his Nissan Fortuna, injuring his police orderly and damaging the car in the process.

The traditional ruler’s convoy was returning to Obosi from Asaba, Delta State after dropping him at the airport for a trip to Abuja.

An eye witness said the suspected assassins had thought that Igwe Iweka was in the car and took advantage of the traffic hold up on the road to shoot at the convoy.

The monarch has been in the forefront in the fight against crime in Obosi, a battle he started waging even before he was crowned the traditional ruler of the town, last year.

8—Vanguard , TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Nigeria, S-Africa account for 95% of Africa's investment

Sale of babies: FG 'll prosecute culprits — Jonathan

BY LAIDE AKINBOADE

BY MICHAEL EBOH

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IGERIA and South Afri ca accounted for 95 per cent of total portfolio investment of $20.15 billion (N3.204 trillion) recorded in the African continent in 2012, according to the African Development Bank, AfDB. The AfDB in its annual African Economic Outlook said total portfolio investment in Africa in 2012 stood at around $20.15 billion and was expected to increase by 30 per cent to $26.2 billion (N4.166 trillion) in 2013, eclipsing the pre-crisis peak of $22.5 billion in 2006.

The AfDB also gave a forecast of the growth in Africa’s economy at 4.8 per cent and 5.3 per cent in 2013 and 2014 respectively, driven by commodity exporters in West Africa such as Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast.

According to the AfDB Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, to Africa, was set to rise by more than 10 per cent in 2013, approaching its 2008 record high, with the fast-growing sub-Saharan region likely to receive the majority of inflows.

It however, noted that a weaker global economy and a prolonged crisis in the euro zone could reduce commodity export earnings, overseas aid, migrant remittances and FDI inflows.

The AfDB added that African countries will be heavily dependent on aid with the exception of Nigeria, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Morocco, who will be the major focus on investment inflows into the continent.

The AfDB report noted that FDI is forecast to reach $56.6 billion this year from $49.7 billion last year, short of $57.8 billion recorded in 2008.

The AfDB said, “almost the entire projected increase in FDI to Africa is expected to be in sub-Saharan Africa, while in 2012 northern Africa absorbed half the increase in FDI. “This confirms sub-Saharan Africa’s economic dynamism as well as the hesitance of investors over political developments in North Africa, particularly in Egypt.

“Africa’s economic prospects depend on global and domestic factors, which are highly uncertain. According to estimates, a one percentage point decline of GDP in OECD member countries causes African GDP to decline by about 0.5 per cent and Africa’s export earnings by about 10 per cent.”

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BUJA—THE Federal Gov ernment, yesterday, expressed concern over increase in sale of babies in Nigeria and warned that those found guilty of the act would be made to face the wrath of the law.

Government said it has also completed arrangement to introduce a free toll line for children to report incidences of abuse against them.

President Goodluck Jonathan read the riot act at this year’s Children’s Day in Abuja.

The President, who was represented by Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, said the Federal Government was sad over the development and, was doing everything possible to ensure the menace was put in check.

He said: “Children are the greatest assets of any nation and the foundation on which the future of nations are built. They are the future leaders and so the best investment any nation makes on children, is worth making.

“It is imperative to note that children are 100 per cent of our future and when we protect them, we protect our future.

“The administration is very much concerned about violence against women and children, especially, child trafficking, child battering and sale of babies which has become a daily occurrence in Nigeria.

To prosecute culprits of such act “It is receiving attention of this administration and those connected with this ugly trend will be brought to book in accordance with the provisions of the relevant laws.

“To ensure child protection in Nigeria, the Federal Government is establishing a child helpline to protect the rights of children. The project is to enable children in any kind of crisis to call a toll free number to find help.

“It will also provide information for research and analysis relating to various types and trends of adverse incidents in different parts of the country which could be utilized towards curbing the incidence of violence, exploitation and abuse of children.”

Meanwhile, representative of the United Nations Children, Education Funds, UNICEF, Ms. Jean Gough, in her goodwill message, said because children were the future of any society, it was imperative for all hands to

be on desk to secure their future.

She said: “The children are the future and we as adults must do everything possible to secure their future.

We must protect children's future —UNICEF “Collective responsibility means all the community pulling together in support of the child. This recognition of the importance of the community in the

protection of our children’s future is the way forward. “

10.5 million children out of school in Nigeria At the highest level of this community is the government at all levels; federal, state and local.

The governments should be truly committed to protecting the rights of children through policies and resources that would ensure their survival, development and protection.”

She lamented that

10.5m children were currently out of school in Nigeria, stressing that this was unacceptable.

“The number of Nigeria’s children who are not in school is unacceptable because we do have the resources to put them in school. At the last count according to the 2012 Education For All, EFA, Global monitoring report 10.5 million Nigerian children are out of school. The current challenge in some parts of the north is exacerbating the situation. But we can put them all in school,” she said.

VISIT—From left: GM Publications/Editor-in-Chief, Vanguard Newspapers, Mr Gbenga Adefaye and MD, AMCON, Mr Mustaffa Chike-Obi, during a visit to Vanguard Newspaper's corporate headquarters in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Diran Oshe.

Pension: Retired workers kick against Jonathan's N90m largesse

BY SONI DANIEL BUJA—APPARENTLY try ing to stave the planned nationwide strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, over pension-related issues, President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the immediate release of N90 million to the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP. The payment has, however, angered members of the Association of Federal Public Service Retirees, which claim to have more than 65,000 members but are not getting any meaningful assistance from the Federal Government.

The association has fired an eight-paged protest letter signed by its National Chairman, Chief Emmanuel Akinola Omoyeni, to President Jonathan, demanding explanations on why it should pay check-off dues to a union when in reality it is the union members who

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should be remitting check-off to their respective unions in accordance with labour laws of Nigeria.

They alleged that the so-called check-off dues would end up in some powerful government functionaries’ pockets as there was no evidence that such monies could be given to any union in Nigeria.

The retirees also accused the OHCSF of stifling the payment of their pension since it hijacked the management of pensions from the disbanded Abdulrasheed Maina’s Pension Task Team in November last year.

They said, “to our dismay, in November 2012, OHCSF stopped pension payment from the PTT and from that time pensioners have been made to return to the era of suffering and hardship.

“Up till now, 80 percent of pensioners have not received No-

vember and December 2012".

They alleged that the OHCSF would not be able to correct the anomalies in the pension system since it did not collect the database of pensioners from the sacked chairman of the PTT, Maina.

Documents obtained in Abuja, yesterday, by Vanguard suggested that the President gave the order to both the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim and the Head of Service of the Federation, following a meeting he held with officials of the NLC in his office.

NLC officials had met with the President on April 8, 2013, and drew his attention to non-remittance of one percent check-off dues of members by the office of the HCSF to the NUP since the forceful takeover of pension management from the Adulrasheed Maina-led Pension Task Team.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013—9

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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BUJA—THE troops de ployed to flush out terrorists from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states following declaration of state of emergency said they have intercepted messages by the leadership of Boko Haram urging sect members to regroup and refuse to give up.

Vanguard learnt that the interception made by the military communication interceptors came about as continued combing of the camps and enclaves revealed fresh graves, more ammunition depots, vehicles and other equipment.

Also, 25 insurgents were rounded up by troops while three of them died, including a high profile terrorist identified as Abba who has been on the list of most wanted persons.

A statement by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade while giving the mission update reads, “troops of the special forces have intercepted messages sent to fleeing insurgents urging them not to give up but fight to the end.

“The attempt by some of them to heed the call was foiled at the weekend as they were trailed to some settlements and towns towards the border where they planned to regroup.

“Troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force carried out an op-

Boko Haram tells fleeing terrorists not to give up — Army eration which resulted in the capture and destruction of the insurgents assembly points sited in the outskirts of Kaneram Dan Katsina, Tumbu Dabino and Mallam Fatori area north of Baga.

“The towns and settlements have now been secured while cordon and search operation is also ongoing in the area after the insurgents have been dislodged".

Meanwhile, 25 insurgents were rounded up while three died, including a high profile terrorist identified as Abba who has been on the list of most wanted persons.

“This incident happened during an encounter with troops of the task force as the insurgents were finalizing moves to carry out an extensive terrorist operation around Maiduguri.

“The captured ones were all apprehended with their weapons which include rifles, pistols, double barrel guns and various calibres of ammunition during a raid operation of the JTF in Kumshe and Bulunkutu area.

“Although they succeeded in killing a security operative of the Task Force, they were apprehend-

BPE clears 3 firms to bid for NITEL/MTEL

BY BEN AGANDE & MICHAEL EBOH

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HE Bureau for Public Enter prises, BPE, yesterday, cleared three firms to bid for the liquidation of the Nigerian Telecommunications Plc, NITEL, and the Mobile Telecommunications Plc, MTEL. BPE, in a statement by Chigbo Anichebe, Head, Public Communications, said 35 Expressions of Interests were received from different firms while only the three companies which scored 75 percent and above in their technical proposals were cleared.

According to him, based on the requirement in the requests for proposal that only those who scored 75 per cent and above would be invited for financial bid opening, the three prospective liquidators passed the threshold and the approval of the National Council on Privatization, NCP, was sought and obtained to open and evaluate the financial bids and further submit the winning bid to Council for approval.

Anichebe also stated that the NCP at its meeting, yesterday, approved 11 companies to bid for two Power Holding Company of Nigeria’s assets, Afam Power Plc and Kaduna Distribution Plc. He said four companies, Primeniza Energy Limited, Televeras Group, Foby Energy Limited and TES Power Limited, were pre-qual-

ified to bid for Afam Power while seven firms, Axis Power Distribution Limited, Nahco Consortium, Incar Power Limited, Aiteo Consortium, LEDA Consortium, Northwest Power Limited and Copperbelt Consortium, were cleared to bid for the purchase of Kaduna Distribution Company.

Anichebe stated that the prequalified bidders would be invited to the financial bid opening stage after the submission of the required post-qualification security.

He said, “a total of nine bids were received for Afam Genco and 11 bids were received for Kaduna Disco on April 16, 2013, and in accordance with the approved transaction timeline, the evaluation of those bids was conducted between April 18 and 28, 2013, by two teams of eight evaluators with representations from BPE, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Ministry of Power, CPCS, NIAF and Nexant.

“The first stage of the evaluation was the establishment of completeness and substantial responsiveness of the proposals.

“Of the nine proposals received for Afam, seven were deemed to be complete and substantially responsive and were passed to the technical evaluation stage; and from the seven responsive proposals emerged the four prequalified bidders.

ed before their planned infiltration with more arms to cause mayhem in the city.

“In Sambisa forest, troops combing the forest continue to make more discoveries. A man who had

been held hostage in the forest since last year escaped bound in handcuffs as his captors fled during the troops attack on the biggest camp in the forest.

“The freed hostage is being

treated by the Task Force. The troops are dominating the forest as they find a number of fresh graves, more arms and ammunition, burnt vehicles and other equipment”.

TOUR—From left: Dr. Henry Akpan, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications Technology; Mr. Nnamdi Nwokike, Director, Projects, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC; and Dr. Okechukwu Ugwueje, Vice President, Academics, Digital Bridge Institute, DBI, when the Permanent Secretary took a tour of DBI facilities in Oshodi, Lagos.

10—Vanguard , TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Lagos PDP reconciliation moves futile — Chieftain

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

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CHIEFTAIN of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State, Chief Tunde Alawiye, has called on the national leadership of the party and the presidency to discontinue ongoing reconciliation within the state chapter, saying that it would not yield fruitful results.

He also accused a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, of hijacking the state executive committee.

Reacting to the recent efforts by the national headquarters to douse tension within the party, Alawiye claimed the patronage accruing to members had been hijacked by George.

According to him: “How can they talk about reconciliation when about 18 members of the State Working Committee of the party are their members, while we have none? All the board membership has been hijacked by them.”

Stockbroker appeals 3-month sentence

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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AGOS—A stockbroker, Adewale Adegboyega, who was sentenced to three months imprisonment with hard labour by an Igbosere Magistrate Court sitting in Lagos, has appealed the judgment.

He contended that the trial magistrate, Mrs. F.O Aigbokhaevbo, erred in law when she held that the respondent proved each of the three countcharge of impersonation, forgery and uttering beyond reasonable doubt.

Adegboyega, who was also sentenced to 30 hours of community service, argued that there was no evidence before the trial magistrate and there was no intention on his part to defraud the complainant or any other person by reason of the alleged impersonation.

BY LAWANI MIKAIRU & DANIEL ETEGHE

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AGOS—DANA Air, yesterday, said the process for compensating relatives of victims of its aircraft that crashed a year ago at IjuShaga, Lagos, was being delayed by problem of securing grant of probate, otherwise known as letter of administration, by families of the victims.

It plans to commemorate the first anniversary of the air disaster that killed over 160 persons.

According to the air, 65 relatives of some of the victims had gone to court abroad challenging the mode of the compensation, lamenting that the move had truncated the process of compensation, pending the verdict of the court.

Speaking during an interactive session with newsmen at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Head of Corporate Communication, Dana Air, Mr. Tony Usidamen, said the airline was facing difficulties in paying full compensation to the families of the victims of the ill-fated crash of June 3, 2012, due to incomplete documentation on the part of the relatives.

He said: "The delay being experienced in settling all the claims is mainly due to cases of incomplete documentation, multiple claim cases, challenge in securing grant of probate or letter of guidance, as in the case of a minor and some legal representation, especially overseas.

"In spite of all the challenges, be rest assured that our insurer is sparing no effort in processing all the claims in accordance with the law.

"Also with regard to compensation of ground victims, progress is being made as negotiations are ongoing with the affected residents to settle all genuine claims within the shortest possible time and in accordance with the law."

Usidamen said 11 families

CHILDREN'S DAY: From left— Mrs. Funmi Ajayi, Special Adviser to the Governor; Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, and his wife, Olufunso, during 2013 Children's Day celebration at the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, yesterday.

Dana crash victims yet to get full compensation had been fully compensated with $100,000, while 21 more, whose grant of probate just came through, would receive full payment after execution of the release.

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AGOS—NIGERIAN Navy, NN, Beecroft, Apapa, Lagos, has warned pirates to stay clear of the command’s jurisdiction in their own interest, or face unpalatable consequences.

The command said it had foiled several attempts by sea robbers to perpetrate their criminal acts within its jurisdiction, arresting some suspects in the process.

The Commander, Commodore Chris Ezekobe, who gave the warning during an interview with Vanguard at the end of the parade to mark his

claim forms have received interim compensation of $30,000, following legal verification of documentation and next of kin status."

Fashola counsels children on security

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS—GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, urged children in the state to be vigilant and security-conscious as the state joined the rest of the world to celebrate this year’s Children’s Day. Speaking at the celebration held at the Police College Ground, Ikeja, Fashola said: “There have been some unpleasant reports of some bad people who now live among us.

"In order to avoid these peo-

We 're ready for pirates— Navy

BY EVELYN USMAN

He said: "The insurer of Dana Air has made unprecedented progress on payment of compensation. As of Friday May 24, 94 of the 125 families who completed their

inaugural rounds, noted that the actions were in line with the Chief of Naval Staff strategic guidance 01, with zero tolerance to illegalities.

According to him, the arrests were made between February and May 2013.

He said: “The first arrest was that of a vessel called MT Ebba. We also arrested four Benin Republic's citizens, who were accosted around the Single Buoy Mooring, SBM. "SBM area is at the Lagos ancourage, where ships discharge refined product to the Atlas Cove jetty. The third has to do with pipeline vandalism."

ple and to remain safe, you must desist from boarding any unregistered vehicle or vehicles not painted in the state yellow and black colour.”

He added that the children “should also be wary of the type of company you keep. And be careful with how you associate with strangers by refusing to be tempted with gift and money.

"When you are confronted with any issue, seek your parents', guidance and teacher’s advice and never shun their warning.

"While we relied on the gov-

ernment to provide the suitable atmosphere, we listened to our parents and we joined clubs that would impact on our academics and these kept us away from these kidnappers.

"If you also do so by joining good clubs like the traffic club, energy club and others, the sky is your limit.”

Fashola assured the children that the state government would continue to work hard with security officials to ensure they were kept safe from the menace of kidnappers.

Traders protest planned demolition of market in Lagos

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS—ACTIVITIES in Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, came to a halt, yesterday, when hundreds of traders in Pelewura Market stormed the office of Governor Babatunde Fashola and the State House of Assembly, to protest planned demolition of the market by government for the construction of cable car station.

The traders, under the ae-

gis of Ifesowapo Market Association, Lagos Island, stormed Alausa at 9a.m. and argued that the proposed cable car station would put over 2,000 traders out of business.

The protesters displayed placards with various inscriptions such as It is hard to cope with the state of the country’s economy; Save our job and save Pelewura market; We don’t trade by the road side; Pelewura mustn’t go into extinction, among others.

Two law books for launch

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WO books, Our Common Environment: Understanding the Environment, Law and Policy; and Modern Family Law and Practice, written by Ajuzie Osondu,

will be launched, tomorrow at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja.

The event will be chaired by Elder Paul Ananaba (SAN), while the host will be Mrs. Joy Osondu.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013—11

BA aircraft's technical hitch raises tension at Lagos airport

BY KENNETH EHIGIATOR

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AGOS—MASSIVE protests trailed the arrival of a British Airways’ flight from London at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, last night, as passengers aboard the flight could not retrieve their luggage, following the technical problem suffered by the airliner on touchdown.

Vanguard gathered the luggage cabin of the aircraft failed to open after the plane landed at exactly 6:15pm.

Eyewitnesses told Vanguard that what infuriated the aggrieved passengers was the failure of the crew to empathise with them.

Over 300 hundred passengers on board the flight were reportedly stranded for hours, as children cried uncontrollably due to the stuffy nature of the arrival hall, where they were cocooned, waiting for words from the crew.

The crew were said to have left the airport to avoid being manhandled by the passengers,

who were getting very restive.

The eyewitness said: “The situation here right now is chaotic. Hundreds of passengers are protesting the shabby treatment of British Airways’ flight crew, who appear helpless to enable the passengers retrieve their luggage.

“The crew members are saying the aircraft suffered technical problem and it was making it impossible for them to open the luggage cabin.”

Passenger’s story

As at 9:05pm last night, the airline crew were said to have abandoned the passengers and left the airport, saying there was nothing they could do to open the luggage cabin.

One of the passengers on board, Mr. Crosby Eribo, confirmed to Vanguard that passengers, who arrived the airport on board the flight were suffering, with none of the airlines’ staff addressing

them.

He said: “What is happening here is unfortunate. The airline’s officials have abandoned us here and children are here crying because of the humid nature of the arrival hall.

“Is this how we are going to run our aviation sector?”

He said efforts to get officials of the airport authorities to intervene yielded no results, as they said the problem was strictly a British Airways affair.

Ogun PDP woos members against defection

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—LEADERSHIP of Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State, has pleaded with aggrieved members of the party not to dump the party for other political parties, boasting that PDP would defeat the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the state come 2015 general elections.

T h e party warned members not to fall for the baits of some party leaders, allegedly using PDP resources to fund and build another political party f o r their selfish

interest.

Addressing leaders and members of the party at his Ijebu-Igbo residence, the party’s financier, Prince Buruji Kashamu, argued that the party could only reclaim the government of the state if members were re-united.

Present at the meeting were the acting Zonal Caretaker Chairman, South-West, Chief Ishola Filani; Zonal Secretary, Chief Pegba Otemolu; National Auditor of the party, Chief Wole Adeyanju and the state chairman of the party, Engineer Bayo Dayo, among others.

According to Kashamu, the collective will of all party members would determine the level of success it would record in the elections.

He said: “We have to put our house in order. There is no more crisis in the party."

Osun First Lady launches Green Education for Youth

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IFE of the Governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, has embarked on Green Education for the Youth, GEFTY, initiative aimed at equipping youths with the tools of green education to enable them nurture the environment for their future benefits.

She advised children and youths in the state to support and promote her campaign for the ongoing green initiative through tree-planting to ensure a sustainable and healthy environment.

Speaking during the 2013 Children’s Day celebration/launching of GEFTY initiative at the Moshood Abiola International Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, Mrs Amosun said all children and youths were GEFTY ambassadors and were expected to flag off the Ogun State Youth 10,000 Tree Planting exercise.

According to her, the exercise would be accomplished through 6,000 children present at the ceremony in the stadium.

She said: “The world is going green and job creation is going green and we do not want our children be left out in the sensitisation of the green initiative.

“Today, we shall be flagging off 10,000 tree seedlings to be distributed to our children for planting in their homes and environment to ensure greener and better condition of the environment.”

Alumni backs Ekiti varsity on no-fee no-lecture

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

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DO-EKITI— THE policy of nofee- no-lecture, recently introduced by the authorities of Ekiti State University, EKSU, has received the backing of the institution’s alumni association.

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof.

Oladipo Aina, had said in Ado Ekiti after the twoday protest by the students, that university would not change its decision on the new policy.

National president of the university alumni association, Mr. Bola Ogunlayi, during the inauguration of three committees, including Constitutional Review Committee, said the association was throwing its weight behind the policy of the university since the Vice Chancellor had promised to utilise the fee to develop the university.

Motailatu church donates books to pupils

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O TA I L AT U Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide, Restoration Parish, Akute, Ogun State, has donated thousands of exercise books to pupils in the area.

In his speech during the occasion, Senior Superintendent Gabriel Akinadewo, said the exercise was part of the Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, of the church which started in 1964 when the church was founded in Ibadan, Oyo State by Archbishop I.M. Akinadewo.

Akinadewo told the pupils that they would be useful to themselves and the society in the future if they seized the opportunity provided by the donation.

He called on religious organisations and corporate bodies in the country to help the downtrodden and the poor in ensuring that such opportunities are given to them.

12—Vanguard , TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013 — 13

Oil firm's vessel sinks in Delta

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HEVRON Nigeria Limited, has said that Jascon 4, a vessel belonging to its contractor, West African Ventures Limited, capsized on Sunday, while supporting a tanker loading at Single Buoy Mooring, SBM, 3, a loading point, 30 kilometres offshore, in the Escravos area of Delta State.

Chevron’s General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Mr. Deji Haastrup, in a statement, said: “Initial reports indicated that heavy ocean swells caused the Jascon 4 to capsize while performing tension tow operations of the tanker at SBM 3. Emergency response has commenced, including search and rescue operations with surface vessels, helicopters and divers. Chevron wishes to stress that we conduct our business operations in line with the safest global industry standards."

Rivers civil servants begin two-day warning strike

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT— RIVERS State civil servants, stayed away from work, yesterday, in compliance with the directive of the state chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC, to proceed on a two-day warning strike.

The two gates leading to the state secretariat in Port Harcourt, were shut with officials of NLC, asking workers who had resumed for the day to go home.

It will be recalled that the two labour unions in the state had threatened to embark on a two-day warning strike to press home their demand for the Police to allow workers resume at Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area secretariat.

State Chairman of NLC, Mr. Chris Oruge, had told newsmen last week that his union and the TUC were dis-

turbed by the action of the Police, which had made it impossible for staff of the council to be paid their April and May salaries.

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, had ordered the Police to open the place for work to resume and at

the same time, provide minimal security to forestall any plan by hoodlums to wreak havoc on the place.

The Police initially complied with the court order but soon sealed off the place again, barely 10 hours after some hoodlums had reportedly set the generator house in the secretariat on fire.

In another development, a Senior Police officer, yester-

day, lost his life in a fatal accident in Port Harcourt.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Angela Agabe, who confirmed the development, said three other policemen sustained injuries and were rushed to the hospital. She said their patrol vehicle was involved in an accident while they were chasing a group of armed robbers.

CHILDREN'S DAY: Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State (middle) flanked by the State Commissioner for Education Alice Nimi(left) and Mrs Koko Kalango of Rainbow Book Club(right), as the governor reads to pupils of State Primary School, Kpite, in Ogoni, as part of activities to mark Children's Day.

NGF impasse distraction —Okenyi

BY HUGO ODIOGOR

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FORMER Clerk of Delta State House of Assembly, Sir Dan Okenyi, has described the ongoing impasse in the election of the Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum as a needless distraction at this point in view of the socio-economic and security challenges facing the country. Okenyi, who was the Clerk of Delta State House of Assembly from 1997 to

2004, and Political Adviser to the House from 2004 to 2011, said the crisis between the NGF and the foot soldiers of the Presidency, demonstrates politics of intolerance and parochial agenda of political leaders whose agenda is to promote selfish interests at the expense of national development.

Okenyi, who was peeved that the media were devoting more than their fair attention to the activities NGF because

what happened in Abuja has raised questions about how the governors have been organising local government elections in their various states.

He said: “If they cannot conduct a credible election in a group of 36 members, that tells much of their inability to handle local government elections in their states.

How can they talk of rigging in an election that only 35 members participated? This is shameful.”

Warri North LG Chair lauds Uduaghan on children’s welfare programmes

BY DANIEL GUMM

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OKO—TRANSITION Chairman of Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, Evangelist David Edun, has commended the children’s welfare programmes of the Emmanuel Uduaghan administration in the state.

Speaking at this year’s Children and Youth Day celebration in Koko, administrative headquarters of Warri North council, Edun, who lashed out at parents, schools, churches, the society at

large as well as the government at all levels for failing in their sacred responsibility to contribute to the growth and development of children, however, expressed satisfaction at the performance of the Uduaghan administration as it relates to policies and programmes that have direct bearing on children.

He listed the massive renovation and construction of schools, payment of West African Examination Council, WAEC, enrolment fees for students in Senior Secondary (SSS III) in govern-

ment schools, the provision of free buses to convey students to and from school on daily basis as well as the introduction of free medical care for children of age zero to five years, as part of Uduaghan’s achievement.

Appealing to parents, religious institutions, the school system, and governments at all levels to ensure that greater attention was given to issues that will give children proper care, Edun said his administration was doing its best to make life bearable for children.

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14—Vanguard , TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Anglican Church blames nation’s woes on recycled politicians

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—ANGLI CAN church has blamed much of the country’s woes on old and recycled politicians, noting that this has foisted on the youths the ignoble role of thuggery, armed robbery, kidnapping, suicide bombing and other vices.

Secretary, Nigerian House of Anglican Bishops, Rt. Rev. David Onuoha, who made the observation in a message to Nigerian children, also urged the youths to demand as of right and take up their rightful place in the nation’s scheme of things.

Bishop Onuoha, who doubles as the Anglican Bishop of Okigwe South Diocese, wondered why some politicians were endlessly being recycled in power, and asked that they exited public office honourably.

He said: “These old hands have been recycled for too long. They have nothing new to offer Nigeria and Nigerian youths.

We must realize that the problem of youth unemployment is a time bomb that is waiting to explode.”

Group faults NAUTH mgt on CMD

BY NNAMDI OJIEGO

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WKA—CON CERNED Progressive Professionals, CPP, has described as baseless, annoying and provocative media report credited to the Public Relations Officer of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Nnewi, Mr. Kris Ngige, that there was no crisis over the position of Chief Medical Director, CMD. The management of NAUTH had last week in some national dailies, said there was no controversy over the appointment of CMD of the hospital, even as it maintained that none of those who contested for the position had complained.

However, CPP in a statement jointly signed by the Chairman, Mr. Bonny Obunadike, and Secretary, Acada Okongwu, faulted the claim, saying the leadership of the institution was being economical with the truth.

Ohanaeze kicks against planned trial of MASSOB leader for treason zUrges FG to drop suit against MASSOB leaders

By TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—FOR the first time since its contentious election in January this year, the new executive of the apex Igbo socio –cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, weekend in Enugu, held its Imeobi meeting (highest decision making organ of the body) and kicked against trial for treason of leader of Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Ralph Uwazuruike.

At the meeting were former governor, Dr Okwy Nwodo, Admiral Allison Madueke (rtd), former Minister, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, Chairman of South-East Council of Traditional rulers, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, Eze Uzu-Awka, Igwe Gibson Nwosu, Prof Anya O. Anya, Dr Offia Nwali, Prof (Mrs) Uche Azikiwe, Elder Nweke Anyigor, Chief Maxi Ukuta, as well as Ohanaeze chapters in Abuja, Kano, Jos, Ghana and captains of Industry, among others.

Although the governors of the zone had in February this year set up an 11-man committee to look into the post-election dispute among other contending issues in the organization, it had as well asked the new executive to stand down

all actions of the group pending the resolution of the matter.

The election had caused serious disaffection in the group including litigation in court even as Ebonyi state Governor, Martin Elechi among others questioned its authenticity and rejecting its outcome.

The president general of

the group, Chief Enwo Igariwey, had acknowledged this when he addressed the meeting, adding, however, that since the committee was set up and their report submitted to the governors, nothing had been heard, stressing that Ndigbo might no longer continue to wait.

In a communiqué issued after the meeting, Ohanaeze said

there was no justifiable reason to charge members of MASSOB, to court for treason when they had done no harm to any Nigerian, while those that killed and maimed fellow Nigerians walked around unmolested.

It, therefore, urged the federal government to drop its court case against the MASSOB leader, Uwazuruike, who the Supreme Court recently, ruled could face treasonable felony.

BUSINESS: Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State (middle); Mr. Mark Bowman, MD SABmiller, Africa (right) and Mr. Simon Harvey, Operations Director, SABmiller, West Africa, during a discusion on investment in Anambra in South Africa, yesterday.

APGA: Court upholds Okwu, others election

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA—AN Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka, yesterday, declared the convention of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, held in Awka on April 8, 2013 as valid, insisting that it met the constitutional requirements of the party and the Electoral Act. Trial judge, Justice Hope Ozor, in his judgment in the suit by Mr. Mac Joe Onwudinjo, a chieftain of APGA, who prayed the court to nullify the convention on the ground that he was denied the opportunity to contest for a position, dismissed the suit for lack of mer-

it.

The court held that based on the fact that the convention met the requirements of APGA constitution and that Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, supervised the convention, the Awka exercise was a completed act.

The plaintiff, Onwudinjo, was not in court, yesterday, but another chieftain of the party and the Commissioner for Information, Anambra State, Chief Joe Uzodike, said that the party will make efforts to reach out tohim with a view to looking into his grievances.

“It is true that we won, but we

want all those still opposed to the new leadership of APGA to join hands with the team to move the party forward,” Uzodike said.

He said that the judgment was a clear indication that the judiciary remained the same, adding that what the Court of Appeal in Enugu, did was to make consequential orders, which did not nullify the judgment of the Enugu State High Court that nullified the APGA convention held in 2010 in Awka.

Also speaking after the judgment, Chief Maxi Okwu, whose election was validated by the court, said with the judgment, his executive would continue the process of repositioning APGA in the country.

Why Igbo must embark on self cleansing —Nwosu

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AGOS—NATIONAL con vener of Igbo Nationality Rights Assembly, INRA, Chief Sam Okey Nwosu, has said that unless the Igbo nation indulged in self cleansing and evaluation, it will continue to play second fiddle in the scheme of things in the Nigerian project.

Nwosu, who spoke with journalists at the recent summit of

ethnic nationalities of the South held in Lagos, insisted that instead of the Igbos to blame others for their marginalisation in the scheme of things in the country, the Igbo elite must do deep soulsearching and evaluation to locate the cause of the marginalisation.

Noting that the average Igbo man was marginalised

because the elite that were supposed to stand and protect their interest had become commercial merchandize with a price tag on their heads, Nwosu blamed the Igbo elite, Ohanaeze and political leaders for keeping quiet while their kinsmen were being murdered daily in the North by the terrorist group,Boko Haram.

Speaking on the import of yesterday’s judgment, Okwu said: “ What it means is that we have been confirmed by judicial order as validly elected officers of APGA. “The INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega said on a national television on the crisis in APGA that they were following the courts. He said that if there is a change, INEC shall change.

I believe Jega is a honourable man and he will now change.

“Speaking as a lawyer, the judgment of the Chief Judge of Enugu State on February 8, this year is a final judgment and still stands. No superior court has upturned it and until it is upturned by the Court of Appeal or Supreme Court, it is a valid judgment.

“What happened is that at the Court of Appeal, Enugu, Chief Victor Umeh, the respondent filed for a stay of execution of that judgment. If you read it, there were five reliefs granted by the Enugu State High Court Judge.

Of the five, the Court of Appeal said it cannot touch four, either they were declaratory, which is sound law or they had been overtaken by events.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013 —15

CHILDREN’S DAY CELEBRATION ACROSS NIGERIA, YESTERDAY

From left: Governor Babatunda Fashola of Lagos State; Mrs. Joke Orelope-Adefulire, Deputy Governor ; Otunba Fatai Olukoga, SpeFrom left; Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko; with pupils of Fiwasaye School, cial Adviser to Governor Fashola on Education and Mr. Lanre BaAkure; Odole Modupeoluwa (right) and Odere Opeyemi (left), his wife, Olukemi, and balola, Chief of Staff to Governor, during the celebration in Lagos.

Deputy Governor, Alhaji Alli Olanusi, at the 2013 Children’s Day celebration at Gani Photo: Bunmi Azeez Fawehinmi Freedom Arcade in Akure.

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (middle), his wife, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, and pupils from Mrs. Olufunso (right) and Special Adviser to the Governor, Mrs. different Schools in commemoration of the Children's Day, organized by Save A Child, Funmi Ajayi, acknowledging cheers from children during the 2013 Lend A Hand Foundation, at the Women Development Centre, Abuja.

Children's Day celebration, at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta.

Speaker of Delta State Children’s Parliament, Onoberhie Valentina Eloho, welcoming Prof. Amos Utuama, Deputy Governor of Delta State and Mrs Betty Efekoda to the Delta State Children’s Parliament, as part of activities to mark the Children’s Day celebration in the state. Photo: Nath Onojake.

Students of C.I.C. School, Enugu, during a march past to commemorate the Children’s Day celebration in Enugu. Photo: Hill Ezeugwu.

Edo State deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu and his wife, during the Children’s Day celebration in Benin.

Physically challenged children in march past during the 2013 Children's Day Celebration in Lagos.

Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Students of the Queensfield School, Barnawa, Kaduna, entertaining guests, during the Children 's Day celebration, organised by the National Gallery of Art, Kaduna. Photo: Olu Ajayi.

Pupils of Police Children’s School-2, Obalende, Lagos, during a march past,to mark 2013 Children's Day Celebration in Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

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16—Vanguard , TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Ihedioha, Chris Anyanwu, Onwuliri, Nebo, Ohakim, others pay tribute to Pini Jason

NGF's problem 'll be resolved soon — Jang 'More governors now supporting my leadership'

BY TAYE OBATERU

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OS — GOVERNOR Jonah Jang of Plateau State, yesterday, expressed hope that the problem within the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) would soon be resolved, disclosing that more governors had been calling to pledge support for his leadership.

Jang in a statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Affairs in his office, Mr. James Mannok, said he was determined to work with his colleagues to strengthen the bond among members of the forum.

The statement read in part: “Governor Jang maintained that the NGF is a family in which there is no issue that cannot be resolved or settled among them, as family members."

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

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BUJA—DEPUTY Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha; Chairman, Senate Committee on Navy, Mrs. Chris Anyanwu; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri and the Minister of Power Prof.

Chinedu Nebo were among the dignitaries that, yesterday, paid tributes to the late Vanguard Columnist, Chief Pini Jason.

The tribute entitled, ’Thank God I was not silent,' which was organised by the Obizi Improvement Union Incorporated, PINI JASON: Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker, House of RepresentaAbuja branch, yesterday, attracted all tives, discussing with Amamdi Onyegbadue and Kelechi Onyegbadue, chilprominent sons and daughters of Mbaise dren of late Chief Pini Jason Onyegbadue, during 'A day of Tributes for Late in both government and the business cirPini Jason Onyegbadue,' in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan. cles as well as media gurus, old students of CMS Grammar School, in Bariga, Lagos and friends of the late Jason.

Speaking at the occasion, Deputy Speaker

BY INNOCENT ANABA this month, from the bench of the was granted as prayed. House of Representacourt, yesterday, blamed his near On March 6, 2013, I re- tives, Hon. Ihedioha deAGOS — JUSTICE dismissal by National Judicial ceived a call from the scribed the late Pini Okechukwu Okeke of the Council, NJC, few days to his re- Chief Judge of the Fed- Jason as an epitome of Federal High Court, who retired tirement on a Justice of the Supreme eral High Court that a humility and a man that used his profession for Supreme Court Justice Court. the good and developOkeke, at a valedictory was furious with me for ment of the country. court session in his hon- granting leave to He urged the children our by the Federal High AMCON. of late Jason to follow the “I explained the posiCourt in Lagos, said footsteps of their father three petitions were writ- tion to him. In his char- and at the same time ten against him at the acteristic policy of non- chart their own courses. twilight of his service, all interference with his Senator Chris authored by Senior Ad- judges in the discharge Anyanwu, who reprevocates of Nigeria, of their duties, he ad- sents Owerri Senatorial SANs, on behalf of their vised me to hear any ap- Zone of Imo State, deplication for discharge of clients. scribed Chief Pini Jason Okeke said: “My tra- the order of March 1, as a core professional vail emanated from the 2013 whenever filed. and one of those that had "He said on March 8, application filed by the great impact in journalAssets Management 2013, a lady claiming to ism profession. be from the Supreme Corporation of Nigeria.

The Minister of State “On February 28, 2013, Court Justice came to his for Foreign Affairs, Prof.

AMCON applied for ‘an chambers, telling him to Viola Onwuliri described order, granting leave to vacate the orders.

Chief Pini Jason as a no“I advised her that the applicant to apply for table son of Nigeria, the issuance of a writ of since they had filed the Igboland and Mbaise execution (possession) motion on notice for the nation and also a great by the registrar of this setting aside of the order writer and a gentleman honourable court in re- of March 1, 2013 that that had a decent behavspect of all those Federal their counsel should iour.

Government property meet the registrar of the He said Jason always listed as No. 1 - No.27 court for a date for their expressed balance in his in schedule VI of the of- motion; I, therefore, dis- writing. ficial gazatte No. 94 vol- missed the application to The former governor of ume 98 (Exhibit MSU), set aside the order I Imo State under which being part of the property made on March 1, 2013 Chief Pini Jason served, advised the forfeited to the applicant and Chief Ikedi Ohakim said by the respondent vide interveners/applicants to the late columnist was an the order of Justice Dan take their case to the intellectual power house Abutu delivered in the Court of Appeal." and a repository of Describing how he felt, matter on October 8, knowledge as well as a he said: "Hell was let 2010. product of humility and “On March 1, 2013, the loose on me. The a good mixer who assoapplication was argued. intervener/applicant and ciated with all cadres of I was satisfied that a their counsel wrote a pe- human beings. case has been made out tition against me which He described him as a for the exercise of the they back dated March constructive critic that court’s discretion in fa- 18, 2013 to the National had the courage to put Judicial Council.” vour of the applicant. into practice the ideals "The said application he preached.

I almost got dismissed just before my retirement — Justice Okeke L

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013—17

BY SUSZN EDEH, BAUCHI

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AYS after, grief-stricken fam ily members of Mr Yakubu Wakili, a traditional title holder in Alkeleri Local Government Area in Bauchi State, are still trying to come to terms with a most unusual tragedy that befell them recently. Indeed it was a tragedy that threw most residents of the Bayara community, a suburb in Bauchi, into mourning.

Yakubu, a prominent figure in the community, and his wife met their untimely death on their way to church on the Sunday morning of April 28, 2013 along the Bauchi/Dass highway.

Vanguard Metro, VM, gathered that Mr Yakubu and his

to the trauma centre at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, while the body of his wife was taken to the mortuary. Initially, Mr Yakubu battled for hours for his life at the hospital; unfortunately it turned out to be a lost battle as he eventually died as a result of complications due to some internal injuries he sustained from the accident”.

When VM visited the residence of the late Yakubu Wakili at Bayara village, the atmosphere was palpable with grief as the bereaved family members mourned the painful loss of their parents.

It was clear that life will never be the same for them as two important pillars of the family were no more.

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When I saw the lifeless body of my mum, I collapsed and fainted; the people around tried to make me regain consciousness by pouring water on me; my dad, at that time was still conscious

wife were killed at the junction of the road leading to their house by a fast moving vehicle. On that fateful day, the couple left their home at around 6.15 am to attend a send-forth prayer of a close relative who was getting married the following Saturday.

It was learnt that Mr.Yakubu carried his wife on a motorcycle to the church because their car developed an electrical fault.

An eyewitness who pleaded anonymity told VM that tragedy struck when a fast moving vehicle veered off its lane and made straight for Yakubu’s motorcycle.

He said: “The impact of the crash led to the instant death of Yakubu’s wife whose body was almost torn asunder as a result of the crash. But Mr Yakubu lived long enough to be rushed

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One of the daughters, Mrs.Liatu M. Gyus, who works with the office of the state Accountant General told VM that the whole incident was still like a dream because she never envisaged that she will lose her parents on the same day and at the same time.

According to her: “On that Sunday, my parents got up early in the morning to attend a send-forth prayer of a close relation at a nearby ECWA church.

Initially my father wanted to use his car, but it developed a fault, so he decided to use his motorcycle, which is something that he has not done for a very longtime. When my parents got to the junction of the road, a fast moving vehicle lost control and hit them. From what I gathered from

eye witnesses, the driver was making a call, so he was not concentrating. By that time I was in my house which was close to our family house and was not aware of what happened. From my house I heard people screaming on top of their voices, so I decided to go out and see what was happening. When I got to the scene of the accident, I met a great crowd of people and from the way they were screaming, I knew that the accident was very fatal and the people affected had

died, not knowing that my parents were involved in the crash.

“When I asked who the accident victims were, nobody answered me. I noticed they will look at me and cry the more. So I decided to brave it and get close to the victims of the crash. When I approached where my mother’s body laid, I recognised the wrapper she was putting on the day before the accident. When I saw the lifeless body of my mum, I collapsed and fainted. The people around, tried to make me

gain consciousness by pouring water on me. My dad, at that time was still conscious, so I had hope because he was still talking, but when he arrived the hospital after some couples of hours, his situation deteriorated and so he died”.

Mrs Gyus who said she will miss her parents described them as peaceful and an easy-going people in the community because they have been of tremendous assistance to so many people in the state.

Road construction: Rural dwellers heave sigh of relief

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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URAL dwellers in Ogun State can now heave a sigh of relief with the recent commencement of construction of the 107- kilometre IlaraIjoun-Oja Odan-Ilase road which cut across four local governments made up of Imeko-Afon,Yewa North,Yewa South and Ipokia. It is expected that the happy development will bring to an end their complaints of problem arising from their inability to transport their produce to the market.

According to the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun who spoke with newsmen at Ilara town in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of the state while inspecting the extent of work done on the road, “it is the longest of all the roads we are presently constructing”. He did not stop there. “ It cuts across the four local governments in Ogun West. It links Yewa North, Yewa South, Ipokia and of course Imeko. It is only Ado-Odo/Ota that it didn’t touch and we are treating that local government specially.

We have Ilo-Awela already there. Why we are doing it is to ensure that this area, being the food basket of the state, is opened up.

When this road is completed, our farmers wont have problem bringing out their farm produce again. They wont need to go to

Abeokuta or Ayetoro again before getting to Ilaro. We can easily link up with Ilaro through Oja –Odan. For me, this road is the most important road of all the roads we are doing as it is going to touch four local governments in Yewaland and impact positively in the lives of the people of this area.

“This administration believes in the holistic of Ogun State. We are ready for the job we were voted to do and by the grace of God we will do a good job of it,” he said.

The governor, however, explained that 50 KM of the road is made up of virgin land while 27KM cuts across towns and villages across the four local government areas like Tobolo, Ilara, Alagbe, Egua, Ijoun, OjaOdan and Ilase towns.

The Governor who had earlier inspected the 7.4 KM Oke-Oyinbo/Idagba road said the Lafenwa to Ayetoro six lanes would equally be done. He explained that the roads after completion are expected to improve the economic activities in the zone and take advantage of the Yewa axis as the agriculture belt where all the value chain which agriculture represents is realised.

One of the beneficiaries, a rural dweller, Moses Alayinde, said they faced a lot of hardships in the cause of transporting their produce to the market. He further stated that, prior to the commencement of the road in the area, the people did not feel the impact of government

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013 ALA Agu, 76, can lay claim to fame or notoriety. It depends on who is describing him. Until a few weeks back, he was unknown outside the vicinity of Lakyo, Nasarawa South Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

The chief priest of the Ombatse cult group that killed 90 policemen, 10 staff of the Department of State Services and operatives of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, said the State Governor, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, ordered the invasion.

The objective, according to Agu, was his elimination. “It is the governor that asked the people to come here and arrest me, cut my head and take my head to him.

When they came, because they were themselves drunk, my god did not allow them to come to me and they died on the way,” Agu said through an interpreter.

Was it possible the interpreter misquoted him? Senator Solomon Ewuga (Nasarawa North), during whose visit Agu spoke, saw nothing wrong with what Agu said. Was Agu aware of the allegations against him, including killings

Gloating Over Ombatse Killing in Asakiyo Alago, Arga Migili and Kwadere? Why did he refuse invitations from the Governor and security agencies to discuss the activities of Ombatse?

Is punishment for drunken security operatives death by a god and its followers? Why would Agu show no remorse in recounting the deaths that have thrown hundreds of families across the nation into mourning? Agu was obviously gloating over the deaths, whether he knew about them or not is no longer the issue. He knew the security operatives “died on the way”.

If he was not at the scene, who told him?

A proof that Agu uttered these telling words about the killing of the security agents is that Senator Ewuga, an Eggon, like Agu, though not the senator for that side of the State, has not disputed them.

There was no indication that the senator cautioned him even as journalists recorded Agu through the interpreter.

Whatever the issues were, no matter how angry Agu gets over drunken security agencies, the solutions did not lie in their death. It is important government makes this point in the most civilised manner by charging the suspects to court. Agu should be able to convince the law that he abhorred drunken security agents (many of us do) and that death should be their lot.

He could also bring his god as witness to how he was saved from being decapitated. If the law says Agu is right, we would follow the law. We suggest that the matter is settled quickly so that justice is done to Agu, his followers and the bereaved families.

OPINION

BY RENO OMOKRI

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EADING the interview Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) gave to Daily Trust which was published on Wednesday the 22nd of May 2013, I am compelled to raise historical issues that put the former military Head of State's words in perspective.

Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) blamed President Jonathan for the insurgency occasioned by the militant sect, Jama-'a Ahl al-sunnah li-da'wa wa al-jiha-d, commonly referred to as Boko Haram and asked President Jonathan to resign saying “Jonathan should vacate and give way to competent hand to govern the country”.

Buhari further said “When the Niger Delta militants started their activities in the South-South, they were invited by the late President Umaru Yar ’adua.

An aircraft was sent to them and their leaders met with the late President in Aso Rock and discussed issues. They were given money and a training scheme was introduced for their members. But when the Boko Haram emerged in the north members of the sect were killed”.

Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) may wish to note that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan never supported militancy and criminality in the Niger-Delta at any time in his C M Y K

On Buhari's call for the President's resignation political career. Further more, the administration of President Umaru Musa Yar'adua used a combination of carrot and stick to end the militancy in the Niger-Delta.

Stick was used in the form of heavy military intervention by way of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) which routed the militants by way of ground attacks and aerial assault with the use of Nigerian Air Force Jets and helicopters.

After this initial pacification, the carrot was introduced whereby the administration offered an olive branch for those wishing to embrace dialogue. Those who accepted the offer to dialogue came out of the creeks and dialogue took place leading to the conditional amnesty (militants were made to surrender their weapons and renounce violence before they could benefit from the amnesty).

Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) may or may not be aware that these same steps were taken by the current administration with regards to the insurgency occasioned by Jama'a Ahl al-sunnah li-da'wa wa al-jiha-d or Boko Haram.

This administration in fulfillment of

its constitutional responsibility to maintain law and order and enforce the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria empowered Nigeria's security forces to check the insurgency. As a democrat and listening leader, President Jonathan's ears were opened to the cries of the people in the affected areas and after meeting with different informed groups agreed to employ the dialogue option and called for the leaders of the Jama-'a Ahl al-sunnah li-da'wa wa al-jiha-d or Boko Haram to show themselves.

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n furtherance of his desire to peacefully resolve the insurgency, President Jonathan inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North on Wednesday the 24th of April 2013 at the Presidential Villa Abuja under the leadership of a cabinet minister, Tanimu Turaki, Minister of Special Duties.

A week after the President's initiative, Jama-'a Ahl al-sunnah lida'wa wa al-jiha-d or Boko Haram rejected the amnesty proposal yet the President kept faith with the

Committee and met with them as recently as a week ago and in furtherance of that meeting he issued orders for the release of certain classes of detainees held in connection with the insurgency.

With the detailed historical TimeLines provided above, it is my considered opinion that Major General Muhammadu Buhari's (rtd) statement castigating President Goodluck Jonathan for not treating the Jama-'a Ahl al-sunnah li-da'wa wa aljiha-d or Boko Haram as others were treated are not factual and are borne out of insufficient study of historical facts.

Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) also accused the President of using undue force on the Jama-'a Ahl al-sunnah li-da'wa wa al-jiha-d or Boko Haram saying “In Bama and Baga towns, military personnel were reported to have been engaged in extortion and sometimes raping of women. And because a soldier was killed in Baga the whole town was sacked by military. This is not the best way military should have acted when they were sent to restore law and order in a town. How can a responsible government allow its people to be killed in this way”.

Continues on the Viewpoint pg

* Mr. Omokri is SA to President Jonathan on New Media.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013— 19

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HE Ten Year Government of Francis Bozize fell to rebel incursion like a pack of cards.

What does that tell us? It tells us that a straw cannot be transformed into steel by reinforcing it with steel, with bayonets. In the course of the recent war for the seizure of power, Chad, Gabon, Cameroon, Angola, South Africa and Republic of Congo sent troops to help the Bozize government defeat the rebel forces advancing towards Bangui, the seat of government. Why was this not sufficient to secure Bozize’s hold on power? The fall of Bozize’s government provides the answer.

General Jean-Felix Akaga, commander of the Economic Community of Central African States’ Multinational Force of Central Africa said that Bangui was “fully secured” by the troops from its MICOPAX peacekeeping mission, stating that reinforcement would arrive soon.

The General’s assertions turned out to be cold comfort for President Bozize. The President’s appeal on 27 December to the international community for help, especially to France and the United States fell on deaf ears; it yielded no result. The French President François Hollande bluntly rejected the appeal, saying that French troops in the country and reinforcement of the same would be used to protect French nationals in the CAR and not to defend Bozize’s government. The U.S military only made preparation for the evacuation of American citizens and other nationals. Why was the security of Bozize’s government limited to the ability of the Bozize’s military to defeat the rebels’ forces? Why were the protesters at the French embassy

26 December 2012 who hurled stones, burning tires and tearing down the French flag, chose to protest French policy rather than take up arms to defend Bozize’s government? The protesters were pro-government elite loyalists who have lived in Bangui’s luxury in the midst of a country notorious for the poverty of the citizenry.

The citizens of the Central African Republic had been treated as subjects by successive government since the formal end of French colonization. The Government for the elites of

Bangui was the “city-state” and the country remained structurally in subjecthood. The Government and its Governors could be said to be the Central African Republic.

And as long as the security apparatus could put down factional rivals to the President and crush rebels organized for the sole purpose of being the successor governors of the same Government there was stability in a country where the people had

On Buhari's call for the President's resignation (2)

BY RENO OMOKRI Continues from pg 18

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ET me say that I appreciate Buhari's concern for the victims of the Boko Haram attacks on Bama and Baga.

However, Buhari should be reminded that the President ordered an investigation into the incidence at Bama. The investigations are being carried out by qualified persons and Buhari ought to wait for the results of those investigations before apportioning blame. Members of the Nigerian armed forces are sacrificially laying their lives down to protect Nigerians and they deserve more loyalty from us all, particularly from one who was once their Commander-inChief.

But going back to history, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) is reminded that this is not the first time that terrorists have unleashed mayhem on Nigerians.

Buhari is reminded that in February and March of 1984, the Maitatsine sect unleashed violence in Yola under the leadership of Musa Makaniki.

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remained demobilized by colonial and post colonial conditions of poverty. The territory and the minerals it contains are acquired as spoils of war. The people are part of the terrain of the battle between rebels in government and rebels seeking to succeed those in government. According to Varnitzky, the country director of the international Rescue Committee: “Mortality among the population is very high. In rural areas, there are no ambulances or public transport. People who are sick walk long distance to get care because the vast majority of the population live more than 10 kilometres (6miles) from a health centre. And even if they reach a health centre, it is unlikely they will see a doctor- there is only one of every 15,000 people. “The rural poor when they receive aid, receive it from foreign nongovernmental organizations like the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The IRC has provided drinking water for some 30,000; rehabilitated 2,500 houses and trained volunteer teachers who serve some 3,500 children”.

Without these acts of charity the rural citizenry of CAR have to do without these basic necessities. All these sufferings in a country ranked in 2011 the 11th among the world leading producer of rough diamond by volume and 12th by

A conservative estimate is that 1000 people died during those riots and half of the residence of Yola in present day Adamawa state were rendered homeless.

The military was unleashed on the sect by the military administration of Major General Muhammadu Buhari. Similar charges as the ones made today by Buhari were made against the soldiers sent by his government to quell the Maitatsine riots of 1984. They were accused of undue force, destruction of property, raping women and killing civilians. Many human rights groups and activists including J. Peter Pham, the Director of the Michael Ansari Center at the prestigious Atlantic Council whom I have personally met and who is alive today have documented what took place during those riots. In putting down the Maitatsine insurgency, the military incurred collateral damages. Yet, Nigerians understood with Buhari. Did anyone call for his resignation as military Head of State because of the incidence?

Also, it is a historical fact that Maitatsine riots again flared up more than a year after

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Rebels and govt forces: The case of CAR

The question to be asked these leaders is this: What lesson did they learn from the defeat of Bozize’s military by Seleka?

value. Mining accounts for 2.8 percent of the gross domestic product. Undeveloped mineral resources include copper, graphite, limonite, iron ore, kyanite, manganese, monazite, quartz, rutile, salt, tin, and uranium. On January 31, (2012) Axmin Inc of Canada announced the completion of an updated study (BFS on gold mining) for its 100 percent- owned Passendro gold project”.

These mineral resources are important to the multinationals and the Government of the CAR. As it is tragically routine in Africa, the rural poor live and die atop of grounds covering wealth that could transform their lives, if only democracy works for them rather than against them. In this condition is any wonder that the security of government rests on success in the business of government capturing wars. The fall of Bozize’s government is a warning to other African Presidents who depend on their military for their security.

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ithin months a government that was not rooted in popularly mobilised support, had its military routed by a five confederal alliance of rebel forces known as Seleka CPSK-CPJPUFDR (Seleka means “union” in the Sango language) captured major towns in the central and eastern region of the country. The rebel offensive began in earnest 10 December 2012. On 15 December, rebel forces took Bamingui, a town about 120km (75miles) from N’dele in a direct line towards Bangui, the seat of Government.

Three days later, they advanced to Bria, an important diamond mining town. In response to Francois Bozize’s appeal for help, the President of Chad, Idriss Deby pledged to send 2,000 troops to put down the so-called rebellion.

The first Chadian troops arrived on 18 December to reinforce the CAR contingent in KagaBandoro, in preparation for a counter-attack on N’Dele. However, help from troops contributed by Chad, South Africa, Angola and the multinational Force of Central Africa to secure the capital proved ineffective to halt the Seleka’s march to Bangui. Kabo the major centre for transport between Chad and CAR fell to the rebels December 19. Four days later, December 23, Bambari, the

Some issues should be beyond politics.

Anytime an elder statesman calls into question the abilities of our armed forces, it goes a long way to weakening their morale and resolve

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this in April of 1985, while Buhari was still Head of State, this time in Gombe in present day Gombe state. Hundreds of people were killed and the military again was called in.

There were collateral damage and Musa Makaniki, the arrowhead of Maitatsine escaped to the Cameroon and was not caught until 2004 when Obasanjo had ascended to power.

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o the best of my knowledge, nobody called on Buhari to resign even though he could not apprehend the leader of the sect.

Is it too much to ask that Buhari show the

country’s third largest town was taken by Seleka forces.

On Christmas day, December 25, Kaga-Bandoro fell. On December 26, Seleka reached Damara. The CAR’s minister for territorial administration requested to no avail for France’s intervention to quell the rebellion. On 27 December Bozize asked the international community for help, an appeal directed to France and the United States; both chose to stay on the sidelines to watch the now inevitable overthrow of Bozize’s administration completed by the rebels taking of Bangui.

Government’s counterattack against rebel forces in Bambari failed to halt the rebel’s march to Bangui. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) promised more troops from the Multinational Force for Central Africa (FOMAC) to support the 560 members of the MICOPAX mission already on ground. Bozize’s Government found no salvation from foreign forces reinforcing Government forces. In Bangui, the U.S Airforce acknowledging the imminent collapse of the Government undertook the evacuation of American nationals, with the Red Cross following the American example. On 30 December, when the end was imminent, president Bozize agreed to a national unity government, with members of Seleka coalition, after meeting with African Union Chairperson, Thomas Yayi Boni, adding that the CAR government was ready to begin peace talks ‘ without condition and without delay’.

The question to be asked these leaders is this? What lesson did they learn from the defeat of Bozize’s military by Seleka? What lessons did they learn from Seleka’s victories? What lessons did they learn from the neutrality of Central African Republic citizenry? What lessons did they learn from the failure of their military interventions in the CAR and from the refusal of France and the US to intervene to secure Bozize’s Government? African leaders rule over societies incubating rebel groups that have yet to do their own Seleka.

When these Selekas embark on their match toward their Banguis can the military of these Governments prevail over the Selekas?

same level of understanding that Nigerians showed to him in 1984-1985 to the President?

Some issues should be beyond politics.

Anytime an elder statesman calls into question the abilities of our armed forces, it goes a long way to weakening their morale and resolve which is precisely what should not be weakened when we face an insurgency such as the present one.

Finally, I would like to advise Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) not to see security as just a job for the government.

It is a job for everybody. In other nations, when terrorists strike politicians close ranks and unite against the terrorists. Our case in Nigeria should not be different. And indeed, I have cause to thank Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members of the House of Representatives from Major General Muhammadu Buhari's (rtd) party the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) who saw wisdom in the President's Declaration of a State of Emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states and voted in support of the declaration last week. This is precisely the type of multi partisan collaboration that will see Nigeria achieve her developmental goals.

Concluded

*Mr. Omokri is SA to President Jonathan on New Media.

20-Vanguard,TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Government should rebuild Aba’s ailing infrastructure

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HERE was a time Aba, the Enyimba city and the commercial nerve centre of Abia state was a no-go area in terms of insecurity. The insecurity ranged from kidnapping to armed robbery, ritual killing and other related vices. The development brought all social, political, commercial and developmental activities in the town almost to a halt and even culminated in people relocating to other less violent areas for safety.

This ugly scenario was however laid to rest following

deplorable roads. This pitiable situation made people’s lives unbearable and boring.

Now that normalcy has returned to the town, the residents expect the government to embark upon the rehabilitation of those moribund industries like Aba Textile mills, Aba Metallurgical complex, Aba Glass Industry and many more. Also the government should commence the reconstruction of the roads abandoned due to the insecurity the reigned then.

The reconstruction bring succor

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It is an incontestable fact that the kidnap saga discouraged and diverted the attention of both the Federal and State governments from making the town a befitting city

CBN and polymer notes The news that the Central Bank of Nigeria intends to change the existing polymer naira notes to paper is a welcome development. There is confusion always in market places and in the vehicles over the rejection of the leprous polymer notes. The street are strewn with pieces of the polymer notes. Besides, the peeling polymer notes tear easily. The Central Bank of Nigeria should please change the polymer notes to paper notes.

Segun 08039240765

Division in PDP

Bamanga Tukur has been able to survive the intrigues and power play in the party because of the strong support he is getting from President Jonathan. This is because the President will need him to support his alleged presidential ambition in 2015.

Mike Segun 08081643926

No to amnesty

Amnesty is not for faceless human beings. How do you C M Y K

to people of Aba and residents of neighbourhood states.

It is an incontestable fact that the kidnap saga discouraged and diverted the attention of both the Federal and State governments from making the town a befitting city.

I therefore plead with the government on behalf of Aba residents, to give more attention to the rebuilding of the city’s ailing infrastructure. This is

pardon suicide bombers? Why must we raise a criminal and then look for ways of pardoning him/ her? Boko Haram insurgency is a religious fight

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the intervention of Federal troops. Thanks to our amiable Governor, Dr Theodore Ahamefula Orji who initiated the move.

Aba has always been a wonderful and vibrant city. In fact, it was the envy of neighbouring states until it degenerated into an eyesore as a result of infestation of dilapidated and moribund industries including myriad of

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because Aba is the pride of Abia State in particular and the nation in general. It should not be forgotten that Aba is the home of the former CAF champion, Enyimba football club; it is also home to the popular Ariaria International market.

Mr. President should please temper justice with mercy and rebuild Aba Nkemakolam Gabriel Port Harcourt 08072257360

Reps vs SEC, DG

There is no tangible reason for the House of Representatives to withhold the approval of the budget of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The House members should know that SEC and its Director- General, Ms Arunma Oteh, are not the same. Sec-

P

ERMIT me to use this medium to call upon the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to tar the road that links Umunahu Uratta in the Owerri North LGA and Uzoagba in the Ikeduru LGA. This road would have been

Obi should save Oko community from PHCN Dear Editor, I WRITE to appeal to Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State and the Chairman, Orumba North Local Government Area, Anambra State to please help us resolve incessant black out in Oko, a town in Orumba North Local government Area where you have Federal Polytechnic.

Sadly enough, there has been no electricity in Oko ondly, the House did not employ Ms Oteh and therefore cannot dismiss her or get the President to dismiss her on their behalf. The House of Reps should take responsibility if the capital market crashes again. They should be interested in the huge investments in the market and not the dismissal of the Director General of SEC. Anonymous 08023626048

Bamanga Tukur has been able to survive the intrigues and power play in the party because of the strong support he is getting from President Jonathan; this is because the President will need him to support his alleged presidential ambition in 2015

and that the government must look for ways of arresting the situation. Boko Haram is a poverty fight that government must find a lasting solution to.

Charles 07086438782

Rochas should tar UrattaUzoagba Road

constructed as far back as 1980 when the then Imo State House of Assembly passed a motion which called on Late Governor Sam Mbakwe to construct the road and the Okitankwo Bridge and name both after Late Engr Francis Obinna Amadi, who represented Ikeduru West in the Assembly.

More than 33 years after, the Government has also succeeded in building a bridge across the seasonal stream. The road is yet to be tarred. As a first step, the Imo State Government should ensure that enough sand is poured both sides of the bridge(piling) to make it motorable, especially now that the rainy season is here with us.

Jude Uzoma Uzoagba, Ikeduru

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Non payment of severance benefit to legislative aides in Delta State

Two years after leaving office, legislative aides in Delta State have not been paid their entitlements, unlike our colleagues who served in the executive arm who were paid at the end of the first tenure in 2011.This is a passionate plea to our hard working and amiable governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan to please direct the Accountant General of the State to pay us.

This is because no legislator

town for more than three months bringing all economic activities to a halt.

Worst still, residents of Oko community have been getting crazy bills from PHCN as against what other surrounding communities like Ekwulobia, Nanka among others are getting.

This suffering is becoming unbearable for the people of the community including the

Polytechnic students who live in the community.

I am using this medium to appeal to the State Governor to please alleviate our suffering by helping us call the attention of PHCN to urgently intervene in this matter..

Thanks for your urgent a t t e n t i o n .

Chukwuneke Okafor Oko, Orumba North LGA 08033028838

can function optimally without the contribution of dedicated Special Assistants( SA) and Personal Assistants( PA ).

Most of us are married with children but can’t even pay schools fees and house rents.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan should please look into our plight as he has always shown sympathy on issues of this nature.

Anonymous writes in from Delta state

order. They use illiterate and vulnerable youths to achieve it. It’s a pity that these youths allow themselves to be used to kill their fellow brothers and countrymen.

Governors, Senators, Reps members, Traditional rulers and wealthy men from the region allegedly sponsor the group. They don’t want President Jonathan to come for 2015 elections, so the best way is to kill innocent citizens to make it look like the president has failed.

The present political order will not remain for ever but will remain indelible in our lives as a nation. The number of innocent souls that have been wasted by these heartless terrorists and their god-fathers cannot be estimated.

Clara 08078210057

Call for Amnesty for Boko Haram sect

I completely and totally disagree that members of the Boko Haram group should be granted amnesty. Presently, Boko Haram does not have religious undertone, it is pure political. It is a means through which northern political elite express their grievances against the present political

SAYINGS OF OUR ELDERS 1.You have to know when to stop and let go of somethings for they say "A stubborn fly follows the corpse to the grave"

Simon Adewale08056180103, Lagos State .

Send us your Sayings of Our Elders. They must be African sayings or proverbs. Biblical or English proverbs are unacceptable. You will be paid N100.00 for every saying published. Address your sayings to: The Co-ordinator, Sayings of Our Elders,Vanguard Media Ltd., PMB 1007, Apapa,

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013 — 21

Slowing Nigerian grain trade threatens Sahel food security

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From left: Mr. Fred Amobi, Finance Director, Lafarge WAPCO; Mr. Joseph Hudson, Managing Director/CEO and Ms. Uzoma Uja, Company Secretary and Legal Adviser, during the company’s 2013 Shareholders’ Relations Forum, in Lagos. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

NSC intervention saves shippers N200m in 2 years

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

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HE intervention of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has saved shippers in the country about N200 million between 2011 and 2012, the Acting Executive Secretary, NSC, Hassan Bello, has said.

The Council boss also said that Nigeria would benefit more if its goods were shipped on Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) basis rather than on Free on Board basis (FOB).

Bello said that between 2011 and 2012, 200 complaints were treated with 80 percent of them resolved and N200 million refunds made to shippers on demurrage and container deposit returns.

He added that the Council would further strengthen the unit to address complaints of shippers promptly.

Bello, who spoke in Abuja, stated that suggestion on shipment based on CIF was made to the Federal Government when it constituted a port reform committee.

The Shippers’ Council boss according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that the idea of shipping goods on FOB basis meant that the buyer would nominate the ship to carry the cargo to destination, stressing that such practice was detrimental to the Nigerian economy.

Bello said, “Eighty percent of oil–producing countries carry their wet cargo on CIF

basis. If it is by CIF, it means Nigerians will provide the ships that will carry the cargo.”

The NSC boss said that carriage of goods on CIF basis also meant a lot of growth for financial and insurance industries.

He stated that with CIF in place, Nigerian shippers would have the opportunity to own modern ships.

“Indigenous shipping

companies have been swimming against the tide because of competition. There are seasoned captains capable of carrying Nigeria’s crude.

Government will have to bring to bear the political will and sagacity to empower indigenous Nigerians to own ships,” Bello added.

Bello also said the council has established the Shippers’ Complaints Unit, which has been extremely effective in

addressing complaints within 24 hours.

He noted that the Federal Government was conscious of the role of the maritime sector in the economy, adding that operators would see tremendous reforms in the maritime sector which would impact on the economy positively.

Ministry, BOA partner on mechanisation policy

BY CHRIS OCHAYI & CALEB AYANSINA

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HE Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), weekend, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to improve agricultural production and boost agricbusiness revenue in the country.

This will be achieved through better support to poor farmers, using a mechanism of refinancing Service Provider Operators (SPOs).

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Abuja, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said “we are changing local farming, where hoes and cutlasses are used to mechanised farming. This action will not only provide adequate and affordable food on the table of Nigerians, our

teeming unemployed youths will be encouraged to go into farming, thereby providing prosperity to the people.”

In 2012, the ministry set up an Advisory Ministry Mechanisation Committee (AMMC) consisting of private sector players to develop a sustainable private sectorled Agricultural mechanisation framework, an intervention programme to immediately deploy mechanisation services to Nigerian farmers for the 2013 farming season.

Vanguard gathered that the intervention programme, which is a collaboration of the ministry and BOA was designed to set up 60 Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprise (AEHE).

This is in consideration of the role of mechanisation in attaining the goal of self sufficiency in food production by 2015.

The MoU will form the ba-

ORTHERN Nigeria’s grain trade, which supplies almost half of the Sahel’s cereals, has slowed severely, while abnormally high prices of staple grains across the Sahel are causing serious food security concerns in this chronically vulnerable region.

The areas most at risk are southeastern and central Niger, which are highly dependent on Nigerian grain flows, as well as northern Nigeria and northern Benin.

Chad is somewhat protected from the dynamic, as it produced a healthy harvest in 2012, says FEWS NET. World Food Programme (WFP) market analysts report that grain supply is low in many of the main markets across the region, and that fewer traders from Niger and elsewhere are crossing the border to re-supply in Nigeria. Cross-border trade is significantly down in Nigeria’s Maigatari market (near Zinder in Niger), Illela (near Tahoua), Jibya (near Maradi) and Damassack (near Diffa), according to WFP. In highly import-dependent Niger, “this situation must raise a red flag,” said WFP market analyst Jean-Martin Bauer, referring to poor trade conditions that spurred Niger’s 2005 and to some extent the 2010 food crises. “If trade slows down from Nigeria to Niger, it’s a huge issue for all countries depending on Nigeria,” he said.

In the worst-affected areas, staple grain prices are higher than in 2012 when the region experienced a widespread food crisis. A 100kg bag of maize in Kano, the region’s largest grains market, cost 7,400 Nigerian naira (US$47) in March 2013, compared to 6,000 naira ($38) the same time last year.

sis for establishing Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprise (AEHE), to be -2.9 equipped with 400 127.15 units of tractors that 2,250.00 -33.00 will help to put an additional 152,000 hectares of land under 16.87 0.11 cultivation. It is also expected to add 760,000 tons of food to 102.64 +0.20 the national output per annum. Under the 94.18 -0.07 agreement, the financing will be done through public-private CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING partnership as BOA DOLLAR 154.74 155.24 155.74 has undertaken to fi- POUNDS 233.611 234.3658 235.1207 200.1717 200.8185 201.4653 nance interested Serv- EURO 160.5853 161.1042 161.6231 ice Provider Operators FRANC YEN 1.5262 1.5311 1.536 (SPOs), while the min- CFA 0.285 0.295 0.305 istry will provide ade- WAUA 230.0661 230.8095 231.5529 25.3155 25.3975 quate fund toward fa- RENMINBI 25.2335 41.2607 41.394 41.5273 cilitating the financing RIYA 26.8511 26.9378 27.0246 of the enterprise, in KRONA SDR 231.3672 232.1148 232.8624 partnership with the BOA and the private CBN Exchange rate as at 27/05/2013 sector.

22— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

S

OME people want to invest in shares for a very long time. You can decide to save and invest periodically, quarterly or every six months. It could be for retirement or for a major project like children’s university education or to build your own house. This means a period of more than ten years. What are the shares you should buy?

Buy the shares of conglomerates producing and selling essentials.

A conglomerate is a company that has many subsidiaries or produces so many things.

Most of the time, they produce essential goods that people will always need and consume. Think of Nestle, Unilever, PZ Nigeria Plc, First Bank Holdings etc.

Why should you focus on such companies?

The possibility that such companies will collapse or fold up is very slim. The rate of failure of such companies is very low.

Yes, like other businesses and the economy in general, these companies do have their good and bad

Shares you should buy (2) times when they would barely make profit either due to decline in sales or rising costs.

But fold up, liquidated is not likely at all. Such companies could be acquired, merged

with another company but not collapse.

For example, during the global financial crises between 2008 and 2010, many businesses collapsed or just

closed shop, the biggest being Lehman Brothers. What happened to most conglomerates was declining sales, which made profit to drop.

Many of them that should have collapsed were either bailed-out by government and the regulators or were acquired by competitors or new

,

By BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

You must avoid a situation whereby, when you retire and you need the money or when you need it to fund your children’s education, the company has folded up or closed, and you have lost your investment.

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Top 10 performing stocks

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

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MONG the top ten performing stocks last week are Costain W/A Plc, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Evans Med, Northern Nigeria FlourMills, McNichols and Glaxosmithkline.

Others are Dangote Sugar Plc, Ashaka Cement, PZ Cusson, and Cement Company of Northern Nigeria, CCNN. Costain Plc, which recorded the highest price gain in the week, added 58.51 percent or N0.55 to its share price to close at N1.49. it opened at 94kobo. Costain listed in construction/real estate sector of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, is Nigeria’s leading construction company, which specilaises in civil engineering, roads and rail, furniture and joinery. It also operates in oil and gas sector.

C

O S TA I N seems to still be struggling with the effects of the market crash as its share price just crossed two digit level only last week.

Todate, the company has recorded return of 106.9 percent.

Costain was incorporated in 1948 as a private limited company in Nigeria; it took over the various works being undertaken by John Holt and some others.

C

onfectionery and food drink manufactur

ing giant, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, emerged the second most patronised stock in the week with 45.01percent or N20.03 capital appreciation. From its opening price of N44.50, it closed at N64.53 per share.

Cadbury returned to profitability for the first time after seven years of being in the woods following the forgery of its accounts by the then managing director and others.

For the 2012 financial year, the company paid N1.564 billion dividends, while its profit before tax for the year grew from N5 billion in 2011 to N5.5 billion in 2012. It also recorded a profit after tax of N3.4 billion. The share price has risen tremendously by 674.67 percent from N8.33 at the beginning of the year to N64.53, the closing price on Friday.

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vans Med, listed in medical supplies sector, also one of Nigeria’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturing companies, gained 44.44 percent or N0.80 from N1.80 it started the week to N2.60. Starting the year at 50kobo, the share price has so far risen by 420 in comparison to the present market price.The Product ranges of Evans Med are well over thirty and are household names across Nigeria and the West Africa sub region. Amongst them are Multivites, Cofta,

investors. An example in Nigeria is Union Bank, former Intercontinental Bank, Oceanic Bank. Yes, the value of what people invested dropped but over time, they will regain the value.

Why is it important that you buy the stock of such companies? You are saving and investing for the long term; the safety of your investment should be your first consideration when you are making this kind of investment. You need to ask, “Which company should I invest in today that would still be in existence and performing in 10 years or 20 years when I am going to need the money? This is important because you must avoid a situation whereby, when you retire and you need the money or when you need it to fund your children’s education, the company has folded up or closed, and you have lost your investment. That is why, while making profit on your investment is desirable, it should not be the number one criteria in this instance.

Otherwise, your case may be like that of people that collected their retirement benefits and used them to speculate in unknown companies and investment schemes.

Vanclox, Calamine Lotion, and Allenburys glucoseD among others. It started business in Nigeria in 1954 and has since then been committed to research, development and manufacturing of safe and effective medicines.

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NFM followed with 20.96 percent or N4.49 gain to close at N25.91 from N21.42 it started.

Beginning the year at N17.51, the company has therefore delivered 47.97 percent return to its shareholders this year. Listed in food products sector of the NSE, and engaged in milling business, NNFM produces flour and semovita. With a current milling capacity of 1,750 mt per day, NNFM is a leading mill in the North, producing premium quality Golden Penny Flour and Golden Penny semovita. Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc is a majority stakeholder in the company.

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cNichols Plc, which was the fifth most patronised stock, garnered 20.28 percent or N0.29 to close at N1.72 from N1.42 it started. It is listed in consumer goods sector and has so far risen by 138.89 percent in the year from year low of 72kobo to the present price.

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thers are Glaxosmith, which added 18.37 percent or N9.00 to close at N58.00 from N49.00, while Dangote Sugar followed with 16.61 percent or N1.41 capital appreciation to close at N9.90 from N8.49.

Ashakacem, PZ Cusson and CCNN were the last three on the top ten gainers in the week with 13.64 percent or N3.30, 13.60 or N6.12 and 13.40 percent or N1.30 price gains to close at N27.50, N51.12 and N11.00 in that order.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013 —23

INVESTORS SPEAK

We won’t allow foreign investors to control 80% of GlaxoSmithKline — Igwe

BY WILLIAM JIMOH & HANNAH ISIBOR

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The only way out of this is to amend that part of the CAMA that says whether they have the highest share volume or not; that should not be the criteria for dumping minority shareholders.

But until then, we will continue to face this challenge

I

want to talk about the takeover of GSK (GlaxoSmithkline), which foreign investors are trying to corner by taking up to about 80 per cent of the shares issued capital, thereby taking over the company.

They made that proposal at a meeting last week and the minority shareholders said no.

We do not want that because already they are controlling about 45 per cent, and they are talking about increasing it to 80 per cent. From that 80 percent who knows whether the next thing we would hear is that they are taking it to 90 or 95 per cent and then, they would push the minority share holders out of the operation.

Just like other companies have been doing, we know of companies like the Nigerian Bottling Company, and many other companies that I may not be able to mention off-hand now. This is how they started,

•Mr Chidi Okoro, MD, Glaxosmithkline Nig. Plc at the end of the day, they push out their minority shareholders and began to run the company on their own because they have generated

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so many funds.

But when they came to the market and needed to raise funds, they were pleading with shareholders to buy their

shares.Having collected our money and made a lot of profit from it, they want to push us out and they have always done this by delisting their stocks from the exchange.

Some other time, all they do is to pay us off and that is the end.

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he regulatory authorities are aware, the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), Corporate Affairs Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, all these people are aware because before they even thought of taking such a step, they would surely inform all these bodies. Though, they usually prepare what is called scheme of arrangement which shareholders have to approve, but what we have today is that before the shareholders approval, they will go to these regulatory authorities, talk to them privately, give them what they will give them in order to go on with the scheme of

I lost everything but I will still invest — Abu Edward

I

bought shares before the meltdown in the capital market.Then, the meltdown came and so many people including myself lost interest to the extent that I don’t even want to involve myself with the happenings in the market.

I put all that I had into investment of stocks and recorded a lot of losses. Since then, I lost interest in capital market. I absolutely lost the kind of interest that I had in the investment when I started, but I know the shares are currently appreciating but I have sold all my shares and if

I have enough money I will go back into the capital market to invests.

Regarding my understanding before I entered the market, I saw the market as an industry for investment; I saw it as a place where you can invest your money not for immediate profit but for the future.

Honestly, I do not know much about this market. I invested because some of my friends invested. I saw it as any other business where you can lose as well as make profit, just as you can invest in the oil or shipping business and lose. It is purely an element of uncertainty.

I have no time to attend any

of their Annual General Meetings. I attend only any time I am chanced but I look at the trend of things in the newspapers. I still read to see the movement of how the market is going, and my conclusion is that whenever I have money, I will go back to the market.

I pray the market continues to appreciate — Emmanuel

E

very body knows what is happening in the stock market. I am not even

interested in stock market again since it flopped; I lost interest although I have my

COMPLAINTS AND INVESTIGATIONS I need update on Spring Mortgage private placement This year will make it the sixth year I bought Spring Mortgage Bank Private placement shares. But they have not paid dividend to shareholders since that time till date, neither do they quote their shares on the stock exchange as promised. Yet, some people are making their living from our investment. Let the government, authorities (Investors Forum) go and investigate Spring Mortgage authorities for the shareholders to be saved. (Eng Okoye Ikechukwu, Akwa)

Investors Forum We have communicated your complaint to

the bank. Please call the Legal Officer on 08023177554

It is difficult accessing Cashcraft Asset Mgt Please, can you help me get the phone number of Cashcraft Asset Management? I have been their client in Jos. Since they move to Abuja, it has become practically impossible to get across to them to get update on my transactions with them.

Investors Forum

We contacted the company. You are requested to call 08023513366. An official will provide necessary updates.

shares there. It is my prayer that the market continues to appreciate.

The companies usually send me AGM notifications, but I don’t have time to attend most of them because the location is usually far from my place.

Sometimes, they take the meeting to Abuja while some are held in Calabar. I have never attended any one because of the distance. I still have confidence because my money is there; I pray my money should come up so that I will be able to get something close to what I invested. I always go to my stock brokers to know how far the stock is doing, and also check the newspapers.

arrangement. With such an arrangement, the regulators are not performing their functions enough.

If they had followed the former pattern, the Nigerian Indigenisation promotion decree, all these will not be happening. This decree did not allow coming in and going out as the way we are having it today.

That is why it is good that all these foreign companies be owned by Nigerians or managed by Nigerians and at worst, Nigerians should be part-owners of the companies.

But now because the CAMA has come in, most of those things have been removed.

They now have opportunity to come in and go out with out any challenge from anybody, not even the regulators.

It is affecting us and also has real effect on the market. What we are experiencing is the direct opposite of our expectations because, if a company at the start was paying 50k or N1 dividend per share, if such a company begin to make more profit, that is when the shareholders should be gaining more and that is when there ought to be increase in their dividend.

But instead of going into that, they decide to push us away in order to make more money on their own. The arrangement we are having currently is not actually protecting the interest of the minority shareholders.

If you talk about voting, they have the highest number of shares, therefore, they will surely win. The only way out of this is to amend that part of the CAMA that whether they have the highest share volume or not, that should not be the criteria for dumping minority shareholders. But until then, we will continue to face this challenge.

(Chief Robert Igwe is the Former General Secretary of the Nigerian Shareholders Solidarity Association)

COMPLAINTS AND INVESTIGATIONS Do you have any challenge with your investment in the stock market or with any company (stockbroker, Registrar Company etc), write to vanguardinvestorsforum @gmail.com OR send text to 08157550673. We will INVESTIGATE AND REPLY

24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

BRIEF

FG commences N163bn Zungeru 700MW plant … Ground-breaking ceremony scheduled for today

BY NOEL ONOJA

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HE 700-megawatt (MW) Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant situated in Niger State is expected to fully take off with a scheduled sod turning ceremony to be performed by President Goodluck Jonathan today (Tuesday).

The Power plant which is valued at about N163 billion, is expected to be completed in 2018, and is being constructed by China-based, CNEEC-Sinohydro Consortium. The funding for the project will be provided by the Federal Government and the Exim Bank of China on the ratio 25:75 percent respectively.

The project which was initiated as far back as 1982, when the feasibility studies were conducted and submitted to government by a United States firm, Chas T. Main International, and later reviewed in 2008 by French firm, Coyne et Bellier.

According to the chief representative of the consortium in Nigeria, Mr. Ju Shiquan, who spoke with journalists over the weekend in Abuja, processes for the smooth take-off of work at the hydro plant have been concluded, hence, the official sod turning by President Jonathan.

Under the terms of the contract, Nigeria will provide its counterpart funding

contribution of about $309 million. The Minister of State for Power, Hajia Zainab Kuchi, during the contract signing ceremony for the project early this year revealed that the sum was already domiciled within the ministry.

Kuchi had noted that the Ministry of Finance was expected to finalise all the paper works to activate the 75 percent funding from the Exim Bank of China, from which work would begin at the project site.

The project when completed is also expected to generate revenues to offset the facility from Exim Bank of China.

“The feasibility studies and engineering design was reviewed in

2008 by Coyne et Bellier, and a report which recommended that an installed capacity of 700MW consisting of 4X175MW plants units representing downward review of the initial capacity of 950MW should be adopted, the recommendation was accepted by the ministry,” Kuchi had said.

She also disclosed that the ministry had applied and got a due process certificate of “no objection” for the award of the contract to the consortium from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in October 2012 and subsequently got approval for the project commencement at the 44th meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke (right) and Mrs. Cherie Blair, wife of former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, after a lecture on the Future of African Energy in a Changing World, delivered at the St. Anthony’s College, University of Oxford by the minister.

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AGOS State Government has raised an alarm following the discovery that many tank farms are operating in Apapa without requisite permit, saying they pose security threats to life and property in the state.

Consequently, the Government has begun investigations into the operations of tank farms in the state, with a view to checkmating the illegal act as well as ensure the security of life and property.

The State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Taofiq Tijani, disclosed this last week at a media briefing on the activities

of his ministry in the last one year as well as the commemoration of six years in office of Governor Babatunde Fashola. He expressed worry over the development, saying that government would soon commence a clamp down on owners of illegal tank farms in the state.

According to him: “Our research revealed that a lot of tank farms operating the state either do not have permit or are located on an unapproved sites.

“But we are at the stage of collating the data because we are working with the relevant authorities. There is a federal regulatory body that issues the permit while the state Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, also gives permit for the location of the

tank farm.

“We found out that some of them do not have the requisite permit for operation, until we finish our reports, anyone found operating illegally or found in an unapproved environment, the law will definitely take its course, I assure you. The ministry is engaging relevant stakeholders on the issue.”

Tijani said the development was of serious concern to Fashola, which led to the setting up of a committee to look into the issue with the aim of proffering solutions.

He said government had taken all necessary measures to avert the repeat of the gas explosion which rocked MRS Tank Farm in Apapa, Lagos early in the year, noting that the committee was already looking

By WILLIAM JIMOH

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CONSULTANCY firm, Job-energy, said it plans to organise a job fair to link-up prospective professionals, aiming to work in the energy sector, with energy employers.

The company also told Vanguard that, job-energy.com is the first specialist job board and career resource website in Nigeria, adding that it has the largest specialised database of energy expatriates and nationals to get headhunted or to apply directly for vacancies.

According to the firm, Job-energy offers an extremely efficient and cost effective tool for employers to source and recruit candidates, thereby eliminating the usual cost of press advertising and recruitment agency fees.

It said, “We also provide an exclusive platform for employees and recruiters to find the best candidates for their vacancies at a fraction of the usual costs.”

The site advertises energy related vacancies from technicians to directors to, covering the full industry spectrum of Oil & Gas, Maritime, Engineering, Oilfields Services, Power Generation, Industry and Logistics, it added.

NERC adopts US accounting system

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IGERIAN Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in consultation with the Financial Reporting Council (formerly Nigerian Accounting Standards Board), have agreed to adopt the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 2009 into the incident for possible version of the Uniform System relocation of the farms that of Accounts (USOA).

This is part of the process to constitute a threat to life.

He said the ministry would develop a uniform accounting scrutinize valid documents framework to facilitate the from the operators, such as the review and analysis of financial approval to construct, ATC, licensees’ from the Ministry of Physical statements, the In statement issued by Planning and Urban Development; authorization NERC, the draft was from the Nigeria Police; discussed with industry Federal/State Fire Service participants during two permit; Department of interactive workshops held in Petroleum Resources, DPR November and December licenses; Environmental Impact 2011 in Calabar and Kaduna Assessment, EIA Report; and respectively.

Membership of the working perimeter survey.

Tijani, also added that plans group is made up of from had been concluded to representatives establish a Geodynamics electricity generation and Centre, to monitor and detect distribution companies. possible occurrence of natural Others are the Nigerian Bulk disasters like earth tremors, Electricity Trading Plc and earthquakes, ocean surges and NERC, with technical support the Nigerian flooding among others with from Infrastructure Advisory Fund. early warning mechanism.

Lagos probes operation of illegal tank farms

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

Job-energy facilitates fair for professionals

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013—25

How PIB will impact US Alien Tort Claims Act

Oil & People

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N the past two decades, plaintiffs’ lawyers have used the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA), to file lawsuits against multinational oil and gas corporations among other, alleging serious human rights abuses including environmental degradation.

The ATCA Passed as part of the Judiciary Act of 1789, is a jurisdictional statute that creates no causes of action. It grants the United States, US Federal Courts the right to accept private claims for a reasonable number of international law violations under Federal Common Law. The statute provides that “The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of any civil action by an alien for a tort only, committed in violation of the Law of Nations or a treaty of the United States.”

It is axiomatic that the human rights regime - as it relates to corporate responsibilities in Nigeria is somewhat rudimentary. For example, although globalization has provided massively profitable opportunities to oil companies in the Niger Delta region, and together with other multinationals, the opportunity to operate legally and abuse weak regulatory structure so as to maximize profit, the native inhabitants frequently continue to suffer.

The theory of corporate responsibility for human rights protection is now a seminal part of international law.

Building upon the traditional notion whereby international law generally places duties on states, and more recently, individuals and corporations.

Although the United States and other developed countries recognize human rights protection due to corporate unethical activities, the Nigeria’s government continues to argue that the duty to protect against human rights violations by third parties rests with the state. The government has frequently failed to meet its obligations to respect, and protect human rights in the Niger Delta, while providing

•FELIX AYANRUOH felix.ayanruohlaw@gmail.com

to use respondents’ property as a staging ground for attacks.

The US Supreme Court in its decision held that the ATCA is generally presumed not to apply to conduct occurring in the territory of another country. However, the Court suggested that if the “claims touch and concern the territory of the United States … with sufficient force,” the presumption against extraterritorial application might be displaced. What claims may be brought under the ATCA after the Kiobel decision and legal remedies for

Indigenes protesting against environment degradation security to the oil industry, because of its importance to the economy. Hitherto, the government and the courts have consistently discouraged the institution of these law suits, hence the filing of the much celebrated Nigerian case of Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Shell et al in the US Federal District Court of New York.

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he Petitioners are Nigerians who were residents of Ogoni land, an area of 250 square miles located in the Niger Delta, and populated by roughly half a million people. Petitioners filed

an ATCA action alleging that after concerned residents of Ogoni land began protesting the environmental effects of Shell’s practices, respondents enlisted the Nigerian Government to violently suppress the burgeoning demonstrations - beating, raping, killing, and arresting residents and destroying or looting properties. Petitioners further allege that respondents aided and abetted these atrocities by, among other things, providing the Nigerian forces with food, transportation, and compensation as well as by allowing the Nigerian military

potential claims against oil majors in Nigeria remain an open question.

Suffice it to state that the Kiobel decision has put a stop to ATCA actions by parties alleging human rights abuse in foreign countries such as Nigeria. Therefore, the remedy for these claims lies in local jurisprudence. Establishing a legal and regulatory framework requiring the regulation of corporations rather than states or individuals, is necessary to address the nature of corporations as actors in the human rights field.

In a nutshell, the draft

NRC to link rail lines to tank farms

BY JONAH NWOKPOKU

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HE Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, has announced plans to link rail lines to the various petroleum tank farms in different parts of the country.

The Managing Director of NRC, Mr. Adeseyi Sijuade, disclosed this to news men during the unveiling of the corporation’s Public Private Initiatives in Lagos.

He said the idea is part of the repositioning agenda of the NRC, as it plays a more dominant role in freight movement.

“This idea of linking rail lines to the tank farms is part of our strategic goals.

This will help to reduce the burden of hauling petroleum products by the road and in the long term become a reliable means of moving petroleum products across the country,” he said.

C M Y K

He noted that part of the strategic goals also include, “to improve the quality of rail infrastructure and services, make rail the major mover of freight over long distance within the country and make rail a viable and reliable alternative mode of transport for passengers.”

Sijuade also disclosed that plans were underway to link all state capitals and major economic centres as well as all Inland Container Depots, ICDs to the rail network.

On the current railway rehabilitation works, the NRC boss said the Corporation had refurbished about 350 wagons, 120 coaches and procured 20 oil tank wagons.

He added that additional 20 wagons will arrive by July 2013, while another set of 68-seater modern coaches are expected to be delivered by December.

Other rolling stock to be procured within this year include: “Rail Inspection Vehicles, CNR locomotives, two sets of

Diesel Multiple Units, DMU, and three Wheel Lathe Machines, fully loaded.

Under the Railway Modernisation Programme, he said: “the completion of the Ajaokuta/Itakpe to Warri Standard Guage has reached 70 per cent, as work is still in progress. The construction of the Abuja to Kaduna Standard Guage has attained 40 per cent completion, while the construction of the Lagos to Ibadan Standard Gauge has been awarded and a number of feasibility studies are also ongoing for some new lines.

He however identified security as the major challenge confronting the ongoing rehabilitation works especially in the northern part of the country.

He called for more funding from government to complete the rehabilitation of the western and eastern lines, and to continue with the modernization projects.

Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) before the National Assembly contains provisions that will address allegations raised in Kiobel. Consequently, a speedy passage of the PIB becomes absolutely necessary.

S

ections 198 – 298 of the draft PIB provides for environmental protection in the Nigerian petroleum industry.

These sections cover motley of assortment of global petroleum industry good practices including; protection of health, safety, environmental quality management, gas flaring penalties, financial contributions for remediation of environmental damages, pipeline safety, abandonment, decommissioning and disposal.

Specifically, section 198(1) provides that in the course of upstream operations, no person shall injure or destroy a tree which is of commercial value, or the object of veneration to the people resident in the area of the lease or license. If they do so (2) they are required to pay fair compensation to those directly affected.

Furthermore, Section 118 proposes the establishment of the Petroleum Host Community Fund – requiring a detailed and transparent financial distribution system to ensure that host communities benefit directly from petroleum activities. It provides for direct financial transfer of 10% net profit – adjusted profit less Nigerian hydrocarbon tax and company income tax, derived from upstream petroleum operations in onshore areas and shallow waters areas to the community and littoral states.

Even without the salutary lessons of several industry reforms, it is self-evident that the PIB however detailed, well intentioned or structured can effectively address the issues raised in Kiobel unless implemented fairly, transparently, and in the national interest. The National Assembly should amend Section 118 to ensure that the10% of oil profits should include robust safeguards to ensure that all members of the community benefit. It will be readily apparent from the foregoing discussions that with the passage of the PIB, the need for the ATCA in the Nigerian context will become unnecessary. felix.ayanruohlaw@gmail.com

26—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

STORIES BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

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IGERIA is set to make history as plans have been concluded for the foundation laying ceremony of the $1.2 billion world largest gas-to-urea fertilizer plant project.

The promoters of the fertilizer plant, Indorama Eleme Petrochemical Plant, said the launch of the plant is expected to kick-start an agricultural revolution in the country.

It would be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan had promised to support the project because of the huge impact it would have on the country’s agricultural sector and the creation of employment opportunities for Nigerians, when he was informed about it in 2011.

Indorama’s Managing Director, Mr. Manish Mundra, was quoted in the company’s in-house journal, IMPACT, made available to Vanguard, as saying that a date is being expected for this all-important groundbreaking ceremony.

“When completed, the project would deliver high quality fertilizers to Nigerian farmers, thereby helping Nigeria to boost agricultural output and enhance food security,” he said.

The fertilizer plant, with a capacity for 1.4 million metric tonnes of Urea, Ammonia and NPK fertilizers per annum, would be the world’s largest single-stream gas-to-urea plant, said the Technical Director of the project, Mr. Uptal K. Chatterjee.

He explained that the plant, which is expected to be completed in Q4 of 2015, is geared towards transforming Nigeria from a major importer

Nigeria to construct $1.2bn fertilizer plant

From left: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Mrs. Regina Obasa; Commissioner, Mr. Taofiq Tijani; Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba; and Director, Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Ronke Osho, during a press briefing in Lagos. to a key exporter of fertilizer.

Funding the project The project worth US$1.2 Billion has already attracted huge financing from many international and local financial institutions, revealed the Finance Director, Mr. Munish Jindal.

He further explained that on February 18th, the Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited (IEFCL), and its financiers sealed a $1.2 billion financing arrangement in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, UAE, adding that the sum of $800million is in loans while the balance of $400million is in equity.

According to Jindal, the financial partners involved in the $800 million loan

syndication included the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Standard Chartered Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), Africa Export Import Bank (AFREXIM BANK), Bank of India, as well as the KFW and DEG of Germany.

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thers are the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) of the United Kingdom, FMO Entrepreneurial Development Bank of the Netherlands, and Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund. The Nigerian banks are United Bank for Africa (UBA), StanbicIBTC Bank, Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), and Access Bank

…To launch subsidized cylinders for Lagosians HE Lagos State Government said it has built a 10.4megawatt power plant Alausa, to replace the 14-MW diesel generator used within the state secretariat, which also houses the seat of government.

The State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Taofiq Tijani, at a press briefing to commemorate the 6th anniversary of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration in Lagos, said the Independent Power Plant, IPP, would be commissioned in August this year.

The commissioner explained that the power plant will be powered with natural gas, and would also serve the State Secretariat and its environs.

Tijani noted that the inauguration of the power plant would be the third in the series, as the state had previously opened the 12.15MW Akute Power Plant, and 10MW Island Power Plant serving the state water corporation’s needs and Lagos Island street lights, courts and hospitals respectively.

He further explained that the Lagos Island C M Y K

NIPCO strengthens safety enforcement

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Lagos to commission 10.4MW power plant

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plant will be expanded to power more government facilities within the locality, which would soon be completed and will replace a 25MW of diesel generator being used in the area.

The commissioner said the State Electricity Board had completed some street lighting projects, while some ongoing ones would be completed before year end.

“The Lagos State Government currently has the most aggressive energy development plan in Nigeria. It is the only state with a dedicated Ministry for Energy Development as well as an agency.

“In the last three years, LASG has successfully commissioned two power plants (Akute and Island Power) and one transformer manufacturing factory. Plans are currently underway to develop more IPPs around the state,” he said.

Tijani reiterated that the ministry is liaising with key stakeholders to promote gas utilisation in the domestic, transportation, industry and power sectors of the state.

At the signing ceremony, the Group Managing Director of Indorama Corporation, Mr. Amit Lohia, described the fertilizer project as “A breakthrough project in Africa,” noting that the project will make high quality fertilizer affordable for the vast majority of Nigerian farmers who have been frustrated by the lack of quality and adequate fertilizer.

“We are very anxious to start the construction of this plant and we believe that it is going to be a world class facility operation and make Africa stand out in the agricultural landscape,” Lohia said.

He noted that it was a big challenge to bring together a consortium of many lenders to agree on common terms, and thanked them all for believing in the commercial and social viability of the fertilizer project.

“Nigeria is rich in hydrocarbon, yet you find that it continues to import a bulk of its fertilizer requirements; a country with tremendous arable land, rich agricultural sector continues to import a bulk of its fertilizer requirement,” he added.

Speaking on the partnership with Indorama on the project, IFC’s Senior Manager for Manufacturing, Agribusiness, and Services, Mr. Carsten Mueller, said Indorama’s pedigree in massive, large scale manufacturing operations and its commitment to Nigeria’s development wooed the IFC to commit to the partnership.

He said, “IFC’s investment in Indorama Eleme Fertiliser adds value and makes use of existing natural resources, helping Nigeria expand its manufacturing base while improving food security.

N a move to ensure a conducive and safe working environment for all, Nipco Plc has re-invigorated its Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) policy to guide it employees in all aspects of their operation in the oil and gas industry across the country .

Disclosing this at the company ’s safety week celebration, the Managing Director, Mr. Venkataraman Venkatapathy, said some key Performance Indicators (KPI) had been put in place to ensure that the policy achieve its ultimate aim of ensuring that high safety standards is maintained in the company.

He listed the KPI to include; promoting well-being of workers and their families through compensation, benefits, policies and practices, ensuring access to trainings, workshops drills that can enhance safety consciousness, institution of awards to safety consciousminded staff to appreciate their valuable contributors at workplaces.

Venkatapathy gave other thrust of the HSE policy as: mandatory safety reports of incidents to forestall reoccurrence: considering toll human resources when making business decisions and putting in place disciplinary measure for employees who safety rules.

According to him, these measures are principally targeted at achieving zero tolerance for unsafe acts that could be inimical to both human and material resources put in place to ensure incidents free operations.

He pointed out that all employees are being provided with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), adequate information, training and well serviced clinic in addition to several retainer hospitals to take care of accidents requiring medical attention in line with international best practices.

“It is instructive to note that the safety policy which applies to our employees and numerous publics is designed to minimize the number of instances of occupational accidents with the ultimate aim of achieving an accident free operation,” he declared.

He said the theme of the event, “Promoting Safety Consciousness at workplace is very apt against the background of scores of unsafe acts pervading some work places.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013—27

Much ado over four oil blocs

BY SEBASTINE OBASI

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N April 25, 2013 youths and elders of five oilproducing communities in Delta State protested at the National Assembly, alleging that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Limited, were involved in a N58.9 trillion shady oil deal, not few people were worried. Their worry was based on the timing and the motive behind such allegation.

The allegation came at a time when the Minister had ensured that discipline, transparency, fairness and a level playing field as the norm rather than the exception in the nation’s oil and gas industry.

The five communities comprised Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality (led by Emami Ayirimi); Ijaw, (Aribogha Johnny); Urhobo (Jaro Egbo), Isoko (Zino Onaemor); and Ndokwa (Emmanuel Orwti), under the aegis of “Restoration Niger Delta”.

In their petition, they alleged the untoward transfer of 60 percent of the 55 percent equity holding in the form of production rights of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) in Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 26, 30, 34 and 42, to Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited, an indigenous company.

They also alleged that the award of the blocks to Atlantic Energy was meant to deny the communities their right of first refusal, being host communities of the affected oil blocks.

Alliance will boost local content

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n a counter move, on Tuesday, May 7, another group of Niger Delta oil producing communities’ elders threw their weight behind the ‘Strategic Alliance Agreement’ (SAA) between the NPDC and Atlantic Energy on the oil blocks.

The leaders who spoke in Abuja at a press conference stated that those calling for revocation of the agreement were fomenting unnecessary tension. The group also stated that opponents of the agreement were causing fresh uprising in the region and should be charged with treason.

The elders wondered why such actions were taken in the first instance without their consent, asking, “How many traditional leaders did they consult?”

Led by Anamali Joseph Oji, the group argued that those campaigning for the transaction to be aborted did not have the interest of the C M Y K

region at heart. Others in the team included Timi Ebimene (Ijaw), Ezekiel Egwubiare (Urhobo), Luke Acholonu (Ndokwa), Onajega Michael (Isoko) and others.

According to them, “We are of the opinion that in the spirit of fairness and true federalism, we should give the above mentioned company the chance to prove what it can do as an indigenous company even though it is not from the Niger Delta host communities but as a Nigerian company, it should be encouraged.”

They further stated, “NPDC, a Subsidiary of NNPC did the right thing by transferring the operatorship of the oil blocks above to Atlantic Energy. If not for anything, the deal supports the local content policy which we, the oil producing communities have agitated for over the years.”

The elders therefore, called on their representatives at the National Assembly to do the

was simply an alternative funding arrangement in order to meet the NPDCs cash call obligations in the OMLs in question.

The petition also did not indicate that particulars of NPDC ‘s equity interest in the OMLS were transferred either in part or wholly to Atlantic Energy in defiance of the Procurement Act. Contrary to the allegations of bribery, it was gathered that the entry fee paid by Atlantic Energy to NPDC was to acquire the right to fund and not payment for the acquisition of participating interest in the leases. This is a common practice in the industry and conforms to international best practice.

Funding constraints

I

n the past few years, accessing funding for oil and gas projects has been very difficult. Apart from the prohibitive costs of funds, the

•Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke

region proud by enacting laws that will promote the development of the area instead of “joining bandits to blackmail innocent public servants in the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.”

They added that the move “ will, to a large extent, determine our voting pattern as electorates come 2015.”

From all indications, the petition condemning the Strategic Alliance Agreement between NPDC and Atlantic Energy may have been done in bad faith, as the issues raised by the petitioners border on transfer of production rights in the affected oil blocks, which process ought to have been regulated by the Public Procurement Act.

Terms of agreement

F

rom available records, the alliance between the NPDC and Atlantic Energy was neither a divestment of asset nor transfer of operatorship. It

Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has been tightening the noose of what it considered excessive lending by banks to the oil industry. This has since made oil industry practitioners especially the upstream sector operators, to look for alternative funding arrangements for their operations.

In his reaction to the petition, Mr. Victor Briggs, the Managing Director, NPDC, said some of these forms of alternative funding which are essentially joint venture arrangements such as illustrative agreements, royalty purchase, sale purchase agreements, farm out agreements, production sharing contracts and drilling funds are in line with world best practice.

He explained, “What the NPDC did by the Strategic Alliance Agreement with Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited falls under the category of drilling funds.

It is important to point out here that whether it is the Modified Carry Arrangement (MCA) or the Project Financing model that is adopted, the NPDC negotiates the most competitive financing terms for itself and this was done in the instant case.

“The NPDC after a careful due diligence which considered other oil companies who showed interest and submitted proposals for the Strategic Alliance arrangement, selected Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited as its provider of alternative funding in order to meet the cash call obligations in the affected OMLs. Such funding is by way of loans and do not in any way undermine or jeopardize the equity holding of NPDC. It is also important to note that the NPDC itself does not own the OMLs but is only an operator of the FGN interest in the OMLs and as such could not have sold what did not belong to them.”

Briggs further noted that alternative funding for oil companies and Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, has been a practice under the present administration’s transformation agenda, as it is a much cheaper and in this case, more specialised form of raising working capital.

He said, “In these times when all should be concerned with cutting production costs in the oil industry, particularly in the wake of huge subsidies, this strategic action by NPDC should be welcome and encouraged.”

Deal is due process compliant Briggs also defended that due process was followed, as some other companies that showed interest in the blocks could not meet up the requirements.

According to him, “In this financing arrangement, many oil firms that showed interest were considered, but due diligence showed that many of such firms were already in huge debts and some were indeed in the CBN caution list.”

He further explained that alternative funding for oil companies and MDAs was cheaper and in line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. He added that the claim of five billion barrels proven oil reserves was calculated to whip up cheap public sentiments, as the entire holding of all the four blocks was below five billion barrels.

“Rather than violate any guidelines in the industry, it has rather shown that the organization is proactive and very much at home with global trends. It is only worthy of commendation and not condemnation,” the NPDC boss stated.

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Brazil to hold oil auction in October * First Productionsharing under 2010 law

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RAZIL will hold an auction for rights to explore some of its most promising offshore oil and natural gas areas in October, one month earlier than expected, the GloboNews 24hour TV news channel reported last week.

The auction date has been moved up to capitalize on strong demand for high-risk frontier areas at a May 14 auction, the first in Brazil in five years, GloboNews said in an un-sourced report.

Last week’s auction sold 142 exploration areas to 39 companies from 12 countries for 2.82 billion reais ($1.4 billion) in cash and promises to invest a minimum of 7 billion reais. Brazil also plans to include the giant Libra prospect among the areas on offer in October, GloboNews said. Libra holds about 16 billion barrels of recoverable oil, according to Brazil’s oil agency, the ANP, which discovered oil in the prospect in 2010. That’s enough to supply all U.S. oil needs for more than two years and about equal to Brazil’s current proved reserves.

The planned auction will be the first under a 2010 law that increased state control over resources in the offshore Campos and Santos Basins northeast and south of Rio de Janeiro.

The areas on offer will be in the so-called Subsalt Polygon, home to giant discoveries where oil is trapped in undersea reservoirs by a layer of salt as much as 7,000 meters below the ocean surface.

The Polygon covers nearly all unleased areas in the Campos and Santos basins, regions where existing leases already produce more than 80 percent of Brazil’s oil. The Polygon may hold as much as 100 billion barrels of oil, according to the Brazilian Petroleum Institute of Rio de Janeiro-State University.

The press offices of Brazil’s Presidential Palace and oil regulator, the ANP, did not answer calls outside of business hours.

The ANP, which will manage the auction, has scheduled a media conference for Thursday at noon local time (1500 GMT) to discuss the outlook for oil in the area being auctioned. The government will announce the changed auction timing at the event, GloboNews said.

28—Vanguard , TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

By Theodore Opara

Stallion finally takes Nissan franchise •Promises to unveil 7 new models S

TALLION Group has officially taken over the franchise for Nissan in Nigeria with the launch of Stallion NMN in the country last week.

The event which was attended by Nissan Motors big wigs from sub Sahara Africa Regional office in South Africa, finally ended the partnership between Nissan and its former partner in Nigeria, CFAO Motors.

Speaking at the official launch, Nissan Motors General Manager, sub Sahara Africa regional office, Mr. Jimmy Dando, said: “Nissan fans in Nigeria have plenty to be excited about, following the launch of the new distributor, Stallion NMN in Gbagada Lagos today.”

According to Mr. Dando, Nissan will introduce seven exciting new models into the Nigerian market before the end of the year.

The new partnership heralds a commitment to strong representation in Nigeria, a key market that is expected to deliver significant growth and contribution to Nissan’s global midterm plan, Nissan Power88.

Jim Dando, heading up Nissan’s Sub Sahara Africa Division, said that the African automotive market continues to promise sustainable prospects for growth over the coming years.

"Our Africa plans include the increase of our share from the current 7.9 per cent share in Africa, to double that, through new model introductions, brand building and retail network expansion.

"The partnership with Stallion NMN will help us achieve these objectives. We are pleased to be working with a strong team in Nigeria, who is able to understand and serve our customers and respond to a complex market," he stated.

Nissan had a strong presence in Nigeria in the 1970's and early 1980’s, with Nissan Urvan and Datsun 120Y and 180Y. Stallion NMN is expected to reignite the brand in Nigeria, with a focused product introduction plan in the years 2013 to 2016.

"GT-R and Juke are en route to Lagos as we speak, while the next generation Sentra, Tiida, Teana, Pathfinder and C M Y K

Nissan Pathfinder Qashqai will be introduced in the coming months, bringing cars packed with innovative features that reflect Nissan’s passion for bringing accessible technology to a broader audience," said Dando.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Parvir Singh, Managing Director, Stallion NMN, said the inauguration of the Nissan facility in Gbagada, is the first step in the company’s commitment to providing an extensive and world-class automotive experience to customers in Nigeria.

"Stallion NMN has a firm belief in the Nissan brand and wishes to reconnect the local motoring public with Nissan’s heritage of solid engineering, ingenuity and aesthetic values.

"Through our network expansion plans, and strong focus on the ongoing development of our sales and service teams, Nigerian consumers can expect consistent and innovative sales and service solutions.

“Today is undeniably significant and suggests another milestone in the history of the Stallion Group in Nigeria.”

According to him, their obligation is to make the ownership of Nissan an enjoyable experience and recognise the importance and excellence both in

the quality of their vehicles and after sales service.

The group managing director, while disclosing that Stallion alone

controls over 20 per cent of the Nigerian automobile market share, assured Nissan that they have met the right partner in Stallion.

He said: “Let me also reassure Nissan Motor Company that Stallion NMN is the right partner, who firmly believe in the Nissan

brand and will strive to establish the preeminent position of the brand in the Nigerian market.

“Although, the Nigerian automobile market could be volatile, the Nissan brand isn’t alien to local motoring public who have had first hand experience of the DNA of Nissan Motor vehicles' quality, durability and reliability.”

He disclosed that as far back as the 1970s, Nissan products enjoyed unprecedented patronage in the local market controlling appreciable share of the country’s automobile market.

Nigeria Auto Awards, time tested, value driven

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HE 2013 and 8th edition of The Nigeria Auto Awards (TNAA) has been scheduled to hold at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday.

According to the organizers. On Wheels magazine, all arrangements have been finalised for the successive hosting of the award.

Publisher Onwheels magazine, Mr. Jabez Aina Scott told Motoring Journalists that while working assiduously towards celebrating a de-

cade of the pioneering of the event in less than two years from now arrangements have been completed for an elaborate celebration of the 2013 edition with the view of raising the stake.

According to Mr. Scott “The Nigeria Auto Awards is a time tested and value driven event, introduced eight years ago to celebrate people and industry practitioners who have made strenuous efforts to distinguish themselves both in brand building and market leadership”.

Explaining further, he informed that nominations recently concluded had thrown up one of the following brands; Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Honda Accord and Ford Taurus as the likely one to be adjudged the winner of the CAR OF TH E YEAR crown. This was won last year by Hyundai Elantra.

Also concluded at the nomination level are several other segments that include this year’s trophy for the best car-design which was won by Land

Rover Range Rover Evoque at the previous edition and features the Honda Crosstour, Ford Taurus and Hyundai Sonata for this edition.

Mr. Jabez Aina-Scott, who is also the Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of company disclosed that the Advisory Board of the Nigeria Auto Awards has been re-vamped to include representatives of regulating authorities in advertising - APCON and the Consumer Protection Council - CPC.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013—29

Theodore Opara

All-new RAV4 shines at the Lagos Motor Show I

T was the synosure of all eyes at the last Lagos Motor show at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos. It was like the Nigerian motoring public was waiting for it, as most visitors took turns to look at the all-new Toyota RAV4. Though Toyota Nigeria Limited, displayed all their model line up at the fair, the fourth generation RAV4 was no doubt the star of the event.

The reason could not be far from the fact that it was Toyota’s latest addition to the Nigerian market or due to its trendy design which Toyota Motor Corporation described as “a revolutionary new design concept."

Bold, stylish design and uniquely commanding presence distinguishes the new RAV4 from its competitors.

Young men, ladies, children and their parents all had something that attracted them to the new RAV4.

The ushers at Toyota's stand

during the motor show, had lots of explanations to make.

They were bombarded with questions ranging

from the engine capacity of the car, trim levels, safety features, performance, comfort etc. Though the ushers were not experts, they tried to explain the little they could and refer some to Toyota Nigeria staff.

Toyota brought two versions of the RAV4 to the fair – the leather and upholstery versions, both highly spaced. But the top of the range which comes in leather trim comes with extra features.

Under the hood of the all-new RAV4 is a powerful 2.4 litre engine with 16 valve DOHC with dual VVT-i. With this advanced

engine, the RAV4 offers enjoyable and stable driving along with all-round practicality unique to its compact size. Mated to this engine is a six-speed super-intelligent ECT (electronically controlled transmission). This transmission achieves excellent dynamic performance with a smooth shift feel, thereby guarantying excellent fuel economy and quietness.

The all-new RAV4’s offroad prowess comes from its powerful engine and suspension, coupled with its 4WD mode. The front suspension adopts MacPherson struts with rigid and compact Lshaped lower control arms.

The rear utilises rigid and compact trailing arm double wishbone suspension.

This combination simultaneously attains ride comfort and handling stability.

As a master of all terrain, the RAV4 sport model with Dynamic Torque Control 4WD, keeps it accurately on track without incurring oversteer due to the driver’s steering input while conering. The system instantaneously adjusts front/ rear wheel torque distribution based on analysis of sensor inputs on steering angle, yaw rate and other parameters, helping to ensure a drive that is line with your intention.

Also, turning on the sports mode switch in the D-range activities, Drange sport control. This switches the switch control to a sportier setting. In addition, turning on the 4WD mode switch maximises rear wheel torque making it easier to escape from deep mud or sand.

Apart from the 4WD the new RAV has other features like Hill-start Assist Control and Downhill Assist Control. The hill start assistant control helps maintain the vehicle’s stationary position and ensures smooth start even on steep inclines by automatically applying brake pressure to all four wheels, while the driver ’s foot moves from the brake to the acceleration pedal. The Downhill assist control assists the driver during steep decent by automatically applying hydraulic pressure to the brakes, maintaining a consistently safe low speed.

The RAV4’s other extensive safety features include seatbelts, back sonar/rearview monitor, SRS airbags etc. While the spare tyre has been concealed under the luggage compartment, the entire design has changed completely with even more space, for occupants and luggages.

The interior is inviting with meticulous attention to comfort and ease of use.

30—Vanguard, TUESD AY, MAY 28, 2013 TUESDA

MNCH: 3 youths on mission to deliver Nigerian women

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

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HEY are three of a kind Babatunde Emmauel Ajidagba, Chukwudera Bridget Mmaduabu (nee Okeke) and Mu’azu Mohammed. All activists, their backgrounds are diverse, but their future is united by a common cause,which is the wellbeing and health of Nigerian women and girls.

Tunde, Chukwudera and Mu’azu, foresee a better future for Nigerian girls and women. They desire a better tomorrow for women and girls and are going all out to fulfil that goal.

The trio are Nigerian representatives of the Women Deliver’s 100 Young Leaders-a group of inspiring young people selected to receive scholarships to attend the largest global meeting of the decade to focus on the health and well-being of girls and women, (the 2013 Women Deliver conference), they have handed opportunity to learn more about issues affecting women

and girls’ wellbeing and livelihood as well as connecting with experts from around the world.

As the conference gets underway today in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, these young Nigerians, on a rescue mission of maternal health, are set to be part of history.

Already, they have positioned themselves to join thousands of other maternal health advocates, from around the world, to attend the monumental world meeting.

“We are adding our voices to highlight the plight of women and girls on Earth,” stressed Bridget - a sociologist, independent consultant, development practitioner and experienced sexual and reproductive health and rights advocate. A a volunteer with Concern Women International Development Initative, and consultant for Citizen’s Health and Education Development(CHEDI), Bridget hopes to learn the success stories and challenges of other countries in the bid to-

From left: Mr. Babatunde Emmauel Ajidagba, Mr. Mu’azu Mohammed and Mrs. Chukwudera Bridget Mmaduabu, all activists, though their backgrounds are diverse, but their future is united by a common cause,which is the well-being and health of Nigerian women and girls. wards the Nigerian government committing resources towards achieving better maternal health in the country.

“I’m hoping to add my voice to discussions on post 2015 agenda, particularly the implications for the realisation of young people’s sexual and

reproductive health in developing countries,” she asserts As for Babatunde, a final year medical student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria has similar ambitions. “My passion is for women and girls’ reproductive health and

I weep whenever I look in the mirror —AZUMARA ...In search of N2m for corrective surgery

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

O

NE part of her face was wrapped carefully with a scarf. Without a close look, anyone would mistake the scarf for a hijab. A closer look reveals the facial deformit a strange tumour on the entire left side of her face is a personal reminder of her sadness and shattered dreams. Her situation is precarious. While many young girls her ogle at the mirror all day long, the sight of a mirror makes Azumara Goodluck sick to her stomach.

The 20-year-old has carried her deformity since childhood. It kept her from attaining any form of formal education Her dreams of becoming a nurse long shattered.

When she walked into Vanguard’s Corporate Head office in Lagos last week, she was a picture of a broken but determined heart. Her disfigured face was a sight to behold. Already she has lost functional use of the left eye.

A medical report from the

C M Y K

• Azumara Goodluck Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, signed

by Dr. M.O Salami, confirms her condition as Neurofibromatosis of the left side of the face.

Neurofibromatosis is a condition that can affect many parts of the body, including the brain, spinal cord, nerves, skin, and other body systems. It can cause growth of non-cancerous tumours on nerve tissue, producing skin and bone abnormalities.

Azumara’s condition requires surgery described as plexiform neurofibromas of the left side of the face. It also showed that Azumara’s visual activity in the left eye has no light perception and upon examination show total cornea opacity, hence, the left eye has no

visual potential. Her right eye which is the only eye left requires refraction immediately after her surgery.

Speaking fluent Igbo language, Azumara recounted her ordeal.

“My life has been pain all through.

I have never known happiness all my life. No one cares for me even my parents. I am the second child of the family of five but my condition deprived me of parental care.”

In tears, she said: “I did not go to school due to this condition. My parents could not send me to primary or secondary school. As a young woman I cannot look at my face in the mirror. The sight of a mirror makes me sick.”

The Abo - Mbaise, Imo State-born teenager confesses that whenever she peeped in the mirror, she weeps for herself. “ It has not been easy living with such a face.”

Azumara is calling on well- meaning Nigerians, the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to rescue her. “I want Nigerians to please help me. I want to have my face back.”

Her guardian and representative of St. Michaels Hope Alive Foundation, Mr Michael Ebere

Continues on page 31

rights.

Coordinator of a Campus Health and Rights Initiative (CHRI) - a youth based organization promoting reproductive health and rights among young adults, Babatunde is providing quality, accessible, and affordable sexual and reproductive health education and health services to peers through an awareness programme tagged Campus Health Forum.

“My desire and wish for Nigerian girls and women is that their reproductive health will be promoted and their reproductive rights will be protected.”

Mu’azu, 26, is Program Support Assistant with Targeted States High Impact Project, TSHIP, a system strengthening project with focus on integrated interventions on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, MNCH; family planning and reproductive health in Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria. Mu’azu holds a Masters Degree in International Studies from Usmanu DanFodiyo University Sokoto, with a background in advocacy and community mobilization on sexual reproductive health and rights including HIV/AIDS. “This conference is an opportunity for a young advocate who has interest in improving health of girls and women in Africa to meet other young people from other continents to others with different background and experiences with info and share exp and interact. There will be the opportunity to advocate with country delegates ministries of health and finance, and tell the need for young girls and women, inaspects of reproductive health matters.”

Vanguard, TUESD AY, MAY 28, 2013—31 TUESDA

Community pharmacists seek urgent review of NHIS scope

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has been called upon to urgently review the scope of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, even as Community pharmacists have recommended appointment of a substantive Executive Secretary of the NHIS. Making the call, National Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, ACPN, Pharm. Olufemi Adebayo lamented lack of action over the years to address agitation by stakeholders on functionality of the Scheme.

“We urge President Jonathan to hasten appointment of the substantive Executive Secretary as this will go a long way in effective running of the scheme.

In appointing the ES, Adebayo who spoke at a press briefing in Lagos to herald its Annual National Conference billed to hold between 3rd through 7th of June, 2013 in Calabar with the theme: “Safe medicines for Nigerians: Community Pharmacists Perspective”,said the President should provide a level playing ground for all professional associations in the health sector in order to ensure that a good leader emerges.

“Community pharmacists registered with the Scheme generally have not been receiving reasonable volume of prescriptions from primary healthcare

providers due the problem of global capitation currently used to pay secondary providers under the Scheme.

Adebayo said the Scheme would have afforded opportunity to many Nigerians to have access to quality healthcare.

He spoke while highlighting the Association’s Annual National Conference coming up in Calabar with the theme: “Safe medicines for Nigerians: Community Pharmacists Perspective”.

He further alleged that pharmacies under the programme are seriously surcharged by medical doctors who are the primary providers and are responsible for the payment of the secondary providers like the pharmacists, physiotherapists amongst others.

“Pharmacists belong to secondary providers, initially, the secondary providers supposed to be paid under ‘feefor -service’ that is, whatever drugs they prescribe for the month, the Healthcare Management Organisation, HMO, will pay the secondary healthcare providers but overnight the table turned. By virtue of that, community pharmacists are being surcharged seriously, prescriptions are not coming from healthcare providers, the doctors are prescribing and dispensing at the same time. No one can guarantee the quality of drugs that are being prescribed. There is no longer check and balance in the system. Complete professionalism that supposed to come

into play if NHIS is properly executed is no longer there because they doctors are holding tight whatever they are being given.”

Speaking, Lagos State Chairman, ACPN, Pharm. Mr. AminuAbdulsalam Yinka regretted that 70 percent of drugs in circulation are in the hands of what he, described as ‘charlatans’. He stressed the need for

the country to correct the current chaotic drug distribution in the country.

Also speaking, Immediate Lagos State Past Chairman, Pharm. Felix Anienh while commending the Federal Government for launching National Drug Distribution Guidelines urged them to further ensure implementation to ensure sanity into drug distribution in Nigeria.

Stakeholders optimistic of war against malaria scourge

W

ITH Anti-mosquito air- condi tioners now added to the long list of control efforts to reduce the menace of malaria in the country, experts are optimistic that the battle against malaria would be won with equal commitments from all stakeholders.

Presenting units of the new ACs along with treated mosquito nets to Idi_ Ayunre community health centre in Ibadan, General Manager, Air Conditioning and Energy Solutions, LG Electronics, Mr. Junhwa Jeong who said it was a CSR initiative explained that the scourge of malaria has been recognised to be one of the biggest killer of pregnant women as well as children under the age of five. “We have seen the impact of malaria on families, children, pregnant women and national economy.

Overtime, combating the menace of malaria has proven to be extremely difficult.”

“We strongly believe that as we come together to rub minds in order to prof-

fer solutions to the malaria scourge that has long ravaged the African continent, we can create a better world for the generations to come,” he added.

Managing Director, Fouani Nigeria Limited, Mr. Mohammed Fouani said the donations would go a long way to ameliorate the health challenges people in the community face.

Receiving the items, Medical Officer of Health, Dr Muyideen Babatunde Olatunji said the donation would go a long way in ameliorating the distress of the people in the community.

He called on other corporate bodies to take a cue from LG Electronics in meeting the needs of rural communities affirming that there are many communities that are in dire need of support. “LG through the gesture showed itself to be a brand that identifies with the plight of Nigerians by donating its innovative consumer electronic products. The high point of the event was an interactive section with members of the communities on malaria.

Resident doctors donate blood in Lagos

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

M

•General Manager, Air Conditioning and Energy Solutions, LG Electronics, West Africa Operations, Mr. Junhwa Jeong; MD, Fouani Nigeria Ltd, Mr Mohammed Fouani; Professor of Therapeutics and Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Prof. Catherine Falade; Corporate Marketing Manager, LG Electronics, Mr. Rajesh Agnihotri and Medical Officer of Health, Oluyole Local Government, Dr Muyideen Olatunji,during the presentation of anti-mosquito air conditioners and treated mosquito nets to IdiAyunre Community Health Centre, Oluyole, Oyo State.

I weep whenever I look in the mirror — AZUMARA Continues from Page 30 who spoke on the inability of Azumara’s parents to do the surgery while she was still a child. They were ignorant and lack the wherewithal.

He explained that Azumara has been booked for five surgeries to correct at the LUTH at the cost of N300, 000.00 each. An estimated cost of N2 million is required overall.

“We were referred from Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH C M Y K

to LUTH. We were told that the tumour has not affected the bone and could be rescued with urgent intervention.

“The tumour was not like this when she was born but it has been increasing in size as she grows into womanhood. We are calling on Nigerians to help us.”

If you are touched by Azumara’s plight please call 08134364799 or 08180216052 or send donations to Azuma Goodluck, First Bank, 3061457628.

EDICAL doctors under the aus pices of Association of Resident Doctors, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH -ARD, have stressed the essence of voluntary blood donation towards saving lives. Flagging off a blood donation drive of the Association, Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Health, Dr. Femi Olugbile said just 10 percent of blood required in Lagos state is met.

Olugbile who called for support in creating suitable outlets within urban centres for blood donation for easy access for persons willing to donate blood products, tasked stakeholders in the state health system to embark on intensive advocacy on the need for voluntary blood donation.

“Although, it is important to create the structures where blood can be donated, they do not necessarily have to happen in an hospital environment.

You can have it in a shopping centre, for example,” he commented.

On the LASUTH-ARD blood donation exercise, which he said described as a positive leadership initiative, Olugbile noted “It is the duty of government to build the structures to enable people to

walk in and donate blood; it is the duty of bodies such as the ARD, doctors and the medical workforce generally “to create the drive and awareness for blood donation within society.”

President, LASUTH-ARD, Dr. Oluwajimi Sodipo who reeled out the importance of voluntary blood donation said the doctors embarked on the blood donor drive to encourage Nigerians to donate blood voluntarily.

Sodipo lamented acute shortage of blood and blood products in public hospitals across the country. According to him, despite the importance of blood in saving lives, Nigerians are reluctant to donate blood.

32—VANGUARD, TUESD AY, MAY 28, 2013 TUESDA

37 oral health ambassadors emerge

T

•Senate President and National Health Champion, Senator David Mark; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs Fatima Bamidele presenting N100,000 cheque to the winner of the Close-up sponsored essay competition, Chiamaka Azubike.

HE Federal Ministry of Health in partnership with Close up toothpaste has appointed 37 State Oral Health Ambassadors to help in driving the nation’s Oral Health Policy.

At the event which saw the inauguration of Governors Godswill Akpabio,Adams Oshiomole, Ibrahim Dankwambo and OlusegunMimiko of AkwaIbom, Edo, Gombe and Ondo States respectively as the Oral Health Ambassadors for their various States, cash gifts were also given to the winners of the 2013 Oral Health Essay competition sponsored by Close Up toothpaste on the theme, “Healthy Teeth for Healthy lives”.

Others inaugurated as ambassadors include: the Chairman Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, representing Delta State; the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mr. Tunde Lemo,

representing Ogun State; Music Artiste, Innocent TufaceIdibia representing Benue State and the former Coach of the Super Eagles, Mr. Samson Siasia representing Bayelsa State.

Managing Director, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Mr. Thabo Mabe who was represented by the Nutrition and Health Manager, West Africa, Mr. Victor Ajieroh noted: “We restate our commitment to work with the Senate President, the Federal Ministry of Health and all key stakeholders in ensuring improved oral health and overall health and wellbeing of Nigerians”. “We remain committed to continued awareness creation, knowledge building and behavior change around oral health and advancing the research of the future of oral health.” Winners of the Essay competition are; Miss AzubuikeChiamaka, Enaiye Grace and Vera Chioma Ekechukwu.

20% Nigerians feed on less than $1 daily — POLL

A

NEW poll results released

by NOI Polls Limited has revealed that only about two in 10 (19 per cent) Nigerians spend less than $1 a day on food while 80 percent spend over N160 ($1) daily. The findings which assumed respondents eat three meals a day, said they spent an average of N713 ($4.5) on food daily.

In 2012, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS published a report stating that about 61.2 percent (against 51.6 percent in 2004) of the Nigerian population (about 112.47 million out of the 163 million Nigerians) were living on less than $1 a day at the end of 2010.

The NBS also declared that the relative poverty level was 69 percent and

absolute poverty level (minimal requirements necessary to afford minimal standards of food, clothing, healthcare and shelter) was 60.9 percent.

This implied that majority of Nigerians were living on less than N160 a day.

The-dollar-per-day measure of poverty gained popularity among development agencies and statisticians especially after its adoption as the first UN Millennium Development goal to ‘halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day’.

Experts have long disagreed over the model of measurement and it has led to various criticisms including how low the poverty line was set at and even opin-

ion leaders in Nigeria have questioned the findings given the rise in costs of basic essentials such as food, shelter, clothing and transport.

With that in mind NOI Polls conducted a Poll in order to contribute to the on-going poverty debate and generate useful data to support policymakers in the area of poverty alleviation and also serve as a platform for further commentary, analysis and research on poverty in Nigeria.

Key findings from the poll revealed that 24 percent of the respondents spend between N634 -N791 (an average of N713) on food daily, which begins to question the assertion that over 60 percent of Nigerians live below $1 (N160)

daily. A closer look at the analysis of the result showed that 60 percent of the North West zone spends below the National average on food daily, while 72 percent of people in the South South zone and 62 percent of the South East zone spend above the National average. The poll results further revealed that majority of respondents either spent between average of N200 or N120 on breakfast and between average of N280 on lunch and dinner separately. This goes further to show that an average meal per person is above the $1 (N160) poverty line.

Other results from the poll showed that 42 percent of Nigerians eat bread for breakfast, while 22 percent eat rice,

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

D

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34—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Vanguard Vanguard,,

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013 — 35

YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

LIBRA: 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.

SCORPIO: 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.

SAGITTARIUS: This is your lucky day and the more self assertive you are the better but then it is important you don’t take things and people for granted. Be wise CAPRICORN: 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

I

AM sure if the question is asked today, whether you are a king, many will answer no, I am not a king. But let us look at it this way.

Who is your father? Which name

Born to be king do you answer? I am sure you answer to your earthly father ’s name, because you believe he is your father. The way you answer to your earthly father ’s

name, is also the way you manifest your heavenly father’s attribute. God is the creator of heaven and earth.

He is the king of all kings and you are his child. As the

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”

child of the king of kings, you are born to be a king.

The son of a lion is a lion. Right from the day of birth, other animals fear it.

You are the son of the king of kings.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

AQUARIUS: 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.

PISCES: 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.

ARIES: GOOD relationship between the Moon and lucky Jupiter will bring you good opportunities. Be less argumentative.

TAURUS: 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.

GEMINI: THE Moon encourages you to be as assertive as possible but you will need to expect certain level of opposition. Try to be more friendly.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

CANCER: 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.

LEO: 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.

VIRGO: 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 tr ological datee and place of bir th ttoo the As 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 ?

Olabode. Mushin.

Dear Olabode, 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 2013 that will come between May to June 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 . 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 AROUND AUGUST 2013.

Commen3

by Lawrence Akapa

36—Vanguard , TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Agbakoba sues bank over allegedly mismanaged margin loan

F

ORMER PRESIDENT of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, and other aggrieved customers of First Bank of Nigeria Plc have filed a class action against the bank before a Federal High Court in Lagos, claiming gross mismanagement of their margin loan running into millions of naira.

The plaintiffs are claiming that the bank failed to use its professional expertise and skills to manage, operate and control the loans.

They averred that it was the responsibility of the bank to manage the risks of the loans and that its failure made them to lose huge sums of money.

The plaintiffs stated that although other aggrieved customers of banks and investment houses in the country have found it difficult to successfully prosecute their claims in relation to injuries occasioned by margin loan agreements because of the nature and structure of the contracts entered into, this case appears to be different on the evidence seen thus far.

Parents advised to mentor their children

P

ARTICIPANTS AT a seminar have advised parents not to allow the generational gap between them and their children become a hindrance in guiding and counselling them.

The seminar was organised by 'Lagos Province 4 Apapa Elders’ Council of the The Redeemed Christian Church of God, with the theme: ‘Guiding Youths to Career Success – the role of parents,’ at the City of David Sanctuary Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Chairman/ Coordinator of the Elders Council, Elder Niyi Yusuf said the essence of the seminar was to enable people contribute towards guiding youths for career success.

Maritime security: FG urged to provide adequate platforms for navy

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

A

BUJA— THE Federal Government has been advised to provide appropriate and adequate platforms for the Nigerian Navy to enable the force meet up with the task of checking criminality in the nation’s

vast maritime environment, including oil theft, vandalisation and piracy.

Director, Nigerian Navy Chaplaincy, Lt. Commander Iyobosa Osaghae, at an interdenominational service to mark the 57th anniversary of the force at the All Protestant Military Church, Mogadishu

Cantonment, Abuja, noted that the Nigerian Navy led

by Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba (CNS) was blessed with experienced and well trained personnel who just need the equipment to do the job of protecting the nation’s resources at sea.

He said: “The platforms we

DEMOCRACY DAY THANKSGIVING - From left: Chief Benjamin Elue, former Deputy Governor of Delta State, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, his Deputy, Prof.

Amos Utuama and Mr. Victor Ochie, Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, at the 2013 Democracy Day Thanksgiving Service, at the Flock of Christ Mission, in Warri, yesterday.

Photo: Henry Unini

NGF crisis: Group lauds Akpabio

A

SOCIO-CULTURAL group of young professionals, The New Face of Akwa Ibom, yesterday, commended the Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum, Obong Godswill Akpabio, for providing the country with its much-needed political stability during the ongoing crisis in the Nigerian Governors Forum.

The group, said that Governor Akpabio has provided President Goodluck Jonathan the necessary inspiration to continue to provide effective leadership for the country that has been badly- fractured politically.

In a statement in Lagos,

the General-Secretary of the New Face and veteran journalist, Eyen Obong Umosen, said that at a critical moment of crisis in the original NGF, which has been decimated by internal wrangles, “Governor Akpabio most admirably rallied like-minded colleagues in the NGF to resolve its internal challenges without necessarily impacting negatively on the polity, which has already been over-stretched by insurrection sponsored by belligerent politicians.

“Once again, the inability of the governors to resolve a simple matter of elections among themselves without scapegoating the Presidency exposes the forum as no more

relevant than a platform for mere ego-tripping and without real significance for the welfare and plight of ordinary Nigerians, which should be the essence of leadership.

“Most governors are obsessed with convoys and motorcades, not with the intimidating army of disillusioned citizens, who pose an even greater danger than Boko Haram and other insurgent groups in the country. Until they wake up to this reality, not many Nigerians are likely to be interested in who emerges the chairman of the NGF, either Chief Rotimi Amaechi or Group-Capt.

Jonah Jang (rtd).”

We've spent N82.7m SURE-P fund — FG

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

A

SABA — THE Federal Government, weekend, said it had utilised N82.7 million from its share of allocation from the oil subsidy savings.

Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, in Asaba, Delta State, during an appraisal tour of the Community Service, Women and Youth Employment, CSWYE, project of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment, SURE-P, said

in addition, the six states in the South South had jointly benefited N337.9million from the oil subsidy so far.

According to him, the N82.656million utilised by the Federal Government was spent on monthly stipends to beneficiaries, basic handtools, and other minor project management requirements.

Accompanied by the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku; Director General of National Directorate of Employment, NDE, Mallam Abubakar Mohammed, among other

stakeholders, Wogu said: “I have brought these important stakeholders on the project with me on this visit to thank you and the good people of Delta State for having faith in the administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to deliver on the oil subsidy promises by supporting the programme.

"No doubt, without your support, the huge achievement recorded in Delta State on this project would not have been possible."

have today need to be beefed up because even the Bible made us to understand that no man goes to war on his own expense. The Navy cannot go to war on their own expense; but I know they are being worked out.

“I also know that as the platforms come on stream, by the grace of God, we shall deliver on the mandate of clearing the nation’s water of illegal bunkering and oil theft and other maritime criminality given to Nigerian Navy by Mr. President.”

In his sermon at the church service, Rev. Osaghae emphasised that the current transformation policy of the armed forces will come to naught unless God’s guidance was sought for genuine transformation to take place.

Ughelli PDP celebrates Oru's escape from hoodlums

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI — THE people of Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, have come out in large number to celebrate the survival of the National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, South South zone, Dr Steve Oru, who narrowly escaped being killed by hoodlums.

Oru, who was returning from Warri to Ughelli on February 2, 2013, ran into hoodlums that laid ambush at Uwiamughe-Agbarho on the East/West Road for unsuspecting road users and was shot. His police orderly was killed in the attack.

The celebration, which started at the Osubi Airport, where he was received on his way from treatment overseas, climaxed with a well organised civic reception at his (Oru) Ughelli residence.

Speaking to newsmen at the event, Oru expressed thanks to God for sparing his life, saying, “it was God that saved my life from the clutches of death.”

Oru thanked Nigeria’s Vice President Nnamdi Sambo, National chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamaga Tukur; National Working Committee members of the party, Chairman, BoT of the party; Chief Tony Anenih; Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan; Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, among others for their prayers and support.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013—37

Senator chides beneficiaries of poverty eradication initiative

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—SENATOR Heineken Lokpobiri has decried the attitude of beneficiaries of his empowerment scheme in Bayelsa-West Senatorial District, who sold equipment meant for poverty eradication at give-away prices.

Lokpobiri expressed his displeasure at Ekeremor, headquarters of Ekeremor Local Government Area, where he presented empowerment tools to 500 indigenes of the senatorial district.

He described his empowerment programme as a collaborative effort with the National Poverty Eradication Programme, NAPEP, designed to assist the beneficiaries in setting up small-scale businesses, regretting that some of last year's beneficiaries at Sagbama sold the equipment given to them at the venue of the ceremony.

He said: “Last year, a similar exercise was held at Sagbama, where empowerment packages were given out to beneficiaries. It was, however, painful to observe that some beneficiaries, right there at the venue, sold their equipment at a very low prices. They preferred cash rather than using the equipment to do business not minding the multiplier effect they stand to gain by way of wealth creation.”

BY EMMA ARUBI

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ARRI—FOLLOWING stern warnings by Delta State Government and the military authorities that the leadership and elders of communities where illegal bunkering activities are perpetrated would be dealt with, elders and leaders oil rich Ugborodo community have warned all those involved in the illegal trade to vacate the Escravos axis or be ready to face the consequences of their acts.

Similarly, the authorities of Warri South-West Local Government Area of the state, led by the Secretary, Mr. Victor Omunu and other security agents, have also warned illegal oil bunkerers to leave the Escravos area, henceforth or face the full wrath of the law as nobody would be spared in the impending invasion of all illegal refineries across the state. The Ugborodo Community Trust Chairman, Mr. Isaac Botosan and the Ugbajor of Ugborodo community, Priest Perry Atete, who addressed the community at Ode-Ugborodo town hall, weekend, charged

the people to be prepared to give the names and addresses of suspected illegal refinery dealers in the Escravos area to security personnel, adding that with the last warning, all those involved,

both indigenes and foreigners, should leave the area immediately.

Botosan stated that Ugborodo was not an illegal oil bunkering community and would, therefore, not shield

Disband Governors’ Forum —Ikimi

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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ARRI—NATIONAL Coordinator of Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, FJHD, Delta State, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, weekend, called on President Goodluck Jonathan to dissolve the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, as activities of the forum had become a threat to national unity.

In a statement in Warri, Delta State, he said: “I have noted the recent chaotic chairmanship election of the Nigeria Governors' Forum

cum the factions that emanated from the said exercise.

I call on the Presidency to immediately disband the body in the interest of national unity and security as the recent activities of the said forum are a threat to national stability.

“Let me say that the 1999 Constitution, as amended, never contemplated a body such as the Nigeria Governors Forum and as such, the body is illegal and unconstitutional. I, however, agree that Nigerians have a constitutional right to form

or belong to a body, group or association of their choice, nevertheless, the above rights would be curtailed when the activities of such a body, group or association is a threat to national unity and stability as in the instant case of the Governors Forum.

“Apart from being funded with public funds, NGF is now being polarised with the Rotimi Amaechi- led faction and the Jonah Jang- led faction embroiled in- fighting, the activities of the said body can now be described as clandestine and inimical to national unity.”

Canadian Govt to rehabilitate, equip tech colleges in Edo the state.

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BY SIMON EBEGBULEM ENIN—THE Canadian Government has concluded plans to assist Edo State Government in rehabilitating and equipping technical colleges in the state with a view to training youths in different skills.

Canadian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Chris Cooter, in Benin City, said the gesture will serve as encouragement to the Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s administration, which he said had impressed

anybody involved in the illicit trade and pledged to cooperate with security agencies to curb the trade and put a stop to the environmental degradation being caused by the nefarious act.

COMMISSIONING: Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Efiok Cobham (middle) flanked by Chief Chukwuemeka Egwonwu, MD, Peterson Thermocool Show Room, Nig (left) and Mr. Dhiren Singh, Sales Director, Haier PZ Ltd; Nollywood Actress, Shan George; Chairman of Calabar South Local Goverment Area, Mr. Ekeng Henshaw and his Boki counterpart, Mr. Jonah Obi-Otu, during the inauguration of the show room in Calabar.

Garden of Life Assembly holds power night service ARDEN of Life Assembly in Effurun, Delta State, holds its power night of salvation, healing and deliverance service on May 31, 2013.

A statement by Bishop Philip Edward, said the vigil, with the theme: What do you have at home?, takes place at the church premises at 7, All Saints Lane, off Okere/ Ugborokoko Road, Effurun.

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Delta community leaders read riot act to operators of illegal refineries

members of the international community with his developmental strides in the state.

During a chat with civil society organisations in the state and representatives of the state government at a luncheon organised by African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, a civil society group led by Rev.David Ugolor, Cooter stressed the need for manpower training that will enhance professionalism and create employment in

He said that he had visited some of the technical colleges in the state and that the Canadian Government will assist in rehabilitating and equipping the Benin Technical College and three others in recognition of the developmental strides of the state government.

“I have been in this country for almost three years and I feel some of the major problems you have is employment, electricity, equity. We are proud of what your governor has done here in Edo State these past two years."

2015: Urhobo must work for credible aspirants —PDP chieftain

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—A CHIEFTAIN of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, Mr. Daniel Idonor, has urged the Urhobo nation to take advantage of its size as the single largest ethnic nationality in the state, to present and work for credible politicians for future elections in the state.

During an interactive session with newsmen at his country home in Ughelli, Idonor, a journalist, said that the Urhobo people cannot afford to be in the opposition during the next political dispensation.

A former President of the Students Union Government, SUG, University of Jos, Idonor expressed confidence that “Urhobo shall surely rise again, despite its current political misfortunes at the federal level,” insisting that only the emergence of credible politicians with the necessary credentials can garner the support and goodwill of stakeholders in future elections in the state.

38—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Uba sister's wedding: Commissioner apologises to Anambra lawmakers over comments

Igbo youths renew call for completion of Zik's mausoleum

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM GBO Youth Council, IYC, has expressed regrets that 17 years after Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe passed on, his Mausoleum and Centre had remained abandoned.

Speaking after its national conference in Lagos, President of the group, Mazi Okwu Okwu, said the abandonment of Zik’s Mausoleum and Centre, started by General Ibrahim Babangida’s government in Zungeru, Niger State, was a proof of failure of the Federal and South East states’ governments.

He noted that with the Zungeru Zik’s Centre still in its state of abandonment, the Federal Government should rather turn his Inosi Onira country home to the Centre, fund and run it.

Okwu insisted that the Zik’s Centre must be made to stand side by side his Mausoleum,to tell his beautiful stories and legacies.

He said: “If the government at the centre cannot complete Zik’s Mausoleum, what are the South East governments doing? What will it take to give him a befitting home and Mausoleum?

“What legacy are we leaving behind when those who laboured and suffered for us to see today are hardly honoured. Who then deserves an authority figure if heroes and heroines are to be forgotten"?

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Group holds workshop to revitalize Igbo culture

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group, the Pinnacle Organisation, has decried the disappearance of Igbo Language, especially among the new generation.

To help restore interest in the language, the group is organising a two-day event aimed at revitalising dying Igbo culture.

Pinnacle’s Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Charity Edochie Okoli, an author, said the event, tagged: “Igbo asoka” (Igbo is sweet), will hold on September 7 this year at Ekwueme Square, Awka, Anambra State capital.

The organisers said it was the first of its kind and will feature talk shops, traditional dances, masquerade displays, beauty pageants, and a gala nite, with participants turning out in Igbo traditional attires.

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BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A CHILDREN'S DAY—From left: Prince Adeteloye Lipede, Executive Director, Solution Media; Abiola Ogunride, Marketing Executive; and Diwura Da-Silva, Head of Dept. Customer Care Unit, at the 2013 Children's Day organised by Solution Media and Infotech Limited at the Tafawa Balewa Square, TBS, Lagos.

Ebonyi First Lady raises alarm over increasing rate of child abuse

BY PETER OKUTU

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BAKALIKI—WIFE of Eb onyi State governor, Mrs. Josephine Elechi, has raised alarm over the increasing rate of child rape, child labour, teenage pregnancy, child trafficking and other forms of maltreatment against children in the state.

She noted with dismay that despite series of campaigns embarked upon by her office through the Mother and Childcare Initiative, MCCI, such acts were still prevalent in the state, especially at the rural level.

Mrs. Elechi, who stated this during a Thank You Tour and sensitization programme on the National Health Insurance

Scheme at Ntezi in Ishielu Local government area of the state, called for the strengthening of Ebonyi Child Rights Law to pave way for effective management of cases of child abuse in the state.

She expressed worry that the menace had taken a different dimension which needed the urgent attention of key stakeholders at every level of governance, adding that with the amendment of the Child Right Act in the state, stiffer punishment would be meted out to offenders and their collaborators.

She said: “It is the sacred duty of government and the family to ensure that the child was well protected from abuses and undignifying treatments.

“A lot of violent assaults had

been committed against the child on daily basis without the culprits being brought to justice.

“I want to stress that my office will collaborate with other key stakeholders to ensure the amendment of the Act to give it more teeth to bite. Teenage pregnancy is another prevalent issue in the state.

“It is high and has led to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and Vesico Vaginal Fistula, VVF, among the teenagers in the state.”

She added that her visit was to thank them for the support they gave to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in last April’s general election and also sensitize them on ways to protect children from all forms of child abuse and neglect.

Govt agents, touts battle over control of motor parks in Onitsha

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA—THERE is a loom ing battle in the commercial city of Onitsha in Anambra State as members of the authorized Association of Anambra State Park Agents and motor park touts, popularly known as Agbero, appear set to confront each other over the control of numerous parks in the town.

A recent confrontation at the popular Upper Iweka Park left two persons dead and several others injured, with the attendant disruption of free flow of traffic in the area.

Chairman of Association of Park Agents in Onitsha, Chief Albert Ibekwe, and his secretary, Mr. Emeka Nwajiobi, while raising alarm of an impending confrontation in the parks last weekend, regretted activities of the hoodlums who allegedly had been at-

tacking motor parks and nearby residents, injuring and looting passengers’ goods.

According to them, some of the youths, who claim to be representing some towns, also boasted that they have the backing of some powerful poli-

ticians in the state.

They warned that if nothing was done immediately to checkmate the touts, the authorized park agents would collaborate with the residents and passengers to deal decisively with them.

Firm donates security vehicles

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private taxi services com pany, Philly and Mools Group, operators of Metro Taxi, donated security patrol vans to GRA Ikeja Residents Association to enhance security of life and property of residents.

Present at the occasion were the former Commissioner for Environment, Lagos State, Mr Muiz Banire; Chief Victor Oyewo, Trustee Member GRA

Ikeja Resident Association, Mr. Debo Collins, Vice Chairman of the association and many others.

In his remarks, Niyi Oguntoyinbo, Group Chief Executive Officer, Philly and Mools Group, reiterated the company's unalloyed commitment to give back to the society as part of its corporate social responsibly and ensure that security of life and property was guaranteed.

WKA—ANAMBRA State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Chief Joe Martins Uzodike, yesterday, tendered an apology to members of the State House of Assembly.

This followed an alleged uncomplimentary remarks he made over their attendance of the wedding of younger sister of a governorship aspirant in the state, Mr. Ifeanyi Uba, in Lagos.

Uzodike said he had no intention to undermine the integrity of members of the House and accordingly tendered apologies to the lawmakers.

His words: “The House is right in perceiving what I said the way they have done. While I saw my comment as a defence of the integrity of the House and their right and privilege, they saw it the other way".

Cost of feeding awaiting trial inmates now N5.5bn yearly — Ikemefuna

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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HE Metropolitan Grand Knights of Saint Mulumba has said the cost of feeding awaiting trial inmates in Nigeria had risen to N5.5billion per year.

Head of the group, Sir Patrick Ikemefuna, disclosed this at the prison reform conference on administration of Nigerian criminal justice and reform of the penal code organised by the group in Lagos.

He said Nigeria currently had over 30,000 awaiting trial inmates, with cost of feeding them put at N15 million per day.

According to him, of the 45,000 inmates in the Nigerian prisons, about 30,000 are awaiting trial, leading to prisons’ congestion.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013—39

AWARD: From left: Chairman, Government College, Ibadan, Old Boys Association, GCIOBA, Lagos State Branch, Dr. Wale Babalakin; keynote speaker, Prof. Oladapo Akinkugbe, and guest of honour/former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, at the 2013 annual luncheon and merit award ceremony of GCIOBA, Lagos State Branch, in Lagos, yesterday.

PRESENTATION: From left: Mandilas Didam, Legal/Corporate Affairs Manager; Taiwo Latilo, COO and others, during the presentation of engagement letter to a graduate, during the orientation programme organised by RLG Communications Nigeria Ltd, in Lagos,for the first batch graduates of the RLG/OYESTECH ICT training academy, before their departure to Ghana.

SEMINAR: From left: Elder Niyi Yusuf, Chairman; Elder Chris Otulana and Elder Ajayi Coker, during the seminar organised by The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Lagos Province 4 ( Apapa ), at RCCG City of David Sanctuary, Oniru, Lagos. Photo: Diran Oshe.

BRIEFING: From left: Captain Ado Sanusi, Acting Deputy Managing Director, Arik Air; Mr. Chris Ndulue, Managing Director; Dr. John O'Connell, Airline Lecturer, Cranfield University, United Kingdom and Mrs. Boumogha Sagay, Human Resource/Admin Manager, during a briefing on Arik Air and Cranfield University partnership on manpower development, in Lagos.

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INSPECTION: From right: Mr. Oma Djebah, Senior Adviser on Foreign Relations to Delta State governor; Mr. Hooman Nouruti, leader of delegation from the British High Commission, Abuja; Mr. Marcus Lenzen,Conflict Adviser, British High Commission Abuja; Dr. Ukoha Ukwo, Deputy Programme Manager, British Council, Lagos and Mr. Misan Kubenjen, Commissioner for Agriculture, Delta State, during the inspection of St. Patrick's College, Asaba, by the British High Commission team on a visit to the state. Photo: Nath Onojake.

LAUNCHING: Members of 2013 Harvest Committee with Ven. Ade George, Vicar of the Church, during the launching of 2013 Harvest of Christ Anglican Church, Bariga, Lagos. Photo: Diran Oshe.

CHILDREN'S DAY PRESENTATION: From 4th right: Eliana Martins, Lagos Vice-Chairman, Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA; Ngozi Ogbolu, Ifeyinwa Izuchukwu, Amaka Itegboje, PRO; Luvlyn Ezemegbu, Ifeyinwa Awagu, Secretary, and administrative officers of a Lagos-based girls' remand home, during FIDA's visit in commemoration of Children's Day 2013, in Lagos, yesterday.

AWARD: Mr. Diran Oshe , Vanguard Photographer (left), receiving the award for Humanitarian Reporting, from past District Governor of Rotary Club Nigeria, Rotn. Deinde Shoga, during the Rotary International District 9110,Nigeria Humanitarian Reporting Award in Lagos.

40 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Bomadi communities raise alarm over desecration of forests

PenCom to verify MDAs' employees ahead retirement

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

BY ETOP EKANEM

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BUJA—NATIONAL Pension Commission, PenCom, has announced planned verification of employees of Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs,that are Treasury-Funded, between June 3 and July 11, 2013, ahead of their retirement next year.

The exercise which will take place at 14 centres across the country, is meant for employees in the service of the Federal Government who are due to retire between January and December, 2014 by virtue of attaining 60 years of age or 35 years in service whichever is earlier.

A statement by Emeka Onuora, PenCom’s Head, Communication Unit, said this physical enrolment (verification) would also cover those who had already retired but were yet to be enrolled.

According to the statement “employees are requested to attend the enrolment exercise with the originals and copies of letter of appointment, birth certificate/declaration of age, promotion letter and pay slip indicating grade level and step as at June 30, 2004.

Other requirements for the enrolment exercise include letter from the MDAs indicating retirement and first appointment dates, grade level and step as at July 2007 as well as the

WINNER—Key Account Manager, GlaxoSmithkline Consumer Nig. Plc, Funto Oyewole (L); OAP Rhythm FM, Abuja, Matilda Duncan (right) presenting a Blackberry phone to Mr. Richard Austin, winner, at the opening of Energy Moment Show in Abuja.

Zamfara Gov, NOA boss urge children to imbibe positive values

BY PROVIDENCE OBUH

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AGOS—GOVERNOR of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari and the Director General, National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mr. Mike Omeri have urged Nigerian children to imbibe positive values as the only guarantee for a bright future, as they celebrate this year ’s Children’s Day. In his goodwill message to Nigerian children, Omeri highlighted the importance of Civic Education as part of school curriculum, adding that it would inculcate the val-

ues of discipline, hard work, respect for elders and constituted authority as well as love of country in the Nigerian child.

He noted that while educational qualification was important in child development, education without values holds little hope for a bright future.

In his message, the Zamfara State Governor, who was represented by Alhaji Yakubu Haidara, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said youths had vital roles to

Cost of justice in Nigeria outrageous — Falana

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

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LORIN—LAGOS law yer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, has described the cost of justice in the country as outrageous, saying that such exorbitant fees had shut the poor out of the justice system.

Falana also described the development as unfortunate as according to him, the judiciary was no longer the last hope of the common man in Nigeria.

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while delivering a lecture during the launch of the Annual Law Journal of the Law Students’ Society, University of Ilorin, Kwara State.

The lecture was in honour of Mrs. Folake Solanke, the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, in the country.

The lecture was entitled: “The Anti-Corruption War in the Nigerian Judiciary: How Far? How Well?” He noted that apart from the fact that the common man was economically disabled from having a field day in court, the constitution, also ousted the jurisdiction of the court to adjudicate on the provisions of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principle of State Policy which have

guaranteed the socio-economic rights of the Nigerian people.

“No doubt, the judiciary has contributed to the protection of political and civil rights, but as such rights are meaningless to the majority of the poor disadvantaged citizens, the courts should use their judicial powers to defend and promote socioeconomic rights," he said.

He, however, challenged Nigerian judges to emulate their Indian counterparts, by making socio-economic rights justifiable through judicial activism.

play in promoting business activities in the state.

“This is a welcome development to us since our youths can organise associations to engage themselves in trading activities,” Yari said.

However, according to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to NOA, Mr Paul Odenyi, Omeri also challenged the family, as the primary agent of socialization, to take seriously the task of moral instruction for children in order to check moral decadence and social vices among the leaders of tomorrow.

His words: “There is no guaranteed future for people whose children are shielded from moral instructions and value orientation. This task must therefore be taken with all seriousness by our families who are the primary agents of socialization for our children; our schools which have the opportunity of imparting formal Civic Education; and indeed all members of society.

"We all share a collective heritage and future. The upbringing of the Nigerian child is the up-building of our national future and, as such, should be treated with the seriousness it deserves.”

Mr. Omeri urged parents to sieze the opportunity to avail their children of the various activities lined up for them by government and well-meaning organizations."

O M A D I — EKAMETA and Ogirengbene communities in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State have raised alarm over alleged invasion of their communities’ forests by Integrated Data Servicing Nigeria Limited, IDSL, in the name of seismic operation.

A statement by National President of Ijaw People Congress, IPC, Mr Ekanpou Enewaridideke, on behalf of the two communities alleged that their territories were being desecrated by IDSL without the customary and legal courtesy of consensual dialogue and bush permit.

According to the statement, “distressingly, rather than engage Ekameta and Ogirengbene in meaningful discussion prior to the operation, IDSL has created non-existing communities and superimposed them on Ekameta and Ogirengbene and forwarded them to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to blindfold NNPC that all is well in their area of operation.

"The communities are being manipulated and denied their entitlements by the Community Relations Department of IDSL."According to them, this is an invitation to violent eruption from the communities and called on the management of NNPC, the Presidency and the Senate President David Mark to intervene to avoid unpleasant consequence.

Meanwhile, they have called on IDSL “to stop their operation until they have meaningful MoU with Ekameta and Ogirengbene communities and fully integrate them into the project. Again IDSL should stop further surreptitious invasive desecration of the forests of Ijaw communities."

ICOBA elects officers

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AGOS—THE Igbobi College old Boys Association, ICOBA, 1976-81/ 83 set has elected new officers to run its affairs.

Dr Femi Fasanmade emerged president, with Niyi Omotosho as vice p r e s i d e n t .

Others elected included, Ben Owumi- secretary; Seun Oduyemi- treasurer, Lanre Owoduni- director of socials and Olayemi Vincent as publicity secretary.

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MASSIVE BOOST FOR REGENERATION OF FESTAC TOWN

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

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HEN FESTAC town was built to host participants at the second Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture in 1977 known as FESTAC 77, it was a model estate and was the first of its kind on the shores of Africa.

For those who dwelt in Lagos then, it was a delight to come here and savour the paved streets, the flowers, the modern planning and the decent environment. How this estate degenerated to this parlous state is a subject that should continue to engage our interest as stakeholders’’.

These were the words of Minister of Lands, Housing & Urban Development, Ms. Amal Pepple at the stakeholders’ meeting on the restoration of Festac Town in the AmuwoOdofin Local Government Area, Lagos, last weekend.

At the end of the meeting which was attended by top Federal government officials, Lagos State Government representatives, those from Amuwo-Odofin Local Government and representatives of Festac Town Residents’ Association, FTRA, it was resolved that stakeholders must collaborate to bring back Festac town to its past glory. This collaboration entails that all parties must fulfill their respective binding obligations to make the dream of the restoration a reality.

Restoration project As a way of kick-starting the restoration project, two committees were immediately set up by the Minister to look into the various issues raised by various interest groups at the forum. The committees were Task Force Committee on Illegal Structures and Committee on Ground Rents and Rates. Each of the committees comprises five members selected by the various interest groups. The Task Force Committee chaired by Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning & Urban development, Mr. Olutoyin Ayinde, a town planner, is to ensure the removal of all illegal structures in the estate and restore back all open spaces and parks. On the other hand, the committee on ground rents and rates chaired by the Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Taxation and Revenue, Mr. Bola Shodipo is to look into non-payment of ground rents and maintenance rates by Festac residents as alleged by the Federal Housing Authority, FHA. The Committee is also expected to come up with a strategy for the collection of these moneys, without which the restoration project will not be feasible. The Toyin Ayinde committee has four

FG, Lagos, others collaborate to restore Festac's lost glory

Festac buildings in dire need of re-generation. weeks to submit its report while the Shodipo committee has two weeks to submit its own report.

In her remarks, Ms. Pepple said following her earlier visit to the sprawling community in September last year, ‘’we came up with recommendations for a holistic restoration of Festac town.

The recommendations were approved by the Federal government and a committee was set up to actualise the restoration programme. The committee’ work is in progress. ‘’This meeting of today is intended to share the highlights with a view to obtaining your buy-in as well as come up with a joint implementation plan. At this juncture, I should stress the need for stakeholders to prepare to play the part expected of them in the new dispensation.

Residents should cultivate a new culture of refraining from habits that hurt the environment. Bills for services should be paid promptly’’, the Minister said.

Stakeholders meeting Speaking on behalf of Lagos state, Ayinde stated that for a plan to work, there should be implementation and there must be maintenance. ‘’This is why Festac town needs to be restored. To do this, there is need to review the original plan of Festac. This stakeholders’ meeting today is in the right direction,” he said..

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, FHA, Mr. Terver Gemade, stated that a retrospective look at the original design of Festac town will disclose a total departure from the original concept. He pointed out that rules,

Fromleft: Managing Director, Federal Housing Authority, Arc. Terver Gemade; Chairman, Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Comrade Ayodele Adewale; Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Amal Pepple and the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Olutoyin Ayinde during stakeholders' meeting, last week.

regulations and terms of use have been severely violated.

Gemade who is an Architect, stated that housing units were allocated to winners or tenants on mortgage repayment basis spanning a period of 25 years. He noted however, that eight years after the expiration of 25 years, some of the residents are still unable to pay up inspite of the foreclosure clauses. ‘’We have noticed significant abuses in the usage of facilities and wanton conversion of residential property to commercial purposes. Other issues in Festac town include the disregard for rules and regulations accentedtoatthetimeofallocation."

In his contribution, the Chairman, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, Comrade Ayodele Adewale, drew the attention of FHA to provisions of the Constitution which places the management of parks and gardens in the purview of local government. He said: “We believe that since Festac is situated within the larger Nigeria, this applies here. The local government will greatly appreciate it if FHA hands over the management and development of parks and gardens to it.

FG appoints interim mgt team for FHA

By CHRIS OCHAYI

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BUJA— FOLLOWING the dissolution of the entire board of the Federal Housing Authority, FHA, PresidentGoodluck Jonathan has approved an interim management team under the supervision of the agency’s Technical Board.

The team under the leadership of the Authority’s Managing Director, Mr. Terver Gemade, shall be responsible for the day-to-day running of the affairs of the agency for the next twelve months, beginning from March 20, 2013.

A statement announcing the development, issued by the Director of Press in the Ministry of Land Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Paul Onuoha, noted that under the new dispensation, the existing corporate structure has been changed to a lean, compact, effective and more result oriented commercialised format in line with the current reforms approved by government.

Other members of the team include, Dr. Enato James Osain, the Executive Director, Business Development, Adaeze Joy Aguele, Executive Director, Housing Finance, Accounts & Corporate Services, Engr. Dominic Ejiofor Nwanah, General Manager, Commercial Housing, Alhaji Abubakar Ahmed, General Manager, Social & Co-opertive Housing, Muktar Gaya, General Manager, Finance & Accounting and William Burba Tsokwa, General Manager, Cooperate Services.

46 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Quantity Surveyors canvass setting standards for costing of projects

By CHRIS OCHAYI

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UANTITY Surveyors have expressed concern over what they described as the high level of corruption in oil and gas as well as in the building and construction sectors. According to the construction cost experts, the sectors remain two major areas where huge resources are lost in the economy.

The construction cost experts spoke through the President of the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria, QSRBN, Mallam Husaini Dikko at the economic roundtable organised by the Board in Abuja.

Absence of cost standards They blamed the high cost and inflation of projects in the building and construction sector on the absence of cost standards. The theme of the two_day Economic Roundtable was Enforcing Transparency and Accountability in Nigerian Building and Construction Industry.

Mallam Dikko regretted that while efforts are being made to effectively police the oil and gas sector, little attention is being paid to the building and construction sector with a view to curbing the practice of using it to siphon the economy. He

noted that there are cases the achievement of the The QSRBN boss solicited Nigerian economy. While where different governments country ’s economic more support from the efforts are being made to or their agencies executed programmes in many ways. government to combat effectively police the oil and construction projects at Given that transparency and corruption in the construction gas sector, little attention is different costs despite the fact accountability provide and building sector which he being paid to the building and that the projects were similar bulwarks against leakages in described as one of the worst construction sector with the in all material particulars. the national economy, any result that determining central after the oil sector.

The QSRBN President country desiring a robust and Dikko noted that while tendencies and dispersions lamented that the absence of sustainable economic growth something had been done, for costing is problematic in transparency, accountability and development must through the setting up of the this sector.” and probity are responsible embrace it. Just as a leaking “Considering that building Extractive Industries for the current regime of high basket can never get full, a Transparency Initiative, little and construction projects building and construction national economy which is attention was being paid to involve huge sums of money costs. characterized by conduit the building and construction often running into billions if Canvassing the setting of pipes and other variants of not trillions of Naira, the loss industry. standards for projects’ costing leakages can never stabilize, “Oil and Gas and Building to our economy and tax and templates for determining talk less of achieving its full becomes and Construction are the two payers cost bands across the growth and development mind_boggling,” he said. major sectors where huge geo_political zones, states potentials.” resources are lost in the and local governments throughout the country as the panacea for bringing sanity into the costing of building and construction projects, Malam Dikko insisted that achieving the feat would require the development of a robust building and construction cost database and the establishment of a cost data centre under the superintendence of Quantity Surveyors.

He declared: “The building and construction sector can be used to set agenda for Nigeria’s economic development just as it is also a critical success factor in A multi-storey building under construction. Costs of such projects are inflated.

Group writes Okorocha on Ekemegbu Oha-Afor Uzoagba Road

By JUDE NJOKU

W

ORRIED by the stoppage of work on the construction of the Ekemegbu Oha -Afor Uzoagba road which links Uratta in the Owerri North Local Government Area and Uzoagba in the Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, a socio-cultural group in Uzoagba Ofo Asato, Messrs Klobb X has appealed to the State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to compel the contractor to return to site or re-award the contract to a more competent contractor.

In a strongly worded letter to the Governor dated April 23, 2013, the group through its Chancellor, Mr. Nnamdi Ibe and Scribe, Chief George Idimogu, lamented that one year after the award of the contract for the construction of the road, no significant work has been done by the contractor. “The contractor has only bulldozed

(cleared) the site even when an appreciable sum of money has been released to him and absconded. The community expected that work should be nearing completion on that road granted the strategic importance of the road not only to the community but also to the entire

Imo State and also taking into consideration the money so far released. Sadly, the road has been abandoned by the contractor. The rains are here with us, and the community is once again about to be cut off from the entire state as a result of lack of access road,” the

group alleged. “The dreams of Uzoagba people in having an access road appear to be a mirage.

From all intents and purposes, it appears to us that the contractor is bent on frustrating the efforts of your government to achieve and post results. We have continued

to appeal to the entire community especially the youths not to take laws into their hands as they see the contractor as being a cog in the wheel of the development of Uzoagba. We however do not know to what extent we shall continue to pacify tension.

FG commissions N1.1bn access road to Kaduna refinery

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

T

HE Federal government has decongested Kaduna roads of the perennial logjam caused by heavy movement and haphazard parking of tankers in that state. This was achieved through the rehabilitation of N1.1billion access road to Kaduna refinery.

Commissioning the 4.369kilometer road in Kaduna last weekend, the

Minister of State for Works, Amb Bashir Yuguda noted that the completion of the project has decongested the logjam of traffic predominantly caused by tankers.

Yuguda said that President Goodluck Jonathan gave priority to the completion of the access road which was contracted to Mothercat Construction company.

“Mr President is more concerned on road

infrastructure especially in places where there is enormous economic activities. The President makes it a point of duty to make sure that roads are accessed especially in states where we have the refineries”.

He stated that the “Kaduna refinery access road is duly completed. We also connected the road to Eastern bypass so that if you are coming from Abuja, you don’t have to come to Kaduna, also you don’t have to go through Kaduna

when loading from the refinery to Abuja and other part of the country”.

“The access road to the Kaduna refinery and petrochemical (KRPC) is a dual carriageway which starts from the KRPC exit gate, a distance of 2.269km to Kaduna-Kachia road access which incorporates a distance of 2.1km southwards of the Kaduna-Kachia road unto Kaduna Eastern Bypass, Kachia interchange.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013 — 47

UK anti-Muslim protests put PM under pressure A

ROUND a thousand far-right protesters shouting “Muslim killers, off our streets” marched through central London yesterday against a backdrop of swelling anti-Muslim feeling following the killing of a British soldier last week.

Lee Rigby, a 25-yearold soldier, was hacked to death in broad daylight in a south London street by two men who said they killed him in the name of Islam. The attack has shocked Britain and stirred an anti-Muslim backlash, including attacks on mosques.

In a tense but largely peaceful demonstration, supporters of the farright English Defence League (EDL) rallied in London outside Prime Minister David Cameron’s residence waving placards and shouting anti-Islamic obscenities.

A protester, Samuel Hames, said, Rigby: “He survived his tour of foreign lands and comes home to his family and what happened to him is disgusting.”

Nearly 2,000 people marched at a similar demonstration in the northern city of Newcastle on Saturday.

Two men were arrested overnight for throwing firebombs at an Islamic cultural center in Grimsby, in the northeast of England. Similar attacks were recorded last week.

As anti-racist groups warned there could be more reprisals, Cameron came under intense pressure yesterday for going on holiday, with pictures of him relaxing in Ibiza prompting newspapers to question his leadership at a time of unease.

Two war memorials in London were vandalized with red graffiti overnight, including the word ‘Islam’ spraypainted onto one monument.

Suspects Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, allegedly ran over Rigby with a car near his army barracks and butchered him with knives. Police shot the two, and they remain under armed guard in separate London hospitals.

Across-section of demonstrators at the Whitehall, registered protest the recent killing of British soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, in London yesterday.

Obama visits Oklahoma, promises support

U

S President Barack Obama has visited the tornado-ravaged town of Moore in Oklahoma, assuring the victims that they were not alone.

Surveying the devastation, Mr Obama said it was “hard to comprehend”, adding: “Everywhere, fellow Americans are praying with you.”

UNHCR warns against tough anti terror measures

U

NITED Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay told governments yesterday that trying to fight terrorism by limiting personal freedoms and mistreating suspects could only worsen the problem.

She spoke as Britain and France were considering tightening anti-terror laws and surveillance after the killings of two soldiers in London and Paris, and as U.S. President Barack Obama renewed his efforts to close the Guantanamo prison camp in Cuba.

Pillay, speaking at the opening of the spring session of the U.N.’s Human Rights Council,

said she had received allegations of “very grave violations of human rights that have taken place in the context of counterterrorist and counterisurgency operations.”

“Such practices are selfdefeating. Measures that violate human rights do not uproot terrorism, they nurture it,” she said.

Pillay made no direct reference to the killing of an off-duty British soldier in London last Wednesday by two men saying they were acting in the name of Islam and the stabbing of a soldier in the French capital.

Many politicians in both countries have called for toughening of anti-terror measures in the wake of both incidents

and media reports have suggested such moves, including some that could affect free speech, might be in the works. Pillay also said the U.S. failure to close down the Guantanamo detention center was “an example of the struggle against terrorism failing to uphold human rights, among them the right to a fair trial.”

The president visited the site of the school where seven children died.

The tornado ravaged the Oklahoma City suburb last Monday, killing 24 people and destroying some 1,200 homes.

About 33,000 people were affected and the damage has been estimated at $2bn (£1.32bn).

Some 377 people were also injured in the tornado, which was ranked an EF5 - at the top of the enhanced Fujita scale.

Mr Obama, alongside

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, said: “This is a strong community with strong character.

There’s no doubt they will bounce back. But they need help.”

Standing on a block surrounded by debris, the president said: “Obviously the damage here is pretty hard to comprehend.”

“Whenever I come to an area that has been devastated by some natural disaster like this, I want to make sure that everyone understands that I am speaking on

Syrian war rages, amid fears of chemical weapons use explosions echoed

H

EAVY fighting raged around the strategic Syrian border town of Qusair and the capital Damascus on yesterday and further reports surfaced of chemical weapons

attacks by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces on rebel areas.

The Syrian military pounded eastern suburbs of Damascus with air strikes and artillery and loud

...Sniper bullet kills journalist

S

NIPER fire killed a well-known Syrian journalist working for a pro-government television channel near the Lebanese-Syrian border yesterday, the state news agency said.

behalf of the entire country,” he said.

In the past year the president has consoled the families of victims of Superstorm Sandy, the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting and the Boston Marathon bombings.

Mr Obama said: “Everywhere, fellow Americans are praying with you, they ’re thinking about you and they want to help. And I’m just a messenger here letting you know that you are not alone.”p

Yara Abbas, a reporter for the al-Ikhbariya news channel, was killed near Debaa airport in Homs province. Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad there have been trying to recapture the base from the

rebels seeking to oust him.

Syria TV said Abbas, in her mid-twenties, was targeted by “terrorists”, the term commonly used by Assad supporters to describe the rebels.

around al-Nabak, 80 km (50 miles) north of the capital, where fighting has cut the highway running north to the central city of Homs, the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights group said.

Syrian government offensives in recent weeks are widely seen as a campaign to strengthen Assad’s negotiating position before a proposed international peace conference sponsored by the United States and Russia.

48 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Amaechi’s suspension:

PDP’s merry-go-round

The PDP as a party has often not looked back in bringing vengeance upon its high profile members who turn aside from the establishment.

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan once hailed them as the field commanders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. However, such depiction is no guarantee that the governors can never cry. In the present dispensation a number of governors belonging to the party have been subjected to difficult times arising from infighting in the party.

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State who was yesterday suspended from the party may not have been the first governor to be hounded from or by the party, but he is the first to be suspended by the party.

The reason for Amaechi’s suspension as given by the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh was his alleged refusal to heed party directives, ostensibly the party’s instruction that the suspension of the executive of Obio Akpor local government be rescinded.

Instructively, the suspension carried out by the Rivers State House of Assembly was a fall out of the crisis that emerged following the internal war triggered by a section of the party to wrest control of the party from the governor.

The faction led by the Minister of State, Education, Nyesom Wike took control of the state executive of the party upon a court judgment that recognized the congress purportedly organized by the faction.

The decision to suspend Amaechi follows a directive from the new executive of the party led by Felix Obuah ordering the governor and the House of Assembly to reverse the suspension of the Obior Akpor

•Haruna: Caged

*Amaechi: First governor to be suspended

Political considerations

•Ladoja: Impeached

•Mbadinuju: Banned

*Ngige: Kidnapped

Chief Chris Uba who through his brother, Dr. Andy Uba, now a senator, sought total domination of the political space in the state.

Mbadiniju, once an aide of former vice-president Alex Ekwueme, also brought mischief upon himself through what some claimed to be bad governance in the sense of accruals of salaries of civil servants and teachers who

term, there were two us, Governor Rabiu kwankwaso of Kano State and I who could not make it back, even though we sought reelection. We were not allowed to go back. This was despite that I had won the primary of my party three times.

But the power that-be did not want me back in office.”

“I was penciled down for ambassadorial appointment to Germany. But Obasanjo deleted my name from the list for reasons that were inexplicable. The PDP, after realising that I was wrongly excluded, decided to forward my name for ambassadorial position.”

“That was my fate. The PDP decided to abandon me despite that I remained a loyal member of the party.”

Dr. Chris Ngige: Dr. Chris Ngige who was helped by the national secretariat of the PDP to succeed Mbadiniju, however, fell out with the party after only three months in office. An attempt by a member of the Board of Trustees, BoT Chief Chris Uba to force Ngige into a forced resignation received a backlash in the form of an outpouring of goodwill for the embattled governor even from within the

national secretariat of the party.

The PDP sided with the Ubas against their governor and Ngige became something like an orphan within his own party.

Remarkably, Ngige was at that time one of the most tested party administrators having been Assistant National Organising Secretary before he was picked by the Uba brothers for the Anambra project.

The national chairman of the party at that time, Chief Audu Ogbeh was forced into resigning his office partly on account of the crisis triggered by the party’s disowning of Ngige.

In a comment on the episode, Ogbeh said: “I did what I thought was best because at that time, I had ample information that they were going to kill Ngige before Christmas 2004 and that was the subject of my letter,” Ngige said with respect to his controversial letter to President Obasanjo on the party’s hounding of Ngige.

Senator Rasheed Ladoja: Senator Rasheed Ladoja came to office on the goodwill of the apostle of amala politics, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, who for some still undecipherable reasons had been promoted by President

,

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State who was yesterday suspended from the party may not have been the first governor to be hounded from or by the party, but he is the first to be suspended by the party

executive.

Chinwoke Mbadiniju: The first executive governor of Anambra State was the first governor of the fourth republic to be forced out of the PDP. As governor of Anambra State, Dr. Mbadiniju was faced with managing difficult relations with the motley crowd of godfathers in the state.

He perhaps never contemplated with the aspiration of one of the rising godfathers,

Olusegun Obasanjo as the pointman of the party in the Southwest.

However, following his inauguration in May 2003, Ladoja sought to minimize the influence of Adedibu in the governance of the state and tighten the outflow of state patronage towards Adedibu.

The governor was seriously resisted and Adedibu in cahoots with state institutions and the national party moved against Adedibu.

Ladoja was impeached on 12 January, 2006 by 14 members of the House of Assembly whose number fell short of the 18 required under the law by the 32 member House of Assembly to impeach a governor.

Remarkably, the PDP through its National Publicity Secretary at that time, Mr. John Odey upheld the illegality albeit for political considerations.

,

went on strike for more than one year.

As the 2003 election got closer, Mbadiniju was in 2002 officially refused the PDP re-election ticket by the national secretariat and he was forced to decamp to the Alliance for Democracy, AD, on whose platform he made an abortive bid for re-election.

Noting his circumstances, at that time, Mbadiniju in an interview with The Nation said:In 2003, after completing my first

The impeachment was eventually upturned by the higher courts and by the time Ladoja returned to office, his deputy, Adebayo Alao-Akala who did not waste time in kowtowing to the PDP had already been drafted as the party’s nominee for the 2007 gubernatorial election.

Boni Haruna: Boni Haruna was before his emergence as governor of Adamawa State, a staff in a media company owned

by Atiku Abubakar. Atiku eventually chose him as his running mate in the 1999 gubernatorial election which they won. However, luck smiled on Haruna when Atiku was chosen to become vice-presidential candidate by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

As governor, Haruna’s loyalty to Atiku remained steadfast even as a staff, and it was no surprise that as the hawks around Obasanjo pummeled Atiku in the run up to the 2007 general election that Haruna suffered collateral damage. Haruna was forced to abandon the PDP for the then Action Congress in 2006 and claimed that he was hounded out of the party.

In an interview with Vanguard in 2007, Haruna said that it would have been foolish of him to remain in the party given what he claimed as the antagonism of the party to him claiming that the 2004 tribunal judgment against his 2003 re-election was instigated by the party and the presidency in order to deny Atiku a home base ahead of the 2007 contest.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013 — 49

Why Buhari, Tinubu set aside differences — Obono-Obla BARRISTER Okoi Obono-Obla before his foray into the murky waters of politics was a human right activist.

Presently the Assistant National Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, he is also the secretary of CPC merger committee and a strong member of the All Progressives Congress merger committee. A two time gubernatorial candidate in Cross River State, he chronicles the pains Nigerians have suffered under the PDP and how APC plans to take over federal power in 2015. Excerpts:

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

W

HAT are the reasons behind the formation of

APC? Today Nigeria has become a pariah state. Some people say Nigeria has become a failed state. Some people compare Nigeria to Somalia which is a metaphor for a country on the brink of disintegration. Today the biggest industries in the country are stealing of public funds; militancy/insurgency and armed robbery.

The country today is in a worse state than in 1967 during the Civil War. It therefore became a national duty for some patriots, nationalist minded political leaders such as the indefatigable General Muhammadu Buhari; the shrewd Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Ibrahim Shekarau etc to come together, set aside their political differences to form a progressive, broad based national political movement known as the All Progressives Party to rescue the country from the throes. This is precisely what is behind the formation of the APC. What gives you the

confidence that APC will change the fortunes of the country?

The leaders of this social and political movement are among the most broadminded, liberal, patriotic, nationalist, progressive, forward looking Nigerians you can find.

They are the finest crop of leaders you can access in the country. They are among the most intelligent and competent Nigerians today. They are men and women of conscience, integrity and courage. Take example General Muhammadu Buhari, he is an island of transparency and integrity. He is a man of uncommon courage.

Another titian and democrat, a national leader of no mean repute who is one of the driving forces behind the phenomenal and unprecedented realignment and coalescing of progressive forces and elements into a single national political party is the ebullient and shrewd National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is a successful politician and activist rolled together. He won a second tenure as governor of Lagos State despite

most eloquent and intelligent politicians one can find in Nigeria today.

These are the solid men who have decided to sacrifice personal ambitions to rescue Nigeria from abyss by forming the APC. It has been argued that most of the people in APC are people who lost out in PDP, what is your take?

Nothing can •Obono-Obla: APC will triumph be farther than the unremitting onslaught the truth. I have never been in unleashed in the South West PDP. I have fought PDP since Region by the then President 1999.

I came from a human rights Olusegun Obasnjo where the background.

So how can you Alliance for Democracy suggest then that most of the suffered a crushing defeat in the governorship elections of people in APC were those who lost out in PDP. 2003.

The truth of the matter is that There is also Ibrahim majority of the people in APC Shekarau, a rising national political leader and one of the are those who have fought

against the misrule, purposelessness, waste, corruption, bad governance of PDP since 1999.

What are the chances of APC in 2015?

Great chance. Nigeria has another great chance to put its crumbling house in order. It will be another opportunity to arrest the national drift we have been progressively experiencing since 1999.

Who are the possible presidential aspirants?

There are many. The party is big. It is made up a lot of Nigerians who are eminently qualified to be president.

It has been said repeatedly that General Buhari and Tinubu ambitions will tear apart APC? This is another infantile and pernicious propaganda being dished by a desperate and jittery PDP to cause a crack in the ranks of the APC but we are wiser. No Jupiter can stop us from merging. We have proved the doubting Thomases and skeptics wrong.

The other day, the pugnacious and loquacious Dr. Doyin Okupe was swearing and cursing that APC would not survive 2014. We know that PDP and the Federal Government is desperate and would not mind to use anti democratic elements, roguish forces and political jobbers to tear and put asunder the greatest political and social movement in the history of Nigeria.

I'll never speak ill of Akpabio — Pastor James THE Chancellor of Akpabio Centre for Leadership Development, ACLD, Pastor Bassey James is one of the most vocal enthusiasts of the developmental strides of the Godswill Akpabio administration. Bassey spoke to newsmen in Lagos recently on issues concerning his admiration of Akpabio. Excerpts:

BY LAJA THOMAS WHAT is the correlation between your calling as a pastor and your involvement in politics?

You can’t divorce the two. It is very difficult to divorce politics from religion. You need power to do more for your people. You need religion do more for your people.

Are you sure that your activities as a politician is not contradicting you Christian doctrine?

It is not at all. When the righteous rule, the people rejoice. Come 2015, only the righteous will rule in Nigeria.

Our governor has laid a foundation for change and we believe that the man who will rule after Governor Akpabio

Ibom International market.

We are moving Alaba, Nnewi and other big markets to Akwa Ibom State in the next one year. We want people to come and enjoy what our governor is doing because something good is happening in the state. He yielded himself to God and allowed God to use him to bring smiles to the faces of our people.

will be a man that loves God. It is not about I being a pastor but the issue is about doing the will of God. We are working very hard to ensure that ministers of the gospel go into politics.

In the past, it was said that politics is a dirty game and Christians shied away from participating in politics.

Are you warming up to take up any political post in the next political dispensation?

I am not contesting. When we have the opportunity of having Governor Akpabio, we must stand by him and promote his ideology.

He came with the message of love and prosperity and this we intend to take across the globe.

We are inviting foreign investors to come and invest

•James in our state, we are building hotel along Airport road, and we are also building Akwa

There was a recent attack in which members of the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta claimed responsibility. Akwa Ibom, is also an oil producing state, what do you think could be done to forestall such occurrence in the state?

The militants boldly said there is no militant in Akwa Ibom State so we don’t have

issues with that. We will continue to appeal to our brothers to embrace peace so that we can have a peaceful society.

We will support the reengineering of a better and peaceful Nigeria. Our people don’t need to go back to the creeks rather they should continue to support the government.

You are a pastor who has continually praised Governor Akpabio. Have you ever had cause to criticize some of his ideologies and policies?

I will never speak ill or bad of my governor because he gave us more than we asked for. Other governors built roads and put toll gates but he didn’t do that.

He is a face of modern governance in Nigeria. I will continue to praise him, work with him and promote his ideologies.

50—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

India embassy declares hassle-free visa regime

Jonathan's cross

BY VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU

T

By BEN NANAGHAN

Z

IMBABWE’s Solomon Madzore must be cooling off in a Zimbabwean detention camp right now. His crime - he called President Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s President for life “a limping donkey who should be put out to pasture.” And even a court ruling to set him free was brushed aside by President Robert Mugabe who has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980.

Our own President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is not as lucky.

His is the reverse of President Mugabe’s despotic totalitarianism. Even with Jonathan’s soft and humble disposition, a Nigerian opposition group still termed him despotic. Nigeria’s opposition parties especially from Katsina and some southern states promote their party image makers from the result of their monthly “Jonathan Bashing" competitions. It is incredible and highly unethical how these opposition party public relation managers go the whole hog to exhaust all available guttersnipe language on President Jonathan to debase and impugn his character.

Looking at Jonathan bashing philosophically, I toe the president’s attitude of ignoring these fame-seeking little minds who are only waiting to make a mountain out of a Presidential fury. These scums who always expect a pay rise after such Jonathan bashings use words like “dumb fisherman, drunken fisherman, a man without a shoe, etc." These are the more printable of their epithets. These and so many un-

President Goodluck Jonathan...carrying his cross

Map of Nigeria

myopic understanding of rigging is any election that he does not win.

It surprises me also that the lawmakers are not also inviting Mr. Farouk Adamu Aliyu, a former member of the House of Representative who is also a CPC chieftain who said on May 7, 2013 that it is either a northern President or no Nigeria. I then told Mr. Dan Asonye that he has failed to see the difference between Buhari and Dokubo. Muhammadu Buhari is a Fulani of the Nigerian ruling class while Asari Dokubo is an Izon from the

,

Who says these Boko Haram leaders and fighters are faceless. How can they be faceless, are they spirits? The communities in which they live know them very well

fortunate problems are just a tiny piece of the cross President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has to bear for defying the northern declaration of making Nigeria ungovernable if a Northerner is not allowed to rule this country.

I could not pacify the frayed nerves of one Dan Asonye who phoned in from Port Harcourt with fury asking me why the House of Representatives is inviting Asari Dokubo for questioning when they have not questioned former President Muhamadu Buhari who cued the Boko Haram uprising by his post 2011 Presidential election speech. Even recently Buhari has promised fire and brimstone if the 2015 Presidential election is rigged. Buhari’s

,

south-south who could never aspire to be president of this “WAZOBIA” country though his kinsman has by an inexplicable streak of goodluck polevaulted into the Hausa/Yoruba Presidential Club.

Asari Dokubo will defend himself comprehensively and make them realize that this country does not belong to the Hausa/Fulani alone, who have succeeded in holding the rest of us down with very bogus and fallacious census incongruities.

He will tell them that this country was founded on a fatuous WAZOBIAn tripod. Nothing was done to assure the minority of an equality status in a Nigerian Federation. And so President Goodluck Jonathan has to placate the North to even

keep his job as the North is in a great hurry to take over the reigns of power. And so all the high calibre positions have to go to the North. The National Security Adviser, NSA; the Inspector General of Police, the Comptroller General of Customs. In the Police, Customs and Excise and many other Federal Parastatals, the top management is grossly skewed to favour northern officers who in some cases have over 70 per cent in the top management echelon.

For instance the Nigerian Police Force has about 22 Assistant Inspectors General of Police in 12 police zonal commands. Out of these 22 AIGs, there is none from the South Eastern states. Out of nine newly promoted commissioner of Police on May 3, 2013, only one is of Southwestern origin.

All the other eight commissioners are from Northern Nigeria.

Northern strategy How pathetic. These are the burdens the President has to bear. On March 12, 2013, the President granted unconditional pardon to Governor Alamieyeseigha and several others but the opposition nearly set the country ablaze just because the former governor is from the same state with the President.

But by far the President’s biggest cross and most successful Northern strategy to confuse and distract President Goodluck Jonathan and even make his tenure as President an intimidating “ass ache” is the northern introduction of Boko Haram. Boko Haram, which is a well refurbished and well engineered assemblage of the old ill equipped, bow and arrow outfit, underwent both structural and organizational metamorphosis in anticipation of a President Goodluck Jonathan victory in the 2011 Presidential Election.

To be concluded

HE India High Commissioner, Mr. Mahesh Sachdev, has disclosed that the Indian High Commission is neck deep in its efforts to ensure that it maintains a hasslefree visa regime for Nigerians who intend to migrate to the Republic of India for study purposes.

Sachdev who was speaking during the Indian Education Expo, organized by Chartered Exhibitions and Media Private Limited, at the premises of the India High Commission, Lagos, stated: “This is part of the High Commissions effort to achieve a progressive bilateral cooperation in education with the people and government of Nigeria."

A generation of Nigerians have fond memories of being taught

by Indian teachers and professors and this is why the Commission has collaborated with some of the Indian universities, such as SRM University, with Samiullah Khan as Head, Middle East and Africa, Galgotias University, Symbiosis International University, among others to engage relevant Nigerian stakeholders on ways to collaborate for synergy in content development, exchange of faculties and joint ventures.”

Having noted that higher studies courses in India are becoming increasingly popular with Nigerian students due to many factors, such as credible well-organized

Mr. Mahes Sachdev,

India High Comm.

and relevant degrees, competitive costs, similar social and climate conditions, the high commissioner, therefore, encouraged intereducational relationship between the two countries.

The participating Indian universities at the education expo he disclosed, will also showcase some of the Indian graduate and postgraduate courses in engineering, medicine and other programs to the eligible Nigeria students.

And with the view of prioritizing education in Nigeria, the Commission promises swift processing/ issuance of study visa to all interested Nigeria scholars to Indian universities He said: “The High Commission is pleased to note that bilateral cooperation in education has had a proud history and remains a priority, and a large number of Nigerians alumni of Indian Universities and academic institutions are currently contributing at various levels in Nigerian public life and economy.”

What you must know about trips to Malaysia Continues from last week

GETTING familiarized with some of the rules and regulations that are binding in Malaysia is quite fundamental to a migrant’s enjoyable stay in the country.

Nigerians who are in Malaysia should avoid getting involved in any business that is capable of putting them behind bars, thereby, cutting down on their chances of achieving their desired goals in life.

Criminal penalties: For the fact that foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different, you are required to abide by the laws and policies of the country you reside in.

You may find laws that are illegal in Nigeria, legal in Malaysia, and as such, it is of paramount importance to avoid violating any of them, in order to avoid prosecution.

Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in Malaysia is a serious crime and if caught, prosecution is unavoidable.

Malaysia law may fine, expel, arrest or imprison you even in cases of violations of laws unknowingly, in other words, ignorant of the law, is also not an excuse over there.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013 —51

C M Y K

52—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Former National Deputy Chairman of the All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) Chief Asukewe Iko -Awaji, faulted the suspension saying it was a violation of democratic tenets.

“I don’t want to talk much about PDP as a party, but what you must know is the role of a party and that of government; they are different.

That PDP suspends Amaechi does not remove him from office as governor ”, he ended.

Stakeholders react VISIT—L-r: Niger State Governor, Dr Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu; the chairman Senate Committee on Education, Sen Uche Chukwumerije and Sen Joshua Dariye, during the committee's visit to the governor in Government House, Minna.

PDP suspends Amaechi Continues from Page 5

Again the governor asked, ‘ who has the power to investigate Obio/Akpor council executive?”. The Youths again replied: “The State Assembly.”

“If they are not guilty, then they will re-instate them, but if they are guilty, then we will ask for the dissolution of the council. We have not even gone half, and the Party (PDP) says reinstate them. It means that the party likes corruption. Let the Assembly resume and commence investigation, let’s see what goes on.

Whether there is corruption or not, it is the business of the Assembly. I have been a Speaker, and I know the powers of a Speaker and the legislature. I used it when I was a Speaker ”, Amaechi said.

“What is the police still doing at the Obio/Akpor Council building? The court gave an order to the Police to vacate Obio/ Akpor Council, they disobeyed, and the police are still stationed there”, he said.

“The Federal Government does not care, they only stationed police at Obio/Akpor council, even if everybody dies, they don’t care. Now the whole state will be grounded, because the police have refused to vacate the Obio/Akpor Council Secretariat.

They don’t want to know, we are not important to the federal government, we are not important at all”, Amaechi lamented.

“You know what it took for us to stop militancy in the state. But only last week, they now organized militants to return to the streets of Port Harcourt, is that not shameful. You all know how the militants spent our money, raped our women, killed our parents and young men.

Immediately the militants stopped protesting, the police said, nobody should protest again”, Amaechi stated.

“Internal democracy is important in our party, they fought me with everything, and I still won the Nigeria Governors’ Forum election, what should they do? They should have joined me to thank God. Because what it means is that God has spoken. It happened when I was in Ghana, I fasted and prayed for six months, 6am to 6pm, and God made me Governor.

I will not leave PDP — Amaechi “I will not leave the PDP. I will go to court.

The plane (aircraft) issue is same politics, pure politics. For one year plus, a minister refused to sign import permit.

I'm sure you are aware of the House of Representatives Committee report on the plane issue.”

On the NGF election, Governor Amaechi said: “You will see it on the internet when the Governors were voting, all the governors were there and you will also see the counting. We (Governors) agreed to vote, and all the governors voted, so any governor who said he didn’t vote is lying against the nation because all of us are on oath to govern properly.

So we should not lie, every governor voted, you will see the video. If we leaders of Nigeria today are refusing to accept the results of a properly organized election supervised by the Director-General of the Governors’ Forum, and somebody brought a paper that was signed in April. If you check that list, it was signed in April and you brought it on May 24 after the Governors have finished voting their chairman into office; that list is not part of our election. There is a rumour that they want to go to court to stop me as NGF chairman. We are ready to meet them in court but they should not go through the backdoor to get an order ”, Amaechi said.

Meantime, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari has described the suspension of the governor by his party as worrisome, adding that it was witch hunting.

“We are concerned as we believe this is political witch-hunt. It is worrisome. The reason given is the suspension of the Obio/Akpor council. This is purely a legislative matter and one in accordance to the laws of local government councils in Rivers State.”

On his part, the Chief of Staff Government House, Mr Tony Okocha said the action of the party made no sense.

“The suspension makes no sense. How can you suspend the governor if you talk of rule of law?

There are indices of the rule of law. Nobody called the governor for hearing on any issue.

The whole thing makes no sense.”

When contacted for comment, the Publicity Secretary of the Chief Godspower Ake-led faction of the PDP in the state, Mr George Wogba said they had not been formally informed of the action of the party.

The Felix Obuah led PDP on its part supported the suspension.

Publicity Secretary of the faction, Mr Nwanosike Samuel who spoke also said the governor did not win the NGF election.

The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Otelemaba Amachree declined comment on the development. His media aide, Mr Jim Opiki said his boss would not want to say anything on the development at the moment.

Reactions to the development also flowed from several stakeholders in the polity yesterday.

Among those who spoke yesterday were the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC; the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP; former Minister of Petroleum, Prof. Tam DavidWest; constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sir Austin Opara; member of the PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief Segun Babatope; former member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Junaid Mohammed; civil rights activist cum lawyer, Bamidele Aturu; spokesman of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin among others.

CPC “In the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), we are appalled by the sordid affair that the recently concluded chairmanship election of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) degenerated into. What started as a spat between the Party’s National leader and Nation’s President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and the NGF’s re-elected Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has now snowballed into the suspension of the latter! We are aware that the PDP’s national leadership was miffed by Governor Amaechi’s victory, despite the high-wire opposition that the Presidency mounted to forestall it. The anti-Amaechi governors that are being prodded by the Presidency are clearly unaware of the buffoonery of their claims that a preelection endorsement easily translated to the votes garnered by their

candidate (Chief Jonah Jang) at the Governors’ election. This, again, attests to the opprobrious level that the PDP ‘s degeneration can be!”

Presidency has been reduced to pettiness —David-West “Jonathan is very confused because in a democracy there are provisions for separation of powers. And that was what happened on the dissolution of Obi Akpor Local Government Executive Council. It was not Amaechi that did it, rather it was an act of parliament and the parliament is allowed under the law to do so. There were allegations of financial mismanagement by the community and the parliament came in to perform its duties as required by the laws.”

The people advising Jonathan are misleading him. How they can unleash crisis on the state because of disagreements with Amaechi. He is just confused on how to oust Amaechi.”

PDP’ll suffer it at the end —Sagay

“We all know that he was suspended because he contested and defeated the PDP’s and president’s candidate at the elections. Whenever the PDP goes about displaying contempt and persecuting its leading lights, then it has embarked on a path of self destruction. How can a man be treated like that for exercising his legal and human rights. The PDP has always displayed contempt for the rule of law and democracy. The PDP will suffer more and not Amaechi because Amaechi is a good example and a good model. He is a shining model and the party is a contravention of that. They have succeeded in adding to Amaechi’s status as one of the leading lights of the party. In other words the party will suffer for this at the end."

Amaechi won the NGF election — Junaid Mohammed

What has happened is unfortunate and it will be sad if the media believes anything coming from this Presidency and its handlers about this Nigerian Governors Forum crises."

Vanguard , TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013 —53

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Igali addresses IOC Over 2020 Olympics P RESIDENT of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) Daniel Igali will today address the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in St Pe t e r s b u r g , Ru s s i a , over the reported withdrawal of wrestling event from the 2020 Olympic Games. The IOC had a couple of mouths ago yanked off Wr e s t l i n g f r o m t h e Olympic Games on the grounds that the event does not pull enough crowd to justify its inclusion in the global sports show.

Igali is one of the three wrestling top shot in the world who will represent FILA to make presentation to

the IOC and ensure that wrestling is reinstated in the 2020 Olympic Games and beyond.

Igali spoke with journalists at the airport on Saturday expressing optimism that the IOC decision to withdraw wrestling from the 2020 games is wrong adding that FILA has proved the IOC statistics at the London 2012 Olympic Games wrong as more people attended wrestling event than some of the sports at the Olympics.

“It is a simple logic,” Igali said. “There is no way there will be an Olympic Games without wrestling. IOC

Philips Continues from BP who turns 40 in the summer, kept his nerve to blast in an extra-time penalty and dash his former club Watford’s dreams of promotion.

It was a special moment for Phillips, who had lost all three of his previous play-off finals.

It was special too for Manchester Unitedbound Wilfried Zaha, the young winger who signed off as a Palace player by winning the penalty and ensuring they will join him in the

top flight next season.

Special too for manager Ian Holloway, whose Blackpool side were beaten by West Ham in last year ’s final, and who has been the fiercest critic of Watford’s controversial use of loan players.

And it was special for Palace chairman Steve Parish and his co owners, who saved the club from going bust three years ago and can now look forward to a windfall in the region of £120million.

Kenya Continues from BP Harambee Stars players’ daily allowances have been increased from Sh3000 to Sh10,000 (N18, 615) per player, as motivation ahead of their remaining 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

“We want to encourage the boys and we have decided to increase their daily allowances. We want to motivate the players and achieve the goals we intend to reach,” Football Kenya Federation boss, Sam Nyamweya, told SuperSport.com..

And in a bold move to ensure that there are no distractions ahead of the June 5th cracker with the Super Eagles, the federation also said that all domestic league and cup

matches slated for this weekend have been postponed to afford Coach Adel Amrouche enough time to prepare for the game against the African champions.

Nigeria top the group with five points and Kenya need to beat the latter to have any chance of picking the sole qualifying ticket to the final phase of the 2004 World Cup race.

This comes as the Belgian confirmed that Inter Milan midfielder MacDonald Mariga will miss the qualifier against African champions Nigeria.

Mariga who hasn’t featured for the side for over a year has not recovered from his long standing knee injury.

took the decision in error and we are ready to prove them wrong.

Those who voted for the exclusion of wrestling about two months ago won with one vote but I am sure that the IOC Congress will overturn the decision after they must have listened to our presentation at St.

Petersburg.”

Speaking on his plans for Nigeria’s medal potential at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, Igali disclosed that his roadmap to Rio will surely fetch Nigeria medal but ‘ we need funds to activate our plans’.

Igali is expected back in Nigeria on Friday.

Sidney Even though Sam could still switch nationality after playing in friendly matches for the senior German side, it seems he’s now closed the door on ever appearing for Nigeria after denying his prior interest in featuring for the African champions.

In October 2012, Sam spoke about the Nigerian federation and the contact he was making. Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi had also disclosed speaking to the player on the phone.

With his recent call up to Die Mannschaft, Sam’s future looks

settled as he sets his sights on making the World Cup team next year.

“2014 is still far away but for me it is only Germany that counts.

We don’t have to speak about Nigeria,” Sam told German sports agency SID. “I never really thought about Nigeria and I do not know who invented that.”

“I always wanted to play for Germany and I know I was on the coaches’ list. A pity, I was often injured. But now I am here and want to prove my strengths.”

Eagles Continues from BP Akpeyi; defenders Solomon Kwambe, Elderson Echiejile, Godfrey Oboabona, Benjamin Francis, Kenneth Omeruo, Azubuike Egwuekwe and Kunle Odunlami; midfielders Emeka Ezeh, Sunday Mba and John Ogu and; forwards Nnamdi Oduamadi, Joseph Akpala, Anthony Ujah, Gambo Muhammed; Obinna Nwachukwu, Gomo Onduku and Michael Babatunde.

The team trained for two hours on Sunday as Head Coach Stephen Keshi observed: “There is very good team spirit in camp and I am quite happy about that.

Everyone is in great shape and rearing to go.

“I am expecting Efe (Ambrose) and (Ogenyi) Onazi on Monday, and (Brown) Ideye will join us in America. Of course, we’re not going to go with everybody to the USA, although I would have loved to take everyone. There has

been huge dedication and commitment here and I’m sure that those we will pick for the match against Mexico will do Nigeria proud.”

Apart from those ready for the game against the Mexicans at the Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas on Friday, Keshi expects to have midfielders John Mikel Obi and Fegor Ogude and forward Ahmed Musa for the two FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Kenya and Namibia, and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament in Brazil. The trio will be waiting to join the delegation in Frankfurt, Germany after the high-profile friendly in America.

The delegation will depart their Novina Hotel Herzogenaurach base for Frankfurt Am-Main International Airport, at 5.30am on Tuesday, and will fly out of Frankfurt at 10am (9am Nigeria time).

•Igali

Delta Continues from BP Balogun Stadium not only to cheer his state team to victory but to encourage youth development. Host Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola also graced the occasion to also identify with youth development through sports. ’’I thank Channels Television for this initiative that is targeted at laying a solid foundation for our kids,’’ he said before the kids took to the field.

Uduaghan reminded all that Lagos has become a home to Delta after the feat of the last sports festival and vowed that the Delta kids would win. They did.

But his attention today will be in Warri where he will also attend the Governor’s Cup final. It is another youth development programme that he started to develop soccer in Delta schools.

The competition started last year in Asaba with more than 200 entries.

Christian Chukwu, Davidson Onwumi, John Omoghale and Jay Jay Okocha were among the ex internationals who gave motivational talks to students on that day of November 7, 2012.

They charged the students to imbibe discipline and dedication in both their academics and sports, adding that a bright future lay ahead for those who could take to football as a profession.

Ensuring that a hero like Christian Chukwu attended the kick off of Governor’s Cup in Delta underscored the importance Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has attached to the revival of sports in schools. ’’I’m happy that you came and I’m privileged to be sitting here with you today,’’ Uduaghan told Chukwu as he stepped out to address the students of Comprehensive High School Ogwashi Uku and Adaigbo Secondary School just before the opening game of the Governor’s

Cup. Uduaghan himself had told the students his government would help any student who aspired to be a soccer professional achieve his dream.

Chukwu told them that discipline and dedication could lead them to glory.

Davidson Onwumi informed the students that he played football to the top level and also bagged a university degree. He reminded that both disciplines could make them great. Okocha stepped out to speak. He told the students that although he did not attend a university football has made him a professor and charged the players to aspire to achieve more than he did. He then turned to Comprehensive School Ogwashi Uku and said a few things in vernacular. ‘’Win today and go ahead to win the cup.

I’m behind you. Make me proud,’’ he said in Igbo.

That appeared to have lifted the boys as their countenance impressed.

Over 20 years Okocha played for the same school.

Thesentimentwas,therefore, understandable.

AndtodayComprehensive School Ogwashi Uku are in the final and also favoured to lift the trophy going by their performance so far.

They play Alegbo Secondary School today at 2pm in Warri in a match they will be beamed live to Nigerians on supersport and AIT televisions.

N1m, a bus and a training tour abroad are at stake for the winners. Edjekota School, won the third place match.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, commissioners and top government officials will grace the occasion. And this is happening barely 24 hours after Delta’s Ogedegbe Secondary School beat Uwa Primary School Edo 4-2 to win this year ’s Channels Kids Soccer competition at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013 — 55

Nadal unconvincing in win

Venus crashes to 12-year low

R

AFAEL Nadal is through to the second round of the French Open after a hard-fought four-set clash with Daniel Brands.

The 26-year-old is looking for his eight title at Roland Garros and, despite missing seven months of action before returning to the circuit a couple of months ago, is the red-hot favourite to lift the trophy once again.

But he did not have things all his own way in the French capital on Monday, as his 25-yearold German opponent challenged his authority by taking the first set.

The second set was also a tight affair, with the Majorcan needing a tiebreak to get back on level terms, before he upped his level to run out a 4-6

jury in recent weeks, the 30th-seeded American had mounted a stirring comeback in the second set tiebreak, clawing her way back from 0/4 down to reel off seven points in succession.

S

•Nadal

EVEN-TIME Grand Slam champion Venus Williams crashed to her earliest French Open defeat in 12 years when she lost 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 to Poland’s Urszula Radwanska.

The 32-year-old Williams, giving away 10 years to her opponent, had only once suffered a first round exit at Roland Garros, back in 2001 when she was defeated by Barbara Schett.

Troubled by a back in-

Angered by line call, Stakhovsky takes picture with phone

P

ICTURE this: An gered by a line call, a tennis player pulls out his phone and uses it to snap a photo of the mark left in the clay by the ball.

Maybe the sort of thing that would happen at a public court, if two pals got into a tiff during a match and one wanted evidence for later — except in this case, it was a professional who did it at the French Open.

Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine set down his racket and briefly became an amateur photographer in his 6-1, 64, 6-3 loss to seventhseeded Richard Gasquet of France in the first round of the Grand Slam tournament Monday.

Stakhovsky plans to show the picture to the tournament supervisor in hopes of avoiding losing some of his prize money.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Eagles camp bubbles, as team flies to America today

T

HE camp of the Super Eagles in Nuremberg, Germany is well and truly alive, with the team waking up on Monday with 21 players and defender Efe Ambrose and midfielder Ogenyi

Onazi expected to swell the camp.

In camp are stand-in skipper and first-choice goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, goalkeepers Austin Ejide, Chigozie Agbim and Daniel Continues on Page 54

AYER Leverkusen winger Sidney

Sam has denied ever considering Nigeria after he was called up to the German team that is touring the United States this summer.

Sam had been on the radar of Nigeria for a while as his father ’s homeland sought to cap him in the senior level having played for the German youth teams.

Kenya stops Sidney Sam slams door on Eagles league for Eagles B •increases players daily allowance

I

F

OR long, they have been yearning for a raise in their allowances and yesterday they got their wish when the Football Kenya Federation announced that Continues on Page 54

Continues on Page 54

Delta wins Channels kid Cup

Philips fires Palace to EPL

D

P

ALACE Kevin Phillips grabbed the golden goal to fire Crystal Palace into the Barclays Premier League and end his play-off final hoodoo.

The evergreen striker,

Continues on Page 54

CHANNELS CUP . . . Governor Fashola of Lagos State, Chief Tony Momoh and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and Amaju Pinnick during the presentation of trophy to Sheriff Obukowho Captain of Ogedegbe Primary School, Warri , winners of Channels National Kids Football championship in Lagos. Photo; Henry Unini

PUZZLE

Continues on Page 54

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

ELTA State’s O g e d e g b e Primary School yesterday beat Uwa Model Primary School, Benin 4-2 to win this year ’s Channels Television Kids Cup. Their State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan was at the Teslim

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Clear (6) 5 Disquiet (6) 8 Suspicion (8) 9 Mop (4) 10 Energy (3) 12 Scrap (5) 15 Spring (3) 17 Serpent (3) 18 Devil (3) 19 Scull (3) 20 Should (5) 21 Fuss (3) 22 Also (3) 23 Tin (3) 24 Arid (3) 26 Bring (5) 29 Relations (3) 33 Pitcher (4) 34 Final (8) 35 Sign (6) 36 Starving (6)

DOWN 2 Uplift (5) 3 Entrance (4) 4 Verity (5) 5 Loosen (5) 6 Foolhardy (4) 7 Impress (5) 10 Vain 11 Group (5) 12 Lampoon (5) 13 Correct (5) 14 Trench (5) 15 Smack (5) 16 Ornament (5) 25 Rough (5) 27 Peer (5) 28 Seize (5) 30 Bury (5) 31 Snatch (4) 32 Portent (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Trip 4, Kit 6, Luck 8, Scrape 9, Romany 10, Pot 12, Orate 14, Steep 15, Loath 18, Friend 20, Assent 24, Digit 26, Smoke 28, Tutor 30, Tea 32, Groove 33, Tremor 34, Weak 35, Rum 36, Yarn.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 2, Recur 3, Prattle 4, Keep 5, Tart 6, Limit 7, Concern 11, Opt 12, Oaf 13, Eon 16, Add 17, Hag 19, Remorse 21, Sit 22, Stupefy 23, Tar 25, Ire 27, Knock 29, Odour 30, Tear 31, Atom

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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