Resign now, PDP tells Tambuwal

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62263

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N150

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Next year's elections under threat from politicians — Jega >>8

Celebrating Superstar Nike Akande at 70, today >> 34-35

Resign now, PDP tells Tambuwal •PDP Reps weep; he remains Speaker— APC Reps •Party caucus strategizes on how to remove him •NWC, House leaders meet over his decampment •We'll watch him with eagle eye — Leo Ogor

•Bashir Adamu, Adeola Akande’s names come up as replacement

By Soni Daniel, Henry Umoru, Emma Ovuakporie & Levinus Nwabughiogu

A

BUJA—NA TIONAL leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, welcomed the defection of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, and advised him to resign as speaker because he was no longer a member of the ruling party.

After almost one year of

Continues on Page 5

COLUMNISTS:

On saints and men •P.17

Delta LG elections: The mockery of democracy •P.19 continues

Food supplies for Lagos State's future •P.24

Mr & Mrs KWANKWASO DECLARES— Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (M); with his Rivers State counterpart, Governor Rotimi Amaechi (2nd right); Kano State Governor and presidential aspirant on the platform of APC, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso(right); APC chieftain Audu Ogbe (left), and Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje (2nd left) during the Presidential bid declaration of Kwankwaso at the former Parade Ground, Abuja, yesterday. See story on Page 9.

BOKO HARAM: 30 policemen still missing — IGP >>15

SYNAGOGUE: Pathologist rules out bomb blast >>10

Enugu See International pull-out inside Conference Centre of waste

2 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

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POCKET CARTOON from all indications our friend is eyeing both positions,” the source said.

Tambuwal remains Speaker, APC Reps

DECAMPED—Speaker Tambuwal after decamping to APC, yesterday.

Resign now, PDP tells Tambuwal Continues from Page 1 speculation and hobnobbing with APC leaders, Tambuwal, yesterday, formally dumped PDP for the opposition party.

Reacting to Tambuwal’s defection, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement said the honourable thing for Tambuwal now is to resign.

Metuh said: “The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has met with PDP leaders in the House of Representatives concerning the defection of the Speaker. After a thorough consideration of the matter, the NWC came to a conclusion that the Honourable Speaker, as a responsible elected officer, knows full well what is needful and honourable of him since his new party is in the minority.

“We are not unmindful of the fact that Honourable Tambuwal became Speaker on the platform of the PDP as the political party with the majority of seats in the House of Representatives and that this incontrovertible fact has not changed.”

How

Tambuwal

dumped PDP

Tambuwal, who had put all his colleagues and political associates on their toes since 2013 over where he belongs, formalized his defection to the APC, yesterday, via a twoparagraph letter.

As soon as Leader of the House, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola and the Deputy Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor, moved for adjournment and journalists stood up to leave the gallery, Tambuwal started reading his decampment letter.

The Speaker waited till the end of the day’s legislative business in the House to announce his movement to the opposition party. Before the Speaker’s announcement of his decampment to the APC, the House had passed a motion to immortalize Dr. Stella Adadevoh and compensate the families of the health workers who died after contracting the Ebola Virus Disease.

The motion was sponsored by Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas.

Tambuwal said: ”Before I hit the gavel on the motion for adjournment, I want to make this formal announcement to this House. Based on the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, and having re-

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gards to the development of PDP in my state, Sokoto State, I hereby announce my membership with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Let me register my profound appreciation to all of you, my colleagues, for the unflinching support you have continued to extend to me for the overall national interest and development of our democracy. May Almighty God continue to guide us all.”

PDP Reps hold emergency meeting; some weep

Members of the PDP trooped into the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha’s conference room to hold what members described as an emergency meeting. After the brief meeting, Vanguard reliably gathered that the PDP leadership summoned the PDP House caucus to its secretariat.

Some members who could not control their emotions closed their office doors to journalists and wept at the loss of a colleague to the opposition. Some of the lawmakers simply told Vanguard: “Please we are not in the mood to discuss anything at this moment but we will meet this night to deliberate on the way forward”.

Tambuwal’s next political move Tambuwal, Vanguard reliably gathered had picked the governorship nomination form over a week ago where he was made the sole flag bearer of the APC in Sokoto State.

An impeccable source close to the speaker said that Tambuwal is also eyeing the presidency. The game plan, he explains, is that if Tambuwal failed at the presidential level, he has nothing to lose as the Sokoto ticket is already in his pocket.

“I do not know how he intends to achieve that but

The APC lawmakers addressed the press immediately Tambuwal announced his defection.

Arrowhead of the opposition, Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) and the Minority Whip, Samson Osagie spoke at the briefing.

They said: “We are here to address you on the events of today, the formal notification by the Speaker of the House of Representatives— Tambuwal — of his membership of the All Progressives Congress.

“We welcome and applaud the Speaker ’s decision. Ever since the crises started in PDP which led to the formation of the ‘New PDP’, and the defection of five PDP Governors, 37 PDP members of the House of Representatives to the APC, and the formal merger of the ‘New PDP’ with the APC, we had all along known that this day will come.

“We are proud to acknowledge that the Speaker remains not only a member of the House of Representatives but also its Speaker. This position is consistent with the law and practice in a Presidential System of Government.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Constitution requires only, that ‘Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be elected by members of that House from among themselves.’ Rt. Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has been a speaker for all the members, all the political parties and for all Nigerians and will so continue.

“As a caucus, we pledge our continued support to the current leadership of the House of Representatives. We will not do anything to destabilize the institution of the House of Representatives, so that it will continue to deliver on the mandates given to its members by Nigerians.”

The court ‘ll decide –Leo Ogor

Deputy Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, in a swift reaction to what transpired on the floor of the House and the threatened unity of the Seventh Assembly said: “What happened today was quite unexpected.

But again, that decision was a personal decision and has no major implication on our political party. The PDP members of the House will look at the situation and take a position in respect of the defection. He is gone, fine. And he emphasized that his decision borders on his local politics. That is to say borders on the interest of his people and

his constituency. But, all said and done, he came through a political party which was PDP. So, by the provision of Section 68 (g) of the constitution, which is still before a court of jurisdiction, we await the ruling of the court on the matter. And I think this is one great opportunity for us to call on the Judiciary.

It is also an arm of government; justice delayed is justice denied.

“And it is a subject matter before them, it behoves on them to make the necessary interpretations so that we can lay this issue to rest in respect of defection. It is extremely important. But for us as members of the PDP, we believe that we will continue carrying on the responsibilities of our party.

“We will watch further, and definitely will see what happens. Let’s look and see how he manages the House. We will watch him with eagle eyes and interpret every action that he takes."

“Let me emphasize here that the Speaker has left. Because he has gone does not mean that the PDP does not control the House. He sits down there as the presiding officer, we run the affairs of the House, and as people who control the House, we must go the extra mile to protect the interest of our party. We are not going to lose our sleep because Tambuwal defected to the APC. “I think we need to be mindful of the constitution. According to the constitution, you would need a two/thirds majority to remove a sitting speaker. Do we have two/third? That is another matter we need to ponder. We will face the party and give our explanations, but I can assure you that the party’s interest will be fully protected."

For now PDP has 195 members while APC has about 159 and the other parties share the remaining six seats.

It’s a party affair –Akande

In her reaction, House Majority Leader, Mulikat Akande-Adeola (PDP, Oyo) said: “This is a party affair. Members take decision on the floor based on party. So, the party will take decision at the appropriate time.”

‘Tambuwal playing for time to ward off removal’

z As Bashir Adamu, Adeola Akande’s names come up as replacement

The abrupt adjournment of the proceedings of the House of Representatives by Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday, was done as a survival strategy, Vanguard investigation has revealed.

A ranking member of the House, who spoke to Vanguard last night, explained that Tambuwal, who formally decamped from the PDP to the APC same day, decided to adjourn for a long time in order to secure “a soft landing” for himself.

The member pointed out that what happened on the floor of the House on Tuesday did not come to them as a surprise, as most of the leadership from all the major political parties could not claim ignorance of the step taken by the Speaker.

The source said: “The drama that played out on the floor of the House was not out of the blues; it was carefully played out by those who superintend over us.

“The top men there could not claim ignorance of what Tambuwal did and his decision to adjourn the House till December 3 this year. This type of a thing has never happened in the history of the House but they did it and got away with it.

“The truth of the matter is that Tambuwal knew that if he had waited a minute after making the announcement of his decampment public, the proper thing was for the PDP majority in the House to elect a new Speaker.

“But by embarking on a prolonged adjournment which took many members by surprise, it is clear that the Speaker wants to get a soft landing and use the period to lobby members to get a new Speaker who will be sympathetic to him and cover his back."

“Tambuwal believes he is a smart politician and he may still get his way around,” the member said.

6 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

2 lawyers fight over case file

BUS CONDUCTOR'S DEATH: Police arrest erring LASTMA officials

By Onozure Dania & Hope Ofobike

L

AGOS—ACTIVITIES at Court 2, Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, were yesterday disrupted as two lawyers fought over a charge sheet.

The lawyers, Wale Williams and the other, identified as Abbey, engaged themselves in a fight at Magistrate O. O Oshin’s court.

The fight began when one of the lawyers slapped the other over who should handle a case.

It took the intervention of the Court Registrar, Clerk and other prosecutors to stop the fight.

When Vanguard approached Williams for comments, he gave his phone number and simply said: “Call me later if you want to get the details of what happened. I am going to the police station to report the incident.”

He, however, failed to respond to several calls to his mobile at press time.

5-yr-old boy killed by suspected cultists in Benue

By Peter Duru

M

AKURDI—A fiveyear- old boy, Samson Bernard, was yesterday morning reportedly shot dead by suspected cultists at the North Bank area of Makurdi town.

Vanguard gathered from an eyewitness that the little boy met his untimely death in a cross fire between rival cult groups on Udei Street, near the North Bank.

Attempts to speak to the parents of the slain boy were unsuccessful, but Vanguard gathered that the Police in North Bank had already visited the scene of the incident and have commenced investigations.

However, Police s p o k e s m a n , Superintendent Daniel Ezeala, said he was yet to get full details of the incident.

Late Ikechukwu Abasirim.

By Evelyn Usman

T

HERE were indications yesterday that officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority alleged to be responsible for the death of a bus conductor, Ikechukwu Abasirim, on Monday at Cele Bus Stop, along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, have been arrested.

Although the exact number of officials arrested could not be ascertained at press time, Vanguard gathered that the suspects included three policemen attached to LASTMA. The policemen, a Sergeant, a Corporal and a Constable, were alleged to have led the LASTMA officials in the illfated operation.

Vanguard gathered that when news of Monday ’s incident reached LASTMA’s management, the erring officials were ordered to be arrested. They were said to be in the custody of police at Itire Division.

However, when the spokesman of Lagos State Police Command, Kenneth Nwosu, was contacted on phone to ascertain the number of suspects and their identities, a man who identified himself as Nwosu’s orderly, told Vanguard that his boss was on a tour with the Commissioner of Police, Cornelius Aderanti, and that he would get back to this reporter in two hours.

Meanwhile, the deceased’s family has called on the

relevant authorities to ensure that justice was done on the death of their son, Ikechukwu Abasirim.

Commercial bus drivers plying the route yesterday decried what they described as inhuman treatment and intimidation meted out on them by officials of LASTMA and called on Governor Babatunde Fashola to checkmate their excesses.

The drivers, who alleged that the officials extort money from them at every opportunity, wondered why such exploitation would be carried out on a federal road.

One of the drivers, Mr. Elene

Ilechukwu, said: “Our experience in the hands of LASTMA officials along this route is pitiable. What they do is hijack a bus along this expressway over a minor offence.

“They would, thereafter, use that bus to go after other buses.

They are usually accompanied by three armed policemen. All they do is stop at designated points and give other commercial bus drivers the impression that they are loading.

“If any driver dares stop by that bus-stop, the armed policemen and LASTMA officials will jump out of the

vehicle and arrest the conductor or driver.

“At other times, while we will stop at designated bus-stops to pick passengers, they would come in two commercial buses and block the driver from the back and front.

“At the end of the day they will extort no less than N5,000 from that driver. We are aware that they have been warned not to effect any arrest on federal roads.

“Had they adhered to the instruction, Ikechuchwu would not have been killed.

We are therefore calling on Governor Fashola to call these officials to order.”

Provost gets 5 years in jail over DTA

By Caleb Ayansina

A

BUJA—THE State High Court in Gusau, Zamfara State, has sentenced Acting Provost of the Federal College of Education, Technical, Gusau, Dr. Bello Ahmed, to five years imprisonment for collecting double Duty Tour Allowance, DTA, for the same trip.

Consequently, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, warned public officers against conferring unfair advantage upon themselves, by collecting DTA from both their organisation, and the agency involved in the course of their official duties.

ICPC, in a statement by its Resident Consultant (Media and Events), Mr. Folu Olamiti, yesterday, in Abuja, said such abuse was punishable under Section 19 of ICPC Act 2000.

According to the statement, the law stipulates that, “any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or associate of the public officer or any public officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for five years without option of

fine.”

Dr. Ahmed was accused of collecting DTA, between 13 and 16 November 2006, from the college for an official trip to attend a board meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, while equally collecting an equal amount as DTA from JAMB, including sitting allowances, all totalling N385,000.00.

The accused, who was arraigned by ICPC on an eightcount charge bordering on corruption and abuse of office, pleaded guilty to the offence and asked for leniency.

However, the presiding Judge, Justice Amaize, said he was not swayed by the plea of allocutus, as the accused lacked integrity and sentenced Ahmed to five years imprisonment without an option of fine.

Man allegedly kills friend

By Austin Ogwuda

E

NUGU—A man, identified as Onyekachukwu Edeh, has allegedly killed his friend with a machete, following a heated argument.

The cause of the misunderstanding between the two friends could not be immediately ascertained, but the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed that the incident took place on Monday.

He said: “On that fateful day, October 27, at Eziobodo Amechi Idodo in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, one Onyekachukwu Edeh allegedly inflicted a machete cut

on the forehead of the deceased over an alleged misunderstanding that arose between the suspect and Nnaji Onukwube which caused him harm.

“He was later rushed to a nearby hospital where he was confirmed dead, just as the body of the deceased was deposited at the hospital mortuary of Annunciation Hospital, Emene, Enugu, awaiting autopsy.

“Meanwhile, a full scale investigation has commenced into the incident as the suspect, Onyekachukwu Edeh, is now helping the police in their investigation, following his immediate arrest.”

Clearing agent accused of N4.5m fraud

By Onozure Dania

L

AGOS—A 45-year-old clearing agent, Nosa Akomen, has been arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate Court for allegedly obtaining N4.5 million by false pretence.

The defendant is facing a fourcount charge of conspiracy, stealing, forgery and impersonation, preferred against him by the police.

The prosecutor, Steven Molo, told the court that the defendant and others at large committed the alleged offence between May and July 2012.

He said the incident took place at 12 Ajayi Road, in Ogba area of Lagos State.

Molo said the defendant impersonated as a registered clearing agent and obtained N4,499,000 belonging to one Oluwaseyi Oladore.

The prosecutor alleged that the defendant collected the said sum with pretext that he was in a position to clear his 5x40 feet containers at Tin-Can Island Port.

He further said that Akomen forged a Diamond Bank Plc NCS pay direct payment acknowledgement receipt, number 06312112012002111, 01324092011645873, with intent that anybody will believe that it

was genuine.

According to the prosecutor, the offence is contrary to Sections 409, 312 (a) (b), 285 (1) 363 (2b) of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.

Earlier, the defendant had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Magistrate Olanike Olagende granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000, with two responsible sureties in like sum.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 7

8— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

By Luka Binniyat & Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA—CHAIRMAN of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, yesterday, accused politicians of deliberately undermining his effort to conduct credible elections next year. Jega spoke a day President Goodluck Jonathan warned politicians yesterday against the use of violence to settle political disputes ahead the 2015 general elections.

Jega spoke in Abuja at a National Stakeholders Forum on Elections organized by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room led by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, PLAC, while President Jonathan gave the warning while commissioning a new Government House in Kaduna.

Jega, in his speech further decried what he termed “Win by hook or crook syndrome” among the political class.

He said: “As the election management body, we feel operationally prepared and ready to conduct general elections next year and we are confident that we will do a much better job than what obtained in the past.

“However, we need to point out that we are currently facing some challenges that range from issues of funding to security.

Nevertheless, our major challenge presently is the attitude of our political class. Our politicians should learn how to obey the rules of the game and imbibe attitudes that are amenable to peace. Their conduct so far is capable of eroding integrity from our electoral process.

“Our politicians want to win at all cost and they are always ready to do anything to win either by hook or by crook. They go as far as inducing election officials and when such move fail, they resort to threats, even threatening to kill or destroy.

“Our investigations revealed that some of the Youth Corps members that were caught while engaging in electoral malpractices, were actually induced by politicians.

Some of them were harassed and intimidated into submission.

Politicians went to the extent of threatening to kill them or burn their lodges, what could a poor Corps member, who happened to find himself or herself in a foreign territory have done? Indeed, this type of attitude by our political class needs to be changed for us to move forward in this country. It undermines the process”, Jega added.

Besides, the INEC boss, said the Commission has concluded plans to engage retired judges, top members of professional bodies like the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, and the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, to join University Professors to serve as collation officers during the 2015 presidential election.

He equally urged the National Assembly to hasten the process of creating an Election Offences Commission to handle the prosecution of electoral offenders.

Meanwhile, the president, while commissioning a new Government

2015 elections under threat from politicians — JEGA zAs Jonathan warns against violence House in Kaduna which was boycotted by some very important stakeholders of the state said: “The ugly incident of the 2011 Presidential election violence which led to the death of innocent Nigerians must not repeat itself in the 2015 polls.

“But, I am particularly happy on the return of peace to Kaduna State after that violence.

Let me use this channel to warn ordinary Nigerians against being used as launch-pad to forment crisis in the 2015 elections while the sponsors and their family remain safe.

“I urge indigenes of Kaduna State and indeed the entire country to shun any form of blood letting and violence and I want to also warn politicians not to use their selfish agenda to cause crisis during the 2015 election. The law shall be firm on them.

“It is only in an atmosphere of peace that this state will record more developments, and therefore I want to assure the people of Kaduna that my administration would continue to establish more peopleoriented projects in the state and other parts of the country”, he said.

The president said Kaduna State and other states in the north had benefited immensely from the federal government’s infrastructural programme such as the construction of a standard gauge rail line from Kaduna to Abuja, the 215 Kudenda terminal power sub station and completion of several roads in the state.

He then assured the people of the state of speedy completion of the AbujaKaduna light rail project before the end of the year. This, the president noted was to enable residents of the state have easy and affordable means of transportation to the nation’s capital.

Earlier in his speech, Governor Mukhtar Yero told the president that the building of a new governor’s lodge was to ensure efficient service delivery to the people of the state, adding that the lodge was among the numerous accomplishments of the state government and part of his administration’s determination to ensure continuity.

Construction of the new governor ’s lodge project commenced in October 2008 by the former governor of the state and now Nigeria’s vice President, Namadi Sambo. The cost of the building was put N9.6 billion and was

TRANSMISSION: From left; Senate President, Sen. David Mark; Speaker, House of Reps, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal and his deputy, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, during the transmission of the Constitution (Fourth Alteration) Bill 2014 to the State Assembly at National Assembly in Abuja,Yesterday. constructed in six phases.

Meanwhile, in his remarks, the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Mathew Hassan Kukah who was the Chairman of the Forum, blasted politicians in the country, insisting that they lack credibility.

Kukah maintained that INEC could only conduct credible elections when Nigerians sincerely desire it.

“If Nigerians want credible elections, INEC cannot stop them. Only Nigerians who have

sown the seeds of credibility can benefit from a credible election”, he stated.

According to Kukah, “For a society like ours that is so averse to high moral standards of behavior and actions, the notion of credibility creates its own challenges. Can a non-credible environment produce a credible outcome? Can people with limited credibility bring about credible outcomes in the positions in which they find themselves?

How do we measure credibility?

“The crisis of credibility is so pervasive, it will be almost impossible to identify where credibility lies in our country.

Although the political class ranks higher in the credibility deficit ladder on the popular imagination, the political class has often defended itself with the Awolowo truism that, the son of a lion is a lion. Therefore being sons and daughters of corrupt political godfathers and mothers, our crisis goes well beyond blaming the political class.''

Negotiations still on to release Chibok girls — FG

By Ben Agande

A

BUJA—IN spite of serial violation of the ceasefire agreement between the Boko Haram sect and the Federal government, the Federal Government insisted yesterday that negotiations were still ongoing between it and the Boko Haram sect on the release of abducted Chibok schoolgirls.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke, who addressed state House Correspondents after a meeting of the National Security Council in Abuja said the service chiefs briefed the council on the negotiation between them and the sect.

He said the recent violation in no way violated government's resolve to ensure the safe release of the girls.

Yesterday ’s meeting was attended by the service chiefs; the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Suleiman Abba; National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki; the Minister of Defence, Aliyu Gusau; the Director General, State Security Service, Mr Ita Ekpeyong and the Chief of Defence staff, Alex Badeh.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, declined to speak to correspondents after the meeting which lasted about two hours.

Badeh had a couple of weeks ago announced that Boko Haram had agreed to a ceasfire and directed all field commanders to respect it. Following suspicion that the group negotiating with the government was not the right one, the self acclaimed Secretary General of Boko Haram, Mallam Danladi Ahmadu, last Friday insisted that the group’s ceasefire

agreement with the Federal Government was on course.

He disclosed that the final meeting between the group and the Federal Government to finally seal the ceasefire agreement had been scheduled for last Monday in Ndjamena, Chad to be supervised by the Chadian leader, Idris Derby.

Ahmadu who spoke in the Hausa service of the Voice of America, VOA, assured that an enlarged meeting of the group had been fixed to prepare ground for last Monday meeting with the Federal Government that would lead to eventual release of the girls to Chadian President, Idriss Derby for onward presentation to the Nigerian government.

The high expectation was however dashed as the girls were not released last Monday as promised by Boko Haram’s representative.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 9

2015: Kwankwaso declares presidential bid ...Promises to tackle insecurity, corruption, dwindling economy

...He has what it takes to govern Nigeria—APC govs

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

A

BUJA—KANO State Governor, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwa has formally declared his intention to run for the office of the president of Nigeria on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC. His declaration, yesterday, has brought the number of presidential aspirants in APC to three.

Former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had previously declared on the same platform.

The declaration, which held at the old parade ground in Abuja attracted not only a mammoth crowd of men and women across the country but also notable chieftains of APC. Among them were governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Rivers State governor, Mr. Chibuike Ameachi, immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Kogi State, Abubakar Audu, and former National chairman of Peoples Democratic Peoples, Abubakar Baraje.

Others included Sen. Buhari Abba Ibrahim (Yobe State) Sen. Kabiru Gaya (Kano State) former Minister of Communication and APC chieftain, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Senators George Akume (Benue State), Chris Ngige (Anambra State) and Robert Boroffice (Ondo State) among others.

Kano State, Governor Kwankwaso said the success of the journey and the clarion call

by Nigerians were his motivation in seeking election into the office of the president in 2015.

“The success of this journey and clarion call by patriotic Nigerians from across the country motivated me to seek APC’s nomination as the party’s presidential flag bearer for the February 2015 general election.

I therefore, wish to accept this call and to formally declare my interest to seek for the Presidential ticket of our great party the APC in February 2015 general elections.

“I am offering myself and soliciting the support of all patriotic Nigerians to join Engr.

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso on this difficult journey to reclaim our

country from the clutches of incompetence and destruction and return it onto the pedestal of peace and progress. I have no doubt in my mind that this journey is difficult and arduous. I have no illusion about the enormity of the challenges. But to save our country, we must walk the journey, however difficult. And we must confront and defeat all the challenges, however, monstrous they are. Yes, we must.”

According to him, the call to save Nigeria has never been louder than now.

“Mr. Chairman and fellow APC members, the call to save our dear country has never been louder, clearer and more unambiguous than now. Every facet of our national life is deteriorating: governance has been reduced to mediocrity; incompetence and

impunity. I have no doubt in my mind that this journey is difficult and arduous. I have no illusion about the enormity of the challenges. But to save our country, we must walk the journey, however difficult. And we must confront and defeat all the challenges, however monstrous. Yes, we must!, he said.

He also stated that tackling insecurity, corruption, economic restoration among others will form the nexus of his government if elected president.

“The first priority of this country at this moment is restoring peace and security in every corner of the land. Lives and properties of our citizens must be protected and secured. Boko Haram and all forms of insurgency must be defeated. As a government, we cannot afford to live in denial.''

He's a good man —AMAECHI

Speaking on behalf of APC governors, Rivers State governor and chairman of the governors forum, Chibuike Amaechi described Kwankwaso as a good man.

He further stated that APC governors will work together to realize his ambition should he emerge the presidential candidate of the party.

Also, Senator Boroffice extolled the virtues of Kwankwaso, saying his credibility stood him out among other aspirants.

Former governor of Benue State, Senator George Akume, while describing Kwankwaso’s declaration as good news to the Nigerian public also charged the people to put their trust on Kwankwaso whom he said made a name for himself during his time as the Minister of Defence.

According to him, the abduction of Chibok girls, which he said has become an albatross on the neck of the present regime under President Goodluck Jonathan would not have happened were Kwankwaso in the saddle as the president of Nigeria.

Reeling out his achievements in

CHURCH SERVICE FOR PILGRIMS: Cross section of members of the clergy at an interdenominational church service for Nigerian pilgrims in Jerusalem on Sunday.

BOKO HARAM: Senate urges FG to seek foreign assistance for displaced 2m people

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA—THE Senate yesterday urged the Federal Government to solicit international assistance from friendly countries for the resettlement of over two million Nigerians that have been displaced as a result of the Boko Haram onslaught in the three states of the North East.

The Senate also resolved to make personal donation of N20 million to support the internally displaced persons in the country especially those from Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.

The senate, in its resolution on a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator

Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) on the plight of the internally displaced persons in the North East Nigeria, urged the Federal Government to provide relief materials to all the people displaced in one reason or the other throughout the federation.

He noted with regret that the international community that has the responsibility to come to the aid of those that were hit by any catastrophe or natural disaster, had shied away from the plights of the displaced Nigerians.

Ningi added that the people of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno were finding life almost impossible to live, adding “As I speak to you, we have over two million internally displaced persons from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.”

The Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba,in his contribution said that the issue of Boko Haram and the displaced persons had placed Nigeria between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Senator Ndoma-Egba regretted that Boko Haram insurgency was putting the nation’s economy at risk. He urged both Nigerian government and international agencies to act as a matter of urgency.

The Senate President, David Mark, said “We are in a war situation and in every war situation; one of the key areas that you must worry about is refugees.

It is not just to fight the war and fight the various battles but you must also worry about refugees. ''

Boko Haram kills three, sets police station ablaze in Borno

By Ndahi Marama

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AIDUGURI— G U N M E N suspected to be members of Boko Haram terrorists on Monday invaded Kukawa town, the headquarters of Kukawa local government area of Borno State, setting ablaze the Kukawa police station, government lodge and other public buildings in the town and over 250 vehicles.

A resident of the town, Mallam Abor Kanembu said the insurgents stormed the town in several Hilux vehicles and motorcycles and moved straight to the police station and started shooting sporadically targeting residents, using Rocket Propelled Launchers and AK47 rifles.

He said “the insurgents burnt down the Kukawa Divisional Police station and some public buildings in the town. I cannot tell the casualty figure because we had to flee the town in fear of our lives.”

Another resident of the town Mohammed Mafindi said they had to flee the town due to the attack as the insurgents killed three civilians and burnt down Kukawa police station, government lodge many houses and other public buildings including clinic and vehicles of the company exploring oil in the Chad Basin area.

He said the incident occurred between 4:00 am and 10 am on Monday while the gunmen fled the town after killing a lot of people and burnt over 200 houses and vehicles.

“The attack was a reprisal to an attack earlier attempted by the men of the Nigerian police Force, who were on routine patrol in the area in which they opened fire on the insurgents.

The insurgents immediately responded by killing two policemen, and abducted two others while two policemen escaped into the bush”, Mafindi stated.

Confirming the incident, the caretaker chairman of Kukawa local government area Alhaji Modu Musa said the insurgents invaded the town killing many people, and burnt down several houses as well as over 300 vehicles.

10— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

INEC to distribute 4.8m voters' cards in Lagos

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zLawyer asks court to stop further hearing

By Charles Kumolu

AGOS—THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said that no fewer than 4.8 million Permanent Voters’ Cards ,PVC, are ready for distribution in Lagos State as part of its preparation for the 2015 general elections.

It also noted that the exercise would commence on November 7, 2014, describing it as the 3rd phase in the PVC distribution.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Dr Adekunle Ogunmola, said that another registration would commence immediately after the exercise to make up for those whose names may not be in the register.

While urging Lagos residents to ensure that they collected the PVCs as it was germane to the success of the 2015 general elections, Ogunmola, however, advised those who may not be able to collect theirs during the allotted days to do so in the INEC offices in their various local governments afterwards.

Lagos Gov commissions public lighting project

By Monsur Olowoopejo

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No blast injuries on 116 victims —Pathologist SYNAGOGUE:

A G O S — GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has commissioned the public lighting project for Murtala Muhammed Way, even as he assured residents that his administration would not relent in its drive to light up the entire streets in the state.

Accoding to Fashola, the lighting of the 11.8 kilometres MM way, increased the number of roads lit in the last three years by his administration to 410 kilometres.

Fashola, who commissioned the project at a short but elaborate event late Monday evening in Yaba Local Government, said that the project would help to protect life and property of the residents.

L

By Innocent Anaba & Abdulwahab Abdullah

AGOS—A Consultant Pathologist, Professor John Obafunwa, yesterday, said that 116 persons died on September 12 when a guest house owned by the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, collapsed in Lagos.

Obafunwa, who is the Chief Medical Examiner of Lagos State, made this known while presenting a preliminary report to a Coroner ’s Inquest set up to investigate the cause of the building collapse.

Led in evidence by Mr Akingbolahan Adeniran, Counsel to the Lagos State Government, he ruled out claims of an explosion as the cause of the building collapse at the church, saying none of the victims had blast injuries.

use of explosives.

Joshua, a self-styled miracle worker and seer who counts Presidents among his followers who call him “The Prophet” or “The Man of God”, has been summoned to give evidence.

Meanwhile, the court heard that identification of the bodies, some of which took a week to extract from the rubble, is still not complete.

Obafunwa said DNA samples were taken to help identify the victims and his final report should be ready by the second week of November.

Anthony Van Der Byl, a South African who lost his wife in the collapse, said he was distressed at the time being taken to

identify the bodies.

“It’s painful for me and my family to wait for more than one and half months without the body of my wife. I can’t take it anymore,” he told the hearing.

Pretoria’s top diplomat in Nigeria, Lulu Mnguni, who attended the hearing said he hoped that cross-checking of DNA samples sent from South Africa would be finished soon.

The inquest was adjourned until today.

Lawyer asks court to stop further hearing A lawyer activist, Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje has dragged the Lagos State Government before a Federal High Court sitting in

Lagos seeking to stop further proceedings of the Coroner Inquest on the collapse six-story building within the premises of the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos.

Ogungbeje, in the suit which has the Lagos State Government, Attorney General of the state and Magistrate Komolafe as first to third defendants, is seeking an order restraining further proceedings of the coroner inquest.

The lawyer argued in the suit that the composition of the Coroner Inquest was a negation of the principle of natural justice and Section 36 of the Constitution, and as such it was unconstitutional, null and void.

Mutilated bodies

“Bodies were mutilated, severe crush, head injuries, fractured bones, fractured ribs,” Lagos State chief medical examiner, Professor Obafunwa told the Coroner’s Inquest.

“We had some badly dismembered bodies. But I would not say it was because of explosion.

Prophet TB Joshua has claimed that sabotage, possibly from a low-flying aircraft, was to blame for the building collapse at his Synagogue Church of All Nations.

But building inspectors have said the likely cause of the September 12 tragedy was the addition of extra floors on the guest house without strengthening the foundations.

The inquest heard that 116 people died in total, 84 of them South Africans, revising the death toll upwards by one.

Obafunwa told the court that the bodies were in an advanced state of decomposition before they could be removed from the debris of the stricken guesthouse.

“In a tropical environment, decomposition could set in within 12 hours. From autopsy we have reason to suggest traumatic factor as the cause of death and this is as a result of crush,” he added.

The pathologist’s evidence comes after a Lagos State fire fighter told the hearing last Friday that there was no evidence of an explosion at the site.

The southwest coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, also said there was no indication of the

PUBLIC LIGHTING: INSET; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (right), switching on the 11.8km public lighting on Murtala Mohammed Way, Yaba, at the substation in Lagos.

Fashola dissolves council excos L

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

AGOS—AS the three-year statutory tenure of all council chairmen and councillors expired yesterday, Tuesday, October 28, 2014, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has directed the bosses in the 20 Local Government Areas, LGAs, and 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, to handover administration to managers in their respective council.

It will be recalled that the out-going council bosses were sworn into office in October 2011 after emerging winners in the council polls across the state in which then Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, now All Progressives Congress, APC, won across board defeating contenders of

other political parties.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Aderemi Ibirogba, who announced the development to council bosses, said that consequently, all affected

officials, including Supervisors, Council Secretaries and other political appointees are legally required to vacate their offices by close of business by yesterday.

PFN inaugurates Alimosho exco

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AGOS—THE Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria will formally inaugurate the new members of the executive of Alimosho Province in Lagos.

With the expiration of the former term of four years spent by the out gone executive members of the Province, a new set of officers will be sworn in to handle the affairs of the Fellowship, for another period of four years.

The council to be inaugurated has Apostle D. Abraham Ikhielea

as the chairman, Apostle Raphael K. Olorunmaiye as vice chairman, Rev James O. Iyanda as secretary, Rev Bisi Odumbaku will be inaugurated as Treasurer, while Pastor Dave Asehon is the financial secretary.

These are the principal officers.

To work with the principal officers are about thirty seven more officials in the provincial executive council who will also be co-opted officially into the new government.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 11

12 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Why political violence occurred in Edo —Oshiomhole

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State yesterday, at a town hall meeting in Benin City, gave reasons the state was witnessing political violence in recent times, saying he was happy to offload Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and other All Progressives Congress, APC, leaders who defected from the party to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He said because of their “frustration and desire to tell PDP leadership in Abuja that they were working to attract recognition to themselves, they resorted to violence in Edo state.”

The governor spoke while briefing the people of the state, including traditional rulers from the three senatorial districts of the state, on the political violence that enveloped the state in the past one month.

Oshiomhole, who also reacted to the allegation by Pastor IzeIyamu, and Frank Erewele, that he (Oshiomhole) plotted the alleged bombing of Ize-Iyamu’s wife’s clinic penultimate week, and alleged destruction of cars at Erewele’s compound, accused the duo of “self inflicted wounds, arranging bombs in order to divert attention from the criminal act they perpetrated at the House of Assembly quarters.”

He said: “Erewele has never won his booth as an APC member so, of what relevance is he that I will want to kill him?

Again, everybody knows IzeIyamu’s house. So, if we want to kill him, why will we go to his wife’s clinic, not even the clinic but the gateman’s house.

If we are a violent party, why have we not attacked Dan Orbih or Lucky Imasuen who are the main decision makers in PDP? Why will we attack Ize-Iyamu and Erewele who are still struggling to be admitted into the mainstream of PDP? So, that allegation is not only laughable but foolish.”

The governor, who said PDP

leaders also plotted to ground the economy of the state in February by planning to block the passage of the 2015 budget after the failed alleged impeachment plot, hailed the House of Assembly, led by Speaker Uyi Igbe, for the recent passage of the 2015 budget, which, according to him, “is another victory over the forces of darkness.”

Oshiomhole said, “It is true that some people plotted, believing that they can impeach me and short circuit the political

process. They voted huge sums of money with which they convinced five APC lawmakers to join the four they already had to become nine. They were on the verge of procuring more accomplices hoping that they would gain at least 13 and if they had 13 out of 24, then they would have had a simple majority. With a simple majority they cannot impeach but will be able to block the budget.

“Once they blocked the budget they would have paralysed the government."

WORKSHOP ON PENSION MANAGEMENT: From left: Director General, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, Mrs. Nellie Mayshak; Vice President, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, South-South, Mr. Tubonimi Sukuye and Assistant General Secretary, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Ahmed Gazali, during a stakeholder sensitization workshop on Pension Management Under the Defined Benefit Scheme for South-South zone, in Port Harcourt.

Delta 2015: Obuh declares governorship intention tomorrow

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PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, governorship hopeful, Sir Tony Obuh, will tomorrow formally declare his intention to run for the office of governor of Delta State in 2015.

Director-General of Obuh Project 2015, Chief Fred Majemite, in a statement in Asaba yesterday, said the event would afford the aspirant the opportunity to articulate his socio-economic agenda for Deltans.

Obuh, before now, had embarked on consultation visits to PDP executives in the three senatorial districts of Delta State to drum up grassroots support for his political aspiration.

Majemite said Obuh's declaration rally would be remembered for a long time by the people of Delta State because of the comprehensive

preparation put in place by Obuh Project 2015 Team in terms of political mobilisation, security and crowd control.

According to him, PDP chieftains and party faithful from the three senatorial districts will join Obuh on stage to articulate the vision of the aspirant which had been developed specifically to take Delta State from an oil-dependent state to a highly diversified economy in line with the present administration’s Delta Beyond Oil initiative.

It will be recalled that Obuh, a Pe r m a n e n t Secretary in Delta

State civil service, joined the governorship race recently after retirement.

He served the state for 32 years without blemish.

In 2007, Obuh convened and

funded Project Uduaghan International, PUI, a political pressure group affiliated to PDP in Delta State.

Aguariavwodo joins Delta governorship race

By Clifford Ndujihe

S

ENATOR Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, PDP, Delta Central, yesterday entered the fray for Delta State governorship election, putting present permutations on their heads. Aguariavwodo was at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to pick the party ’s Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for the governorship election.

Aguariavwodo was the second Managing Director of Niger Delta D e v e l o p m e n t Commission, NDDC and was elected to the Senate last year at the byeelection to replace the late Senator Pius Ewherido.

Before his election to the Senate, Aguariavwodo had served in the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003.

Agauriavwodo, who had left many guessing on his political future, following by his action yesterday, put himself forward as one of those to look out for in the contest, especially given his prime position as the highest elected office holder from Delta Central.

With a Bachelors’ degree in Economics, Aguariavwodo worked as a journalist with African Guardian between 1985 and 1987 and later with the founder and chairman of the Ibru Organisation, Chief Michael Ibru, where he ran an oil exploration company for eight years.

Thereafter, he worked closely with multinational companies in the oil industry before going to the House of Representatives in 1999.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014—13

Acting Rector of Fed Poly in Bayelsa sacked

By Samuel Oyadongha

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ENAGOA—THE crisis rocking the Federal Polytechnic, Ekeowe, in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, yesterday, took a new twist with the sacking of the Acting Rector, Mrs. Emilian Bribena, by the Governing Council of the institution.

The Governing Council led by its Chairman, Bekeakpo Etifa, at an emergency meeting held at the Liaison Office of the institution in Yenagoa, announced the appointment of a new Acting Rector, Mathias Udole.

According to the Governing Council, the former Acting Rector was relived of her appointment following the expiration of her tenure as a Librarian of the institution and her tenure as Rector in an acting capacity.

Chairman of the Governing Council, who spoke to newsmen at the end of the

emergency meeting, said the tenure of the former Rector expired in August.

The former Rector, who was absent at the meeting, in an earlier petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, alleged that some management staff of the institution were out to sack her to enable them divert N300 million from the account of the institution.

In the petition to the EFCC, she claimed that though the alleged fraud had been reported to the Federal Ministry of Education, the accused staff of the institution had continued to sign cheques and withdraw funds from the institution’s account without her approval.

But the Chairman of the Governing Council, Bekeakpo Etifa, insisted that he had earlier written to the EFCC to commence investigation into the alleged fund diversion including the missing N420 million.

According to him, “the

claim is to be investigated. We have written to the EFCC to investigate. Why was she not

B

ENIN—LEADERS of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo South senatorial district of Edo State, yesterday, lamented that the people of the area had suffered under development since 1999 due to a cabal of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leaders that held the area captive.

They vowed to dethrone PDP in the area in 2015 and elect an APC senator who, according to them, will help to

CORRIGENDUM

T

HIS is to notify the public of the inadvertent use of “Notice of Appointment of Liquidator of Oceanic Trustees Limited”, in the advertorial of October 28, 2014, on page 51, instead of “Notice of Appointment of Liquidator of United Africa Company Registrars Limited.”

We are sorry about the misinformation and the publication is regretted.

The Corporate Affairs Commission, Board, Directors, stakeholders of the company and general public should please take note.

attract federal presence to the area, lamenting that “the only time we had a senator that truly represented us was in the era of Prof.

Osariemen Osunbor. It has been a disaster for us since Senator Odion Ugbesia became a senator.”

Speaking after he picked his expression of interest form in Benin

City yesterday, to vie for the APC ticket for the Edo central senatorial district, Prince Joe Okojie, who re-echoed the observation of other APC leaders at the party ’s secretariat, declared that despite the presence of the chairman of Board of Trustees of the PDP in the area and the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolemenmen, the APC would take over the area in 2015.

A-Ibom 2015: Ekpotu picks PDP governorship form

By Clifford Ndujihe

F

ORMER Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Patrick Ekpotu, has picked the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, governorship nomination form for the 2015 election in Akwa Ibom State.

A Petrochemical Engineer, Ekpotu, who served as Commissioner for Information, Culture and Ethical Orientation during the administration of Obong Victor Attah, picked the form yesterday at the Wadata House Headquarters of the PDP. With a campaign slogan: “Let’s Turn the Page,” Ekpotu said he wanted to take Akwa Ibom to the next level after the uncommon

insubordination. I don’t know why she is not here. She was duly invited.”

CONTRACT AGREEMENT: From left: Mr. Trevor Palton, MD, Lilleker Brothers; Cross River State Deputy Governor, Efiok Cobham and Mr. Elemi Etowa, Commissioner for Water Resources, during the exchange of Abi water contract agreement, in Calabar.

2015: APC vows to unseat PDP in Edo South

By Simon Ebegbulem

at the emergency meeting of the Governing Council? That is another aspect of

transformation of the state by outgoing Governor Godswill Akpabio.

One of the leaders of the Ekpotu 2015 Movement, Otuekong Idongesit Udokpo, said the former deputy governor, who served meritoriously between 2007 and 2011, during the first tenure of Governor Akpabio, “is coming into the race with an enviable wealth of experience. He also served as a Federal Commissioner (South South) National Assembly Service Commission, Abuja. Don’t forget that both Engineer Ekpotu and the current governor of Akwa Ibom state, were colleagues as commissioners under Obong Attah."

14—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

I’m alive, hale and hearty – Abiye Sekibo

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ORMER MINISTER of Transport and former Secretary to Rivers state Government, Dr Abiye Sekibo has denied rumours making grounds that he is dead.

He said he is alive, hale, hearty and strong.

In a statement released by him in Abuja yesterday, Sekibo said such rumours came from those already doomed and looking for cotravelers.

His words,’’I am shocked to learn of the unfounded, baseless and malicious rumour about my demise but I believe very strongly that such evil imagination can only come from those already doomed’’.

The foremost politician of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) however thanked relations and friends who wasted no time in putting calls across to him to ascertain the true position of things praying God to bless them all.

He, therefore, enjoined the public to discountenance any such report from the social media and the satanic agents.

PDP has no place in Edo —Esogban of Benin Kingdom B

ENIN CITY — THE Chairman of the Benin Forum, an umbrella body of all Benins both in Nigeria and the Diaspora, Chief David Edebiri has said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has no future in Edo State.

He claimed the party would fail woefully in the 2015 general and 2016 governorship elections in the state.

Chief Edebiri who is the Esogban and Odionwere of Benin Kingdom, is regarded as the ‘oracle of Benin Kingdom’ following his predictions in 2012 that Governor Oshiomhole would win in the entire 18 local government councils of the state which eventually came.

The Benin High Chief and second in command among the palace chiefs in Benin Kingdom, broke his silence yesterday on the political crisis in the state, accusing the Federal Government of having a hand in it.

The Esogban, who represented the Oba of

Benin, Omo n’Oba Erediauwa, spoke in his personal capacity as the Esogban and Odionwere of Benin Kingdom, at a Town Hall meeting organized by Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to address pressing security issues in the state, the recent crisis was a re-enactment of the saga in the Old Western

Region.

He asked the PDP to field some of its members who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the coming elections and see how woefully the party would lose.

He said: “What we were about to witness in Edo State was a re-enactment of the

political scenario in the old Western Region in 1962-1964, whereby the Central Government caused a division in the old Action Group and supported the Minority, late Chief SLA Akintola who was our deputy leader then to fight against Chief Obafemi Awolowo because they wanted to take the Western Region by all means."

ELECTION: From left, INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega; Executive Director, PLAC, Clement Nwankwo; Sokoto State Catholic Bishop, Matthew Hassan Kukah, and Chairman PLAC Board/Chairperson Senator's Forum, Senator Khairat Abdulrazaq-Gwadabe, discussing during National Stakeholders' Forum on 2015 Elections, in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

PDP GUBER TICKET: Wike flags off local council tour at Tai

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IVERS STATE leading Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, aspirant, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, yesterday kickstarted his local government campaigns at Tai Local Government council.

The aspirant met with party leaders, youths and women groups at the local council party secretariat and at his campaign office.

Wike urged the Tai Local Council PDP delegates to vote him 100 per cent, noting that his relationship with Tai people had been

fruitful over the years.

He appealed to the Tai PDP members to elect core PDP delegates on Saturday to ensure that nobody sold out during the governorship primary.

According to him: “The PDP needs a strong and committed candidate to uproot the All Progressives Congress, APC. We must ensure that only loyal party delegates are elected.”

Highpoint of the flag off, was the commissioning of the new Rivers campaign office and the

inauguration of the Tai Local Government Area campaign office.

Responding, Chairman of the Tai new Rivers vision campaign executive, Chief Monday Mgbor, assured Wike of victory during the governorship primary.

The flag off was attended by national and state lawmakers, Federal commissioners, former state commissioners, PDP council and ward delegates, youths and women groups.

Crisis brewing in Edo PDP over selection of delegates for primaries

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN CITY — INDICATIONS of a major crisis in the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, emerged yesterday as members on the platform of Concerned PDP members, raised an alarm over alleged plot to hand pick the names of delegates to the primaries of the party by the leadership of the party.

The group threatened that if the decision was not reversed, they might have no option than to vote for

candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC. They appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to monitor the delegates election scheduled for next week, particularly in Edo South, where they alleged that the leadership of the party had already handpicked delegates with a view to manipulating the forthcoming primaries of the party in Edo South.

Vanguard learnt that the issue almost resulted to a

physical fight at the PDP secretariat on Monday when the members confronted the leadership of the party led by Chief Dan Orbih, with the allegation.

Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved members, Mr. Okharedia Ihimekpen, narrated that “there is a plot by the establishment to write delegate list so that they can put their preferred candidates. And this will be resisted by party faithful, who have laboured to bring the party together."

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014—15

Group asks indigenes to support Ndokwa aspirants

Iheanacho, Udensi gun for APGA guber race in Imo, Abia

By Chris Ochayi

A

By Godfrey Bivbere

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BUJA — LESS than 24 hours after it announced the sales of nomination forms into various elective offices ahead of 2015 general elections, two aspirants have collected the expression of intent and nomination forms of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, to run for the 2015 governorship elections in their respective states.

The aspirants are former Minister of Interior, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, who is seeking to unseat incumbent Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and a former National Secretary of Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON, Chief Chikwe Udensi, who wants to take over from Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State.

While Captain Iheanacho picked form for the governorship ticket of Imo state on Monday, Chief Udensi picked his yesterday, at the party ’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Addressing newsmen after picking the forms, both aspirants expressed optimism that APGA would clinch the governorship positions in the

DOSIMILI

DEVELOPMENT Union, NDU, the apex body representing Ndosimili people of Ndokwa East Local Government Area, an affiliate of Ndokwa Neku Union, has called on all indigenes to work together for a candidate from Ndokwa in order not lose out in 2015 elections.

NDU at the end of an enlarged executive meeting said Ndokwaland paraded the best non-controversial and preferred aspirants with unblemished achievements in various endeavours.

Stop interferring with our affairs, youths tell IDU

By Festus Ahon

U

GHELLI — ISOKO Progressive Youth Centre, IPYC, has urged the Isoko Development Union, IDU, to stop interfering with youth's affairs in the Isoko nation.

IPYC in a statement by its leader, Anthony Ogbalor, described the alleged interference by IDU in the youth affairs as a threat to the peace and unity that existed among the Isoko youths, saying “IDU did not settle factions in Isoko youth when the youths were factionalized”.

The body accused the Isoko apex body of trying to create a faction by conducting alleged illegal election for an unconstitutional, unknown and nonexistent Youth body, Isoko National Youth Assembly, INYA.

two states following the abysmal performances of the administrations of Governors Okorocha and Orji.

In his remarks, Chief Chikwe Udensi who claimed that Abia State was in bondage, stated that his platform would redeem the battered image of the state in terms of governance.

He bemoaned what he described as “unfortunate

absence of infrastructural development” in Abia state, promising to reverse the trend. According to him “I have come to rescue Aba and Abia”.

The forms were handed over to him by the National ViceChairman (South East), Hon. Uchenna Okogbue, who promised transparent, free and fair primary to all aspirants, stressing that the party believed in internal democracy and good

governance.

On his part, Iheanacho, who vowed to unseat incumbent Governor Rochas Okorocha, said: “I stand the better chance to win the election.”

Iheanacho described APGA as a party to beat in the election and accused Governor Okorocha’s administration of not having particular programme to end endemic unemployment in the state.

Conference: From left, Mr. Raymond Wilcox, General Manager, Nigerian Content Development, Chevron Nigeria Limited; Engr. Paul Zuhumben, General Manager Projects and Operations, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB; Ms Bekeme Masade, Executive Director, CSR-in-Action; Mr. Dayo Okusami, Group General Counsel and Executive Director, Atlantic Energy; Ms Eva Kouka, Programme Officer in charge of Governance and Human rights Ford Foundation, and Dr. Fouad Animashaun, Senior Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Power, receiving plaques, at the 3rd Sustainability in the Extractive Industry Conference, in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau

30 policemen still missing —IGP

By Ben Agande

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HE Acting Inspec tor General of Police, IGP, Mr Suleiman Abba, said yesterday that “about 30” policemen were still missing, more than two months after Boko Haram terrorists attacked their training facility in Gwoza, Borno state.

The police boss who contradicted his earlier statement that about 20 policemen remained accounted for while speak-

ing with state house correspondents said that one of the policemen that went missing had returned to his base.

He said; “Last week we were able to identify that one of the missing officers in Gwoza had gone back to his base this time around. So, there can still be some that are in their homes, perhaps refusing to even report to anyone that they are around because of the trauma they went through.

“Or they could still be among the families in some of the villages around there. It is still our hope that they are alive and that they will come out alive” he said.

Thirty five police officers were declared missing following the deadly attack by suspected Boko Haram fighters on the Mobile Police Training School, Gwoza, on August 23. A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Emmanuel Ojukwu had said.

“Following the attack launched by insurgents on the Gwoza Training camp of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force (PMF), the Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Suleiman Abba has since ordered the tightening of security around all police facilities in the country in addition to efforts made to further protect the lives of all people in Nigeria and their properties,” “It will be recalled that a ferocious attack earlier launched on the Training

camp by insurgents on 7th August, 2014 was repelled by the Police.

“On 20th August, 2014, the attackers launched a fresh offensive that lasted for several hours where the policemen on duty engaged them in a fierce battle.

“The search and rescue party launched immediately has located and brought to safety all Police officers in the Training College at the time of attack. So far, thirtyfive policemen who are

still missing from the facility as a result of the latest attack are being searched for with very promising prospect of locating them.

“While enjoining all citizens to remain calm and join hands with the security forces in the collective fight against insurgency, the IGP restates his determination to work closely with other security agencies to stem the tide of terrorism in the country,” the statement read.

Pascal Adigwe garners support for Delta North senatorial seat

T

HE P EOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, Delta-North senatorial hopeful for the 2015 senatorial election, Mr. Pascal Adigwe, has continued to receive support of eligible voters in the zone.

A large number of PDP supporters accompanied him to pick his nomination form for the election.

Speaking after the col-

lection of the nomination and expression of interest form, the senatorial hopeful, said picking the form was a clear indication of his preparedness to participate in the election and by the grace of God, he would emerge the winner at the polls to represent and bring dividends of democracy to the people of the senatorial district.

16 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 —17

“There is no more independence in politics than there is in jail.” —Will Rogers

D

R Ahmad Gummi, son of the late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gummi and a leading cleric recently wrote open letters in the manner Chief Olusegun Obasanjo made public letter-writing a political art. He wrote to General Muhammadu Buhari and President Goodluck Jonathan, advising them to jettison ambitions to contest for the presidency in 2015 in the interest of peace, security and survival of the nation.

This is not the first time the former military officer is putting himself squarely in the eye of the storm. He apparently draws nation if he is declared loser again. His comfort from the sentiment that he had credentials as a corruption fighter will go done his duty as a religious leader by giv- up in smoke and leave the nation without ing advice and urging caution where it is him as a leader, but with frightening necessary. His critics, however, will hard- security challenges. President Jonathan, ly spare him on grounds of his religious because from the word go, his presidency credentials. He had never been far from was built on deepening the Christianthe political terrain anyway; and like his Muslim divide and unashamedly foisting father, he had remained consistent in and exploiting the promotion of the Church highlighting the linkages between reli- and pursuing anti-Muslim polices. He is an oath-breaker, more Ijaw than Nigerigion, politics and the Nigerian state.

What is relatively new in Gummi’s lat- an and quite possible deeply involved in est foray is that he is taking on the sustenance of the Boko two formidable targets at the Haram insurgency. Gummi same time. This time, he is not thinks he should stand down just putting forward positions for Akpabio, Obi or Orji, that are consistent with what he although he does not say why sees as the core interests of these three.

Nigerian Muslims. He prediIf Gummi had said to cates his letters on his convicBuhari alone that he tion that Jonathan’s and Buhari’s represents a major liability for candidature in 2015 will be a mathe political system, he will be jor disaster for all Nigerians. He canonized as hero in many of tells both of them that they have Jonathan’s strongholds. They massive ethno-religious liabiliwill hold up that indictment ties that will compound the naas strongest proof that Buhari tion’s delicate and threatened has no traction in his unity, and even survival. He says immediate constituency, and Buhari’s candidature will play is unfit to aspire to be presiinto the deep religious faultlines dent for the fourth time. Simwhich Jonathan had designed ilarly, a letter to Jonathan and built as President. pilloring him as Gummi did The way Gummi sees it, if both will play into a large segment Buhari and Jonathan can be of Gummi’s social environpersuaded to stand down for ment, one which sees him as others, the nation will be spared a radical anti-establishment the nightmare and real possibilman of sorts. As it is, supportity that an election involving ers of both have attempted to Let Buhari them will push it beyond the tear him to pieces. Buhari’s retrievable stage. He thinks both and Jonathan supporters have condemned represent dangerously divisive him in very colourful terms, tendencies in Nigerian politics. run, if necesranging from deranged to a Buhari, because his phenome- sary against paid agent of the PDP. nal and fanatical followers will Jonathan’s people, with a rise up and burn down the each other slightly thicker skin from

On saints and men Gummi specifically, and the public in general, have shrugged his criticisms as one more from a man and a people who have long made up their minds that Jonathan shall not pass. There is a considerable, but largely silent segment of opinion that applauds Gummi, but they have to be very careful where they choose to clap for him.

There are serious issues beyond instinctive reactions of hate mongers and fanatical followers that Gummi’s letters raise.

He says what many close observers have agonised over, and put down as issues which everyone hoped the political process will resolve before they became such combustible matters. How did the Nigerian political process end up with such a frightening scenario? It is not as if many had not foreseen that any contest between Buhari and Jonathan was going to produce more than a winner. The writing has been on the wall that Jonathan’s candidature will be made to secure another term by all means necessary. Another Buhari attempt, this time on a much bigger platform is also seen by his supporters as certain of victory, and only his being rigged out will stop him. If he fails to become president in 2015, the nation will pay dearly for it. Buhari and Jonathan symbolise the basic structural weaknesses of the Nigerian political system. The dominance of the individual over structures and processes has bled our democracy since 1999, to a point where today, we contemplate a worst case scenario.

Ordinarily, the concerns over the potential damage which a Buhari-Jonathan contest will cause to the nation can be assuaged by a strong, national consensus over the need for credible elections in 2015. Tragically, there is a major gap in elite consensus and cohesion in the political process, no thanks again to the

dominance of powerful individuals rather than functional elements of the system. The nagging concerns over fallouts of Buhari – Jonathan contest suggests that there is very little faith that politicians will allow a credible election to be organised.

There is widespread suspicion that Jonathan will rig the elections to make up for his widespread unpopularity. Buhari’s people think the only way he can lose to Jonathan is if he is rigged out, and they believe this is a distinct possibility. Widespread violence is a key and permanent feature in these assumptions.

Jonathan has fringe groups that say they will cause mayhem if he is stopped from being president until 2019, by any process. Buhari’s people have already registered a presence in 2011, and the threat that they will raise the specter of postelection violence if he is not returned as president is real.

Yet, there is nothing wrong in the PDP fielding Jonathan and paying the price for it or reaping the benefits. Similarly, the sentiment that Buhari cannot win in a credible election against Jonathan has been made such a recurring refrain that many people are beginning to believe it.

So let us take a step back and catch our breath. If Jonathan survives legal hurdles over his candidature, he will contest the elections. He could win or lose in a credible election, and the heavens do not need to fall over it. Buhari, if he survives the determined challenges within his party to stop him from flying the flag, can win or lose against Jonathan in a credible election, and the world does not need to come to an end.

Nigerians like Gummi who agonise over the damage a Buhari – Jonathan contest will cause, need to look beyond the contest. No one has the right to threaten our limbs, lives and future over the ambitions of politicians. Let Buhari and Jonathan run, if necessary against each other. What we need to do is to insist that the 2015 elections are credible, and anyone who breaks the law over them will not get away with it. No exhortation will change the characters of Buhari or Jonathan at this stage. They are men, not saints. What we need to do is to re-possess the political system from those around them who think their ambitions represent the key to a future full of fear, or one that will begin the process of rebuilding our nation. If he still has the appetite for it, Gummi should write another letter to Nigerians and say, do not die for either Buhari or Jonathan.

OPINION

BY EJIKE ANYADUBA

A

crowd of anxious Onitsha residents thronged the Upper Iweka venue to welcome their new governor. They have come to behold, and possibly assess, the man who will manage their affairs for the next couple of years. Up till the time of the visit, Onitsha was seen as a city with palpable sense of brokenness. Scarcely was anything positive written about it. Thisday newspaper once called it “bursting and broken” when it profiled the town sometime in 2010. Onitsha was then named alongside Morocco, China, Malaysia and Brazil as the five fastest growing cities in the world by the UN. The paper frowned at the confused mass in which people and material moved, especially around Upper Iweka / Bridge Head area.

It is not clear when Onitsha copped the notso-impressive image. But suffice it to say that it did not do so overnight. It was a gradual slide that matured with the city’s attainment as the emporium of West Africa as well as a portal to states of the South-East and SouthSouth zones. The new status inevitably exposed it to unusual cosmopolitanism. People of all vocational hues, including vagrants and criminals, surged towards the town as would insects to nectar. In time a medley of interests manifested in a rat race that derailed the lofty C M Y K

The new face of Onitsha ideals of the emerging commercial hub. Efforts by successive governments to nip off the negative interests were met with stiff resistance. Unyielding, government applied a lot of measures, some unorthodox (like the Bakassi solution), to no avail. All seemed to fly in the face of the tidal surge of criminal activities.

Perhaps they were not proactive enough to pull the plug. All too often, they were reactions to actions of the criminals already entrenched in battlement.

Evolving almost at the same time as these negative interests were other marginal crimes like extortion, intimidation et al. The usurpation of government responsibilities by selfish individuals became a daily occurrence.

A cult of “powerful” individuals appropriated for themselves revenue windows of the state.

It got to a point where a former governor of the state had to personally intervene to stop what was seen, but rarely addressed by its name, as a parallel government in the state.

He had to exert the full weight of his office to knock into line the erring miscreants. The story was that the cheeky leadership of the then Road Transport Workers in the town defied the governor ’s order to lawful behavior.

Impudently, the leadership asked the governor to stay away from the activities of the Union.

The governor was reminded that others before him abided by the principles of noninterference. He was warned of a possible backlash if he failed to curtail his meddlesomeness. Riled by such impertinence, the governor decided to march against the Union and had the behemoth caged. But not before impunity of other rascals had already dotted the entire landscape. Revenue generation by government was steadily growing thin. Street urchins effectively converted pockets of business areas to personal fiefdoms and used returns on revenue to sponsor disorderliness and stoke the fire of crime in the town.

Sadly enough the areas badly affected by this unusual development were places visitors to the town often frequented for business like Upper Iweka/ Bridge Head and Main Market through Fegge. While visits to residential areas of the town with better structural layout and sane disposition were few and far between. Tourist centers with excellent eateries and joints where visitors could gorge on culinary delight easily faded into forgettable blur. People, except perhaps residents of the town, soon grew weary of * could no Onitsha. At a time, even residents longer endure the overbearing attitude of touts

and criminals in the town hence a good number of them relocated to Asaba and adjoining towns.

It was at this point that Governor Obiano visited Onitsha. The story of that visit has since been written in glowing expletives. The achievements of the governor’s security outfit Operation Kpochapu are daily reported within and outside the state. One unrepentant critic of the erstwhile parlous state of affair in the town who resides in Asaba once said that if securing Onitsha, nay Anambra state, was all the new government achieved, it would have done well. The new lease of life in Onitsha is clearly evident in the air of sanity that pervades the entire landscape. Upper Iweka for example has been shorn of the confused mass of criminal elements. Echoing the same view, Chimamanda Adichie, the brainiac writer, told a story of how somebody lost his telephone set at Upper Iweka only to pick it days after. It is obvious that Upper Iweka and indeed Onitsha has been rid of criminal elements.

The proactive engagement of criminals by Obiano’s Operation Kpochapu has greatly curtailed the menace of criminals in the town.

The bogey that was Upper Iweka has been cleared of the undesirables.

*Anyaduba writes from Abatete, Anambra State •

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 PROBLEMS associated with multiple taxation are almost as old as Nigeria, yet when multiple taxation is discussed, many think they affect only businesses. We are all victims of multiple taxation, and unlike businesses that can pass on the tax to their clients, individuals bear their damaging impact directly.

The authorities do not think Nigerians are paying enough tax, so they go to great lengths to invent all manners of taxes and levies. Nigerians feel the abuses, especially as most governments do not provide the amenities for which they impose taxes. A disturbing trend in the tax regime of some States, borders on human rights violation.

Some States are taxing people for providing for themselves basic services that governments do not provide. Local government councils are on rampage, imposing taxes without enabling laws.

A state government collects taxes from citizens for digging boreholes in their compounds to procure water. These places have water from public sources. In another State, government imposed N15, 000 monthly tax on owners of generating sets.

Government said the money realised from this tax was used to address pollution the

Multiple Personal Tax es axes generators caused.

In most States, council workers could block the major roads, charging whatever they wanted as radio taxes. If their logic is followed, we must pay the tax for passing through each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.

Governments’ primary function is to provide water, power supply, security, education, health and other needs of the citizens. Citizens give politicians their votes expecting good governance. Citizens resort to procuring generators, boreholes and other necessities of modern living due to persistent failure of leadership and governance.

Imposing taxes on citizens for providing

basic amenities in the face of failure of governance is inhuman, oppressive and condemnable. It worsens the already existing problems of multiple taxation. It shows that people in government are now beyond shame. Citizens are being driven to provide for themselves amenities that people in other climes take for granted because their taxpayers’ money is properly deployed. It is a pity that the various State Houses of Assembly have abdicated their duties to curb the excesses of the executive branch, and in most cases, actually pass the legislations used to oppress the people.

We call for immediate stop of obnoxious taxes in the name of internally generated revenues. Governments should provide basic amenities for the public.

Governments should restrict themselves to regulating borehole drilling and the use of generators to enhance safety and protect the environment. Better still, they should provide those amenities.

Extortion cannot be legalised under any guise.

It is ridiculous for governments that fail in their duties to punish those who find ways round governments’ comatose policies.

OPINION

By Pius Mordi

H

OW do you manage the affairs of a chief executive who is the target of vicious criticism, serial litigations challenging his election and is adjudged more on ethnic considerations?

No Mass Communications class has such recipe.

For Chike C. Ogeah, managing the media affairs of Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan as his Commissioner for Information could not have been more daunting. The Delta State governor has the unprecedented record of undergoing two primaries and two gubernatorial elections within three months - a product of voiding of his election in 2007 just months before the 2011 general elections.

In the face of a media blitz anchored on just what the governor could not execute and often couched in less than enamouring superlatives, an unwary media manager may have been tempted to enter the fray using the same language. Not Ogeah. He treads the path of candour, preferring to calmly respond to attacks on his principal. In all his interviews, clarifications and press releases, Ogeah, who turned 53 on October 23, always eschews the use of foul and negative words in representing the position of the state government and his principal.

“I have never seen being an attack dog as an effective way of countering falsehood or misinformation. For me, sticking to the facts not only lets the people know the truth but lifts one a notch above the moral compass over the protagonist,” the Delta State Commissioner for Information says.

Ogeah who first studied psychology at the University of Lagos before graduating in law says being caustic in responding to statements couched in abusive words and insults only ends up putting the media manager at the same level as his principal’s political opponents. “I beC M Y K

Redefining management of government media profile lieve the effective way to put the day light between traducers and one’s principal is to be statesman-like in response. Where there is falsehood and outright misinformation, respond with the facts and avoid calling the protagonists names. Where you are abused, I hold firmly to the belief that the proper approach is to remind them that nothing of substance has been said and without engaging in brickbats point out that the other person has stepped out of line,” he says.

To him, some media managers end up drawing more flak for their boss through the illadvised strategy of matching every criticism with the same words. Unlike in more developed climes where the words and actions of not just elected persons but also the opposition are scrutinized by an enlightened electorate, politicians on both sides of the divide get away with statements that would have ruined their political careers and jeopardised their party’s chances in more matured political environments.

In his task of running the Ministry of Information in Delta State, Ogeah who was born the day after the governor seven years later, has won the admiration of the diverse political class in the state. Despite what large sections of the people of the state see as the outstanding achievements of Dr. Uduaghan, the governor has never been short of robust and strident criticism, albeit most using unsavoury words. In responding to such criticisms, Ogeah refrains from matching the words used by the governor’s critics. Rather, his strategy often leaves the critics feeling inadequate afterwards.

He believes the press has a crucial role to play in instituting a more sophisticated political culture in Nigeria and only needs to have their capacity boosted. Thus, he sold the idea

of sending journalists practicing in Delta State to the Thompson Reuters Institute in London, generally acknowledged as the Harvard of journalism, for intensive specialised training on various facets of reporting. Governor Uduaghan quickly bought the idea and approved the programme. From 2012 when the training began, 31 journalists practicsing in the state have benefitted from the project.

The selection of the beneficiaries was not discriminatory as journalists from both private and public print and electronic media houses irrespective of their state of origin were sponsored to Thompson Reuters.

One of the hallmarks of Ogeah’s style is the open door policy he maintains with all journalists. Apart from regularly holding chats with media men, there is no unholy hour for him to be reached. This is in line with his oft repeated admonition to the press to publish whatever is the truth. His only demand is that the government be given a fair hearing and its side taken into account.

“I don’t subscribe to the thinking that journalists should be persuaded not to write stories that are seen to be critical of government. Why shouldn’t government be criticized? Giving government a fair hearing makes the criticism constructive,” he says, adding, “fortunately for me, I have a governor who believes in being accountable to the people. Dr. Uduaghan welcomes every opportunity to connect with the people and interact with them. That makes the job of telling it as it is quite easy for me.”

Believing every commissioner and head of every department or agency should equally be held accountable for their actions, Ogeah organises mid-year and end-of-year press conferences where appearance is compulsory. Invariably, at least twice every year, commission-

ers and heads of parastatals and agencies in Delta State are made to face the press and give account of their stewardship in no-holds-barred sessions. He also encourages them to respond directly to enquiries from journalists.

He draws inspiration from his time as managing director of Sahcol, the aviation handling company hitherto owned by the Federal Government. Under his watch as chief executive, the company was successfully privatised and sold to for N5.6 billion after an initial valuation of less than a billion naira. He believes that the turnaround in Sahcol’s fortunes is down to the transparent manner the company was run.

Ogeah has been immensely involved in crucial programmes and projects of the Uduaghan administration. During the Second SouthSouth Economic Summit in Asaba in April 2012, he ensured saturated coverage of the three-day talks through the invitation of business editors. However, in his relationship with community newspaper publishers, Ogeah opened a new vista of communication between the people and the government. With over 50 different titles serving the various ethnic nationalities in the state, the community newspapers became a veritable platform for the information commissioner to explain government’s action plan to the people.

He designed and branded the Delta Beyond Oil logo which has become the face of Governor Uduaghan’s drive to develop the non-oil sector of the state’s economy.

Ogeah is happily married to Olufunke and they are blessed with three children.

*Mr Mordi, a media consultant, wrote from Asaba

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014— —19

, So much ceremony about Jonathan’s declaration for 2015

A

FTER more than a year since the issue became a major talking point around the country, President Goodluck Jonathan, last week, finally declared his intention to re-contest as president. The President especially, and his aides and supporters had hedged and skirted like practiced lawyers on the question of whether he would seek reelection or not. Most of the talk around Jonathan’s re-election plans was at best academic.

It must have been obvious to even Nigerians born blind that Mr. Jonathan had no intention to give up his Aso Villa tenancy before 2015. If anything, his body language and hedging utterances spoke volumes about his unspoken presidential plans. Even then Nigerians, mostly Northerners in and outside the PDP, wanted a categorical declaration from the president.

This, perhaps, in the hope that they could nail him down to a so-called gentlemanly agreement between the President and his party that precluded him from seeking re-election after a full four year term in office.

The President never thought it

expedient to oblige those who wanted him to declare with a clear statement of intent. It was as if such statement would jinx the President’s ambition. Jonathan was, may be, also not eager to set the opposition mill grinding before it was absolutely necessary for him to do so.

That way he would have a lot less to worry and fight about. An early declaration might have given his opponents more than enough time and room to plan how to checkmate his moves back to Abuja. This would seem a smart move, but only on the surface. By failing to declare when it was obvious that would eventually be a call he cannot balk, Jonathan appeared too afraid of his own shadow and, thereby, created unnecessary ceremony and controversy around what should ordinarily have been routine matter. He gave too much unnecessary grist to the rumour mill and much hot air was expended over nothing. One must also not discount the many criticisms that came about the president’s leadership style and on whether his years in office justify his continued stay there. For these and many unknown reasons more,

Nigerians ought to have the full assurances that President Jonathan was not suborned into the presidential race as this very forced declaration would suggest

,

President Jonathan continued to hedge and skirt around the issue of his ambition to remain as president even as more ministers left his cabinet in order to go and set in motion their own electoral agenda. It was as if by not talking about his political future, the matter would go away.

The matter never went away and in the last few weeks it re-emerged with more vigour. Until last Thursday, 23rd October, 2014 when the waiting game came to an end and President Jonathan finally declared he would seek re-election. It was something of an anti-climax as the president had to make this declaration in anticipation of his party’s deadline to all office seekers on its platform to procure their declaration of intent form. The president and everyone else yet to declare their intention to seek political office on the platform of the PDP were given one week within which to make such declaration of intent.

And so it was that Jonathan was forced to declare.

What this suggests is that President Jonathan would have been

content to go on with the waiting game had his party not compelled him to speak. This does not look good enough. A man should be seen to be his own man and making his own calls. It should not be said that Goodluck Jonathan was so undecided on his political future, or was too afraid to speak about it until it became a fait accompli. That is not at all presidential. It is not and should not be the style of a man who is sure of his onions. Nigerians ought to have the full assurances that President Jonathan was not suborned into the presidential race as this very forced declaration would suggest. The president would appear to have prevaricated until it was no longer possible for him to continue to do that. Which raises questions about why he would prevaricate. Could this be because he had to reflect deep and for long about the necessity of his continued stay in office? Could it be that the president would rather have returned to Otuoke to enjoy his retirement but for the pressure of those who see him as their meal ticket? Is President Goodluck Jonathan’s ambition to continue in office a consciously made decision or one he was compelled to make in order to cater to certain entrenched interests?

So many questions but there does not appear to be enough answers.

The president himself does not make it easy for Nigerians to gloss over these questions. For having waited for so long to make this declaration, Jonathan appears bent on more ceremony before the actual declaration. He has set up a committee to oversee this planned formal declaration. Was the waiting period not enough for him to have prepared? Yes, he would, as a politician, want to make a lot of song and dance about the declaration.

He needs to sell himself to Nigeri-

ans once more. In fact a politician would want to make such occasion of declaration an opportunity to kick-start his campaign. But Jonathan, both directly and indirectly, had started his re-election campaign long before now. Not only had he given life to the Abacha transformation script, raised it from deserved oblivion with the carefully choreographed campaign of his transformational ambassadors, his party, the PDP, had all but declared him their sole candidate weeks in advance of his belated declaration. As the incumbent, one should not expect a president who is the leader of his party to face opposition from that party.

The kind of opposition to Jonathan’s candidacy from the North does appear to carry such weight as to justify him corralling the machinery of that party to make him their sole candidate. Jonathan however appeared determined to follow the discredited script of Sani Abacha.

One only hopes that, having tasted the sweet taste of power for the better part of 11 years, Jonathan would not after this second full term want to be declared Nigeria’s maximum leader in the fashion Abacha planned before Providence intervened. O yes, you might wonder if I have already conceded victory to Jonathan in the February election?

Only a blind person would not see Jonathan winning again even without the elaborate charade that has preceded his return. The opposition does not appear markedly different from the PDP nor does it appear ready to provide a credible alternative to Jonathan. There is too much confusion within it, so much more confusion than can ensure a credible challenge. And what is more? The Fayemi example is a freak occurrence. No sitting Nigerian politician loses their office.

harbours a thought for the people who are ridiculed every time we go through these charades of LGA elections. None who can rise above petty politics and personal gain to respect the principle of democracy, which alone can unbound the spirit of the people and throw forth service-minded individuals to run for public office. So that we are condemned, in the time being, to be governed by persons . . . who have the greatest disdain for the very thing they purport to practise: democracy. Yet, my despondency apart, I am consoled by the fact that the opposition stood its ground and resisted fiercely the attempt to spit in the people’s faces by rigging the elections.

In his response to me, also via social media, Governor Uduaghan passed off the facts of violence, destroyed ballots and non-voting in whole towns and numerous polling units as indicative of no more than that the elections were not “perfect,” and that while “[i]n all, we had some flash points . . . the elections went well generally.” To be fair to the governor, he made a tacit retreat when faced by the impassioned comments of readers of his rejoinder, backed by photo evidence of widespread violence

across the two Isoko LGAs, not to mention reports of violence (the APC secretariat in Effurun-Warri was set ablaze) and serious irregularities across the state. “[M]y write-up,” he said, “was not about Isoko but generally about the state.

I have also not said the elections were perfect. I have also seen the reactions. They are not different from what we are used to.”

“Not different from what we are used to.” I’m troubled by the idea that we can be used to imperfections of any degree, so that even when people do not vote they can have “elected” representatives nevertheless. I had urged Governor Uduaghan to break the evil cycle of LGA elections as turf wars in which a governor cannot, seemingly at mortal peril, concede a square inch of space to the opposition — a mentality that cuts across party lines — by cancelling the elections so that the will of the people can be freely ascertained in a rerun. That way, credible candidates who would win anyway may bask in untainted victories. I might as well have shouted in a hole in the ground, on Monday the swearing-in ceremonies for the “elected” representatives of the Isoko people began in Asaba!

Delta LGA elections 2014: The mockery of democracy continues!

T HE original title of my last column was “As Delta State Gets Set for the Charade of Local Government Elections,” but it was published without the keyword “charade” (15 October 2014).

According to the Oxford dictionary, a charade is “an absurd pretence intended to create a pleasant or respectable appearance.” Among its synonyms, that is words with a similar meaning, are farce, travesty, pretence, sham, fake, show, façade, and the phrase “false display.” For some reason, and I have my suspicions, the editors at Vanguard deleted the word but I won’t go into that. I had ended that column with a direct appeal to the governor to place loyalty to democracy and the people above narrow power games by allowing free and fair elections as his parting gift to Delta State.

My thesis was, and remains, that LGA elections, judging by our recent experience, have become “a huge joke, a cruel mockery of democracy that only those whose view of politics has been irretrievably warped by vicious power games can pass off as democratic exercises.” Delta State’s LGA elections of October 25, 2014 were staged, it seems, to give conclusive proof of this claim.

My deep misgivings aside, I had been truly elated to vote, having never had a genuine opportunity

C M Y K

to do so due to prolonged military tyranny and my decade-plus absence from home. But soon enough, elation turned to dejection. While voting, despite an inordinately long wait for election materials, went on in my polling unit — and generally in the first ward of my paternal home town of Oleh — a single bawllot was not cast in the second ward. For two reasons: non-arrival of election materials and violence that resulted from the determination of

I’m troubled by the idea that we can be used to imperfections of any degree, so that even when people do not vote they can have “elected” representatives nevertheless

the two main opposition parties, the All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party, to resist any attempt by agents of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to subvert voting.

The two main rigging tricks were attempted: hiding the original result sheets which would be used after polling to return fictitious figures in favour of the party in power, and snatching and spiriting away election materials to secret locations for ballot thumbprinting and stuffing of ballot bags.

Rather than allow that travesty, better there be no election at all, the opposition parties’ agents and even non-party members aggrieved by the PDP’s imposition of candidates resolved. Inevitably, scuffles broke out and ballots and result sheets were torn and strewn all over the grounds of polling arenas. Images of this literal ripping apart of our democracy can be found on the internet. The result was that voting did not take place at all in several other Isoko towns (Irri, Olomoro, Uzere, for instance) or in numerous polling units (Otor-Owhe, Ozoro, Oyede, Igbide, for example).

In my initial web reaction entitled “Another Black-Eye Day for Democracy in Delta State and Nigeria,” I lamented that among our ruling and ruining elite, there appears to be none whose heart

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014—25

DIARY zCisco Connect Sun City, South Africa Nov. 2 - 4, 2014 z Centre Cape Town, South Africa Nov 11-13, 2014

Preview Electronic handheld sewing machine makes life easy

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re you tired of using a needle for small clothing repairs? Do you often need quick alterations and you simply can’t haul your sewing machine with you? This handheld sewing machine is going to be the perfect solution to your needs.

Portable, cordless, battery operated handy stitch. Makes sewing fun, fast and easy.

Repairs even delicate fabrics like silk. And powerful enough, even to sew through denim jeans. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, for great control and easy operation.

Invaluable tool when you need a quick solution for simple on the spot jobs like repairs and alterations.

This unassuming device has a lot to offer: it precisely controls stitching with the rotary wheel adjustment and it has tension control to adjust the tightness of stitches, the fastening plate holds the fabric while stitching; making your work more efficient.

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TECH4ECO GROWTH: Can WAFICT become premier discussion platform for Africa’s ICT eco devt? just begun. Beyond telecommunications, the world has moved into a phase where ver the last decade, Nigeria and economy, governance and people’s lives indeed, Africa has been rest squarely on the total package of ICT. swimming in the tides of It, therefore, means that creating more technology even though this incursion innovations are as important as into the technological world could be sustaining what is already in place. described as rather late.

Tackling this challenge, according to Notwithstanding, African nations, industry practitioners, requires constant engagement of the industry in among which Nigeria stands Today, new technologies with consistent out for her huge broadband interaction among stakeholders telecommunications success, is a key within and outside the shores of have recorded some progress component Africa on how to properly harness that redirects world’s of them for economic growth. attention to the African economic Apparently in a bid to take up technology markets. growth due this gauntlet, several Nigerian Incidentally, technology to the organizations and individuals moves at the speed of light, ubiquitous alike have floated several discuss which means that no nation advancement platforms, conferences and can claim to have achieved it it gives to workshops to reawaken the all. For Nigeria and other West governance... people of Africa into the realities African countries, the of this new world challenge. technology journey may have

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

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I N S I D E

Digital switchover:

MoboFree for Lagos

NBC eyes N200bn life line fund

However, one of the most promising platforms seems to be the West African ICT Congress, WAFICT, due to the quality of diverse industry stakeholders, including government establishments, regulators and operators from across Africa and around the world that it attracts to Nigeria on the yearly basis that it holds.

Again, the conference also gathers notable technology inventors and manufacturers who use the opportunity of the show to showcase their inventions and test the pulse of the Nigerian market.

At the end of the conference, there is no doubt about the noticeable addition of foreign direct investment into the country by those convinced of the green

Continues on pg 28

How geopolitics undermined Nigeria in ITU election

20 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY,, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Double jeopardy for security guard who duped a blind teacher •To spend 10 yrs in jail

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA, Enugu

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HE common saying, “every day is for the thief, one day is for the owner ”, aptly captures the pathetic story of how a blind female teacher in Enugu State was swindled of her life savings while trying to secure her son a plum job at Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC. It all began sometime in 2012, when a 33-year-old security guard attached to a privately-owned security outfit in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Gift Onyegam, in connivance with three others, decided, ‘419’ style, to dupe the blind woman.

The result? Nemesis finally caught up with him, although his comrades-in-crime escaped and are presently at large.

Not only did the court of law convict Gift, sentencing him to 10 years imprisonment without an option of fine, he was also compelled to cough out the money he collected from the woman. …. Genesis of the crime The victim, Mrs. Rose Ihekanacho, had a chance to narrate her ordeal last week at the Enugu zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, when she came to collect part of the money to be refunded to her. She was assisted to the office by her son.

According to her: “It was a painful incident. I had never thought in my life that somebody will, without conscience, dupe a physicallychallenged person in this my condition.

But I thank God and also thank this

Commission for the way they handled the matter. I almost gave up interest in the matter initially when it was ‘come today, come tomorrow’. It was stressful and I almost gave up because it was becoming a threat to my life. To God be the glory that I have now collected back my hard earned money which was taken from me through dubious means. Oh, may God elevate you the zonal head and all your staff to greater heights. You are wonderful”. …..EFCC South-East zonal head speaks

Presenting a First Bank draft of N550,000 made payable to the fraud victim, Mrs. Ihekanacho in his office, EFCC’s Head of Operations, South-East zone, Mr. David Iloyanomo said: “I am happy we in this Commission have painstakingly pursued this matter to its logical conclusion, through prosecution, the conviction and in recovery. That is what EFCC stands for, justice no matter who is i n v o l v e d , whether poor or rich. All we need is information and cooperation.

If she did not come to give evidence in court, he (Gift) couldn’t have been convicted.

So we are calling on members of the public to give us useful I had never information and thought in my to also come forth to give life that e v i d e n c e d u r i n g somebody prosecution”.

will dupe a physically. . . T h e charge that challenged person in this nailed him condition Gift Onyegam,

*Mrs. Rose Ihekanacho receiving the bank draft from EFCC Head of Operations, South East, Mr David Iloyanomo. was arraigned before the Hon. Justice M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court 1 Enugu, Enugu State on a four-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence on the 17th of June 2013 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC. Gift, 33, who hails from Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, was working as security guard with Anti Risk Security Company in Port Harcourt, Rivers State when he and three other men defrauded Mary Rose Ihekanacho of the sum of N830,000,00, according to the EFCC. “Gift Onyegam during interrogation had admitted that he introduced himself as Patrick Abah to Mary Rose Ihekanacho, a blind woman, through a telephone conversation with MTN numbers 08165495063 and 0816549506, and that he had promised to help her secure a job for her son with Shell Petroleum Development Company.

“After thorough investigations, the EFCC had charged Gift to court on four counts of obtaining money under false pretences.

Some of the charges read: That you Gift Onyegam, Sunday Promise (at large), Okon Ayebaye (at large), and Opurum Emeka (at large), sometime in August 2012, in Enugu within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud obtained the sum of Five

hundred and forty one thousand naira from Rosemary Ihekanacho through a first bank account number 3050676816 belonging to Okon Ayebaye Susan by false pretence that the said money is meant for securing a job for her son at Shell Petroleum Development Company, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1, (1) (a) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.

Related offences “That you Gift Onyegam, Sunday Promise (at large), Okon Ayebaye (at large), and Opurum Emeka (at large), sometimes in August 2012, in Enugu within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud obtained the sum of Seventy thousand naira from Rosemary Ihekanacho through a first bank account number 3048914832 belonging to Okon Ayebaye Susan by false pretence that the said money is meant for securing a job for her son at Shell Petroleum Development Company, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1, (1) (a) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.

That you Gift Onyegam, Sunday Promise (at large), Okon Ayebaye (at large), and Opurum Emeka (at large), sometimes in August 2012, in Enugu within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud obtained the sum of one hundred thousand naira from Rosemary Ihekanacho through a Diamond bank account number 0016766663 belonging to Alamabo Teneilabe by false pretence that the said money is meant for securing a job for her son at Shell Petroleum Development Company, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1, (1) (a) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.” Upon conviction, prosecution counsel, Mainforce Ekwu, had moved an oral application before the court praying the court to prevail on the convict to pay the victim her money, citing section 11 of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act, 2006.

It was upon that order of the court that compelled the convict to cough out the sum of N550,000 out of the N830,000, while still serving his jail term; the balance was still being expected to be paid back to the woman.

What a double tragedy for a con-man.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 21

CBN pegs banks’ foreign loans to 75% of shareholders funds

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has pegged foreign currency borrowings of banks to 75 percent of the shareholders’ funds.

In a circular to banks posted on its website, the CBN said that, “The aggregate foreign currency borrowing of a bank excluding inter-group and inter-bank (Nigerian banks) borrowing should not exceed 75 % of its shareholders’ funds unimpaired by losses”.

The circular titled “Prudential regulation for the management of foreign exchange risks of banks”, was signed by Mrs. Tokun Martins, Director, and Banking Supervision.

The CBN stated that the introduction of the limit was prompted by, “ with concern the growth in foreign currency borrowings of banks through foreign lines of credit and issuance of foreign currency denominated bonds (Eurobonds).”

“The lower interest rate on foreign debt has created an incentive for banks to borrow abroad, and this has the advantage of providing fairly stable and long term funds to extend credit facilities in foreign currency and enhance their capital base.

“However, this also exposes banks to foreign exchange risks and their risks.

Therefore to ensure that these risks are well managed and avoid losses that could pose material systemic challenges, the CBN issues the following prudential and hedging requirements: “The aggregate foreign currency borrowing of a bank excluding intergroup and inter-bank (Nigerian banks) borrowing should not exceed 75 percent of its shareholders’ funds unimpaired by losses;

190.7

-0.8

2,960.00

-90.00

16.04

USD -0.61

USD 80.84 USD -0.17

DOLLAR STERLING EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONA SDR

154.76 249.3184 196.2666 162.734 1.4347 0.2796 229.0948 25.2991 41.2473 26.3628 229.8341

155.26 250.1239 196.9007 163.2597 1.4393 0.2896 229.8349 25.3813 41.3806 26.4479 230.5766

“The 75 percent limit supersedes the 200 percent specified in Section 6 of our Guidelines for Foreign Borrowing for on -Lending by Nigerian Banks issued on November 26, 2001; “The Net Open Position (long or short) of the overall foreign currency assets and liabilities taking into cognizance

155.76 250.9294 197.5348 163.7855 1.444 0.2996 230.5751 25.4635 41.5139 26.5331 231.3192

CBN Exchange Rate as 28 /10 /2014

both those on and off-balance sheet should not exceed 20 percent of shareholders’ funds unimpaired by losses using the Gross Aggregate Method; “Banks whose current NOP exceed 20 percent of their shareholders’ funds are required to bring them to

prudential limit within six (6) months; Banks are required to compute their monthly NOP using the attached template.

“Banks should borrow and lend in the same currency (natural hedging) to avoid currency mismatch associated with foreign currency risk.

Oando grows PAT by 110%, pays N2.4 bn dividend

By PETER EGWUATU

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-0.34

USD 85.52

SEMINAR: From left: Mr. Abayomi Adeyeri, Guest Speaker and Regional Head, Public Sector South-South/SouthEast, Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Olusoji Akinwande, General Manager, Delta Chevron Employees Cooperative Society Limited, Omoefe Siakpere, Chief Executive Officer, Klass and Korporate Consultants, and Mr. David Ikutegbe, Delta Chevron Employees Cooperative Society Ltd, at a seminar organized in Lagos for employees of Chevron Nigeria Limited by Klass and Korporate Consultants.

ANDO Plc has declared a dividend of N2.4 billion for its shareholders for the financial year ended December 31, 2014.

Announcing this to the shareholders at 37th Annual General Meeting, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oando, Oba Michael Gbadebo said “ The dividend represents a 30 kobo per share for the 2013 financial year and and also an interim of 70 kobo per share for the six months ended June 30, 2014, which amounted to N2.4 billion at N1 per share The company reported a gross profit of N50.5 billion for the first half, H1 2014, showing an increase of 68 per cent from N30.233 billion in the corresponding year, 2013. Profit before tax rose 103 per cent from N6.156 billion to N12.452 billion, while profit after tax grew by 110 per cent to hit N8.9 billion, compared with N4.271 billion.

Highlighting on the impact of Oando’s $1.5 billion acquisition of ConocoPhillips Nigeria which has

transformed the company into Nigeria’s largest indigenous oil and gas producer, shareholders were assured of further improvements in the company ’s performance as the acquisition is set to increase daily oil production exponentially by 600% equivalent to 45,000 boe/d, annual revenue of over US$600 million, and annual free cash flows of $150 million.

Commenting on the released results, Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc, Mr. Wale Tinubu said “With an eye to the future, we took on our largest and most daring feat with the acquisition of ConocoPhillips Nigeria, adding capacity to support our future growth plans. Our strategic refocus on the higher margin promises to create profitable growth for us and immense value add for our stakeholders in the near term. We have succeeded in repositioning ourselves within the sector, and through future acquisitions and innovative efficacy we will seek to up our market share in subSahara’s Upstream sector within the next five years to 100,000 boe/d in net

production. We remain committed to strengthening our balance sheet and expect 2014 to be another strong year for the Company.”

“In the first half of 2014, the company has already seen positive indications from its active strategic initiatives; upstream investments, midstream expansion and downstream optimization. Based on its Q2 2014 performance, it is likely to exit the year with a N24 to N30 billion profit” he added. Meanwhile, shareholders at the AGM commended the company for its performance as well as its successful acquisition of ConocoPhillips.

The various leaders of shareholders’ groups, such as Gbenga Idowu, Joseph Okelana, Chief Timothy Adesiyan, Goodluck Akpore said “The Board and management of Oando Plc have shown commitment to the growth of the company. Now, we the shareholders expect higher dividend haven endured for years since the company commenced its restructuring and transformation programme.

22 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

The Nigerian insurance industry, being a microcosm of the larger Nigerian nation has little or no place for consumer rights

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Experts identify public contempt as bane of insurance in Nigeria

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xperts in the insurance sector say public contempt and lack of grassroots awareness about insurance are major factors militating against the insurance sector development in the country.

The assertion was made at the launch of a report titled, “Making Insurance Work for Nigeria”, organized by the Transparent Protection Limited/ Gte (TPL) in Abuja.

The experts lamented the current level of insurance acceptance among Nigerians, saying that the situation where the insurance sector contributes only about 0.72 per cent to the country’s GDP, despite its huge potentials is totally unacceptable.

They expressed dissatisfaction that the sector still struggled with little penetration, estimated at one per cent of the population.

In his speech, the Programme Manager of the group, Godson Ibekwe-Umelo, who decried the appalling state of insurance in Nigeria, stated that the

organization had identified public contempt for insurance and lack of grassroots awareness about insurance as among the major problems militating against the insurance sector development.

He noted that the adoption of a solo approach in creating insurance awareness will make it difficult for the sector to sufficiently address the awareness challenge.

He called on the stakeholders to work as a team to achieve the desired level of insurance awareness for the country. This, according to him, will not only guarantees aggregation of finance but will equally work to eliminate waste.

He said, “The proactive public awareness campaign and palpable respect for the interest of the policyholders by stakeholders through sustained consumer education and protection as well as prompt settlement of all genuine claims will definitely engender a revolution in the insurance sector.”

Guinea insurance focuses on equitable service delivery

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anagement of Guinea Insurance Plc has said it will continue to revitalise and position the company on a higher pedestal that will generate positive emotional after-taste and further propel confidence and equitable service delivery for the benefit of its stakeholders. th At the company’s 56 Annual General Meeting held recently in Enugu, Enugu State, the company reported a profit before tax increase of 67 per cent amounting to N300 million in 2013 as against N179.7 million recorded in 2012. Total asset increased by six per cent amounting to N4.2 billion in 2013 as against N3.9 billion recorded in 2012. Insurance contract liability decreased by 4% amounting to N533 million in 2013 as against N555 million recorded in 2012. Total equity increased by 16% amounting to N 2.9 billion in 2013 as against N2.5 billion recorded in 2012. Claims expense increased by 15% amounting to N324million in 2013 as against the sum of N281million recorded in 2012.

These results were contained in the company’s annual report & accounts presented to the shareholders at the company’s AGM. Chairman of the company, Sir C M Y K

Emeka Offor, said that in spite of the daunting challenges in the operating environment, the company remained focused and true to its ideals of becoming an insurer of first choice by persistently building capacity, exploring opportunities within the industry and strategically directing its internal processes on the path of returning the company to profitability.

L - R: Mr. Jibril Aku, Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria/Chairman, 2014 CIBN Annual Lecture,; Chief Joseph Sanusi, Former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Mrs. Bosede Adebola Osibogun, CIBN President and Sir Ademola Aladekomo, Group Managing Director, Chams Plc/Guest Speaker at the CIBN Annual Lecture in Lagos.

Need for insurers to recognize consumer rights Stories by ROSEMARY ONUOHA

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onsumers are the largest economic group in any country’s economy, affecting and effected by almost every public and private economic decision. But they are also the only important group who are usually not effectively organized and whose views are hardly heard.

It is in this light that Insurance

CIPM issues first HR practice Victor Famuyibo, President/ licenses Chairman, CIPM, received the

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HE Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, CIPM at its 46th Annual National Conference, in Abuja, commenced the maiden formal issuance of CIPM Human Resource Practice Licenses to deserving practitioners in professional categories such as Fellows, Members and Associates.

At the conference themed: “Switch On,” where thousands of delegates including government functionaries, HR leaders, business executives, opinion leaders, line managers, thought leaders and policy makers from both the public and private sectors concurred on the need to switch-on to the positive values creativity, execution, excellence and accountability,

first CIPM HR Licence, while Abiola Popoola, the immediatepast President received license as a Fellow.

Other recipients were Dr. Musa Rabiu, Fellow; Mrs. Philomina Nwekete, Member; and Anthony Omaenikun received a licence for the Associate category.

Famuyibo, who however recognized and celebrated the professional accomplishments of HR Practitioners who met the stringent qualification criteria for the licenses, in his congratulatory message encouraged the newly licensed practitioners “to adhere to the Institute’s code of professional conduct and core values, as well as make their personal contribution and sacrifice - financially and otherwise - towards the growth of the institute.”

Consumers Association of Nigeria, INSCAN, is championing the insurance consumers bill of rights and responsibilities.

Insurance is a contract by nature and it imposes certain duties on the providers of the services as well as a commensurate exercise of rights and responsibilities on the part of the clients It is worthy of note that the concept of Insurance Consumers Rights was derived from the global conception or focus on Consumer Rights which was borne out of the restive agitation, particularly in the US in mid – twentieth century, for increased rights and legal protection against malicious business practices.

By the end of the 1950s, legal product liability had been established in which an aggrieved party need only prove injury by use of a product, rather than bearing the burden of corporate negligence.

The Nigerian experience The Nigerian insurance industry, being a microcosm of the larger Nigerian nation has little or no place for consumer rights. Inspite of the fact that the insurance industry could not succeed without the patronage of customers or consumers, the industry of

which underwriters and brokers are critical players have carried on without sufficient regards for the consumers rights for which they had not received concomitant responsibilities. Operators flagrantly ignore their responsibilities to insurance clients, especially if they are the small ones.

According to Managing Director of Riskguard Africa, Mr. Yemi Soladoye, insurance operators should realize the universal expectation of consumers from producers of goods and services.

He highlighted some of these rights to include, right to be informed; right to quality of service; right to be heard; as well as right to redress.

On the right to be informed, Soladoye said that insurance consumers have rights to sufficient information about the nature of risks and how they could maximize their insurances. This right also provides them opportunity to make intelligent and informed choices about insurance products they want to purchase.

“The idea of supplying paucity of information on policy documents is antithetical to this right,” he said.

On the right to quality service, Soladoye said that insurance consumers must be availed the most quality value in exchange for their money.

“Insurance companies and brokers must continually create environments as well as procure tools and acquire orientation that are geared towards rendition of quality insurance services to clients,” he said.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014,

According to him, there is need for all operators to be more ingenious in customer relations skills as well as acquisition of modern IT tools that would enhance service delivery.

On the right to be heard, Soladoye said that it is the right of every insurance customer to be heard. “This has actuated the need for insurance operators to provide platforms of engagement and dialogue with clients on a regular basis. The era should be past for good when insurance operators preoccupy themselves with selling insurance, rather insurance should be bought.”

On the right to redress, Soladoye said that insurance operators must begin to come to terms with the fact that insurance consumers should have the right to seek redress in the law courts or in established extra legal institutions against unsatisfactory conduct of operators in the implementation of the insurance contract.

Responsibilities of the consumer Since the flip side of rights is responsibility, Soladoye said that the insurance consumers must begin to come to terms with the fact that they are also obligated to pay claims before commencement of an insurance contract as now underscored by the ‘No premium, no cover’ policy.

Consumers must also disclose material facts at the commencement of insurance contract.

According to Soladoye, if the above rights are recognized by insurance operators and the responsibilities on the part of the

clients are respected, the insurance industry in Nigeria will flourish as well wrest itself from perennial image challenges that occasioned the low public awareness and growth of the insurance industry in Nigeria.

For Managing Director of Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc, Mr. Eddie Efekoha, customers are important assets of a company and in spite of the almost universal acceptance of the importance of customers, the actions of most companies don’t always match the talk.

According to Efekoha, customers are people who need assistance, adding, “They are not an interruption to your job. They are the reason you have a job or are in business.”

He said that businesses thrive when they have customers or clients and businesses survive and expand when they have good client service.

On the way forward, Efekoha said that insurance operators should focus on people, process, product, and price as well as imbibe a culture of on-going training to keep people up-to-date.

He said that operators should think like a customer; be proactive in problem solving; get it right, first time; walk the talk: develop customer service standards; simplified renewal process for returning customers; consistent communication not just at renewal.

Others are to take full advantage of technology and social media; create accessibility (telephones, emails, websites); massive public enlightenment & partnership with the media as well as customer complaints bureau.

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Consumers rights include, right to be informed; right to quality of service; right to be heard; as well as right to redress.

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Partnership for Good Governance (PAGG) has said that exclusion of citizens particularly at the community level during budget preparation has contributed to lopsided development at the grass root areas.

PAGG said exclusion of citizens in

the entire budget processes has further limited participation of the people in taking active part in governance thus widening the gulf between the ruling class and the governed.

The group which is one of the Advocacy Partners (AP) of the

he Miss Insurance 2014/2015 office has officially kicked off its pet project, “Teens For Insurance” The project commenced with its online essay competition, titled: The Significant role of Insurance to the development of an Economy.

The “Teens For Insurance”, project was developed to sensitize the younger generation

on the needs and benefits of Insurance, with the aim of preparing them for the imminent eventualities of life.

Speaking on the motive behind the initiative, the reigning queen, Miss Funmilola Ogunshola, who holds a Bsc Mass Communication from Igbinedion University and Msc. Fashion Management from Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland, said the project was born out of a desire

to initiate early knowledge and experience on the practice and benefits of insurance to youths in Nigeria.

“I have noticed that majority of the insurance players in the industry are only focusing on the older generation, but the truth is we need to start creating more polices that focus on the younger generation, so as to catch them young and carry them along in the insurance awareness campaign. That exactly is what this project is

From right: Board Chairman of Premium Pension Ltd, Mr. Aliyu Dikko, Mr. Ibrahim Babayo outgoing Director and his wife Mrs. Aishatu Babayo during the send-forth ceremony of Babayo

State Accountability and Voice Initiative (SAVI) a state level program of DFID said it has therefore taken strategic steps to mainstream the community people in the chain of budgeting.

According to the co-ordinator

Gainers for Equities Company 13/10/2014Close price(N) Difference NEM Insurance 0.70 Custodian & Allied Plc 3.95 `0.8 Aiico Insurance Continental Reinsurance 0.91 Mansard Insurance 2.97

17/10/2014Close price (N) 0.76 4 0.81 0.92 2.98

0.06 0.05 0.01 0.01 0.01

Losers for Equities Company 13/10/2014Close price(N) Difference International Energy Insurance 0.53 Wapic Insurance 0.66

17/10/2014Close price(N) 0.52 0.65

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Miss Insurance 2014 kicks off ‘Teens For Insurance’ project T

PAGG begins community budget and electoral participatory campaign T

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of the PAGG Mr. Adebowale Adepoju, the group would intensify its lobby at the local government level to ensure the authorities identify with the people when budgets are being prepared.

Adepoju said that allowing the people to make input would generate the much desired debate and development concept that are beneficial to the rural dwellers.

“There is the need to establish a sustainable partnership between the local government authorities and the people so that at every stage from conception of the budget up to execution and monitoring, all stakeholders make significant contribution” he said.

He regretted that the practice in which government anticipated a development plan for the people without proper need assessment has not allowed socio-economic

c e n t e r e d upon”, she said.

Funmilola, e m e r g e d winner of the Miss Insurance p a g e a n t organised by the Chattered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) in March, amidst 12 other contestants from renowned insurance and brokerage firms across the country, with a grand prize of a brand new 2013 KIA car.

development and growth to occur.

“It is in view of this obvious anti-development step that informed our renewed campaign to engage all stakeholders and tutor them on inclusive governance practice which has become a global trend and proven to be the best option in modern democracy” Adepoju remarked.

He said that as the 2015 general election approaches, PAGG would broaden its engagement to properly educate the people to ensure they are not coerced or induced into voting the wrong candidates.

“The upcoming elections are critical to national development and we must be wary of those who cannot be trusted and we have to especially mobilise the community people to actively take part in the elections” he said.

24 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Sterling Bank grows third quarter pre-tax profit by 41%

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terling Bank Plc has recorded growth in the top-line and bottomline in the third quarter 2014 with pre tax growing by 41 per cent.

Interim report and accounts of the bank for the third quarter ended September 30, 2014 showed that while gross earnings grew by 12.1 per cent, net interest income rose by 32.8 per cent. This further bloomed into 41.3 per cent and 39.2 per cent in pre and post tax profits respectively.

Gross earnings closed September 2014 at N73.01 billion as against N65.12 billion recorded in comparable period of 2013. Net interest income rose from N24.22 billion in third quarter 2013 to N32.1 billion in third quarter 2014. Profit before tax jumped to N8.50 billion in 2014 as against N6.02 billion in 2013. After taxes, net profit rose from N5.07 billion to N7.06

billion.

The bank’s pre-tax profit margin rose from 9.24 per cent in third quarter 2013 to 11.6 per cent in September 2014, underlying the improving profitability of the bank.

In his remarks, managing director, Yemi Adeola, said the performance of the bank was driven by increasing brand acceptability as shown in its growing revenues and reduction in impairment charges.

According to him, as part of the initiatives to support its retail banking proposition, the bank has re- aligned its business by market segments for a more focused market reach while it has continued to increase its transaction channels and it is on track to deliver additional 21 branches and 500 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) by the end of the year. “Following our Extra-ordinary General Meeting billed for November

11, we plan to conclude the ongoing private placement before the end of the year.

This will put us in a strong competitive position to achieve our growth plans in coming quarters. In the meantime, we remain focused on efficiency and are optimistic that the full year returns will be in line with our earlier Management guidance,” Adeola said.

He noted that the 41 per cent growth in profit before tax despite pressures on earnings arising from monetary policy changes was driven by improvements in revenues and a 30 per cent reduction in impairment charges. According to him, interest income increased by 15 per cent, while interest expense declined by three per cent resulting in a 32 per cent growth in net interest income.

From left: President Records and Information Management Awareness (RIMA), Dr. Oyedokun A. Oyewole; Registrar Institute of Information Management, Mr. Musa Zubiaru and Coordinator, RIMA, Mr. Ufuoma Egeiwere, during the press conference on the forthcoming RIMA Conference and/Exposition and Awards in Lagos.

Oteh emerges West Africa’s Business Woman of the year

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irector General of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Arunma Oteh won the West Africa’s Business Woman of the year 2014 at Africa’s most prestigious business awards, the All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA).

At the ceremony which was held in Lagos Oteh was celebrated for her peerless vision and dedication in her role as Director General of SEC Nigeria as she has been an instrumental force in the on going growth and development of Nigeria’s economic landscape.

In an address at the event, Joe Nazzal, head of Reserve said, “The nominees in this year’s AABLA Awards exemplify the gamechanging vision that has helped to grow the West African economy, with Nigeria making incredible strides in this regard.”

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“Johnnie Walker Blue Label is proud to acknowledge all these individuals who, through their tireless innovation and pioneering spirit, have made a lasting impact on the continent’s business sector. The fact that all winners were from Nigeria emphasizes the impact the country ’s business leaders are having on the continents’ business landscape” he added.

In her remarks after receiving the award, Oteh expressed her gratitude to CNBC Africa who she said has changed the landscape of business reporting and has been connecting Africa to the world.

“So I am really honored that I amiable to be some evidence of excellence. I also just want to say that this recognition for me means very much.

Food supplies for Lagos State’s future

T

here was a period in the 1990s when I lived and worked outside Nigeria. I returned to Lagos every six months for a two-week stay. I had to leave home at dawn on some mornings so as to get into Lagos Island early. I usually had a meal of boiled yam, beans and fried peppers as breakfast at a popular restaurant on the Island.

I found that during each twoweek visit, I had to pay more during the current visit over and above what I paid on the previous visit for the same quantity of food. At the start, the unit of sale for the food was N20 but by the end of the period the unit of sale was N50. It has remained at this N50 level but with smaller quantities per portion of sale.

The period witnessed a steep rise in domestic inflation, bank interest rates on loans were deregulated in 1992 and 1993 with the rates rising to dizzying heights of 50% and more. The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, stipulated maximum lending rates at 21% by 1994 but the effective lending rates were higher than the CBN specified maximum. Early 1993, the rate of exchange was U.S $1 to N31.

The current exchange rate is about N160 to U.S $1. My visits were from a place where the exchange rate of the local currency to the U.S dollar has remained unchanged for years and where food prices remained stable. We are into the third part of a series about what the next government of Lagos State should do. The economic review is such that I can address the appropriate question to the next governor of Lagos State. What is the governor going to do to ensure that food is produced in abundance for the residents of Lagos State notwithstanding the fiscal and monetary policies adopted by the authorities at the federal level?

The basic objective of an agricultural policy should be to have 60% of the food supplies to Lagos State produced within Lagos, Oyo, Ogun and Osun States by mid2019. These four

,

By PETER EGWUATU

states are the coverage area of the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority, OORBDA. The OORBDA has substantial land holdings which were acquired for irrigation projects. A number of these irrigation projects have not taken off and these land holdings should be released for rain-fed agriculture. There is an advisory committee of OORBDA whose membership includes the heads of the divisions for agriculture, irrigation, fisheries, forestry, veterinary services and livestock in the state ministries within the area of operations of the Authority. This committee should be made to bring forward proposals for rain-fed agriculture on these land holdings.

The future of agricultural production lies in bringing young people into the business. The Lagos State Government, LASG, has a training programme for young farmers. The Leventis Foundation has a comprehensive one-year programme which exposes the participants to most areas of agriculture and farm business. However, the Leventis Foundation requires that a participant should have access to a minimum of one hectare of farmland, so it is obvious that the LASG and others have to put land in the hands of persons who have completed their training programmes.

The LASG should also call on the experience of Dr. Lekan Are and others. At an interview he gave on his 80th birthday in December 2013, Dr. Are spoke about the late 1950s and his time at a plantation belonging to the Western Nigeria Development Corporation at Apoje, near Ijebu Igbo. The PZ Cussons Group has

T h e future of agricultural production lies in bringing y o u n g people into the business.

established a plantation in Cross River State for its vegetable oil business. I believe that the group would readily make its agricultural expertise available to the LASG through its PZ Foundation as the projects that interest the LASG would not be in competition with the group’s business. Next week, we shall start with transportation.

,

26 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Gloo.ng adds shopping list, recipe broadcast feature to site

BY ANULI EDOM

O

ne of Nigeria’s online supermarkets, Gloo.ng, released a new feature to make shopping easier and interesting.

The new feature, according to the Founder, Dr. Olumide Olusanya was inspired by the level of repeat customers that visit the site, seemingly shopping for the same items every month.

Olusanya said with this new feature, “all you have to do now is create a shopping list or indicate that the order you are placing be saved by the system as a shopping list at the point of checking out.

“At subsequent visits, you only need to go to the previous shopping list(s) you have created to load to your cart with a click of a button and then checkout. However, the new package also gives the opportunity for a customer to edit the basket after loading. The merit of this is that orders that previously take 10-30 minutes to complete can thus be completed in 1 minute.” He added.

He also said Gloo.ng has extended this feature for people with the flair for cooking and making recipes.

“You can prepare a recipe using the notes tool of this feature to describe how to prepare the meal and adding the recipe ingredients from the Gloo.ng site to your note. You can then share this recipe via your email, social media, blog, etc to your network. Your readers can then click on the recipe link and automatically load the items in the recipe to their checkout basket—even if they are not yet registered with Gloo.ng. we are dedicated to making the life of busy homemakers easier and happier.”

The online supermarket also promised to give N1,000 discount to new users on their first purchase

Elpazio repositions with Mitel relaunch

BY PAUL IKUFORIJI

G

lobal industry player in communication and collaboration, Mitel Networks Limited recently, re-launched itself, now answering the new Mitel. The new identity is said to also harness the original Mitel heritage plus like Astra,Telepo and Oasiys, to forge a strong business with one mission and one vision.

The new brand is represented in Nigeria by Elpazio, a Technology Solutions Provider to businesses, including the hospitality industry.

It provides solutions including IP PABX, Contact Centre Solutions, Electronic Card Locks for hotels, IP TV, Hotel Call Accounting Software, Voicemail and Wakeup calls, structured cabling, specialized hotel phones, among others.

General Manager of Elpazio Mr Emeonye Nwazota, said that ‘’the introduction of the new Mitel brand follows some strategic mergers and acquisitions, including the integration of four companies in just over a year. The new Mitel also comes with a new logo and other redefined brand elements, encapsulating a re-energized brand identity.

Mitel Networks as represented in Nigeria

by Elpazio, accounts for a great percentage of PABXS in most big corporate and government offices in Nigeria.

Mitel’s Chief Marketing Officer, Martyn Etherington, added that “in this digital world, the success or failure of any company depends on one thing – voice of the customer.

MoboFree for Lagos

S

ocial marketplace, MoboFree.com, is set to launch its local presence in Lagos, Nigeria saying this was necessary because its registered members in Nigeria grow significantly on daily basis.

Nigeria accounts for about 2.2 million of the social media cum market place’s over 3 million registered users, even as it claims to have strong footprints in Zimbabwe, Uganda and Ghana.

MoboFree combines a social network and board of classifieds to create a platform where buyers and sellers can meet, place their ads, negotiate and make transactions safely and totally

for free.

The MoboFree technological platform makes buying and selling online easy for any user with any device, not only for PCs and smartphones but also on feature phones.

Co-founder and Chairman of the board of MoboFree, Cristobal Alonso, says “ we are excited to be able to provide onground support to our growing customer base in Nigeria and to create locally adapted and customized opportunities that will deliver and exceed desired returns.”

A few months ago the Company reported that Nigerians are selling unused items worth USD 526 million on MoboFree.com and shared

•MoboFree screen shots expectations that the total volume of items for sale in its marketplace will likely reach USD 1.5 billion by 2015.

The outfit said that in view of this potential, establishing a local presence in Lagos is a natural next step in order to ensure more effective operations and achieve targets.

The over 3.3 million users, registered on MoboFree, together generate, on average, around 60 million page impressions monthly.

Digital switchover: NBC eyes N200bn life line fund

*Digital broadcast studio

By Emmanuel Elebeke

H

aving consistently cried that lack of funding could mar the country’s journey to digital broadcast switch over, it seems a life line is nearby. This is as the Chairman of the NBC Governing Board, Prof.

Herbert Orji, has just revealed that the commission was accessing a N200 billion funding to execute the project.

Orji said plans had gone advanced stage towards the establishment of this fund with a feasibility study that will guide it with regards to how to manage it.

He revealed that the commission would technically study how the fund would be managed, even as the proposed fund will provide grants for capacity building in the country and also provide soft loans to the television, radio, cable stations and other producers including but not limited to distributors and acquirers of content. NBC also seems to have been buoyed by the prospects of the funding, going by its showing at the recently concluded Biennial broadcast event tagged AFRICAST. Content development

Meanwhile, stakeholders at the event gave a new order that all nations in the African continent must accord priority attention to content development as the key driver for a successful digital environment to be created.

From almost a general point of view, it was believed and stated that digitization is not all about technology, but about content, production, sourcing and delivery of appropriate equipments to achieve full and

successful digitization regime in all African member States.

The event, which held at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja, October,21 23, 2014, was the 10th bi-annual edition of Africast convened at the instance of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC and in furtherance of the communication objectives of the Conference/Exhibition.

The event entitled: Digital Broadcast Content: Production, Sourcing and Delivery, attracted African Broadcast professional organizations , engineers, intellectuals, broadcast equipment manufacturers, content providers, the academia , broadcast marketing professionals and strategic industry stakeholders and broadcast partners across Africa and the globe.

Terragon boss to speak at GSMA Mobile 360 Africa 2014

BY EMEKA AGINAM

T

he Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Terragon Elo Umeh, will be among the speakers at the GSMA Mobile 360 Africa event slated to hold next month in Cape Town, South Africa. The conference is expected to bring together stand-out industry leaders from all over Africa and beyond with the theme ‘Advancing Economic Inclusion, Empowerment & Growth Through Digital Channels’.

The event will also explore the possibilities of mobile in financial inclusion, digital media growth and its intending benefits on the social and economic development of many African countries, and collaborations that are necessary to overcome critical roadblocks in technology,

governance, business models and investment.

Enabling a digital economy, Increasing Digital and Financial Inclusion, Empowering and Protecting the Digital Citizen and State, as well as the need to Accelerate Inclusive Economic Growth in Africa, among others are issues to be discussed at the event.

Umeh who will be speaking on ‘Delivering Affordable Access to the People of Africa’, will join other contributors including Nicola D’Elia, Head of Growth , Africa, Facebook; Gerard Brandjes, Vice President, South and East Africa, Microsoft Mobile Devices; George Ferreira, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Samsung Electronics Africa; Peter Panait Løjmand, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Opera Software; among others.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 27

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

EMC wants Nigeria’s public service IT operations to be more cloud-centric

Diamond Bank to equip 100 university students with ICT skills

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

M

anager, Systems Engineers at EMC, Mr. Travers Nicholas, last week, declared that the virtualization of infrastructure will translate into improved data management and ultimately facilitate cost savings and more efficient use of service delivery networks in Nigeria’s public sector.

Nicholas noted that a major step towards attaining this goal would be by migrating public services and infrastructure from legacy technology investments to more cloud-centric operations.

He was speaking at a workshop on ICT-enabled Public Services Solutions held in Dubai.

The event, held in partnership with Galaxy Backbone Limited and other solution providers, aimed at creating awareness for cloud solutions, among stakeholders in government. Nicholas highlighted the various challenges associated with the delivery of public services in different countries, using detailed case studies. He also described how these challenges were successfully taken care of by deploying EMC’s three pillars of opportunities – Big Data, Cloud Computing and Trust. According to him, these solutions not only deliver the necessary scalability as more public services are integrated, but they also provide a base for the

BY EMEKA AGINAM

D

iamond Bank Plc is empowering 100 Nigerian youths in selected tertiary institutions, with top-of-therange Information Communication Technology, ICT and entrepreneurial skills.

The initiative is promoted in partnership with Paradigm Initiative of Nigeria (PIN), a social enterprise organisation that connects underserved Nigerian youths with ICT opportunities.

The capacity training initiative will highlight the effects of unemployment and cybercrime among other vices that limit the potential contribution of young Nigerians to the nation’s economy.

On behalf of the Bank, PIN will provide trainees with continued postprogram mentorship and support for a period of six months after graduation. After the training, the trainees are expected to internalize world-class ICT knowledge and skills that would help them face the future with predictable outcome.

Speaking on the training, the Head, Corporate Communications of the Bank Ayona Trimnell disclosed that this year ’s ICT capacity building programme is scheduled to hold in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria from October to December 2014.

•Cloud computing computing of the future. “EMC is working extensively to bring advanced solutions to governments across the world and Nigeria’s position as a leading emerging market makes it a prime candidate to benefit from the gains of the most modern technology available. The increasing mobile internet penetration also presents a platform for government agencies to provide citizen services via mobile applications,” he said. By having a dedicated focus on shared services platform across the whole of government, EMC and Galaxy Backbone Limited are positioned to provide Nigerian government agencies

with solutions for more efficient service delivery systems.

He said Galaxy Backbone was suited to such partnership because it was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2006 based on the need to pursue a streamlined approach to information and communications technology acquisition, operation and use in the public sector.

The main focus of the establishment is to provide IT infrastructure and support to government ministries, departments and agencies via investment in shared infrastructure and technology solutions, towards enhancing economies of scale.

Can WAFICT become premier discussion platform for Africa’s ICT eco devt?

Continued from pg 25 business environment that is Nigeria.

But the question as the event gears up once again for the 2014 edition is if it can hold ground as rallying point for sustaining Africa’s technology development. It means that topics to be discussed will shift from pedestrian to the focused and outcome of discussions worth part of agenda when African technology development is discussed in international fora such as the International Telecommunications Union, ITU World conferences, GSMA World organized conferences among others.

Interestingly, the organizers have hinted that this year ’s theme will revolve around Broadband for Tr a n s f o r m a t i o n a l Development: peoples, governments and industries in West Africa with technologies and solutions to transform their societies.

The challenge, however is to ensure that after discussions,

respective African governments and policy makers immediately implement decisions else the event would count only as a yearly Jamboree.

Today, broadband is a key component of economic growth due to the ubiquitous advancement it gives to governance, business and social life. Little wonder the ITU declared that broadband access is a basic human right, just as the right to healthcare, shelter and food.

But Nigeria is far from totally harnessing such advancements because broadband for growth is still at discussion stage here when others have already implemented or are already implementing.

WAFICT 2014 But IT&Telecom Digest magazine, organizers of the event has said that building on the successes of the past editions, this year ’s edition would be another thought-

provoking and incisive Congress. Slated for October th st 30 and 31 2014 at Eko Hotel and Suites Lagos, the organisers said that when government officials, telecom and information technology companies, regulatory agencies, operators, computing and software firms, manufacturers, and other stakeholders converge this year, their task will be to provide answers on how to maximally utilize the infrastructure already on ground in the sub-region as well as proffer solutions on how to make additions so that the continent would not play catchup to countries which are already deploying broadband as transformational tool for development.

Publisher of the magazine, Mr Mkpe Abang said that “the 2014 WAFICT Congress is expected to open new frontiers for all-round economic

development across West Africa using technology.

Running for the sixth consecutive year, the Congress is upping the ante this year, as it brings people at the highest levels of government, regulators, and operators as well as all stakeholders in the ICT industry together with one full focus of finding ways to leverage on technology for economic development.

Globally, broadband technology is seen as veritable tool in driving economic growth and this is not without verifiable evidences from countries with huge broadband penetration”.

Johnson discussions

to

lead

According to him, Minister of Communication Mrs Technology, Omobola Johnson, has agreed to lead discussions at the event, to express how important

broadband development is to her ministry.

Meanwhile, other keynote speakers, including the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah; DG of National Broadcast Commission, NBC, Mr Emeka Mba; DG of National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Mr Peter Jack, and MD of Galaxy Backbone, Yusuf Kazaure, among others, are also said to be lined up to trash the issue of broadband at the event The Congress, which holds alongside an exhibition, is also expected to provide an opportunity to beam further searchlights on cybercrimes and the challenging tasks for cybersecurity, as well as the way forward for local content in the telecom and ICT sectors in the sub-region. It is expected that telecom regulators and operators across the sub-region with top notch speakers will thus chart the course for the industry’s growth.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014—29

Chime and Ekweremadu in Enugu-West:

Extreme politics The battle for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Enugu-West senatorial district is living up to its billing given the frontal assault between the forces of the state’s outgoing governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime and those of the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu

BY FRANCIS IGATA

T

HE titanic battle between Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy president of the Senate and Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Enugu Southwest ticket is daily stretching the nerves of political stakeholders in the state.

Many observers had pointedly seen the governor’s ambition to succeed Ekweremadu as an act aimed at retiring him unduly from active politics especially given the fact that the governor had zoned the 2015 governorship ticket to EnuguNorth.

Remarkably, both men have continued to mobilise traditional, political and religious groups to project their interests in the battle.

In the battle of wits between •Ekweremadu, Chime: In both men, the pro-Chime men, fired a salvo penultimate week when they successfully mobilised some traditional rulers achievements; for not wasting in the state to endorse the the resources of Enugu State in senatorial ambition of Governor advertising his achievements; Chime on the basis of what they and for his single-minded, claimed as his selfless resolute and genuine efforts in leadership qualities and his entrenching a positive culture unprecedented achievements as of investing the funds of Enugu governor. The position of the State in the development of the royal fathers was State. “As members of part of a nine-point the Enugu State communiqué Council of Traditional issued at the end of Rulers, we are the quarterly prepared to support meeting of the Governor Chime if he Enugu State seeks elective office in Council of 2015 because of his Traditional Rulers. It selfless leadership was signed by the qualities," the Royal chairman of the Fathers added. council, Igwe They were followed Ambasador penultimate weekend Lawrence O.C by some leaders of the Agubuzu.

PDP and other The royal fathers stakeholders in said they noted Enugu-West senatorial with “delight the district who at a u n p a r a l l e l e d , Many meeting endorsed amazing and Governor Sullivan s p e c t a c u l a r observers Chime for Enugu-West quantum leap to had pointedly senatorial seat come modernity which 2015. seen the the urban centers Led by the Chairmen and rural areas governor’s of the five local communities in ambition to government councils Enugu State had and party executives in taken in the past succeed the zone, they seven years and Ekweremadu debunked as “baseless three months under and laughable”, the as an act the governor." report of the removal They also aimed at from office of the commended Chairman of the Awgu Governor Chime retiring him Local Government for, “not being unduly from Council, Mr Nathanus boastful about his Nze, a strong loyalist o u t s t a n d i n g active politics of the governor.

a battle of wits Nze had been purportedly removed from office when a majority of the councillors in his local government who are themselves believed to be loyalists of Ekweremadu sacked him from office. The same group of councillors also removed the leader of the legislative council, Kingsley Okeke.

Nze was especially targeted on account of his leading role in the adoption of the governor for the Senate seat during the stakeholders meeting.

Stakeholders meeting Ekweremadu's own endorsements cut across different spectres of the political sphere in Enugu and there is some quiet unease among some that Ekweremadu could in days activate his political structure which reportedly includes some commissioners and top officials of the party and government who had until recently openly queued behind Chime but secretly drifted towards the deputy Senate President.

Firebrand priest, Revd Fr. Ejike Mbaka had a week ago endorsed Ekweremadu for the Senate in the 2015 general election.

Fr. Mbaka who declared the support during the weekly prayer vigil at the Adoration Ministry ground in Enugu, said the Deputy President of the Senate had done so well and deserved to be re-elected.

He said: “We have had a Senate President, and we have equally had Senators, but it is Senator Ekweremadu that has given the people of Enugu and the South-East the feel of governance.

“Many of the roads and development projects you see around Awgu, Oji-River, Ezeagu, Aninri, and many parts of Enugu and the South-East came courtesy of the quality representation by Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

“Besides, he is here with his wife, he has demonstrated the ability to keep his family, and that is the first test of leadership”.

Describing Ekweremadu as a man with a good heart and compassionate feelings, he said the Adoration Ministry would stand by the Senator to ensure he is returned to continue his good work for Enugu and the South-East geopolitical zone.

He described the impeachment of the former Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi as demonstration of wicked politics.

Charismatic priest The charismatic priest observed: “How could anybody think of impeaching Sunday Onyebuchi? Did anyone ever hear the quiet man? How many people even knew he was there?

Yet they impeached him for

rearing poultry whereas the governor himself has poultry, piggery and ranch in the Government House. The Governor’s cattle and all sorts of animal move about and harass people in the Government House“.

PDP stakeholders Ekweremadu's own endorsment was solidified last weekend when PDP stakeholders in Udi, Gov. Chime's hometown endorsed him ahead of their famous son.

The stakeholders who were led

by Chief Mike Ugwu, a member of the Second Republic House of Representatives said Ekweremadu was better positioned to serve the people than Chime.

The stakeholders who received him were led by Chief Mike Ugwu, a member of House of Representatives in the Second Republic and a native of Udi, hometown of Governor Sullivan Chime.

He said: “I am a stakeholder of PDP in Enugu West and therefore I know everything about PDP. What I’m saying is that Ekweremadu has the capacity of being a senator.

Sullivan Chime hasn’t got the attribute, what it takes to be a Senator. “Ike Ekweremadu has performed very well. He has worked hard and that is why we are supporting him.”

30—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Bankers on the prowl SOME top bankers are leaving their comfortable positions and perks for politics. Why the drift from certainty to uncertainty?

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, Political Editor

M

INUTES after leading the top management of Diamond Bank plc through its quarterly strategic session last Friday, Dr. Alex Otti resigned from his job as managing director of the bank that is ranked between fifth and sixth in the Nigerian market.

It was a shocking decision for many of his associates in the industry. He left a job that as at present has only 20 places in the market place in the country. It was more shocking to many when they heard that the former banker was delving straight into politics with an ambition to become the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Abia State. Remarkably, Otti is not the only one leaving certainty for uncertainty.

•Otti: Left Diamond Bank last Friday

Of the trio of Otti, Wabara and Emmanuel, the prospects for Emmanuel could easily be seen as the most viable given the Interestingly, one of his chief unqualified support he has rivals for the PDP gubernatorial gotten from Akpabio. Given ticket in Abia is also a former that the PDP’s National top banker, Mr. Marc Wabara. Working Committee, NWC Though Wabara’s exit from top barred state party officials and flight banking was not as executive office holders from eventful as Otti’s, he still counts openly supporting aspirants, as part of his curriculum vitae, Akpabio was absent at the fact that he was at Emmanuel’s a time managing declaration, but the director of a bank, the aura of his presence defunct Hallmark was all about Bank. especially in the Another top flight presence of his wife, banker who bit the Mrs. Ekaette bug earlier was Mr. Akpabio who Udom Emmanuel, praised Emmanuel the former executive for being about the director Zenith Bank, brightest of the who shocked many children of Akpabio. last year when he left It is indeed his top job to take up tempting to ask what the position of is driving the bank Secretary to the State bosses from the Government, SSG in executive floor of Akwa Ibom State. Mr. their multi-trillion E m m a n u e l naira establishments penultimate Monday to the rough terrain also exited the SSG of politics. job, and the following Dr. Otti in his first day before an session with unprecedented crowd journalists hours at the Uyo Township after he tendered his Bankers Stadium, declared his resignation last intention to vie for the throw their Friday described his governorship of venture as the Akwa Ibom. He is arrows in movement from generally believed to more refined certainty to be in pole position uncertainty. It is given what is manners in especially so for generally believed to such garbs as him. After moving be the full gift to him Bank from de-marketing Diamond of the political about the 14th machine of the and other position in the sector outgoing governor, board room to among the top six, Chief Godswill and with a contract maneouvres of six years still in Akpabio.

Certainty for uncertainty

•Wabara: Former MD, Hallmark Bank

front of him, his ambition would in the consideration of some look illogical. But beyond Dr. Otti’s moves is a philosophical drive for self realisation which he claimed could only be fulfilled in serving his community.

Emmanuel as an executive director of Zenith Bank oversaw the international operations of the bank and could at a moment’s notice fly first class to any country he liked and in between have his

•Udom: Said bye to Zenith Bank

fun. But he gave away all that for the lure of politics, or in his words, to serve his people. The inclination of the former bankers is bound to arouse the kind of mudsling that politicians normally throw at one another. Even before he entered the fray, Otti was already receiving his own dose with questions about his origin in Abia.

For Wabara, Otti and Emmanuel, three tested bankers who have navigated

through many plots and potshots to get to the zenith of the banking profession, they may as well be armed with enough battle scares that may even frighten some well established politicians.

Whereas politicians throw their barbs in crude forms, bankers throw their arrows in more refined manners in such garbs as de-marketing and other board room manouvers.

Jang goes to Senate

BY MARIE-THERESE NANLONG GOVERNOR Jonah Jang of Plateau State had for long been alleged to be interceding on who would succeed him in office.

However, while he prayed on who would succeed him, few bothered to ask on the governor’s own future.

That was, however, put to rest last week with the news that Governor Jang would be doing a swap with the incumbent senator for Plateau North, Senator Gyang Pwjok.

With Pwjok taking the governorship, Jang would take Pwjok’s seat in the Senate.

To give vent to the governor’s desire, a coalition of youth groups in Plateau State last weekend bought and presented the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Senate form to the State governor, urging him to represent the Plateau North Senatorial zone in the National Assembly.

The youth groups’ representatives handed over the form to the governor’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Francis Bot at the Government House in Rayfied, Jos and passed on their assurance and support, urging him to continue in the good work he has been doing for the State.

Speaking separately at the event, some of

Jang the youth leaders including Sunday Gini of the Plateau North Political Front, Nansat Bitrus of the National Youths Council, Kevin Pam of the PDP Youth Network among others stressed the gesture is in appreciation for what the governor has done for youths in the State.

The trio maintained the governor has been

Continues on page 31

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014—31

SENATOR Teslim Folarin was in the Senate between 2003 and 2011 and served as Senate Leader in his last four years.

In this interview, he reviews the difficulties around him while in the senate and his plans for the governorship of his native Oyo State. Excerpts:

BY OLA AJAYI

these things you claimed to have done when you were in T is alleged that your eight the senate? You did not years in the Senate were commission any project then. not impactful on the state. Do I agree with you, we could you agree? have done that, but, you knew The press has the job of the security situation in the educating the public to state at that time. There was no moderate expectations from way the last administration senators. Who is a senator? A would allow us to do that and senator is just a mere legislator. that's the reason we didn't do In fact, we can say a senator is it. We didn't do it to avoid a glorified councillor. You don't bloodshed. have votes, so where do you You were part of the forces expect me to get the money to that ensured the defeat of PDP build hospitals and schools? I in the 2011 elections, why are think you are not doing enough you then trying to hide under to educate people and they the same ‘umbrella’ you and now compare a senator to some chieftains of the party governor, you cannot. You can't ‘tore’ into shreds in the last even compare a senator to a election? local government chairman I have been trying to address because a local government this issue and I will do the same chairman has votes to spend. now. Politics needs not be about Having said that, you can violence. It should be about attract projects, you can building a consensus, it is about complement the efforts of the inclusiveness, not about state and the local government excluding people and people councils. During the time I was who talk about all these, like I in office, we had three health keep saying, there are two parts centres, one in Olode in to a movie. It is very convenient Oluyole Local for them to play part Government, one in two and ignore part Pade (Akinyele LG) one where Teslim and the other one in Folarin was Oyo West. When humiliated, was you look at the road locked up for construction, the something I knew road network at nothing about and I Olubadan Estate in asked them the Egbeda Local question, if they were Government, we in my shoes, what facilitated it, we would they do? I was didn't do it. also the Senate Leader and I enjoyed that Sinking of office, they took that boreholes ticket off me. I wasn't allowed to participate We told the in the primaries. I F e d e r a l think I have Government to addressed this issue come and help them enough, I think our do it and they did people should move it.

Over 150 on. boreholes were They never said sunk, even though anything, it was okay, I don't believe in get rid of Teslim sinking boreholes, I Folarin, but, now, they think that's too can't get rid of me, I'm petty. I believe we here. So, we have to should move on, manage each other that's my personal and I believe that as opinion. a party, we should If you look at the If you look draw a line and move rehabilitation of at the on.

Lagos-Ibadan road, What's your we did a lot to get rehabilitation relationship with the Federal of LagosAlao-Akala?

Government to do If you witnessed something. People Ibadan road, occasions where we don't understand all we did a lot to met, you would see these things, I think that we were very get the you also have a role cordial. We greeted Federal to play. each other and don't Is it the media Government forget that he's very you blame or you much older than I, did not make to do and as a Yoruba man, awareness for something I have to respect him

I

•Folarin: I succeeded in my duties despite serious difficulties

How I worked for the people as senator — TESLIM FOLARIN and I do that.

You just spoke about how you were maltreated by him, and how you were arraigned for the murder you said you did not know anything about, Cuts in...they didn't take me to court, they locked me up unjustly.

Will you still support that same person who was believed to have set you up if he emerges the party's candidate?

Absolutely, because it is a process.

How far have you gone in reconciling yourself with the opposing camp who felt you short-changed them in 2011?

I didn't short-change anybody. They short-changed me. I was locked up, I was humiliated, they tried to bring trumped-up charges against

me. Do you know what it means for a serving Senate Leader to be so treated? I don't want to talk about it, I think the best thing is just to draw a line and move on.

You seem to be too isolated from the people you now intend to govern?

What do you mean by disconnect with the people?

You have been here since morning, I have been attending to people.

Attending to people I am accessible to people, lots of people are there waiting to see me, they will be here till night, I see them, they see me,

I don't know what they are talking about.

How many people have you consulted before embarking on this venture. Did you discuss it with the former governor?

Why should I tell him?

He is a leader of your party.

He is a leader and I am also a leader of the party too. A leader of a party should not be an aspirant, why should I tell him? He can't be a leader and aspirant at the same time.

But, as a former governor?

You heard what I said. You can't be an aspirant and be a leader, I am an aspirant ,I am not a leader. You don't expect me to go to a fellow aspirant and be telling him I want to contest, where is that done?

Jang goes to Senate Continues from page 30 carrying the youths along in governance as witnessed in his willingness to “anoint” a youth to take over from him in 2015.

According to Bitrus, “The youths not only in Plateau North but the entire State is fully in support of the governor going to the Senate, necessary support will be given to him because he has been standing by the youths.”

Pam added, “You can’t change bad politics to good if good people continue to stay on the sideline. Credible people should come in and

change the face of politics to something desirable not only in the State but Nigeria.”

Responding after the receipt of the form, Governor Jang thanked the youths for the gesture saying it is historic to make such a giant stride.

The governor who was represented by the Chief of Staff, Government House, Mr. Francis Bot reiterated, “I do not have zonal politics in mind. What the youths have done is very historic, I will not disappoint the people of Plateau.”

32 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Milner tips City tto o beat Ne wcastle New J ames Milner insists Man chester City are fully focused on the next stage of their League Cup defence against Newcastle United today. City overcame Newcastle on their own patch in the fourth round of last season’s competition and the sides meet with a quarter-final spot once again up for grabs at the Etihad Stadium.

Following their Wembley triumph over Newcastle’s northeast rivals Sunderland to lift the trophy in March, City returned to the competition in style with a resounding 7-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday in round three but Manuel Pellegrini’s team head into their latest match on the back of a deeply disappointing week.

Milner scored to give the City a 2-0 lead against CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League last Wednesday, only for their Russian hosts to salvage a 2-2 draw, and West Ham saw off a late rally to defeat the reigning Premier League champions at the

weekend.

Although the latter two competitions arguably represent higher priorities for the club, former Newcastle midfielder Milner believes City must fight hard on all fronts to ensure they are firmly in the hunt for trophies at the business end of the season.

“We just take it one game at a time, concentrate on whatever is in front of us and try and win it,” he told the club’s official website.

“You can play three different competitions in a week so you can’t spend too much time thinking about just one “We are the League Cup holders and although some say some cups are more important than others, a lot of people have never won the League Cup and would love to have the chance".

Ameobi: Anything can happen against City M anchester City are the bookmak ers’ clear favourites ahead of tonight’s Capital One Cup fourth round tie against Newcastle, but Sammy Ameobi has insisted: “You never know what can happen.”

And the Magpies man - who scored within seconds of coming from the bench at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday - knows that if United show the same spirit and belief that they did at White Hart Lane, they can pull off a shock against the reigning league champions and Capital One Cup holders.

City ended Newcastle’s interest in the competition last term, winning 20 after extra time at St. James’ Park, but Alan Pardew’s side go into the game at the Etihad Stadium on the back of two successive victories and with their tails up.

“It’s been a tough start to the season - everybody knows that - but we’ve stuck together,” Ameobi told nufcTV. “We had to stick together or we wouldn’t be where we are now. We’ve had to just fight for it because that’s the Premier League. There are no easy games and hopefully we can kick on from here.

“It’s never an easy place to go, Man City, but I’m really looking forward to it.

“If we can go out with the confidence we had against Tottenham, you never know what can happen.”

Ameobi is pushing hard for a start against the Citizens after his instant impact against Spurs.

C M Y K

Eagles on course 2015 ticket – Lawa N

igeria international Raheem Lawal is confident that the Super Eagles will qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The Africa Champions face Congo in a make or break encounter in Pointe-Noire on November 15.

According to the Eskisehierspor player, the game against Claude le Roy’s men will be tough but the Eagles will give the encounter their all towards securing maximum point that will brighten their Africa Cup of Nations chances.

“The game [against Congo] will be very tough but I can assure you that we will return home with a win,” Lawal told

Goal.

“On a personal note, I’m looking forward to the game, and if I get an invite from the national team selectors, it will be business as usual as I’ll be ready to spill my blood for the country’s success.

“The Congolese are a very strong side and we won’t underestimate them and if they could get a win in Nigeria, then I don’t see anything stopping us from paying them back before their home fans.

The 24-year-old midfielder is not perturbed that the game will be played on an artificial turf insisting the Eagles are determined to win wherever the game is taken to.

“It doesn’t matter where Congo will take us to, all that matter is a good win. We [Eagles] are aware of the importance of the game and we have no excuse to fail,” he added.

VOL. 1 NO 11

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Abia community laments poor state of federal PAGE 2 road

*Abandoned ICC building

Enugu International Conference Centre of waste

*Another view of the abandoned ICC

8 years on, N2.5 billion spent as project begs for completion

E

NUGU—THE abandoned Enugu International Conference Centre, ICC, conceived by the previous administration of Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani comprises three auditoriums with a combined sitting capacity for 7,500 guests. The

main bowl has a capacity for 5,000 on completion with the smaller auditorium and the dome-shaped theatre accommodating 1,500 and 1,000 guests each.

The complex also had a provision for a 200-room hotel and an office complex which had reached sixty per cent completion before being abandoned about eight years

ago. Now, the edifice has not only turned to an eye-sore, but also a colossal waste of the resources of Enugu State.

Built in the shape of a bowl, the ICC is situated at a large expanse of land, opposite the Okpara Square or the Three Arms Zone. About N2.5 billion had been spent on the project before it was abandoned.

In 2004, The then governor

ALSO IN THIS EDITION Onitsha traders report Patients allege LG officials to Obiano ‘Ebola bag' rip over alleged vandalism, off by FMC extortion Umuahia — Page 6 — Page 3

,

BY FRANCIS IGATA

The administration had figured that ICC would not only serve as a source of Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, to reduce the state’s dependence on the dwindling monthly allocations from the Federation Account as well as add to the ascetic value of the coal city

,

had enunciated the idea behind the ICC, saying among others that it would boost tourism and frog-leap the revenue generation of the state. The administration had figured that ICC would not only serve as a source of Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, to reduce the state’s dependence on the dwindling monthly allocations from the Federation Account as well as add to the ascetic value of the coal city.

South East Voice observed that most parts of the structures had been roofed.

The areas roofed included the broken egg- shaped main bowl which had also been fitted with glasses and

Continues on page 3

2— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

ABIA *Amizi Oloko Rd in Ikwuano

*Amizi Oloko Road in Ikwuano

Abia community laments poor state of federal road U

BY ANAYO OKOLI

MUAHIA—FOR the people of Amizi Awomnuzie, a sleepy community of rural dwellers in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, it is lamentations galore over the deplorable state of the federal road that pass through the area from Akwa Ibom and Cross River states linking Abia State through the old Umuahia-Aba road.

Formerly, the road was lonely as it witnessed little traffic until recently when it became very busy due to the total collapse of the ever busy Ikot Ekpene-Umuahia federal road, as motorists now divert through the Amizi road to link Umuahia town among other places.

Since then, life has not been the same for the people of the area, who are mainly rural farmers and used to quiet life.

Vehicles of all sizes, especially, trailers conveying cement and other goods from the Calabar and Uyo axis to other parts of the country now ply the road on daily basis, inflicting heavy damage on the road. The road which was already in bad condition has become worse than the Ikot Ekpene-Umuahia road.

Amizi people who have cars can no longer drive them out of their compounds not to talk of the community because of the deplorable condition of the road.

Even some motorists in their desperate effort to find escape routes drive through some individual compounds thereby extending the pain to such people.

Before the Ikot EkpeneUmuahia Federal road got very bad, the community said it had drawn the attention of the Federal Government to complete the rehabilitation of the Amizi-Old Aba road which contract was awarded to a Port Harcourt-based construction firm, Marble Head, but there was no response from the government.

According to the President General of Amizi Awomnuzie community, Mr. Sam Ekpo, the people now live in a messy and difficult environment as they had no road to move about. School children are also affected as they also trek long distances to their schools. ‘’The economic life of the people is also affected, as traders from other communities that used to come to our market and buy palm produce from the rural farmers no longer come because of the deplorable condition of the

road.

Ekpo said: “Before this time, last year, I wrote to the Federal Ministry of Works, copies of which were sent to the Governor of Abia State, the Senate Committee on Works and the Federal Controller of Works in the state, appealing that contract for the repair of the road be awarded. This was over four years ago.”

According to him, the contractor was doing a good job on the road before work suddenly stopped and it had since remained abandoned for over four years now. No reason was given to the community for the withdrawal of the contractor.

Ekpo further explained that because of the eagerness of the community to have the

road rehabilitated, those whose crops, economic trees and other valuables were destroyed did not ask for compensation, adding that their hopes have been completely dashed even as the reward for their goodwill had become the inconvenience and hardship inflicted on them by the terrible state of the road.

“Because of the total collapse of the Ikot Ekpene-Umuahia federal road, and subsequent diversion of traffic to Amizi, our road is now in a terrible condition. My car had been parked in my house for two months now. I can’t drive it out. Our people are suffering. ‘’Our people, especially the youths have been trying in their own little way to make the road motorable but the magnitude of the damage is beyond what we can handle through communal effort.

“One of our illustrious sons had even spent N.5 million on stones to pour on the road to make it manageable just as the Transition Committee Chairman of Ikwuano Council has provided N150,000 for the same thing. But the problem is beyond this type of measure.

“We want the government to save us from this mess. Our people have been calm. We can’t go on rampage because this is election time. If we riot, they will say it is politics. We appeal to them to save us. We are part of this country,” Ekpo said.

….As motorists, commuters groan over bad roads in Imo

By CHIDI NKWOPARA present O WERRI—THE administration in Imo State have been telling whoever cares that it has constructed more roads within three and a half years than all the previous administrations put together. Much as the administration has a right to its opinion, a good percentage of the citizenry think otherwise.

The people, especially commuters, are of the opinion that this is not the best of times for motorists in Imo State. Virtually all the roads in Owerri municipality and most communities in the state, have failed, courtesy of the poor execution of the road projects, non-maintenance of the existing roads and heavy rainfall being experienced this year.

One of the first things Governor Rochas Okorocha did when he came into office

was the surface dressing of some streets in Owerri with asphalt. But some portions of all the resurfaced roads had peeled off. Motorists now try to dodge these bad spots and most end up crashing into other vehicles.

Apart from the foregoing, some of the roads have deteriorated so badly that they are now waterlogged and death traps.

Another side to these bad spots is that youngsters now stand close to them and are ever ready to pull vehicles out of these deep spots for a fee.

One of the emergency hands at the deep spot close to Dreamland Hotels, New Owerri, who simply identified himself as Ikay, told South East Voice that he now makes some money from motorists that need his service.

“This ugly situation has provided a source of livelihood for some of us.

Since the rain increased, I come out

IMO

here everyday. My colleagues and I, charge fees to help any driver whose vehicle gets stuck at this deep”, the jobless youth said.

One of the issues the people hold against the administration is that all the roads Okorocha has been building are sub-standard and hardly last two months before going bad. The Governor is, however, not worried about the testimonial.

Addressing newsmen recently in Government House, Owerri, Governor Okorocha said he was not worried that members of the opposition parties brand the roads he built as “China roads”.

“I have built more roads than all the roads built by the past People’s Democratic Party, PDP, governors.

If the past governors built what they now call China roads, Imo would have been better than what we met on assumption of office”, Okorocha said.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014—3

ANAMBRA

*Protesting Onitsha traders

AFTERMATH OF BLOODY CLASH:

Onitsha traders report LG officials to Obiano over alleged vandalism, extortion O

NITSHA—BARELY few days after the traders at Sokoto Road unit of Onitsha Main Market had a bloody clash with revenue officials of Onitsha South Local Government Area over alleged imposition of levies, no fewer than 500 of the traders under the platform of Millennium Merchants and Importers Association, Onitsha stormed Anambra Government House, Awka to report what they termed vandalism and extortion activities of the council

officials to Governor Willie Obiano.

More than 50 persons had sustained various degrees of injuries and were hospitalized, while some shops were looted last Thursday during the clash which came as a result of alleged imposition of levies on the traders by the council officials On arrival at the Government House with their placards, the traders who are also known as Sokoto Road Traders, complained to Governor Willie Obiano that they were being extorted by the officials of the Onitsha South council who they said

,

By NWABUEZE OKONKWO

The protesters who carried placards with various inscriptions including, ‘Iruka must go’, ‘We need peace in Onitsha south’, ‘Iruka stop disturbing our governor’, ‘Gov. Obiano beware of the hoodlums around you

,

usually invade their business premises with hoodlums and attack their members.

The protesters who carried placards with various inscriptions including, ‘Iruka must go’, ‘We need peace in Onitsha south’, ‘Iruka stop disturbing our governor ’, ‘Gov. Obiano beware of the hoodlums around you’, ‘Iruka asked us to pay N50,000’, among others, said they were urging the state government to intervene and protect them from overzealous council officials.

The traders who spoke through their chairman, Valentine Ezechukwu, said:

“The problem is what we see as injustice, intimidation and oppression by the Onitsha South local government chairman, who invaded our markets with hoodlums unannounced on Thursday, beating people and destroying our goods. Lots of people were wounded, our customers were harassed. We lost lots of valuables, so we find it abnormal and that is why we have come to inform the government that their demand from us is illegal.

They are asking us to pay N50,000 for no reasons when they are not our landlords.”

Also speaking, Mr Igboamaeze Ikenna, secretary of the market, insisted that no fewer than 50 of their members were wounded during the raid, adding that it would be bad to frustrate the legitimate businesses of over 20,000 people in the market.

Dr Nkem Okeke, Deputy Governor of Anambra State, who addressed the protesters, commended them for their peaceful conduct and assured them that the government would look into their complaints.

Okeke said that he would present the matter to the governor, saying that the state government would come up with a resolution that would favour all parties after investigating the matter.

He therefore urged them to return to Onitsha and promised them that nobody would be harassed till further notice as the administration had zero tolerance for thuggery and all forms of criminality.

Other state government officials who were on ground to address the protesting traders were Mr. Obaze Oseloka, Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Beverly Nkemdiche-Ikpeazu, member representing Onitsha South in the State House of Assembly.

When contacted, Secretary to Onitsha South Local Government Area, Sylvanus Mgbechukwu declined to comment on the matter.

Enugu International Conference Centre of waste Continued from page 1 electricity among others before Nnamani left office in 2007.

However, more than eight years after the former governor’s departure, the ICC had remained where those who initiated the project left it.

South East Voice also noticed that the ICC has now been overgrown by a thick forest which has totally eroded the lofty idea for which it was conceived.

Over grown trees, rodents, insects among other animals are competing for spaces inside the building complex. The entire compound, even as some of the roofs had given way with the roofing materials vandalized

by unknown persons.

A portion of the perimeter fence had fallen off, thus providing access to the bushy compound even though the gate leading to the centre was under lock and key.

Mamel speaks Reacting to the incident, the immediate past Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Joe Mamel told South East Voice on the telephone that, “there is no existing file on the Enugu ICC in the custody of the present administration led by Governor Sullivan Chime. ‘’The physical and structural details of the facilities in the centre are no

where to be found. How can we complete a project you know nothing about? Proceeding with the project is impossible. Agreed that the ICC is 60 per cent completed but nothing on the project was handed over by the past administration to the present one.

There are no details of technical and structural drawings of the building anywhere in our files.

“This administration cannot waste tax payers’ money on such projects.

That is the challenge the administration is bedevilled with.”

However, another government official also hinted that apart from not handing over of the project, it was discovered that money approved for

the ICC was diverted to private projects but refused to expatiate further.

Residents lament A civil servant in Enugu, Mr. Emeke Eze, said: “The abandonment of the project is not far from the frosty relationship between the present governor and his former political godfather.

According to him, playing politics with such a gigantic project amounted to irresponsibility.

“The project could have created at least between 4,000 and 5,000 jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the state if completed apart from boosting the IGR of the state or putting the area in the world tourism map.”

4—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29 , 2014

ANAMBRA *Burnt 500 KVA transformer at Nsukka

EPILEPTIC POWER SUPPLY:

Zik’s wife, Nsukka residents slam EEDC •Business operators count losses N

SUKKA—”WE suffer here in Nsukka. There is no electricity; nothing!” The assertion of the wife of the late first President of Nigeria, and Owelle of Onitsha, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Prof. Mrs. Uche Azikiwe, who reviewed the state of electricity supply by the Enugu Electricity

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA—WORRIED by the increasing rate of the circulation of fake and counterfeit pharmaceutical products in the country, Pharmacists in Nigerian have vowed to fight the perpetrators to a standstill.

The pharmacists, at their 23rd Annual General Meeting, AGM, in Awka, Anambra State, said that as professionals trained to ensure that only genuine and wholesome drugs were found on drug shelves across the country, they would do everything within their powers to combat the menace to save Nigerians from patronizing quacks whose main motive is profit making in drug business.

Anambra State chairman of

Distribution Company, EEDC, especially to the university town of Nsukka in Enugu State.

Her lamentations in an interview with the South East Voice, encapsulates the feelings of some electricity consumers within the university town of Nsukka as well as both Igboeze South and Igboeze North Local Government Areas of the

state.

Other residents also expressed their frustrations over the alleged poor power supply in the area, just as small and medium scale business operators in the area (who appear to be the worst hit) continued to bemoan the negative implications of epileptic power supply on their businesses.

Prof. Azikiwe who spoke to

South East Voice said: “I have a borehole where I sell water. I had a generator for the borehole; the old generator wasn’t functioning well. I now bought a bigger generator set to serve the borehole.

“To help run activities in the borehole, I buy up to 300 litres of diesel which lasts for just a week. So when the borehole is being run, I have light to

Pharmacists gather in Awka, vow total war against fake drugs As a the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, Chisom Uchem said they would proffer solutions that would help to sanitize the pharmaceutical industry to make the people regain confidence in the sector.

She said: “This forum affords pharmacists the ample opportunity to brainstorm and proffer solutions to public health hazards of patronizing unapproved drug dealers. It also provides veritable platform for the PSN to partner with the Anambra State government on regulations, legislation and other restrictive mechanisms to forestall catastrophe resulting from the intake of fake and adulterated pharmaceutical

products, as well as other areas of effective collaboration that will be in the overall interest of the citizenry “As a professional body, we must deliver on our mandate to ensure that there are no traces of fake drugs in Anambra State.”

Uchem stated categorically that the society was determined to unravel the mystery surrounding the continued thriving of illegal pharmaceutical business despite the efforts of the regulatory bodies and the PSN, adding that in Anambra State, Governor Willie Obiano has also charged the association to live up to the international standards in the

,

By CHIBUNDU ABUGU

the extent that I don’t even complain to them EEDC again. ‘’But as you can see, today is Sunday, I have no light because we do not operate on Sundays. I do not know what we will do to solve this problem.

“One priest, Rev. Father Asogwa came to me and said that he went to EEDC to collect a transformer and he was asked to come and get permission from me. I asked why and he said they told him that the transformer is mine.

“I told him that I haven’t seen any transformer. If Zik has a transformer dedicated to his house, let them tell me why I don’t have light? I also told the Rev. Father; let them not use my name. If the transformer is ours, let them bring it into our compound so that I will know why I don’t have light.

“They have privatized electricity, what is the problem again? I pray that President Goodluck Jonathan will do it for us; let’s have constant power not just for me but for the artisans, hairdressers, or internet café owners. Others need power to run their businesses and earn income. But there is no light.

I think Nsukka is the worst hit.”

Some of the distraught consumers contacted also condemned the situation saying, they had not had electricity for some days.

A barber, Innocent Udeji said: “I don’t have any metre and as such, they fixed my bill at N2,000 per month for my small shop. I barely have light for my business yet I keep on paying bills. I spend more in maintaining my generator to keep my business going.”

A welder in the area, said: ‘’Some residents and shop owners who moved in recently to the area had a battle with old debtors.

Meanwhile, Nsukka is yet to get pre-paid meters even as the few who could afford to pay the sky-rocket prices got theirs in Enugu.

professional body, we must deliver on our mandate to ensure that there are no traces of fake drugs

,

discharge of its duties to rid the state of adulterated drugs.

According to her, pharmacists will use the occasion of this year’s World Pharmacy Day to educate the public on ways of ensuring that patients obtained the most reliable

pharmaceutical services.

On Ebola, she promised that pharmacists will intensify its health education programmes to ensure that no disease of public health concern threatens the people anymore.

A lecturer in the School of Pharmacy at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Mr. Sunny Nduka regretted that the open drug markets in Anambra State was a fertile ground for breeding elements who feed fat in faking the services of certified pharmacists in the state.

He described as timely the Federal Government’s drug distribution guideline, which he observed, would forestall the activities of fake and substandard drug dealers.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014—5

EBONYI

BY PETER OKUTU

A

BAKALIKI—AHEAD of the 2015 general election, the Ebonyi State police command last week trained officers and men of the command in crowd control, use of fire arms, interpersonal relationship with members of the public and commitment to duty, among others. The state Commissioner of Police, Maigari Dikko, embarked on a tour of the three Area Commands at Afikpo, Onueke and Abakaliki where he charged the men on ground to be prepared for general election, adding that the role of the police in the protection of lives and property cannot be over emphasized.

Meanwhile, to avert incidences of accidental discharge, careless and unprofessional use of firearms by policemen in the state, Dikko directed and monitored the retraining of policemen on effective use of firearm to dislodge the activities of criminals across the state.

The training which took place at the Police Shooting Range within PMF 3 Squadron, Enugu, brought together over 500 officers and men serving in the three Area Commands of the State for the exercise.

In a lecture delivered to more than 2,500 officers and men drawn predominantly from the Inspectorate and Rank-and-File cadre across all the Divisions and formations in the Command, CP Dikko admonished the men and officers to be of good behaviour to the public in line with the motto of the Nigerian Police Force “Police is your Helper and friend” to engender peace and unity across the state.

The CP reminded the men of the vision and mission of the Nigerian Police Force which are: “To be a leading national, professional and efficient law enforcement organisation” and “To provide safety and security in Nigeria communities; protect and respect human rights, and promote community partnership in preventing and controlling social disorder.”

He reiterated the need for every police officer to have a thorough understanding and knowledge of the laws, and of the orders and instructions, and to develop the attributes of integrity in refusing to allow religious, racial or ethnic, political, or personal feelings, or other consideration, to influence him in the execution of his of her duties.

On attitudinal change, the

*Police officers listening to their lectures in Abakaliki

REACH US

ELECTION: Ebonyi

DO you have any news of neglect or abandoned projects or your representative at the local, state or federal governments are not representing you well?

Do you have unique cultural activities coming up or any community news to tell us?

Police train 2500 officers on crowd control, use of firearms CP warned the policemen against leaving their beat, absenteeism, sleeping on duty, using body as wedge while on stop-and-search duty, divulging official secrets, drinking while on duty and fraternizing with criminals.

Reacting to the entire exercise, Inspector Fidelis

Nweke with F/No: 028825 and W/Cpl Mercy Egor appreciated the command for organising such programme.

They commended the Nigerian Police Force for the initiative, adding that a situation whereby members of the force are left on their own from year to year without this kind of professional exercise

*Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, Maigari Dikko

was not a good development even as they appealed to police authorities in the country to ensure its sustainability.

Mark commissions IVF Unit in Abakaliki ...over 700 patients waiting to be attended to

BY PETER OKUTU

A

BAKALIKI—THE Senate President, Senator David Mark weekend commissioned an In-vitro Fertilisation Unit at the National Obstetric Fistula Centre, NOFIC, Abakaliki.

About 700 patients within and outside the South East

zone are waiting to benefit from the largesse. The Chief Medical Director, CMD; NOFIC, Prof. Sunday Adeoye who spoke said that the patients were from within and outside the South East zone, adding that they were waiting to be attended to by the management of the Centre who were working to ensure its completion next week.

The centre, being the first government project in that direction, is meant to meet the reproductive needs of both men and women in the South East geopolitical zone and beyond.

The system would be assisted by the Reproductive Technology, ART, commonly referred to as IVF which is the Continues on page 7

Emeka Mamah (Co-ordinator): 08033218645 Austin Ogwuda(Enugu): 08037136440 Francis Igata 08033387069 Vincent Ujumadu(Awka): 08035804090 Anayo Okoli(Umuahia): 08034046839 Chidi Nkwopara(Imo): 08033391108 Peter Okutu (Abakaliki): 08032680756 Chinenyeh Ozor (Nsukka): 08185664011 Nwabueze Okonkwo (Nnewi): 08037794782 Enyim Enyim (Onitsha): 08169297179 Or: e-mail us: easternvoice@yahoo.com

6 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 *Mrs Obiano on the occasion

Day physically challenged dined with Anambra governor’s wife A

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BY VINCENT UJUMADU WKA—THERE was an atmosphere of joy and happiness at the Governor ’s Lodge in Awka, Anambra State last week when the less privileged and the physically challenged in the state spent quality time with the wife of the state governor, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano during which they were treated to sumptuous meals and showered with gifts.

In attendance were the deaf and dumb, the visually impaired and paraplegic who were mainly pupils from special education centres, including the famous Basden Memorial Special School, Isulo in Orumba South local government area of the state.

It was tagged a special birthday party for physically challenged persons in Anambra State.

The pupils had great fun as they danced, rendered beautiful songs, recited poems and had special birthday cake from the first lady.

There were no restrictions whatsoever as Mrs. Obiano exchanged banters and cracked jokes with the pupils who expressed happiness that they were given the opportunity to dine with the first lady at the seat of power.

On the occasion, the governor’s wife called on Ndi Anambra, especially the wealthy to devote some time and part of their resources to help the less privileged members of the society, particularly, the physically challenged to assist them in conquering their challenges.

According to Mrs. Obiano, the idea behind the party was to give her guests a sense of

I call on our people, especially the wealthy, to help in making life better for these people

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belonging, explaining that she derives so much fulfilment from putting smiles on the

faces of the less privileged in the society.

She said: “I am always at home with people with one form of disability or another.

There is not much difference between those of us who have no physical challenges and these ones, once they are given the necessary support to overcome their challenges.

“I call on our people, especially the wealthy, to help in making life better for these people. Apart from giving direct support, philanthropists can also collaborate with the Caring Family Enhancement Initiative, CAFÉ, which is an

NGO I set up purposely to assist the needy in our society.”

She said that since coming on stream, CAFÉ has done a lot to mobilize and give support and succour to indigent families, as well as the physically challenged, through various programmes and welfare packages.

“For instance, we have, apart from donating essential items to them, provided water at Basden Memorial Special Education Centre, Isulo where the pupils and students were suffering as a result of neglect before we intervened;” Mrs. Obiano said.

ANAMBRA She added that in furtherance of the activities of the administration of her husband, Chief Willie Obiano, in the area of skills acquisition, the physically challenged have been co-opted to learn vocations and skills that will enable them become self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to the society.

Her pet project, CAFÉ, she explained, also encourages and teaches the physically challenged that there is ability in disability and urged them to believe and discover those innate potentials God gave them to enable them succeed in life.

She also enjoined other NGOs to strive towards uplifting the lives of less privileged in the society.

Patients allege ‘Ebola bag' rip off by FMC Umuahia

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA—PATIENTS and patients’ relatives are crying foul against the management of the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Abia State over what they called “naked rip-off in the name of Ebola.”

They complained that they were given “Ebola Bag” at between N5,000 and N10,000 and that the contents were mere treatment materials.

According to one of the aggrieved patients who brought them to Vanguard office, “this is a daylight ripoff by FMC, a Federal hospital for that matter.”

A look into the contents of the FMC branded Ebola bag shows that it has 100 grammes of supper soft cotton wool, a bundle of bandage, five pieces of syringes, five pieces of

hand gloves and surgical blades.

Ironically, there is no sanitizer or even soap to wash hands, the two elementary ways of preventing the spread of the dread Ebola Virus.

According to them, a bag with more contents were said to be given to patients at N10, 000.

Surprisingly, even patients who came for mere malaria treatment were given the bags.

“What am I doing with this?

If there is sanitizer or even soap, I would have felt a bit relieved. Just look at the few items I can pick in any pharmacy shop with less than N600 and I am asked to pay N5000.

“What do you call it, is it not day light robbery.? We want the Federal Ministry of Health to come here and see what we

The Ebola bag are seeing at FMC, Umuahia.

“I think thjis is the worst FMC I have seen. They are so much after money and deliver less service. Even the attitude of their staff, including medical personnel is zero. I doubt if any other Federal Government hospital is cheating people like we experience here”, lamented a

patient who craved for anonymity for fear of victimization as he still has a laboratory test to collect from the hospital.

Several calls put across to the Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Abali Chukwu could not go through as his line was put on permanent engagement.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014—7

ANAMBRA

Peoples Club resurrects, plans free medical treatment in Anambra O

NITSHA—THE People’s Club of Nigeria, PCN, which was the first social organisation uniting the people of the South East, after the civil war has re-branded.

Formed in 1971 in Aba, Abia State by a small group of individuals led by Chief Titus Ume-Ezeoke, at a period of hopelessness following the the Nigeria civil war which ended in 1970, the club came alive with the spirit of uniting mainly Igbo people of likeminds, for social interaction.

The formation, according to them, was timely and extensively welcomed because of the Club’s founding principle which was; “Be Your Brother’s Keeper ” and with the motto: Unity, Love and Service.

The club which was made popular by the late music maestro, Oliver De-Coque, through his album ‘’People’s Club of Nigeria, Ndi EziOmume,’’ was populated by big Igbo traders, transporters and other businessmen across the country whose desires were to foster good relations among mankind through sponsorship or promotion of charitable and philanthropic causes.

They usually converged at burials or wedding of

members in their various traditional regalia promoting their cultures and tradtion.

For several years then, no Igbo businessman was said to have arrived if he was not a member of the club which had over 2,000 branches across the country, Europe and United States of America, explaining why it was renamed the People’s Club of Nigeria International, PCNI. Then PCN was also, synonymous with Yago wine which later became the official

,

By NWABUEZE OKONKWO

*Delegates posing for photograph at the Atlanta induction ceremony

The Ilonze- led world executive has currently lined up its activities for the year, including the induction of new members in Onitsha and Lagos branches, as well as sending a delegation to induct new members in SanFrancisco before finally rapping up the year with its prestigious Annual General Meeting

,

*Atlanta induction ceremony of People’s Club of Nigeria International drink of members during their gatherings. The fortunes of the club, however, began to decline when other smaller social clubs sprang up across the geopolitical zones to take care of the social needs of members.

According to some of its prominent members, its current rising profile might not be unconnected with the emergence of its incumbent World President, Sir Joe Ilonze who had been working tirelessly to establish new branches and induct new members at home and abroad

with their new branch executives.

Among the places where new members were inducted include London, Philadelphia and Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The Ilonze-led world executive has currently lined up its activities for the year, including the induction of new members in Onitsha and Lagos branches, as well as sending a delegation to induct new members in San-Francisco before finally wrapping up the year with its prestigious Annual General Meeting, AGM. Speaking to newsmen at the

Mark commissions IVF Unit in Abakaliki process of fertilization by artificially fertilising an egg with sperm in a laboratory dish, and then transferring the embryo to the uterus.

The IVF can be used to treat infertility among the following patients: blocked or damaged fallopian tubes; male factor infertility including decreased sperm count or sperm motility; women with ovulation disorders, premature ovarian failure, uterine fibroids, women who have had their fallopian tubes removed, individuals with a genetic disorder as well as unexplained infertility.

The centre is the constituency project initiated by Senator Chris Nwankwo, representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District in the State to ensure effective solution for women and men having fertility or reproductive challenges in the state and beyond.

According to him, the centre would bring lasting joy to families and couples who thought they could never give birth to children again.

Commissioning the project, Senator Mark noted that the healthcare system was critical for national development pointing out that this was why National Assembly, NASS, would not hesitate to appropriate more funds to the sector.

“I want to emphasise the importance NASS attaches to our healthcare sector as a critical factor to its development, hence the quick response to stem Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in the country.

“I thank the efforts of NOFIC for the remarkable progress recorded since inception, especially the free medical treatment rendered to the women.

“This humanitarian attachment to your services is worthy of commendation. And I want to assure you that the National Assembly ’ appropriation committee would always look favourably towards the centre.”

Mark further applauded the contributions by the Federal Ministry of Health towards the development of the centre, saying, “The Health Ministry has really accorded the centre the deserved attention it needed to

operate efficiently and I also thank Governor Martin Elechi for his dogged effort in making this project realisable.”

Earlier, Governor Elechi had

,

Continued from page 5

The Health Ministry has really accorded the centre the deserved attention it needed to operate efficiently and I also thank Governor Martin Elechi for his dogged effort in making this project realisable

,

PCNI headquarters, Onitsha, shortly on arrival from the induction activities overseas, Ilonze also said that the club would bring in some medical personnel from abroad to Onitsha to render free health services to the public, particularly the indigent persons in the society just as it also planned to establish a Dialysis Centre as a matter of priority.

Ilonze was accompanied to the overseas ceremonies by Chiefs J.O. Igwe, Ojukwu Ike, Mike Arinze and F.N. Okekearu, among others.

thanked members of NASS for its approval and appropriation that saw to the uplifting of the place.

“No doubt the appropriation of NASS contributed immensely to the establishment of this great centre which is gradually attaining international recognition,’’ he said.

In his remarks, the former Minister of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu commended President Goodluck Jonathan for approving the take over of the centre by the Federal Government.

Meanwhile, the Medical Director, NOFIC, Prof.

Sunday Adeoye disclosed that over 700 patients within and outside the South East zone are already waiting to be attended to as the management of the Centre are working assiduously to ensure its commencement by next week.

8 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

ENUGU

How false information over N5m deal to EFCC in Enugu boomeranged

BY AUSTINE OGWUDA

E

NUGU—TWO persons including a company have been arraigned before an Enugu high court for writing false petition to the Economic and Finance Crimes Commission, EFCC, alleging that they were purportedly duped in a N5 million deal.

Arraigned were-Aduaka Anthony, Madu Jonathan and a company known as Joeantho Nigeria Limited.

They are facing a threecount charge bothering on false information to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The petitioners had alleged that a non-governmental organization, known as Civil Awareness and Economic Empowerment Initiative had asked their company to supply a truck of 600 bags of rice at the rate of N9,000 each to their Makurdi zonal office, claiming that after the supply was duly made that they were issued with dud cheques.

But further investigation, according to EFCC, revealed that contrary to what the petitioners had alleged, N4,400,000 had been paid to the petitioners leaving a balance of only N940,000.

Count 1: *That you, Aduaka Anthony, Madu Jonathan and Joeantho Nigeria Ltd, in October, 2013, at Enugu, in Enugu State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired to commit misdemeanour to wit: making false statement to Clifford Ike Mba, an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, while in the exercise of the duties of his office, statement which to your knowledge, was false in material particular and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 496 (a) of the criminal code, Cap 30, Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2014.

Count II: *That you, Aduaka Anthony and Joeantho in October 2013 at Enugu State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court made to one Clifford Mba, an officer of the EFCC while in exercise of the duties of his office dated October 11, 2013 to which you know was false in material

Aduaka Anthony (Suspect). particular and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 39(2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes

Madu Jonathan (Another suspect).

(Establishment) Act. They pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail in the sum of N500,000 with one surety in like sum.

The surety must be a civil servant of not less than Grade Level 12 who must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court and must deposit his/her

passport photograph with the court.

Further hearing into the matter was adjourned to November 4, 2014.

Activist's position on Enugu Chicken impeachment

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

E

NUGU—AS outrage continues over the payment of N61,067 as September salary to the impeached deputy governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, which he, Onyebuchi, remitted back to the coffers of the state government, a renowned human rights activist, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, described the unfolding drama as rather unfortunate but saluted his (Onyebuchi) uncommon courage for rejecting the salary.

Ikimi, who is the Executive Director of Centre for the Vulnerable and the Underprivileged, CENTREP, told South East Voice in an exclusive interview that “the impeachment of the former deputy governor was civilian coup in the first place as the entire process leading to the

said impeachment was illegal.

“I therefore salute his uncommon courage at rejecting the evil gift which I think was clearly meant to set him up and create more woes for him in the future.

“I think Mr. Onyebuchi has shown exemplary courage and conduct which is uncommon in our present polity and should be commended by all for displaying true leadership.

In the words of John C. Maxwell, a leader is the one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.

“Many politicians are tainted with unearned salary in our present polity at the detriment of the poor masses as many politicians see public office as stomach infrastructure projects to the detriment of the people they are meant to serve. Little wonder the welfare of the

people rather than being the primary responsibility of all the three tiers of government have been relegated to the background, causing an earthquaking level of official corruption in the polity.”

The sacked deputy governor who is still licking his wounds at home, had in a letter addressed to the Secretary to Enugu State Government dated October 8, 2014, titled "Refund of money mischievously paid to me," wrote thus: “Although I believe that the unearned salary was paid to me in bad faith. I have returned it in good faith. See attached, Enugu State treasury receipt number 000796193 as evidence of the refund. I further explained that your letter deploying me to your office was baseless. It is therefore a surprise that you went ahead and paid into my account the sum of sixty one thousand and sixty seven naira, twenty six

kobo (N61,067.26) as salary as fraudulent as I did not report for work anywhere, did not work anywhere and therefore did not earn any salary.

“It is unfortunate that even though I have been deliberately denied of my allowances as deputy governor for the months of July and August 2014, there has been an indecent haste to ‘dash’ me a salary for the month of September 2014, for a job I ceased to hold as far back as 2007.”

Meantime, upon the return of the said salary, the state government had kept sealed lips.

Efforts to get reactions from the Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to Governor Sullivan Chime, Mr. Chukwudi Achife as well as the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke proved abortive as they failed to respond to South East Voice enquiry on the issue.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 33

Nasri re turns tto o returns face Newcastle M anchester City winger Samir Nasri is back in contention for the Sky Blues following surgery on a groin injury, reports the Express.

The French international has missed City’s last eight games, but could well feature in their Capital One Cup clash against Newcastle tonight. He is also likely to play against Manchester United the following weekend.

“Samir is working normally now and he is in the squad list.

We will see tomorrow - I haven’t decided who will start yet. Samir is just coming back from an important injury. He is not ready for 90 minutes but I’m sure he will have some minutes on the pitch tomorrow,” said Man City manager Manuel Pellegrini.

The 27-year-old has only made 3 starts in the Premier League this campaign, but impressed in 2013/14. Nasri scored and created 14 goals in 34 league games last season.

Fif th Chukk er sa Fifth Chukker savvour ourss Patrons Cup win F

for Afcon al He concluded applauding the appointment of coach Amodu Shuaibu to lead the Nigeria in the last two qualifying games saying he is relishing the prospect of playing under him.

“He is a very great manager and I have a lot of respect for him. I can’t wait to play under him or anyone picked to handle the national team. We are all working for the interest of the country and I wish him the very best,” he concluded.

With four points, Nigeria are behind leaders South Africa (nine points) and Congo (seven points) but ahead of Sudan (three points) going into the final round of the qualifiers.

ifth Chukker has been cele brating their victory in the MTN African Patrons Cup Polo Tournament held weekend at the Kangimi resort in Kaduna..

Fifth Chukker, winners of last year’s edition, defeated Max Air 11-9 in a titanic final match watched by polo watches. Fielding its traditional attacking quartet of Adamu Atta, Mohammed Babangida, Santiago Solari and Benjamin Araya, Fifth Chukker and cheered on by fans in the stands, which included the representative of the Vice President, Bolaji Ojo-Oba, Kaduna State First lady, Alhajia Fatima Yero, Argentine Ambassador to Nigeri,, Gustavo Dzugala and officials of

•Polo action at the tournament

MTN, Fifth Chukker scored three quick goals in the opening chukka on their way to emerging the biggest winners of the international polo fiesta.

Max Air who was targeting its first title, responded with two quick goals in the second chukka to keep its hopes alive, but the defending champions dug deep and kept the airliners at bay to crown its efforts with the glittering Patrons Cup. Atta, Babangida, Solari and Araya all scored for Fifth Chukker in the explosive encounter, but it was Araya who accounted for five of the goals in the final, bringing their total goals tally to 29.

Tott enham ttenham aim tto o regain form against Bright on Brighton T

ottenham will be aiming to overturn their disappointing form when they host Brighton in today’s Capital One Cup fourth-round game.

Spurs have lost their last two Premier League games – a 4-1 defeat to Manchester City and a 21 loss to Newcastle – while winning just three of their opening nine games in the league.

Having won 3-1 in their third round tie against Nottingham Forest, Mauricio Pochettino’s side will want to silence their White Hart Lane critics today – with a number of Spurs fans voicing their frustration at Sunday’s defeat to the Magpies.

Tottenham are heavy 4/9 favourites to win the tie, with Brighton struggling to replicate last season’s form which saw them finish in the playoff places.

It’s been a tough start to Sami Hyypia’s tenure as Brighton boss, as the Seagulls have failed to win a league match since August, and are just two points above the relegation zone following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Rotherham at the Amex Stadium.

With both sides booed off by their own fans at the weekend, Spurs captain Younes Kaboul has called on his team to show more mettle in the game at the Lane.

C M Y K

34 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

SPECIAL EDITION

Achievement is about Time Management — Chief Dr. Mrs. Onikepo Akande at 70 Interview By Ike Taire IN spite of a career that has spanned the better part of five decades, Chief Mrs. Onikepo Akande (OON, CON) hardly shows any sign of slowing down. Now that she is 70, it seems hardly likely that this will happen soon.

If anyone knows about the Nigerian economy, Mrs. Nike Akande does. Indeed she has taken active part in shaping it in various capacities- as a two-time Federal minister, a leader at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Hon. Life Vice President of NACCIMA, founding member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group NESG, Member of Vision 20:2020 and Board member of NEPAD Business Group.

Her appearance belies not only her age but also her achievements as well. She sits on the boards of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. and PZ Foundation; and is director of the Nigeria Industrial Development bank NIDB now Bank of Industry as well as of National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria NICON. These are mere drops in the immense ocean of her formidable resume.

A proud alumnus of the prestigious Queens School Ede who has given back extensively to her alma mata, she also studied in Harvard and Oxford universities and continues to play active and leadership roles in all their alumni associations. At 70, Akande is computer savvy (she has been for 25years); and still works out with a personal trainer!

President Goodluck Jonathan referred to her as “an inspiration”, while praising the scope and vastness of her contributions to the Nigerian state.

W

OW, 70! How does that feel?

I feel happy that I am 70 and in good health. That is very important. My mother died at the age of 49 and my uncle that I was very close to Chief Olu Aboderin also died at 49.

So I was just praying that I pass that age and now I’m 70.

I thank God for it.

Did you miss having your mother?

C M Y K

No, I had a mother till 49. I am the eldest and my father was a monogamist. He looked after us- he was really, really caring. He called us “golden girls” and he did not marry another woman to get a boy, which was very rare then.

Was there any pressure on him to do so?

My mother died before him.

She died at 49 and he died at 71 and he didn’t remarry.

You are one of those women

*Chief Nike Akande

always been a bit ambitious. I like to be a leader. I had younger sisters so I had to be a good example to my younger ones.

that would first smash the ‘glass ceiling’ in the corporate world in Nigeria.

Was it a fluke or pure ambition?

I believe in hard work and if you work hard you get the reward. I always loved to be a corporate person. Right from a tender age I was a school prefect at Queens’ School Ede. I also had a scholarship from Lever Brothers (now Unilever) when I was in secondary school, so I have

I am a very lucky person because most things come to me easily without any struggling. Even when I became a minister they were looking for me. I didn’t want to become a minister...

Was there no element of luck?

I am a very lucky person because most things come to me easily without any struggling. When I got the Unilever scholarship my father was very proud. I’ve always held responsible positions.

Even when I became a minister they were looking for me. I didn’t want to become a minister; I didn’t lobby for it but people love my abilities. I have been a very active person; done a lot of things in the country. People were watching. I was a member of vision 20/20 and I was recommended. As if that was not enough, a lot of things came my way without really looking for it. That is God for you.

Did your work as a minister take a toll on family life?

That’s a difficult question. I have an understanding husband. I am always dedicated to my work and my family. I like to work hard and also keep my family.

One of the papers you have published is about affirmative action.

What’s your opinion on affirmative action?

Continues on page 35

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 35

‘Achievement is about Time Management' and I am the chairman.

How has that gone?

Lots of success stories. Some of the things people don’t know are happening in the states are highlighted. We call the government and say, “this is the situation, what are you doing to improve it and they will go all out and explain.

Fastracking development

•Chief Nike Akande Continues from page 34 The Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA) made me one of their speakers at their conference.

They see that I believe in the empowerment of women and having got to this level they gave me that topic: The Empowerment of Women, is it

by Legislature or Affirmative Action? I listed the pros and cons of both sides but I feel that legislation will give a better result.

Why? You just legislate and say this is how it should be done, and it will be done.

But you have achieved so much without such legislation.

You see how things are going and the younger ones have not been able to come up as one would expect so to make them come up you have to create opportunities. All the women who have been given opportunities to lead in this country have excelled themselves. At least most of the women.

So you are saying the problem is lack of opportunities rather than capability?

Yes, it’s not that they are not

capable.

You’ve also written about the Work-Life balance. What about that?

Most women when they get to a certain level in life, they are not able to keep their homes.

Dividing your time The pressure is too much for them, they don’t know how to balance and everything depends on time management. You can keep your home, you can be a career woman, you can be a very important woman in society, all by dividing your time.

For a woman to be truly successful you need a steady home. It’s very very important.

Otherwise it will be shifty and you won’t be able to do anything. As I said, I have a husband who allows me to be myself. He knows what I like, and I always try to please him.

Where did you get time to write books anyway?

Ha! I’m someone who likes to work. Anytime I have opportunity, I write something. One can always find time for something that they want to do. I wish there is more than 24 hours in a

day. I know many people but I don’t have too many friends so I am always thinking.

How does that workknowing many people but not having many friends?

I don’t go to visit many people. I have a few people that are my friends but I don’t have time. I am more of a career woman.

Has your husband ever been afraid or jealous that you’ll overshadow him?

No. he’s a very successful man. He’s a man that is very comfortable.

As a stateswoman, what do you think of the state of the nation?

The state of the nation is improving. There’s a lot of work that is going on to make sure that the situation in the country is improved. It cannot be done overnight. We human beings are overanxious. We want everything done yesterday, not even today.

All hands are on deck. I also belong to an association: the Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies. We are doing lots of activities to fast-track development in the country.

We try to see how people can improve their lives. You don’t have to be looking for job all the time. You can be your own boss. We are all top executives

I was minister of Industry and I’m also the deputy president of the Lagos Chamber. This is a right direction because industrialization is the key to economic development, employment generation and poverty eradication. You have to encourage it.

What of the finer details of the blueprint? Is it feasibleis it worthwhile- as an expert?

Yes. People are working towards it. They mean well and the effect will not be felt in one day. Everything that will improve the situation is what they are doing.

No one can really talk about you without referring to your personal style. What guides that?

That is inborn in me.

Personally I like people to be neat and tidy and stylish. It really makes me happy. Some people don’t care but I am not a careless person.

We call the Minister of Labour and say there is so much unemployment and he went to town to explain. This I think is very good in our own part as a way of fast-tracking development and a lot of people are benefitting.

You were a delegate at the just concluded National Conference. Do you think of Nigeria differently now having had that experience?

I have always believed in Nigeria and that conference was really, really very successful as far as I am Wealthy concerned because the calibre woman of people that participated in the conference, it’s as if they All my people have always were carefully chosen: people been fashionable- even my who were dedicated, who grandmother, Madam Juliet believe in Nigeria, who want Aboderin. Very pretty, very things to improve in Nigeria wealthy woman. She was a and we all worked so hard. We businesswoman. She had a looked at all facets of life. We house in England sixty years looked at the constitution, ago and when I was studying, the whole she would come to constitution. I’m London and stay at glad I’m part of it. the Savoy while we If all our stayed in the house recommendations with our friends. One are implemented of the richest women we will have a in Ibadan. better Nigeria.

That is There are one i n t e r e s t i n g or two of them particularly that are not because we’ve popular… talked about We can’t all be affirmative action facing one and how women direction. When can be drawn out we first started pushed, so to say, everybody came whereas there with their own were women so agenda but in the long ago who had end we all agreed already been which was very there and done good actually that. because what we Yes. I am motivated want is a better by her ability. She You can Nigeria for us and was able to compete our children. Even keep your very well with the some people men. advocated for home, you Is there anything creation of states. can be a you would change Some didn’t want about your life? it but you had to career No. I keep thanking give reasons why woman, you God everyday. It’s you wanted to have can be a very impossible certain things. everything that you As an expert, important want but I just keep what is thanking God for woman in your opinion what I’ve been given. of the current society, all by administration’s dividing your Industrial time Revolution?

C M Y K

36 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY,, OCTOBER 29, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014—37

LOCAL CONTENT ACT, 2010:

Caverton trains 15 Nigerian Engineers on AW139 Helicopter

By LAWANI MIKAIRU

A

S part of Caverton Heli copters, a member of the Caverton Offshore Support Group, conscious policy to support the Federal Government efforts to implement the Local Content Act of 2010, the company, weekend, held a graduation for 15 Caverton Engineers who successfully completed the AW139 Type rating course. The training of the 15 Nigerian Engineers by Caverton is part of the company’s commitment to develop local capacity within the Aviation sector of the Nigeria economy.

Since 2010 when the company put in place a training programme, 146 Nigerians have been trained at a cost of more than $1.2million. Those trained include "three personnel for flight operations ab-initio, one for Private Pilot License (PPL), two for Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and two for Rotary Wing Conversion; 81 pilots for different flight operations Type Rating training for all aircraft types -EC155, AW139, Bell 412, S76 and DHC-6. Fifty-seven Aviation engineers have also been trained as follows: 16 Engineering Ab-Initio and 41 Engineering Type Rating training."

tions. We do not have to spend scarce foreign exchange recruiting staff from all over the world. In this way, we build indigenous capacity and also stem capital flight from the Nigerian shores.”

On the type-rating training, Captain Choms said the AW139 type-rating course was delivered by the renowned REH Helicopters Ltd from United Kingdom, at Caverton offices at Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island and the Executive Flight Facility at Ikeja, Lagos. Giving a breakdown of the 15 graduands, he said in addition to twelve students sponsored by Caverton and one self-sponsoring candidate, two NCAA Inspectors from the Directorate of Air Worthiness are also among the 15 trained engineers.

Type rated engineers Speaking at the graduation, the Managing Director, Caverton Helicopters, Captain Josiah Choms, said there is a shortfall in the pool of type-rated engineers in Nigeria. And to key in into the vision of the Nigerian Government on local content development, Caverton decided to invest in training of local man power.

Captain Choms said, “ Caverton has a dedicated programme to train and give types to indigenous engineers on an ongoing basis.

Indigenous staff are trained to world standards and deployed within our opera-

It is our belief that a critical aspect of giving opportunity to Nigerians is providing them the scarce skillsets and the experience to compete in highly technical areas

•The 15 Nigerian Engineers type-rated on AW139 Helicopter.

To show the Federal Government appreciation of this training programme, the General Manager, Monitory and Evaluation, Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board, NCDMB, Engr. Chijioke was present at the ceremony. He thanked Caverton for helping the Federal Government to achieve its transformation agenda through the Local Content Act of 2010.

Huge investment He also enjoined the graduands to justify the huge investment on them by Caverton and also be good ambassadors of Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board, NCDMB, as according to him, they are products of Local Content Act of 2010. Chijioke added that the graduands must discharge their duties diligently and ensure that they report any case of margilization by their employer to NCDMB. Speaking also at the ceremony, Mr. Adeniyi Makanjuola, Chairman Caverton Helicopters said “by collaborating with renowned training providers to deliver training in-country, and having the oversight of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Caverton has demonstrated that it is an innovative company that can adequately adapt the business to meet changes in the operating environment.”

On what motivated Caverton to deploy huge resources on the training of these 15 young men and women, Choms said “As a company,

Caverton strongly believes that Nigerians can compete favourably with the best in the world if given the opportunity. This is the abiding lesson from our own corporate history, a lesson that we have turned into an article of faith. “ It is our belief that a critical aspect of giving opportunity to Nigerians is providing them the scarce skill-sets and the experience to compete in highly technical areas. We are proud to say that we are contributing to the pool of trained indigenous workforce for the benefit of the company and the greater good of the aviation sector and the country as a whole. It is our expectation that this class of graduands will use the knowledge they have received to better their careers and bring about meaningful impact to the company”.

Operational bases While congratulating the graduands, the Managing Director told them that “ Today you have accomplished one stage of your careers.

However, the end of one stage is the beginning of the new one. According to Mr. Sean Ward, Deputy Technical Manager Shell Contract at Caverton: “following the completion, the engineers will be positioned within the company to the operational bases that will add more of the practical elements required to the theoretical knowledge they have obtained to become unrestricted Licensed Type Rated AW139 Engineers. During this time period, the Engi-

neering Training Department, as well as, the Maintenance Managers on the respective operational bases will act as Mentors and provide a structured path in their development process.”

Caverton is currently the largest operator of AW 139 aircraft in West Africa and the Authorized Agusta Westland Service Centre, and Choms said the vision of Caverton is “ to be a onestop-shop for training and logistics services in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Logistic services This offers boundless opportunities to those who have the skills that today’s graduands have obtained.”

Caverton Helicopters has made significant investments towards human capacity development in Nigeria. The company has trained local pilots, engineers and seafarers in support of its aviation and marine logistics service provision to the oil and gas industry in Nigeria in line with government’s intention to increase indigenous participation in the industry through the development of human capacity, as stipulated in the Nigerian Content Development Act of 2010.

Captain Choms added “We will not rest on our laurels.

We will continue to contribute our quota to ensuring that highly skilled indigenous technical manpower is added to the workforce for the benefit of the Nigerian economy and as part of giving back as a responsible corporate citizen.”

38 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

OUTRAGEOUS ELECTRICITY BILLS:

Consumers groan as DISCOs smile to banks

By Jude Njoku

W

Protests outrageous bills

over

HY would you Electricity consumers in disconnect my light various parts of the country when I have already paid? Do have been groaning under the you know what it means to pay outrageous electricity bills N10,000 for light that I did not foisted on them by the even consume? And you have distribution companies. In the guts to ask me to pay April this year, residents of another money. You even billed Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State us for the pumping machine capital and its environs, staged when you know that we have a protest over what they not had water in this part of described as “uncoordinated Coker Village for almost one and fraudulent charges” meted year now. If you are in my to electricity consumers since shoes, will you pay?” a middle- the takeover of electricity aged woman yelled at the generation and distribution by marketing officer attached to new owners. the area by Eko Electricity Besides, the aggrieved Distribution Company, protesters called on the Port EKEDC. Harcourt Electricity Distribution “Madam, I have told you that management to implement the nothing on earth will prevent prepaid electricity billing me from bringing down your system to avoid frequent wire unless the outstanding clashes with the power N7,000 on the your bill is distribution officials over settled,” the marketer replied questionable bills.

In with an air of arrogance as neighbouring Calabar, about people milled around 1,200 angry residents him to plead their last July also case. “Ok, try it and protested the you will see my other outrageous electricity side today! By the bills by the Port way, what gadgets Harcourt Electricity do I have in the Distribution house that you Company. In Lagos, should give me such residents of an outrageous bill. I Ijeshatedo and Ikotun don’t blame you,” at different times, also she retorted. took to the streets to It took the protest the high tariffs intervention of the even when power Service Manager supply in these areas who arrived the has remained scene for frayed epileptic. nerves to calm down.

A Lagos-based The woman who was consumer rights livid with rage, activist, Mr Ibenyo alleged that she paid Nga, decried what he for a pre-paid meter called heartless over five months extortion visited on earlier. She further the people residing in alleged that the Aguda Surulere by meter has not been EKEDC officials in supplied because the Sanya Undertaking electricity company Centre. “Although the wants to continue staff of EKEDC have charging her for been flooding our unconsumed energy. They spoke area (Aguda) with The Service Manager as if huge bills, in May had to direct the government they took their marketer to stop has handed e x t o r t i o n i s t billing the woman for tendencies to a most the pumping Nigerians ridiculous extent. machine and also to over to them They just sat in their accept the payment to treat the offices and allocated she already made. unspeakably fat bills way they to the hapless people like in that area, thereby

Dr Sam Amadi, CEO, NERC causing a lot of outcry from the people. The arrogance of their staff as people left their work and business places and trooped to their offices to complain about the horribly inflated bills in the face of egregiously dismal services was grossly repelling – like adding salt to an injury; extremely offensive,” Nga said.

Continuing, he alleged that “they spoke as if the government has handed Nigerians in that area over to them to treat the way they like.

Even though many of the people have functional meters, it was clear that they no longer rely on the meters to issue their bills.

Relying on meters to issue bills I went there to ascertain what was happening, and when I enquired from one of their workers why they should clamp such huge bills upon the people, she just said that there was some “improvement” in electricity supply in May and so the bills must of necessity go up. When she was asked whether they relied on the meters to achieve the figures in those bills, she just ignored the question and looked away.

Her indifference was

insufferable.

“Now assuming it is true that there were some “improvement” in electricity supply, does that justify the arbitrary allocation of bills to consumers instead of relying on the meter? Is this not a grievous abuse of the business opportunity given to them?” he asked.

It’s affecting SMEs -LCCI The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, whose members are ripped off by the outrageous electricity bills, joined in calling on the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, to urgently address the growing concerns of electricity consumers who are inundated monthly with over-bloated bills. LCCI also called for an urgent review of the concept of fixed charges.

President of LCCI, Alhaji Remi Bello, who spoke to newsmen recently, said there is need for NERC to urgently address the growing concerns over the outrageous bills to consumers as most small and medium enterprises, SMEs, spend considerable sum on payment for public power

supply. He regretted that oftentimes, these firms don’t get the power supply commensurate to payments made.

“The power situation is still a major problem for business across all sectors. Energy cost remains a major threat to business sustainability.

Expenditure on diesel and other fuels continued to increase.

“The power sector privatisation is yet to make the desired impact. Profit margins of firms have been adversely affected. Let me again reiterate our position that the concept of fixed charges should be reviewed as this is an unfair demand on power consumers.

Payments should be valuedriven to be equitable,”he submitted.

Fixed charges attractive

A marketing staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, who would not want to be identified, told Vanguard Features, VF, that it would be very difficult for the distribution companies to stop giving consumers fixed charges.

According to her, that (fixed charges) is the only way the companies can take care of the

Continues page 39

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 39

Consumers groan as DISCOs smile to banks complaints unit. “We have a programme to replace obsolete meters. While this is going on, a meter that is functioning will not be estimated. If your meter is functioning and you are given estimated bills, you should bring your complaints to us for it to be redressed,” he assured.

On the allegation that some marketers are rude to consumers, Idemudia said such employees would be dismissed if found guilty.

“What you just need is to try and get the name or GSM number of such staff and call us. We have zero tolerance for such bad behaviour. We are now a private sector company and it can no longer be business as usual. We will investigate such complaints within 48 hours and if it is true, the staff concerned will be fired instantly,” he said.

An electricity transformer Continues from page 38

lost energy. She explained that after billing those with functional meters, the excess or lost energy is distributed to consumers with nonfunctioning meters. “It is such consumers that pay for the unaccounted energy,” the former PHCN staff said.

NERC reacts Reacting to the outrageous bills handed to consumers by the distribution firms, the Director of Engineering and Safety Regulations in NERC, Mr Abdullahi Mohammed, explained that crazy bills and estimated billing are some of the problems which the Commission is trying to find solutions to.

Mohammed who represented the Chairman/ CEO of the Commission, Dr Sam Amadi at the 6th Distinguished Annual Lecture of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS in Lagos, stated that not satisfied with the billing method adopted by the DISCOs, the Commission has developed an estimated billing methodology that should be applied in estimating bills where the customer does not have a functional meter.

According to him, the billing methodology will check the arbitrariness in billings and ensure that fairness and transparency are adhered to by the marketers. Mohammed stated that any DISCO that fails to conform with the new methodology will be penalised.

“We started it with ourselves at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja when we noticed that we were being given arbitrary bills. We conducted a hearing on it and the distribution company was made to refund the excess charges,” he said.

He enjoined consumers to always bring their complaints to the Commission, promising that such would be looked into.

Mohammed disclosed that the Commission has put in place three layers of addressing complaints brought by consumers.

Consumers complaints “There is a mechanism for redressing consumers’ complaints. If the DISCOs refuse to attend to you, we have a Forum office which attends to consumers complaints. If you are not satisfied with their decision, write to the Commission and I want to assure you that we don’t take such complaints lightly,” he said.

On the allegation that the distribution companies charge N750 monthly for meter maintenance when such meters are rarely serviced, Mohammed informed that the N750 monthly fixed charge is not for servicing meters as meter maintenance fee has been abolished. The fixed charge, according to him, is a component of the tariff that enables the investor to recoup his investments.

We have a programme to replace obsolete meters - EKEDC Eko Electricity Distribution Company which is in the eye of the storm for allegedly ripping off its consumers through outrageous fixed billings, has however denied the allegation. The Company’s Assistant General Manager, AGM Public Affairs, Mr Godwin Idemudia, told VF that such allegations were unfounded. He debunked claims by consumers in the Sanya and Orile Distribution Centres that they have been placed permanently on fixed charges, hence they are now at the mercy of Shylock marketers who unjustly allocate huge amounts of money to them monthly. Idemudia explained that any consumer who feels short-changed should forward his bills to the company ’s

Mrs Ojoye was reported to have blamed the delay in rolling out the prepaid meters to consumers on the fear of bye-pass of its meters.

Mrs. Ojoye, who spoke during a courtesy visit by members of the Consumer Rights Advancement Organisation, CRADO, led by Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo to the EKEDC corporate headquarters in Marina, Lagos, said that bye-passing of payment for electricity consumed was evident mostly with prepaid meters.

She said this fear has been responsible for the company’s inability to distribute the 9,000 prepaid meters it inherited from the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, when it took over on November 1, 2013, adding that these meters go into negative after consumption of electricity already paid for by the consumers.

Payment for She said the company was prepaid meters prepared to partner with When told that some manufacturers of best quality consumers alleged that they prepaid meters that would not paid for pre-paid meter for over be bye-passed by its five months now but have not consumers, stressing that been issued with one, the Eko whether such meters were locally made or Disco image imported was not the maker advised issue. such individuals Ojoye said EKEDC with genuine has a plan to roll out receipts of meters next January, payment to noting that the plan furnish their has already been particulars to the forwarded to the company and electricity sector their meters will regulators, NERC, in be promptly Abuja for their replaced. approval.

He stated that it She said the is the company met big responsibility of problems when it took landlords to clear over, stressing that outstanding what EKEDC met was electricity bills not what it was told. before letting their Asked whether property to a new EKEDC did not avail tenant. “If he itself of the due (landlord) fails to diligence which all the do so, the burden DISCOs were given of payment will be opportunities to transferred to the undertake, she said tenant. But we can their officials were have a written prevented from doing We have a agreement with by the electricity the tenant on how programme so workers union. She to offset the bills,” said the union leaders to replace he said. refused to allow them obsolete to access facilities of Why we have meters; the defunct PHCN. not rolled out While stressing that p r e p a i d while this the company was not meters is going on, interested in forwarding estimated a meter Idemudia’s bills to its consumers, that is explanations Ojoye said it was seem to be at functioning automating the billing variance with that process because will not be of his Vice estimated billing was President, Legal, not profitable to the estimated Mrs Wola Ojoye. company.

40—V ANGU ARD, WEDNESD A Y, OCTOBER 29, 2014 40—VANGU ANGUARD, WEDNESDA

Love-making with him is so painful

D

Should I tell her that her fiance cheated with me?

Dear Bunmi, Y BEST friend is getting married very soon, but I’m hiding a guilty secret from her. A few days ago, I was at a party, had a few too many drinks and her fiance made a play for me. I know I shouldn’t have done anything, but we ended up getting pretty steamy together.

He said if I didn’t tell my friend,

M

then we could enjoy more romps together when he’s married.

The love-making was good and I was tempted to agree with him, but refused - I couldn’t do that to my friend. I have felt really guilty since, but I really don’t know whether I should alert my friend on the type of philanderer she will be marrying.

Diana, by e-mail.

Is my friend’s husband having an affair?

Dear Bunmi, WORK in the same place as my best friend’s husband.

Some weeks back I heard a rumour that he was having an affair with one of the personal assistants. At first I just ignored it. Then my friend confided in me that her husband was behaving oddly. She asked if anyone at work had anything to say about it. I didn’t want to upset her, so I said they hadn’t.

Now I feel guilty and wonder if I ought to talk to her about it.

The trouble is, I don’t want to ruin her marriage or our friendship, or both. Do I keep out of this, or put my poor friend in the picture?

Cynthia, by e-mail.

I

Dear Cynthia, I don’t think you should get involved in a situation where the facts remain hazy.

Have you any proof your friend's husband is having an affair? Be wary of pointing the finger - you might end up being blamed for any repercussions. If you tell your friend what the gossip at work is and she uses it to accuse her husband of something he hasn’t done, what then? .

If you need to keep a free conscience, however, tell your friend what is being said at work, but be sure to stress that these are just rumours. She can then decide what action to take.

Dear Diana, Getting it together with your friend’s fiance was not a good idea as you’ve found out. You should be feeling guilty because as a friend, she should have been able to trust you. Even having had a few drinks, you should have known not to get involved. I wonder whether you were driven partly by jealousy over your best friend’s wedding?

If you’re close, then you may secretly feel abandoned by her getting hitched. All friendships have to adapt to changes in life, but if the bonds are strong, then a good friendship can last a lifetime.

You need to do what’s best for your friend having made this mistake. She’s about to get married to a man who is obviously intending to cheat on her. If not with you, it would be with another woman.

Talking to your friend isn’t going to be easy and don’t expect her to be happy.

She’s invested a lot of hopes in this relationship and is not likely to believe you. You’ve made an awful mistake and you should learn to live with it - instead of dragging two people and an impending marriage down with you.

Why is he so interested in my daughter?

Dear Bunmi, AM a divorced mother of two daughters in their early 20's and have a man I’d been involved with for years.

At first he didn’t see eye to eye with my first daughter and they argued a lot. In fact, it was so bad that my daughter went back to live with her father. But as soon as she got into the university, she started spending more time with us and gets on like a house on fire with my partner. He does everything for her and even takes her to the campus whenever she wishes.

Now he’s talking about buying her, her own car and even taking her on holidays with us. I never thought the day would come when I would be jealous of my own daughter, but their new found likeness for each other is giving me a lot of stress. Even my ex- admits it’s unhealthy.

What do I do to bring sanity into my family?

Kemi, by e-mail.

I

Dear Kemi, You obviously have talked this over with your partner, but now is the time to have a word with your daughter. If your partner were to show the same affection to your other daughter, things might look healthier. Men go through the mid-life crisis too and your man might be looking for a way to regain his lost youth.

You have to be careful the way you go about things so you won’t turn both of them against you.

Encourage your daughter to bring home her boyfriend and tell her if she needs being taken anywhere, you either do it or she takes commercial transport. Affairs under one’s nose is very common and very dangerous.

You obviously have talked this over with your partner, but now is the time to have a word with your daughter. If your partner were to show the same affection to your other daughter, things might look healthier. You have to be careful the way you go about things so you won’t turn both of them against you.

If she needs being taken anywhere, you either do it or she takes commercial transport. Affairs under one’s nose is very common and very dangerous.

ear Bunmi, WHEN I met my current boyfriend, I was warned by a couple of friends about how big he was. I am on the small size and when we tried to make love, I found his size really scary and we couldn’t manage it as it hurt a lot.

I love this man and he’s the kindest and most generous man I have met. We have tried a couple of times and though he climaxed, he didn’t have· full penetration. Is there anything I can do to accommodate him? I want to make him as happy as he’s made me.

Favour, by e-mail.

Dear Favour, Your problem is not uncommon and both of you must find a way to make love, given your different sizes. Expert opinion says you could start by enlarging yourself. Pop one finger inside, then practise for a few minutes each day sliding in two, three, four fingers. You could also try a vibrator.

When you’re with your man, make sure you’re well aroused before you try full love-making again. You could put your man’s manhood inside you when he’s limp. As he starts to stiffen, you will expand.

If necessary, use lots of lubricant and try different positions, until you find one that makes love-making comfortable. As you have discovered yourself, there are many other ways to please each other that don’t involve full penetration.

My girlfriend’s dishonesty Dear Bunmi, The girl I love most in the world has just broken my heart not by being unfaithful, but because I have just discovered she is a thief.

We have’been together for 18 months.

The last time I was in her room, I curiously looked through some of her drawers because I’d been baffled by series of missing items in my place. I was really sad when I found a gold chain my mother gave me, a gold ring I bought the last time I travelled and a couple of expensive cuff-links in her drawers.

When I showed these items to her, she burst into tears and begged me to forgive her. I wanted to know if she’d taken monies that were always missing from me and my younger brother who lives with me and she confessed she had. As far as I am concerned, I can’t move with someone I can’t trust but she has started to make a nuisance of herself by begging me to take her back and sending friends to plead with me. I don’t want to tell these people what she did as it is strictly between us. What do I do?

Francis, by e-mail.

Dear Francis, You are right to make your problems as private as possible, especially in a delicate matter such as this one. It is a fact that when a relationship is based on deceit, the foundation crumbles.

You obviously cannot trust your girlfriend and you should let her know the reason you no longer feel comfortable when she’s around.

A supposed girlfriend who robs both you and a younger brother should be avoided at all costs.

If she still pesters you after you’ve been honest with her, then tell her you’ve found someone else. That might just do the trick if she has any pride!

The neighbourhood hooligan Dear Bunmi, I live on a close and all the children play on the open field after school. I watch my own kids from the living room window so I always know where they are and what they’re doing. I also see what the other children are up to. There is this boy in particular who is a very nasty piece of work. I often see him deliberately hurting the younger children. A few times, I’ve seen him hit other boys over the head with a stick. I told him off a few times only for his parents to come round and had a go at me.

This boy hasn’t attacked my kids yet, but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before he does. Should I continue to intervene when I see this rascal hurting another child even if it’s not my own, or should I keep my nose well out of it?

Peter, by e-mail.

Dear Peter, The boy is obviously a bully and the only way to deal with a bully is to stand up to him and let him know that he is being watched. If you see him misbehave, knock loudly on your window or go outside and sit on your front step where you can be seen.

In the meantime, tell your kids to stay well clear of him. If they’re in harm’s way call them into the house immediately. Talk to the other parents in your close and let them know what you’ve observed.

Ask them to keep a look out for their children and if anyone of them sees something, they should go out and gently but firmly tell him to back off.

Share your problems and release your burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 41

42 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY,, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 —43

44—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

L-r:ICAN president, Mr Chidi Ajaegbu with the DirectorGeneral of the Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Professor T i j j a n i Muhammed Bande during the visit of the I C A N president to NIPSS

Power supply: FG needs $1bn annually for transmission—Nebo

By Sebastine Obasi

T

HE yearnings of Nigerians to have regular power supply may take a long time to come unless the federal government tackles the issue of funding transmission, which is the backbone of electricity.

Addressing journalists, yesterday, at the ongoing Power Nigeria conference and exhibition in Lagos, the Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, said that to grow the

national grid, at least $1 billion will be required annually in transmission alone.

He said, “We have to have a stage-wise systematic development of the transmission infrastructure in Nigeria.

The reason is, there is no way you can get infrastructure for transmission to meet 170 million Nigerians. It has to grow. It is not something we have to do in one fell swoop. We need a minimum, I mean

Chukwuma out of gov race

A

BUJA—ONE of the aspirants of the 2015 governorship seat of Delta State, Chief Nwose Chukwuma has withdrawn from the race Chief Nwose who was in Abuja with key members of his Campaign Organisation for the purpose of picking the nomination form, was prevailed upon not to do so.

Nwose said at a news

conference that his campaign organisation which is duly registered as a Goodluck Support Group with the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs will now concentrate on the reelection of Mr President, winner of the party primaries of the Delta State governorship race and the overall success of the party at the polls.

Badagry PDP disowns suit against Jonathan THE Badagry Local Government Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State has disassociated its teeming members from the suit instituted by one Alhaji Adejumo Ajagbe seeking President Goodluck J o n a t h a n ’ s disqualifications from the 2015 presidential election.

Tunde Hunpatin, Chairman of the Badagry Chapter of the PDP, said in a statement that after a meeting held by the Local Government Political Leaders/Elders it considered Alhaji Ajagbe’s action to be an embarrassment to all members of the party in Badagry Local Government of which Ajagbe was a member.

He stressed that both

members and leaders of the party in the Local Government Area strongly condemned Ajagbe’s action in its entirety, describing it as treacherous, callous, devious and intolerable by the party. Hunpatin who challenged Ajagbe to prove his true membership of the party, described the action as self-centered and treacherous, appealed to both the Local Government Executive Council and the state Central Working Committee (CWC) of the party to evoke the relevant sections of the party’s constitution to penalize Alhaji Ajagbe for this action to serve as deterrence to others in future.

barest minimum of $1 billion every year in transmission alone, not even generation or distribution, in order to be able to grow the national grid to where after several years most Nigerians will be connected. But so far it is not possible.”

Nebo who said that the federal government was trying to stabilize the sector for now, which necessitated the injection of N213 billion for the generating and gas companies, added, “The federal government is not giving anything. The federal government is trying to stabilise the market by meeting the short falls accruing from privatization and remaining on a tariff regime that is not competitive enough and a tariff regime that is not reflective enough to make sure that gas is paid for and all the power supplied are paid for.

“What the government is trying to do through the Central Bank is to stabilize the market, it is actually a loan that is given to the generation companies, the gas companies because of debts that are owed in the past, so that they will now have the impetus to invest the money in expanding their facilities in a way that Nigerians will benefit the more."

He said the loan which has an interest rate of 10 percent, will be paid back in 10 years.

On when the fund will be ready, he said it is ready: “Oh it is ready. We want to sign off. We want everyone of them to sign off. Within a couple of a week or two, we should, in fact we were hoping that we do that later part of this week. There are one or two little thingsdotting the Is and crossing the Ts, and I believe it will be done very soon."

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014—45

Pro-Jonathan group commends stakeholders on Delta LG polls

A

N Abuja-based group, Nigeria 36 for Jonathan, N36, has commended Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, state Independent Electoral Commission, DSIEC, and security agents for conducting violence-free local government polls in the state.

National Co-ordinator of the group, Mr. Dominic Mutu, who spoke to journalists in Asaba, said the high sense of political maturity displayed by the electorate was an indication of their preparedness towards the 2015 general polls.

He said the overwhelming victory of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s candidates across the 25 local government areas of the state will be replicated in 2015.

No election held in Warri North LG, says APC

By Gabriel Enogholase

W

ARRI— ALL Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, claimed that no election took place in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State during last Saturday’s council polls, threatening to go to court.

This came even as members recounted how they were allegedly attacked by suspected political thugs.

While victims of the alleged attacks were said to be receiving treatment at unnamed hospitals in the state, no fewer than 30 vehicles of APC and its members were equally said to have been vandalized by the thugs.

Meanwhile, women of

Gbokoda, Udo, Tebu and Aja Amita communities in Warri North, yesterday, demanded a re-run of the local government elections for them to elect their true leaders.

The women, on the platform of Women Forum, WF, in a petition addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5, Benin, and copied to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Commissioner of Police, Department of State Service, DSS, Asaba; JTF Commander, among others, expressed total rejection of the outcome of the elections.

While declaring that no election took place in the local government, state Organizing Secretary of APC, Mr. Amorighoye Mene, described the present administration in the state as “bad and wicked,” claiming that Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was not on ground in North Warri Local

Government.

Mene alleged that PDP, led by a Warri Chief (names withheld) brought thugs to attack APC members and destroyed more than 30 vehicles belonging to them.

APC councillorship candidate for Abi-Ugborodo ward in Warri North Local Government, Mr. George Inowandajegha, said: “I was attacked with a machete by PDP thugs.”

Another victim of the alleged attack is Mr. Siko Eyenmi, from Ogbonbiri, who is APC vice chairmanship candidate for Warri North.

The petition, by Mrs. Grace Golly and Mrs. Mercy Fregene, Chairperson and Secretary, respectively, said: “Whoever is sworn in as chairman or councillor was not elected by the people of Warri North as no election was conducted.”

Customs intercepts goods worth N70.4m

By Ifeyinwa Obi

T

HE Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, of Nigerian Customs Service, has wreaked havoc on smugglers with the invasion and evacuation of 19 trucks laden with 10,252 bags of 50kg parboiled rice and 554 jerry cans of 25 litres of groundnut oil with Duty Paid Value of N70,377, 500.

The Controller of the zone, Deputy Comptroller Usman Turaki, who affirmed that the recent operational exploits of the unit is based on the unit’s renewed vigour and determination to eradicate smuggling, said it will continue to protect the investments of organizations and individuals, who have invested heavily in rice farming and production.

Turaki also said his men and officers will continue to reciprocate the logistics and capacity building given by the ComptrollerGeneral, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko Inde, by ensuring re-dedication to duty.

SWEARING IN: From left— Mr. Konbowei Benson, Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly; Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd.), Deputy Governor; Governor Seriake Dickson; Mr. Fyneman Wilson, newly sworn in Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, and Justice Daniel Ayah, President of the State Customary Court of Appeal, during the swearing in Yenagoa.

DTHA: Activist urged to contest Warri North seat

A

Niger activist and Labour Party, LP, candidate for Warri North

Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, in 2011, Mr. Felix Adanse, has been

... as Edo women buy nomination form for Eribo

B

ENIN—AHEAD of the All Progressives Congress, APC, primaries in Edo State, women from Ikpoba Okhai and Egor Local Government areas of the state have purchased nomination form for the former chairman of the Egor Local Government Area, Mr. Crosby Eribo, House of Representatives aspirant for Egor/Ikpoba Okhai Federal constituency.

Mrs Josephine Eguakun, who spoke on behalf of the women, said: “When Eribo was chairman of Egor, he built our market and when fire gutted the market, he rebuilt it. He made sure we

were able to continue our business so we can train our children in school.

“Whether you are Igbo, Urhobo or any part of the nation does not make any difference to him. That is why the women decided to come together to buy the form for him.”

In his reaction, Eribo said: “I have never seen such demonstration of love and trust.

I was overwhelmed. I think it is the love, the understanding, the togetherness and the fact that I have been with them for a long time.

“They are sowing a good seed and God willing, I will get the ticket of my party and I will serve them with all my heart.”

endorsed and urged to run again for the position.

Warri North Unity Forum, NUF, a socio-political pressure group, comprising both the Itsekiri and Ijaw ethnic groups in the constituency, yesterday, called on Adanse Felix to represent himself for the job.

Speaking in Warri, the President of NUF, Mr. Besidone Wiliki, said it was high time a vibrant and detribalized man was voted in to represent the area efficiently and effectively.

He said: ‘’Warri North needs a focused, detribalized, efficient, charismatic and committed man like Adanse, who knows the pains of the people at the grassroots. We shall all work for his emergence as the member representing our constituency in the House of Assembly.

“I want to urge all the people of Warri North to send this responsible young man to represent us in Asaba.”

Oil firm donates health facility to host community

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AN Ocean Oil Corporation Ltd, an operator in the oil and gas industry, has donated an ultra-modern health centre to one of its host communities, Imasabor in Ologbo Dukedom of Edo State.

The donation makes it is the second Pan Ocean will be building within Ologbo as part of its numerous corporate social responsibility, CSR, projects.

While commissioning the health centre, state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Lucky James, lauded the company for providing and equipping the health centre with modern facilities.

According to him, the facilities will enhance medical services in Ologbo and its neighbouring communities.

While advising the benefiting community to protect it from being vandalised, as the gesture of the oil and gas company was in line with the policies and programmes of Edo State government, the commissioner urged the operator to build perimeter fencing around the health centre and residential quarters for the medical personnel that the relevant local government would post to work in the health centre.

Burial

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AMA ALICE Igweche of Ogbe Ani Quarters, AkwukwuIgbo, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State is dead.

Wake keep is at Igweche’s compound tomorrow, while interment is next day at St. John’s Anglican Church, Akwukwu-Igbo.

Thanksgiving service will hold at same church, November 2.

She is survived by many relations, including Mr. and Mrs Andy Isichei.

46 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

2015: APC gov aspirant assures Deltans of transparency

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S A B A — A gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Fidelis Tilije, has assured the people of Delta State of accountability and transparency, if given the opportunity to be the next governor of the state.

Chief Tilije, who gave this assurance at the state party secretariat, Asaba, during his expression of interest to the state party executive to contest the forth coming governorship election in the state, called on the three senatorial districts to give him their mandate as the next governor of Delta State.

Tilije explained that from 2009 that he contested election as a running mate to Chief Great Ogboru, he had never betrayed or sold out for peanuts, saying he would transform and bring the state to place of envy.

Pa Augustine Anoliefo dies @ 80

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R. AUGUSTINE C. Anoliefo (Uzodimma) of Umuafor Village, Ebenesi Nnobi in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State is dead, aged 80.

A vigil mass will hold today at the deceased home town, Umuafor Village, Ebenesi Nnobi, at 5.pm.

There will be lying in state the following day, to be followed by a requiem mass at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Umuru Nnobi, by 10.am, while interment follows immediately at the family compound.

He is survived by the widow, children and many relations, including Mr. Modestus Anoliefo.

Late Augustine Anoliefo

ALLEGED INSULT:

Igbo leaders slam Junaid

Mohammed

By Clifford Ndujihe NUGU—IGBO leaders on the platform of Igbo Leaders of Thought, ILT, have tongue-lashed Second Republic lawmaker, Alhaji Junaid Mohammed, over what they described as his “senseless vituperations and general insult on Ndigbo.”

In an interview with a national newspaper (not Vanguard), last weekend, Mohammed, while claiming that all ethnic groups in Nigerians would not vote for President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, said only the Ijaw and Igbo, who he said were for sale, would vote for the President.

“The Igbo are mercenaries, they are there for sale. If the devil were to come today to say, ‘I am the devil about whom the Bible and the Quran have spoken, I am prepared to give money, the Igbo will take the money and vote for him,” Mohammed said.

Reacting to the comment among other attacks, the ILT, in a statement by its Deputy Secretary and founder of Igbo Youth Movement, IYM, Evangelist Elliot Uko, said Mohammed had taken his hatred for the Igbo to an insane level with “his general insult on Ndigbo.”

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His words: “He (Mohammed) has consistently denigrated the great Igbo nation of over 40 million people thereby confirming his phobia for hard work, excellence, industry, education and success which Ndigbo epitomize to both fellow Nigerians and foreigners alike.

“Mr. Junaid Mohammed needs to be reminded that rabble rousers like him, have no place any more in the emerging Nigeria. His frustrations are a confirmation that the

warmongers in the north, those with the born to rule mentality have become a tiny minority.

Most northerners as well as other Nigerians work towards a new Nigeria where the President could be Idoma, Ijaw, Tiv, Igbira, Itshekiri, Yoruba, Efik, Bachama, Mumuye, Angas or Igala.

“Most Nigerians crave for a new Nigeria, where all are equal, where no man is oppressed, where no section believes they are born to rule.

Nigerians are surprised that Junaid Mohammed is probably the only Nigerian who does not

know that Ndigbo are not responsible for his frustrations.

"The agenda of people like him who dream to perpetually dominate and rule others is unworkable in today’s Nigeria.

“He belongs to the tiny but dying clique in the north who believe they are blue blood royals, while other Nigerians are serfs. Their problem began 21 years ago when they annulled a credible election won by a southerner. Their problem grew worse when they stormed Jos PDP convention 16 years ago in order to stop a former Vice President, the only man who would have handed over power to the North after only four years."

SUMMIT: Legal Adviser, Alliance Against Monopoly, AAM, Mr. OgbonnaAgbafo (middle), Ms. Funke Awodumila (left), and Mr. Celestine Achi (right), both Consultants to AAM, duringasummitorganisedbyAAMinLagos.

Why we're supporting NASS on minimum wage —NECA

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

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AGOS—NIGERIA Employers Consultative Association, NECA, yesterday, gave reasons for giving its support to the removal of the National Minimum Wage, NMW, by the National Assembly. “We commend this

bold initiative by the National Assembly, as this is the right thing to do.” NECA said.

NECA in a statement by its Director General, Mr. Segun Oshinowo, in Lagos, argued that organized labour ’s opposition to the National Assembly ’s decision was

IMO GOV RACE: Ihedioha tasks

PDP on credible candidate

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By Chidi Nkwopara

WERRI—DEPUTY Speaker, House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, yesterday warned the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that the party's efforts to unseat Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, might remain a mirage if unpopular and weak candidate was fielded in the governorship election.

Ihedioha, who spoke at Isiala Mbano, while addressing political stakeholders in the area, said: “If you love President Goodluck Jonathan, you must then vote for people who can win elections. The PDP will no give the gubernatorial ticket to political weaklings.”

According to him, he was in Isiala Mbano in continuation of his governorship consultations with stakeholders in the local

council areas. He urged the PDP to reflect on why the party lost the last election in the state.

“We gave Isiala Mbano son, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, our full support but how he managed it is another issue. Isiala Mbano is duty bound to reciprocate this gesture”, he said.

While noting that several people had not only declared their interests to run for the governorship election in the state, Ihedioha also disclosed that about 20 persons had picked the governorship form in pursuit of their dream.

“Over 20 people have picked the governorship form in the state. This is good for our democracy, but somebody did not sustain the party in the past three years, none of these people would have found PDP good enough to pitch their tent,” the deputy speaker said.

needless and out of place.

The statement read: “NECA has followed the National Assembly’s discussion on the amendment of the Constitution and commends its decision to remove the Minimum Wage from the Exclusive list to the Concurrent list. We are also aware of the opposition of the labour movement to any action along this line, which we consider needless and out of place. As the voice of private sector employers, we equally

have a huge interest in this issue.

We must consistently remind ourselves that Nigeria is operating a federal constitution, which ordinarily should ascribe significant power and responsibilities to the federating states, including the right and power of the component units to define and determine the minimum wage in their precincts.

“Therefore, we do not see anything wrong in the intention of the lawmakers to move minimum wage to the concurrent list."

Group wants Health Minister to wade into NAUTH crisis

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BUJA—JUSTICE and Equity Mandate, JEM, has called on the new Minister of Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan, to intervene in the leadership crisis rocking Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Nnewi, Anambra State.

While congratulating the new minister on his appointment, the group pleaded with Ahassan to settle the protracted crisis over who was the substantive Chief Medical Director, CMD, of NAUTH, Nnewi.

In a statement signed by the Chairman, Professor Yakubu Mohammed, and Secretary,

Dr. Frank Ihonvbere, respectively, JEM noted that there was no substantive CMD at the NAUTH since April 2013.

According to the group, Dr. Anthony Igwegbe resumed as acting CMD of NAUTH in January 2013 and was expected to vacate office in April 2013, after three months acting capacity as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution and as amended unless he was confirmed the substantive CMD. The group disclosed that the uncertainty over a substantive CMD had brought the activities at the health facility to its lowest ebb, saying “doctors and other health officials in the hospital are disillusionedand frustrated by the status quo.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 47

I can die for stability of Nigeria's democracy — MARK

Jonathan approves appointment of deputy GMD for NNPC

By Peter Duru

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AKURDI—THE Senate President, David Mark, has reiterated his preparedness to lay down his life to ensure the growth, sustenance and and stability of democracy in Nigeria.

Mark also restated his commitment to ensuring the creation of Apa state for the people of Benue south senatorial district.

He spoke when he hosted Idoma stakeholders in Otukpo, after receiving the nomination and declaration of interest form bought for him by the nine local government council chairmen in the Benue south senatorial zone.

Mark said that the creation of a separate state for the Idoma people of Benue state was of utmost priority to the children, youths and the elderly of the zone who had over the years craved for a separate stated of their own.

Mark said, “I am overwhelmed by the show of love, encouragement and support you have shown me by this singular act of purchasing these forms and in unison asking me to go back to the senate.

“The enormity of the responsibility you have entrust in me entails that I must be fair, just and unwavering in my leadership and and also attain the wishes and aspirations of our people.

“I humbly accept to run in the forthcoming senatorial election in line with your wishes and aspirations, I will strife at all times to ensure that the dividends of democracy did not elude our people.

“As we continue to strive to attain set objectives, I would want to affirm that if you my people ask me to lay down my life for the growth, sustenance and and stability of democracy and for the creation of Apa state, I will willingly do that, because without you, there is no me.”

In his speech, the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, who led PDP Stakeholders and council chairmen to purchase the forms in Makurdi urged anyone with senatorial ambition from area to shelve it, noting; “because such an ambition would be contrary to the wishes of the people of Idoma land.”

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KWANKWASO DECLARES FOR PRESIDENT: Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State (3rd left) with his aides as he arrived to publicly declare his intentions to fly the flag of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2015 presidential elections to his teeming supporters at the Old Parade Grounds, Garki, Abuja, yesterday. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida.

COMMISSIONING: From left: House of Representatives aspirant, under All Progressives Congress, APC, Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency, Segun Akinyelure; Onilado of Ilado & Inagbe Islands, HRM, Oba Mobandele Oyekan; Executive Chairman, Amuwo Odofin Local Goverment, Lagos State, Comrade Ayodele Adewale and Leader, Legistlative Arm, Wasiu Bello, during the official commissioning of Igbologun Primary Health Centre Doctors’ Lodge in Amuwo Odofin.

2015: NLC chief condemns debate on Muslim-Muslim ticket

By Demola Akinyemi

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LORIN—A Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr. Issa Aremu, yesterday faulted the debate over MuslimMuslim or Christian-Christian presidential candidate, saying “we are looking for a president

as defined in Nigeria’s constitution regardless of religious background who is willing to guarantee the welfare and security of Nigerians.

Aremu, who is also the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigereia, NUTGWTN,

condemned the utterances of the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo and Gen Muhammadu Buhari on their preferred presidential team based on their religious belief.

The NLC Vice President who spoke yesterday in Ilorin, said ’It is wrong for both former president

DELTA NORTH: Ahmadu Ali’s wife submits form, says Nwaboshi is no match

By Henry Umoru

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BUJA—WIFE of former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Mariam Ali, yesterday stormed the party's national secretariat to submit her expression of interest and nominations forms to contest the

B U J A — PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has approved the creation of a new office of Deputy Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC and has also approved the appointment of Mr. Bernard Otti as its inaugural head.

A statement issued by the special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati said the creation of the new office was in furtherance of ongoing efforts to transform the Corporation into a commercially-driven entity.

According to the Presidential Spokesman, “the new office of Deputy Group Managing Director is expected to strengthen the corporate governance structure of the NNPC and help ensure that value for money and return on investment increasingly become key factors in all operational decisions.

Until his appointment, Mr Otti was the Group Executive Director (Finance and Accounts) and as the new Deputy Group Managing Director, he will also double as the Group Executive Director (Finance and Accounts) of the corporation.

Mr Otti who hails from Anambra State has held senior positions in some of the largest financial institutions in Nigeria.

Delta North Senatorial District election, boasting that the State Chairman, Chief Peter Nwaboshi was no match to her.

Speaking with journalists after she submitted her forms, Mrs Ali who was accompanied to the National Secretariat by her husband, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, family members, supporters, stressed

that God was in charge, just as she explained that she was in the race to prove the point that determined women can secure victory inspite of presumed odds.

Mrs Ali, who disclosed that she was picking the form the third time for the position, said that she was coming out for the Senate because of her love for women

and children, adding that she would use the opportunity as a Senator to provide health care facilities for women, the children and the people of the senatorial district, adding that she would be instrumental to the establishment of primary healthcare centers in at least all the local government areas in the district.

Olusegun Obasanjo and General Muhammadu Buhari to have mentioned Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian ticket for the 2015 presidential elections. It is a wrong mindset, just like Obasanjo was wrong to say we need Muslim-Christian balance.”

The two generals comments clearly show lack of civility.

Whoever will drive our democracy must be strong civilians who have civil outlook.

We are tired of these generals who will heat up the polity. Their language is not civil. No serious civilian will be talking of northsouth candidate or MuslimChristian candidates. Civilians fought for our independence for us not soldiers. So if civilians fought for independence for us they should run it for us.

48—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

PRESENTATION: Kaduna State governor, Dr. Mukhtar Ramalan Yero (2nd left), presenting MTN Cup to the patron of Keffi Ponys, Hon. Aliyu Wadada (right); Senior Manager Master Brand, MTN, Emamoke Ogoro (left) and Event and Sponsorship Manager, MTN, Okundola Bamgboye (2nd right), during the prize presentation ceremony of the MTN African Patrons Polo Tournament, at the Fifth Chukker Polo & Country Club in Kaduna, weekend.

COMMISSIONING: From left, Internal auditor of Magodo Residents Association, MRA, Mrs. Omotola Dawodu; 2nd Vice Chairman, MRA, Mr. Jade Niboro; Vice Chairman, MRA, Mr. Yemi Bedu; the sponsor/project facilitator, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, and Chairman, MRA, Mr. Kunle Fashogbon, during the official commissioning and handing over of one of the senator's constituency projects (street lights) to MRA, at Magodo, weekend.

CONVOCATION: From left,Mr. Rotimi Olaniyan,1st Vice President; Abdul Ganiyu Koledoye, President; Rotimi Oladele, 2nd Vice President, and Mrs. Modupeola Babalola. Council Member, all of National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, during the 5th Convocation Ceremony of the institute, at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau

COLLECTION: Anambra Central senatorial aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Obiora Okonkwo (right) with Party’s Protocol Officer, Mammy Balami, during the collection of the Senatorial Nomination Form for Anambra Central senatorial zone by Obiora Okonkwo at the party’s headquarters, in Abuja

CEREMONY: From left, Professor Agatha Eguaveon, Professor Ifeanyi Onyeonoru, President NASA; Prof Akinpelu Olutayo, representing VC Academics, and Professor Ayodele Jegede, HOD, Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, during the opening ceremony of the 50th Anniversary Conference of department of Sociology. Photo: Dare Fasube

ELECTION: Member representing Bomadi/Patani federal constituency, Nicholas Mutu, OFR, at his Onurun polling unit 4(7), Akugbene ward 14 in Bomadi LGA, Delta State, exercising his franchise, in the local government election area

AWARD: From left, Mr. Victor Tasie, an awardee; Rot. Tolulope Onalaja, President, Rotary Club Lagos West; Miss Semiat Oyebanjo, an awardee; Rot. Lawrence Anyafulu, and Mr. Kelechi Chinekwe, an awardee, during Rotary Club of Lagos West's 2014 Vocational Service Award, at the Villa Park Hotel & Suites, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.

ASSUMPTION: Professor Olukoya Ogen (middle), newly appointed Provost of Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, flanked with his classmates, from left, Mr. Dokun Tinubu; Mrs.Victoria Olugbemi; Mr. Wole Oladimeji & Mr. Ayodeji Olopade, during the assumption ceremony accorded him at the college premises, Ondo.

CONFERENCE: From left, Rasheed Adegoke, Director, Information Technology, United Bank for Africa; Dr. Martins Akinseye, President, Nigerian Computer Society, NCS, Lagos Chapter; Ahaji Ladi Ogunleye, former President, NCS, and Engr. Hotonu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Lagos State, during 2014 IT conference and award organized by the Lagos chapter of NCS, in Lagos.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 49

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54—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

NASU demands stiffer penalty against women abuse

CELEBRATION : From left— Chief Sunday Emekwe, representing King A. J. Turner; Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd), Bayelsa State Deputy Governor; wife of the Bayelsa State Gover nor, Rachael; Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State; Colonel Sam Inokoba (retd.), state Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chairman; and his wife, Helen, during the 66th birthday celebration of Colonel Inokoba in Yenagoa.

PHOTO: Goodluck Ayebatonye.

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

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BUJA—NONACADEMIC Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, has decried the increasing abuse against women, especially rape of young girls, and called for a stiffer penalty to stem the tide.

At a two-day educational training programme for National Women Commission and principal officers of state women committees in NASU, in Abuja, participants expressed concern that perpetrators of abuses against women were mostly not sanctioned.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the training by Mrs. Iyabo Kolapo and Mrs. Bola Ajayi, Chairperson and Secretary, National Women Commission, respectively, the union expressed “concern over the persisting security challenges in Nigeria, particularly the mass killings in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Plateau states, among others.”

It condemned the incessant havoc being perpetrated by the insurgents on innocent citizens across the North East and Middle-Belt states and called on government to urgently intensify efforts in its ongoing negotiation with the neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Niger Republic, Chad, among others, on how to halt the persistent cross-border insurgency.

The union viewed “with great sadness the manner women are treated and debased by policies and practices that reduce them to second-class citizens or sex objects at home and workplaces.

“Participants, therefore, called for stiffer penalty to curb all forms of abuse.”

It, however, appreciated the efforts of government at creating awareness on gender equality, but expressed worry about gender imbalance at all levels.

FG drags Coca-Cola, NBC, chief executives to court over consumer law T

HE Federal Government has dragged Nigerian Bottling Company, NBC, Limited; Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and their chief executives before a Federal High Court in Abuja for criminal breach of Consumer Protection Council, CPC, Act. Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, in the charges filed before the court, preferred a one-count charge against NBC, its Managing Director and a two-count charge against Coca-Cola and its Chief Executive, making them liable to jail terms, ranging from three to five years, if found guilty.

The Federal Government in the charge against NBC and its Managing Director, Mr. Ben Langat, by the Director, Public Prosecution of the Federation on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation, alleged that the two accused persons committed an offence by violating the orders of CPC by “deliberately failing, refusing and/or neglecting to comply with the council’s orders duly made and served on you and, therefore, committed an offence contrary to Section 21 of the Consumer Protection Council Act, Cap C. 25, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section.”

In the first of the two-count charge against Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and its Managing Director, Mr. Adeola Adetunji, the government alleged that the two accused persons committed an offence by refusing to “attend the hearing of the Consumer Protection Council held in Abuja in relation to investigation of violation of

product quality standard under the Consumer Protection Council Act after summons was duly issued and served on you and, thereby, committed an offence contrary to Section 18 of the Consumer Protection Council Act Cap C. 25 of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section.”

Coca-Cola and its Chief Executive, as in the case of

NBC, were also charged for violating the orders of CPC by deliberately refusing to comply with the order duly made and served on them, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 21 of the Consumer Protection Council Act, Cap C. 25, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section.

The two criminal cases have

been listed before Justice E. S. Chukwu of the Federal High Court 8, Abuja, and a date is yet to be fixed for hearing.

CPC had earlier this year, found NBC and Coca-Cola culpable, following its findings from the administrative panel set up over a consumer complaint regarding two half-empty cans of Sprite manufactured by NBC under the licence and authority of Coca-Cola.

NYSC members get training on Ebola

By Caleb Ayansina

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BUJA—THE National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has equipped all corps members, who are medical doctors from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, with relevant training on Ebola Virus Disease, EVD. Director-General of the agency, Brig.-General Johnson Olawumi, said this was to sustain the giant stride recorded by the government

and the people on the containment of the virus.

Olawumi, who disclosed this at the opening of a three-day Training of Trainers Workshop on Ebola Virus Disease Awareness Creation and Prevention for scheduled officers and selected corps medical doctors from the 36 states and FCT, in Abuja, said those participating at the training were expected to go back and facilitate the process of mobilizing, training, educating and sensitizing

their colleagues and host communities on the prevention and control of the disease.

He said the activities of the scheme cut across the 774 local government councils in the country, adding that since nobody could predict where any outbreak could occur, prevention remained the only proactive measure.

He said: “The scheme assembles a large number of people. We cannot afford to expose corps members and other Nigerians to EVD.”

Rights group cautions against selling voter’s card dangers of selling their across the length and breadth

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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ITIZENS Liberation Advocacy Initiative, CLAI, has warned Nigerians against selling their voter ’s card to desperate politicians in the forthcoming 2015 general elections.

Speaking at a voters advocacy forum in Lagos, the National President of the group, Prince Adebola Adeniji-Adele jnr, said there was urgent need for voters education in the country to enlighten the electorate on the

voter ’s card to desperate politicians.

He said: “It would be very difficult to effect change without voter’s card, which would fast track the much desired goal.

“We are joining the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in educating the electorate not to sell their Permanent Voters Card to anybody as they risk two years jail term and mortgage their conscience and future.

“We still need to do more through voters’ education

of the country.

“The vital role of the electorate cannot be overemphasized, hence all hands must be on deck at building a nation where all citizens are treated as equals and made to prosper. ” We all need to come together and protect our collective mandate given to politicians every four years.

“While it is true that there is no bad leadership without bad followership, leaders must first exhibit exemplary character before expecting the followership to reciprocate.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 55

Residents task Amosun on roads, unemployment

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By Daud Olatunji

B E O K U TA — STAKEHOLDERS in Ogun State, yesterday, appealed to the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun to address the unemployment challenge and fix the deplorable roads in the state, among others.

The stakeholders who were mainly residents and natives drawn from the 20 Local Government Areas of the state, gave the charge at the town hall meeting held to get their inputs into the 2015 budget at June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.

Some of the stakeholders include farmers, teachers, students, traders, traditional rulers among others filed out one after the other to make requests.

The governor after listening, submitted that the issues of unemployment and deplorable roads ranked highest.

He said: “Requests for employment, fixing of deplorable roads and construction of new ones seem to be more than other requests.

“It is true that unemployment is there.

And it is also true that government cannot employ everybody. That is why we are creating an enabling environment to open up the state for business.

“That is why we are working on the infrastructure. Once the infrastructure have been put in place, investors will come and there will be employment for the people.”

While speaking on his efforts towards reducing the high rate of unemployment, Amosun said he has ordered that 450 teachers be offered employment, saying soon not less than 2,000 environment marshals and street maintenance officers would be absorbed.

On roads, he said as soon as the rains subsided, work would begin on construction of two roads each in all the local government areas.

The students of Ogun origin in higher institutions also demanded for the prompt payment of their bursary, while the corpers in the state also asked for a befitting corpers’ lodge.

Ondo PDP caretaker c'ttee resumes zKeeps party secretariat shut

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By Dayo Johnson

KURE—THE Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Caretaker Committee members arrived Akure, the state capital yesterday and directed that the party secretariat remain closed for now.

Committee Chairman, Dare Adeleke, in Akure said that the sealing off of the secretariat was to prevent unauthorised access, possible destruction and or pilfering.

His statement reads in part; “The Ondo State PDP Caretaker Committee wishes to notify the entire PDP family in the State that the PDP secretariat in the state shall remain closed for now.

“This step is to avoid unauthorised access and possible destruction and or pilfering, consequent upon the dissolution of all the Executive Councils of the party across the tiers in the state by the National Working Committee of the party.

“The committee assures all the members of the PDP in Ondo State of its unwavering commitment to the promotion of justice, peace and fair play and calls on all aggrieved members to remain calm and be law abiding.

Cofusion in old PDP

Meantime, confusion still reigns within the camp of the old PDP as members seem not sure of the next step to take.

While some leaders are of the view that they should give the caretaker committee time to commence work and that their body language will determine their neutrality or otherwise, some leaders are insisting on

throwing away the bath water and the baby following the alleged unjust action of the National Working Committee which axed the EXCO from the state and ward levels.

Several meetings are still ongoing across the state by leaders across the three senatorial divisions of the state.

Reports had it that leaders of the PDP from both the central and

the northern part of the state are telling their followers to be calm and disregard the defection song by some leaders of the party.

Meanwhile, governor Mimiko is scheduled to meet with aspirants of former Labour Party to brief them of the development and to assure them that their individual interests would be protected in the new scheme of things.

PRESENTATION: From left: Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, Alake of Egbaland, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, Chairman, Lafarge Africa Plc., Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu, Olowu of Owu kingdom, and Mr. Guillaume Roux, during the book presentation and send off for Mr. Guillaume Roux, the former Managing Director of Lafarge Africa Plc.,in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

Kawonise accuses Daniel of misleading followers zYou are a nobody—Daniel's aide

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By Daud Olatunji

BEOKUTA—A former commissioner for Information and Strategy in Ogun State, Sina Kawonise, has accused former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel of misleading his followers into the People Democratic Party, PDP. Kawonise who served in Daniel’s administration, however, claimed that, those who defected to the PDP along with Daniel were being treated as second class members.

But, in a swift reaction, Daniel described Kawonise as ambition-driven person who was nowhere when he was campaigning for governorship in 2003 and 2011.

Daniel who spoke through one of his media aides, Steve Oliyide said he wished Kawonise luck in his political sojourn.

Kawonise spoke at the Labour Party, LP’s Secretariat, Adatan, Abeokuta, shortly after he was announced as the party’s governorship candidate for the coming election.

Daniel and some of his loyalists in the Labour Party had defected to the PDP penultimate Tuesday and

claimed that there was no more Labour Party in the state.

But the state chairman of LP, Olabode Simeon ; the Secretary, Sunday Oginni and the financial Secretary, Arabambi Abayomi held a state-wide meeting and endorsed Kawonise as the party’s governorship candidate.

While speaking on why he refused to follow his former boss to the PDP, Kawonise described the PDP as a party whose interest is to share money and positions at the detriment of the people in the state.

According to him; if you look at the array of godfathers in the PDP, you will know that the party can never serve the people of

Ogun State.

“They are going to put their godsons in different positions.

There is no way that kind of arrangement can bring a good government.

“Those who defected were misled that they will get universal waivers, but, unfortunately for them when they got there, the party did not give them waivers.

“Even, those who had defected to the PDP have not gotten waiver. So, as I speak with you, those who defected cannot participate in the delegate election and can not be voted for. When they said this, our people have started coming back in droves.

In his reaction, Oliyide said;

“There is nothing, but, to wish him good luck. Otunba Gbenga Daniel has played his politics in Ogun State and Nigeria at large in a more responsive and responsible way, taking into cognisance the interest of his followers, so, we can not but, wish him luck in his vocation and venture.

“Except he is saying that Otunba Gbenga Daniel, having drafted Kawonise to serve as a commissioner under him is also a misleading action.

“In 2003, when Otunba Gbenga Daniel contested for election in Ogun State defeating an incumbent, a Sina Kawonise was nowhere then."

Fashola commissions 8.8mw IPP

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By Providence Obuh

AGOS—LAGOS State Governor, Babatunde Fashola and CET Power Limited will today commission the 8.8MW Mainland Independent Power Project, IPP, to further boost electricity supply in the state.

The Mainland IPP will provide uninterrupted 24-

hour power supply to the State public institutions within the Government Reservation Area, GRA, Ikeja.

The institutions include Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Lagos State University College of Medicine, LASUCOM, Old Secretariat complex, High Court complex, Lagos Water Corporation and

over 20 kilometres of existing public lighting.

General Manager, Lagos State Electricity Board, LSEB, Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi, said that the power project is a Public Private Partnership, PPP, between the state government and CET Power Limited, one of the largest indigenous IPP providers in the country.

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BRIEFS Doctors strike hits Zimbabwe

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Clashes as ‘one million’ protest Burkina leader’s power bid P

ROTESTERS battled police in the capital of Burkina Faso on Tuesday after a massive rally against plans to let the longserving president extend his rule beyond 30 years.

Firing tear gas, security forces charged demonstrators after they apparently ventured too close to parliament. Most of the protesters fled but several hundred stayed on to battle the police, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.

The violence erupted at the end of a march in Ouagadougou that drew up to a million people, according to opposition leaders fighting to prevent what they see as a constitutional coup by supporters of President Blaise Compaore.

Schools and universities have closed for the week of protests planned in the impoverished west African nation against the move to prolong Campaore’s 27-year-rule by allowing him to seek another term next year.

Pre-dawn violence had already broken out early Tuesday as gendarmes fired tear gas at dozens of youths barricading the

•President Blaise Compaore country’s main highway, who hurled stones in response, according to an AFP reporter.

Hundreds of thousands of people later set off from the capital’s main Nation square, blowing whistles

India reveals names in quest for hidden foreign assets

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NDIA’S government revealed yesterday the names of three prominent businessmen accused of illegally stashing funds in foreign bank accounts as it seeks to recover billions of dollars parked abroad.

The ruling right-wing

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pledged to crack down on “black money” after winning power in May, accusing the previous Congress government of failing to get tough on the issue that had become a political lightning rod.

UN Security Council to meet on Israeli settlements

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HE UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss Israeli plans to build more Jewish settlements in Arab east Jerusalem, diplomats said.

The urgent talks were requested by Jordan following a letter from Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour, who called on the 15-member council to “address this crisis situation in occupied east Jerusalem.”

Israel pledged to build more than 1,000 new settler homes in east Jerusalem on Monday, angering Palestinians who warned it could trigger an “explosion” of violence.

In his letter, the Palestinian representative called on the council to demand that Israel rescind its plan immediately and “commit to the path of

and vuvuzela trumpets, before the violence broke out.

Senior opposition figures Benewende Sankara and Ablasse Ouedraogo claimed a million-strong turnout, well above a previous rally in August.

Protesters carried banners reading “Blaise Get Out!” or “Don’t Touch Article 37", in reference to the constitutional term limit that may be scrapped to let the president seek reelection.

“Our march is already a huge success, phenomenal,” said opposition leader Zephirin Diabre. “Our struggle has entered its final phase. It’s make or break time — the nation or death!”

peace that it has clearly and recklessly abandoned.”

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hit back at US

and European criticism of the plan for more settlement building, saying the statements were “detached from reality.”

The government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Monday naming Pradip Burman, a former executive director of the Dabur food group, bullion trader Pankaj Chimanlal Lodhiya and mine operator Radha Timbola as among those under scrutiny.

The government said in its affidavit it was “committed to disclose the names of persons holding illegal money... following due process of law, and in all cases where tax evasion is established”.

Ebola: Dallas nurse leaves hospital

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HE second of two American nurses who became infected with Ebola while treating a Liberian man who died of the disease in Texas three weeks ago will be released from the hospital on Tuesday having been declared free of the virus, officials said.

The infections of the nurses at a Dallas hospital underscored the lack of preparedness in the United States public health system to safely deal with Ebola, which has killed about 5,000 people in three impoverished West African countries and

•Amber Vinson raised fears of a wider outbreak.

The nurse, Amber Vinson, had been treated at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta since Oct. 15. The other nurse who worked at Texas

Health Presbyterian Hospital, Nina Pham, was declared virus-free last Friday, left the Maryland hospital where she had been treated and met with President Barack Obama.

Vinson’s case caused wider alarm when it was revealed that she had flown from Texas to Ohio and back on commercial planes. Ohio state health officials are still monitoring 163 people in case they show symptoms of Ebola, a hemorrhagic fever that can only be transmitted through the bodily fluids of an infected person and is not airborne.

ATIENTS have been waiting in long queues while others were being turned away at state hospitals in Zimbabwe, as hundreds of doctors staged a strike to press for higher pay.

About 300 junior doctors went on strike at the lapse of a two-week ultimatum for the government to address their demands for a pay rise of nearly 400 percent.

“The nationwide strike has attracted an overwhelming response from all government hospitals over 300 doctors withdrawing their services until the employer meets their demands,” Farai Makoni, president of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association, told the AFP news agency.

“What the doctors are asking for is not anything out of this world.”

Makoni said the junior doctors wanted their monthly salaries increased from $283 to $1,200, their housing and transport allowances raised and were also seeking a risk allowance.

“These grievances have been there for some time and the strike shall be protracted if the employer continues to pay a blind eye to the plight of doctors.”

Opposition leader suggests ‘soft exit’ for Sudan’s Bashir

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EADING Sudanese opposition figure Sadiq alMahdi has urged President Omar Hassan alBashir not to extend his 25-year rule and suggested offering him sanctuary from a war crimes trial if he relinquishes power.

It is the first time the opposition has publicly put forth such an idea, with Mahdi hoping that the notion of a “soft exit” could encourage factions within Bashir’s own party to push for his departure and end Sudan’s international isolation.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Bashir for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide relating to bloodshed in Sudan’s Darfur region.

He has denied the allegations and refuses to go before the Hague-based court. If he leaves office, he would have to entrust his fate to his successor and concern over the charges was a key driver in his move to seek another term in next April’s presidential elections, political sources say.

Tunisia’s Ennahda ‘faces defeat’ in elections

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UNISIAN secular Nidaa Tounes party is emerging as the main winner in the 217-seat parliament election after Sunday’s vote, preliminary results show.

Led by Beji Caid Essebsi, Nidaa Tunis has won 83 seats (38 percent), according to official provisional results released on Monday.

The North African nation’s leading Islamist party, Ennahda, is in second place with 68 seats (31 percent).

Among the other parties, the provisional figures showed Free Patriotic Union and the Popular Front with 17 seats (seven percent) and 12 seats (five percent) respectively.

Essebsi said on Sunday night that there were “positive indications” Nidaa Tounes was ahead.

Ennahda’s head acknowledged late on Monday that his party had finished second.

India to supply Vietnam with naval vessels amid China disputes

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NDIA will soon be supplying naval vessels to Vietnam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, the first significant military transfer to Hanoi at a time when it is embroiled in a territorial dispute with China.

The announcement came after Modi held talks with his visiting Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Tan Dung, during which the two sides agreed to modernize the Vietnamese military as well as raise Indian involvement in Vietnam’s energy sector.

Both India and Vietnam have territorial disputes with China - India in the Himalayas and Vietnam in the South China Sea. New Delhi and Hanoi are beefing up defenses even as they ramp up commercial ties with China, the world’s second-largest economy.

“Our defense cooperation with Vietnam is among our most important,” Modi told reporters, adding it will be expanded.

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FIFA Ballon d'ór

Toure, Messi, Lahm battle to unseat Ronaldo I

VORIAN midfielder and captain, Yaya Toure, has emerged the only African player listed in the 23-man shortlist for the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or. Toure, who beat Nigeria’s Mikel Obi to emerge the reigning African Player of the Year, has been listed alongside big guns like Cristiano Ronaldo and four times winner Lionel Messi.

U n d e r s t a n d a b l y, reigning world champions Germany dominates the list having six players in the 23-man shortlist for the 2014 Ballon d’Or. Top on the lists of Germans in the run for the coveted player ’s award include their retired captain, Philip Lahm and Mario Gotze, who scored the winning goal against Argentina.

Two goalkeepers are also on the list - Manuel Neuer and Thibaut Courtoisreleased Tuesday morning by the organizers of the prestigious awards.

The shortlist will be pruned to three players who received the most votes from national team coaches and captains, as well as international media representatives chosen by French magazine France Football.

Later, FIFA’s award

•Lahm

•Ronaldo

•Toure

2014 shortlist

•Messi

•Gotze

•Neymar

•Neuer

Gareth Bale (Wales), Karim Benzema (France), Diego Costa (Spain), Thibaut Courtois (Belgium), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Angel Di Maria (Argentina), Mario Gotze (Germany), Eden Hazard (Belgium), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Toni Kroos (Germany), Philipp Lahm

•Robben

(Germany), Javier M a s c h e r a n o (Argentina), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Thomas Muller (Germany), Manuel Neuer (Germany), Neymar (Brazil), Paul Pogba (France), Sergio Ramos (Spain), Arjen Robben (Netherlands), James Rodriguez (Colombia), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast).

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 63

Sports Minister orders immediate resolution of NFF crisis •Wants court case withdrawn; confirms meeting with Hayatou

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HE Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission, Dr. Tammy Danagogo has ordered quick and unambiguous resolution of the crisis threatening to tear the Nigeria Football Federation apart, and directed feuding parties to sheathe their swords in the interest of peace.

Danagogo, at a meeting with top officials of the Federation and the faction led by Ambassador Chris Giwa, specifically charged that the court case entered into by the Giwa faction should immediately be withdrawn to save Nigeria from impending FIFA hammer.

He also confirmed holding a meeting with President of Confederation of African Football (CAF), Alhaji (Dr) Issa Hayatou in Windhoek on Saturday, where the CAF supremo told him in no uncertain terms that

FIFA and CAF have had it up to their neck with Nigeria.

“Dr. Hayatou told me Nigeria could actually have been stopped from playing the final of the African Women Championship in Namibia on Saturday, but he had to plead with FIFA to stop its Emergency Committee from taking immediate action. He also explained that such an occurrence would have handed the trophy automatically to Cameroon, and people would have thought that being a Cameroonian, he instigated such to favour his country.

“The CAF President was really unhappy with us.

He brought out documents which constitute the protocols that every country wishing to be in the international football family had to sign, and which Nigeria signed.

Dr. Ekeji (l) with team mate, Chief Segun Odegbami

ty to avoid a lengthy suspension.

On Saturday in Windhoek, Namibia, CAF President Issa Hayatou told Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo in clear terms that the world was fed up with Nigeria’s incorrigibility in the area of football administration. ‘’It is all very disappointing because we have over 50 National Associations in Africa, but a big country like Nigeria is the one always giving us the biggest headache’’. Hayatou lashed out in a meeting with Sports Minister in Namibia.

But in the letter to Pinnick, FIFA said that if they do not receive proof that the case has been definitively withdrawn from court and the board elected on September 30 is able to carry out its activities without any hindrance, they would refer the case to FIFA Emergency Committee for implementation of the suspension.

In the letter, FIFA also warned of the dire consequences of a ban on

the country stating that it would for instance mean that no team from Nigeria of any sort (including club teams) could have any international sporting contact.

The letter with the title; Situation of the Nigeria Football Federation reads thus We acknowledge receipt of your correspondence dated 27 October 2014 with regard to the latest developments of the situation of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

We take note of the order granted by the Federal High Court nullifying the NFF elections of 30 September 2014 and the fact that some persons claiming to have been legitimately elected previously went to occupy the offices of the NFF causing great confusion among the administrative staff. We also note that security forces prevented you from travelling to Namibia where you were supposed to represent the NFF at the final match of the African Women’s Champion-

D

IEGO Maradona has been labelled a psychopath after a video emerged appearing to show him assaulting his on-off girlfriend.

In the video, Maradona, who captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 before managing the side with less success, can be seen getting up from his sofa and approach-

ing his girlfriend Rocio Oliva to have a go at her for using her mobile.

Oliva filmed the 53year-old walking towards her spluttering: ‘You still looking at your phone?’

She retorted: ‘Can’t I look at it?’ before begging him: ‘Stop Diego, calm down, stop hitting.’ as he allegedly tried to strike her twice with his right hand.

Eulogies for Ekeji at book launch •As Anenih warns against crisis in football

BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja

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T was a day of glory in Abuja yesterday for the former Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr. Patrick Ekeji as sports stakeholders in the country who graced the occasion of

the presentation of his book titled; Odyssey of a Green Eagle heaped praises on him for his efforts in the development of sports in Nigeria.

This is just as former Minister for Women Affairs, Iyom Josephine Anenih frowned at the penchant for some people in Nigerian football to run to court

warning that such people must ensure that they don’t endanger the game which she noted has brought Nigerians together more than anything else.

She further advised those who are politicians to leave Nigerian football alone in the interest of the teeming

ship.

As stated in our previous letters dated 9 September 2014 and 2 October 2014, FIFA stressed that should the electoral process and the instalment of the newly elected NFF board be affected by any interference, the case would be brought to the attention of the appropriate FIFA bodies for a suspension of the NFF until the next FIFA Congress due to take place on 28 and 29 May 2015.

The course of events as described in your correspondence clearly shows that interference has not ceased.

Under these circumstances and in order to give Nigerian football a last opportunity to avoid a lengthy suspension, we inform you that if by Friday 31 October 2014 at midday Nigerian time we have not received proof that the case has been definitively withdrawn from court and that the board elected on 30 September 2014 is able to carry out its activities without any hin-

drance, we will refer the case to the FIFA Emergency Committee for implementation of the suspension.

We would like to underline the dire effects a suspension could have on Nigerian football. It would for instance mean that no team from Nigeria of any sort (including club teams) could have any international sporting contact (art. 14 par. 3 of the FIFA Statutes). But it would also mean that neither the NFF nor any of its members or officials could benefit from any development programmes courses or training from FIFA or CAF any longer.

We recommend that you contact the main stakeholders and concerned parties to brief them on the FIFA position. We thus hope that

by Friday midday, we will receive the requested evidence in order to avoid the adverse consequences of a suspension.

Jerome Valcke Secretary General

youths who earn a living from the game as well as millions of citizens who derive joy each time the country was playing.

Speaker after speaker recalled one thing or the other which Dr. Ekeji who was a one time national team player had done to add to the country's numerous achievements.

NFF congress Continues from BP

FIFA Continues from BP

Maradona branded a psychopath

Maigari. The sports minister Tammy Danagogo addressed the congress and moved that election into a new board of the Nigeria Football be held. The delegates were not there to conduct any election. Somehow, a result was announced and Chris Giwa was said to have been elected. Those behind the charade were challenged to produce names of the delegates that voted. They could not immediately do so.

But some days after, they produced a list on NFF paper purporting the names on the list to have participated in the election and signed to have done so. The list was hand-written. The list was said to have been part of the document submitted to authenticate the purported election.

Now, many of those whose names appeared on the list say that they will sue those responsible for forgery and impersonation.

“I was not part of any election. There was no election. It simply means that I’ll go to court. I’ll sue those who forged my signature.

And it is not only me.

Many of those whose

signatures were forged will be heading to the court too,” said Lucky Ewa, the chairman of Bayelsa State FA chairman whose name appeared on the list. He said that he did not sign the signature placed by his name.

Sports minister yesterday asked Chris Giwa to withdraw a case he filed in court against the Amaju Board which was elected September 30 in a transparent election attended by all delegates. The Federal Government, Fifa and Caf have all recognised the Amaju board. The minister was making efforts to clear the confusion he initiated when he appointed a secretary to run the affairs of Nigerian football following a similar court action against the Maigari board. The minister was also behind the September 26 ill-fated congress. But he was new in sports and now appears to be mastering the terrain.

Fifa abhors taking football matters to ordinary law courts. Sports disputes are usually taken to Court Of Arbitration For Sports, CAS. Nigerians must abide by the rules or face international sanctions.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

NFF Congress: FA Chairmen to sue for forgery

BY ONOCHIE ANIBEZE

S

OME State Football Association Chairmen have vowed to sue

those behind the current football crisis for impersonation and forgery.

Their story started this way:

FIFA gives Nigeria •Friday new deadline reprieve

On August 26, 2014, a congress of the Nigeria Football Federation was called in Chidah Hotel, Abuja.

The extra ordinary congress was expected to draw a road-map and fix the date for elective congress.

When delegates arrived, they found out that Aminu Maigari, the then President of NFF was detained by security men. The delegates stormed out of the congress in solidarity with

Continues on Page 63

BY TONY UBANI

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IGERIA yester day received a reprieve from world soccer-governing body, FIFA, which has moved the deadline for the nation’s ban to Friday, October 31, 2014 at midday Nigerian time.

The grace according to FIFA’s Secretary-General Jerome Valcke in a letter addressed to the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick was in order to give Nigerian football a last opportuni

Continues on Page 63

Pinnick

TIME IS RUNNING OUT — Blatter

Sports Minister orders immediate resolution of NFF crisis — Pg.63 QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Cab (4) 4 Fix (3) 6 Intense (4) 8 Light (8) 9 Vent (6) 10 Line (3) 12 Loaf (5) 14 Complain (5) 15 Soar (5) 18 Calm (6) 20 Countless (6) 24 Dissuade (5) 26 Tally (5) 28 Lorry (5) 30 Obtain (3) 32 Disregard (6) 33 Bureau (6) 34 Inactive (4) 35 Manage (3) 36 String (4)

DOWN 2 Wrath (5) 3 Copy (7) 4 Nobleman (4) 5 Increase (4) 6 Trench (5) 7 Everlasting (7) 11 Poem (3) 12 Coach (3) 13 Fellow (3) 16 Marry (3) 17 Groove (3) 19 Betrothed (7) 21 Novel (3) 22 Trade (7) 23 Noise (3) 25 Sheep (3) 27 Elicit (5) 29 Happen (5) 30 Equipment (4) 31 Borough (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 2, Spite 7, Tempo 8, Alter 10, Rouse 12, Air 13, Devil 15, Trapped 17, Onager 19, Rip 20, Defamed 23, Grid 25, Deft 26, Demonic 30, Car 31, Cattle 34, Diverse 37, Layer 38, Tan 39, Exult 40, Catch 41, Ether 42, Study.

DOWN: 1, Seven 2, Sprig 3, Pooled 4, Test 5, Clapped 6, Beret 9, Tip 11, Erattic 13, Dodge 14, Valid 16, Aim 18, Remorse 21, Deity 22, Steer 24, Decency 27, Mar 28, Called 29, Vital 32, Tatty 33, Lever 35, Vat 36, Exit.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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