CONFAB FALLOUT: My grouse with Oshiomhole, by Nyiam

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62003

Sambo, Wike meet ASUU leaders

•Raise hope of end to strike

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

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N150

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

Alleged kidnap kingpin, Kelvin, docked —P.6

Jonathan, Atiku, Tambuwal, others mourn Akhigbe P.41

CONFAB FALLOUT:

Nigeria not broke — FG

My grouse with Oshiomhole, by Nyiam 8

•He talked down on committee, he says B •Edo Reps caucus blasts Nyiam •Traditional rulers disown him

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

ENINCITY—A MEMBER of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Conference Col.Tony

Nyiam (rtd), who engaged in a shouting match with Edo State

Continues on page 5

COLUMNISTS:

•P.17

•P.19 •P.44

Mr & Mrs

FOR SOKOTO UNIVERSITY—From left: Governors Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Sule Lamido (Jigawa ); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu; Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State and the Speaker House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal after the official opening of the newly constructed Sokoto State University, Sokoto, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Lagos markets shut as Akiolu instals new Iyaloja —P.6

2 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2013

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2013 — 3

4 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2013

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013—5

POCKET CARTOON

JONATHAN IN ISRAEL—President Goodluck Jonathan (L) and the Is-

raeli Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing a news conference in Jerusalem, on Monday.

CONFAB FALLOUT: My grouse with Oshiomhole — Nyiam Continues from page 1 Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole at Monday’s sitting of the committee in Benin, which led to his resignation from the committee, gave reasons for his action yesterday.

His explanation not-

withstanding, Edo Reps caucus in the House of Representatives were joined by traditional rulers and youths from the state to declare Col Nyiam persona non grata in Edo State. The All Progressives Congress, APC, on its part said the disruption of

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

There is a seed of greatness in every individual, it takes patience to discover this seed; to plant and nurture it into greatness require great patience.

Mixed with sacrifice and discipline it becomes truly outstanding.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them — Bernard Shaw

T

WO men fell on hard times. Try as they might, they couldn’t find work. They heard that a museum was willing to pay $50 apiece for live rattlesnakes so, in desperation, they decided to catch snakes.

Outfitted with a net and basket, they hiked to a remote area renowned for its large snake population. But as they scaled a steep ledge, rock gave way and they tumbled down a slippery bank into a deep pit crawling with rattlesnakes.

One of the men quickly sized up the situation and shouted to his friend, “Look! We’re rich! We’re rich!”

I find this story hilarious but it is a very good principle to illustrate the intensity of seeing only the possibilities in all situations. Maybe the feller in the snake pit didn’t fully appreciate his predicament. But in most situations, I believe there is a sunny side.

Steve Goodier puts it beautifully: “I’ve learned that my greatest power may well be my power to choose my outlook.” As Abraham Lincoln wisely said, “most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” The truth is, I can choose to view tough times as growing times, I can choose to see life challenges as seasoning for unfoldment, and I can choose to focus on whatever good there is to be found in living.

Oshiomhole’s presentation before the committee has vindicated the party’s decision not to be part of the proposed conference.

At the committee’s sitting last Monday, Col Nyiam was said to have joined some people who heckled Governor Oshiomhole while he was making his presentation which eventually prevented the governor from continuing with his speech.

In his defence yesterday, Nyiam alleged that Governor Adams Oshiomhole made "sarcastic remarks” against the proposed National Dialogue, asserting that governors who are in the habit of kicking against the laudable efforts of President Goodluck Jonathan should wait for the response of Nigerians.

Nyiam who was asked if he has resigned, said: ‘’The situation is that I have not told anybody in the public that I have resigned”.

Reacting to his altercation with Governor Oshiomhole, he explained that the governor was "talking down on people and he is not supposed to do that because our job is to meet with the people and not the governor since we have paid him a courtesy visit earlier”.

His words: "Governors who have a penchant for insulting the President

or making sarcastic remarks against the sense of judgment of the President of Nigeria should be ready to tolerate response from Nigerian citizens to tell them no.

The committee’s role is advisory, we need to consult with the people to advise us and we will then synthesize the peoples' opinion and use that to advise the President because we believe that we need to work towards a peoples-driven constitution which we never had in our history.

"We thought we should start a bottoms-up approach from the grassroots to the top. The attitude was that there should be no talking down on the people we are supposed to engage.

Based on this principle, the key feature of our consultation was to meet with the people but out of courtesy we pay courtesy calls on the governors or the royal father in the city. We have followed this procedure starting from Akure where Governor Mimiko gave us audience in his office.

"Governor Mimiko came to the venue and kept quiet throughout.

We left Akure and went to Jos, we went through the same procedure where the Middle Belt people, the Hausa/ Fulani, Yoruba community and all the major tribes of Plateau, all aired their views including Tivs, Idomas, Igala and others. In all these meetings all of them wanted a conference which is ethnic nationalities-led.

What Oshiomhole told us — Nyiam

"We left Jos and went to Minna, we went through the same experience with Governor Babangida Aliyu and most people there too spoke in terms of ethno nationalities representations. We went to Calabar, we went through the same experience. So we came to Benin, where Governor Oshiomhole shifted the timing and that changed the time we were supposed to meet the Oba of Benin. We saw the governor for at least 40 minutes and he started giving us tutorials as if we are children; he told us that he was a product of Kaduna, that he had his children in Kaduna.

"He went on to now at-

tack the idea of ethnonation. He argued that we are going to celebrate 100 years next year so what are we going to talk about? I countered that. He argued that we don’t need a conference, but with all the troubles we had, for a leader to say we don’t need a conference is very sad. It is an insult on the intelligence of Nigerians. In Kenya recently after the elections, there were lots of killings that led to a constitutional conference which turned Kenya from a unitary system to a true federalism.

"With that background, he now came to the venue after the Benin Development Forum spoke. He came late and after listening, he asked for an intervention, he took the micro phone and then decided to repeat the lecture, treating people like students and castigating the Federal Government. More offensive for me was that he was talking down on the elders there, that the idea of them coming together there was a waste of time.

"These two things, one talking down on people is contrary to the philosophy of our people.

We had former governors there, elders, traditional rulers. Secondly when we are in an interactive session with the people, it is not for a governor to come and take over the stage, grandstanding. This is a governor that spoke over 40 minutes when we were with him. This idea of governors trying to run down the President, a governor abusing the office of the President to make insinuations against the office of the president, to criticise people’s ability for self expression, is unacceptable.

"So when people

started booing the governor, I went to the chairman to remind him about the rules of our committee. The chairman said we should give him a chance to continue. He carried on with his derogatory remarks and it was at that point I then said no, not again. When I said that, by this time, his aides tried to come at me, but when I suspected that one was at my back I stood up, then sat down.

"Not long, after a group of people came towards the table, it was then that the DSS people advised that my life was not safe and I was taken away for safety. The Director of the Department of State Service, DSS, mounted security around us; the Commissioner of Police came to see me and they brought security. The Police drove us all out of Edo State because of fears of attack. So contrary to what they said that I mobilized thugs, it is not true, it was Edo people that protected me,” he narrated.

Apology

The Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue has however apologized to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State over the behaviour of Col Tony Nyiam (rtd). In a letter signed by Chairman of the Committee, Senator Femi Okurounmu, and entitled: “Dialogue Committee condemns unruly behaviour,” it said: “The Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue wants to put it on record that we noted the sad incident at today’s (Monday’s) Interactive Session with Nigerians from the South South held in Benin City, Edo State.

“The Committee

Continues on page 9

6—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

2 women, others arraigned for N135m theft

BY ONOZURE DANIA

L

AGOS— THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, arraigned two businesswomen and a man alongside their companies before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja over alleged stealing of N135 million belonging to Lily Pond Container Ltd. The defendants are Opeyemi Egbeyemi 50; Tejumola Okemakinde, 28; Olukayode Adeoye, 32 and Tejumola Dovytes Ventures Ltd., Whales & Chase Nigeria Ltd and Tejumola Onike Enterprises Ltd. They were arraigned before Justice Olutoyin Ipaye.

Counsel to EFCC, Fadeke Giwa, told the court that the defendants conspired with one Irene Egbeyemi, now at large, to steal the money belonging to Lily Pond Container Ltd., between May and September 2011, at Apapa area of Lagos.

Justice Ipaye ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the matter till November 11 for hearing of their bail applications.

Okada man jailed 2 years for cheating

Z

UBA (FCT)— A Zuba Grade 1 Area Court in the Federal Capital territory, Monday, sentenced Hassan Tanko, 20, a motorcyclist of Sabiri-Dei Dei, FCT, to 3 months in prison for cheating.

The Presiding Judge, Mallam Alhassan Kusherki, sentenced Tanko after he pleaded guilty to the one-count charge of cheating.

Kusherki, however, gave the convict an option of N10,000 fine. He also ordered the convict to pay N16,000 as compensation to the complainant.

The prosecutor said Tanko deceived one Sunday Chado in April and collected N16,000 from him with a promise to rent a room for him.

SHUT DOWN: Maboreje Market, like others in Lagos State, were shut because of the official inauguration of Iyaloja-General of Lagos, yes

Alleged kidnap kingpin, Kelvin docked

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA— THE hitherto most wanted kidnapper and alleged kingpin of an armed robbery gang that terrorised the South-South and South-East regions of the country, Kelvin Oniarah Eziegbe, was yesterday, docked before an Abuja Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting at Wuse Zone 2.

Kelvin, who was arraigned alongside two of his foremost gang members, Frank Azuekoh and Haruna Momoh, were said to have, among other criminal activities, masterminded the recent abduction of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief Mike Ozehkome, one Dr. Chudi Nwike, and Professor Hope Eghagha.

It will be recalled that a combined team of soldiers and operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, had on September 25, arrested the accused persons at an undisclosed hotel in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The same day, a shootout had occurred between Kelvin’s ‘boys’ in his country home, Kokori, Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State, and soldiers, who arrested the Chief Priest (Ose

Igba) of Kokori, accused of providing spiritual guidance and charms for Kelvin and his gang.

The DSS, in the First Information Report it entered before the court yesterday, maintained that kidnap activities of Kelvin, who was likened to the armed robbery linchpin, Lawrence Nomayanugbon Anini, fearfully revered as Ovigbo The Law in the defunct Bendel State, extended into the southwestern parts of the country.

Accused

Specifically, the trio, who were marched into the court premises under tight security, were said to have between February 2, 2012, and September 24, 2013, at Kokori, Asaba, Warri, Port Harcourt and Benin, areas Delta, Rivers and Edo states, and along BeninAbuja Road, Abuja FCT, “conspired with Rufus Ovwigho, Ese Oghenerojakor and others now at large to kidnap for ransom, the persons of Mike Ozekhome, Dr. Chudi Nwike, Professor Hope Eghagha and many others.”

The government prosecutor told the court that the accused persons ambushed and attacked a Federal Prisons vehicle conveying some members of their criminal gang, resulting in the death of some

zPleads not guilty Police and prisons officers.

Charge

The charge preferred against them yesterday further read: “That you further conspired to unlawfully import prohibited firearms from Libya for the purpose of kidnapping, robbery and related criminal activities and you thereby committed the offence of: “One (1), criminal intimidation punishable under Section 397 penal code, (2) kidnapping punishable under Section 274 penal code, (3) robbery punishable under Section 298 penal code, and (4) criminal conspiracy to commit felony punishable under Section 97 penal code.”

Meanwhile, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Consequently, counsel to the government, Mr. Clifford Osagie, applied for an adjournment, saying the DSS would need more time to conclude investigations into the chains of operations of the kidnap gang with a view to unmasking their sponsors.

Osagie said: “Your Worship, because of the nature of the

case and need to conduct a thorough investigation into the activities of the suspects with a view to unearthing those sponsoring them, it is imperative we plead for time to enable us conclude investigation and come out to prove our case.”

Besides, Osagie, urged the court to, in view of the nature of the matter, remand the accused persons in custody of the DSS pending conclusion of the investigation, a request that was granted by Chief Magistrate Usman Ahmed Shuaibu.

Bail application

Meanwhile, counsel to the accused persons, Mr. J. O. Eguere, expressed his intention to file a formal application for the temporary release of his clients on bail, pending the determination of the case against them.

The court refused an application by the defence counsel that the accused persons be remanded in Kuje, Suleja or Keffi prisons, even as Magistrate Shuaibu adjourned the case till November 27 for further hearing.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013—7

Man, 37, accused of beating wife to death

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

L

AGOS— A 37-year-old man, Babatunde Gbolahan, was yesterday arraigned before a Lagos High Court in Igbosere, for allegedly beating his wife to death.

The defendant, who was arraigned for manslaughter, pleaded not guilty to the charge instituted against him by the Police.

According to the charge, “ you, Babatunde Gbolahan, committed the offence on October 13, 2009 at 9, Olatunji

Street, Mushin, Lagos at 7.40p.m.”

It was gathered that the defendant had an argument with his wife, Yemisi, which led to a fight and he beat her to death with a belt and stick.

State counsel, Mr. W. A. Quadri, informed the court that

the offence contravened Section 325 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, and urged the court for an adjournment to enable him produce his witness.

Presiding judge, Justice Aishat Opesanwo, subsequently, adjourned the case to December 2.

76-yr-old woman escapes from kidnappers den zSays ‘I prayed and they slept off’

BY EMMA AMAIZE & AKPOKONA OMAFUAIRE

O

erday. NAN PHOTO.

LOMU— MRS. Otiti Esegba, a 76 year-old grandmother, escaped from the den of her abductors about five hours after she was abducted, Monday.

She was abducted at 2a.m.

45-yr-old man in court over N5.9m fraud

BY ONOZURE DANIA

L

AGOS— A 45-year-old businessman, Bala Ibrahim, was yesterday remanded in prison custody for allegedly defrauding Bank PHB, now Keystone Bank, of N5.9 million.

Justice Olutoyin Ipaye of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, ordered that he be remanded in prison after he was arraigned.

The defendant was brought to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. He is facing a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and giving false information.

The EFCC counsel, Fadeke Giwa, said that Ibrahim, on February 23, 2009 at Ikeja, fraudulently withdrew the

money, which was wrongfully credited to his bank account.

She alleged that the defendant gave EFCC officials false information about the transaction that took place.

Giwa said the offence committed is contrary to Section 8 (a) and (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006 and Section 39 (2) (a) of the EFCC Establishment Act of 2004.

However, when the charge was read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

The trial judge further directed that the Zonal Director of Legal Aid Council of Nigeria should send him a legal representative, since he had no lawyer to represent him in court when he was arraigned.

The judge adjourned the case to November 19 for trial.

by a five-man kidnap gang at Akperhe community in Olomu kingdom, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State and taken away on a motorcycle to their den at Oviri Olomu.

Mrs. Esegba is the mother of the Managing Director of Ben-Segba Technical Services Limited, an oil servicing firm in Ekpan.

Same day, a medical practitioner, Dr. Richard Kofi, a native of Okpare community, also in Olomu kingdom was seized as he was entering his clinic in Ughelli. He also escaped from his kidnappers.

Prior to the Esegba and Kofi episodes, a lawyer, Mr. Omonemu, was kidnapped by the gang and kept for 20 days before he regained freedom.

Mrs. Esegba, whose pleas to the kidnappers to free her fell on deaf ears, said she began to pray that God should make the two kidnappers guarding her to fall asleep. She said they actually fell asleep. That was when she ran.

The other three had left to go and abduct more victims, saying they needed more money.

She told Vanguard: “At about 2a.m., while I was asleep, I heard a deafening noise but before I knew it, two heavily armed men stormed into the house and seized me after pulling down my door.

‘The State of Lagos does not exist'

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

L

AGOS— A Lagos High Court judge, Justice Ebenezer Adebajo, yesterday, faulted the prosecutorial power of Lagos State using The State of Lagos, which stalled the trial of a teenager and three persons accused of armed robbery.

The defendants, Jamiu Saka,

16; Yusuf Lateef, 19; Chukwudi Onwuharanye, 18 and David Onokpise, 19, were said to have on May 19, 2012, invaded Sowers Ministry International during a vigil, whilst armed with guns and cutlasses, and robbed the General Overseer of said church, Apostle Nelson Opara, of his handset and money.

The defendants were arraigned on a three-count

charge, offences contrary to Section 295(2) (b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011, and they had pleaded not guilty.

When the matter came up in court, yesterday, with the defendants in dock, the state counsel, Olaitan Soetan, told the court that the matter could not go on as The State of Lagos was used as prosecution.

Justice Adebajo subsequently

“Three others, also armed, joined them and ransacked the house, took my jewelries, my clothes and money. They started beating and hitting me with guns.

“Thereafter, I was dragged onto one of the waiting motorcycles, popularly known as okada. One sat behind me and the three others took the other okada. The one seated behind me held my mouth and I was blind-folded.”

When she escaped, a fisherman took her in.

She said: “He took me to his home at a place I later found out to be Oviri-Olomu, after hearing my story.

“At his home I found out that he was married to my niece.

They clothed me as I was almost naked.”

“This man called my people at Akperhe at 6a.m. They came and alerted Oviri community leadership. That is my story.”

Mrs. Otiti Esegba. adjourned the matter to December 19 for ruling to be delivered on the prosecutorial power of Lagos State using The State of Lagos.

The judge ruled: “Section 3 of the Constitution is headed States of the Federation. It is by virtue of this section that a State belonging to the Federation, note the use of the word ‘of,’ is named as Lagos. Thus we have Lagos State.

“This application is brought against The State of Lagos. It

is a State belonging to Lagos.

Does Lagos own a State? Who is Lagos or what is Lagos?

“Lagos exists by virtue of Section 3 of the Constitution and it comprises of named local government areas. To say The State of Lagos is to refer in my opinion to a State that belongs to Lagos.

“It is not the same thing as Lagos State. It is for this reason that I do not accept that the party against whom the application is brought exists.”

8— Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

Jonathan presents 2014 budget Nov 12

BY EVINUS NWABUGHI-

OGU BUJA—PRESI DENT Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that 2014 budget proposals will be presented on Tuesday, November 12, 2013 before a joint session of the National Assembly.

This has put to rest suspicions already making the rounds that the President would not present the proposed budget before December.

It will be recalled that the 2013 budget arrived the National Assembly October last year.

The date for the presentation of the budget followed a letter dated October 23 which was addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and read at plenary yesterday by Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha.

The President wrote: “I write to crave your kind indulgence to grant me the slot of 12:00 noon on Tuesday, November 12, 2013 to enable me formally address a Joint Session of the National Assembly on the 2014 Budget."

A

OPENING: From left: Sokoto State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mukhtari Shagari, former Heads of State, General Muhammadu Buhari and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III, and Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, at the official opening of the newly constructed Sokoto State University in Sokoto, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Nigeria cash-strapped but not broke, says FG

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWU-

RU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

UN honours late Achebe

N

EW YORK—THE United Nations has devoted Friday, November 15, 2013 to late Professor Chinua Achebe who died last march in Boston, US. Achebe was once a UN Goodwill ambassador from 1999 to 2005. The event holds at Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium, UN Headquarters, New York.

In an invite sent to Vanguard by the United Nations SRC Society of Writers and United Nations SRC Film Society, the global body said the event featuring music, film, readings and recollections by family and friends, is part of Achebe’s 83rd posthumous birthday celebrations.

On its website, the United Nations Population Fund, through its Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin said, “Mr. Achebe will forever be credited for his leading role in shaping the course of Africa’s literary traditions and for conveying its authentic voice to the world at large.”

A

BUJA —THE Federal Government said yesterday that Nigeria was not broke but admitted that the country was having cash flow problems.

Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Jonah Ogunniyi Otunla and the Director-General of Budget Office, Mr. Bright Okogwu, stated this while answering questions from members of the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee on Appropriation and Finance.

Both explained that unlike certain countries with similar experience which had started borrowing monies to pay salaries of their workers, Nigeria was not yet doing that.

Mr. Okogwu said the country was still financially buoyant and had been meeting all its obligations, adding that the economy of the country was normal except what he described as “inadequate funds in circulation.”

No cause for alarm

He stressed that there was no cause for alarm, as according to him, the government was on top of the situation.

The government representatives who were at the meeting held to consider the 2012-2014 Medium Term Expenditure

Framework, MTEF, earlier forwarded to the National Assembly by President Jonathan preparatory to the 2014 budget presentation in November, insisted that Nigeria was financially firmed.

“Nigeria is not broke but it is currently having cash flow problems”, Otunla responded to question put to him by Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

Cash flow problems

On his part, Okogwu said though, the nation currently experiences cash flow problems

from time to time; it does not suggest that it is broke.

Nigeria not broke

“Nigeria is not broke. We may have cash flow problem.

But countries like Greek and Spain are broke. They are now approaching their international neighbours for bail out but Nigeria has not done that and we are nowhere near that situation at all”, he assured.

Mrs Maria Alade, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, who repre-

sented CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, at the event was, however, evasive in her reaction to a similar question.

She said:“As Bankers of the Federal Government, it is not our duty to tell the nation whether she is broke or not but we can tell her the amount she has in accounts at anytime but since the AGF and the DG, Budget have clearly declared that Nigeria is not broke, we in CBN also believe so,” she said.

UN urges Cameroon not to expel Nigerian refugees T HE UN’S refugee agency on Tuesday urged Cameroon and other nations not to expel Nigerians who have fled their homes amid fighting between Boko Haram Islamist rebels and government troops.

“With the recent escalation of violence in north-east Nigeria, UNHCR is today advising all states against forced returns of people to the region,” spokesman Dan McNorton told reporters.

“We are also urging that borders be kept open for Nigerians fleeing the country and who may be in need of inter-

national protection,” he added.

UNHCR’s concerns focus on Cameroon, the choice of refuge for most of the 10,000 Nigerians who have fled during a sweeping government offensive against the rebels that started in May. McNorton said UNHCR was alarmed by reports earlier this month that 111 people had been forced by Cameroon’s security forces to return to Nigeria from a border village in Cameroon.

Fifteen people were killed in the border zone during the incident, although it was not

clear who was responsible, he said.

The remaining individuals fled back to Cameroon and were detained, and UNHCR was working with officials there to assess whether they were refugees.

“In light of the security situation in northeastern Nigeria, people fleeing are likely to meet the criteria for refugee status,” said McNorton.

Chad and Niger have also taken in Nigerians escaping the fighting, but there have been no reports of forced returns from those countries, he said.

Inside Nigeria, meanwhile, an estimated 5,000 people have fled their homes.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013—9

N255m armoured car scandal: House C'ttee continues hearing today

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

A

BUJA — THE House committee on Aviation investigative hearing on alleged purchase of N255million bullet proof cars by the Minister of Aviation continues today

amidst doubts that Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah will honour the summons asking her to appear before the committee today.

A member of the committee and spokesman of the House, Zakari Mohammed told Vanguard, yesterday, that “the hear-

ing must continue and must be concluded within the stipulated one week that the House gave us.

“We gave the minister enough time to re-align her travel schedules to enable her show up today.”

It will be recalled that Oduah

World Bank ranks Nigeria 122nd best place for business

BY UDUMA KALU

T

HE WORLD Bank has ranked Nigeria 147th among the best places for doing business.

It also ranked the country as the 122nd for best countries to start a business.

The report released, yesterday, said Nigeria’s low ranking is mainly caused by electricity problems, where the country is ranked

185th out of 189 countries evaluated. The first African country on the list is Rwanda, ranked 32nd.

The report said in Africa, 66 per cent of countries enacted at least one reform last year, against 33 per cent in 2005, adding that nine African countries make up the top 20 most improved in terms of business regulations since 2009: Benin, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

The report said economies are

ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 189. A high ranking on the ease of doing business index means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

This index averages the country’s percentile rankings on 10 topics, made up of a variety of indicators, giving equal weight to each topic. The rankings for all economies are bench-marked to June 2013.

had written a letter dated October 25 asking the committee to shift the date of her appearance to November 4.

The committee too had countered her letter insisting that she must appear today.

All seems set for the final phase of the investigative hearing fixed for today.

Chairperson, House Committee on Aviation, Nkeuruka Onyejeocha, weekend, said the investigative hearing on the alleged purchase of N255million bullet proof cars by the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah would be suspended till she comes back from Israel.

Onyejeocha said the “essence of our suspending the probe pending when she comes is to ensure that she gets a fair hearing. The truth is that you cannot try somebody in her absence and get a clearer picture of what transpired.

"We will not sit till Wednesday when the Minister must have concluded all her transactions in Israel.”

CONFAB FALLOUT: My grouse with Oshiomhole — Nyiam Continues from page 5 wishes to state its unequivocal commitment and that of its members to the principles of democratic discourse. Although we take special exception to the unruly conduct of one of our members who joined the crowd in shouting down the Comrade Governor of Edo State, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, while he was giving his remarks, the session continued and ended peacefully.”

The Committee continued in the letter dated October 28, 2013 that “we want to emphasize that the Committee will listen to all shades of opinions in the areas of its mandates and will not henceforth condone the kind of unacceptable behavior we witnessed in Benin City.

“The Committee wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the Government and people of Edo State for providing support to the Committee in its assignment in the state.”

Edo Reps caucus blasts Nyiam Meanwhile, the Edo State caucus of All Progressives Congress, APC in the House of Representatives, yesterday, condemned Nyiam’s re-

ported attack on Oshiomhole even as the caucus identified with the party’s governors in distancing themselves from the planned National Dialogue.

Addressing newsmen, yesterday, the caucus led by the Minority Whip of the House, Samson Osagie said the behaviour of Nyiam when the Dialogue committee visited Oshiomhole showed that the conference was bound to fail.

Other members of the caucus at the briefing include Reps Razaq Bello - Osagie, Peter Akpatason, Jim Adun and Abubakar Momoh. Osagie said the outburst of Col Nyiam at the meeting was uncalled for.

Osagie said “ we are miffed that at a meeting convened to listen to the views of Nigerians on the necessity or otherwise of a national conference, a governor could be disallowed for airing his personal views simply because it was unpalatable to some members of the Advisory committee, which is supposed to be an umpire and their uninformed tribal jingoists.

“We wish to condemn in strong terms, the action of Col Nyiam and his co-travellers at the said meeting and to restate the position that their action has betrayed the motive behind the proposed dialogue.

“We however commend Dr Femi Okurounmu, chairman of the Advisory Committee for

calling Col Nyiam to order, and urge Nigerians to be vigilant at all times as some persons are determined to coerce others to accept their views and thereby compromise the basic tenets of democracy

Traditional rulers, Edo youths declare Nyiam persona non grata Also, traditional rulers and youths of Edo State under the aegis of Ariababho Youth Association, yesterday, declared Col.Tony Nyiam (rtd), persona non grata in Edo State, following his outburst at the South South sitting of the confab committee in Benin City, Monday.

They called on the President to urgently replace him if he was yet to resign his position, saying “he has shown that he is unfit for this job given to him by the President.”

In his reaction, the Esogban of Benin Kingdom, Chief David Edebiri, said: ‘’I want to call on the President to remove Nyiam because he almost set the whole place on fire. He misbehaved and we advise the President, if he wants to succeed to replace such a person. If, because he is a member of the

committee one cannot air his views, people cannot express their views freely due to his arrogance, it means he is not fit to partake in the business of this nature.”

We have been vindicated APC Similarly, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the disruption of Gov. Adams Oshiomhole’s presentation, saying the action has vindicated the party’s decision not to be part of the proposed conference.

In a statement issued in Lagos, yesterday, by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the Committee must be ashamed that one of its members led the uproar that was put up in Benin on Monday. ‘’The truth is that in proposing the conference, the government has no sincerity of purpose, does not believe in engaging in any dialogue with anyone but itself and has only used it to distract the attention of Nigerians from the total absence of governance and sense of direction by the Jonathan Administration.

NAPEP: Senate uncovers N12bn fraud ...N10bn trapped in micro-finance bank

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BUJA — THE Senate, yesterday, uncovered N10 billion belonging to the National Poverty Eradication Programme, NAPEP, that got trapped in some failed financial institutions in the country, while N150 million meant for the supply of spare-parts for the tricycles, otherwise known as Keke NAPEP, was carted away by a contractor.

The Senate made the discovery while grilling the Co-ordinator of NAPEP, Alhaji Murktar Tefawa Belawa over N12 billion poverty reduction fund.

The agency claimed it lacked the structural framework to possibly recover the missing funds and that it had been unable to recover the money because some of the banks had ceased to exist.

The Senator Ahmed Lawan-led Committee on Public Account also discovered how the agency paid additional N171 million as Customs duties for the spare-parts that were not supplied and another N605 million carted away by some Keke NAPEP operators on the umbrella of Keke Riders Association of Nigeria, KRAN. The agency was alleged to have also paid another N1.4 billion for projects that were not verified by the Auditor General of the Federation.

Representatives of the AGF at the session, told the panel that some of the contracts, which the agency had paid for were yet to be verified.

National Coordinator, NAPEP, Alhaji Tefawa Belawa, told the committee that beneficiaries of the intervention fund failed to remit another N700 million revenue and that the agency had since written the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, on how Auto Ban Limited had disappeared with the said N150 million paid for the supply of spare-parts.

10— Vanguard ,WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

Lagos markets shut as Akiolu instals Tinubu-Ojo as Iyaloja-General

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO & PRISCA SAM-DURU

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AGOS — ALL major mar kets in Lagos Metropolis were yesterday shut to allow traders attend the coronation ceremony of Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of the former Governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as the new Iyaloja- General of Nigeria.

The coronation ceremony was part of the activities to commemorate the 70th birthday of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Riliwan Akiolu at the Iga-iduganran, Lagos Island local government.

It will be recalled that the last holder of the Iyaloja-General title, late Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, the mother of Tinubu died on Saturday June 15, this year, at the age of 96.

When Vanguard visited some

of the major markets in the state, shops and stalls were locked for the coronation ceremony.

Some of the affected markets

included Rauf Aregbesola Market, Iyana-Ipaja, Alimosho Local Government, Ketu, Mile 12 market and others.

The usual influx of customers at the markets was completely absent, as only a couple of traders were seen stand-

Labour to shut ports nation-wide over unpaid wages

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

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AGOS — MARITIME Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has directed workers in the nation’s ports to down tools and shut operations nationwide on Friday over alleged refusal by Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, to Tally clerks and onboard security members of the Dockworkers branch of MWUN, eight mouths salary arrears.

Vanguard gathered that the leadership of the union took the decision after the management of NPA was alleged to have offered to pay only three out of eight months arrears, which the union leaders did no only reject, but label the management as insensitive to the plight of workers.

According to one of the labour leaders who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, the Executive Director, Corporate Services, met with our leadership where he said "they can only pay three out of the eight mouths. This is not acceptable and in fact, it is insulting. The workers are not demanding for bonus or Father Christmas gift, but the salaries that they have worked for. I can tell you in confidence that by Friday, the ports will be shutdown across the country.”

INSTALLATION: From left, Chief Folashade Tinubu-Ojo; a Lagos white cap chief; Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, during the installation of Chief Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, as Iyaloja General of Nigeria, by Oba Rilwan Akiolu, at Iduganran Palace, Lagos Island, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Fashola presents 2014 budget estimate today

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS — GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, will today present a budget proposal for the 2014 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly for consideration and eventual ratification.

The budget estimate, which is still being kept secret, is expected to exceed the this year of N497.277 billion which showed a slight increase of 1.08 percent over that of 2012 of N485.3 billion.

Expected at the presentation are; the former governors of Lagos state, leaders of All Progressives

Congress, APC, National Assembly members representing the state, State Executive Council members, council chairmen, traditional leaders, market men among other party supporters as well as other concerned citizens and groups.

ASUU STRIKE: Sambo meets stakeholders

BY BEN AGANDE & LAIDE AKINBOADE

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BUJA — VICE President Namadi Sambo, yesterday, met briefly with stakeholders in the nation’s education sector with a view to ending the four month-old strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASSU. Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike and the leadership of ASUU led by its National President, Dr. Isa Fagge also met separately.

Wike also led the education stakeholders at their meeting with Sambo, but declined to speak with reporters at the

end of the brief meeting.

Other members of the delegation included the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission,

Prof. Julius Okojie as well as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof.

Isaac Adewole, among others.

NAMA slams N35m bill on Kabo Air

By LAWANI MIKAIRU

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HE NIGERIAN Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, yesterday, sent a bill of N35million to the owners of Kabo Air over the recent damage of the agency’s navigational aids at the Sokoto International Airport.

It will be recalled that on

October 6, a Boeing 747 aircraft belonging to the airline with some pilgrims on board on landing at the airport, hit array of antenna of the Instrument Landing System-ILS on Runway 26.

Instrument Landing System -ILS brings an aircraft to the centre-line of the runway during final approach to landing.

ing in front of their locked shops. While some customers who had visited some of these markets left with their hopes shattered when they were informed of the closure.

Speaking with Vanguard at the Mile 12 market, Mrs. Ada Nwachukwu said; “I am here to transact my business that is to buy some tomatoes but with this closure. I have no option than to leave. I pray that the market will be opened tomorrow.”

Meantime during the installation Oba Akiolu advised the new Iyaloja to be diligent and committed to the service of humanity.

He said the position was important to the development of market activities in Lagos State and Nigeria at large.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu said in a separate interview that the new Iyaloja was capable of coordinating market activities in Lagos State.

She said Tinubu-Ojo was under the tutelage of the late Iyaloja General, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji.

“The position of Iyaloja comes with lots of duties and responsibilities.

“It is expected that she will succeed with her sense of maturity, respect for elders and diligence,” she said.

Tinubu also advised the Iyaloja to use her office to ensure prosperity of traders in Lagos State.

Mrs Hawawu Asindemade, the Iyaloja General and Chairperson, Osun Market Board, dismissed criticisms that TinubuOjo was too young for the position.

....Ikorodu traders decry markets’ closure

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HOPS AT Ikorodu market were, yesterday, under lock and key as traders were barred from displaying their wares due to the installation of a new market leader.

It was gathered that the closure was as a sign of solidarity to the new Iya Oloja.

The same situation was witnessed at the popular Owode spare-parts market.

A situation of near pandemonium, however, broke out at Ikorodu market when at about 9.30a.m., people scampered for safety even without knowing the cause of the uproar.

It was later gathered that officers of the market task force went after traders who defied the order, and confiscated their goods.

Others quickly closed their shops, causing passers-by and commuters to scamper for safety as they misconstrued the operation for a riot.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013—11

Afenifere condemns Edo confab face-off, FG/ASUU stalemate

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE — A sociopolitical group, Afenifere, yesterday, reviewed the incident that happened at the sitting of the Presidential Advisory Committee, PAC, on National Conference/Dialogue in Edo state and described it as embarrassing.

The group, however, asked the Senator Femi Okunrounmu-led commiittee not to be taken aback by such distractions, but to move forward with the national assignment.

This was contained in a communique issued after a meeting in Akure by the leaders of the group at the country home of its chairman, Pa Reuben Fasoranti.

The group also appealed to both the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to shift ground on the con-

tending issues which had led to the closng of universities for over four months.

Afenifere's Publicity S e c r e t a r y, Yi n k a Odumakin, who read the communique after a meeting, said the group was not happy with the incident which was a diversion “from the rich and real presentation made by the real stakeholders” The group, however, commended the advisory committee for handling the situation in a mature way.

“We commended the advisory committee for the mature manner they handled the whole issue and we advise them to maintain their cool as they go around meeting stakeholders.

“They are bound to meet provocations in the course of their business and as a committee they must patiently listen to all shapes of opinions.”

The group said that the consultations embarked upon by the Advisory Committee has been impressive with the turnout of the ethnic nationalities.

On the four mouth old strike, Afenifere called on the Federal Government and the striking ASUU to shift ground by finding a middle course in resolving the fourmonth old strike.

PROGRAMME: Mrs. Bola Fashola, Regional Director, International Association of African Non-Governmental Organisations; Mrs. Remmy Diagbare, Editor, Vanguard Allure; Mrs. Ngozi Eze, CEO, Selfaid Integrated Services, Project Coordinator of IAAN, and Alhaji Sulaiman Yerima, Founder, Northern Friends of the South South and Adviser, IAAN, at the post summit meeting programme of IAAN, at Protea Hotel, Maryland, Lagos. Photo: Oscar Ochiogu

Ekiti PDP prunes guber aspirants to 9

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

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DO EKITI — THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ekiti State has trimmed the number of governorship aspirants in its fold from 29 to nine Any candidate presented by the party would face the incumbent governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2014 governorship election in the state.

The state Chairman of the party, Mr. Makanjuola Ogundipe, said in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, that the decision was taken in the interest of the people of the state Ogundipe who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Femi Omolusi, said the State Working Committee of the party will select a viable and serious-minded candidate.

Though, the party did not make public the names of the aspirants

that made the list, Vanguard gathered that the nine aspirants were those said to be more serious and have what it takes to govern the state, known as 'Fountain of Knowledge.'

On the issue of consensus that has rocked the party, Ogundipe said it was only the national secretariat of the party that could decide on the process to be adopted in choosing the party ’s standard bearer.

The PDP chairman, however, hailed all the aspirants for their efforts in mobilising people to the party.

He said: “The effort of the aspirants in galvanising support for our great party is laudable. They have been going round, giving messages of hope to our members and assuring them that our party will return to power in the state next year.”

APC members accuse Ajimobi of marginalisation

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN — THE crisis in the Oyo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, resurfaced, yesterday, as some members of the party complained of being marginalised

by Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

They also alleged that the governor did not demonstrate enough sincerity and commitment to the efforts aimed at bringing all the stakeholders together to put the new party on a sound footing.

The party members under the auspices of Network for Change, said in a statement by its Coordinator, Mr. Olufemi Eriola that, “the governor was deliberately foot-dragging on embracing genuine peace process in Oyo APC because he has made up his mind on frustrating most heavy-weight politicians to enable him pocket the party completely.

“It is worrisome to note that the governor and his cronies, largely drawn from the defunct ACN, have not yet

come to term on the need to submit to the ethos of progressive politicking which the APC promises. They continue to do the wrong thing the same way and expect good results.

“If we may ask: Where is the sincerity in the action of a governor who preaches reconciliation but remains undaunted in his winner-takes-all exhibition? His hatchetmen in ‘Integrity Parliament’ are still lording their inordinate interest over and above those of the genuine party faithful, yet the governor cannot checkmate them.

“Where is the commitment to peace in our party as well as to its success in future elections when the governor has never deemed it fit to reach out to party leaders and major stakeholders, who refuse to worship at his feet for good reasons?

"Democracy is about the people and any attempt to sideline them would not be in the interest of Oyo APC as we approach 2015."

Panel recommends demolition of 81 Ondo filling stations

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE — NO fewer than 81 petrol filling stations may be demolished across Ondo State if government approves the findings of a panel of enquiry set up to determine the appropriateness of their locations.

The panel which submitted its findings to the governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko in Akure, also discovered that another 311 were illegally established across the state.

It also recommended that 34 other filling stations be converted for other uses.

Governor Mimiko inaugurated the panel in April this year with the mandate to determine the appropriateness of location of filling stations, interface with owners on approval and make recommendations to the government.

Its chairman, Mr. Dare Aragbaye, a permanent secretary in the state transport ministry while submitting the report, said his panel discovered that a total of 311 filling stations illegally established out which 81 are to be sealed.

Receiving the report Governor Mimiko frowned at indiscriminate siting of filling stations in every nook and cranny of major cities across the state.

Mimiko noted that it is the responsibility of any responsible government to guarantee safety of lives and property of its citizenry.

He vowed to bring to book any officer found culpable in the illegal approval of petrol outlets.

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

Rivers denies factional PDP’s claim of moves to dump Amaechi

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT—RIVERS StateGovernment has denied claims by the faction of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, led by Felix Obuah that six commissioners in the state were set to dump Governor Rotimi Amaechi for Obuah’s faction of the party in the state.

It will be recalled that Governor Amaechi was suspended by the party some months before he and six other governors floated the new Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP. The state government also, said the allegation by the PDP that the governor had instructed his aides to register with All Progressives Congress, APC, was untrue.

The state factional PDP Chairman, Obuah had alleged that there was already a split in the cabinet of the state government with some of the commissioners set to cross over to his faction. Obuah also in a statement, said that the governor had ordered his aides to register with APC. In their separate responses, the state Commissioner for Information, Mrs Ibim Semenitari and the Chief of Staff Government House, Port Harcourt, Mr Tony Okocha, de-

scribed the allegations by Oduah as untrue.

According to Mrs Semenitari, the state executive council was firmly united and its support for Governor Amaechi was total.

She said: “It is obvious that the achievements of Governor Amaechi far exceed what the Grass Roots Initiative, GDI, can bring against the admin-

istration. Amaechi’s cabinet remains intact. No commissioner has any plan to resign and no commissioner is joining GDI. “The commissioners in this cabinet have a commitment to deliver to Rivers people based on the vision of our leader, Governor Amaechi.

We do not have any plan to do anything that will even

remotely affect the progress of Rivers people.

“To join GDI, or even to relate with them, will not be in the interest of Rivers people, as GDI’s only interest is to loot the resources of the people.”

On his part, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Mr Okocha, said that the allegations by the party were laughable.

PATRON’S DAY LECTURE: From right: Deputy Majority Leader, Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Leo Ogor; Secretary to Delta State Government, Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay and his wife, Stella, during a “Patron’s Day” Lecture in commemoration of Macaulay’s birthday organised by the Isoko Grassroots Movement, in Ozoro, Delta State.

Ijaw youths barricade E-West Road over outcome of IYC election

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—IRATE Ijaw youths, yesterday, barricaded the Mbiama section of the East-West Road connecting Bayelsa State, in protest over the outcome of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, worldwide election held in Yenagoa.

The protest which started in Yenagoa, followed the election and declaration of Mr Udengs Eradiri as the President of the foremost Ijaw youth body.

A trailer was used to barricade the road, as commuters coming from the Port Harcourt and Eastern part of the country could not access the Bayelsa stretch of the road.

Also, travelers from Delta and Bayelsa axis could not connect the Rivers stretch of the road.

The action of the youths caused serious gridlock on the route, as commuters were stranded.

Though Udengs Eradiri, a former Secretary General of IYC was adjudged winner of the contentious poll held in Yanegoa, Bayelsa State, by the Sunny Diritolofari-led Electoral Committee, the protesters al-

leged that the exercise was characterised by electoral fraud, purportedly perpetrated by top officials Bayelsa State Government with total number of vot-

ers exceeding the number of accredited voters.

Members of the Electoral Committee were secretly moved out of the venue of the poll at 10am under heavy se-

curity due to the protest and heightened tension.

According to the protesters, the delegate list was allegedly altered and large number of soldiers and police deployed to the venue to lock out original delegates for the poll.

Crisis brews in Labour Party over Chairman’s tenure said, may not be publicised in

BY FUNMI KOMOLAFE

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RISIS over tenure elongation is brewing in Labour Party, over alleged plans by the party Chairman, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, to seek a straight third term in office.

Stakeholders, including the Nigeria Labour Congress, NCL, have meanwhile expressed concern over the public perception of the Labour Party as a party without political ideology, which now offers itself as a platform to politicians of all sorts under the leadership of Nwanyanwu.

Nwanyanwu was first elected chairman of the party in 2004. Under his leadership, the party has maintained control of one state, Ondo and made little political incursions in Anambra, Enugu and Plateau

States.

Besides Ondo State, where the incumbent governor, Dr. Segun Mimiko, has been endorsed for his labour friendly policies, the national executive has been flayed in some circles for offering the party as a platform to anti-labour politicians in many states.

Party officials confirmed that the party is due to hold its 3rd Convention this December, but there is anxiety that the convention may not produce a change in leadership or leaning of the party, as it was feared that Nwanyanwu would be railroaded back to office.

The acting General Secretary of NLC, Mr Chris Uyot, said that Congress was not unaware of the disquiet in the Labour Party and would initiate some interventions which he

the media.

Among those who have taken the fight to Nwanyanwu is the Deputy National Secretary of the party, Mr Babatunde Ayelabola, who has sent a petition to the chairman of the party.

Ayelabola said: “All well– meaning party members and supporters are looking forward to the convocation of the 3rd LP Convention and you (Nwanyanwu) handing over as National Chairman after spending almost a decade in that highly exalted office. I am constrained to point out the obvious due to some unclear signals that you just might be interested in selfperpetuation as the party chairman; such a step will not augur well for either you or the party and I would have otherwise considered such signals as being nothing but rumours.”

Adapt Nigeria’s legal system to social changes —Utuama

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—DELTA State deputy governor, Prof Amos Utuama, SAN, has said that Nigeria’s legal system needs to adapt to new socio-economic changes, if it must serve the interest of the people.

Utuama, at a lecture on State of the Law, during the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, NIALS, annual festival of Legal Scholarship, at University of Lagos, Lagos, said that law, by nature, was an attribute of organised society.

He also bagged the NIALS’s Gold Medal Award for Outstanding Service and Commitment to the mandate of the Institution.

Noting that there was no perfect system of law, “as law, whether enacted or judge-made, has the tendency to become formal and rigid,” he that said the festival of legal scholarship was a novel way of celebrating the achievements of the Institution.

‘N807m inadequate to train non-violent youths’

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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ARRI—NIGER Delta Youths for Positive Attitude Change and Progress, NDYPACP, has said that the N807 million approved last week by the Federal Government for the training of 2,700 non- militant Niger Delta youths in information technology and agriculture, was meager, compared to the amount budgeted for exmilitants.

Though, the group commended President Goodluck Jonathan and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, the National President, Mr. Emmanuel Enisuo, noted that ex-militants were not only given training, but scholarship and opportunities all over the world.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013—13

JTF arrests Kelvin’s allies, kidnappers of Edo judge

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN—A twentytwo year-old selfconfessed member of Kelvin Onyiara’s kidnapping gang, Apkpevwe Richards (aka 2 Mark), yesterday, said that the kidnap kingpin, who was arrested by security agents last September, had over 300 trained abductors spread across several cells in the Niger Delta region.

Richards, who was paraded along other suspected criminals by men of the 4 Brigade/Sector 1 Joint Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield, in Benin City, Edo State, confessed to being part of a cell that abducted Edo State High Court judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, and was also involved in the kidnap of a security expert, Ona Ekhomu and his wife, Victoria.

The suspect, who was arrested along with a cache of arms and ammunition, a Prado jeep, which the 4 Brigade Public Relations Officer, Capt Roselyn Managbe, said was identified by Okungbowa as his, a BMW car marked Lagos GC 484 EKY, charms and other items, admitted to being recruited into the gang by one Rufus.

Captain Managbe said: “In the efforts of 4 Brigade/Sector 1 Joint Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield, Nigerian Army to combat crime within its area of responsibility, 19 Battalion troops deployed at Kokori community in Ethiope

East Local Government Area of Delta State, on October 18, 20134, following a tip-off and a distress call about the kidnap of one Dr Ona Ekhomu and his wife, Victoria, at Benin-Auchi Road, at gunpoint in a gun duel, arrested one Richards.

“In the course of investigation, the suspect, who hails from Okweiraka Village, Kokori, Delta State, admitted to the crime and revealed that he and his accomplices carried out an operation on Benin-Auchi Road and kidnapped one Dr Ona Ekhomu and his wife, who was rescued unhurt by the Joint Task

Force.

“The suspect also revealed that he started life as a commercial motorcycle rider before going into illegal oil bunkering and later graduated to kidnapping under the tutelage of Mr. Kelvin Onyiara, who was arrested sometime in September 2013, by the Joint Army and Directorate of Security Service, in Port-Harcourt.”

Also paraded by the military anti-crime outfit were three suspected arms dealers, over alleged trade in arms and one Kefas, for parading himself as a military personnel.

Bayelsa’ll participate in funeral of First Lady’s mum —Dickson

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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E N A G O A — BAYELSA State governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, yesterday, visited Ambemebiri, Okrika, hometown of late Mrs. Charity Oba, mother of Dame Patience Jonathan, First Lady of the country, in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Dickson, according to his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel IworisoMarkson, met and had consultations with the wife of the President as well as assessed the level of preparedness for the funeral, slated for Thursday and Friday, this week.

Dickson expressed satisfaction with the preparations and re-assured the bereaved family of the resolve of the government and people of Bayelsa State to support them all the way in ensuring the success of the funeral programme.

He promised to lead a high powered delegation of current and past governors and deputy governors, past and current members of the National Assembly from all the Ijaw speaking areas of the country, Speakers and members of state Houses of Assembly, members of State Executive Councils, among others, to participate fully in the funeral of late Mrs. Oba.

Journalists seek legislation to compel political office holders give account of their stewardship

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SABA—MEDIA practitioners have called for a legislation to compel political officer holders, both elected and appointed, at all levels of governance, to be accountable to the people.

Speaking at a two-day workshop organised by the Delta State Government in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, media practitioners drawn from both government and private organisations, said that

such a legislation would not only give a sense of belonging to the citizenry, but put the officers on their toes as they would no longer see governance as a private enterprise.

In a statement after the workshop, by Mr. Austin Ogwuda, of Vanguard, Frank-Whyte Osabohien of Delta Broadcasting Service, DBS, and Obiakor Ebere of AIT, the journalists advocated “a legislation to compel both the elected and appointed representatives

of the people at all levels of governance to be accountable to the people through mandatory periodic presentation of their score cards. Such account of stewardship should be subjected to public scrutiny and the media should exercise the constitutional responsibility of verifying the authenticity or otherwise of the claims by investigating the cost of project, quality of work and whether the contracts were awarded in line with due process.”

14— Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

Gov Chime lauds FG on national confab

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NUGU—GOVER NOR Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, has lauded the proposed national conference, saying it is capable of promoting unity among Nigerians.

Chime spoke when the National Dialogue Advisory Committee paid him a courtesy visit in Enugu.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr. Amechi Okolo, the governor said that his administration was committed towards ensuring peaceful and fruitful national dialogue.

“We applaud the essence of this exercise because we know it will justify the continued unity of our country,” Chime said.

Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Dr. Femi Okunroumu, said that the committee was in the state for the process of consultation with all Nigerians.

Okunroumu said that the visit would enable the committee discuss the mode of operations for the conference with people of the state.

He said that the committee was mandated to ensure that the outcome of the dialogue was people-oriented.

The committee, he said, has the mandate to discuss all issues on the minds of the people.

These range from how large the people expects the conference membership to be and how they want delegates to be chosen.

He recalled that in the past, government used to choose delegates for conferences, but that it would not be business as usual.

“The committee is here today for the process of consultations to discuss the mode of operation for the conference.

“Such consultations are necessary because the president wants it to emanate from the people and not to be imposed on them. The president also wants to show convincing evidence that he has no hidden agenda, rather, he has the interest of the people at heart,” he said.

Confab: Why Nigeria stagnates, by Igbo leaders zSay nobody builds a superstructure on faulty foundation

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BY TONY EDIKE

NUGU—IGBO leaders yes terday gave reasons why Nigeria has continued to stagnate both politically and economically, saying that ‘’no one builds a super structure on a faulty’’foundation.

According to them, “As a nation with enormous natural and human resources, Nigeria has refused to grow in line with the aspirations of her founding fathers.

Nigeria not working

’’Nigeria is not working and cannot work because it now exists on a faulty foundation.

The fundamental problem is structural. It is therefore time to review and fine-tune the bonds binding us as a nation, in preparation for the challenges of a new global order,” Ohanaeze stated.

The people spoke when the National Dialogue Advisory Committee visited the South East geopolitical zone in Enugu, noting that as a matter of urgency the committee should send an executive bill to the National Assembly to ensure the legality and integrity of the proposed national dialogue.

tution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without any alteration.

Insist on equal representation

They also insisted on equal representation of the six geopolitical zones by 60 delegates each. The position of the zone was articulated in a memorandum presented by Ohanaeze Ndigbo to the committee.

The memorandum was signed by President General of the association, Chief Gary Igariwey, Secretary General, Dr Joe Nwaorgu, Ezeuzu

Awka, Obi Gibson Nwosu, former Senate President, former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, former governors, Okwesilieze Nwodo and Sam Egwu; Prof Ukwu I. Ukwu, Chief Mbazulike Amechi and Ambassador L.O.C. Agubuzo.

Among the issues Ohanaeze listed for discussion at the conference include political structure of the country, forms of government, power of the tiers of government/devolution, revenue and fiscal federalism, derivation and distribution.

On citizenship

Others are citizenship rights, structure of the Armed Forces and other security agencies to improve the security of life and property ownership by Nigerians, judicature, population,census, religion and secularism as well as place of traditional rulers and institutions.

They then implored the committee to rise to the challenges of true patriotism by ensuring that the recommendations of the conference would lead to the realization of the dreams of the founding fathers of the country.

Referendum Leaders from the zone also demanded that the outcome of the conference should be subjected to a national referendum to enable it become the consti-

SUMMIT: From left: National Coordinator, Traders' Rights Initiative, Mr. Christopher Okpala, former Minister of Foriegn Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe and Dr. Okey Ikechukwu, at the South-East Economic Summit in Enugu.

Catholic church dismisses alleged slapping of priest by Ngige A

BY ENYIM ENYIM

WKA—THE Catholic Dio cese of Awka yesterday denied reports by a section of the media that Senator Chris Ngige slapped a Reverend Father, Everistus Ezeokwenna at the burial of the former Bishop of the Diocese,late Paulinus Ezeoke.

Speaking at a news conference at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Awka, the Anambra State capital, the Chancellor of the Diocese, Rev. Fr. Chuddy Peter Akaenyi said that there was no iota of truth in such reports.

Akaenyi described as unfortunate, a situation whereby such rumour found spaces on the pages of some newspapers as well as in the electronic media.

His words: “Senator Chris Ngige attended the funeral

ceremony of mother of our bishop on the October 24, this year. He was among many other dignitaries that graced the occasion and what I am hearing now is very strange to me. I was there and I did not see what people are saying now or writing in the press. ”I want to tell you that the reports that Senator Ngige slapped a Reverend Father is absolutely false and I repeat, absolutely false. Anybody or group of persons may decide to say anything to achieve anything. But we are not in politics and nobody can use the church for any political interest. ”Three policemen were being stopped by Father (Everistus) but some people in their rudeness and desperation to enter the place pushed the gate open and many people who were not

invited surged into the place. ”The policemen that pushed the gate open were not attached to Ngige and they did not even attack or slap the Rev. Father as alleged.

The three police officers came back and apologized to the Father for being rude at the gate. They apologized to him one by one.”

He said that Ngige had even left the scene when the said incident happened and he had to call Ngige back to the venue to identify whether the policemen were his security details.

According to him, Ngige came back andsaid that they were not attached to him.

Akaenyi stressed that the three policemen forcefully and rudely opened the gate

to the premises during the burial however, came with another dignitary while their master was entering the place.

He pointed out that no Catholic priest would have granted interview to the press on the matter without permission from the diocese as reported in some of the print and electronic media.

Speaking separately on the matter, Senator Ngige who is the All Progressive Congress, APC governorship candidate said the report was the handiwork of APGA, which he said was "sinking and now looking for any straw to hold."

According to Ngige, it would have been the height of irresponsibility for a soldier of Christ like him to slap a representative of Jesus Christ for any reason.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2013 — 15

C M Y K

16—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

Do they pray for Dangote?

BY OBOH AGBONKHESE

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Death toll in Yobe's Army, Boko Haram clash hits 128

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HE number of those who died in weekend’s clash between the military and Islamic militants has been put at 128.

Military and hospital reports said, yesterday, that the fivehour-long battle between Boko Haram extremists and troops in Yobe State killed at least 95 militants, 23 soldiers and eight police officers.

Last Monday, 35 bodies in military uniform were reportedly brought to a morgue in Damaturu after a coordinated assault by Boko Haram targeting the security forces, a hospital source said.

Police and residents said large numbers of Boko Haram fighters, some in vehicles and some on foot, stormed Damaturu after dark. Armed with guns and explosives, they attacked and torched four police buildings, sparking a fierce, hours-long gun battle with the security forces.

Extremists reportedly set ablaze four police command posts and

an army barracks where they looted vehicles and weapons.

Police and witnesses said at least two civilians died — a man believed killed by the insurgents and a civil servant shot by soldiers for breaking the curfew.

Last Friday, the Joint Task Force, JTF, clashed with Boko Haram militants in Borno and Yobe states leaving 95 militants dead, the military said.

Heavy gun battle continued throughout the weekend as the JTF troops attacked the militants in different locations around Maiduguri and Damaturu, two

Kano to build 1450 learning centres

K

ANO —GOVERNOR Rabiu Kwankaso of Kano State, yesterday, said the state government would establish 1,452 post-literacy learning centres for graduands of the first batch of its basic literacy programme.

Kwankwaso, represented by his

Zamfara mulls mining law

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USAU—THE Zamfara House of Assembly, yesterday, said it would enact a law to regulate mining activities in the state.

Secretary of the House Committee on Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Yusuf Sabo, who said this at a stakeholders meeting on lead poisoning issues in Gusau, organised by Global Rights, a non-governmental organisation, noted that the lawmakers’ concern followed the rampant cases of deaths caused by illegal mining in the state.

Sabo said that the House had directed its committee on environment to liaise with other

strongholds of the deadly sect since 2009.

This development came on the heels of security reports that the Boko Haram sect was planning a massive counter-attack on strategic economic interests and JTF positions in the North east.

Also last Thursday, troops killed 74 members of Boko Haram in an air and ground assault, the military said on Friday,. The offensive on Thursday targeted Boko Haram camps in the remote villages of Galangi and Lawanti in Borno state..

stakeholders on the matter to get relevant information for drafting the proposed law.

He expressed the readiness of the legislature to partner with any organisation in efforts to draft the bill, stressing, “as legislators, we have to protect the lives of the people we are representing.

Although it is the duty of the Federal Government to regulate mining, but as legislators in the state, we can formulate a law that would guide mining operations.”

Sabo, however, commended the Federal Government and the Zamfara Government for carrying out environmental remediation in areas of the state that were affected by lead poison.

deputy, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, made this known at the 2013 International Literacy Day at the Government House, Kano.

He said his administration’s programmes in the areas of adult literacy and non-formal education programmes were all geared towards eradicating all forms of literacy in the state.

The governor who said the state government would also enrol 403,700 learners of basic literacy in the state, added, “There is no way meaningful development can take place in the face of illiteracy.”

Supervising Minister for Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, in his comment said the Federal Government was committed to addressing the low literacy rate and its negative implication in the country.

Wike, who was represented by Hajiya Aishatu Bello, said government’s literacy initiatives was in line with the national development target. He commended the state governor for his giant strides in the education sector.

,

L-r: Kabiru Rabiu, Group Executive Director, BUA Group; Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, Chairman, BUA Group; Obafemi Oba Otudeko, Director, First Bank of Nigeria; Chief Oba Otudeko, Chairman, Honeywell Flour Mills, and Chief Arisekola Alao, at the conferment of an honourary degree on Abdulsamad Rabiu and Chief Oba Otudeko, during the fifth convocation of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State

HE varieties of de mons that exist in Nigeria are an interesting mix against which we daily do battle. There are malariacausing, diarrhoea-inflicting and headache-distributing demons. And, believe it or not, some demons are specialists in polio apportionment. Of course, enemies are always around to direct the demons to the ‘ right’ persons. For the doubting Thomas, a night in my area will do the same job those holes in Jesus’ palms and side did. On certain days of the week, ears are assaulted by verbal wars against demons of unbelievable kinds and the enemies that direct them. Definitely, on Fridays, kiss sleep farewell.

You still do not get me?

The five churches in my area have decided that the weapons of their warfare are carnal. So public address systems connected to creaky amplifiers are on maximum

ing and distribution. Just that right now, he is the only reason all the churches in my area should go into over-drive in battling demons. I will not mind one bit. This time, I will gladly supply the name of the offending demon: electricitysabotaging demon!

If the power project he is spearheading ‘makes sense,’ a revolution would have started. Ten kobo will begin to buy lollypop again and my barber, who took another look at my head and began to charge N300 will repent. N300! In Egan! Where is that? Exactly the point. Even the state government does not know.

Dangote must succeed. The new owners of privatised PHCN? I do not trust them.

Not yet.

But I doubt if these warriors remember Dangote in their prayers. They are too busy. At the camps that infest the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, church workers sweep up used condoms the mornings after vigils. Some fight antimarriage demons, while oth-

When they saw how demons were really taken care of, they asked Jesus to allow them stay up there.

Selfish demons!

volume. Add the noise from power generating sets to the mix and you have to pity these demons, because how they manage to retain their identities in the din and confusion is a feat. They are constantly subjected to ‘kill,’ ‘die,’ ‘fire,’ and ‘redirect.’

Some nights, about two or three of the churches, whether by accident or design, go into demon battles simultaneously. That is when I picture all the demons dying off from constant collision with one another, considering the barrage of missiles from competing voices. But since the vigils still hold on schedule, the demons must be surviving on the principle of fission: hit split-up, hit split-up. No end. So the battles continue.

Meanwhile, the perceived enemy has gone to hustle for the day after a quiet one-onone with God. But the warriors must rest and prepare for another showdown or, when they go to work, perform below capacity. Aliko Dangote? I have not digressed at all.

To say Dangote is a wonderful and adventurous businessman, is stating the obvious. But no, he has not diversified into demon packag-

,

ers move around in search of miracles. A sub-group are so concerned about making heaven, they destroy the earth. No wonder God kept the location of the Garden of Eden secret.

‘Christian’ means Christ-follower. And Jesus re-fired himself by going up a mountain at intervals. Afterward, He simply speaks and all obey.

Speak, not shout. He once went up the mountain with some of His disciples. When they saw how demons were really taken care of, they asked Jesus to allow them stay up there. Selfish demons!

I do not know Islam’s take on demon bursting. I would have to ask my colleague, Ishola Haroon Balogun, but make him talk to me in English, his smooth Arabic frightens me.

Meanwhile, my landlady has cut down a vital source of free Vitamin C - a pawpaw tree - close to my door. The offence? Demons gather on the tree every night. While pawpaw demons caused her sleepless nights of binding and casting, they were bats that informed me of very fat, rich, yellow fruits ready for plucking!

It is just my opinion.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013— —17 “It is better to escape with difficulty than to be caught with difficulty.” Hausa Proverb.

there were no bullet-proof vehicles bought for the use of the minister at all.

Monies will still be in accounts, intact.

Enemies and mischievous civil servants and spokesmen will be blamed for creating an elaborate falsehood.

The National Assembly will huff and puff, but it will be stymied by the same tactics. Its integrity will be stretched and challenged by a stonewalling strategy which will only allow it to recommend that the President sacks Mrs Oduah and a few public officials. He won’t, if he is not convinced that it is in his best interest.

There are others just within reach with the same sentence, still waxing stronger.

This is a very bad time for the President to lose proven loyalists. Mrs Oduah may quite possibly have crossed a few lines, but there will be many in the inner caucus of the Presidency watching very closely to see where the President will draw his own line. With opposition buffeting the ship and political sharks swirling around at the smell of blood, would the purchase of two vehicles, or even an entire fleet by Mrs Oduah justify her sack?

A

1998 movie titled "How Stella Got Her Groove Back", adapted from Terry Sullivan’s bestselling novel of the same title was a huge success. It was about a married, successful woman who went on a vacation alone and then fell in love with a much younger man. The gripping drama showed the woman struggling between submitting to her desire for love and companionship and responsibilities to her family and career.

She made difficult decisions which allowed her to rediscover her priorities and core loyalties in the end. That was how she got her groove back.

I am being reminded of that movie by the events around the Minister of Aviation, Mrs Stella Oduah. Our own Stella is going through her own personal crisis and could quite possibly get her groove back as well. This Stella has many things going for her, and it is not so much a question of what choices she makes now in the context of the crisis, but how other factors influence the outcome of her crisis.

The story of the two bullet-proof vehicles allegedly bought at highly inflated prices without following prescribed expenditure guidelines, using funds from an agency of the Ministry, violating decisions of the national assembly, threat-

Why Stella may get her groove back Stella too could get her groove back.

This is not an administration with a distinguished record for going against loyalists, and this Stella has earned her stripes of loyalty in more ways than even the administration can reveal. The President had sacked Ministers identified as having conflicting interests; or failing to curb insurgencies, or botching an interest in a youth organisation; or being nominees of rebellious PDP titans. But he has not touched Ministers and other powerful officials who sit over gaping holes in revenues from oil and gas resources, or the management of our econ-

,

This is not an administration with a distinguished record for going against loyalists, and this Stella has earned her stripes of loyalty in more ways than even the administration can reveal

ening to end careers of a few civil servants, agitating anti-corruption activists and mobilizing the Minister’s kith and kin to defend her are all too familiar to Nigerians. The President was reportedly angered and embarrassed by revelations involving a Minister he is particularly close to. A powerful panel of three was set up to investigate, before both President and Minister Oduah travelled to Jerusalem to pray for peace and good governance for Nigeria.

The public, meanwhile, has been daily regaled by new ‘facts’ and discoveries, including the outpourings of an enraged legislative committee. Now that Mr President, Stella Oduah and a member of the three person investigation panel, the National Security Adviser are back, perhaps the investigations, at least from the executive arm, could commence.

But it is safe to caution Nigerians not to expect too much out of all this heat. This

,

omy. The pension and fuel subsidy scams are scandalous not just by their sheer scale and audacity, but by the fact that it is conceivable that powerful interests behind them are yet untouched.

It must be a new low we have struck as a nation, when the President will ask a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the National Security Adviser and a military officer to investigate allegations that a minister purchased two vehicles illegally.

The President only needs to call in the DG of BPE, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry and his Director of Finance and head of Internal Audit, the AuditorGeneral of the Federation and the CEO of NCAA and his officials if he really needs to get personally involved in the investigation, because Stella Oduah is no ordinary Minister. In one sitting, he would have all the facts around this purchase. Better still, he could direct a dis-

Intolerance against corruption

Stella Oduah creet investigation if he wanted to put some distance between him and the investigation, and he will still have all the facts.

As the investigation panel gets ready to sit down, it should brace itself for some possible surprises. It could hear that the Minister had nothing whatsoever to do with the purchases. She could claim that everything was done by officials below her. Documents can go missing so much so that there will be no evidence at all that the vehicles were purchased with the approval or consent of the Minister.

Different documents can surface that contradict each other to the point where serious doubts will be cast on every element of the transaction, particularly cost and purchase transactions. Officials will swear and deny roles and blame other officials without supporting documentary evidence. In fact, the committee could come across evidence that

What will the President gain by sacking her? Will it improve his record for intolerance against corruption? Will it make other Ministers and government officials sit up and take notice of a new regime in place at the Villa? Will he sack her over vehicles when her cheerleaders say she had done well, in spite of recent air crashes? Will he sack her and risk losing a trusted ally who may be central to the harvest of a necessary war chest for the 2015 elections? Will he sack her and risk the ire and support from her and kith and kin who will think that he is playing to the wrong gallery?

It will be comforting to say that the case of Mrs Stella Oduah will test the President’s commitment to accountability and integrity of political office holders. But the administration’s record in dealing with breaches at the highest levels by loyalists is not exactly enviable. Loyalty has been a major currency in this administration. Loyalty, that is, of the President to valued allies such as Alamieyeseigha, or loyalty to the President by Ministers and senior officials.

It will be difficult for the President to replace a loyal ally such as Stella Oduah at this time when he needs loyalty more than any time. For this reason, this Stella may get her groove back with a few bruises. But then, again, the President could surprise the nation.

OPINION

BY ISRAEL UMOH

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HE props are ready. The stage is set. The organisers are working round the clock. Major participants are engrossed to the rituals of rehearsal. Not long from now, the main event debuting the sixth edition of this year’s Akwa Ibom Government 9,999 Christmas Carol Night will unfold in a more grand scale that many may perceive to be better than the previous editions.

The carol night which forms a common platform in bringing different choir groups, gospel artistes, preachers and tourists both locally and internationally is a signature tune to commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ during the yuletide season and thanking God Almighty for His love and mercy to Akwa Ibom people and government over the year. A pet child of Akwa Ibom Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, the event offers a blend of unique vocal and digital rendition of medley and lyrics as well as a repository of colourful visual decorations, dances, costumes and lighting effects. It creates ambience and solemnity among the audience.

Unlike the previous editions of the glamorous event, this year ’s edition will be a showpiece of talented and exceptionally gifted gospel singers spiced with other side attractions. The Director of Protocol to the Governor, Mr. Aniekpeno Mkpanang gave an insight to the vivacious event. “We have raised a 200-man band Ibom Choral and

Heralding A'Ibom Govt Christmas Carol Night Orchestra comprising a 100-man classical mass choir, a 50-man orchestra choir, 35 singers, 10 instrumentalists and 10 lead singers. We have also raised Akwa Ibom Voices to sing as ensemble comprising Aity Dennis Inyang, Pastor Goody Goody, Folake Umosen, Linda Etukudoh, Fadabasi, Freke Umoh and Nathaniel Bassey. They would have backups,” he hinted.

Music stars of national and international reckoning are also billed to perform during the carol night. For instance, Israel Houghton, a US internationally recognised worship leader, recording artiste, song writer, producer and a fivetime Grammy Award winner and Lionel Peterson, a world renowned South African Gospel legend, famous for mega gospel hit -’Jabulani Africa’ will sing at the event.

Others are Sinach, an international worship leader of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s Believers Love-World Incorporated, also known as Christ Embassy International, notable for over 200 songs such as "Awesome God", "More of You" and "From Glory to Glory", among others; Frank Edwards, a Nigerian exceptional, versatile and multiple award-winning gospel rock artiste and one of the music ambassadors of Christ Embassy International Church, known for such hit singles as “You too dey bless me” and

“Omemma”, among others as well as St. Kitts and Nevis National Mass Choir.

Beyond the music and razzmatazz, the yearly event is significant in many ways, particularly as a spiritual blood tonic, good governance booster, Christian life support, revenue fibre and “Gilgal of Nigeria”, elixir to Akwa Ibom people and Nigerians as a whole. One, the event helps to open up the State to first–time visitors to behold the uncommon transformation ably exemplified by the Akpabio administration in the last six years and five months.

Before now, some people had argued that much revenue allocation was given to the South-South region, yet many infrastructure were not executed to justify the huge amount.

The Akpabio administration has turned the negative perception to superlative performance through execution of high quality, people-oriented projects.

Two, the event is a remarkable celebration of Akwa Ibom now nick named the “Gilgal of Nigeria”, thus re-enacting the era of the biblical Gilgal in ancient Israel where people resorted to for solutions.

Continues tomorrow on pg 18 *Mr. Umoh , a commentator on national issues,wrote from uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

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HEN Mr. Eze Festus Odimegwu was appointed in June last year as the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), it was received in several quarters with mixed feelings. Those who knew him as a first class brain and system reformer applauded President Goodluck Jonathan’s choice, saying for once Nigeria was going to get it right in ensuring a credible demographic database for planning and development.

Odimegwu’s tenure at the Nigerian Breweries PLC saw a speedy turnaround of a legacy factory that was almost on its knees when he was appointed. But at the same time, the master brewer allowed his dizzying success to become his undoing, as he exhibits a lot of indiscretion and lack of self-restraint. It was with this trait that he plunged into the murky world of politics and was forced to leave his coveted position at the NB PLC. No sooner had he taken over the mantle of leadership at the NPC than he made a costly public statement condemning the population census of 2006, saying Nigeria

Odimegwu’s NPC controversial exit has never had any credible census. He made other allegations that required more matured handling. As population and census matters carry a heavy political capital in Nigeria, it was easy for Northern politicians to read meanings into his utterances and go on a warpath with the Federal Government.

In fact, Governor of Kano State, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, visited the President and demanded the sack of Odimegwu. The Presidency was forced to issue the NPC Chairman a humiliating query. It did not come as a surprise when on October 16th the Federal Government announced the resignation of Odimegwu and its acceptance by the Presidency.

Odimegwu ought to have known that census, particularly the episode of 1962/63, was a precursor of the political crises that led to the military coups and the BiafraNigerian war. It is an extremely sensitive matter, which is why traditionally, heads of the Population Commission were rarely heard or seen and often only spoke to the public with prepared speeches.

Odimegwu could have corrected what he saw as the flaws of the system without raising the dust that led to his downfall. It was not as if Nigerians did not know that something was wrong with our census or that Odimegwu lied.

To a wise person there are many things better left unsaid, at least publicly, and census matters in Nigeria fall into this category.

We urge the Presidency to ensure that Odimegwu’s successor is a person with the iron will to correct the wrongs of the system and the patriotism to give Nigeria in 2016 a census that will help us to plan for the progress and development of our nation.

OPINION

BY BOBSON GBINIJE “Father, let me be able to fulfill the expectations Of my friends and disappoint the hopes of my enemies.” - Abraham Lincoln

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IKE Zeus on Mount Olympus, Nigerians were transported with celestial joy and they soared on the wings of ecstatic delight, following the eight wonder world visit of the then President Bill Clinton of America. Every Nigerian, especially those in the Federal Capital Territory rose to the occasion with zealotry and patriotism. By every conventional and accepted canon of diplomacy and international relations, it was a huge success.

But what made it a more consummate success was the vote of thanks delivered by Alhaji Ghali Na’Abba, the then Speaker of the House of Representatives. Bill Clinton characteristically delivered a very powerful speech in which he took a cross sample analysis and an encyclopedic overview of Nigeria’s problems, touching on our mutual interest as democratic nations, the need for economic symbiosis and our common humanity.

He said: “You have begun to walk the long road to repair the wrongs and errors of the past and build bridges for a better future.

The road is harder and the rewards are slower than all hoped it would be when you began. But what is most important is that today you are moving forward. And I am here because your fight for democracy and human rights, for equity and economic growth, for peace and tolerance, your fight

P oliticians and the dear th of orat orical de xt erity Politicians dearth oratorical dext xterity is America’s fight and the world’s fight”. This was most reassuring, as it drew a thunderous applause from the House.

Mr. Clinton felt the pulses in our social, religious, historical, political and cultural life as a people. His speech was allembracing and omni-directional. On unity, cultural diversity and religious schisms he said: “Your religious diversity and your ethnic diversity is –a great opportunity if we can find unity in our common humanity, if we can learn not only to tolerate our differences, but actually to celebrate our differences,… if we are torn by our difference, then we become less than the sum of our parts.”

His speech was a magnum opus and a veritable tour de force, delivered in classical cadence, aplomb style and laced with gesticulative theatrics and the brilliance of diction. An earlier welcome address read by the then Senate President-Anyim Pius Anyim – though terse and illuminating- lacked grandeur. If Okadigbo,Ojukwu,Bola Ige,Okereke, Wole Soyinka and Professor Opubor were here, I had lamented.

Definitely, the then President Obasanjo is not a very fine speaker, but he can make his points clear. On that occasion we needed men who possessed the gift of the garb like Anyaoku, Ojukwu, Bola Ige, Professor Opubor, Zik, Tafawa Balewa, etc.

Then came the moment of glory for the speaker of the House of Representatives, Na’Abba to move a vote of thanks. I was

jittery initially. But he started beautifully well.

His style was chameleonic, but the rhythm was there. It was a blend of Fabian diction and encyclopedic poetry. I leapt from my seat, shouting Hallelujah, Hallelujah, and Hallelujah that God provided us with Na’Abba on that very day.

He started with vulpine proclivities by giving a personal eulogy on Bill Clinton. He said: “It is common knowledge that President Clinton is highly revered and respected by many democrats all over the world. Your visit here has afforded all Nigerians and indeed members of our legislature the opportunity to tell and demonstrate how much we love and respect you. Never in Nigeria’s recent history has the visit of a foreign head of state attracted the interest of Nigerians all over the country”. This of course, is the truth, Na’Abba took the opportunity to solicit for the assistance of the American Government in encouraging and defending our inchoate and nascent democracy. He pleaded that Nigeria and America could work to uplift the dignity of man, uphold democracy values, promote trade and investment, enhance science and technology, and make our society a better place to live in. He spoke like Cicero.

His oratorical dexterity drew molten magma from the crater of a passive volcano.

The thunderous and clamorous plaudit from the applauding multitude shook the National Assembly from turret top to foundation stone. It was a splendid

demonstration of the power of the word.

He took a swipe on the excesses of the executive. He gored and tossed the executives on the horns of a political dilemma. He said: “We must learn to respect and strictly adhere to the principles of separation of powers as enshrined in the constitution and give each arm of government its due constitutional rights. A situation where the legislative arm is glaringly denied the exercise of its constitutionally-guaranteed oversight functions, and in effect therefore, being emasculated with a view to the whims and caprices of the executive, is not only disturbing but portends great dangers for our young democracy”.

His argument was methodical, his deductions self-evident and his application striking and most effective. His thinking was very incisive, his appraisal realistic and judgement decisive. It struck a chord in the intuitive perception, it heightened the intellect and the creative zeal and synchronized thought pattern.

We give then and now great plaudit and honour to Alhaji Ghali Na’Abba for rekindling the glory of diction and oratory which has become a scarce commodity in our present breed of politicians.

God Bless Na’Abba.

*Mr. Gbinije, a social critic, wrote from Warri, Delta State.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013— —19

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HEY are extremely ambitious and determined. They also wield enormous powers and are without the shred of a doubt the most influential clique of President Goodluck Jonathan’s kitchen cabinet. Should the President’s term in office end today, the collective actions of these women would in a sense determine history’s verdict on his presidencya failed presidency of corrupt power abusers. I am talking of the women in the President’s life, a close-knit unit of blood and political relatives, including his wife, his mother and three of his own ministers- Ngozi OkonjoIweala, Diezeani AllisonMadueke and Stella Oduah. The least troublesome of this powerful quintet but whose ‘innocent’ actions are no less distracting, if not diminishing for the President, is his mother. Witness her recent donation of hostels to a university being constructed in her community. An obviously magnanimous act in a country where students often live in habitations that are better suited to beasts and other lower creatures

of the animal kingdom but which nonetheless raises fundamental questions as to the financial source of the ‘first’ mother’s kindly gesture.

Where does an elderly lady never known for any act of public philanthropy get the financial muscle to embark on her sudden act of charity? Knowing how public funds are so often put into private ends, how many Nigerians sincerely believe the President’s mother was, in fact, spending money made from the sweat of her personal labour? Which is to say that some acts of kindness raise nagging moral issues that are not easily resolved by the apparent altruism that motivated them.

But the President’s mother is just a ‘Sweet Mother’ in the typical Nigerian sense, a mother enjoying the privilege that comes with her son’s success. She has not obviously set out to offend Nigerians’ sense of propriety in the manner the President’s wife so often does. Patience’s case is beyond ‘brief case’, to put it in a Felaic parlance. Thank God the backlash from the crisis she cooked

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between her husband and her state’s governor, Rotimi Amaechi, seems to have left her a little chastened and relatively quiet on the national scene, it has not stopped her exporting her peculiar sense of power, privilege and political insensitivity beyond the Nigerian shores as with her accepting an honourary doctorate for God knows what from a university in South Korea at a time Nigerian universities have been under lock for well over a semester of an academic calendar following a lingering crisis in the education sector.

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he kind of award Mrs. Jonathan got often come with heavy financial and material donations to the awarding institution and we can guess, as Nigerians, who would be picking on her behalf the bill for such execrable expenditure. Nigerians know too much of Mrs. Jonathan’s noisy foibles to detain us here.

Talking about it very often give some the misleading impression there might be something personal

Re-Osun education rumpus etc

BY SEMIU OKANLAWON

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ITHIN a period of five days, the Vanguard newspaper turned its attention to Osun, South-West Nigeria in what is supposed to be its duty to educate and inform the public. Its editorial of Friday, October 18, 2013, focused on the ongoing innovative reforms in the education sector in the state. That of Tuesday October 22, 2013, titled “Curbing government, churches showdowns” dwelt on what it captured in its words, as “an alarming increase in crisis of confidence between the state governments and religious organisations.”

These two editorials have done more than making commentaries on a government policy. They went out too far in their judgemental nature premised on wrong observations and assumptions.

The ongoing education reform in the state is tailor-made to suit the best desire of the current administration to produce the total man from the current generation of innocent children whose future had earlier been mortgaged through neglect which culminated in the decay of unimaginable dimension.

It is on record that the school reform is a holistic exercise arrived at after wide consultations with all stakeholders, both those who run the education and to those the policies are targeted.

It was after the consultations culminating in an education summit in 2011, which was chaired by the Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, that the implementation began.

The programmes have gone far with huge beneficial effects to both students and parents. That some people expressed their strong feelings over the process of reclassifying the schools means people are well acquainted with government’s programmes in the first place. Then, the grey areas, if any, have been sorted out in a winC M Y K

win situation.

But a situation in which ill-informed minds fabricate outright lies, spew falsehood and turn facts on their heads in blind disregard to truth of the situation as captured in the said editorial must be discouraged.

In the first instance, the re-classification does not include merger of public and missionary schools. The merger only affects schools solely funded and run by the government.

Anyone with a contrary information and example can bring out for the world to see.

And these schools, whether they bear Christian or Islamic names, were those ones taken over by government since 1975 through the recommendations of the Ebenezer Asabia Commission, which also recommended the owners be paid handsome compensations.

For example, while Baptist High School, Iwo is one of the schools taken over since 1975, the Baptist had founded another Aipate Baptist Church Grammar School, also in Iwo which is run by the missionary and so does not fall within the school reclassification scheme. The erroneous belief is that the name of a school tells its owner.

This is far from the truth. So, no public school is earmarked for merger with any missionary school.

The editorial alleged that the reform would deprive Christians of many schools as well as pitch Christians against Muslims. One wonders how this could be so when government has not and will not trespass on schools owned and run by missionary organisations. Hence, it is an error of judgement to say merger would deprive Christians or Muslims of their schools when government only busies itself with making public schools more functional.

To say that this policy would pitch Christians against Muslims amounts to hasty judgement lacking merit.

In Osun, every religion is allowed to express

with criticizing her. But maybe there is. For what can be more personal than speaking truth to corrupt power; the appropriation and privatisation of power and misuse of public funds at a time the vast majority of Nigerians wallow in squalor?

But beyond the domestic female encumbrances on the President is the ‘peculiar mess’ of three of his female ministers who seem to be courting controversy in a manner that leaves one wondering if they are presidential agent provocateurs at a time the President can do with less controversy.

It was ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo who in recent memory first made a conscious attempt to bring women into government in a way that has made some of them very prominent names in the country’s politics. Obasanjo didn’t only want to give women a prominent face in governance, he knew where to bring out the best in them. He went out of his way to sniff them out wherever they could be found. Space would not permit one to list the number of women that were products of the Obasanjo years and how well they discharged their remit. But the likes of Dora Akunyili, Oby Ezekwesili and Ngozi OkonjoIweala owed their prominence today to their time in the Obasanjo team. But that era, despite some of its controversies as to the true worth of the role of these women, now looks like the golden age of women participation in public service.

What we see today are selfaggrandizing females who seem perpetually concerned with throwing their weight around without any obvious achievement

itself without let or hindrance as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. How then does this pitch one religion against the other?

When this government commenced the first most grand, colourful celebration of Christian festivals in Osun and supported the burial of one of the leading lights of Christianity in Nigeria in person of the late Prophet T.O Obadare, were Christians pitted against Muslims? When this government decided to build the Open Arena in Ilesha for Christians’ interdenominational services, which would accommodate more than 200, 000 worshippers, were Muslims and Christians pitted against themselves?

,

Goodluck Jonathan’s women (1)

What we see today are females who seem perpetually concerned with throwing their weight around without any obvious achievement to their names

to their names. Not even OkonjoIweala whose double designation as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, whatever that means, can point to what positive role her continued stay in government has achieved for Nigerians. OkonjoIweala’s intervention in the negotiation between ASUU and Government brought the talks to a halt. Her so-called ‘take-it-orleave-it’ role in that episode is now clouded in infamy as was her role during the fuel crisis in January 2012.

She seems determined to portray herself as a lackey of foreign financial institutions that specialise in ramming down bitter pills down Nigerian throats. But we all remember how she negotiated her own dollardenominated salary when she joined government. Some of us supported this as we thought it was an honest way not to land in the corruption bog that snares Nigerian public servants. I deplore any attempt, as claimed by the Minister ’s spokesman, Paul Nwabuiku, to incite fundamentalists against her. I’m, however, slow to believe this as I am of the nonsense that Stella Oduah’s alleged purchase of fanciful armoured vehicles, her socalled travails, was the handiwork of ‘political enemies’. But if claims of Iweala’s role in the ASUU affair is true, then she is one with the cowardly fundamentalists who are opposed to what they call Western education and its corrupting influence. The difference is in their motive. They are anarchists who hate Westerners. She probably, simply, doesn’t see the need why Nigerians should have universities or a good public education system.

and yet another one for the High Schools.

Besides, government also factored business, productivity and employment into this school uniform scheme. Thus, the materials for the uniform (batik) were sourced, produced and sewn within the state.

The demand in the locally made material has shot up production of the material, while the sowing has brought about the establishment of the Omoluabi Garment Factory, managed by an indigenous uniform designer, Sam & Sara. Omoluabi Garment Factory has created employment for over 3, 000 youths in the state today with apparent capacities for expansions in the future.

The claim that students now pass

What we need is understanding not underestimation and utterances that are capable of stoking embers of resentment and antipathy among diverse peoples and religions

W

hat Vanguard should rather enunciate and celebrate is how a Governor has promoted fairness among people of all faiths to a new height that is worthy of emulation by all lovers of peace and justice.

We feel that what we need is understanding and tolerance not under-estimation and utterances that are capable of stoking embers of resentment, bitterness, dislike, hatred and antipathy among diverse peoples and religions.

The reasoning that single school uniform runs counter to pride and distinction of multiple uniforms also testifies to the hasty conclusion which underpinned the writeups.

For the avoidance of doubt, rather than a single uniform, public schools in Osun have three different uniforms according to the classification of the schools. There is a unified uniform for the Elementary Schools, another unified uniform for Middle Schools

,

through a tough time going to school added to the fallacies of the editorial.

Government has not placed any extra burden on the students because their schools are in their neighbourhood. And that is why, to avoid such burden, government left the schools in the rural areas out of the reclassification exercise. So, wither the truth in all the claims alleged in the editorial?

Finally, we must restate the fact that the Rauf Aregbesola administration is not averse to criticisms. However, we are of the opinion that such must be based on facts lest a reputable paper unwittingly serves the parochial interests of those who for the hungry search for power, want to paint what is a laudable and well-thought-out programme in bad light.

•Mr Okanlawon is Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Osogbo, Osun State.

20—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY,

OCTOBER 30 30,, 2013

Secrets of people who live long W

ANT to live long? Want to share in the secret of those who live to a ripe old age?

With a bit of luck and these simple health tips, you could achieve such goal.

STRESS LESS - There’s evidence that learning relaxation techniques early on is crucial. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is also crucial, as is laughing: It releases endorphins in the body that act as natural stress busters. Plus, a good laugh gives your heart muscle a workout.

EAT LESS - Recent research in humans has linked calorie restriction to lower incidences of age-related health problems, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Keep in mind that calorie restriction is an easy diet to do unsafely, however. Start by limiting simple sugars and flours, and pack your meals with dark leafy greens and other vegetables.

OPT FOR HERBAL REMEDIES - Herbs have impressive abilities to heal.

They can alleviate high blood pressure, stimulate the nervous system, destroy germs and boost the immune system.

Something as simple as green tea can help improve your immunity and your health.

MAKE FRIENDS - Studies show that people with strong friendships tend to have more robust immune systems and are less likely to succumb to infectious diseases. Strike up

at least two conversations every day with someone you haven’t talked to before. And aim to listen more than you speak; the more airtime you give someone, the more generous he or she will be with personal details.

STAY Ph BALANCED According to some practitioners of alternative medicine, the body is healthiest when its systems are functioning midway between completely acidic and completely alkaline (i.e., pH balanced). When pH levels fall below that midpoint, the body suffers from a condition called acidosis, which even in minor

cases can cause fatigue, rapid breathing, stomach problems and confusion.

EAT GARLIC - Garlic can act as a powerful antioxidant and antibiotic, as well as cut the duration and the number of colds you catch.

In addition, garlic has proved efficient in reducing blood pressure and triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

DETOX REGULARLY - You could benefit from a detox programme, most of which require you to limit meats and avoid wheat, sugar, dairy, caffeine and alcohol.

TAKE MORE NAPS - Just like

stress, sleep loss has a degenerative effect on your health, and lack of sleep is tied to compromised immune

function.

Consider drinking a cup of caffeinated beverage right before your nap. It will take about 20 minutes for the caffeine to travel through your digestive system, and you can fit in a short snooze.

NAFDAC tasked on safer medicines

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

K

EYPLAYERS in the healthcare sector; notably hygiene and healthcare, have harped on the need for Nigeria to take a cue for accelerated development

• A good night’s sleep is essential for health because it boosts immune function.

of medicines that is relevant to Nigerians and Africans as a whole.

In line with this, the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has been tasked to reduce complexities in product requirements so that Nigerian consumers can access the cheapest and most effective medical solutions.

The regulatory body must also correct the incidence of parallel import especially in the area of importing goods that are already listed and registered in Nigeria.

Noting this at the Reckitt Benckiser/University of Ibadan International conference tagged; “Medicine Regulation of Claims” under the auspices of the Centre for Drug Discovery, Development and Production (CDDDP), the experts advocated establishment of better partnerships.

Director -General, NAFDAC, Dr, Paul Orhii, emphasised the need for standardising herbal therapy in the country given the pharmacological effect of various herbal products available to consumers.

Airport collapse I

HAVE this tendency to stumble on medical emergencies outside the hospital setting. In 1996, I compiled many such incidents in an article titled " Fight or Flight - The Good Samaritan" in a UK medical journal.

Talking about "flight", an incident occurred recently in the arrival hall of our Murtala Mohammed Airport.

As we disembarked we were slapped in the face by a tremendous thick humid heat. Midway down the long corridor, I observed an middle-aged lady sweating as we headed towards the non working escalator into the Immigration Hall.

I helped her down the steps with her bag.

With that sense of duty typical of doctors, I observed her in the Baggage Hall, where to our dismay, the conveyor belt had failed. Bags were being delivered by hand.

Pandemonium soon ensued.

Megaphones blared out passenger names whilst the same passengers yelled asking whose name was called.

In the cacophony of chaos I'd lost sight of my lady passenger.

A crowd had gathered beside the second ( also non functioning ) conveyor belt. "What's going over there?" I asked an orderly.

"A woman has fainted, sir".

Getting through the crowd without a

white coat or stethoscope was impossible.

Calls of "Let me through" "Im a doctor" fell on deaf ears.

Instead I heard : " She's sick" "Maybe its AIDS" and "Where's the airport clinic?"

Someone said "The woman has collapsed."

Someone added "The whole airport has collapsed. I quickly improvised.

"Yea Auntie.." I yelled, so loud, the entire Hall froze for a moment. " Help!

Let me see my Auntie, O!!"

It was like Moses parting the Red Sea. I found her flat on her back.

"Are you all right?" I asked. She did not respond but was breathing.

Her wrist pulse was weak and faint.

"Please give me a hand." I requested help to place her on her side and I opened out her airway.

We then lifted her legs up on a chair to increase venous return of blood to her heart.

After a few minutes of fanning with a newspaper, she began to mumble some words.

In this authoritative role I was able to disperse the onlookers and assure them the woman will be fine.

The rest, as the cliche goes, is history.

I shall now explain the probable cause of this woman's close call to the chequered flag of life's Formula One

race and why I have dedicated today's article to this incident.

H e r problems began as she stepped out of the cold cabin air into the hot humidity of the airport corridors. Without air conditioning, the temperature change probably caused her blood vessels to vasodilate to get rid of the excess body heat.

Blood vessels tend to tighten up (vasoconstrict) in cold temperatures to preserve our body heat. That is how frostbite develops.

It was not the hot air per se, but the TRANSITION from cold to hot air, after being immobile for many hours, that probably precipitated her collapse.

With non functioning escalator and conveyor belts and the presence of underlying illness and medications (she was on anti hypertensives), climate control in the airport is NOT a luxury, but an absolute necessity.

Despite the pleasantries of most immigration, customs, baggage handlers and airport staff, returning home through Murtala Mohammed Airport remains stressful sometimes,

and may carry some not insignificant health challenges.

Why this article and why now?

On Friday October 25th 2013, I read this on three different channels on TV: "A former MD of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency,........., has stated that the Agency spent N643 million on SECURITY and UTILITY VEHICLES in 2013" I started to wonder how much it costs to keep an escalator working, to get a belt to rotate continuously around a ball and cogwheels, and to have a box of ice blow cold air out of a few holes.

Its not rocket science.But what do I know?I am just a humble doctor.

•Dr. Femi Ogunyemi, FRCA, FWACS, is a member of the British Pain Society, American Pain Society, the North American Neuromodulation Society and the Aerospace Medical Association. He is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management and a Fellow in Pain Medicine from Emory University.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013 — 21

SON raises alarm over cloning of Nigerian fabrics

BY FRANKLIN ALLI

S

TANDARDS Organisation of Nigeria (SON), has raised alarm over cloning of Made-inNigeria fabrics by dubious people.

“Look at Daviva and Excellence, for example; most Nigeri-

ans do not know that they are made in Nigeria, because they have been cloned by dubious people who go abroad, make inferior ones and return to Nigeria under same producer name, and thus running the local industry aground,” said Engr. Bede

Obayi, Head of Department, Inspectorate and Compliance, S O N .

Bede said the agency’s fight against substandard products in the textile sector has begun with the seizure of N20 million worth of inferior textile products across

different markets in Lagos state.

He said that the seizure was in line with the Federal Government’s agenda to revamp the textile sector.

He said most of the textile firms in the country have gone moribund not because of Federal

From left: Mr. Anvp Srivastava, Commercial Manager, Nestle Plc, Mr. Basile Kouamen, Factory Manager Flour Gate, Mr. Adewale Ojo, Country Business Manager-Nestle Waters, Mr. Dharnesh Gordhon, Managing Director/CEO, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Dr. Abimbola Ajayi, Head of Nutrition, Lagos State Ministry of Health, guest speaker and Mrs. Iquo Ukoh, Marketing Service Director, during the launch of Nestle Pure Life Protect Water with ZINC, held at Ilupeju, Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Government’s negligence or capacity failure but because of inferior cloned products in the mark e t s .

Obayi, who led the agency’s police to the markets, said what happens is that some of the products, though produced in Nigeria, are taken outside the country by unscrupulous Nigerians who connive with foreigners to clone them and bring to Nigeria under same product name, but they are inferior and sold cheap which the local producers can not cope with.”

“SON will get to the root of the matter by finding the smugglers’ routes, locate and fish out the main culprits; seize and destroy the textile fabrics because they are substandard He urged buyers of Nigerian fabrics to always check for NIS trademark before buying the products, saying that any product that fails to meet Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) will be taken from the market.

Obayi noted that quality should be maintained based on the prescribed standard and should not be lowered based on any factor; if it is to be allowed in the Nigerian market.

He said the products seized were as a result of careful investigation and not witch hunt as information on their location and existence was at hand before the raid.

Earlier, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, Director General of the SON, met with importers of electric bulbs and automotive battery into the country.

MSMEs contribute 47% to Nigeria’s GDP — SMEDAN

BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU

T

HE Director General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, Bature Masari, has said that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises MSMEs contributes 46.54 percent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP. Masari made this disclosure during the post-humuos award to Late Maria Sokenu, former Managing Director of defunct Peoples Bank, who died alongside 116 others on board illfated Bellview Airline that crashed in Lisa, Ifo, Ogun State in 2005, by the Association of Professional Women Bankers (APWB) for her contribution to the association and the economy.

Sokenu was special adviser to the Ogun State governor on employment generation and pioneer president of the APWB from 1983-1991.

The SMEDAN DG while delivering a lecture on the theme of the association’s 30th anniC M Y K

versary: Strategic Positioning of Entrepreneurs for Economic Development, said the importance of entrepreneurship across the world cannot be over emphasised as research has shown that MSMEs are critical to the growth and economic development of nations, contributing not less than 50 percent of GDP on the average, with the resultant effect of income generation, wealth cre-

ation and poverty alleviation.

“In Nigeria, according to the 2010 National Survey on MSMEs by SMEDAN & NBS, we have over 17.2 million MSMEs, employing 32.4 million Nigerians and nominally contributing 46.54 percent of the nation’s GDP at the period under review.”

He said in order to strategically position MSMEs for economic development in Nigeria,

one of the strategies SMEDDAN has adopted that needs to be sustained is strengthening entrepreneurs along the value chain of the typical business cycle. He said from startups, the body looks at the business conception/idea generation, project identification, feasibility study, business plan,

sourcing for finance, programme execution and implementation, evaluation and control, sales/marketing.

107.3

-1.8

2,686.00

-27.00

499.60

-3.70

EFCC challenges media on financial crimes

T

BY UDEME CLEMENT

HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has charged the media to exercise its constitutional duty in sensitising the public on the ills of corruption, economic crimes and the economic implications on national development.

Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, said this while addressing newsmen at the workshop on Economic Crimes Reporting, organised by EFCC in Lagos.

Speaking through his representative, the Director of Operations, EFCC, Mr. Olaolu

Adegbite, he stressed that corruption was threatening all sectors of the economy including the media. He said, “The media’s potential to inform and educate the people is crucial for us. We believe that on our own we cannot win the war against corruption without a buy in by the people.

The media must exercise its constitutional mandate as the fourth estate of the realm with the highest sense of responsibility to enhance economic growth and development. Issues about corruption and economic crimes are sensitive and there is the need for media to always verify their facts to ensure accuracy in reporting financial crimes.”

108.94 +2.01 98.40

+0.55

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL

SELLING

DOLLAR 55.07 POUNDS 250.7947 EURO 213.6554 FRANC 173.0306 YEN 1.5921 CFA 0.3074 WAUA 239.2499 RENMINBI 25.4864 RIYA 41.3465 KRONA 28.6429 SDR 240.0484

156.07 252.412 215.0332 174.1464 1.6024 0.3274 240.7928 25.6517 41.6131 28.8276 241.5964

155.57 251.6034 214.3443 173.5885 1.5972 0.3174 240.0214 25.5691 41.4798 28.7353 240.8224

CBN Exchange rate as at 29/10/2013

22—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

Protect your vehicle with a comprehensive cover insurance and their perception of the Nigerians not insurance only crave to market, own and drive insurance c h o i c e products, automobiles, operators but give top & service priority, above providers all other basic including essential t h e needs of life is functions n o of their exaggeration.

RegulatorAlso, its no NAICOM overstatement remains

By Dr. Wole to say the only Adetimehin, automobile lasting Managing Director, owners and panacea, Jully Insurance users hardly which will can appreciate Brokers and require that the best Immediate Past t h e and most President, Chartered collective m o d e r n responsibility Insurance Institute of approach to of all Nigeria, CIIN secure and stakeholders. protect their In effect, valuables further assets- motor vehicles against education of Nigerians that the risk of fire, theft, will enhance their level of accidental damage including insurance awareness will go third party liabilities is by a long way in enabling them effecting or buying a motor to appreciate the scope and comprehensive protective benefits of buying a motor insurance cover. comprehensive cover.

The lack of knowledge and or awareness of what a motor What is comprehensive insurance cover offers in terms of comprehensive motor protective benefits, rights and insurance cover? privileges is primarily the s the name implies, reason(s) why prospective motor comprehensive buyers often opt to buy the motor Third Party insurance insurance is the widest scope cover, which merely covers of cover available compared to their legal liabilities to the other types of cover in the general public or third parties motor insurance class of as an owner or user of a motor products in the market.

The cover or benefits offered vehicle.

Other factors underlying the by a motor comprehensive preference for Motor Third insurance which is a lot more Party covers or outrightly not embracing include: - Loss or damage to the buying any form of cover against the comprehensive insured vehicle by fire, theft, and accidental collision. cover include: - Legal liability for damage - Inability of motor vehicle owners and users to value or to other vehicles and damage give priority to the effective to property belonging to Third protection of their asset Parties, often subject to a against potential risks and standard limit.

- Legal liability for death or liabilities which they are bodily injury to Third Parties exposed.

- The supposedly perceived – (often unlimited) - Legal cost and expenses lack of confidence and assurance that their benefits, including solicitors fees right and privileges can be incurred in defence of any obtained, secured and court litigation consequent enjoyed with ease under their upon prosecution after an accident subject to the consent motor insurance contracts.

Most Nigerians of the insurers.

- Others benefits although inadvertently or ignorantly subject to a standard limit still perceive the cost of buying a motor comprehensive include medical expenses for insurance (i.e. premium) as the insured and spouse, cover being outrageously high and for personal effects, vehicle towing fees to the garage of unaffordable.

Improving the knowledge of repairs.

Continues next week Nigerian buyers of motor Introduction hat most

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SEND YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS TO insuranceandyou@yahoo.com C M Y K

Managing Director, UAC Restaurants, Mr. Derrick Van Houten (middle) and team members at the opening of Mr Bigg’s Restaurant, Ikeja Shopping Mall, Lagos.

Insurers frown at nonenforcement of insurance laws Stories by ROSEMARY ONUOHA

P

resident of the Nigerian Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) Mr. Ganiyu Koledoye has said that personal relationship is an important tool that should be taken seriously if the insurance industry wants to grow.

Koledoye who made the assertion while delivering a paper titled, ‘Marketing & Sales of Insurance as an Intangible Product’ at the maiden insurance consumers’ forum organised by Almond Productions Limited in Lagos, said that such relationship binds the customer and the operators together.

According to him, most operators know little or nothing about their customers and are mostly concerned with only renewal of their premium, adding that insurance industry will move forward and grow penetration when they start to relate on personal level with the customers.

In the same vein, Chairman of the forum, Mr. Ogala Osoka who was represented by former Managing Director/ CEO of Continental Reinsurance Plc, Mr. Adeyemo Adejumo called on operators to reach out to the public by contributing to the society.

He said that Corporate Social Responsibility is one of the ways insurance industry can give back to the society and grow the industry, adding that the insurance operators have taken a lot from the society and there is need for them to give back to the society whether individually or collectively.

He further urged consumers

to read and examine the details of their policy documents before they go into any contract, adding that ignorance is not an excuse of the law.

According to him, insurance business is a contract which is binding between the insured and the insurer, adding that better knowledge of the policy will enable the customer and the operators to relate better.

He however frowned at the non-enforcement of the law by the federal and state governments, noting that there are a lot of laws that have been established by the Insurance Act but none of these laws are being enforced by the government.

He said that laws such as the group life, building insurance, motor insurance etc, if enforced effectively will help to deepen insurance penetration and grow the gross premium of the industry.

On fake insurance policies being issued at licensing offices in the country, the former President of Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) and Chairman of Alpha Choice Insurance Brokers, Mr. Sunny Adeda, called on the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), to put an end to such racket, adding that the business is illegal and must be stoped by the umbrella body of insurers.

Adeda frowned at a situation where customers are forced to purchase fake insurance document after they have already acquired a genuine motor insurance policy from a registered company.

In response, the NIA Director General, Mr. Sunday Thomas assured consumers that urgent steps are being taken by the Association in

ensuring that such offices in the country are closed down.

According to him they are working with each state government to ensure that such offices are closed and insurance is sold at the authorised outlets.

BRIEF

Millions could expect cancellation letters —Report

M

illions of Americans are expected to lose their insurance because their current plan does not meet the new Affordable Care Act standard, according to a new report.

The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, states that insurance policies in effect as of March 23, 2010 would be “grandfathered” into effect.

This means customers would be able to hold on to their existing policy even though it does not meet the new Obamacare requirements, which went into effect on October 1, 2013.

But in the time since the Affordable Care Act was signed, the Department of Health and Human Services added stipulations that narrow the so-called grandfather provision. Any policy that was significantly changed – for example: the deductible, co -pay, or benefits, among other factors – would not be grandfathered.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013 — 23

Shonekan decries low capacity in special risks underwriting Stories by ROSEMARY ONUOHA

F

ormer Head of State and Head of Interim Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan has decried the low capacity of insurance operators to underwrite special risks despite the huge number of brokers in the country.

Shonekan expressed this view at the investiture of Mr. Ayodapo Shoderu as the 17th President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, NCRIB, in Lagos. Shonekan observed that in spite of the number of underwriters and brokers in the industry, Nigerian companies still lack capacity to underwrite some special risks.

He, therefore, urged insurance brokers to brace up to the challenges of professionalism, industry dented image and agricultural insurance policies.

According to him, there is need for insurance companies to move out of the box and expand their businesses to be able to underwrite bigger businesses stressing that when Nigerian companies are given some special risk in oil and gas, they run abroad.

Shonekan, who was the chairman of the investiture programme, enjoined all stakeholders in the industry to join forces to formulate creative policies in agriculture, oil and gas business, adding that the operators should learn from South Africans.

Although Shonekan noted that the insurance industry

image has dramatically improved in the last decade, he noted that there are rooms for improvement.

According to him, brokers are at the forefront of insurance business and they serve as midwives for insurance business without which many underwriters would have no business to underwrite.

Shonekan said that all over the world there is rapid improvement in the image of the industry, but enjoined practitioners to avoid cutting corners in expanding their individual businesses, improve on usage of technology to transact insurance businesses saying

that professionalism is essential.

Shonekan who believed that something must be done to increase revenue of insurance sector to enhance its contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), said that people often forgot that insurance could rally banking sector as the case in other jurisdictions.

However, he enjoined the incumbent president of the council to brace up to the task of leading the largest body in the industry to the Promised Land and to always assist the industry when the need arises.

Also speaking at the event,

the Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel eulogised the outgone President of the council who incidentally was the first female president, Mrs. Laide Osijo. He further pledged that the Commission would never shut its windows against the council.

A special guest of honour and an insurance expert, Chief Joe Irukwu also pledged his unalloyed support for the incumbent president and donated 200 books valued at N820,000 to the library donated by Ayodapo Shoderu for NCRIB building.

F

BN Life, the insurance arm of First Bank of Nigeria Plc has said that its products offerings will help in increasing insurance penetration in the country by at least two per cent.

Managing Director of FBN Life, Mr. Valentine Ojumah stated this while addressing news men during a product media fair in Lagos.

He said that FBN Life has been confronting the challenges of poor insurance penetration and hopes that its contribution to the insurance sector will help to move the penetration level from 0.5 per cent to over five per cent, in

A

ustralian insurers have made inroads into digital engagement with customers in the motor sector but lag in other areas, according to a global survey

by Ernst & Young.

“You can get quotes and buy car insurance online, so that’s relatively mature,” Performance Improvement Leader for Insurance Andrew Taggart said.

“But other categories such as life insurance and home and contents are less mature.”

Australian insurers must act fast to keep up with consumer expectations, especially younger ones, he says.

“In Australia, the increasing level of churn within both life and general insurance can’t be ignored.”

The industry is conservative by nature, with a history of “low customer touch”, he says. It must reject the mindset of talking to customers once a year at renewal time and once every seven years for claims.

NSW bushfire claims hit $145 million

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From left: President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mr. Ayodapo Shoderu, sharing some thoughts with the former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, during Shoderu’s investiture as the 17th President of the NCRIB in Lagos.

FBN Life to deepen insurance penetration through products offerings

BY JONAH NWOKPOKU

BRIEFS Insurers playing catch-up on digital engagement

the next five years.

“When we started, there was no structure to support the system but we have over 100, 000 policy holders, making FBN life one of the most reliable insurance companies in the country.

“We have six individual life products. With that, in another five years, we will move from 0.5 to two per cent penetration in insurance,” he said.

“We have made tremendous progress within three years, despite the fact that the insurance industry in Nigeria is fragmented. It has low capacity and penetration. But these are the challenges we are coming together to

confront. We have moved from paying zero claims to over N900 million. We are the only brand new registered insurance company that has grown to become number four in specialist life insurance,” he added.

He explained that FBN Life declared profit to shareholders and in the next couple of months would be going into general insurance business.

Speaking further, Head of Alternative Distribution, Ayodeji Bankole said that alternative distribution has been another way of reaching customers to accept insurance products.

He said, “If FBN Life can get at least 20 per cent of First

Bank customers to subscribe to insurance, they would have made significant progress in achieving better penetration.”

On group life insurance, he said, “It is sold basically to corporate organisations. It is coming from the background of the government policy that every organisation with a minimum of five employees should have an insurance cover.”

This, he said, was to protect the dependents’ of the employees from undue suffering in event of eventuality,” noting that, “It is necessary to join hands and promote this law so that other organisations would key into it.”

oss estimates from the NSW bushfires have risen to $145 million, according to Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) figures.

Some 1041 claims had been lodged with insurers as of today, the council says.

The number is continuing to rise, as residents return home and find property damage.

More than 90 per cent of damaged or destroyed properties have been assessed, ICA says.

“Assessors will continue this review process and also begin inspecting damage in areas not previously accessible,” ICA CEO Rob Whelan said.

IAG says its Australia Direct and CGU businesses have so far received about 600 claims.

It is too soon to give accurate cost estimates because fires are still burning and assessors are unable to gain access to all affected areas, it says.

IAG has a maximum firstevent retention of $150 million under its catastrophe reinsurance program for this calendar year.

24 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY,

OCTOBER 30 30,, 2013

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013—25

DIARY

Select ICT events z GITEX Technology Week 2013.

Holds 20-24 Oct 2013 in Dubai, UAE.

EDITED by Adekunle Adekoya

‘Food science, safety law'll make Nigeria competitive’

z FUTURECOM 2013. Holds 21-24 Oct 2013 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. zSAP TechEd 2013.

Holds 21-25 Oct 2013 in Las Vegas, USA. zBroadband World Forum Europe 2013.

Holds 22-24 Oct 2013 in Amsterdam, Holland.

BY EMMA ELEBEKE

zSMAU 2013.

Holds 23-25 Oct 2013 in Milan, Italy.

New inventions shaping life and living

Mobile heart monitor

,

T

HE versatile Heart Monitor from AliveCor can be attached to any compatible smartphone, allowing it to be used by different mobile devices in almost any location.

Unlike current portable heart monitors, the AliveCor Heart Monitor is not integrated into a smartphone or smartphone case. Instead, the pocket-sized sensor is embedded in a plate that can be attached to the back of a mobile device or case.

The monitor communicates with the smartphone via ultrasound picked up by the phone’s microphone and does not require Bluetooth—which makes it more energy efficient.

Because the Heart Monitor can be used with lower-cost Android phones, it could be particularly useful in developing countries.

I N S I D E

FUTA WINS ISPON 2013 SOFTWARE CUP: From left; Oladapo Oluwadara Glory, Aboluwarin OlaOluwa David and Banjo Mofesola Paul of the Federal University of Technology, Akure Special Adviser, ICT, to Cross River State Governor, Odo Effiong, Professor Tapio Varis, and ISPON President, Chris Uwaje, presenting the winner's trophy to the students at the TINAPA Resort, Calabar. Photo by Emeka Aginam.

Nigeria needs more software start-ups —JOHNSON

BY EMEKA AGINAM

M

INISTER of Com munications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson has said that for Nigeria to be a software capable country in the knowledge economy, more start-ups were needed in software coding, and assured that her ministry will intervene in software coding academy through necessary support.

Although the number of start-ups in software coding will increase with time, the Minister, said that all hands must be on deck if the country must achieve a robust and vibrant software industry.

Lamenting that billions of naira leaves the country every year as license and other fees to foreign software companies, Mrs Johnson said that Nigeria has enough capacity to build software code warriors for global com-

Research says Nigeria lagging in market indicators

petitiveness, urging over 100 students from tertiary institutions participating in the software contest to use software for job creation.

At the event which attracted a capacity audience including university vice-chancellors and the United Nation official, the minister said: “We need to tackle the

,

Preview

take advantage of opportunities,” she said.

Be more innovative

She charged local software engineers to be more innovative and original, saying “this year’s theme is a good one as it not only speaks of the importance of software as a tool to improve

How do we deal with curriculum in the universities to drive entrepreneurship?

Digital literacy is the key.

Nigeria must recognize the division between vocational and academic training

broader challenge of how we take our promising software developers and software engineers and help them to become entrepreneurs that can

Tecno deploys BBM on its phones

productivity in the workforce, be it public or private sector but also alludes to the to the role that software plays, dare

I say in the transformation of economies.

“Software has indeed accelerated productivity in the workplace , for example the simple word processing tools and spreadsheet tools that we had in the 80’s to the more encompassing office productivity tools such as the Microsoft Office suite” she said.

An assessment of Nigeria’s software industry landscape, according to her revealed that the country needed to focus on innovation among others to tackle this challenges.

‘We have to keep sight of the fact that brilliantly written lines of code must still be considered as building blocks for the successful software companies that must be our ultimate target in building a viable software industry”, she explained.

Continues on Page 30

Customer is king, forum reminds operators

ASSENT to the food science and technology safety bill before the Presidency will reduce food poisoning and reposition Nigeria for global competitiveness.

This was the position of participants at the just concluded 37th annual international conference and annual general meeting, AGM of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology, NIFST held in Abuja last week.

Although, the food supply chain from farm to table in Nigeria is undergoing considerable positive transformations, the existing food safety practices in the production, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution and marketing of food for local and international markets are from satisfactory and so requires urgent intervention of President by signing the Nigerian Council of Food Science and technology bill would enable farmers achieve world best practice in food processing by applying the right science and technologies.

The programme entitled, ‘‘Food Safety: Critical Pathway to Sustainable Global Competitiveness and Public Health,’’ brought together food experts from the academia and different agencies to discuss on perennial challenges and safety issues posed by food borne diseases to Nigeria and to find solutions to them.

In his address, the Minister of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu said the theme of the Continues on Page 30

ICT: FG launches bid to empower women, girls

26— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

Research says Nigeria A lagging in market indicators

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

D

ESPITE all the growth potentials of the Nigerian telecommunications sector, a recent report has declared that Nigeria was lagging behind than many other African countries in a number of market indicators.

The research however said that to get the wheel of success rolling, the country must find a correct mix of regulatory initiatives and necessary interventions needed to encourage greater competition among market players.

Nigeria’s telecommunications market is fully liberalised, highly competitive, and evolving with time. Since 1992, a wide range of regulatory initiatives has been undertaken to open up the market to private operators to provide products and services across the entire spectrum of ICT market segments. These initiatives, particularly in relation to market entry, have resulted in an impressive 53% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in overall fixed and mobile subscriptions since 2001. Quarterly telecommunications sectoral growth is up to 35%, and the sector’s annual contribution to GDP was estimated at 6.73% in 2012.

But the report however, said, "in spite of the widely publicised successes, sector performance review indicated that Nigeria, was lagging behind many other African countries with respect to a number of market indicators.

"By using nationally representative household survey samples, its 2012 ICT Access and Usage Surveys in 12 African countries showed that Nigeria ranked 5th with respect to mobile penetration and 5th in terms of industry perception of the effectiveness of domestic telecommunications regulation.

"In terms of RIA’s broader Pricing Transparency Index, Prepaid Mobile for 2012, Nigeria ranks 17th out of 46 countries in terms of the affordability of the cheapest prepaid mobile product from a dominant operator, and 13th out of 46 for affordability of the cheapest mobile prepaid product from any operator".

The 2012 RIA Nigeria ICT Access and Usage Survey also found that there was a general paradox in Nigeria’s telecommunications market – of performance on the one hand and deficiency on the other – and that this paradox exists across all

the sub- sectors of the market.

"For example, mobile telephony is experiencing huge growth simultaneous with a fixed sector in a downward spiral. The penetration of fixed telephony is a meagre 65,914 households, or 0.3% of total households in the country, in spite of the fact that the RIA ICT Survey found ample demand for both fixed and mobile telephony products. As a result of this anomaly in the voice telephony market segment, there has been virtually no fixed-line competition (in voice, data or internet provision) to the mobile companies. The fixed sector has been experiencing a persistent downward slide, while the mobile networks have at times been overloaded with voice and internet traffic.

Consumer pressure on mobile networks is now creating significant quality of service (QoS) problems, as the vacuum in fixed services is putting a tremendous burden on mobile operators to deliver good quality voice, data and internet services – which could otherwise have been provided through fixed networks (if, inter alia, the regulation of the fixed sector had been effective).

"Internet uptake appears strong, but at the same time computer penetration is limited and fixed household internet is virtually non-existent.

The RIA Nigeria ICT Survey of 2012 found that only 3.4% of households, or 747,025, have a fixed internet connection, and 62% of internet users go online primarily via their mobile phone. It has been reported that 58.1% of Nigerian web traffic was via mobile handsets and other mobile devices in November 2012 (StatCounter Global Stats, 2012). The poor penetration of fixed household internet is directly linked to absence of the fixed lines over which internet access products (e.g.

ADSL) are typically delivered; low penetration of computers; and inadequate power supply".

The RIA Nigeria ICT Survey found that the majority (62%) of non-internet users were eager to use the internet if it could be made available within roughly 30 minutes’ walking distance from where they reside. And 50% of mobile subscribers surveyed said that cost is the main limitation on increased calling activity while 60% of mobile subscribers said they would make more calls if costs were lowered.

leading smart phones brand, TECNO Mobile, has announced its collaboration with Blackberry on BBM mobile application.

According to Vice President, TECNO Group, Mr. Arif Chowdhury, this collaboration is a unique one that will enhance the brand feasibility of both TECNO and BlackBerry.

He said that the agreement signed last month allows BlackBerry Messenger to be preloaded on TECNO smartphones.

With this, customers who buy TECNO phones will find the BBM application already preloaded and this is available in 20 countries. For those customers already using TECNO phones, it will be possible to download the application through the Google play store.

“This collaboration is not only good news for TECNO and BlackBerry, but also and especially for customers. Indeed BlackBerry users who want to keep their BB PIN while using TECNO phones can

Tecno deploys BBM on its phones now make it possible through the new application version coming soon,” Arif said, adding that, “We are very proud of this collaboration. It is our objectives not only for Nigerians and indeed Africa as a whole to acquire smartphones and enjoy a smart life but also to be able to use the phone to its maximum benefit and that is why we collaborated with BlackBerry to preload BBM on all TECNO smartphones.

Chowdhury added that TECNO phones will be preloaded with BBM and also with the new Palmchat version.

“Palmchat is an application which allows you to create thousands of new friends around you and all over the world, these two applications complement each other very well,” he concluded.

Vice President for BBM at BlackBerry Mr. Andrew Bocking, said: “BBM is a very engaging messaging service that is simple to use, easy to personalize and has an immediacy that is necessary for mobile communications,” With many people now using TECNO smartphones, this is absolutely the

right time to bring on board BBM application on TECNO phones to allow its numerous customers enjoy the best of interactions with families and loved ones.

TECNO mobile phones are using the popular android system, which has already won the heart of most mobile phone users worldwide.

Anambra, C-River deploy BrainFriend for e-learning

BY EMEKA AGINAM

W

HILE BrianFriend education software solution continues to make inroads in the Nigerian education system, Anambra State government has deployed the software to power its educational system.

Similarly, the Cross Rivers State government in partnership with IT&C Network Limited, has just concluded a similar deployment for over ten thousand (10,000) teachers, while a fresh deployment for fifteen thousand (15,000) teachers in Abia State will soon commence with the same partnership.

Already, the NUT Lagos State chapter, according to the company is currently engaging some organizations in talks about deploying over forty-five thousand (45,000) licenses for all teachers in Lagos State.

Cinfores Limited is an indigenous company developing various educational solutions including school management information system for school administration and management (eCampus & eSkool) that are presently running in various tertiary institutions and primary and secondary school accros the country.

It would be recalled that the solution has been successfully implemented in Lagos State with the Nigerian Union of Teach-

ers, (NUT) in the first quarter of the year.

The Brainfriend software comes ready with over fifty thousand (50,000) questions, answers, and explanations covering over forty-two (42) teaching subjects of the primary through the senior secondary school, career guide covering major disciplines offered in Nigerian and some other West African universities, the Nigerian national curriculum, and over fifty (50) e-books on the elementary and secondary schools teaching subjects and lots more. Interestingly, the software also has a mobile version for smart phones,

which can be downloaded from the Google play store.

This makes it easily accessible to users who do not own orhave access to a laptop/desktop computer.

Reviewing the solution, Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi with excitement expressed delight in the solution developed locally by young Nigerians who evidently have their hearts bent on improving the plights of Nigerian school children.

“I am impressed with this product, especially with the fact that it was indigenously developed with local content that suits the nation’s

education system. These are the kinds of people and products we want to spend time with in partnership especially on education and ICT matters,”, he said Speaking on some of the interesting engagements, Head, Business Development of Cinfores, Mrs Jachi Briggs hoped that before long, Nigerians will heave a sigh of relief as the company is in talks with a number of state governments, federal government parastatals, multinational organisations, and individuals to deploy the software across the country.

PRESENTATION: Lixin Cheng, Chairman/CEO of ZTE USA, here presents the new ZTE Grand S to Houston Rockets star forward Chandler Parsons and team CEO Tad Brown during a celebration in which the company was named the official smartphone of the Houston Rockets.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013 — 27

Glo boosts security with Vigicom for vigilante groups

G

Customer is king, forum reminds operators

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

E

TISALAT Nigeria, last week, joined efforts with its partners, Montgomery West Africa to set up first Customer centric summit in Nigeria, challenging fellow operators, at the end of the event, to hold sacred the age long adage that 'customer is king.'

Etisalat said the three days event was necessary for it to also remain focused to its customer-centric strategy that customers must come first on quality service delivery.

At the maiden Customer Centricity Summit held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lagos recently The three-day event was themed ‘Service Experience – What does Customer Centricity Mean for Business?’

The summit however showcased and explored innovative strategies in designing, implementing and managing evolving multichannel customer experience in Nigeria’s dynamic customer environment.

Panel discussions at the event, focused on what customer centricity meant and how businesses can achieve it. The speakers also examined what customers considered to be excellent service experience, standard service delivery, customer expe-

rience transformation strategies, customer satisfaction, digital service delivery and the effects of internal changes on customers.

Meanwhile, Managing Director, Montgomery West Africa, Tori Abiola, highlighted the importance of paying attention to what mattered to the customer, declaring that "customer experience is about emotions and emotions are about people.

Also, the Chief Commercial Officer, Matthew Willsher, said that ‘’Etis-

alat understands how to respond to rapidly changing customer needs, through interaction. This has helped manage and forestall more issues.

Continuity is a key focus as well, in going a step forward to provide value.

When customers pay, they pay for value,’ he said.

Willsher identified interaction platforms to include digital media and round-the-clock care that make customer access pain-free. He said that "by interaction, an organization is able to collate cus-

tomer issues, pay attention and create long-term solutions. Also, the ability to speak with customers in their locations should be at the forefront.

This is why Etisalat has hundreds of Customer Experience Centres across the country while keeping online care lines open 24 hours for easy global experience as well as focusing on specific market segments. The mission is to keep people first and satisfy customers always. We prescribe this to others, because it works" he added.

T

HE African business community is adopting the use of mobile devices very rapidly. This is the main conclusion drawn from the survey conducted by the Africa Business Panel, involving about 1,776 African business professionals.

The survey demonstrated that about 67 per cent of Africa's business professionals use desktops, versus 94 per cent using laptops. The tablet, a relatively new mobile innovation, is already adopted by 47 per cent of players in the African business world. 76 per cent use a smartphone, which is more than the use of the classic mobile phone (64%).

Nine per cent possess both a private and a company smartphone. However, there are reasons for this massive migration, which the survey also highlighted in its

groups to become more effective in discharging their duties."

“The essence of Vigicom therefore is to enable security men to send or receive alerts and reach out to critical stakeholders, particularly in distress, without being encumbered by the nonavailability of recharge cards even in the remotest part of the country," he said.

"Take for instance armed security men deployed on the highway from Mokwa to Bida to secure travellers against robbers. How would they be able to communicate with each other as well as their headquarters and families in case of emergencies without having to recharge; considering that recharge cards are not available on highways?? With Vigicom, that challenge is over," Amunikoro said.

According to him, all vigilante members need do is pay a monthly rental of N1,000 and communicate with other members of the group and their families who have the special lines for free, throughout the month without incurring extra airtime cost.

VConnect powers 800,000 SMEs online WORKSHOP: From left, Director Police Services, Ministry of Police Affairs, Ms Nura Batagarawa, Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Mr Femi Ogunbayode, CEO Bufferzone Ltd. Mr Akin Fadeyi, Chairman House Committee on Police Affairs Hon. Usman Bello Kumo and Communications Manager, Bufferzone Ltd. Miss Adebola Adeyeye at the Stakeholders Forum on Public Safety & Security Workshop held in Abuja on Monday.

How African professionals migrate to mobile devices

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

LOBACOM has launched a new communication package called Vigicom to assist members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) to effectively perform their duties by freely communicating with each other while on duty.

Specially conceived to support vigilante groups across the country, the package, called Vigicom, will in addition also allow members of vigilante groups to communicate with their families at no cost.

Speaking at the launch of the product in Abuja over the weekend, Commander General of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Alhaji Ali Sokoto said Vigicom will help in effective local policing of remote areas and also assist in gathering necessary intelligence about criminals. He endorsed the Vigicom product and thanked Globacom for coming out with such a wonderful service.

Globacom's Head of Public Sector, Mr. Tunde Amunikoro said, "communication is key to security and that was why Glo launched the package to assist local vigilante

reports.

Security

Laptops are best protected. 87 per cent of laptop owners in the survey had software security installed. For desktops, 76 per cent made use of security, for tablets, 46 per cent, while the least protected are smartphones (44%). People find it difficult to install security software because of high costs, lack of urgency and complexity.

Usage

Smartphones are used most frequently. 65 per cent of participants in the survey use their smartphones several times a day, 54 per cent use their laptops just as frequently, with users of tablets following at 44 percent. 22 per cent never use their personallyowned mobile phones for work related communication as opposed to the smartphone, of which six

percent of the owners say they never use it.

Future use

Asked about expected future use, the rise of mobile devices is confirmed by survey participants. 60 per cent expect a surge in the use of smartphones. For the tablet and the laptop, responses in perceived increase were 58 and 44 percent respectively. On the other hand, asked about which devices participants expected a strong decrease in use, 32 percent indicated the desktop, versus only four per cent for both smartphone and tablet.

Blackberry still a big brand in Africa, iPhone comes third after Samsung

Samsung is the leading smartphone brand in Africa. 30 per cent of respondents that have a personal smartphone,

have a Samsung. Blackberry is runner-up (22%), iPhone comes in third place (19%), prior to Nokia (11%), HTC (6%), Sony Ericsson (2%), LG (1%) and Motorola (1%).

The - smaller - market for company owned smartphones is led by Blackberry (31%), followed by Samsung (25%) and iPhone (23%).

The survey which was conducted between August and September, 2013, had in total, about 1766 Business Professionals from the continent of Africa participating in this research. 73 percent of these participants were said to be either senior managers, executives, directors or business owners. The participants represent a wide range of African countries, with the main contributors coming from Nigeria (19%), South Africa (18%), Kenya (14%), followed by Ghana (5%), Tanzania (3%), Zambia (3%) and Angola (3%).

BY EMEKA AGINAM

A

T the just conclud ed 2013 annual science and technology conference and exhibition held at the Lagos Business School, Ajah, Lagos State, the General Manager, VConnect Global Services, Africa’s largest search engine , Mr Rustagi Deepankar has said that the company has also brought over 800,000 small and medium enterprises online.

While asserting that VConnect is Africa’s largest search engine, he said that the company is a localised search engine created to help Nigerians locate service centres and businesses around them rather than relying information from limited sources; which sometimes lead to waste of time.

According to him, the search engine does not only provide information for emergency situations, but has gained the peoples’ trust as more than 3,000 businesses are added and verified daily.

“In ensuring trust to its registered businesses, VConnect carries out an intensive verification process on all businesses registered on its website to assure users they can do business with them”, he said.

He cited the example of

a VConnect business owner who while being interrogated at a foreign airport gave his business details and showed means of identification but when the immigrations officer was not convinced and asked for more proof, he referred him to the VConnect website. This helped establish that he was the owner of a legitimate business in Nigeria.

According to him, VConnect is focused on helping SMEs in Nigeria by taking them online and building trust in their brands.

According to him, a research carried out by Nigeria Communications Commission, found that there are about 50 million Nigerians online daily and according to SMEDAN, there are 17 million small and medium enterprises, 4 million of which are full structured businesses.

Most SMEs, he said are prone to using one-onone sales methods, promoting businesses to their friends, neighbours, mosques and churches, “These businesses are the small giants waiting to erupt. Combined, they would make a big fish.

This big fish does not have any power until we infuse the power of digital technology” Deepankar further stated.

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

•Keshi

CHAN: Eagles defeat heightens Keshi’s fears

BY JACOB AJOM

T

he Super Eagles defeat by the Jordanian national team in Amman Monday did not come as a surprise to Super Eagles chief coach Stephen Keshi. He raised the alarm before the match while expressing worries about the readiness of the Nigeria Football Federation to support the home-based Eagles ahead of the CHAN championship.

The coach has asked for long camping in order for the players to blend as a unit. Before the Jordan friendly, Keshi told reporters that he expected a tough match because “Jordan has been together for a while and they play Uruguay in the World Cup playoff, so we are playing a very strong team and it would be a difficult game,” Keshi warned ahead of the first-ever clash between the two countries at this level.

Even at that the Afcon winning coach did not expect a defeat for his wards as he stated that the boys had shown some promise. “Their performance is okay. They are really pushing hard to be there. It’s not easy, some of them are new and it’s their first time, so I expect the early panic I have seen from them,” he said.

“But in all, I am impressed at their fitness level. We will continue to do our best but it’s

just that the time is too short for us to do anything before the Jordan game.”

The defeat is an eye opener and a call for serious work on the team as the technical crew is yet to identify players that

•Super Eagles

will go to South Africa.

Another fear is some of the players in the present team may be out of the country soon in search of the proverbial Greener Pastures. Players like Sunday Mba, Azubuike

Egwuekwe and a few others who shone in the just concluded Glo Premier League season may not be in the country by January when CHAN be held in South Africa. Nigeria are expected to

open training camp for CHAN in December.

The Eagles are drawn against hosts South Africa, Mali and Mozambique in the first round of the tournament strictly for players featuring in their various local leagues in Africa.

My mission in Rangers – Obuh

N

ew Rangers of Enugu coach, John Obuh has said his dream is to chart a new course for the club and stop the many years of barren run.

Obuh replaced Okey Emordi, who quit his post on the final day of the past season.

At his presentation after signing for the Flying Antelopes, as Rangers is called, the former Flying Eagles handler said “It is an honour for me to be saddled with the task of leading Rangers back to a trophy-winning side it used to be. It’s a big challenge, which I hope to carry out successfully,” he vowed.

Obuh has long been linked with Rangers ever since he quit as coach of the country’s U20 team, but several Rangers top officials had denied this connection.

Obuh has coached several clubs including Sharks, Kwara United, Niger Tornadoes and Wikki Tourists.

•Serena Williams and Li Na

Serena powers •Lifts the Billy Jean King Trophy

S

erena Williams came back from a set

•Coach Obuh

down to take the WTA Championships final 2-6 6-3 6-0 against Li Na. Williams started slowly as Na took advantage of an opponent still clearly feeling the effects of an injury picked up in Saturday’s semi-final win over Jelena Jankovic.

But the American rallied and Na barely had a look in during the second and final sets as Williams won her fourth WTA Championships

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013 — 29

•Lionel Messi

Bayern dominate Ballon d’Or shortlist F

ranck Ribery leads the way as European champions Bayern Munich boast six players in the 23-man shortlist for the 2013 Ballon d’Or

announced on Tuesday.

Ribery, 30, who contributed significantly to his club’s treble triumph last season, is joined by teammates Philipp Lahm, Thomas Mueller,

Manuel Neuer, Arjen Robben and Bastian Schweinsteiger among the nominees, who are selected by FIFA’s Football Committee and experts from France Football magazine.

All players nominated for the award are currently based in Europe, with Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale and Liverpool’s Luis Suarez also named alongside previous winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The list will be whittled

past Na •Cristiano Ronaldo title.

In the world of tennis in which the window of success closes at alarmingly fast rates by age 30, Williams is acting like a teenager.

Williams sank to her knees after firing a backhand winner on her second match point and becoming the eighth woman to win 11 or more titles in a year - and the first since Martina Hingis had 12 in 1997.

•FranckRibery down to three players in early December, with national team captains and coaches, as well as a select group of media representatives, voting for the winner, who will be announced on Jan. 13 in Zurich.

Robert Lewandowski, of Champions League runnersup Borussia Dortmund, is also nominated to complete a seven-strong Bundesliga contingent, the biggest single grouping from a European league.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is joined by teammates Edinson Cavani and Thiago Silva as well as Monaco forward Radamel Falcao to give Ligue 1 four representatives.

Following his spectacular four-goal burst against Anderlecht in the Champions League last week, French media believe Ibrahimovic, 32 could sneak up on the rails to pip four-time winner Messi, regular candidate Ronaldo and Ribery.

Messi’s Barcelona colleagues Xavi and Andres Iniesta are included, as is Neymar, whose spectacular start to the European chapter of his career has increased his profile still further. Summer signing Bale, after a fine final year with Tottenham, joins Ronaldo as Real Madrid’s sole representatives.

Former Madrid man Mesut Ozil makes the list, forming part of a Premier Leaguebased quintet which also

features Robin van Persie, Eden Hazard, Yaya Toure and Suarez. Italian veteran Andrea Pirlo of Juventus is Serie A’s sole representative.

The man who led Bayern to the summit of European club football last season, Jupp Heynckes, heads the tenstrong shortlist for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football with fellow retiree Sir Alex Ferguson also in the running.

Ballon d’Or shortlist:

Gareth Bale (Real Madrid/ Wales), Edinson Cavani (Paris St Germain/Uruguay), Radamel Falcao (Monaco/Colombia), Eden Hazard (Chelsea/Belgium), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris St Germain/ Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona/Spain), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich/Germany), Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund/Poland), Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Argentina), Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich/ Germany), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich/Germany), Neymar (Barcelona/Brazil), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal/Germany), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus/Italy), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich/France), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich/ Netherlands), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/Portugal), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich/ Germany), Luis Suarez (Liverpool/ Uruguay), Thiago Silva (Paris St Germain/Brazil), Yaya Toure (Manchester City/Ivory Coast), Robin van Persie (Manchester United/Netherlands), Xavi (Barcelona/Spain).

30 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

Nigeria needs more software start-ups Continues from Page 25

Governor of Cross River State, Senator Lyel Imoke told the gathering that future survivability of the country lies in the students start-ups that have participated in the software competition.

‘Food science, safety law'll make Nigeria competitive’ Continues from Page 25

conference was apt at this time when globalization and information technology has made the world a global village.

He said that food processing and handling is a major determinant of nutritional status of a given society.

And with malnutrition estimated to be contributing over 50 per cent of mortality among children under five years in Nigeria, he emphasized the need for all stakeholders to collaborate in order to improve the quality of food processing in Nigeria, using modern science and technology.

In his own address, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Emeka Ihedioha said the National Assembly is committed to ensuring effective regulation and enforcement of high professional standards within the food processing and agricultural sectors the economy.

He said that Nigeria has the potentials to feed its citizens but lacks the enabling laws and technology know how to do so.

“A nation that cannot feed its populace is vulnerable to social crisis and insecurity and external manipulations.

This is why the National Assembly is firmly in support of the efforts to move the country away from a mono-cultural economy and accord food and agricultural sector a renewed attention in the scheme of things”, he said.

According to him, part of the efforts of the National Assembly to encourage the industry was demonstrated in the enactment of the law” that gave the existence of the NIFST a legal backing.

Represented by his Special Assistant on ICT , Odo Effiong, the governor told the students to use software solutions developed for the contest to solve problems in their local communities, saying that his government is promoting the 2013 national software competition with N7.5 million.

However, 70 percent of the fund, it was learnt will go to the winners while the remaining 30 percent will be kept as seed fund for mentoring and innovation.

Accordingly, N2 million will go to the first prize winners, N1.5 million to the second winners while N1 million

will go to the third winners.

For Professor Tapio Varis from the United Nation in his key note speech, recent trends in ICT s put emphasis on the innovation strategy for education and training, which according to him must be embraced by Nigeria for future survivability.

While urging the Nigerian government to benefit from the UNESCO/ IITE e-learning programme, he said that there may be need for national policy on elearning and establishment of a pilot project for a UN e-learning center for ECOWAS in TINAPA. Part of his recommenda-

tion was that Nigeria should ensure that education environment is integrated with knowledge laboratories and techno-enabled lectures.

With a youth population of about 60 per cent, he further recommended that Nigeria should build the capacity and capability to demystifying technology innovation

Need for smart training

Similarly, Professor Pat Utomi during the plenary session told the gathering that there was need to have smart training for the smart society.

While admitting that entrepreneurship was

creating value, he told the student to be innovative in software development so as to face the challenges of the global labor market after graduation.

“How do we deal with curriculum in the universities to drive entrepreneurship? Digital literacy is the key. Nigeria must recognize the division between vocational and academic training as an intervention strategy in the digital economy,"he said.

President of ISPON, Chris Uwaje earlier in his welcome address while admitting that telecoms are significant and very important noted that the current application strategy may not rescue Nigeria from emerging digital knowledge colonization in the near future.

Convinced by the fact that of the country's inability to compete in the heavy technology industry, in the next thirty years, he said that con-

ICT: FG launches bid to empower women, girls

BY EMEKA AGINAM & EMMA ELEBEKE

A

WARE of the grow ing digital divide between men and women in the adoption of ICTs to develop their potentials, the Ministry of Communication Technology yesterday in Abuja unfolded plans to launch three different initiatives that would empower women and girls.

The innovative initiatives including the SmartWoman Nigeria initiative, MCT 1000 ICT Training for Girls and ICT Girls Clubs were developed by the Ministry of Communication Technology, Agriculture, Water Resources, Health and Works.

The Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson in a press conference to speak on the arrangement for the launch of the capacity building projects said that the Ministry in partnership with Hauwei, will launch SmartWoman Nigeria, MCT 1000 ICT Training for Girls in Lagos next week while the ICT Girls Clubs will be launched in January 2014, to promote and sustain the inclusion of women and girls in ICTs. With 23% few women online than men in developing countries, she said that twelve schools, two in each geo-political zone of the country are expected to benefit from the pilot project which will be extended to others schools across the nation.

To achieve this, she said that these five Ministries have signed MOUs with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Finance to develop the potential and

EMPOWERMENT: From right, Director, Women Affairs, Dr. Ijeoma Unaogu, Director, ComTech Ministry, Olawale Edun, Communication Technology Minister, Mrs. Omobola Johnson and Dr. Chii Akporji, Special Adviser/Chief of Staff to the Coordinating Minister of Economy yesterday in Abuja during a press conference to announce initiatives to empower women and girls in ICT. Photo

by Emeka Aginam. earning power of women and deliver on specific services that will impact positively on the lives of Nigerian women.

Although the names of the states and schools were disclosed at press time, SmartWoman Nigeria project, she said seeks to promote the development of women in Nigeria via Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

The project’s target, she said was to have 20,00 women using and receiving content from SmartWomen Nigeria by end of the first year of the project.

She said that the figure is expect to increase rise to 60,000 by the end of the second year and 100,000 by the end of the third year respectively.

ICTs can help the development of women by helping them to be more efficient and effective in their jobs, careers, and busi-

ness and to generate new employment opportunities. It also has the potential to significantly contribute to increasing the social welfare of women,“she said.

The SmartWoman Nigeria Project, according to her will allow women in Nigeria to connect with one another, share their knowledge and learn from each other; and through that empower themselves to achieve their goals, adding that the project will provide an affordable means for Nigerian women to receive, in a timely manner, accurate information that is relevant to their needs.

The project to be delivered in two phases, she said would l provide an affordable means for Nigerian women to receive in a timely manner, accurate information that is relevant to their needs.

According to her, the

objective of Phase one of the initiative was to buildup a community of women that will subscribe to the SmartWoman service through their digital devices including (phone, tablet, PC, among others.

These women, she explained will pay a subscription fee between N160 to N320 per month after which they receive content daily on a wide range of issues ranging from career tips to parenting, health, finance, leisure etc.

In Phase two of the project, the SmartWoman Nigeria, Johnson said will be extended to 'beneficiary' women who will receive targeted content via text messages free of charge. Such content, she said will include life skills, money management, legal issues, health, safety and security etc. and specific information from participating Ministries.

ventional wisdom dictates that the country's 90% telecom centric focus against 10% creative technology and IT/software innovation may result into development jeopardy in the mainstream of Information society.

Technology equilibrium needed

He noted that what the country needs is technology equilibrium innovative strategy where equivalent resources is strategically deployed simultaneously to stimulate innovation in both critical sectors and observe their GDP value added to the nation building development.

While advising the students to become software entrepreneurs for global competitiveness, he said that, “If the goals of retooling the workforce is to facilitate wealth creation, enhance our competitive edge in the global knowledge Olympiad and ensure as well as sustain national survivability, then we who are gathered here today in Tinapa Knowledge city are duty bound to discover the lasting solutions.”

Of 24 teams that competed in the first round, ten were shortlisted in the second round after which three teams emerged 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the final round of the competition that saw Olaoluwa Aboluwarin, Oluwadara Oladapo and Mofesola Banjo as the first prize winner with Enchanter as the project name in the 2013 ISPON software competition grand price.

The three students were selected after four days of creative work in a keenly contested software competition involving about 70 students from 21 schools from Nigerian tertiary institutions at the Nigerian knowledge city, Tinapa, Calabar, Cross River state.

Team 1 from Covenant University, Otta with Anti-cultism social education media won the second prize with Ativie Raymond, Orogo Alanunioluwa as team members.

Also, Team Efficacy from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife came third with team members including Moyin Adeyemi, Adegoke Obasa and Adeyemi Olaoye .

However, 24 teams in different categories including mobile app, web app, desktop app, and mobile game had competed in national software completion and conference sponsored by Main One, Nigerian Communications Commission, NEXIM Bank, NITDA among others.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30 , 2013 — 31

32 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson (right) presenting a souvenir to the former Speaker of the Federal House Representatives, Hon. Umar Ghali Na’abba (2nd right) during a public lecture organised as part of activities to celebrate the 17 years of the creation of Bayelsa State in Yenagoa. On the left is former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope.

Bayelsa bubbles at 17, relishes landmarks N

EARLY two decades after Bayelsa State was created through an independence anniversary broadcast by then Head of State General Sani Abacha, the mood across the state is still euphoric.

This was evident from the spirit of oneness that pervaded the entire state during its recent 17th year anniversary celebration.

The series of activities which attracted prominent Nigerians from all walks of life to the state, provided an avenue for a review of how far and well Bayelsa has progressed since its creation.

Despite being regarded as one of the smallest states in the country, in terms of population and land mass, Bayelsa is endowed with vast natural resources. This makes the state a major contributor to Nigeria’s oil wealth.

It was expected that the oil wealth would have translated into overwhelming prosperity, but some past administrators have been accused of not using the oil proceeds to transform the state into the Glory Land it was meant to be.

Vanguard Features,VF, however learnt that a new Bayelsa is being created from the creeks of the Niger Delta. This must have informed the euphoria that greeted the well-attended anniversary celebrations. ‘’Yes I am proud to be a Beyelsan and an Ijaw man.

This state is a legacy that every Ijaw person must help to grow in every facet. Without malice to past administrations, this government

C M Y K

is creating a new Bayelsa. You can see I am here in Government House not as an official but as a concerned indigene to celebrate Bayelsa at 17,’’ an excited Ebiere Markson told VF. The high point of the anniversary celebrations was a public lecture convened by the state government.

Legacy for every Ijaw person Those at the lecture entitled: “Good Governance as a Panacea for Promoting a Stable and Sustainable Democracy”, included former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Na’Abba; former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife; Chief Ebenezer Babatope; Chief Diete Spiff; Dr. Edmund Daukoru; Rear- Admiral John Jonah (retd.); Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Konbowei Friday and the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Kate Abiri.

Na’Abba who chaired what turned out to be a robust debate on how best to deepen democracy, observed that the choice of the topic was in line with the fact that Governor Dickson is a firm believer in the power of democracy.

He posited that every democracy must not be lacking in legitimacy, direction, performance, accountability and fairness. These, he noted translate into good governance. Quoting the late literary icon, Prof. Chinua Achebe, he said: “Good governance is the

palm kernel with which democracy is eaten. Any democracy without good governance is only democracy in nomenclature. By good governance, it is meant that the state operators are providing their citizens with what is generally referred to as the dividends of democracy,” he said.

The former Speaker, who could not hide his admiration for the various ongoing developmental projects in the state, punctured the general assumption in Nigeria that dividends of democracy involve provision of potable water, food, good roads or electricity. ‘’Dividend of democracy is neither the provision of potable water, food, good roads, electricity or any of such. These categories are just a small tip of the iceberg.

According to the United Nations Development Program,UNDP, good governance has five main universal principles. These are legitimacy, direction , performance, accountability and fairness,’’ he explained.

Town hall meetings These principles, he said, are evident in the manner the state is being governed. Backing his argument with examples, Na’Abba said: ‘’Many times since you were elected, Nigerians have watched with keen interest how you organise town hall meetings where you discuss the problems of your state with the public with a view to reaching a consensus

on issues relating to governance.

Through this mechanism, you have been able to establish political stability in Bayelsa.’’

Chief Babatope who was the guest speaker, noted thus: “If we have not effectively ensured that the democratic, constitutional and religious rights of Nigerians are very well respected and protect-

,

By CHARLES KUMOLU

ness, communication and accountability. The government should operate in such a way that the public sees easily what activities are undertaken by it, and how the activities are performed,” he said.

For him, what Dickson instituted is novel. He regretted that during his tenure as governor of old Anambra State, it never occurred to him to convene a public forum to give the people an insight into the workings of the state.

Town hall meetings The transparency briefing, which was held at the Banquet Hall of the Government House a day after the lecture, attracted Bayelsans from the various strata of the society. The forum which is held monthly, was the 16th edition. Addressing Bayelsans during the transparency briefing, the Governor explained that the much talked about €60 million loan is tied to direct aid from Poland. He pointed out that it is not a loan facility as being peddled by the opposition.

He described the financial assistance tagged “Tied Direct Aid, TDA”, as interest-free and is aimed at financing the proposed Maritime Academy at Okpoama in the Brass Island area of the state.

Dickson stated that his administration is not taking any loan from any bank or government, rather the Polish Government has agreed to finance the proposed Maritime Academy and recoup its investment in 30 years.

His words: “The Polish Government offered to work with us to build a Maritime Academy which is like a university. We wanted a maritime academy in Brass Island. This State has the poten-

A new Bayelsa is being created from the creeks of the Niger Delta; this must have informed the euphoria that greeted the well-attended anniversary celebrations

ed under the administration of President Jonathan, our country would have succumbed to the machinations of the Boko Haram people and their sponsors” Continuing, he said: “I hate reading ill-motives on any group of organisations or persons. I, therefore, will not accuse the Boko Haram people of allowing themselves to be used by some evilminded politicians.’’

Former Anambra State Governor, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife also lauded Dickson’s style of governance. He commended the Governor for the transparent manner he had run the state since assuming office, adding that a government is said to be transparent when information about its activities are accessible to the public.

“Government is transparent when there is openness of access to government information-where the people/civil servants are open to citizen’s request for information. Transparency requires open-

,

tials because of our maritime nature. We want to dominate the maritime industry going forward.”

The Deputy Governor, Jonah, who made a presentation of the state’s financial position, said the gross inflow was N13.7billion.

A further breakdown shows that statutory allocation stood at N2.5billion; Derivation Fund N8.6 billion; SURE-P-N1.5billion while the state did not receive any fund from the excess Crude Account and Augmentation for the Month of August.

He also stated that total deductions at source came to N2.71billion comprising a Bond loan of N1.2billion, foreign loans amounted to N12 million while refund of overpayment on the revised Excess Crude Account from 2008 to 2009 stood at N187.8million representing the 32nd payment out of 72 installments.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013 — 33

Izombe: When peace returns to strife-torn community

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA, Owerri

B

EFORE the discovery and extraction of oil in Izombe, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, the rural, peaceful town was something anybody would wish to be his ancestral home. Things however changed abruptly with the advent of oil. The town started experiencing difficult times.

At some point, the town was completely a no-go-area because of very serious intra-communal strife. No villager believed in the other person. Confusion reigned supreme.

Property of varying shapes and worth, including public and private buildings and historical artifacts, were either burnt or destroyed. Apart from the damage to property, many people lost their lives and those who were lucky to survive the onslaught sought refuge in neighbouring communities.

Izombe sadly transformed into a ghost town.

Return of sanity: It took years to achieve peace. Surviving the peace was equally a different ball game, but when some C M Y K

sanity returned, the people gladly commenced the process of reintegrating and rehabilitating the returning refugees, as well as reconstructing damaged buildings.

In the process, some concerned people of Izombe formed a group known as Jisike Regional Development Foundation, JRDF. This group has turned out to be a communitydriven development organisation in the area. The organisation’s target is to upgrade the living standards of the people and ensure sustainable growth and development through a global memorandum of understanding, GMoU, with oil companies operating in the community.

Vanguard Features gathered that JRDF was founded in 2005 to represent Obeabo and Umunwama autonomous communities. The body has since entered into and signed a GMoU with Chevron Nigeria Limited, Imo State Government and other stakeholders to work together to create a climate of mutual understanding, promotion of development and peace in the community. This understand-

Past projects executed under the GMoU Tremendous progress was made in providing solar-powered water projects in seven villages. They include Umuele, Umuakpa, Ubagwugwu, Amaudo, Umuowerre and Ndiawa, all in Obeabo and Umunwama communities.

The body has equally constructed a one-block of 20 lockup stores at Ekewell Market, installed a 500KVA transform-

er with high and low tension distribution lines in Ugbele village and constructed two town halls in Eziama and Okwudor villages.

With the transfer of community scholarship administration to JRDF in 2010 by Chevron Nigeria Limited, the body has provided yearly scholarship to post-primary and post-second-

,

*The Umunwama Cottage Hospital

ing will equally create the needed peaceful atmosphere for the oil company to perform its operation without hindrance.

Although this agreement has its challenges, it has however inspired constructive efforts and commitments in taking responsibility and positive action to actualise the desired needs and aspirations of Izombe people.

The process has continued to provide the platform for other stakeholders to participate in the development and transformation of the communities. In the last eight years of the GMoU, the community has recorded more successes and continued to add value to life and living. What is more interesting is that the capacities of JRDF members have been built and continually strengthened to take advantage of the abundant opportunities, as well as bring meaningful development to the communities.

al support projects have been completed in Umunwama Girls Secondary School. As at the last count, 20 youths from the community are currently being trained at the National Metallurgical Training Institute, Onitsha, Anambra State.

What makes this hospital project embarked upon by the community very laudable is that there is no functional hospital to serve the needs of the entire Oguta South. The hospital has Nurses and Doctors’ quarters.

With the commissioning of this hospital and installation of state-of-the-art facilities, the four communities in Izombe and the neighbouring towns in Oguta local council area can now access the facility.

In a message delivered at the commissioning ceremony on behalf of the General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, PGPA, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. Deji Haastrup, said the projects would not have been realised without the support and cooperation of the villagers.

“We are excited about the progress being made by the JRDF since the GMoU was signed in 2005. Today, we are happy that numerous achievements in the last year include the completion and commissioning of the Umunwama Cottage Hospital, the procurement and installation of two 500KVA transformers with high and low tension distribution lines, as well as the numerous economic empowerment initiatives, including the tricycle revolving loan scheme”, Haastrup said.

He was particularly happy that without the support and cooperation of the communities, they would not have realised

At some point, the town was completely a no-go-area because of very serious intracommunal strife. No villager believed in the other person. Confusion reigned supreme ary students from the area.

In 2011, JRDF initiated economic empowerment programme under a revolving loan scheme with the purchase and distribution of 27 tricycles as poverty reduction strategy.

The body hopes to extend this gesture to another 30 beneficiaries before the end of this year.

New projects: The organisation has recently completed and commissioned N134.6 million projects. They include Umunwama Cottage Hospital as well as two electricity projects. Two 500KVA transformers have been installed and energised. Similarly, high tension and low tension distribution lines have equally been extended to homes, as part of the rural electrification programme of the organisation.

Toilet facilities and education-

,

their dream of making the GMoU model an effective social performance model.

Chevron’s PGPA, who was represented by the GMoU Coordinator, Eastern Operations, Mr. George Iluwa, was also of the view that “these partnerships have added significant value to communities in our areas of operations and we will like it to be sustained through enabling business environment”.

The greatest success of the GMoU is in meeting its objectives of making communities take the driver’s seat in their own development and ensuring huge empowerment and capacity building opportunities get to their people.

Like the Chairman of JRDF said, “the GMoU model is working and leaving lasting legacies in our communities”.

34—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

Fake documents tarnish credibility

BY VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU

I

T has been discovered that a large number of Nigerians who seek visas to migrate to various countries of choice abroad, are being denied entry, based on the fact that the documents they submitted to the embassies for processing, were discovered to be fake and not issued by the right Nigerian issuing authorities.

In addition to this, most victims were not entirely truthful with the information they supplied while filling out their forms. It is even more worrisome to realise that these unfortunate applicants had to part with large sums of money

to procure these fake documents which they used to back up their visa applications.

Although some of these embassies in Nigeria periodically advise visa seekers on the dangers behind presentation of fake documents, using a proxy and or patronising embassy touts, applicants most often than not, still end up falling prey to fraudsters.

In line with the aforementioned, the Consular Officer, United States Embassy, Abuja, Ryan Feeback, at the Cyprian Ekwensi Centre for Arts and Culture, counseled Nigerian students on the need to be truthful with visa application documentations stressing that the

major reason behind visa denial was fake documentation.

Ryan said, “Consular officers would always detect fake documents, and are not always impressed when applicants do not follow basic instructions and then go out to pay someone to produce fake documents or fill out the application on their behalf.

When you come in with fake documents your credibility will be tarnished and you would deny yourself the opportunity to study or to ever travel to the U.S.” Confirming Ryan’s declaration, Lawrence, a lecturer at Lagos State University, LASU, who spoke to Vanguard Consular Advisory, disclosed that presentation of fake visa

documentation was responsible for his visa denial at the United States embassy, thereby, cutting down his dreams of ever studying at any institution of learning in the U.S. Lawrence said, “I got to know an agent through one of my friends who disclosed that the said visa agent assisted one of his relations to procure a visa to Europe.

“I was charged a total sum of N720, 000 to get me a United States student’s visa within two weeks, counting from the date the money was paid. I deposited N500, 000 of the agreed fee, and promised to pay him the balance of N220, 000 as soon as the documents were handed to me.”

Oblivious of the fact that a U.S visa was not something one needed to employ the services of an agent or

intermediary to obtain, Lawrence ignorantly paid the agent the money they both agreed for the services rendered. Armed with the documents, he sent in his application for onward processing, but was disappointed when he was refused visa based on the fact that the documents he provided were fake and not from the right Nigerian issuing authorities.

He said, “I became so devastated, having foolishly lost all my savings to a fraudster, who claimed that he was capable of getting me a visa with the help of a visa officer at the U.S embassy, and when it dawned on me that I was duped, I resigned to fate” Lawrence’s case applies to a large number of Nigerian visa seekers. Forthwith, intending travellers, who seek visas to enter different countries of choice abroad, should in their interest, ensure that they desist from patronizing touts, as well as submitting fake documents, as indulging in such acts, would only get them defrauded and frustrated.

IAS rescues UK visa applicants in Nigeria

BY NNAMDI OJIEGO

F

informed team, IAS is committed to delivering world class visa services to Nigerian U.K visa applicants” He added, “IAS representation in Nigeria would ensure that applicants whose previous visa applications were unsuccessful, either as a result of improper documentation and or lack of comprehensive supporting documents, are made to go through a judicial review.”

Okeregha also noted that most Nigerians were being denied visa based

OLLOWING t h e commencement of Immigration Advice Service (IAS) operations in Nigeria, Nigerian U.K visa applicants, would henceforth, experience stress free visa application processes, as the U.K based organisation promises to bring succour to the teeming population of Nigerian U.K visa applicants.

Speaking at the launch, the Director, Immigration Advice Service, Ono Okeregha, expressed that a number of Nigerian U.K visa applicants had encountered s e v e r a l unpleasant experiences in the attempt to obtain various categories of U.K visas, thus the •IAS Director, Ono Okeregba need for a competent i m m i g r a t i o n on provision of representation in documents that are Nigeria to assist fraudulent and not from applicants achieve a the right Nigerian smooth through visa issuing authorities, processing. stressing, ‘these, to a Okeregha said, “Our large extent have aim in Nigeria is to reach regrettably contributed out to prospective to majority of them being Nigerian U.K visa denied visa to various applicants, through choice countries abroad. providing them with I urged prospective visa professional advice on applicants to engage the proper visa services of IAS for proper documentation and visa documentation, proceedings in order to administration and avoid visa refusal. With appeal.” our experienced and well

Vanguard Vanguard,, YOUR LUCK TODAY

GEMINI: Positive events that started yesterday will continue today. Rely more on your ability to be as bold as necessary so that you can get things done your own way at work.

CANCER: Good luck will smile at you. Romantic interlude that started last yesterday may become excitingly louder and melodious to the satisfaction of your soul.

LEO: If you allow domestic pressure to affect your working pattern, your senior colleagues may not understand and make things a bit more difficult. IF you’re stable, you will have more to gain financially.

VIRGO: After snappy aggressive approach exhibited by you yesterday ,you are back at your being pleasant self to the admiration of others. This is the wrong time to take law and it’s agents for granted. Youngs-at-heart are favoured so also commercial activities.

— 35

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 TAURUS: Opposition between the Moon and Pluto may induce personality clashes you don’t need at lest for now. What can help you now is love and your being persuasive. Think of the future.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

A

RE you in good term with your landlord?

I mean, do you have an excellent relationship with your landlord? If yes, congratulation!

I want to ask you

Are you a senior tenant? (1) a simple question: how many years have you lived in the house - ten years, twenty years, thirty years etc?

How many years? I

TERROR MUDA

was discussing with a neighbour the other day and he told me he has lived in a house for a whooping twenty eight years, twenty

in “Never say goodbye”

eight years, I exclaimed! That’s long enough to build your own house. That’s long enough to be your own landlord or is it a crime for you to have your own house? ...

By Lanre Kehinde

LIBRA: Some of you will wake up from slumber and realise mistakes about your finances early enough and make amendment but those who are reckless will commit more blunder.

Beware of joint venture.

SCORPIO: Although erratic people from unexpected quarters may oppose you openly, your being self assertive will earn you both victory and financial success. Then tomorrow will prove more successful.

SAGITTARIUS: The more ambitious you are the better for you. Then you will need to ignore those with queer characteristics within your working arena.

CAPRICORN: Mixed trends are indicated. If you take good advice from your cool headed friends, you will benefit more than you imagine, but if you take to unpredictable attitude, you will today start fire that will burn with great intensity tomorrow.

AQUARIUS: If you take the veterans within your base for granted, they will fail you painfully. Yet here is a lucky day for you when your being secretive and self reliant will earn you success. Be more ambitious.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

PISCES: Some of the people around you may get on your nerve via careless remarks, you must not allow them to disorganise your plans. The closer you are to the influential people the better for you.

ARIES: “Money is the root of all evils” says an adage. And if care is not taken, money may set you and some other people fiercely against each other to the detriment of your cause. Be cautious.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

What is my luck?

Dear Joshua, I am deeply interested in Astrology: and the way you analyse people is great, keep it up. Kindly tell me whatever you think I should know about my life together with my luck, social life and my lucky number.

Oyetoro, Abia.

Dear Oyetoro, Thank you for your words of encouragement. Too many things are important but I think what both your immediate and far future have for you must be revealed to you so that you will be prepared.

Mars in Aquarius together with Uranus are pointers to an active social life. The more influential social circle you belong to, the better for you. You’re the cool-headed type beloved by many but once your anger manages to fly off, it can be very difficult if not dangerous; it’s because of your natal Pluto. Yet they keep coming your way.

Saturn can not help forcing challenges on your way, luckily for you however, you have what it takes to live up to the challenges. And as Saturn will never deny it’s worthy native the deserved success, it also gives recognition.

Saturn or no Saturn, good relationship bet Mars and lucky Jupiter when you were born, are green tumb for WEALTH; you will be wealthier more than having liquid cash; nobody can stop your becoming wealthy.

Best colours for you include YELLOW, golden, black but not coconut white. Your sleeping posture should be on East/ West axis with your head to the West.

5 is your destiny number, 9 is your ambition, 8 is your expression, your other numbers are 1, 6, 7 & 11. Thus, they are as superior as listed.

Between now and your 44th year on earth (three and half years) women, money, youngster will greatly feature in your life and a few publicity cum commercial success equally indicated for you.

However come your 45th year (around that period) tough challenges which will border on stiff competition, avoidable accident, treachery and money will come your way.

Although it sounds somehow, it’s the needed tonic for and or pillar for an endless cycle of success that will follow.

Therefore whatever can be shaken to the foundation or be uprooted by that time should not be initiated now.

The future is truly brilliant for you.

VIRGINIA

HOME AND ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

by Lawrence Akapa

36—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

A'Ibom set for 9,999 Carol Night

RETREAT: From left— Mr. Atiku Dambatta, Head Organisational R e s o u r c i n g Department, Debt Management Office, DMO; Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, DirectorGeneral, DMO, and Senator Uzamere at a three-day retreat with the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts held in Benin, Edo State. PHOTO: Barnabas Uzosike.

P

REPARATIONS are on for the hosting of the sixth edition of Akwa Ibom Government’s 9,999-member choir Christmas Carol Night.

Director of Protocol to the Governor, Mr. Aniekpeno Mkpanang, said in Uyo that the planning committee had raised a 200-man band Ibom Chorale and Orchestra comprising a 100-man classical mass choir, a 50-man orchestra choir, 35 singers, 10 instrumentalists and 10 lead singers to beef up this year ’s edition.

Mkpanang, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Protocol, added that the committee had reduced Brass Band from a 200-man to a 100man band.

He said national and international artistes such as Israel Houghton, Lionel Peterson, Sinach, Frank Edwards, Omemma among others, will be at the event.

Akwa Ibom voices, such as Aity Dennis Inyang, Pastor Goody Goody, Fadabasi, Linda Etukudoh, Nathaniel Bassey, Freke Umoh, and Folake Umosen will also feature at the Carol night.

Passage

P

APA London Ighomrore of Orhumaro quarters in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, aged 101, is dead.

Late Papa London was the first Secretary-General of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU. He is survived by children, among whom are Mr. Anthony Ighomrore and Mr. Patrick Ighomrore, Delta State House of Assembly aspirant under Peoples’ Democratic party, PDP, in 2011.

Burial arrangement will be announced later.

AVIATION SCANDAL: BASA deal important than Reps' probe, says forum

BY KENNETH EHIGIATOR

T

HE Middle-Belt/SouthSouth Forum has flayed the order given to the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, by the House of Representatives to leave the signing of Bilateral Air Service Agreement, BASA, with Israel and return to the country to appear at the public hearing, probing the acquisition of armoured vehicles by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA. The House Committee Chairman on Aviation, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, had after the public hearing last Thursday, ordered the Minister to leave Israel and appear at the public hearing today, or the House would order her arrest.

However, a chieftain of the forum and the former Military Governor of Delta State, Colonel David Dungs (rtd) flayed the House for the order.

He said that the signing of air service agreement with Israel was more important than the probe, as all Christians in Nigeria were looking forward to a direct flight to Israel, adding that the probe should not be used to scuttle that chance.

Dungs said while the forum did not see anything wrong with the probe, the House could shift the date for the hearing until the min-

ister returns home, remarking that the Committee Chairman, Onyejeocha, might not understand the importance and the sensitive nature of the agreement, although she is a Christian.

He said: “The BASA signing is something that had been planned, so they should wait for

the minister to come back because the agreement is more beneficial to the country than the probe.

“Even during the military era, things did not work that way. Issues of national interest are given priority. The Chairman of the Committee may not understand that you cannot just abort some-

‘DESOPADEC committed to projects completion' and quality of work done, assur- competent contractors, so as to pave way for the execution of

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI— MEMBER rep resenting Ughelli South, Udu and Uvwie local government areas on the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Mr. Festus Utuama, has said that the commission was committed to the completion of ongoing projects for the benefit of the oil bearing communities across the state.

Speaking while inspecting the ultra-modern primary school building project embarked upon

by DESOPADEC in Ovwor community, Ughelli South, Utuama said that the commission was keying into the three point agenda of the state government.

He commended Obakpor Engineering Limited, the contractor handling the projects, for the pace

ing that the commission was working relentlessly to ensure speedy completion of the project.

He said that the commission was leaving no stone unturned in its resolve to ensure that its projects were awarded to only

P

ORT HARCOURT— MARINE transporters at the Nemba Waterside in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, have complained that the dangerous structure of the ruined Nembe Jetty has caused the death of six passengers this year.

Nembe Branch Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of

Nigeria, David Teke, said some passengers slip and fall into the water while trying to negotiate the dangerous jetty to board boats.

He said: “The jetty is too high.

We want it reconstructed to directly connect the water so that a passenger does not have to jump and stretch his or her legs before entering a boat.

“If the condition remains the

projects to specification.

Utuama commended the people of the Ovwor community for their peaceful disposition and provision of the right atmosphere for the completion of the project.

Etche monarch lauds Amaechi over new stools

N

ATIVES of the three clan kingdoms in Etche ethnic nationality have commended Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State on the recent upgrading and recognition of their agelong traditional chieftaincy stools by his administration.

The three clan kingdoms include Igbo-Agwurasa, the Agwuru-Ozuzu and the Agwuru-Okehi kingdoms in Etche Local Government Area of

Union raises alarm over dangerous P'Harcourt jetty

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

thing that took a long time to plan.

“It is an important agreement, which is above everything internal that the House wants to do.

So she should be allowed to complete the BASA deal, then they can ask her to come and appear at the public hearing.”

same without anybody coming to our aid, we may go on mass protest to tell the world what we are passing through.

“We cannot continue to fold our hands and watch people get killed due to the bad condition of the jetty.

“Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has visited the jetty, yet nothing has been done.”

the state.

HRM Eze Austin Amaechi at his palace in Igbo-Agwurasa kingdom, one of the new first class stool titles, said that the dividends and impact of upgrading of the chieftaincy stools would go a long way in bringing the people at the grassroots closer to government for speedy development.

He said: “In the history of our people, the Igbo-Agwurasa clan kingdom will never forget that Governor Amaechi played a vital role in bringing the people at the grassroots closer to government, especially the upgrading and recognition of the Igbo-Agwurasa to first class chieftaincy stool.

“This is something our people have been patiently waiting for, so we can be independent.

“Governor Amaechi embarked on a familiarisation tour to Etche council six years ago.

“We are happy over this development and our people are ready to support Governor Amaechi anytime he beckons.”

Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013—37

Delta Central: Party agents call for probe ‘Our experience’ into beating

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI— YOUTH leader of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, Mr. Victor Ohare, yesterday, appealed to the leadership of the party to probe the alleged attack on the party ’s agents sent to Evwreni during the October 12 Delta Central by-election.

PDP’s agents had alleged that they were beaten up by some of the community youths believed to be members of the party and All Progressives Congress, APC. Noting that the party agents were mobbed and chased out of the units, Ohare said: “I had to rescue them and take them to a hotel in Evwreni.

“I later heard that the other two agents were beaten up, ar-

NPC, WAIFEM partner on Vision 20: 2020 goals

BY UDEME CLEMENT

I

N line with the policy of the Federal Government to reposition Nigeria’s economy to be among the top 20 economies by 2020, the National Planning Commission, NPC, has partnered West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management, WAIFEM, to map out sound econometric models and forecasting techniques to make short and long term economic projections.

The Director, Macro, NPC, Mr. Tunde Lawal, who addressed participants at the opening ceremony of the training workshop on macro-economic modeling and forecasting for officials of the Commission, said that modeling and forecasting were key instruments in economic planning, policy formulation and implementation for the economy to thrive.

Director General of WAIFEM, Prof. Akpan Ekpo, on his part, said: “Econometric modeling and forecasting help in understanding the operation of the economy and enhances policy decision making process both at the macro and micro levels.”

rested by some party chieftains and locked up in police cell for hours.

“All efforts to secure their release on bail did not yield any positive result until the President General of the community, Mr. Solomon Ukumor, stepped in and secured their release on bail.

“What surprised me was that it was PDP that attacked agents of the party in Ewvreni.

“It is clear that the PDP ward executives do not have the interest of the party at heart.”

Narrating his ordeal to newsmen in Ughelli, Mr. Emmanuel Ogbebor said: “We were 10 agents that were sent by PDP to man the 10 units in Evwreni.

I was PDP agent in Unit 3.

“As soon we entered the town, we were introduced to PDP ward chairmen.

“Surprisingly, we were asked to leave the community, that we are not indigenes of the community and that the election was to be conducted only by Evwreni people.

“What baffled us most was that we were beaten up in the presence of some PDP chief-

tains, while two of us were arrested and detained from 1pm till 6pm.

“I managed to escape with other seven agents through a bush path. One of us lost his phone and cash during the attack.”

Also giving his account, Mr. Efe Ebrudu, said: “I and one Afokeya Kenneth were seriously beaten up after which we were arrested and detained for over four hours.

“We were taken to the police station by some party chieftains, while the other eight persons managed to escape.”

Urhobo holds confab

A

TAMU Social Club will hold an international conference for the Urhobo people on Saturday, November 2, tagged Urhobo: This House Must Not Fall.

Speaking on the event billed for the Conference Centre of the Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, Effurun, Delta State, President of the club, Johnson Agagbo said there was need for Urhobo people to be proactive in tackling the challenges confronting them.

Chairman of the Organising Committee of the conference, Abraham Ogbodo said Professor Sam Oyovbaire will be chairman; Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, father of the day, while speakers include Dr. Sunny Awhaefada, Professor Rose Aziza of Delta State University respectively and Professor Ben Oghojafor of the University of Lagos.

Convention VISIT: From left— Director of Highway, Ministry of Works, Mr. Bala Dan Shehu; Wlliam van Hout; Executive Chairman, LEE Engineering & Construction Limited, Dr. Leemon Ikpea; Works Minister, Mr. Mike Onolememen; Jos Platenburg; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Abubakar Koro Mohammad and General Manager, Business Relations, Lee Engineering & Construction Limited, Godwin Abhulimen, during a courtesy visit by LEE Engineering and its foreign partners to the Ministry of Works headquarters in Abuja.

CEPEJ lauds Jonathan on nat'l confab c'ttee

N

ATIONAL Coordinator of Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ, Sheriff Mulade has commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the inauguration of an advisory committee to work out modalities for the conduct of a fruitful national conference.

Mulade, who made the com-

mendation in Ughelli, Delta State, said that the call for an all-embracing dialogue by various stakeholders was long overdue.

He said: “The plethora of political and socio-economic problems confronting Nigeria in recent times make this move critical.

“And the national conference

Lagos assures on energy conservation

A

S the observance of October as the dedicated Energy Conservation month draws to a close, the Lagos State Government has assured residents that it would not stop reinforcing the key messages of the Conserve Energy Save Money, CESM, campaign.

The government said the campaign was not a one off thing, as it would be sustained until Lagosians internalised energy conservation practice and make it part of their day-to-day way of life.

The General Manager, Lagos State Electricity Board, LSEB, Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi, made

the explanation during the final lap of the public enlightenment campaign on energy conservation at the Energy Experience Centre in Lagos.

She said: “The reason we did this in the first place was because people were not enlightened. We are not under any misconception that because we have been doing this for one month, the whole of Lagos will know.

“One thing we are sure of is that when we continue with this message, we will keep reinforcing it to Lagosians and make sure that energy conservation is priority to them.”

provides the right platform to address these challenges and correct existing anomalies with a view to putting the country on its right path and preserving its unity.”

He enjoined Nigerians, irrespective of political, ethnic or religious affiliations, to support the initiative, charging the Senator Femi Okurounmu-led panel to work assiduously, consult and come up with an acceptable framework towards facilitating a comprehensive dialogue.

A

civil awareness and non-political organisation, De Norsemen Kclub, will, between November 7 and 9, hold its 5th annual convention in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

International President of the organisation, Mr. Tony Eteng, said that the convention will feature a public lecture on HIV/ AIDS, to be delivered by a renowned international anti-AIDS campaigner, Mr. Eze Iyeme.

He said the theme of the lecture is HIV/AIDS: Coping with and Curbing the Pandemic in SubSahara Africa, adding that a medical expert, Dr. Udeme Asibong and a civil rights activist, Mr. Chibuzor Nwogu, will also speak at the event, which will attract notable Nigerians from all walks of life.

Odunuga for burial

M

RS Oreoluwa Modupe Odunuga, nee Odunewu, is dead.

She died on Friday, October 18.

According to the family, she would be buried after a Christian wake keep on Tuesday, November 5, at Queens College Hall, Yaba, Lagos and funeral service on Wednesday, November 6, at Community Hall, Sam Shonibare Street, Surulere, Lagos.

38—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

Abia gives 15 buses to to schools

Anambra 2013: APC blames destruction of party bill-boards on APGA

BY GBENGA OKE

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA—GOV ERNOR Theodore Orji of Abia State, has donated six 30-seater buses to students of the five tertiary institutions in the state, saying they were rewards for good conduct.

Orji also donated nine other buses to convey school pupils and students to and from their various schools in Aba and Umuahia, bringing the number of buses donated to schools to 15.

Orji said that there had not been any students’ unrest in the state since the present administration came into office and commended the students for their good behaviour.

The schools that would benefit from the largesse include the Federal Government-owned Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike as well as the Abia State university, Uturu; Abia State Polytecnic, Aba; College of Health Technology, Aba; College of Education Technical, Arochukwu and Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba.

Imo to establish 4 specialist hospitals

O

WERRI—THE Imo Government has said it would soon establish four specialist hospitals to cater for complex cases and ensure the efficiency of the healthcare delivery system in the state.

Governor Rochas Okorocha announced this while inspecting ongoing construction work at the Owerri North New General Hospital in Naze, near Owerri.

He listed the hospitals to be established under this new arrangement to include the gynaecology, paediatrics, psychiatric and ophthalmology specialist hospitals.

“The aim is to ensure that the people of the state do not travel abroad again for medical services,” the governor said.

Okorocha said government would use some of the 27 new general hospitals under construction in the state for the hospitals.

A

WKA—ALL Progressive Congress, APC, in Anambra State has placed the alleged destruction of 114 of its bill boards at the door steps of the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA -led administration of Governor Peter Obi. This was contained in a statement Mr. Okelo Madukaife on behalf of Dr. Chris Ngige Campaign Organisation, in Awka ,yesterday.

Ngige is APC’s gubernatorial candidate for the November 16 election in the state.

The statement read, ‘’Our attention has been drawn to the propaganda piece ‘Ngige pulls down Obiano’s bill board,’ which has been circulated on the internet by a paid Anambra State Government/APGA writer. ’’In the first place, Ngige has not pulled down anyone’s billboards and is not likely to do so in spite of the provocations by the APGA camp using government apparatus to pull down over 64 billboards and destroying more than 50 others belonging to Senator Chris

Ngige, the candidate to beat in the elections. Ngige has since moved on with other creative ways of reaching the voters in Anambra State which is continuously evolving. ’’Our candidate is not a stranger to persecution and his

strength and popularity is partly owed to his tremendous capability to keep his eyes on the ball, by not resorting to revenge, when the bottom line effect could be counter productive. We understand the discomfort and disquiet cre-

ated in the Anambra State Government circles and the APGA fold, because their plan is to draw Ngige out into the field on a full-scale combat, a plan that was developed as part of a sevenpoint agenda to compromise the November 16 elections.”

PRESS CONFERENCE: Supervising Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Viola Onwuliri (left) addressing a joint press conference with her Palestine counterpart, Ryad Almalky, after a bilateral meeting between Nigeria and Palestine in Ramallah, Tuesday.

Umuahia market relocation, dream come true —Gov Orji U

MUAHIA—GOVERNOR Theodore Orji of Abia State, has said that the effective relocation of the central market in Umuahia which had hitherto disrupted development as it occupied the better part of the capital city is a long dream come true.

In a statement in Umuahia, yesterday, by his Special Adiver on Public Commuication, Mr. Ben Onyechre, The governor said: “I am particularly thankful to the traders and indeed all the indigenes of the state for their encouragement and support which

Passage

D

EACON EMMANUEL Ogugua Obi, aged 82, of Awkuzu, Anambra State, is dead. His remains have since been laid to rest at his home town, Awkuzu.

He is survived by the widow, son, grandchildren, sisters, and other relations.

Late Ogugua Obi

played a major role in my determination to relocate the market once and for all.

“The realisation of this project has become a veritable game changer because it will expose the developmental efforts of the government as it will also serve as a gateway befitting of the capital city.

“The demolition of the old market is not only a natural expansion of the capital city, but will also avail breathing spaces to the inhabitants of the city as it has pulled the wool

from the eyes of doubting Thomas’s most of whom had thought that government would not summon the courage to carry out its responsibilities, particularly such that will add value to the lives of the people by enhancing the usage of existing amenities.

“This government has built a state of the art market were old and new traders have been peacefully relocated. The challenges we have had in the past

is that some critics who are sworn enemies of the state will never tolerate the development of Abia so that they will continually flaunt their wealth, intimidate the people because they want to be calling the shots, but fortunately, people are politically more conscious as they have come to realise their rights and privileges in a political space where any man can aspire to any position.”

APC stalwart debunks rape allegation

B

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

ENIN CITY—A stalwart of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, Mr. Moses Idahosa, yesterday, described as wicked and misleading, a report in the social media that he raped one Joan Nwadike in Benin City.

Idahosa, who expressed shock over the report, said the report had damaged his image and asked the Osun State based- newspaper to retract the story or face legal action within the next fourteen days.

His words: “ I was really shocked when my friends informed me about what was written on the internet that a girl alleged that I raped her, that is untrue. I have never met, seen or known anybody called Joan in my entire life. Infact as God will have it, the picture they used as the woman was a fake

one.

“This wicked people went and took my picture in my facebook account. How the story came about, I do not know, it beats my imagination that somebody can cook up such damaging story about me. The report has caused me and my family serious embarrassment and I have written

to the media house to retract those lies or I will take legal action.

While calling on the publishing outfit to retract the story in its entirety, Idahosa said he had already reported the matter to the police while he is still holding discussions with his lawyer.

Sen Agbo donates building to Catholic church

A

BAKALIKI—A non-serving Senator from Ebonyi, Chief Anthony Agbo, yesterday, donated his duplex to the Catholic Church, Abakaliki in the state.

Handing over the building worth millions of naira and its documents to Archbishop Bishop Michael Okoro, Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki

Diocese, the donor said it was in fulfilment of a promise he made to God “over a pressing need” in 1994.

He said: “I begged God for a favour in 1994 with a promise to give my first property to Him in return; when I completed this building seven years ago, I decided to redeem my promise.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013 —39 ,

OPENING: Senator Oluremi Tinubu (middle), flanked by Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, AFKAR, Mr. Allen Ballard (right), and Legal & Personnel Manager, Mrs. Adesola Falaiye, during the opening week of AFKAR Printing & Publishing Company Limited, Ikeja, Lagos.

PRESENTATION: From left, Akwa Ibom State Liaison Officer (Lagos), Mr. Joseph Etem; celebrant, Mr. Victor Ayara; Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, and Special Assistant to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State (media), Deacon Jackson Udom, at the public presentation of Victor Ayara's gospel musical album, 'Grace Personified,' at Testimony Place, Victoria Island, Lagos.

FESTIVAL: From left, Chief Great Ogboru, Secretary, National Democratic Coalition, NDC; Chief Ayo Opadokun, Professor Ajayi Boroffice, his wife, Dr. Boroffice, and Executive Chairman, Ifako-Ijaye Local Government, Mr. Oloruntoba Oke, during a special choir festival of Ikate Baptist Church, Surulere, Lagos.

AWARDS: Group Managing Director/CEO, United Bank for Africa, UBA, Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza, presenting the Most Valuable Performer, MVP, Award to Lawal Kolawole, a third time winner, and Executive Director, Human Resources and Customer Service, UBA Plc, Obi Ibekwe, during the special recognition awards ceremony for UBA MVPs, at the Bank’s Head Office, in Lagos.

SHOW: American actor and comedian, Deray Davis, and Nigerian popular comedian, Basketmouth, performing at Africa's biggest comedy show, Glo Laffta Fest, at Thisday Dome, Abuja.

CONFERENCE: From left, Dr. Obafemi Raphael, PRO; Dr. Qumas Olasukanmi, Chairman, and Dr. Oyekunle Timothy, Secretary, all of Herbal Therapy Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, at a press conference.

PRESENTATION: From left, Mr. Akinsola Omoniyi, Area Business Manager, Airtel Lagos North; Mrs. Lynda Muibi, Trade Marketing Manager, Lagos North; Mrs. Ojuade Oluwaseun, Education Officer, Ifako-Ijaye Local Government Area; winner of N1 million in the on-going Airtel Red Hot promo, Mr. Aremu Adewale, and Mr. Fatuade Ayobanji, Area Business Manager, Lagos North, Airtel, during the presentation of cheque to winner, at Airtel Express Shop, Ogba, Lagos.

CONFERENCE: From left, Pastor Ben Ewuzie, Rector, Redeemers International Leadership Academy; Sola Ajimoti, Media, and Mr. Fred Egbekile, during a press conference on the coming Redeemer's International Leadership Academy 3-day Church Accounting workshop and leaders forum, in Lagos.

CEREMONY: From left, Marketing Executive, Old Mutual Nigeria, Chikezie Ogwo; Captain of Ikeja Golf Club, Ladies Section, Bose Ransom-Kuti; Vice Captain, Ikeja Golf Club, Ladies Section, Angela Adegboyega, and General Manager, Cutler Ogilvy PR, Laura Oloyede, during the closing ceremony of 13th Ikeja Golf Club Ladies Open 2013, co-sponsored by Old Mutual, in Lagos.

40—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

4,000 ghost primary school teachers discovered in Sokoto

ROBBERY: Zamfara town threatens resort to self help

S

OKOTO—THE Secretary of Sokoto State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Alhaji Ibrahim Dingyadi, says the state government has discovered about 4,000 ghost primary school teachers on its payroll.

“The ghost teachers were uncovered after four-month verification of all the teachers in the 1,965 primary schools across the state,” Dingyadi told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Sokoto yesterday.

The secretary said the exercise was conducted jointly with the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, and the state House of Assembly’s Committee on Education.

Dingyadi also said the exercise was successfully conducted between July and October 2013.

He said the salaries of teachers in the state during the period were paid through table payments.

Beware of Nyako, stakeholders tell APC

BY UMAR YUSUF

Y

OLA—THE All Progressives Congress, APC, has been asked to be wary of Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State who was moving to decamp from the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to the new party.

The 21 local government chairmen of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, and the All Nigerian Peoples Party in Adamawa State, made this known at a news conference in Yola, yesterday.

They further said that Nyako was not fit for the mission of the new APC, adding that it was dangerous to throw the doors of the new party open for people like him, after he had reportedly caused crisis in the State PDP.

BY ZAKARI MARADUN

G

VISIT—Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo presenting some documents to the Hungarian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations, Mr. Peter Szijato during a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

BOKO HARAM: Islam abhors killing of innocent souls — Sultan S

OKOTO—APPARENTLY miffed by the continued killing of innocent people, especially in the North-East zone of the country by Boko Haram adherents, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, yesterday declared that Islam abhors the killing of any innocent soul.

“The Sokoto Sultanate Council, all traditional rulers and the generality of the Muslims, have dissociated themselves from such dastardly acts.

“Islam abhors the killing of any innocent souls without following the due legal processes,” Abubakar said.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Abubakar spoke when the former Head of state, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, paid him a courtesy call.

“We are always committed to the growth and development of Islamic religion, but in line with its teachings and law.

“Muslims should even persuade non-Muslims to join the religion by their good conducts and strict adherence to the Islamic law.

“We should, therefore, live peacefully with our Christian brothers and not attempt to kill them,” the Sultan said.

The Sultan commended Abubakar for his dexterity and commitment to peace and unity in Nigeria, and globally.

Earlier, Abubakar extolled the sterling virtues of the Sultan, describing him as a pillar of peace, unity and peaceful coexistence.

“The Sultan has been facilitating peace, unity and understanding between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria and beyond,” the former head of state, said.

He stressed the need for the use of dialogue to resolve all the problems of Nigeria, adding that this could be done in spite of the diverse religious, cultural and ethnic differ-

ences.

Abubakar who told the Sultan that he was in Sokoto to inaugurate the state university, commended Gov. Aliyu Wamakko, for transforming Sokoto State.

NAN reports that, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Gov. Murtala Nyako, were among the dignitaries at the inauguration.

USAU—THE peo ple of Birnin Magaji town in Zamfara State have threatened to ‘’seek self help,’’ in a bid to curtail the activities of armed robbers who have made life unbearable in recent months in the area.

This was even as the Zamfara State police command has said that it was doing everything possible to put an end to the activities of the hoodlums, particularly those terrorising herdsmen in various towns and villages in the state.

Already, the people reportedly lynched three suspected armed robbers said to have been terrorising them few days ago, as according to them, the government had failed to protect the villagers.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Lawal Abdullahi who spoke on the issue explained that the policemen now patrol the areas day and night and expressed hope that ‘’we will get them (hoodlums) and bring

Save education sector from total collapse, ex-minister tells FG

BY WOLE MOSADOMI

M

INNA—ONE time Minister of Education, Alhaji Dauda Birman has asked the Federal Government to revisit the demands of university lecturers by fulfilling its promises to them, to save the education sector from total collapse.

Birma spoke in an interview with Vanguard in Minna, Niger State capital said that since the government entered into an agreement with the lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, it should honour its obligation to ASUU and enter into fresh negotiations with the union in areas where it found it difficult to meet up.

“All along, it was very clear

that ASUU had been talking of an agreement. It was not a piece of paper they wrote themselves. It was an agreement between the ASUU and the Federal Government and I will therefore say, the Federal Government should go the extra mile to see what it can do about it,” he said.

On whether the Federal Government had the resources to meet up with the demands, he said it was better for the authorities not to have entered into the agreement than entering and not fulfilling it.

“I am not in government now and so I would not know about their resources but what am saying is that if you don’t have the resources to fund an agreement, you should endeavour not to en-

ter into it at all.

“Like a father would tell his children that today, we are not able to give you the type of food we were giving you before and therefore you have to make do with the food available now.

However, if a parent is eating something different from what the family is eating, the family will be suspicious and therefore, the father must be very transparent, open and accommodating.”

Also commenting on the legitimacy of ASUU demands, he said his experience as a minister of education about 15 years ago showed that the sector was poorly funded, adding that for the sector and the country to really move forward in all spheres of life, all tiers of government must be ready to increase their funding of education appropriately.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013—41

that God grant him eternal rest and his family the fortitude to bear the loss.

On his part, Chief Igbinedion said “Nigeria and Edo State in particular have lost a fine gentleman, a worthy Naval officer, who we all will miss dearly. It is sad and I am devastated like every other person that came in contact with our late brother, Admiral Akhigbe.”

Obadan, on his part said “we have lost an honest, disciplined and principled politician. I don’t know how to describe him anymore, but just to say he was a good man that hated injustice, oppression. God knows best and may his gentle soul rest in peace.”

Jonathan, Oshiomhole, Uduaghan, Tambuwal, others mourn Akhigbe ••Council declares three days mourning

BY EMMA AMAIZE, AUSTIN OGWUDA, SIMON EBEGBULEM, BEN AGANDE, BASHIR ADEFAKA & DAYO JOHNSON

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, has commiserated with the family of Admiral Mike Akhigbe over the death of the former Chief of General Staff in a United States hospital. In Fugar, Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State, home town of the late Admiral Akhigbe, authorities of the traditional council have declared three days mourning for the former Nigerian number two man.

Meanwhile Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, former governor of the state, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, former deputy governor, Dr Peter Obadan all mourned Admiral Akhigbe, yesterday. Also, Delta State governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Aminu Tambuwal, former Minister of Communications during the General Sani Abacha regime, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, have joined in mourning Akhigbe.

President Jonathan in a statement by his aide on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, said: “While Vice Admiral Akhigbe may have left the world of the liv-

General Staff” the statement added.

The President said he believed that Vice Admiral Akhigbe will be especially remembered and honoured by present and future generations for serving with distinction as military governor of Lagos and Ondo States, and as Chief of General Staff in the military administration that midwifed the current democratic dispensation in Nigeria and began the commendable re-professionalization of the Nigerian Armed Forces after decades of involvement in politics.

He prayed that God Almighty will comfort all who mourn Vice Admiral Akhigbe and grant his soul eternal rest.

Elder brother of the deceased, Chief Akemoh Akhigbe, said “It is devastating, particularly after they wrote that my brother was dead when he was still alive. We thought he could make it but he gave up Monday midnight. We are devastated because he was father of all.”

Markets, shops closed at Fugar: Following his death, markets and shops were closed at Fugar. Traditional rulers and elders held marathon meetings over the sad incident. The late Admiral created the council and brought development to the area when he was Chief of General Staff.

The Chairman of the council, Mr Emmanuel Momoh, said “It

,

President Jonathan believes that Akhigbe will live on forever in the hearts and minds of all whose lives he touched positively during his long and remarkable career of national service in military commands and in the political offices he held as a military officer ing, President Jonathan believes that he will live on forever in the hearts and minds of all whose lives he touched positively during his long and remarkable career of national service in military commands and in the political offices he held as a military officer.

“He also commiserates with officers and men of the Nigerian Navy, which Vice Admiral Akhigbe once led as Chief of Naval Staff, as well as the government and people of his home state, Edo, on the passage of the very courageous officer, who patriotically served his country to the best of his God-given abilities through out a most distinguished career in the Nigerian Armed Forces.

“The President joins Vice Admiral Akhigbe’s family, colleagues and subordinates in the Nigerian Navy, friends, associates and all who knew him in mourning the former Chief of

,

is a big blow to us, this was the time we needed him most because the council executive were sworn in early this year, so we needed his advice as a father but he is no more. But we take solace in the fact that he lived a good life, he got to the peak of his career, he achieved a lot and he left a good mark.

“There is no way the history of Nigeria is written today and his name will not be mentioned. On our own we have accepted it, the council has declared three days of mourning and as time goes one will know what to do next. He was our ambassador, our role model, a fighter who spoke the truth at all times. We will miss him,” he said.

Oshiomhole mourns Oshiomhole, in his condolence message by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria, said: “It is with a sad heart that I mourn

A gentleman officer —Tambuwal

zAkhigbe the death of Vice Admiral Akhigbe, an elder statesman, a panNigeria nationalist, a man of uncommon qualities and an illustrious son of Edo State.

“Vice Admiral Akhigbe’s track records as former military Governor of Lagos and old Ondo states, as Chief of Naval Staff and Chief of General Staff are indelible. He no doubt discharged his duties creditably and left huge imprints in the sands of time.

“Indeed, we owe him a great debt of gratitude for his invaluable contributions which led to the nascent democracy being enjoyed in the nation today. In Edo State, Admiral Akhigbe was a pillar of support as he had cause to disagree with his political party at several times while championing a good cause for the state.

“Vice Admiral Akhigbe, no doubt, had lived his life to the fullest and made indelible mark both as a disciplined military officer and as an administrator.

“His death has no doubt robbed Edo State and Nigeria of one of her brightest minds.

“We feel even more pained that death robbed us of Vice Admiral Akhigbe at this time while we still mourn the passage of another illustrious son of the state, Professor Omo Omoruyi. However, as we mourn, we take solace that he contributed his best and gave his all to the state and the country. For these, the people and Government of Edo State are grateful and proud. I pray God to grant the soul of the departed Vice Admiral peaceful eternal rest in His bosom and grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss,” it stated.

He was a disciplinarian —Uduaghan Governor Uduaghan in a statement by his press secretary, Felix Ofou, described the former number two citizen as a disciplinarian who lived a spartan life and insisted that the interest of

the masses must be considered before critical national decisions were taken.

The governor applauded Akhigbe’s pro-people initiatives, resulting among others, in his joining hands with General Abdulsalami Abubakar to return Nigeria to civilian democracy in May, 1999 as well as helping to nurture it.

“Admiral Akhigbe was a fine naval officer, a gentleman and patriot who rose to the pinnacle of his career, including being appointed as the Chief of General Staff or number two to General Abubakar. And it is to their collective credit that Nigeria was returned to civilian democracy in May, 1999,” he said.

Governor Uduaghan recalled that Akhigbe, after leaving office, joined forces with other patriots to nurture the country’s fragile democracy, opposing any suggestion for the military to return to power. “He joined partisan politics and was against the use of force or thuggery in winning elections.He was one of the exgenerals who admitted that military rule was an aberration and helped to stem its tide.”

An exemplary officer—Mimiko Governor Mimiko, in a message, said the late Akhigbe was an exemplary officer whose life after retirement was also worthy of emulation. He said the former Military Administrator of Ondo State was part of the developmental process of the state as he contributed his quota to its growth.

Mimiko said his death was not just a great loss to his immediate family but also an irreparable loss to the nation, adding “with his wealth of experience, it was too early for him to leave at 68.”

Noting that he will be sorely missed, Mimiko said the family of the departed should be proud of the legacies he left behind and be consoled by the memories of his worthy life, even as he prayed

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tambuwal, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, described Akhigbe as a gentleman officer whose contributions, and that of his peers, towards restoration of democracy in Nigeria in 1999 will remain indellible in the annals of Nigeria’s history.

He said Nigerians will forever remain grateful to the Abdulsalami Abubakar-led regime, which Akhigbe served for their diligence and commitment to ensure the return of democracy to the country.

“As a proof of his commitment to democratic ideals, Akhigbe continued to render selfless services to the nation post-1999 until his death on Monday. Nigeria has lost one of its eminent sons.

I extend my condolence to his family, Fugar community in Edo State, the Nigerian Navy and Nigerians as a whole,” he added.

He effected our release from prison—Olanrewaju Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, in a message from his London home, said that the memories of the good days of Akhigbe and of the many good he did especially for working loyally with his boss and former Head of State General Abubakar in effecting immediate release from prison of officers involved in the phantom Diya coup of 1997 including himself can never be wished away in a hurry.

“Admiral Akhigbe’s death is painful and heartbreaking. He was a patriot statesman, loyal to his boss and the country. He was bold, courageous and principled.

In spite of opposition from a powerful element in the Provisional Ruling Council, PRC, at that time, he stood his ground with General Abubakar and other members in the ruling council to grant us clemency over the 1997 coup trials. The late Admiral was an Admiral that any nation would love to have. I sympathise with the Akhigbe family over the loss of their bread winner. As a colleague, I have lost a personal friend,” said the former minister.

42 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2013

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013—43

ASUU should please consider our children---Bishop Akinola BISHOP Taiwo Akinola, founding instrument of Rhema Christian Ministries, in a recent interview with SAM EYOBOKA, in preparation of the 22nd annual convention of the church and official dedication of its newly completed Champion Peace Cathedral which was started in January 2007, enjoined Nigerians to weigh the consequencies of their actions on posterity.

The convention, he said, would start on Sunday with a theme; "Riding on the high places," with Bishop David Oyedepo, Bishop Jide Orire, Dr. Kunle Alli, Bishop Bayo Adejola, Bishop Victor Akilla, Bishop Columa Niboro (from Ohio), Bishop Biodun Akinteye, Apostle Tomowewo Mike, Bishop Kayode Agbeyomi (from Atlanta), Bishop Israel Alaya and Apostle David Rivera (from Florida USA) in attendance. From the political scene, former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun amidst other dignitaries from far and near, are expected to grace the occasion. Excerpts....

W

HAT will be your mes sage to Nigerians at a time like this?

I wish to reiterate that the time is now for Nigerians to shun all acts that are inimical to the progress and peace of the nation. By this I mean that the well being of the nation is a joint responsibility to be shouldered by all and sundry. The entire

tures admonish us to pray for those in authority. Hence, we of this glorious commission as well as all Christians will continue to lift all office holders; from the President to state governors and local government chairmen in prayers. We pray that the spirit of the living God will adequately supply them with wisdom to steer aright the

They always have political reasons for making noise, sometimes to stall you, sometimes to make things difficult for you, sometimes to harass you, sometimes to intimidate you citizenry should exhibit maturity and sound judgment especially as we move towards the next election.

I also enjoin us all to weigh the consequences of our actions on posterity. Nigeria belongs not only to us but also to generations yet unborn. We all should shun all forms of hypocrisy and inconsistency so that we can proudly present a worthy legacy to our children and children's children. The Scrip-

ship of this great nation.

I wish to commend the Federal Government for her recent declaration before the United Nations Human Rights Council that it will not bow to international pressure to allow same sex marriage in the country.

Yes, it is not only against the cultural and traditional values of Nigerians, but it is also antisociety and clearly against divine morals. Moreover, I am pleased to observe that about

our attention to.

There’s decadence, there’s lack of infrastructure in our universities. We know that we need more finances, but I want to please appeal to them; they have made their point, they should please go back to class in the interest of the nation and in particular, our children. If any of them have BISHOP TAIWO AKINOLA: "I am pleased to children in these observe that about 92 per cent of Nigerians schools, they support the Anti-Same-Sex Marriage Bill passed wouldn't like by the Senate." their children to be disconnected 92 per cent of Nigerians sup- from people of knowledge for port the Anti-Same-Sex Mar- that long. So they have made riage Bill passed by the Sen- their point, we identify with ate. them. I also know that governYour take on the four-month ment has made some inputs. I old ASUU strike.... was told that N100 billion was I identify with the concern of given to them. If what they are members of ASUU. I think by asking for is what they told us, and large, they have good case for the thing they are calling

Word of Life paints Warri red for Jubilee 2013

By SAM EYOBOKA

M

EMBERS of Word of Life Bible Church, Warri literally painted the city of Warri red last Saturday as they took to the streets in preparation of this year's Jubilee Word Festival, the church's 26th annual con-vention.

They sang and danced to high voltage music wafting from big loud speakers mounted on beautifully decorated trucks in a rally to sensitise residents for the event.

Men and women dressed in smart attires participated in the procession which started at Edjeba Teaching Centre and moved on through Airport Road, Ogunu, Ogbuwangwe, then on to NPA, Ekurede Itsekiri, Olu Palace Road, Ajamimogha and terminated at Okere Market.

They were distributing handbills as they marched along the streets. Between November 10 and 17, residents of Warri, its

environs and others from different parts of the country would converge at the city for this year ’s unique spiritual experience. Theme of this year’s convention is ‘Recover All’.

The event hosted by the Word of Life Bible Church will have an array of local and international ministers in persons of the National President, PFN, Dr. Felix Omobude, presiding bishop of TREM, Dr. Mike Okonkwo, Bishop Tudor Bismark, Bishop John Francis, Evangelist Tim Storey, Bishop Robert Kayanja and Bishop Deitra Walker.

A statement by the chairman of the Directorate of Pastors, Pastor Sam Akpoviroro said the venue for the festival is the 35,000-seater International Gospel Centre of Word of Life Bible Church on Ajamimogha Road, Warri.

There would also be music ministrations at the festival,

featuring Uche Agu, Kenoly Brothers and Frank Edwards.

Of course Milk & Honey Choir, the music ministry of Word of Life Bible Church would also be ministering.

Time for the meeting has been set for 3:00 p.m. daily with services at 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Sundays.

Akpoviroro said the sensitisation programme will continue on November 8 with all the nine districts of the church wearing special coloured Tshirts representing each district are expected to march through the entire state with handbills advertising the programme.

According to him, the procession will converge at the church's IGC, Warri where the CAN president and General Overseer of the church, Papa Ayo Oritsejafor, along with his wife Mama Helen Oritsejafor are expected to pray for them.

they should please go back to class now. That’s my take.

National Conference: Some people say it’s just another talk show. Is that your position too?

My question is why were they calling for it all these while?

They were asking for Sovereign National Conferen-ce, not a National Conference.

They always have political reasons for making noise, sometimes to stall you, sometimes to make things difficult for you, sometimes to harass you, sometimes to intimidate you. I’m saying, what is in-consistent as far as I’m con-cerned is that the noise which was repeated for too long was for sovereign national confer-ence.

National conference When the president has yielded to their call for a talkshop, they said no that is deceptive. So maybe if they told us why they were calling, they now tell us the real reason why they are saying no now, it may be effective.

The outcome of the conference will still be subjected to ratification of the National Assembly...

But that makes sense because these are the elected representatives of the people. Whatever it is, the president may have political undertone for acceding to calls for dialogue; but since you have been calling for it, you should at least say thank you for implementing this. To me, maybe because I’m a clergy-man, that’s how we do. I would have expected that if you knew you didn’t want it, tell the people to stop. We would have known those who are for and those who are against. That’s just my position.

I’ll keep on saying, I’m not speaking for government, I’m not against them, I’m just speaking for sensibility.

No structure works in Nigeria, until…---Illechukwu

N

O economic system, political structure or social contract will do well in Nigeria until we deal with the mindset that breeds corruption and fosters injustice, the general overseer of Charismatic Renewal Ministries (CRM), Cosmas Illechu-kwu has said, reports CALEB AYANSINA. Illechukwu, who described transformation as ‘change of mind’, however, score the National Orientation Agency (NOA) low for poor performance, noting that if they had lived to their responsibility, “we would have covered more grounds in the transformation journey as a nation.”

The cleric, who stated this, while delivering a lecture tagged; ‘The change agents we need – The price for nation transformation’, in Abuja, said “until we have a leader, who is above board and who is willing, if need be, to be a martyr in the cause of transforming Nigeria, the change we need

will remain a mirage."

He further said that many people were blaming the nation's backwardness to the current political structure. He wondered why all political systems adopted from advanced countries had done well in their countries, but failed in Nigeria?

“I seem to be boxed into one conclusion; while political structures may be important, it seems not to be the main change we need in Nigeria.

The problem of Nigeria is not in structures and systems, but in Nigerians.

“We are religious but not spiritual, we are manipulative and not hardworking, we are smart but dishonest, we love to wield power but not to be accountable. We love wealth but reject morality, we promote nepotism and disdain merit, we are inve-terate egotrippers and contem-ptuous of humility, we thrive on chaos and fearful of orderliness,” he submitted.

44— VANGU ARD, ANGUARD,

WEDNESD A Y, OCTOBER 30, 2013 WEDNESDA

My ex forced himself on me

Help! He’s addicted to lovemaking!

Dear Bunmi, I’ve been with this guy for over two years and we now live together. We’re very much in love. The problem is that he’s got a very high s.x drive.

He wants to make love every night, and if possible twice a day! I’m quite happy making love once a week, at most twice.

Is there anything he can do to lower his libido?

Ify, by e-mail.

Dear Ify, The question you need to ask yourself is this: does he want to lower his libido? He may be happy with his drive— in which case, you shouldn’t be asking him to change. On the other hand, he shouldn’t expect you to make love if you’re not up for it.

You need to compromise by finding ways to bridge the gap between you. One good way is

to negotiate to make love a little less than he wants, and a little more than you want.

Or you could find ways to make it more attractive for you.

Why not let him know you’re happy for him to help himself sometimes instead of involving you?

Whatever you do, make sure you keep talking the problem through, so this doesn’t mar the good relationship you both enjoy.

To me, the drive is not a big deal Dear Bunmi, With all these talks about the joys of intimacy, I find it embarrassing to let you know that the thought of love making leaves me cold.

I am currently in a relationship and everything is great— except that I don’t have any s.x drive.

I am in my 20s, have a job and enjoy being with my boyfriend, but have never had a satisfying session.

My partner gets irritated whenever I make excuses to avoid intimacy and the endless rows we have are giving me stress. Can you help?

Veronica, by e-mail.

What exactly does he want?

Dear Bunmi, Recently, I fell in love with a handsome banker who I had to interact with as I too work in a bank. We flirted outrageously and swapped phone numbers and for months, we stayed in touch. He’d call me late at night after we’d talk for hours.

However, when I plucked up the courage to ask him where he saw things going, he told me I was just a friend. I accepted this as I had no choice— I have no intention of throwing myself at him.

So why does he keep on calling me all the time and flirting with me if he doesn’t want something more? I’m confused.

Timi, by e-mail.

Dear Timi, One thing you must know is the fact that people flirt— and they do so for a lot of reasons; because they enjoy it, because they like the admiration or because they like the game.

But that doesn’t mean they want a relationship with everyone they flirt with. It doesn’t even mean they’re free to have a relationship.

You did the right thing by checking what this man had in mind— and to accept it.

What you need now is to learn that not all flirting leads on to something serious.

Sometimes, it is just a bit of fun.

Dear Veronica, Low libido can be caused by temporary things such as stress.

But if you’ve never really liked intimacy, it’s a different kettle of fish.

You need to have a medical check-up as soon as you can as a lifelong lack of desire could be down to a hormonal imbalance.

Also, messages about s.x you receive in childhood, particularly from your mum, could be putting you off. You may have also learnt to fear it because of a single upsetting event in your life— abuse, painful intercourse or simply having it when you were too young. You need to be referred to a counsellor for professional counselling.

Furthermore, a partner who’s impatient over your lack of desire won’t help matters— he’ll just make you more anxious about the whole thing.

Explain this to your partner and ask him to understand and support you. Seriously though, if not liking intimacy doesn’t actually bother you, then why do anything about it?

It is not compulsory! But you need to find a partner who feels the same way.

Why is marriage such a bore?

Dear Bunmi, I got married early last year because I was pregnant. I love my husband and daughter but marriage is not as interesting as I thought it would be.

We both have good jobs and my mum helps in looking after the child when I’m away in the office. I also have a fairly well behaved maid.

Yet I’m not happy. I see the years ahead stretching out like this and I feel disillusioned.

I don’t even know if my husband feels the same way as I haven’t discussed it with him

in case he feels hurt. Please help.

Omorode, by e-mail.

Dear Omorode, Don’t panic. A lot of new brides experience doubts similar to yours— not about their husband but about being married. Here are some top tips for new brides, who are wondering if they did the right thing: Don’t expect your wedding day to make life perfect; it’s just the beginning of a new phase, not a guarantee for happiness. Give yourself a

realistic period to work out how to live together. You should then stick with this for at least a year.

Swap notes with your spouse on how you see your relationship: compare expectations and make sure you’re in sync.

Take time to be individuals, keep up with friends, follow your interests— so you feel you’re in control of life.

Remember, you don’t have to be married in the same way as your mum and dad were.

Checkmate the marriage you want— in your own style.

Dear Bunmi, For 18 months, Greg and I had a very strong relationship and the lovemaking was great. Unfortunately, and for no reason, I fell out of love with him and had to break things off.

He was really devastated in spite of the fact that I let him down as gently as I could because he was very nice to me.

I’m now in another relationship and happy. Some few weeks ago, I met Greg at a lecture and he invited me to his flat for a drink. Since we both remained good friends, I went with him.

He told me he had a few girlfriends and I was genuinely happy for him. I’d scarcely touched my drink when he was all over me. I was shocked.

He pinned me to the couch and started having s.x with me and hurting me in the process. I asked him to stop several times, but he didn’t until I was able to free my hands and grab him round the throat to get him off.

He showed no remorse whatsoever and had the guts

to tell me I shouldn’t find lovemaking with him so repulsive since we were once lovers.

He still wants us to be friends. What I can’t understand is why a man, who was once a gentleman, could turn into a brute.

Taiye, by e-mail.

Dear Taiye, By going with your ex to his flat knowing both of you would be alone must have sent the wrong signal to him.

You did the dumping and he obviously hasn’t forgiven you for that.

It is important that you get this emotional trauma behind you and be wary next time you decide to go to any single man’s apartment alone— especially if s.x might be on the cards.

What happened to you is not uncommon— but that doesn’t make it right. Your ex obviously wanted to hurt you as much as he was hurt when you dumped him. But he went about things the wrong way.

He’s the brute, not you and you should put a lot of distance between you.

‘You may have also learnt to fear s.x because of a single upsetting event in your life— abuse, painful intercourse or simply having s.x when you were too young. You need to be referred to a counsellor for professional counselling'

I need to tell him of my infection Dear Bunmi, I caught herpes late last year from my boyfriend of only nine months. I was devastated when I learnt that the disease is incurable. That it lies dormant for a while then shows up from time to time.

My doctor then advised I tell my new boyfriend so we know when to avoid intimacy.

I haven’t slept with him yet because I’m scared he’ll take it badly and tell people. What should I do?

Janet, by e-mail.

Dear Janet, You do exactly what you’re

doing now— waiting until you feel comfortable with a guy before you sleep with him. At the very least, wait until you feel you can trust him and know for sure that he isn’t the kind of man who kisses and tell.

So hang on for a while.

When you do get to the point of sleeping with him, tell him openly what the problem is.

If he’s one of the good guys, he’ll step up to the challenge.

If he’s not, you’re best off without him anyway.

Herpes is a very common disease and it can be effectively managed.

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 30, 2013—45

Sale of voters’ cards booms STORIES BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN & VINCENT UJUMADU

I

T has emerged that the voter’s card, the instrument which enables citizens to cast their votes for the election has turned into a marketable commodity in some communities in the state.

Politicians are being accused of procuring voters’ cards at the rate of N5000 each in

Aguleri and some neighbouring communities.

It was gathered that gullible villagers have been falling prey to the development and as they part with their voters’ card, they inform others and the business has been booming.

A very reliable source said yesterday that apart from Aguleri, that the business is also booming in villages in

Anambra East local government area where two of the major governorship candidates, Tony Nwoye (PDP) and Willie Obiano (APGA) hail from.

It was learnt that following the development in the area, people from the neighbouring Ayamelum local government have been trooping to Anambra East to also sell their cards for N5000.

An official of INEC, however, dismissed the market, saying that with what the commission has put on ground, it would be useless for such cards to be used by anybody.

He however warned that it is an offence for anybody to purchase voters cards, adding that anybody caught would face the wrath of the security agencies.

•Jega: INEC chairman

Why we are behind Nwoye -PDP P

DP State Chairman Prince Ken Emeakayi has buttressed reasons for putting the support of the state PDP machine behind the candidate, Tony Nwoye.

In an interview following the Court of Appeal judgment,

Emeakayi said that besides the order of the courts, that Nwoye overwhelmingly won the party primaries that had several other party giants like Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, Jerry Ugwoke, Emma Anosike among others as participants.

“You know PDP is a law abiding political party, we abide by court decisions.

Nwoye won overwhelmingly the primaries of the party after which the Federal High Court in its judgment gave judgment in favour of Ukachukwu and which was why

Ezeemo SHAPE’s up campaign

T

HE governorship candidate of Progressives Peoples Alliance, PPA, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo has stormed the commercial city of Onitsha with his five –point cardinal programmes code –named “SHAPE” SHAPE, he explained at the launching of his campaign at the All Saints Cathedral Church field, stands for security, health, agriculture, power and education.

He argued that once these five programmes are properly put in place, the economy of the state would transform in terms of job creation, industrialization, security of lives and property, qualitative free education at primary and secondary levels, qualitative health care delivery, among others.

Empty promises He told the cheering crowd: “I will bring a change that will ensure a stable Anambra State.

I will bring a change that will ensure that Igbo will no longer be marginalized.

“I have come home to serve you and I want to make sure that you enjoy life.

We know that those who ruled you in the past deceived you by making empty promises, but I assure you that our promises will be fulfilled. “I have been deeply involved in philanthropic activities for the past 10 years with my personal resources and I assure you that if you give us your mandate, we will use state resources solely for the development of the state. “You asked me to

come out to change our state for the better and here I am promising that I will serve you well.”

National chairman of PPA, Chief Sam Nkire said the party

has given Anambra people the best candidate who will move the state to the next level and urged the electorate to vote massively for him.

the party obeyed and now, the Court of Appeal has given judgment in favour of Tony Nwoye.

So, the party is bound by the judgment.”

He rebuffed insinuations that the court order came after the deadline for the substitution of party candidates saying: “Going by the provisions of the Electoral Act after submission it is only the courts that can alter that and that is what the court did and it has nothing to do with the deadline.

Meanwhile, we have been

•Nwoye: PDP candidate campaigning. As you are aware, the name of the candidate is never on the ballot, it is the political party. We have been campaigning and we are ready for the election.”

Another women's group falls for Obiano

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

M

ORE women groups seem to be falling for the APGA candidate, Willie Obiano.

The latest women group to pledge allegiance to Obiano is the Women Door –to –Door Initiative for Willie Obiano Campaign, which yesterday described the APGA candidate as the most qualified person to succeed Governor Peter Obi in view of his rich background in managing human and financial resources.

The chairperson of the group, Mrs. Ebele Ejikeme said the

•Obiano: APGA flagbearer APGA candidate is far ahead of other candidates in terms relevant issues in their manifestos that would help

move the state forward from what Obi has done.

Obi, she observed, has brought discipline and decorum to the governance of the state and there is need for somebody who has track-record of performance in his previous endeavours to replace him.

“Chief Obiano is the only person among the contestants who can step into Obi’s big shoes and that is why Women Door- to - Door Initiative for Willie Obiano Governorship Campaign has taken it up upon itself to sensitize Anambra women on the need to vote for the APGA candidate on

November 16, 2013,” she said.

Ejikeme said the group would move from house to house in all 177 communities in the 21 local government areas of the state to promote the candidature of Obiano, adding that women have the capacity to convince their fellow women in every household. She said they would also use the opportunity to debunk alleged falsehoods being peddled by the opposition against Chief Obiano because according to her, they have realized that he is the most credible candidate in the election.

PDP stakeholders meet over Nwoye

M

AJOR stakeholders in the PDP are meeting today to deliberate on the course of action for the campaign it was learnt yesterday. It would be the first time since the revalidation of Nwoye’s candidacy by the courts last week that major stakeholders of the party would be meeting.

Expected at the meeting with the candidate, Comrade Tony Nwoye are the senators from the state and appointed political office holders at the federal level. Also expected are members of the House of

Representatives and Anambra State House of Assembly elected on the platform of the party.

Stakeholders of the party are expected at the meeting to make their inputs into the campaign and also discuss on

how the party would receive Vice-President Namadi Sambo who is expected to flag off the PDP campaign later this week.

Ubah Campaign laments destruction of billboards THE Ifeanyi Ubah campaign has protested the destruction of billboards of the Labour Party candidate by agents of the Anambra State government.

The bill boards advertising the Labour Party candidate were reportedly destroyed by agents of the Anambra Signage and Advertisement

Agency who the Labour Party yesterday described as vandals.

The party ’s National Chairman, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu said, “if the state government does not want bill boards in the state, it should declare so and stop being petty. This is an illegality that will not stand the test of time.”

The Deputy Governorship candidate, Dr. Emeka Eze was also quoted by the Ubah campaign to have said: “we paid all dues and levies for the billboard.

We cannot understand why the government is perpetrating this illegality.

They should be called to order.”

46—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

My wonderful plans for Delta South— Prince Emiko PRINCE Yemi Emiko, son of His Majesty, Ogiame Erejuwa II, Olu of Warri, 1951 to 1986, had extensive experience in community engagements across the Niger Delta region having served in the community relations departments of Chevron during his working career. Prince Emiko is now aspiring to represent the Delta South Senatorial District in the Senate from 2015 with the aim of continuing his engagement with the communities in the region on the political level. In this interview he articulates his plans, policies and politics.

BY DANIEL GUMM

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S you enter the political arena what would you leverage on?

We will leverage on our knowledge of the people, of their issues, of their needs, and of solutions and ideas that we already have been working on.

We have even in our zealousness proposed some of these ideas to these clowns who are pretending to be our leaders, but who have turned out to be only interested in flamboyance, sirens and looting of our conscience and common wealth.

We will leverage on our good works in these communities and especially, on the goodwill of our people. We will point to them projects that we executed in these communities using limited funds from Chevron at the time, and show them how we would do more with government resources that are meant for them in the first place. We will demonstrate that public funds are not to be converted to use by individuals in government for themselves, their families, cronies and inlaws! From the Ijaw axis to the Isokos and on to the Itsekiris, these people know me; at the risk of sounding immodest, they know me as a solid, reliable,

dependable and intelligent Prince of the Niger Delta.

What has been your motivation?

Motivation? What other motivation do I need? I am an oil man. I have travelled all over the world, and I have seen what oil money has done for oil bearing communities in Louisiana, in Texas, in California, which easily is the most affluent state in the USA, in Argentina, in Venezuela, even in small Qatar.

But what do we have here?

Abject poverty, environmental mess, and individuals running our lives aground, because they are afraid of people with ideas!

You see, the Delta South area should be and, by the grace of God and the people, will be our own Louisiana.

Outside the numerous Flowstations, Platforms and oil wells in the district, we have two very important Crude Oil Tank Farms… one in Forcados in Burutu Local Government area, and the Other in Escravos, in Warri South West. But what have the people got to show for these?

Poverty Distribution Politics, PDP! They do not have even potable water to drink, except perhaps provided by Chevron or Shell.

Yet we have people, who claim to be in government? What can

•Emiko: Delta South can be like Dubai they show us they have done with over 10 billion accruing to Delta state every month from 13% derivation fund alone, not to mention other statutory allocations to the state on monthly basis? Indeed, what can DESOPADEC point to in the Itsekiri or Isoko areas as one concrete project the people can relate with?

Even the few projects done in the Ijaw area, were mere palliatives hurriedly done at the height of the resistance led by Tompolo. Now that they have led down their arms, what can we say government is doing to open up the communities to growth and development? The so-called

road project from Warri to Escravos has long been abandoned! Must we continue to bury our heads in the sand, like the proverbial Ostrich and pretend that all is well?

My motivation is to provide proper leadership that will herald change and create opportunities for our people to reclaim and rebuild their lives.

Have you held any political or elective office before?

No. But I fail to see the correlation between effective performance and political appointment or elective position in the past.

Governor Oshiomole was never a political office holder in the past,

Boni Haruna and his burden of loyalty T

BY MOHAMMED ABUBAKAR

HE story of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former governor of Adamawa State, Mr Boni Haruna, used to be one of Siamese twins or, better still, the snail and the shell. They were political soul mates. Their relationship was said to have preceded 1999 when, at the outset of the current political dispensation, Atiku was unarguably one of the most important politicians in the country.

Before then, he had operated at the highest level of politics including being a top associate of Alhaji Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, the founder of the political machine, Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM). The chubby relationship between Atiku and Haruna at the time the military decided to return Nigeria to democratic governance in 1998 must have informed the decision of the former to pick the latter as his running mate after emerging as the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in their native Adamawa State. They won the election and became governor-elect and

deputy governor-elect respectively. But fate was to play some role in the destinies of both men. It was not long after the election that Atiku was nominated as the vice presidential candidate of the PDP by General Olusegun Obasanjo who had been elected the party’s presidential flag bearer at the Jos convention.

Obasanjo and Atiku’s subsequent election as president and vice president respectively led to Haruna, the deputy governor-elect of Adamawa State but now without a governor-elect, being sworn-in as governor. This marked the beginning of the political godfather/godson relationship between Atiku and Haruna.

Whatever political direction Atiku as vice president took, Haruna as Adamawa governor followed. The godfather/godson relationship informed the support Atiku got from Haruna during the time the opposition rose against Obasanjo’s third term bid. Atiku had taken it for granted that he would succeed Obasanjo at the expiration of his principal’s constitutionally approved two terms as president only for Obasanjo to initiate a constitutional amendment

•Haruna process geared towards third term. Atiku was aghast. The then vice president mobilised the opposition against the bid especially at the National Assembly where the constitutional amendment was quashed. Haruna as governor was said to have played more than a passing role in the killing of the Obasanjo third term bid for which some forces loyal to the former president never forgave him, and were determined to extract a pound of flesh from him.

The consequence is alleged to be his arraignment for abuse of office at the expiration of his tenure.

He was said to have misappropriated some N93m while in office as governor.

Haruna, in his defence, says there was no such misappropriation. According to him, the charge shows that only N31m was alleged to have been misappropriated.

The former governor wants the prosecution to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. Now, reports say Haruna may be back in political reckoning as plans are said to be underway to nominate him as a minister by President Goodluck Jonathan. In fact by the time you are reading this, his name may have been forwarded to the Senate as a ministerial nominee for parliamentary endorsement. The move to make the former governor a minister is said to be generating ripples in some quarters, and that the opposition has indeed initiated a campaign against the Haruna ministerial nomination using the social media as launch pad. The critics are said to be contesting the nomination on the grounds that the former governor has a graft case to answer in court. Some legal experts, however, fault the critics on the grounds that the

before he became governor in Edo state.

What is your vision for Delta South Senatorial District?

My vision is to create momentum that will galvanize our district into a kind of Louisiana, or some little Dubai of sort.

We need to build up the small villages and fishing huts into country side city centers and link them up with bridges, roads, airports and rail networks. We need to clean up the beautiful beaches and build them into eco-centers, complete with business sites, shopping malls, water parks, complementary cottage industries like fish processing, salt production from the huge mangrove resources, and world class sports facilities.

My friend, it is do-able.

The resources are there. 10 billion naira every month meant for oil producing communities in Delta state can do wonders, if spent by selfless, focused and serious minded people. I just finished reading the book written

by Mohammed bin Rashid, the Ruler of Dubai and the man who has turned that hitherto small desert slum into the eighth wonder of the world in under 20 years! He titled his book, “My Vision – Challenges in the Race for Excellence.” Bin Rashid believes that the two most critical ingredients needed for leaders to succeed are “selflessness and the fear of Allah.” Then you must treat the people as your most important asset, not as a burden, the way our leaders see and treat us in Nigeria! trial does not invalidate Haruna’s ministerial nomination so far as his innocence remains guaranteed until he is pronounced guilty by the court.

They cite the cases of some former governors who have pending corruption cases against them which, nevertheless, did not stop their emergence as senators. And the twist to the case is the claim that Atiku may have been pulling the strings to abort Haruna’s emergence as minister following his fear of losing a strong member of his group to the Jonathan camp of the factionalised PDP. Analysts are quick to say Haruna is carrying a burden of loyalty. According to them, if he has his own mind to serve his fatherland in the capacity of minister, his association with the former vice president should not constitute a hindrance.

“If it pleases the president to seek the service of the former governor once again, especially against the backdrop of the transformation Adamawa State witnessed under his watch, then being an associate of the former president should be secondary”, one of the analysts said.

Nigerians are watching how the rumoured Haruna ministerial nomination will play out. *Mohammed wrote from Abuja

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BRIEFS Israel returns to U.N. rights forum

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Spygate: US weighing changes after allies anger

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ACED with a flood of revelations about U.S. spying, President Barack Obama and key lawmakers say it’s time to look closely at surveillance programs that may have gone too far. The White House is considering ending eavesdropping on friendly foreign leaders, a senior administration official said.

The administration tried to tamp down damage yesterday from the months-long spying scandal — including the most recent disclosure that the National Security Agency had tapped the cellphone conversations of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. A final decision about listening in on allies has not been made, the senior official said.

The White House also faces complaints at home about the NSA collecting millions of Americans’ phone records and sweeping up Internet traffic and email. The Obama administration defends those programs as important in the fight against terrorism, but the House Intelligence Committee was to examine tightening their rules during a hearing Tues-

day.

Asked about the reports of eavesdropping on world leaders, President Barack Obama said in a television interview that the U.S. government is conducting “a complete review of how our intelligence operates outside the country.”

Obama declined to discuss specifics or say when he learned about the spying operations.

“What we’ve seen over the last several years is their capacities continue to develop and expand, and that’s why I’m initiating now a review to make sure that what

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German's Angela Merkel and her French counterpart Francois Hollande who were victims of US wiretapping they ’re able to do be doing,” he said Mondoesn’t necessarily day on the new TV netmean what they should work Fusion.

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Glenn Greenwald has not clarified whether Greenwald or Miranda are the subjects of a criminal investigation for the

publication of details regarding government surveillance of private citizens’ communications,” the head of IAPA’s press freedoms committee, Claudio Paolillo, said.

“In our opinion, Greenwald’s journalistic work has prompted justifiable concern by government leaders and private citizens regarding secret government surveillance of their communications”, said Paolillo, editor of the Uruguay weekly Busqueda.

Mandela coup plotters jailed in South Africa

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South African judge has sentenced 20 members of the Afrikaner white supremacist group Boeremag after being found guilty last year of high treason and plotting to kill Nelson Mandela, among other charges.

The state media reported that Judge Eben Jordaan handed the sentences out on Tuesday to end the decade-long trial.

The sentences ranged from five to 35 years in

Some members of the Boeremag after being found guilty of plotting to kill Dr. Nelson Mandela the country’s first postapartheid treason trial after members of Boer-

emag, or white farmer force, were found guilty

last year of plotting to overthrow the country’s government in the late 1990s and early 2000. Some sentences were suspended due to time served, according to reports by South African TV channel EnCA. The leader of the group and four members of its bomb squad were given some of the longest sentences, having been convicted of culpable homicide and conspiring to murder Nelson Mandela.

Iranian sentences Christians for drinking wine during Communion

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court in Iran has sentenced four Christian men to 80 lashes each for drinking wine during a communion ceremony, a Christian advocacy group and international news outlets reported.

The sentencing coincides with a government crackdown on so-called “house churches” — unofficial spots in which

Christians gather in Iran to practice their faith undetected. The arrests and harsh sentences suggest

that despite the moderate image of President Hassan Rouhani and the outreach to Iran by the

Obama administration, religious persecution of Christians in the Islamic Republic continues.

ICC rejects Gbagbo's appeal

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HE Appeals Cham ber of the International Criminal Court in the Hague has rejected an appeal by the former president of Ivory Coast,

cision to make,” Manor said in an opening statement to the talks.

“But Israel’s unfair treatment must come to an end. I hope our appearance here today will go a long way to restore equality and fairness regarding Israel in Geneva, and I am confident our continued diplomatic engagement will eventually allow our return to full activity within the Council.”

DRC troops cage M23 rebels

Media group defends spy leak journalist HE Inter-American Press Association yesterday warned countries not to harass Glenn Greenwald, the American journalist who drew attention to the massive scale of US eavesdropping.

IAPA, which represents editors and publishers from the Americas, cited Britain’s arrest of Greenwald’s partner David Miranda and the confiscation of journalistic material in his possession.

“The British government

SRAEL appeared be fore the main United Nations human rights body on Tuesday, ending a 20-month boycott of the Geneva forum which it accuses of bias against the Jewish state.

Eviatar Manor, Israel’s ambassador in Geneva, led its delegation to the session, held as part of the U.N. Human Rights Council’s examination of U.N. member states every four years.

“It was not an easy de-

Laurent Gbagbo, that he should be released while he awaits trial.

The court announced the decision on Tuesday, dashing hopes for Gbag-

bo to stand trial when he enjoys some freedom just like Kenyan leader Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto who face similar charges.

HE army in the Democratic Republic of Congo, backed by UN forces, has forced M23 rebels to retreat to their mountain holdout near the eastern border with Uganda, the rebels said Tuesday.

After 36 hours of silence, the rebel Movement of March 23 (M23) published a statement on its website to say that the withdrawal was “in no way a sign of weakness”,

but a tactical retreat to Bunagana, the base of its political leaders.

After four days of fierce fighting, which claimed the life of a Tanzanian peacekeeper, the head of the UN mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) said late Monday that “practically all M23 positions were abandoned, except for a small triangle at the Rwandan border.”

Cuba gets UN vote against US embargo

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record-equalling 188 countries on yesterday condemned the five-decade-old US embargo against communist Cuba in an annual UN General Assembly vote that signalled hardening opposition to US sanctions.

Only Israel joined the United States in opposing resolution, the smallest number ever. Last year two allies voted with the US government.

Three Pacific island states normally close to the United States — Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau — ab-

stained as the barrage of criticism of the embargo reached a new peak in the 22nd annual vote at the UN Assembly.

China, Iran, which has launched a bid to thaw relations with the US administration, Latin American and African nations all publicly condemned the United States.

“The US policy against Cuba is suffering from an absolute international isolation and discredit and lacks every ethical or legal ground,” Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said.

Syria sacks deputy PM

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YRIA’s deputy prime minister, Qadri Jamil, was dismissed yesterday for leaving the country and acting without government permission after meeting U.S. officials in Switzerland, state media said.

The sacked minister is a member of what President Bashar al-Assad calls the “patriotic opposition” - political parties that consider themselves rivals to the president but have not joined the 2-1/ 2-year revolt against his rule.

“Jamil was dismissed because he left his center of work without prior

Qadri Jamil permission and did not follow up on his duties ... Additionally, he undertook activities outside the nation without coordinating with the government,” said a statement posted on Syria TV.

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Baby Elephants book final eight spot I

VORY Coast beat African counterparts Morocco 2-1 in a FIFA Under-17 World Cup Round of 16 tie played at the Fujairah Stadium in United Arab Emirates on Tuesday afternoon.

Goals from Franck Kessie and Junior Ahissan either side of the break booked Ivory Coast’s place in the final eight of the competition.

Younes Bnou Marzouk found the back of the net for the North African outfit.

Morocco went into the tie as favourites having topped their group, Ivory Coast on the other hand ended third in group B behind Italy and Uruguay.

Despite the underdog tag, it was the Baby Elephants who got off to the brighter start.

They had a glorious opportunity to open the scoring in the fourth minute of the encounter following a foul from Mohamed Saoud on Meite Yakou inside the area.

Ivory Coast captain Kessie duly stepped up and drilled the ball past a helpless Oussayd Belkouch to give the Elephants the lead.

Ivory Coast continued to dominate, and had opportunities to double their lead through Yakou

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OUR HELP IS FROM ABOVE - Golden Eaglets return thanks unto God yesterday as they beat Iran 4 - 1 to qualify for the quarter final of the U-17 World Cup on-going in United Arab Emirates. They play Uruguay on Saturday.

who was proving to be a real menace down the left flank.

The Baby Cubs were struggling to find their rhythm and ultimately produce the football that was on display in the group stages.

Arsenal target Iheanacho L

EAGUE leaders Arsenal are reportedly interested in securing the signature of Nigerian wonderkid Kelechi Iheanacho, according to Soriebah Kajue.

Iheanacho has been one of the standout stars at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, which is currently taking

place in the United Arab Emirates.

The Gunners’ chief scout, Steve Rowley, was apparently on hand to watch the 17-year-old score four goals in Nigeria’s 6-1 rout of defending champions Mexico in their opening game in Group F, per Kajue’s report.

Keshi satisfied despite Jordan loss

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Jordan friendly: Eagles blame referee for loss

UPER Eagles coach Stephen keshi is satisfied with the performance of his team despite a 1-0 loss to Jordan in an international friendly played on Monday in Amman.

Jordan captain Hatem Aqel scored a 42nd minute penalty after a questionable call by the ref.

The Nigerian side fought hard to get back into the game but was a bit unlucky as they tried to unlock the Jordanian defense.

Despite having a couple chances of doubling their lead before the break, the Elephants came up short, Ivory Coast 1-0 Morocco at half-time.

Morocco levelled matters on the hour mark through Younes Bnou

Continues from B/P hours trip by road from Dubai, where the Nigerian community have a strong voice and representation.

For the fans, yesterday was a day of delight as their Eaglets, who are strong contenders for the title, repaid their support with three beautiful goals, all coming within the space of 2o minutes, to silence the Iranian fans, shouting Iran.

Coach Manu Garba switched tactics for the game as he fielded.

Abdullahi Alfa on the left flank, allowing Musa Yahaya to attack from the centre. In the past matches, Yahaya played from the left side of the wing. With injured Success Isaac not dressed

Marzouk. The Juventus youngster picked up the ball outside the area before guiding his effort into the back of the net via the post, the goal was the midfielder’s third of the campaign.

Ahissan restored Ivory Coast’s lead in the 75th minute of the encounter, The Ivoire Academie midfielder pounced on a mistake by the Moroccan defence before firing past Belkouch.

Morocco piled forward in search of the winner, but the Baby Elephants defence held firm to continue their run in the youth tournament.

OME players and officials of the Super Eagles have blamed the 1-0 defeat suffered by Nigeria in the hands of the Jordanian national football team in Monday’s international friendly on the centre referee.

Team Coordinator for the Eagles Emmanuel Attah and Kano Pillars’ Umar Zango echoed the same sentiment Tuesday.

The major talking point was the ‘soft’ penalty kick awarded the hosts which eventually turned out the deciding factor between the two teams.

“The referee spoilt our fun, the boys played so well we don’t know why the referee gave the penalty; he was making some funny calls,” Attah lamented.

On his part, Zango also stated that the referee killed their morale after ‘ wrongly’ giving the hosts an advantage with the 42nd minute penalty kick calmly converted by Jordan skipper Hartem Aqel.

While many agree that the penalty kick was not deserved, the overall performance of the Eagles is also being questioned even though it was a new team with strange bed fellows playing together for the very first time.

National Youth Games: No medals for athletes – Abdullahi

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HE Honourable Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has declared that medals would not be given to participating athletes and teams in the forthcoming National Youth Games, which will take place in Abuja between December 5th and 15th, 2013.

He explained that the reason for this was to discourage cheating. “Every athlete will get a certificate of participation, and one of the reasons we decided that there will be no medals is for contingents not to have room to bring overage children into the competition,” Abdullahi said.

He added that, “the moment we start giving medals, everyone leading athletes to this competition will worry about their position on the medals table. Therefore, they will do all they can to win.”

Abdullahi stated that athletes competing in the games would be those enrolled in school, as their records of enrolment would be checked properly.

Eaglets for the game, the Eaglets had problems settling down as the Iranians tried to shut them out from making their neat passing games.

The Iranian plot appeared to be working until the 23rd minute when left-full back Samuel Okon scored the opener for the Eaglets.

He profited from Yahaya and Alfa combination, before threading a right-foot shot pass onrushing Iranian goalkeeper Mahdi Amini, who should have done better with the ball.

Just as the celebrations were dying down, starboy Kelechi Iheanacho, put Nigeria 2-0 up with a clever left-foot finish.

Taiwo Awoniyi, playing in the absence of Isaac, was the creator of the goal in

the 25th minute. He brilliantly rounded up two Iranian defenders, allowing Iheanacho to come into range before passing for the Imo native to score his fifth of the tournament.

But Iheanacho’s joy was short-lived moments later when he got injured and was substituted by Chidera Ezeh. His exit did not reduce Eaglets’s firepower as they scored their third of the night in the 42 minute through captain Musa Mohammed, who sliced the ball into the net and immediately raced to the substitutes bench to celebrate the goal with his teammates.

The party got merrier for the Eaglets in the second half when Musa Yahaya

put the Nigerians 4-0 up.

Iranian goalie Amini was dejected and inconsolable. He only conceded two goals in the group stage and here he was shipping in four goals in a single match. Yahaya’s goal, which came in the 76th minute,, was his fourth of the tournament as he joins the list of players battling for the highest goal scorer award.

With Nigerian dancing away into the quarterfinal, Ali Gholizadeh scored Iran’s only goal in the 84th minute. No other goal was scored as Eaglets ran out 4-1 winners to secure a heavyweight quarterfinal clash with Uruguay at Sharjar on Saturday.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2013 — 53

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FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP UAE 2013: NIGERIIA VS IRAN IN PICTURES

Eaglets players celebrate their teams win at the end of the round of 16 match between Nigeria and Iran at Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium on October 29, 2013 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.

Chidera Ezeh of Nigeria is challenged by Saeid Ezatolahi of Iran during the round of 16 match between Nigeria and Iran at Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.

Chidiebere Nwakali of Nigeria celebrates his teams win at the end of the round of 16 match between Nigeria and Iran at Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium on October 29, 2013 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.

Nigeria coach, Manu Garuba

Abdullahi Alfa, Zaharaddeen Bello and Musa Yahaya of Nigeria celebrate their teams win at the end of the round of 16 match between Nigeria and Iran at Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium on October 29, 2013 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2013 — 55

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VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2013

FIFA Ballon d’Or 2013:

Bale, Messi, Ronaldo for top award (See Centre spread)

Eaglets book q-final date with Uruguay …thrash Iran 4-1

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HE Golden Eaglets continued to wax stronger at the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup here when they spanked Iran 4-1 in their round of 16 match held at the Khalifa Bin Zayes Stadium, Al Ain City.

After plundering in 14

goals in the group stage, the Nigerians showed their sheer class and beauty with a convincing first display that saw them net three goals to the delight of the traveling Nigerian fans, who made the almost two Continues on Page 54

VICTORIOUS - Bello and Musa Yahaya of Nigeria celebrate their teams win at the end of the round of 16 match between Nigeria and Iran at Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium yesterday. Nigeria won 4 -1.

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 4 Liberated (5) 7 Smelled (6)] 9 Observe (3) 10 Seed-case (3) 12 Tally (5) 13 Implement (4) 15 View (5) 17 Pester (6) 19 Placed (4) 20 Fuss (5) 22 Twitch (3) 24 Ascertained (7) 27 Hill (3) 28 Demise (5) 31 Heroic (4) 33 Away (6) 35 Rustic (5) 37 Ripped (4) 38 Ruse (5) 39 Barrier (3) 41 Circuit (3) 42 Small (6) 43 Passage (5)

DOWN 1 Free (6) 2 Suit (6) 3 Vitality (3) 4 Stunt (4) 5 Royal (5) 6 Vision (8) 8 Bird (4) 11 Interrupted (9) 14 Solitary (4) 16 Agitate (4) 18 Loaned (4) 21 Bodily (8) 23 Yield (4) 25 Saturate (4) 26 Notch (4) 29 Nuclear (6) 30 Impede (6) 32 Series (5) 34 Smack (4) 36 Approval (4) 40 Encountered (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Acid 4, Sob 6, Cage 9, All 10, Spacious 11, Neat 14, Ham 16, Gloss 19, Corridor 21, Tired 23, Calamity 24, Fresh 27, Lay 31, Fume 33, Poignant 34, Tin 35, Cede 36, Die 37, Gown.

DOWN: 2, Cope 3, Dock 4, Sporadic 5, Busy 6, Canal 7, Ale 8, Glass 12, Scoff 13, Grade 14, Hit 15, Moral 17, Orbit 18, Stays 20, Relative 22, Day 25, Route 26, Scene 28, Sped 29, Snag 30, Gnaw 32, Mid.

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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