Resign now, PDP tells Tambuwal

...towards a better life for the people

N150VOL. 25: NO. 62263

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014**

Continues on Page 5

Mr & Mrs

COLUMNISTS:

•P.17On saints and men

•P.19

•P.24

EnuguInternationalConferenceCentre of waste

Seepull-outinside

>>15 >>10

Resign now, PDPtells Tambuwal

Delta LG elections:The mockery ofdemocracycontinues

Food supplies forLagos State'sfuture

Celebrating SuperstarNike Akande at70, today

By Soni Daniel,Henry Umoru, EmmaOvuakporie & Levinus

Nwabughiogu

A B U J A — N ATIONAL leader-

ship of the PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP,yesterday, welcomed thedefection of the Speakerof the House of Repre-sentatives, AminuTambuwal, to the AllProgressives Congress,APC, and advised him toresign as speaker be-cause he was no longera member of the rulingparty.

After almost one year of

•PDP Reps weep; he remains Speaker— APC Reps•Party caucus strategizes on how to remove him•NWC, House leaders meet over his decampment•We'll watch him with eagle eye — Leo Ogor•Bashir Adamu, Adeola Akande’s names come up as replacement

>>8

Next year's electionsunder threat frompoliticians — Jega

BOKO HARAM:30 policemen stillmissing — IGP

SYNAGOGUE:Pathologistrules out bombblast

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

>> 34-35

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — — — — — 3 3 3 3 3

POCKET CARTOONVanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 —5

Resign now, PDP tells TambuwalContinues from Page 1

TAKE HEARTBY ELLA RANDLE

There is more to life than simply increasing itsspeed— Mahatma Gandhi

If you are not taking care of yourself because somany other people depend on you, it is time for a real-ity check. Simplify your life. People work all their livesto retire and slow down. Why wait? Remember thatyour life is a journey and a process in motion. Be kindto yourself as you make the necessary changes to in-corporate more balance into your life. Forget the criti-cism and praise yourself for even small changesmade.Your brain needs fuel and your body needs abreak too. You also do not want to fall victim to graz-ing, unhealthy snacking or skipping meals. Stay clearof fast foods as it is easy to get caught up in being toobusy to prepare or pack a meal.

You can go back to basics to get back on track. Pullout those old manuals, affirmation scripts and books.Then start again. Reach out for support and hand oversome chores to others who seem to be sitting around.You don’t have to do it all. Exercise helps eliminatestress and empowers you to a clear mind. Realize thatyou do not have to do everything.

speculation and hob-nobbing with APC lead-ers, Tambuwal, yesterday,formally dumped PDP forthe opposition party.

Reacting to Tambuwal’sdefection, PDP NationalPublicity Secretary, ChiefOlisa Metuh, in a state-ment said the honourablething for Tambuwal now isto resign.

Metuh said: “The Na-tional Working Committeeof the Peoples DemocraticParty has met with PDPleaders in the House ofRepresentatives concern-ing the defection of theSpeaker. After a thoroughconsideration of the mat-ter, the NWC came to aconclusion that the Hon-ourable Speaker, as a re-sponsible elected officer,knows full well what isneedful and honourableof him since his new partyis in the minority.

“We are not unmindfulof the fact that Honour-able Tambuwal becameSpeaker on the platform ofthe PDP as the politicalparty with the majority ofseats in the House of Rep-resentatives and that thisincontrovertible fact hasnot changed.”

How Tambuwal

dumped PDPTambuwal, who had put

all his colleagues and po-litical associates on theirtoes since 2013 overwhere he belongs, formal-ized his defection to theAPC, yesterday, via a two-paragraph letter.

As soon as Leader of theHouse, Hon. MulikatAkande-Adeola and theDeputy Leader, Hon. LeoOgor, moved for adjourn-ment and journalists stoodup to leave the gallery,Tambuwal started readinghis decampment letter.

The Speaker waited tillthe end of the day’s leg-islative business in theHouse to announce hismovement to the opposi-tion party. Before theSpeaker’s announcementof his decampment to theAPC, the House hadpassed a motion to immor-talize Dr. Stella Adadevohand compensate the fami-lies of the health workerswho died after contractingthe Ebola Virus Disease.The motion was spon-sored by OlajumokeOkoya-Thomas.

Tambuwal said: ”BeforeI hit the gavel on the mo-tion for adjournment, Iwant to make this formalannouncement to thisHouse. Based on the pro-visions of the 1999 Con-stitution, and having re-

gards to the developmentof PDP in my state, SokotoState, I hereby announcemy membership with theAll Progressives Congress(APC).

“Let me register my pro-found appreciation to allof you, my colleagues, forthe unflinching supportyou have continued toextend to me for the over-all national interest anddevelopment of our de-mocracy. May AlmightyGod continue to guide usall.”

PDP Reps holdemergencymeeting; someweep

Members of the PDPtrooped into the DeputySpeaker, EmekaIhedioha’s conferenceroom to hold what mem-bers described as anemergency meeting. Afterthe brief meeting, Van-guard reliably gatheredthat the PDP leadershipsummoned the PDPHouse caucus to its sec-retariat.

Some members whocould not control theiremotions closed their of-fice doors to journalistsand wept at the loss of acolleague to the opposi-tion. Some of the lawmak-ers simply told Vanguard:“Please we are not in themood to discuss anythingat this moment but we willmeet this night to delib-erate on the way forward”.

Tambuwal’s next politicalmove

Tambuwal, Vanguardreliably gathered hadpicked the governorshipnomination form over aweek ago where he wasmade the sole flag bearerof the APC in SokotoState.

An impeccable sourceclose to the speaker saidthat Tambuwal is also eye-ing the presidency. Thegame plan, he explains,is that if Tambuwal failedat the presidential level,he has nothing to lose asthe Sokoto ticket is al-ready in his pocket.

“I do not know how heintends to achieve that but

from all indications ourfriend is eyeing both po-sitions,” the source said.

Tambuwalremains Speaker,APC Reps

The APC lawmakers ad-dressed the press imme-diately Tambuwal an-nounced his defection.Arrowhead of the opposi-tion, Femi Gbajabiamila(APC, Lagos) and theMinority Whip, SamsonOsagie spoke at the brief-ing.

They said: “We are hereto address you on theevents of today, the formalnotification by theSpeaker of the House ofR e p r e s e n t a t i v e s —Tambuwal — of his mem-bership of the All Progres-sives Congress.

“We welcome and ap-plaud the Speaker’s de-cision. Ever since the cri-ses started in PDP whichled to the formation of the‘New PDP’, and the de-fection of five PDP Gover-nors, 37 PDP members ofthe House of Representa-tives to the APC, and theformal merger of the ‘NewPDP’ with the APC, wehad all along known thatthis day will come.

“We are proud to ac-knowledge that theSpeaker remains not onlya member of the House ofRepresentatives but alsoits Speaker. This positionis consistent with the lawand practice in a Presi-dential System of Govern-ment.

“For the avoidance ofdoubt, the Constitutionrequires only, that‘Speaker or DeputySpeaker of the House ofRepresentatives shall beelected by members of thatHouse from among them-selves.’ Rt. Hon AminuWaziri Tambuwal hasbeen a speaker for all themembers, all the politicalparties and for all Nigeri-ans and will so continue.

“As a caucus, we pledgeour continued support tothe current leadership ofthe House of Representa-tives. We will not do any-thing to destabilize theinstitution of the House ofRepresentatives, so that itwill continue to deliver onthe mandates given to itsmembers by Nigerians.”

The court ‘lldecide –Leo Ogor

Deputy Leader of theHouse, Leo Ogor, in aswift reaction to whattranspired on the floor ofthe House and the threat-ened unity of the SeventhAssembly said:

“What happened todaywas quite unexpected.But again, that decisionwas a personal decisionand has no major impli-cation on our politicalparty. The PDP membersof the House will look atthe situation and take aposition in respect of thedefection. He is gone,fine. And he emphasizedthat his decision borderson his local politics. Thatis to say borders on theinterest of his people and

his constituency. But, allsaid and done, he camethrough a political partywhich was PDP. So, by theprovision of Section 68 (g)of the constitution, whichis still before a court of ju-risdiction, we await theruling of the court on thematter. And I think this isone great opportunity forus to call on the Judiciary.It is also an arm of gov-ernment; justice delayedis justice denied.

“And it is a subject mat-ter before them, it behoveson them to make the nec-essary interpretations sothat we can lay this issueto rest in respect of defec-tion. It is extremely impor-tant. But for us as mem-bers of the PDP, we be-lieve that we will continuecarrying on the responsi-bilities of our party.

“We will watch further,and definitely will seewhat happens. Let’s lookand see how he managesthe House. We will watchhim with eagle eyes andinterpret every action thathe takes."

“Let me emphasizehere that the Speaker hasleft. Because he has gonedoes not mean that thePDP does not control theHouse. He sits downthere as the presiding of-ficer, we run the affairs ofthe House, and as peoplewho control the House,we must go the extra mileto protect the interest ofour party. We are not go-ing to lose our sleep be-cause Tambuwal defectedto the APC.

“I think we need to bemindful of the constitu-tion. According to the con-stitution, you would needa two/thirds majority to re-move a sitting speaker. Dowe have two/third? That isanother matter we needto ponder. We will face theparty and give our expla-nations, but I can assureyou that the party’s inter-est will be fully protected."

For now PDP has 195members while APC hasabout 159 and the otherparties share the remain-ing six seats.

It’s a party affair–Akande

In her reaction, HouseMajority Leader, MulikatAkande-Adeola (PDP,Oyo) said: “This is a partyaffair. Members take de-cision on the floor basedon party. So, the party willtake decision at the appro-priate time.”

‘Tambuwalplaying fortime to wardoff removal’

DECAMPED—Speaker Tambuwal after decamping to APC, yesterday.

As Bashir Adamu,Adeola Akande’s namescome up as replacement

The abruptadjournment of theproceedings of the Houseof Representatives bySpeaker AminuTambuwal, yesterday, wasdone as a survivalstrategy, Vanguardinvestigation hasrevealed.

A ranking member of theHouse, who spoke toVanguard last night,explained that Tambuwal,who formally decampedfrom the PDP to the APCsame day, decided toadjourn for a long time inorder to secure “a softlanding” for himself.

The member pointed outthat what happened onthe floor of the House onTuesday did not come tothem as a surprise, asmost of the leadershipfrom all the major politicalparties could not claimignorance of the steptaken by the Speaker.

The source said: “Thedrama that played out onthe floor of the House wasnot out of the blues; it wascarefully played out bythose who superintendover us.

“The top men therecould not claim ignoranceof what Tambuwal didand his decision toadjourn the House tillDecember 3 this year. Thistype of a thing has neverhappened in the history ofthe House but they did itand got away with it.

“The truth of the matteris that Tambuwal knewthat if he had waited aminute after making theannouncement of hisdecampment public, theproper thing was for thePDP majority in theHouse to elect a newSpeaker.

“But by embarking on aprolonged adjournmentwhich took manymembers by surprise, it isclear that the Speakerwants to get a soft landingand use the period tolobby members to get anew Speaker who will besympathetic to him andcover his back."

“Tambuwal believes heis a smart politician andhe may still get his wayaround,” the membersaid.

6 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

2 lawyersfight overcase file

By Onozure Dania& Hope Ofobike

THERE were indicationsyesterday that officials of

Lagos State TrafficManagement Authorityalleged to be responsible forthe death of a bus conductor,Ikechukwu Abasirim, onMonday at Cele Bus Stop,along Oshodi-ApapaExpressway, have beenarrested.

Although the exact numberof officials arrested could notbe ascertained at press time,Vanguard gathered that thesuspects included threepolicemen attached toLASTMA.

The policemen, a Sergeant,a Corporal and a Constable,were alleged to have led theLASTMA officials in the ill-fated operation.

Vanguard gathered thatwhen news of Monday ’sincident reached LASTMA’smanagement, the erringofficials were ordered to bearrested. They were said to bein the custody of police at ItireDivision.

However, when thespokesman of Lagos StatePolice Command, KennethNwosu, was contacted onphone to ascertain the numberof suspects and theiridentities, a man whoidentified himself as Nwosu’sorderly, told Vanguard that hisboss was on a tour with theCommissioner of Police,Cornelius Aderanti, and thathe would get back to thisreporter in two hours.

Meanwhile, the deceased’sfamily has called on the

BUS CONDUCTOR'S DEATH:Police arrest erring LASTMA officials

relevant authorities to ensurethat justice was done on thedeath of their son, IkechukwuAbasirim.

Commercial bus driversplying the route yesterdaydecried what they described asinhuman treatment andintimidation meted out onthem by officials of LASTMAand called on GovernorBabatunde Fashola tocheckmate their excesses.

The drivers, who allegedthat the officials extort moneyfrom them at everyopportunity, wondered whysuch exploitation would becarried out on a federal road.

One of the drivers, Mr. Elene

Ilechukwu, said: “Ourexperience in the hands ofLASTMA officials along thisroute is pitiable. What they dois hijack a bus along thisexpressway over a minoroffence.

“They would, thereafter, usethat bus to go after other buses.They are usually accompaniedby three armed policemen. Allthey do is stop at designatedpoints and give othercommercial bus drivers theimpression that they areloading.

“If any driver dares stop bythat bus-stop, the armedpolicemen and LASTMAofficials will jump out of the

vehicle and arrest theconductor or driver.

“At other times, while we willstop at designated bus-stopsto pick passengers, theywould come in two commercialbuses and block the driverfrom the back and front.

“At the end of the day theywill extort no less than N5,000from that driver. We are awarethat they have been warnednot to effect any arrest onfederal roads.

“Had they adhered to theinstruction, Ikechuchwuwould not have been killed.We are therefore calling onGovernor Fashola to call theseofficials to order.”

By Evelyn Usman

Provost gets 5 years in jail over DTABy Caleb Ayansina

Man allegedly kills friend

LAGOS—ACTIVITIESat Court 2, Igbosere

Magistrate’s Court, wereyesterday disrupted astwo lawyers fought over acharge sheet.

The lawyers, WaleWilliams and the other,identified as Abbey,engaged themselves in afight at Magistrate O. OOshin’s court.

The fight began whenone of the lawyers slappedthe other over who shouldhandle a case.

It took the interventionof the Court Registrar,Clerk and otherprosecutors to stop thefight.

When Vanguardapproached Williams forcomments, he gave hisphone number and simplysaid: “Call me later if youwant to get the details ofwhat happened. I amgoing to the police stationto report the incident.”

He, however, failed torespond to several calls tohis mobile at press time.

5-yr-old boykilled bysuspectedcultists inBenue

Clearing agent accused of N4.5m fraudBy Onozure Dania

ABUJA—THE State HighCourt in Gusau, Zamfara

State, has sentenced ActingProvost of the Federal Collegeof Education, Technical, Gusau,Dr. Bello Ahmed, to five yearsimprisonment for collectingdouble Duty Tour Allowance,DTA, for the same trip.

Consequently, theIndependent Corrupt Practicesand Other Related OffencesCommission, ICPC, warnedpublic officers againstconferring unfair advantageupon themselves, by collectingDTA from both theirorganisation, and the agencyinvolved in the course of theirofficial duties.

ICPC, in a statement by itsResident Consultant (Mediaand Events), Mr. Folu Olamiti,yesterday, in Abuja, said suchabuse was punishable underSection 19 of ICPC Act 2000.

According to the statement,the law stipulates that, “anypublic officer who uses his officeor position to gratify or conferany corrupt or unfair advantageupon himself or associate of thepublic officer or any publicofficer shall be guilty of anoffence and shall on convictionbe liable to imprisonment forfive years without option of

fine.”Dr. Ahmed was accused of

collecting DTA, between 13 and16 November 2006, from thecollege for an official trip toattend a board meeting of theJoint Admissions andMatriculation Board, JAMB,while equally collecting anequal amount as DTA fromJAMB, including sittingallowances, all totallingN385,000.00.

The accused, who wasarraigned by ICPC on an eight-count charge bordering oncorruption and abuse of office,pleaded guilty to the offenceand asked for leniency.

However, the presidingJudge, Justice Amaize, said hewas not swayed by the plea ofallocutus, as the accused lackedintegrity and sentenced Ahmedto five years imprisonmentwithout an option of fine.

ENUGU—A man, identifiedas Onyekachukwu Edeh,

has allegedly killed his friendwith a machete, following aheated argument.

The cause of themisunderstanding between thetwo friends could not beimmediately ascertained, butthe State Police Public RelationsOfficer, PPRO, Mr. EbereAmaraizu, confirmed that theincident took place on Monday.

He said: “On that fateful day,October 27, at Eziobodo AmechiIdodo in Nkanu East LocalGovernment Area of EnuguState, one Onyekachukwu Edehallegedly inflicted a machete cut

on the forehead of the deceasedover an allegedmisunderstanding that arosebetween the suspect and NnajiOnukwube which caused himharm.

“He was later rushed to anearby hospital where he wasconfirmed dead, just as thebody of the deceased wasdeposited at the hospitalmortuary of AnnunciationHospital, Emene, Enugu,awaiting autopsy.

“Meanwhile, a full scaleinvestigation has commencedinto the incident as the suspect,Onyekachukwu Edeh, is nowhelping the police in theirinvestigation, following hisimmediate arrest.”

By Austin Ogwuda

LAGOS—A 45-year-oldclearing agent, Nosa

Akomen, has been arraignedbefore an Igbosere MagistrateCourt for allegedly obtainingN4.5 million by false pretence.

The defendant is facing a four-count charge of conspiracy,stealing, forgery andimpersonation, preferredagainst him by the police.

The prosecutor, Steven Molo,told the court that the defendantand others at large committedthe alleged offence betweenMay and July 2012.

He said the incident tookplace at 12 Ajayi Road, in Ogbaarea of Lagos State.

Molo said the defendantimpersonated as a registeredclearing agent and obtainedN4,499,000 belonging to oneOluwaseyi Oladore.

The prosecutor alleged thatthe defendant collected the saidsum with pretext that he was ina position to clear his 5x40 feetcontainers at Tin-Can IslandPort.

He further said that Akomenforged a Diamond Bank PlcNCS pay direct paymentacknowledgement receipt,number 06312112012002111,01324092011645873, with intentthat anybody will believe that it

was genuine.According to the prosecutor,

the offence is contrary toSections 409, 312 (a) (b), 285 (1)363 (2b) of the criminal law ofLagos State of Nigeria, 2011.

Earlier, the defendant hadpleaded not guilty to thecharges against him.

Magistrate Olanike Olagendegranted the defendant bail inthe sum of N500,000, with tworesponsible sureties in like sum.

MAKURDI—A five-year-old boy,

Samson Bernard, wasyesterday morningreportedly shot dead bysuspected cultists at theNorth Bank area ofMakurdi town.

Vanguard gathered froman eyewitness that thelittle boy met his untimelydeath in a cross firebetween rival cult groupson Udei Street, near theNorth Bank.

Attempts to speak to theparents of the slain boywere unsuccessful, butVanguard gathered thatthe Police in North Bankhad already visited thescene of the incident andhave commencedinvestigations.

However, Polices p o k e s m a n ,Superintendent DanielEzeala, said he was yet toget full details of theincident.

By Peter Duru

Late Ikechukwu Abasirim.

8— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

2015 elections under threatfrom politicians — JEGA

By Luka Binniyat &Ikechukwu Nnochiri

As Jonathan warns against violence

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

ABUJA—IN spite ofserial violation of the

ceasefire agreement betweenthe Boko Haram sect and theFederal government, theFederal Government insistedyesterday that negotiationswere still ongoing between itand the Boko Haram sect on therelease of abducted Chibokschoolgirls.

The Attorney General of theFederation and Minister ofJustice, Mr Mohammed Adoke,who addressed state HouseCorrespondents after a meetingof the National SecurityCouncil in Abuja said theservice chiefs briefed thecouncil on the negotiationbetween them and the sect.

He said the recent violationin no way violatedgovernment's resolve to ensurethe safe release of the girls.

Yesterday’s meeting wasattended by the service chiefs; theActing Inspector General of Police(IGP), Mr Suleiman Abba;National Security Adviser, Col.Sambo Dasuki; the Minister ofDefence, Aliyu Gusau; theDirector General, State SecurityService, Mr Ita Ekpeyong and theChief of Defence staff, AlexBadeh.

The Chief of Defence Staff, AirChief Marshal Alex Badeh,declined to speak tocorrespondents after the meetingwhich lasted about two hours.

Badeh had a couple of weeksago announced that Boko Haramhad agreed to a ceasfire anddirected all field commanders torespect it. Following suspicionthat the group negotiating withthe government was not the rightone, the self acclaimed SecretaryGeneral of Boko Haram, MallamDanladi Ahmadu, last Fridayinsisted that the group’s ceasefire

agreement with the FederalGovernment was on course.

He disclosed that the finalmeeting between the groupand the Federal Government tofinally seal the ceasefireagreement had been scheduledfor last Monday in Ndjamena,Chad to be supervised by theChadian leader, Idris Derby.Ahmadu who spoke in theHausa service of the Voice ofAmerica, VOA, assured that anenlarged meeting of the grouphad been fixed to prepareground for last Mondaymeeting with the FederalGovernment that would lead toeventual release of the girls toChadian President, Idriss Derbyfor onward presentation to theNigerian government.

The high expectation washowever dashed as the girlswere not released lastMonday as promised by BokoHaram’s representative.

Negotiations still on to release Chibok girls — FG

By Ben Agande

ABUJA—CHAIRMAN of the Independent National

Electoral Commission, INEC,Professor Attahiru Jega, yesterday,accused politicians of deliberatelyundermining his effort to conductcredible elections next year. Jegaspoke a day President GoodluckJonathan warned politiciansyesterday against the use ofviolence to settle political disputesahead the 2015 general elections.

Jega spoke in Abuja at a NationalStakeholders Forum on Electionsorganized by the Nigeria CivilSociety Situation Room led by thePolicy and Legal Advocacy Centre,PLAC, while President Jonathangave the warning whilecommissioning a new GovernmentHouse in Kaduna.

Jega, in his speech furtherdecried what he termed “Win byhook or crook syndrome” amongthe political class.

He said: “As the electionmanagement body, we feeloperationally prepared and readyto conduct general elections nextyear and we are confident that wewill do a much better job than whatobtained in the past.

“However, we need to point outthat we are currently facing somechallenges that range from issuesof funding to security.Nevertheless, our major challengepresently is the attitude of ourpolitical class. Our politiciansshould learn how to obey the rulesof the game and imbibe attitudesthat are amenable to peace. Theirconduct so far is capable of erodingintegrity from our electoral process.

“Our politicians want to win atall cost and they are always readyto do anything to win either byhook or by crook. They go as far asinducing election officials andwhen such move fail, they resortto threats, even threatening to killor destroy.

“Our investigations revealed thatsome of the Youth Corps membersthat were caught while engagingin electoral malpractices, wereactually induced by politicians.Some of them were harassed andintimidated into submission.Politicians went to the extent ofthreatening to kill them or burntheir lodges, what could a poorCorps member, who happened tofind himself or herself in a foreignterritory have done? Indeed, thistype of attitude by our political classneeds to be changed for us tomove forward in this country. Itundermines the process”, Jegaadded.

Besides, the INEC boss, said theCommission has concluded plansto engage retired judges, topmembers of professional bodieslike the Nigerian MedicalAssociation, NMA, and theNigerian Bar Association, NBA, tojoin University Professors to serveas collation officers during the2015 presidential election.

He equally urged the NationalAssembly to hasten the process ofcreating an Election OffencesCommission to handle theprosecution of electoral offenders.

Meanwhile, the president, whilecommissioning a new Government

House in Kaduna which wasboycotted by some veryimportant stakeholders of thestate said: “The ugly incidentof the 2011 Presidential electionviolence which led to the deathof innocent Nigerians must notrepeat itself in the 2015 polls.

“But, I am particularly happyon the return of peace toKaduna State after that violence.Let me use this channel to warnordinary Nigerians againstbeing used as launch-pad toforment crisis in the 2015elections while the sponsorsand their family remain safe.

“I urge indigenes of KadunaState and indeed the entirecountry to shun any form ofblood letting and violence andI want to also warn politiciansnot to use their selfish agendato cause crisis during the 2015election. The law shall be firmon them.

“It is only in an atmosphereof peace that this state willrecord more developments, andtherefore I want to assure thepeople of Kaduna that myadministration would continueto establish more people-oriented projects in the stateand other parts of the country”,he said.

The president said KadunaState and other states in thenorth had benefited immenselyfrom the federal government’sinfrastructural programme suchas the construction of a standardgauge rail line from Kaduna toAbuja, the 215 Kudendaterminal power sub station andcompletion of several roads inthe state.

He then assured the peopleof the state of speedycompletion of the Abuja-Kaduna light rail project beforethe end of the year. This, thepresident noted was to enableresidents of the state have easyand affordable means oftransportation to the nation’scapital.

Earlier in his speech,Governor Mukhtar Yero told thepresident that the building of anew governor’s lodge was toensure efficient service deliveryto the people of the state,adding that the lodge wasamong the numerousaccomplishments of the stategovernment and part of hisadministration’s determinationto ensure continuity.

Construction of the newgovernor ’s lodge projectcommenced in October 2008 bythe former governor of the stateand now Nigeria’s vicePresident, Namadi Sambo. Thecost of the building was putN9.6 billion and was

constructed in six phases.Meanwhile, in his remarks, the

Bishop of Catholic Diocese ofSokoto, Mathew Hassan Kukahwho was the Chairman of theForum, blasted politicians in thecountry, insisting that they lackcredibility.

Kukah maintained that INECcould only conduct credibleelections when Nigerianssincerely desire it.

“If Nigerians want credibleelections, INEC cannot stopthem. Only Nigerians who have

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

According to Kukah, “For asociety like ours that is so averseto high moral standards ofbehavior and actions, the notionof credibility creates its ownchallenges. Can a non-credibleenvironment produce a credibleoutcome? Can people withlimited credibility bring aboutcredible outcomes in the positionsin which they find themselves?How do we measure credibility?

“The crisis of credibility is sopervasive, it will be almostimpossible to identify wherecredibility lies in our country.Although the political class rankshigher in the credibility deficitladder on the popularimagination, the political classhas often defended itself with theAwolowo truism that, the son ofa lion is a lion. Therefore beingsons and daughters of corruptpolitical godfathers and mothers,our crisis goes well beyondblaming the political class.''

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 9

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

Boko Haramkills three,sets policestationablaze inBorno

By Ndahi Marama

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

ABUJA—KANO StateGovernor, Dr. Rabiu Musa

Kwankwa has formally declaredhis intention to run for the officeof the president of Nigeria on theplatform of All ProgressivesCongress, APC.

His declaration, yesterday, hasbrought the number ofpresidential aspirants in APC tothree.

Former Head of State, GeneralMuhammadu Buhari and formerVice President Atiku Abubakarhad previously declared on thesame platform.

The declaration, which held atthe old parade ground in Abujaattracted not only a mammothcrowd of men and women acrossthe country but also notablechieftains of APC.

Among them were governor ofLagos State, Mr. BabatundeFashola, Rivers State governor,Mr. Chibuike Ameachi,immediate past governor of EkitiState, Kayode Fayemi, formergovernor of Kogi State, AbubakarAudu, and former Nationalchairman of Peoples DemocraticPeoples, Abubakar Baraje.

Others included Sen. BuhariAbba Ibrahim (Yobe State) Sen.Kabiru Gaya (Kano State) formerMinister of Communication andAPC chieftain, Chief Audu Ogbeh,Senators George Akume (BenueState), Chris Ngige (AnambraState) and Robert Boroffice (OndoState) among others.

He's a good man—AMAECHISpeaking on behalf of APC

governors, Rivers State governorand chairman of the governorsforum, Chibuike Amaechidescribed Kwankwaso as a goodman.

He further stated that APCgovernors will work together torealize his ambition should heemerge the presidential candidateof the party.

Also, Senator Boroffice extolledthe virtues of Kwankwaso, sayinghis credibility stood him out amongother aspirants.

Former governor of BenueState, Senator George Akume,while describing Kwankwaso’sdeclaration as good news to theNigerian public also charged thepeople to put their trust onKwankwaso whom he saidmade a name for himself duringhis time as the Minister ofDefence.

According to him, the abductionof Chibok girls, which he said hasbecome an albatross on the neckof the present regime underPresident Goodluck Jonathanwould not have happened wereKwankwaso in the saddle as thepresident of Nigeria.

Reeling out his achievements in

Kano State, GovernorKwankwaso said the success ofthe journey and the clarion callby Nigerians were his motivationin seeking election into the officeof the president in 2015.

“The success of this journeyand clarion call by patrioticNigerians from across thecountry motivated me to seekAPC’s nomination as the party’spresidential flag bearer for theFebruary 2015 general election.I therefore, wish to accept thiscall and to formally declare myinterest to seek for thePresidential ticket of our greatparty the APC in February 2015general elections.

“I am offering myself andsoliciting the support of allpatriotic Nigerians to join Engr.Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso on thisdifficult journey to reclaim our

country from the clutches ofincompetence and destructionand return it onto the pedestal ofpeace and progress. I have nodoubt in my mind that this journeyis difficult and arduous. I have noillusion about the enormity of thechallenges. But to save ourcountry, we must walk the journey,however difficult. And we mustconfront and defeat all thechallenges, however, monstrousthey are. Yes, we must.”

According to him, the call to saveNigeria has never been louderthan now.

“Mr. Chairman and fellow APCmembers, the call to save our dearcountry has never been louder,clearer and more unambiguousthan now. Every facet of ournational life is deteriorating:governance has been reduced tomediocrity; incompetence and

impunity. I have no doubt in mymind that this journey is difficultand arduous. I have no illusionabout the enormity of thechallenges. But to save ourcountry, we must walk thejourney, however difficult. Andwe must confront and defeat allthe challenges, howevermonstrous. Yes, we must!, he said.

He also stated that tacklinginsecurity, corruption, economicrestoration among others willform the nexus of his governmentif elected president.

“The first priority of this countryat this moment is restoring peaceand security in every corner of theland. Lives and properties of ourcitizens must be protected andsecured. Boko Haram and allforms of insurgency must bedefeated. As a government, wecannot afford to live in denial.''

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

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

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

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru& Joseph Erunke

ABUJA—THE Senateyesterday urged the

Federal Government to solicitinternational assistance fromfriendly countries for theresettlement of over two millionNigerians that have beendisplaced as a result of the BokoHaram onslaught in the threestates of the North East.

The Senate also resolved tomake personal donation of N20million to support the internallydisplaced persons in the countryespecially those from Borno,Adamawa and Yobe States.

The senate, in its resolution ona motion of urgent nationalimportance sponsored by Senator

Abdul Ningi (PDP, BauchiCentral) on the plight of theinternally displaced persons inthe North East Nigeria, urged theFederal Government to providerelief materials to all the peopledisplaced in one reason or theother throughout the federation.

He noted with regret that theinternational community that hasthe responsibility to come to theaid of those that were hit by anycatastrophe or natural disaster,had shied away from the plightsof the displaced Nigerians.

Ningi added that the people ofAdamawa, Yobe and Borno werefinding life almost impossible tolive, adding “As I speak to you,we have over two millioninternally displaced persons fromAdamawa, Borno and Yobe.”

The Senate Leader, SenatorVictor Ndoma-Egba,in hiscontribution said that the issue ofBoko Haram and the displacedpersons had placed Nigeriabetween the devil and the deepblue sea.

Senator Ndoma-Egba regrettedthat Boko Haram insurgency wasputting the nation’s economy atrisk. He urged both Nigeriangovernment and internationalagencies to act as a matter ofurgency.

The Senate President, DavidMark, said “We are in a warsituation and in every warsituation; one of the key areas thatyou must worry about is refugees.It is not just to fight the war andfight the various battles but youmust also worry about refugees. ''

MAIDUGURI—G U N M E N

suspected to be members ofBoko Haram terrorists onMonday invaded Kukawatown, the headquarters ofKukawa local governmentarea of Borno State, settingablaze the Kukawa policestation, government lodgeand other public buildingsin the town and over 250vehicles.

A resident of the town,Mallam Abor Kanembusaid the insurgents stormedthe town in several Hiluxvehicles and motorcyclesand moved straight to thepolice station and startedshooting sporadicallytargeting residents, usingRocket PropelledLaunchers and AK47 rifles.

He said “the insurgentsburnt down the KukawaDivisional Police stationand some public buildingsin the town. I cannot tell thecasualty figure because wehad to flee the town in fearof our lives.”

Another resident of thetown Mohammed Mafindisaid they had to flee thetown due to the attack asthe insurgents killed threecivilians and burnt downKukawa police station,government lodge manyhouses and other publicbuildings including clinicand vehicles of thecompany exploring oil inthe Chad Basin area.

He said the incidentoccurred between 4:00 amand 10 am on Mondaywhile the gunmen fled thetown after killing a lot ofpeople and burnt over 200houses and vehicles.

“The attack was a reprisalto an attack earlierattempted by the men of theNigerian police Force, whowere on routine patrol inthe area in which theyopened fire on theinsurgents.

The insurgentsimmediately responded bykilling two policemen, andabducted two others whiletwo policemen escaped intothe bush”, Mafindi stated.Confirming the incident,the caretaker chairman ofKukawa local governmentarea Alhaji Modu Musasaid the insurgents invadedthe town killing manypeople, and burnt downseveral houses as well asover 300 vehicles.


SYNAGOGUE: No blast injuries on 116victims —Pathologist

By Innocent Anaba &Abdulwahab Abdullah

Fashola dissolves council excos

Lawyer asks court to stop further hearingBy Charles Kumolu

LAGOS—A ConsultantPathologist, Professor

John Obafunwa, yesterday,said that 116 persons diedon September 12 when aguest house owned by theSynagogue Church of AllNations, SCOAN, collapsedin Lagos.

Obafunwa, who is theChief Medical Examiner ofLagos State, made thisknown while presenting apreliminary report to aCoroner’s Inquest set up toinvestigate the cause of thebuilding collapse.

Led in evidence by MrAkingbolahan Adeniran,Counsel to the Lagos StateGovernment, he ruled outclaims of an explosion as thecause of the building collapseat the church, saying none ofthe victims had blast injuries.

Mutilated bodies“Bodies were mutilated,

severe crush, head injuries,fractured bones, fractured ribs,”Lagos State chief medicalexaminer, Professor Obafunwatold the Coroner’s Inquest.

“We had some badlydismembered bodies. But Iwould not say it was because ofexplosion.

Prophet TB Joshua hasclaimed that sabotage, possiblyfrom a low-flying aircraft, wasto blame for the buildingcollapse at his SynagogueChurch of All Nations.

But building inspectors havesaid the likely cause of theSeptember 12 tragedy was theaddition of extra floors on theguest house withoutstrengthening the foundations.

The inquest heard that 116people died in total, 84 of themSouth Africans, revising thedeath toll upwards by one.

Obafunwa told the court thatthe bodies were in an advancedstate of decomposition beforethey could be removed from thedebris of the stricken guest-house.

“In a tropical environment,decomposition could set inwithin 12 hours. From autopsywe have reason to suggesttraumatic factor as the cause ofdeath and this is as a result ofcrush,” he added.

The pathologist’s evidencecomes after a Lagos State firefighter told the hearing lastFriday that there was noevidence of an explosion at thesite.

The southwest coordinator ofthe National EmergencyManagement Agency, NEMA,Ibrahim Farinloye, also saidthere was no indication of the

use of explosives.Joshua, a self-styled miracle

worker and seer who countsPresidents among his followerswho call him “The Prophet” or“The Man of God”, has beensummoned to give evidence.

Meanwhile, the court heardthat identification of the bodies,some of which took a week toextract from the rubble, is still notcomplete.

Obafunwa said DNA sampleswere taken to help identify thevictims and his final reportshould be ready by the secondweek of November.

Anthony Van Der Byl, a SouthAfrican who lost his wife in thecollapse, said he was distressedat the time being taken to

identify the bodies.“It’s painful for me and my

family to wait for more than oneand half months without the bodyof my wife. I can’t take itanymore,” he told the hearing.

Pretoria’s top diplomat inNigeria, Lulu Mnguni, whoattended the hearing said hehoped that cross-checking ofDNA samples sent from SouthAfrica would be finished soon.

The inquest was adjourneduntil today.

Lawyer asks court to stopfurther hearing

A lawyer activist, Mr OlukoyaOgungbeje has dragged theLagos State Government beforea Federal High Court sitting in

Lagos seeking to stop furtherproceedings of the CoronerInquest on the collapse six-storybuilding within the premises ofthe Synagogue Church of AllNations in Lagos.

Ogungbeje, in the suit whichhas the Lagos StateGovernment, Attorney Generalof the state and MagistrateKomolafe as first to thirddefendants, is seeking an orderrestraining further proceedingsof the coroner inquest.

The lawyer argued in the suitthat the composition of theCoroner Inquest was a negationof the principle of natural justiceand Section 36 of theConstitution, and as such it wasunconstitutional, null and void.

LAGOS—AS the three-yearstatutory tenure of all

council chairmen andcouncillors expired yesterday,Tuesday, October 28, 2014,Governor Babatunde Fasholaof Lagos State has directedthe bosses in the 20 LocalGovernment Areas, LGAs,and 37 Local CouncilDevelopment Areas, LCDAs,to handover administration tomanagers in their respectivecouncil.

It will be recalled that theout-going council bosses weresworn into office in October2011 after emerging winnersin the council polls across thestate in which then ActionCongress of Nigeria, ACN,now All ProgressivesCongress, APC, won acrossboard defeating contenders of

PFN inaugurates Alimosho exco

By Olasunkanmi Akoni other political parties. The state Commissioner for

Information and Strategy, Mr.Aderemi Ibirogba, whoannounced the developmentto council bosses, said thatconsequently, all affected

officials, includingSupervisors, CouncilSecretaries and other politicalappointees are legallyrequired to vacate their officesby close of business byyesterday.

LAGOS—THE PentecostalFellowship of Nigeria will

formally inaugurate the newmembers of the executive ofAlimosho Province in Lagos.

With the expiration of the formerterm of four years spent by theout gone executive members ofthe Province, a new set of officerswill be sworn in to handle theaffairs of the Fellowship, foranother period of four years.

The council to be inauguratedhas Apostle D. Abraham Ikhielea

as the chairman, ApostleRaphael K. Olorunmaiye asvice chairman, Rev James O.Iyanda as secretary, Rev BisiOdumbaku will be inauguratedas Treasurer, while Pastor DaveAsehon is the financial secretary.

These are the principal officers.To work with the principalofficers are about thirty sevenmore officials in the provincialexecutive council who will alsobe co-opted officially into thenew government.

L A G O S — T H EI n d e p e n d e n t

National ElectoralCommission, INEC, hassaid that no fewer than 4.8million Permanent Voters’Cards ,PVC, are ready fordistribution in Lagos Stateas part of its preparation forthe 2015 general elections.

It also noted that theexercise would commenceon November 7, 2014,describing it as the 3rdphase in the PVCdistribution.

The state ResidentElectoral Commissioner,REC, Dr AdekunleOgunmola, said thatanother registration wouldcommence immediatelyafter the exercise to makeup for those whose namesmay not be in the register.

While urging Lagosresidents to ensure thatthey collected the PVCs asit was germane to thesuccess of the 2015 generalelections, Ogunmola,however, advised thosewho may not be able tocollect theirs during theallotted days to do so in theINEC offices in theirvarious local governmentsafterwards.

INEC todistribute4.8mvoters' cardsin Lagos

L A G O S —G O V E R N O R

Babatunde Fashola ofLagos State hascommissioned the publiclighting project for MurtalaMuhammed Way, even ashe assured residents thathis administration wouldnot relent in its drive to lightup the entire streets in thestate.

Accoding to Fashola,the lighting of the 11.8kilometres MM way,increased the number ofroads lit in the last threeyears by hisadministration to 410kilometres.

Fashola, whocommissioned theproject at a short butelaborate event lateMonday evening inYaba Local Government,said that the projectwould help to protect lifeand property of theresidents.

By Monsur Olowoopejo

Lagos Govcommissionspublic lightingproject

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


By Simon Ebegbulem

Delta 2015: Obuh declares governorship intentiontomorrow

Why political violence occurred in Edo—Oshiomhole

BENIN—GOVERNORAdams Oshiomhole of

Edo State yesterday, at a townhall meeting in Benin City,gave reasons the state waswitnessing political violence inrecent times, saying he washappy to offload Pastor OsagieIze-Iyamu and other AllProgressives Congress, APC,leaders who defected from theparty to the Peoples DemocraticParty, PDP.

He said because of their“frustration and desire to tellPDP leadership in Abuja thatthey were working to attractrecognition to themselves, theyresorted to violence in Edostate.”

The governor spoke whilebriefing the people of the state,including traditional rulers fromthe three senatorial districts ofthe state, on the politicalviolence that enveloped thestate in the past one month.

Oshiomhole, who also reactedto the allegation by Pastor Ize-Iyamu, and Frank Erewele, thathe (Oshiomhole) plotted thealleged bombing of Ize-Iyamu’swife’s clinic penultimate week,and alleged destruction of carsat Erewele’s compound,accused the duo of “selfinflicted wounds, arrangingbombs in order to divertattention from the criminal actthey perpetrated at the Houseof Assembly quarters.”

He said: “Erewele has neverwon his booth as an APCmember so, of what relevanceis he that I will want to kill him?

Again, everybody knows Ize-Iyamu’s house. So, if we wantto kill him, why will we go tohis wife’s clinic, not even theclinic but the gateman’s house.If we are a violent party, whyhave we not attacked Dan Orbihor Lucky Imasuen who are themain decision makers in PDP?Why will we attack Ize-Iyamuand Erewele who are stillstruggling to be admitted intothe mainstream of PDP? So,that allegation is not onlylaughable but foolish.”

The governor, who said PDP

leaders also plotted to groundthe economy of the state inFebruary by planning to blockthe passage of the 2015 budgetafter the failed allegedimpeachment plot, hailed theHouse of Assembly, led bySpeaker Uyi Igbe, for the recentpassage of the 2015 budget,which, according to him, “isanother victory over the forcesof darkness.”

Oshiomhole said, “It is truethat some people plotted,believing that they can impeachme and short circuit the political

process. They voted huge sumsof money with which theyconvinced five APC lawmakersto join the four they already hadto become nine. They were onthe verge of procuring moreaccomplices hoping that theywould gain at least 13 and ifthey had 13 out of 24, then theywould have had a simplemajority. With a simple majoritythey cannot impeach but will beable to block the budget.

“Once they blocked thebudget they would haveparalysed the government."

A PEOPLES DemocraticParty, PDP, governorship

hopeful, Sir Tony Obuh, willtomorrow formally declare hisintention to run for the officeof governor of Delta State in2015.

Director-General of ObuhProject 2015, Chief FredMajemite, in a statement inAsaba yesterday, said theevent would afford theaspirant the opportunity toarticulate his socio-economicagenda for Deltans.

Obuh, before now, hadembarked on consultationvisits to PDP executives in thethree senatorial districts ofDelta State to drum upgrassroots support for hispolitical aspiration.

Majemite said Obuh'sdeclaration rally would beremembered for a long time bythe people of Delta Statebecause of the comprehensive

preparation put in place byObuh Project 2015 Team interms of political mobilisation,security and crowd control.

According to him, PDPchieftains and party faithful

Aguariavwodojoins Deltagovernorshiprace

By Clifford Ndujihe

SENATOR EmmanuelAguariavwodo, PDP,

Delta Central, yesterdayentered the fray for DeltaState governorshipelection, putting presentpermutations on theirheads. Aguariavwodo wasat the national secretariatof the Peoples DemocraticParty, PDP, to pick theparty ’s Expression ofInterest and Nominationforms for the governorshipelection.

Aguariavwodo was thesecond ManagingDirector of Niger DeltaD e v e l o p m e n tCommission, NDDC andwas elected to the Senatelast year at the bye-election to replace the lateSenator Pius Ewherido.

Before his election to theSenate, Aguariavwodohad served in the Houseof Representativesbetween 1999 and 2003.

Agauriavwodo, who hadleft many guessing on hispolitical future, followingby his action yesterday,put himself forward as oneof those to look out for inthe contest, especiallygiven his prime positionas the highest electedoffice holder from DeltaCentral.

With a Bachelors’degree in Economics,Aguariavwodo worked asa journalist with AfricanGuardian between 1985and 1987 and later withthe founder and chairmanof the Ibru Organisation,Chief Michael Ibru, wherehe ran an oil explorationcompany for eight years.Thereafter, he workedclosely with multinationalcompanies in the oilindustry before going tothe House ofRepresentatives in 1999.

from the threesenatorial districtswill join Obuh onstage to articulatethe vision of theaspirant which hadbeen developedspecifically to takeDelta State from anoil-dependent stateto a highlyd i v e r s i f i e deconomy in linewith the presentadministration’sDelta Beyond Oilinitiative.

It will be recalledthat Obuh, aP e r m a n e n tSecretary in Delta

State civil service, joined thegovernorship race recentlyafter retirement.

He served the state for 32years without blemish.

In 2007, Obuh convened and

funded Project UduaghanInternational, PUI, a politicalpressure group affiliated toPDP in Delta State.

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

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014—13

By Simon Ebegbulem

Acting Rector of Fed Poly in Bayelsa sacked

2015: APC vows to unseat PDPin Edo South

THIS is to notify thepublic of the

inadvertent use of“Notice of Appointmentof Liquidator of OceanicTrustees Limited”, in theadvertorial of October28, 2014, on page 51,instead of “Notice ofAppointment ofLiquidator of UnitedAfrica CompanyRegistrars Limited.”

We are sorry about themisinformation and thepublication is regretted.

The Corporate AffairsCommission, Board,Directors, stakeholders ofthe company and generalpublic should please takenote.

CORRIGENDUM

By SamuelOyadongha

Y E N A G O A — T H Ecrisis rocking the Federal

Polytechnic, Ekeowe, inSouthern Ijaw LocalGovernment Area of BayelsaState, yesterday, took a newtwist with the sacking of theActing Rector, Mrs. EmilianBribena, by the GoverningCouncil of the institution.

The Governing Council ledby its Chairman, BekeakpoEtifa, at an emergencymeeting held at the LiaisonOffice of the institution inYenagoa, announced theappointment of a new ActingRector, Mathias Udole.

According to the GoverningCouncil, the former ActingRector was relived of herappointment following theexpiration of her tenure as aLibrarian of the institution andher tenure as Rector in anacting capacity.

Chairman of the GoverningCouncil, who spoke to newsmen at the end of the

emergency meeting, said thetenure of the former Rectorexpired in August.

The former Rector, who wasabsent at the meeting, in anearlier petition to theEconomic and FinancialCrimes Commission, EFCC,alleged that somemanagement staff of theinstitution were out to sackher to enable them divertN300 million from theaccount of the institution.

In the petition to the EFCC,she claimed that though thealleged fraud had beenreported to the FederalMinistry of Education, theaccused staff of the institutionhad continued to signcheques and withdraw fundsfrom the institution’s accountwithout her approval.

But the Chairman of theGoverning Council,Bekeakpo Etifa, insisted thathe had earlier written to theEFCC to commenceinvestigation into the allegedfund diversion including themissing N420 million.

According to him, “the

claim is to be investigated. Wehave written to the EFCC toinvestigate. Why was she not

at the emergency meeting ofthe Governing Council? Thatis another aspect of

insubordination. I don’t knowwhy she is not here. She wasduly invited.”

BENIN—LEADERS ofthe All Progressives

Congress, APC, in EdoSouth senatorial districtof Edo State, yesterday,lamented that the peopleof the area had sufferedunder developmentsince 1999 due to a cabalof Peoples DemocraticParty, PDP, leaders thatheld the area captive.

They vowed todethrone PDP in the areain 2015 and elect an APCsenator who, accordingto them, will help to

attract federal presenceto the area, lamentingthat “the only time wehad a senator that trulyrepresented us was inthe era of Prof.Osariemen Osunbor. Ithas been a disaster for ussince Senator OdionUgbesia became asenator.”

Speaking after hepicked his expression ofinterest form in Benin

City yesterday, to vie forthe APC ticket for theEdo central senatorialdistrict, Prince JoeOkojie, who re-echoedthe observation of otherAPC leaders at theparty ’s secretariat,declared that despite thepresence of the chairmanof Board of Trustees ofthe PDP in the area andthe Minister of Works,Mr. MikeOnolemenmen, the APCwould take over the areain 2015.

A-Ibom 2015: Ekpotu picksPDP governorship form

By Clifford Ndujihe

FORMER DeputyGovernor of Akwa

Ibom State, Mr. PatrickEkpotu, has picked thePeople’s Democratic Party,PDP, governorshipnomination form for the2015 election in Akwa IbomState.

A PetrochemicalEngineer, Ekpotu, whoserved as Commissioner forInformation, Culture andEthical Orientation duringthe administration of ObongVictor Attah, picked the formyesterday at the WadataHouse Headquarters of thePDP.

With a campaign slogan:“Let’s Turn the Page,”Ekpotu said he wanted totake Akwa Ibom to the nextlevel after the uncommon

transformation of the stateby outgoing GovernorGodswill Akpabio.

One of the leaders of theEkpotu 2015 Movement,Otuekong IdongesitUdokpo, said the formerdeputy governor, whoserved meritoriouslybetween 2007 and 2011,during the first tenure ofGovernor Akpabio, “iscoming into the race withan enviable wealth ofexperience. He also servedas a Federal Commissioner(South South) NationalAssembly ServiceCommission, Abuja. Don’tforget that both EngineerEkpotu and the currentgovernor of Akwa Ibomstate, were colleagues ascommissioners underObong Attah."

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

14—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

PDP has no place in Edo —Esogbanof Benin KingdomBENIN CITY — THE

Chairman of the BeninForum, an umbrella body ofall Benins both in Nigeriaand the Diaspora, ChiefDavid Edebiri has said thePeoples Democratic Party,PDP, has no future in EdoState.

He claimed the partywould fail woefully in the2015 general and 2016governorship elections inthe state.

Chief Edebiri who is theEsogban and Odionwere ofBenin Kingdom, isregarded as the ‘oracle ofBenin Kingdom’ followinghis predictions in 2012 thatGovernor Oshiomholewould win in the entire 18local government councils ofthe state which eventuallycame.

The Benin High Chief andsecond in command amongthe palace chiefs in BeninKingdom, broke his silenceyesterday on the politicalcrisis in the state, accusingthe Federal Government ofhaving a hand in it.

The Esogban , whorepresented the Oba of

PDP GUBER TICKET: Wike flagsoff local council tour at TaiRIVERS STATE

leading PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP,aspirant, Nyesom EzenwoWike, yesterday kick-started his localgovernment campaigns atTai Local Governmentcouncil.

The aspirant met withparty leaders, youths andwomen groups at the localcouncil party secretariatand at his campaign office.

Wike urged the Tai LocalCouncil PDP delegates tovote him 100 per cent,noting that his relationshipwith Tai people had been

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

Benin, Omo n’ObaErediauwa, spoke in hispersonal capacity as theEsogban and Odionwere ofBenin Kingdom, at a TownHall meeting organized byEdo State governor, ComradeAdams Oshiomhole toaddress pressing securityissues in the state, the recentcrisis was a re-enactment ofthe saga in the Old Western

Region.He asked the PDP to field

some of its members whorecently defected from theAll Progressives Congress,APC, in the coming electionsand see how woefully theparty would lose.

He said: “What we wereabout to witness in Edo Statewas a re-enactment of the

political scenario in the oldWestern Region in 1962-1964,whereby the CentralGovernment caused a divisionin the old Action Group andsupported the Minority, lateChief SLA Akintola who wasour deputy leader then to fightagainst Chief ObafemiAwolowo because they wantedto take the Western Region byall means."

FORMER MINISTERof Transport and

former Secretary to Riversstate Government, Dr AbiyeSekibo has denied rumoursmaking grounds that he isdead.

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

In a statement released byhim in Abuja yesterday,Sekibo said such rumourscame from those alreadydoomed and looking for co-travelers.

His words,’’I am shockedto learn of the unfounded,baseless and maliciousrumour about my demisebut I believe very stronglythat such evil imaginationcan only come from thosealready doomed’’.

The foremost politician ofthe Peoples DemocraticParty, (PDP) howeverthanked relations andfriends who wasted no timein putting calls across tohim to ascertain the trueposition of things prayingGod to bless them all.

He, therefore, enjoinedthe public todiscountenance any suchreport from the social mediaand the satanic agents.

I’m alive, haleand hearty –Abiye Sekibo

fruitful over the years.He appealed to the Tai

PDP members to elect corePDP delegates on Saturdayto ensure that nobody soldout during thegovernorship primary.

According to him: “ThePDP needs a strong andcommitted candidate touproot the All ProgressivesCongress, APC. We mustensure that only loyal partydelegates are elected.”

Highpoint of the flagoff, was thecommissioning of thenew Rivers campaignoffice and the

inauguration of the TaiLocal Government Areacampaign office.

Responding, Chairmanof the Tai new Riversvision campaignexecutive, ChiefMonday Mgbor, assuredWike of victory duringthe governorshipprimary.

The flag off wasattended by national andstate lawmakers, Federalcommissioners, formerstate commissioners,PDP council and warddelegates, youths andwomen groups.

Crisis brewing in Edo PDP overselection of delegates for primaries

BENIN CITY —INDICATIONS of a

major crisis in the Edo StatePeoples Democratic Party,PDP, emerged yesterday asmembers on the platform ofConcerned PDP members,raised an alarm overalleged plot to hand pickthe names of delegates tothe primaries of the partyby the leadership of theparty.

The group threatenedthat if the decision was notreversed, they might haveno option than to vote for

By Simon Ebegbulem candidates of the AllProgressives Congress,APC.

They appealed to theIndependent NationalElectoral Commission,INEC, to monitor thedelegates electionscheduled for next week,particularly in Edo South,where they alleged that theleadership of the party hadalready handpickeddelegates with a view tomanipulating theforthcoming primaries ofthe party in Edo South.

Vanguard learnt that theissue almost resulted to a

physical fight at the PDPsecretariat on Mondaywhen the membersconfronted the leadershipof the party led by ChiefDan Orbih, with theallegation.

Speaking on behalf of theaggrieved members, Mr.Okharedia Ihimekpen,narrated that “there is a plotby the establishment towrite delegate list so thatthey can put their preferredcandidates. And this will beresisted by party faithful,who have laboured to bringthe party together."


Iheanacho, Udensi gun for APGA guberrace in Imo, Abia

By Chris Ochayi

ABUJA — LESS than 24hours after it announced

the sales of nomination formsinto various elective officesahead of 2015 generalelections, two aspirants havecollected the expression ofintent and nomination forms ofAll Progressives GrandAlliance, APGA, to run for the2015 governorship electionsin their respective states.

The aspirants are formerMinister of Interior, CaptainEmmanuel Iheanacho, who isseeking to unseat incumbentGovernor Rochas Okorocha ofImo State and a formerNational Secretary ofAssociation of LocalGovernment of Nigeria,ALGON, Chief ChikweUdensi, who wants to takeover from Governor TheodoreOrji of Abia State.

While Captain Iheanachopicked form for thegovernorship ticket of Imostate on Monday, ChiefUdensi picked his yesterday,at the party ’s nationalsecretariat in Abuja. Addressing newsmen afterpicking the forms, bothaspirants expressed optimismthat APGA would clinch thegovernorship positions in the

two states following the abys-mal performances of the ad-ministrations of GovernorsOkorocha and Orji.

In his remarks, ChiefChikwe Udensi who claimedthat Abia State was in bond-age, stated that his platformwould redeem the batteredimage of the state in terms ofgovernance.

He bemoaned what hedescribed as “unfortunate

absence of infrastructural de-velopment” in Abia state, prom-ising to reverse the trend. Ac-cording to him “I have come torescue Aba and Abia”.

The forms were handed overto him by the National Vice-Chairman (South East), Hon.Uchenna Okogbue, whopromised transparent, free andfair primary to all aspirants,stressing that the party believedin internal democracy and good

governance.On his part, Iheanacho, who

vowed to unseat incumbentGovernor Rochas Okorocha,said: “I stand the better chanceto win the election.”

Iheanacho described APGAas a party to beat in the electionand accused GovernorOkorocha’s administration ofnot having particularprogramme to end endemicunemployment in the state.

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

Group asksindigenes tosupportNdokwaaspirants

By Godfrey Bivbere

N D O S I M I L I

DEVELOPMENT Union,NDU, the apex bodyrepresenting Ndosimilipeople of Ndokwa EastLocal Government Area, anaffiliate of Ndokwa NekuUnion, has called on allindigenes to work togetherfor a candidate fromNdokwa in order not loseout in 2015 elections.

NDU at the end of anenlarged executive meetingsaid Ndokwaland paradedthe best non-controversialand preferred aspirants withunblemished achievementsin various endeavours.

Stopinterferringwith ouraffairs, youthstell IDU

By Festus Ahon

UGHELLI — ISOKOProgressive Youth

Centre, IPYC, has urgedthe Isoko DevelopmentUnion, IDU, to stopinterfering with youth'saffairs in the Isoko nation.

IPYC in a statement by itsleader, Anthony Ogbalor,described the allegedinterference by IDU in theyouth affairs as a threat tothe peace and unity thatexisted among the Isokoyouths, saying “IDU did notsettle factions in Isoko youthwhen the youths werefactionalized”.

The body accused theIsoko apex body of tryingto create a faction byconducting alleged illegalelection for anunconstitutional, unknownand nonexistent Youth body,Isoko National YouthAssembly, INYA.

THE Acting Inspector General of Po-

lice, IGP, Mr SuleimanAbba, said yesterday that“about 30” policemenwere still missing, morethan two months afterBoko Haram terrorists at-tacked their training fa-cility in Gwoza, Bornostate.

The police boss whocontradicted his earlierstatement that about 20policemen remained ac-counted for while speak-

ing with state house cor-respondents said thatone of the policemen thatwent missing had re-turned to his base.

He said; “Last week wewere able to identify thatone of the missing offic-ers in Gwoza had goneback to his base this timearound. So, there canstill be some that are intheir homes, perhaps re-fusing to even report toanyone that they arearound because of thetrauma they wentthrough.

“Or they could still beamong the families insome of the villagesaround there. It is stillour hope that they arealive and that they willcome out alive” he said.

Thirty five police offic-ers were declared miss-ing following the deadlyattack by suspected BokoHaram fighters on theMobile Police TrainingSchool, Gwoza, on Au-gust 23. A statement bythe Force Public Rela-tions Officer, DCP Em-manuel Ojukwu hadsaid.

“Following the attacklaunched by insurgentson the Gwoza Trainingcamp of the Nigeria Po-lice Mobile Force (PMF),the Inspector-General ofPolice, Ag. IGP SuleimanAbba has since orderedthe tightening of securi-ty around all police facil-ities in the country inaddition to efforts madeto further protect thelives of all people in Ni-geria and their proper-ties,”

“It will be recalled thata ferocious attack earlierlaunched on the Training

camp by insurgents on7th August, 2014 was re-pelled by the Police.

“On 20th August, 2014,the attackers launched afresh offensive that last-ed for several hourswhere the policemen onduty engaged them in afierce battle.

“The search and rescueparty launched immedi-ately has located andbrought to safety all Po-lice officers in the Train-ing College at the timeof attack. So far, thirty-five policemen who are

30 policemen still missing —IGP

Pascal Adigwe garners supportfor Delta North senatorial seat

By Ben Agande still missing from the fa-cility as a result of thelatest attack are beingsearched for with verypromising prospect of lo-cating them.

“While enjoining all cit-izens to remain calm andjoin hands with the se-curity forces in the col-lective fight against in-surgency, the IGP re-states his determinationto work closely with oth-er security agencies tostem the tide of terrorismin the country,” the state-ment read.

THE PEOPLESDemocratic Party,

PDP, Delta-North sena-torial hopeful for the2015 senatorial election,Mr. Pascal Adigwe, hascontinued to receivesupport of eligible vot-ers in the zone.

A large number ofPDP supporters accom-panied him to pick hisnomination form for theelection.

Speaking after the col-

lection of the nomina-tion and expression ofinterest form, the sena-torial hopeful, saidpicking the form was aclear indication of hispreparedness to partici-pate in the election andby the grace of God, hewould emerge the win-ner at the polls to rep-resent and bring divi-dends of democracy tothe people of the sena-torial district.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 —————1717171717

CMYK

OPINION

*

On saints and men

“There is no more independence inpolitics than there is in jail.” —Will Rog-ers

DR Ahmad Gummi, son of the lateSheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gummi

and a leading cleric recently wrote openletters in the manner Chief OlusegunObasanjo made public letter-writing apolitical art. He wrote to General Muham-madu Buhari and President GoodluckJonathan, advising them to jettison ambi-tions to contest for the presidency in 2015in the interest of peace, security and sur-vival of the nation.

This is not the first time the former mili-tary officer is putting himself squarely inthe eye of the storm. He apparently drawscomfort from the sentiment that he haddone his duty as a religious leader by giv-ing advice and urging caution where it isnecessary. His critics, however, will hard-ly spare him on grounds of his religiouscredentials. He had never been far fromthe political terrain anyway; and like hisfather, he had remained consistent inhighlighting the linkages between reli-gion, politics and the Nigerian state.

What is relatively new in Gummi’s lat-

nation if he is declared loser again. Hiscredentials as a corruption fighter will goup in smoke and leave the nation withouthim as a leader, but with frighteningsecurity challenges. President Jonathan,because from the word go, his presidencywas built on deepening the Christian-Muslim divide and unashamedly foistingand exploiting the promotion of the Churchand pursuing anti-Muslim polices. He isan oath-breaker, more Ijaw than Nigeri-an and quite possible deeply involved in

Gummi specifically, and the public ingeneral, have shrugged his criticisms asone more from a man and a people whohave long made up their minds thatJonathan shall not pass. There is a con-siderable, but largely silent segment ofopinion that applauds Gummi, but theyhave to be very careful where they chooseto clap for him.

There are serious issues beyond instinc-tive reactions of hate mongers and fanat-ical followers that Gummi’s letters raise.He says what many close observers haveagonised over, and put down as issueswhich everyone hoped the political pro-cess will resolve before they became suchcombustible matters. How did the Nige-rian political process end up with such afrightening scenario? It is not as if manyhad not foreseen that any contest betweenBuhari and Jonathan was going to pro-duce more than a winner. The writing hasbeen on the wall that Jonathan’s candi-dature will be made to secure anotherterm by all means necessary. AnotherBuhari attempt, this time on a much big-ger platform is also seen by his support-ers as certain of victory, and only his be-ing rigged out will stop him. If he fails tobecome president in 2015, the nation willpay dearly for it. Buhari and Jonathansymbolise the basic structural weakness-es of the Nigerian political system. Thedominance of the individual over struc-tures and processes has bled our democ-racy since 1999, to a point where today,we contemplate a worst case scenario.

Ordinarily, the concerns over the po-tential damage which a Buhari-Jonathancontest will cause to the nation can beassuaged by a strong, national consen-sus over the need for credible elections in2015. Tragically, there is a major gap inelite consensus and cohesion in thepolitical process, no thanks again to the

dominance of powerful individuals rath-er than functional elements of the sys-tem. The nagging concerns over falloutsof Buhari – Jonathan contest suggests thatthere is very little faith that politicians willallow a credible election to be organised.There is widespread suspicion thatJonathan will rig the elections to makeup for his widespread unpopularity. Bu-hari’s people think the only way he canlose to Jonathan is if he is rigged out,and they believe this is a distinct possi-bility. Widespread violence is a key andpermanent feature in these assumptions.Jonathan has fringe groups that say theywill cause mayhem if he is stopped frombeing president until 2019, by any pro-cess. Buhari’s people have already reg-istered a presence in 2011, and the threatthat they will raise the specter of post-election violence if he is not returned aspresident is real.

Yet, there is nothing wrong in the PDPfielding Jonathan and paying the pricefor it or reaping the benefits. Similarly,the sentiment that Buhari cannot win ina credible election against Jonathan hasbeen made such a recurring refrain thatmany people are beginning to believe it.So let us take a step back and catch ourbreath. If Jonathan survives legal hurdlesover his candidature, he will contest theelections. He could win or lose in a cred-ible election, and the heavens do not needto fall over it. Buhari, if he survives thedetermined challenges within his partyto stop him from flying the flag, can winor lose against Jonathan in a credible elec-tion, and the world does not need to cometo an end.

Nigerians like Gummi who agonise overthe damage a Buhari – Jonathan contestwill cause, need to look beyond the con-test. No one has the right to threaten ourlimbs, lives and future over the ambitionsof politicians. Let Buhari and Jonathanrun, if necessary against each other. Whatwe need to do is to insist that the 2015elections are credible, and anyone whobreaks the law over them will not get awaywith it. No exhortation will change thecharacters of Buhari or Jonathan at thisstage. They are men, not saints. What weneed to do is to re-possess the politicalsystem from those around them who thinktheir ambitions represent the key to afuture full of fear, or one that will beginthe process of rebuilding our nation. Ifhe still has the appetite for it, Gummishould write another letter to Nigeriansand say, do not die for either Buhari orJonathan.

•

Let Buhariand Jonathanrun, if neces-sary againsteach other

The new face of OnitshaA crowd of anxious Onitsha residents

thronged the Upper Iweka venue towelcome their new governor. They have cometo behold, and possibly assess, the man whowill manage their affairs for the next coupleof years. Up till the time of the visit, Onitshawas seen as a city with palpable sense ofbrokenness. Scarcely was anything positivewritten about it. Thisday newspaper once calledit “bursting and broken” when it profiled thetown sometime in 2010. Onitsha was thennamed alongside Morocco, China, Malaysiaand Brazil as the five fastest growing cities inthe world by the UN. The paper frowned atthe confused mass in which people and mate-rial moved, especially around Upper Iweka /Bridge Head area.

It is not clear when Onitsha copped the not-so-impressive image. But suffice it to say thatit did not do so overnight. It was a gradualslide that matured with the city’s attainmentas the emporium of West Africa as well as aportal to states of the South-East and South-South zones. The new status inevitablyexposed it to unusual cosmopolitanism. Peopleof all vocational hues, including vagrants andcriminals, surged towards the town as wouldinsects to nectar. In time a medley of interestsmanifested in a rat race that derailed the lofty

BY EJIKE ANYADUBA

ideals of the emerging commercial hub. Ef-forts by successive governments to nip off thenegative interests were met with stiff resis-tance. Unyielding, government applied a lotof measures, some unorthodox (like the Bakas-si solution), to no avail. All seemed to fly in theface of the tidal surge of criminal activities.Perhaps they were not proactive enough to pullthe plug. All too often, they were reactions toactions of the criminals already entrenchedin battlement.

Evolving almost at the same time as thesenegative interests were other marginal crimeslike extortion, intimidation et al. Theusurpation of government responsibilities byselfish individuals became a daily occurrence.A cult of “powerful” individuals appropriatedfor themselves revenue windows of the state.It got to a point where a former governor ofthe state had to personally intervene to stopwhat was seen, but rarely addressed by itsname, as a parallel government in the state.He had to exert the full weight of his office toknock into line the erring miscreants. The storywas that the cheeky leadership of the then RoadTransport Workers in the town defied thegovernor ’s order to lawful behavior.Impudently, the leadership asked the governorto stay away from the activities of the Union.

The governor was reminded that others beforehim abided by the principles of non-interference. He was warned of a possiblebacklash if he failed to curtail hismeddlesomeness. Riled by such impertinence,the governor decided to march against theUnion and had the behemoth caged. But notbefore impunity of other rascals had alreadydotted the entire landscape. Revenuegeneration by government was steadilygrowing thin. Street urchins effectivelyconverted pockets of business areas topersonal fiefdoms and used returns on revenueto sponsor disorderliness and stoke the fire ofcrime in the town.

Sadly enough the areas badly affected bythis unusual development were places visitorsto the town often frequented for business like Upper Iweka/ Bridge Head and MainMarket through Fegge. While visits toresidential areas of the town with betterstructural layout and sane disposition werefew and far between. Tourist centers withexcellent eateries and joints where visitorscould gorge on culinary delight easily fadedinto forgettable blur. People, except perhapsresidents of the town, soon grew weary ofOnitsha. At a time, even residents could nolonger endure the overbearing attitude of touts

and criminals in the town hence a goodnumber of them relocated to Asaba andadjoining towns.

It was at this point that Governor Obianovisited Onitsha. The story of that visit has sincebeen written in glowing expletives. Theachievements of the governor’s security outfitOperation Kpochapu are daily reported withinand outside the state. One unrepentant criticof the erstwhile parlous state of affair in thetown who resides in Asaba once said that ifsecuring Onitsha, nay Anambra state, was allthe new government achieved, it would havedone well. The new lease of life in Onitsha isclearly evident in the air of sanity that pervadesthe entire landscape. Upper Iweka for examplehas been shorn of the confused mass ofcriminal elements. Echoing the same view,Chimamanda Adichie, the brainiac writer,told a story of how somebody lost his telephoneset at Upper Iweka only to pick it days after. Itis obvious that Upper Iweka and indeedOnitsha has been rid of criminal elements.The proactive engagement of criminals byObiano’s Operation Kpochapu has greatlycurtailed the menace of criminals in the town.The bogey that was Upper Iweka has beencleared of the undesirables.

*Anyaduba writes from Abatete, AnambraState

the sustenance of the BokoHaram insurgency. Gummithinks he should stand downfor Akpabio, Obi or Orji,although he does not say whythese three.

If Gummi had said toBuhari alone that herepresents a major liability forthe political system, he will becanonized as hero in many ofJonathan’s strongholds. Theywill hold up that indictmentas strongest proof that Buharihas no traction in hisimmediate constituency, andis unfit to aspire to be presi-dent for the fourth time. Sim-ilarly, a letter to Jonathanpilloring him as Gummi didwill play into a large segmentof Gummi’s social environ-ment, one which sees him asa radical anti-establishmentman of sorts. As it is, support-ers of both have attempted totear him to pieces. Buhari’ssupporters have condemnedhim in very colourful terms,ranging from deranged to apaid agent of the PDP.

Jonathan’s people, with aslightly thicker skin from

est foray is that he is taking ontwo formidable targets at thesame time. This time, he is notjust putting forward positionsthat are consistent with what hesees as the core interests ofNigerian Muslims. He predi-cates his letters on his convic-tion that Jonathan’s and Buhari’scandidature in 2015 will be a ma-jor disaster for all Nigerians. Hetells both of them that they havemassive ethno-religious liabili-ties that will compound the na-tion’s delicate and threatenedunity, and even survival. He saysBuhari’s candidature will playinto the deep religious faultlineswhich Jonathan had designedand built as President.

The way Gummi sees it, if bothBuhari and Jonathan can bepersuaded to stand down forothers, the nation will be sparedthe nightmare and real possibil-ity that an election involvingthem will push it beyond theretrievable stage. He thinks bothrepresent dangerously divisivetendencies in Nigerian politics.Buhari, because his phenome-nal and fanatical followers willrise up and burn down the

OPINION


Redefining management of government media profile

HOW do you manage the affairs of a chiefexecutive who is the target of vicious crit-

icism, serial litigations challenging his electionand is adjudged more on ethnic considerations?No Mass Communications class has such rec-ipe.

For Chike C. Ogeah, managing the mediaaffairs of Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan ashis Commissioner for Information could nothave been more daunting. The Delta State gov-ernor has the unprecedented record of under-going two primaries and two gubernatorialelections within three months - a product ofvoiding of his election in 2007 just monthsbefore the 2011 general elections.

In the face of a media blitz anchored on justwhat the governor could not execute and oftencouched in less than enamouring superlatives,an unwary media manager may have beentempted to enter the fray using the same lan-guage. Not Ogeah. He treads the path of can-dour, preferring to calmly respond to attackson his principal. In all his interviews, clarifica-tions and press releases, Ogeah, who turned 53on October 23, always eschews the use of fouland negative words in representing the posi-tion of the state government and his principal.

“I have never seen being an attack dog as aneffective way of countering falsehood or misin-formation. For me, sticking to the facts not onlylets the people know the truth but lifts one anotch above the moral compass over theprotagonist,” the Delta State Commissioner forInformation says.

Ogeah who first studied psychology at theUniversity of Lagos before graduating in lawsays being caustic in responding to statementscouched in abusive words and insults only endsup putting the media manager at the same lev-el as his principal’s political opponents. “I be-

lieve the effective way to put the day light be-tween traducers and one’s principal is to bestatesman-like in response. Where there is false-hood and outright misinformation, respondwith the facts and avoid calling the protago-nists names. Where you are abused, I hold firm-ly to the belief that the proper approach is toremind them that nothing of substance has beensaid and without engaging in brickbats pointout that the other person has stepped out ofline,” he says.

To him, some media managers end up draw-ing more flak for their boss through the ill-advised strategy of matching every criticismwith the same words. Unlike in more devel-oped climes where the words and actions ofnot just elected persons but also the oppositionare scrutinized by an enlightened electorate,politicians on both sides of the divide get awaywith statements that would have ruined theirpolitical careers and jeopardised their party’schances in more matured political environ-ments.

In his task of running the Ministry of Infor-mation in Delta State, Ogeah who was bornthe day after the governor seven years later, haswon the admiration of the diverse politicalclass in the state. Despite what large sections ofthe people of the state see as the outstandingachievements of Dr. Uduaghan, the governorhas never been short of robust and strident crit-icism, albeit most using unsavoury words. Inresponding to such criticisms, Ogeah refrainsfrom matching the words used by the gover-nor’s critics. Rather, his strategy often leavesthe critics feeling inadequate afterwards.

He believes the press has a crucial role toplay in instituting a more sophisticated politi-cal culture in Nigeria and only needs to havetheir capacity boosted. Thus, he sold the idea

of sending journalists practicing in Delta Stateto the Thompson Reuters Institute in London,generally acknowledged as the Harvard of jour-nalism, for intensive specialised training onvarious facets of reporting. Governor Uduaghanquickly bought the idea and approved the pro-gramme. From 2012 when the training began,31 journalists practicsing in the state have ben-efitted from the project.

The selection of the beneficiaries was not dis-criminatory as journalists from both private andpublic print and electronic media houses irre-spective of their state of origin were sponsoredto Thompson Reuters.

One of the hallmarks of Ogeah’s style is theopen door policy he maintains with all journal-ists. Apart from regularly holding chats withmedia men, there is no unholy hour for him tobe reached. This is in line with his oft repeatedadmonition to the press to publish whatever isthe truth. His only demand is that the govern-ment be given a fair hearing and its side takeninto account.

“I don’t subscribe to the thinking that journal-ists should be persuaded not to write stories thatare seen to be critical of government. Whyshouldn’t government be criticized? Giving gov-ernment a fair hearing makes the criticism con-structive,” he says, adding, “fortunately for me, Ihave a governor who believes in being account-able to the people. Dr. Uduaghan welcomes ev-ery opportunity to connect with the people andinteract with them. That makes the job of tellingit as it is quite easy for me.”

Believing every commissioner and head ofevery department or agency should equally beheld accountable for their actions, Ogeahorganises mid-year and end-of-year press con-ferences where appearance is compulsory. In-variably, at least twice every year, commission-

ers and heads of parastatals and agencies inDelta State are made to face the press and giveaccount of their stewardship in no-holds-barredsessions. He also encourages them to responddirectly to enquiries from journalists.

He draws inspiration from his time as man-aging director of Sahcol, the aviation handlingcompany hitherto owned by the Federal Gov-ernment. Under his watch as chief executive,the company was successfully privatised andsold to for N5.6 billion after an initial valua-tion of less than a billion naira. He believes thatthe turnaround in Sahcol’s fortunes is down tothe transparent manner the company was run.

Ogeah has been immensely involved in cru-cial programmes and projects of the Uduaghanadministration. During the Second South-South Economic Summit in Asaba in April2012, he ensured saturated coverage of thethree-day talks through the invitation ofbusiness editors. However, in his relationshipwith community newspaper publishers, Ogeahopened a new vista of communication betweenthe people and the government. With over 50different titles serving the various ethnicnationalities in the state, the communitynewspapers became a veritable platform forthe information commissioner to explain gov-ernment’s action plan to the people.

He designed and branded the Delta BeyondOil logo which has become the face of Gover-nor Uduaghan’s drive to develop the non-oilsector of the state’s economy.

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

By Pius Mordi

*Mr Mordi, a media consultant, wrotefrom Asaba

PROBLEMS associated with multipletaxation are almost as old as Nigeria, yetwhen multiple taxation is discussed, manythink they affect only businesses. We areall victims of multiple taxation, and unlikebusinesses that can pass on the tax to theirclients, individuals bear their damagingimpact directly.

The authorities do not think Nigeriansare paying enough tax, so they go to greatlengths to invent all manners of taxes andlevies. Nigerians feel the abuses, especiallyas most governments do not provide theamenities for which they impose taxes. Adisturbing trend in the tax regime of someStates, borders on human rights violation.Some States are taxing people forproviding for themselves basic services thatgovernments do not provide. Localgovernment councils are on rampage,imposing taxes without enabling laws.

A state government collects taxes fromcitizens for digging boreholes in theircompounds to procure water. These placeshave water from public sources. In anotherState, government imposed N15, 000monthly tax on owners of generating sets.Government said the money realised fromthis tax was used to address pollution the

Multiple PersonalMultiple PersonalMultiple PersonalMultiple PersonalMultiple PersonalTTTTTaxaxaxaxaxeseseseses

generators caused.In most States, council workers could

block the major roads, charging whateverthey wanted as radio taxes. If their logicis followed, we must pay the tax for passingthrough each of Nigeria’s 774 localgovernment areas.

Governments’ primary function is toprovide water, power supply, security,education, health and other needs of thecitizens. Citizens give politicians theirvotes expecting good governance. Citizensresort to procuring generators, boreholesand other necessities of modern living dueto persistent failure of leadership andgovernance.

Imposing taxes on citizens for providing

basic amenities in the face of failure ofgovernance is inhuman, oppressive andcondemnable. It worsens the alreadyexisting problems of multiple taxation. Itshows that people in government are nowbeyond shame. Citizens are being drivento provide for themselves amenities thatpeople in other climes take for grantedbecause their taxpayers’ money is properlydeployed. It is a pity that the various StateHouses of Assembly have abdicated theirduties to curb the excesses of the executivebranch, and in most cases, actually passthe legislations used to oppress the people.

We call for immediate stop of obnoxioustaxes in the name of internally generatedrevenues. Governments should providebasic amenities for the public.Governments should restrict themselves toregulating borehole drilling and the use ofgenerators to enhance safety and protectthe environment. Better still, they shouldprovide those amenities.

Extortion cannot be legalised under anyguise.

It is ridiculous for governments that failin their duties to punish those who findways round governments’ comatosepolicies.

CMYK

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014—————1919191919

,

,AFTER more than a year since

the issue became a majortalking point around the country,President Goodluck Jonathan, lastweek, finally declared his intentionto re-contest as president. The Pres-ident especially, and his aides andsupporters had hedged and skirtedlike practiced lawyers on the ques-tion of whether he would seek re-election or not. Most of the talkaround Jonathan’s re-electionplans was at best academic.

It must have been obvious to evenNigerians born blind that Mr.Jonathan had no intention to giveup his Aso Villa tenancy before2015. If anything, his body lan-guage and hedging utterancesspoke volumes about his unspokenpresidential plans. Even then Nige-rians, mostly Northerners in andoutside the PDP, wanted a categori-cal declaration from the president.This, perhaps, in the hope that theycould nail him down to a so-calledgentlemanly agreement betweenthe President and his party that pre-cluded him from seeking re-elec-tion after a full four year term inoffice.

The President never thought it

expedient to oblige those whowanted him to declare with a clearstatement of intent. It was as if suchstatement would jinx the President’sambition. Jonathan was, may be,also not eager to set the oppositionmill grinding before it was abso-lutely necessary for him to do so.That way he would have a lot lessto worry and fight about. An earlydeclaration might have given hisopponents more than enough timeand room to plan how to check-mate his moves back to Abuja. Thiswould seem a smart move, but onlyon the surface. By failing to declarewhen it was obvious that would even-tually be a call he cannot balk,Jonathan appeared too afraid of hisown shadow and, thereby, createdunnecessary ceremony and contro-versy around what should ordinarilyhave been routine matter. He gavetoo much unnecessary grist to therumour mill and much hot air wasexpended over nothing. One mustalso not discount the many criti-cisms that came about the presi-dent’s leadership style and onwhether his years in office justifyhis continued stay there. For theseand many unknown reasons more,

President Jonathan continued tohedge and skirt around the issue ofhis ambition to remain as presidenteven as more ministers left his cab-inet in order to go and set in mo-tion their own electoral agenda. Itwas as if by not talking about hispolitical future, the matter wouldgo away.

The matter never went away andin the last few weeks it re-emergedwith more vigour. Until last Thurs-day, 23rd October, 2014 when thewaiting game came to an end andPresident Jonathan finally de-clared he would seek re-election. Itwas something of an anti-climaxas the president had to make thisdeclaration in anticipation of hisparty’s deadline to all office seek-ers on its platform to procure theirdeclaration of intent form. The pres-ident and everyone else yet to de-clare their intention to seek politi-cal office on the platform of the PDPwere given one week within whichto make such declaration of intent.And so it was that Jonathan wasforced to declare.

What this suggests is that Presi-dent Jonathan would have been

content to go on with the waitinggame had his party not compelledhim to speak. This does not lookgood enough. A man should be seento be his own man and making hisown calls. It should not be said thatGoodluck Jonathan was so unde-cided on his political future, or wastoo afraid to speak about it until itbecame a fait accompli. That is notat all presidential. It is not andshould not be the style of a man whois sure of his onions. Nigeriansought to have the full assurancesthat President Jonathan was notsuborned into the presidential raceas this very forced declarationwould suggest. The president wouldappear to have prevaricated untilit was no longer possible for him tocontinue to do that. Which raisesquestions about why he would pre-varicate. Could this be because hehad to reflect deep and for longabout the necessity of his contin-ued stay in office? Could it be thatthe president would rather have re-turned to Otuoke to enjoy his re-tirement but for the pressure ofthose who see him as their meal tick-et? Is President GoodluckJonathan’s ambition to continue inoffice a consciously made decisionor one he was compelled to makein order to cater to certain en-trenched interests?

So many questions but there doesnot appear to be enough answers.The president himself does notmake it easy for Nigerians to glossover these questions. For havingwaited for so long to make this dec-laration, Jonathan appears bent onmore ceremony before the actualdeclaration. He has set up a com-mittee to oversee this planned for-mal declaration. Was the waitingperiod not enough for him to haveprepared? Yes, he would, as a poli-tician, want to make a lot of songand dance about the declaration.He needs to sell himself to Nigeri-

ans once more. In fact a politicianwould want to make such occasionof declaration an opportunity tokick-start his campaign. ButJonathan, both directly and indi-rectly, had started his re-electioncampaign long before now. Notonly had he given life to the Abachatransformation script, raised itfrom deserved oblivion with thecarefully choreographed cam-paign of his transformational am-bassadors, his party, the PDP, hadall but declared him their sole can-didate weeks in advance of his be-lated declaration. As the incum-bent, one should not expect a pres-ident who is the leader of his partyto face opposition from that party.The kind of opposition toJonathan’s candidacy from theNorth does appear to carry suchweight as to justify him corrallingthe machinery of that party to makehim their sole candidate. Jonathanhowever appeared determined tofollow the discredited script of SaniAbacha.

One only hopes that, having tast-ed the sweet taste of power for thebetter part of 11 years, Jonathanwould not after this second full termwant to be declared Nigeria’s max-imum leader in the fashion Abachaplanned before Providence inter-vened. O yes, you might wonder if Ihave already conceded victory toJonathan in the February election?Only a blind person would not seeJonathan winning again even with-out the elaborate charade that haspreceded his return. The oppositiondoes not appear markedly differ-ent from the PDP nor does it ap-pear ready to provide a credible al-ternative to Jonathan. There is toomuch confusion within it, so muchmore confusion than can ensure acredible challenge. And what ismore? The Fayemi example is afreak occurrence. No sitting Nige-rian politician loses their office.

So much ceremony aboutJonathan’s declaration for 2015

THE original title of my lastcolumn was “As Delta State

Gets Set for the Charade of LocalGovernment Elections,” but it waspublished without the keyword“charade” (15 October 2014).According to the Oxforddictionary, a charade is “an absurdpretence intended to create apleasant or respectableappearance.” Among its synonyms,that is words with a similarmeaning, are farce, travesty,pretence, sham, fake, show, façade,and the phrase “false display.” Forsome reason, and I have mysuspicions, the editors at Vanguarddeleted the word but I won’t go intothat. I had ended that column witha direct appeal to the governor toplace loyalty to democracy and thepeople above narrow power gamesby allowing free and fair electionsas his parting gift to Delta State.

My thesis was, and remains, thatLGA elections, judging by ourrecent experience, have become “ahuge joke, a cruel mockery ofdemocracy that only those whoseview of politics has beenirretrievably warped by viciouspower games can pass off asdemocratic exercises.” DeltaState’s LGA elections of October25, 2014 were staged, it seems, togive conclusive proof of this claim.My deep misgivings aside, I hadbeen truly elated to vote, havingnever had a genuine opportunity

Delta LGA elections 2014: The mockery ofdemocracy continues!

to do so due to prolonged militarytyranny and my decade-plusabsence from home. But soonenough, elation turned todejection. While voting, despite aninordinately long wait for electionmaterials, went on in my pollingunit — and generally in the firstward of my paternal home town ofOleh — a single bawllot was notcast in the second ward. For tworeasons: non-arrival of electionmaterials and violence thatresulted from the determination of

the two main opposition parties,the All Progressives Congress andthe Labour Party, to resist anyattempt by agents of the rulingPeoples Democratic Party tosubvert voting.

The two main rigging tricks wereattempted: hiding the originalresult sheets which would be usedafter polling to return fictitiousfigures in favour of the party inpower, and snatching and spiritingaway election materials to secretlocations for ballot thumb-printing and stuffing of ballot bags.Rather than allow that travesty,better there be no election at all,the opposition parties’ agents andeven non-party membersaggrieved by the PDP’s impositionof candidates resolved. Inevitably,scuffles broke out and ballots andresult sheets were torn and strewnall over the grounds of pollingarenas. Images of this literalripping apart of our democracycan be found on the internet. Theresult was that voting did not takeplace at all in several other Isokotowns (Irri, Olomoro, Uzere, forinstance) or in numerous pollingunits (Otor-Owhe, Ozoro, Oyede,Igbide, for example).

In my initial web reactionentitled “Another Black-Eye Dayfor Democracy in Delta State andNigeria,” I lamented that amongour ruling and ruining elite, thereappears to be none whose heart

harbours a thought for the peoplewho are ridiculed every time wego through these charades of LGAelections. None who can rise abovepetty politics and personal gain torespect the principle of democracy,which alone can unbound thespirit of the people and throw forthservice-minded individuals to runfor public office. So that we arecondemned, in the time being, tobe governed by persons . . . whohave the greatest disdain for thevery thing they purport to practise:democracy. Yet, my despondencyapart, I am consoled by the factthat the opposition stood itsground and resisted fiercely theattempt to spit in the people’s facesby rigging the elections.

In his response to me, also viasocial media, Governor Uduaghanpassed off the facts of violence,destroyed ballots and non-voting inwhole towns and numerous pollingunits as indicative of no more thanthat the elections were not “perfect,”and that while “[i]n all, we hadsome flash points . . . the electionswent well generally.” To be fair tothe governor, he made a tacitretreat when faced by theimpassioned comments of readersof his rejoinder, backed by photoevidence of widespread violence

across the two Isoko LGAs, not tomention reports of violence (theAPC secretariat in Effurun-Warriwas set ablaze) and seriousirregularities across the state. “[M]ywrite-up,” he said, “was not aboutIsoko but generally about the state.I have also not said the electionswere perfect. I have also seen thereactions. They are not differentfrom what we are used to.”

“Not different from what we areused to.” I’m troubled by the ideathat we can be used to imperfectionsof any degree, so that even whenpeople do not vote they can have“elected” representativesnevertheless. I had urged GovernorUduaghan to break the evil cycleof LGA elections as turf wars inwhich a governor cannot,seemingly at mortal peril, concedea square inch of space to theopposition — a mentality that cutsacross party lines — by cancellingthe elections so that the will of thepeople can be freely ascertained ina rerun. That way, crediblecandidates who would win anywaymay bask in untainted victories. Imight as well have shouted in a holein the ground, on Monday theswearing-in ceremonies for the“elected” representatives of theIsoko people began in Asaba!

Nigerians oughtto have the fullassurances thatPresidentJonathan was notsuborned into thepresidential raceas this very forceddeclaration wouldsuggest

I’m troubled bythe idea that wecan be used toimperfections ofany degree, sothat even whenpeople do not votethey can have“elected”representativesnevertheless

CMYK


CMYK

INSIDE

DIARY

CentreCape Town,

South AfricaNov 11-13,

2014

CiscoConnect

Sun City,South Africa

Nov. 2 - 4,2014

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

Over the last decade, Nigeria andindeed, Africa has beenswimming in the tides of

technology even though this incursioninto the technological world could bedescribed as rather late.

Notwithstanding, African nations,

TECH4ECO GROWTH:Can WAFICT become premierdiscussion platform for Africa’sICT eco devt?

just begun. Beyond telecommunications,the world has moved into a phase whereeconomy, governance and people’s livesrest squarely on the total package of ICT.

It, therefore, means that creating moreinnovations are as important assustaining what is already in place.

Tackling this challenge, according toindustry practitioners, requires constant

However, one of the mostpromising platforms seems to be theWest African ICT Congress,WAFICT, due to the quality ofdiverse industry stakeholders,including governmentestablishments, regulators andoperators from across Africa andaround the world that it attracts toNigeria on the yearly basis that itholds.

Again, the conference alsogathers notable technologyinventors and manufacturers whouse the opportunity of the show toshowcase their inventions and testthe pulse of the Nigerian market.

At the end of the conference, thereis no doubt about the noticeableaddition of foreign directinvestment into the country bythose convinced of the green

among which Nigeria standsout for her hugetelecommunications success,have recorded some progressthat redirects world’sattention to the Africantechnology markets.

Incidentally, technologymoves at the speed of light,which means that no nationcan claim to have achieved itall. For Nigeria and other WestAfrican countries, thetechnology journey may have

engagement of the industry innew technologies with consistentinteraction among stakeholderswithin and outside the shores ofAfrica on how to properly harnessthem for economic growth.

Apparently in a bid to take upthis gauntlet, several Nigerianorganizations and individualsalike have floated several discussplatforms, conferences andworkshops to reawaken thepeople of Africa into the realitiesof this new world challenge.

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Continues on pg 28

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NBCeyesN200bnlife linefund

Digital switchover: How geo-politicsunderminedNigeria in ITUelection

Today,broadbandis a keycomponentofeconomicgrowth dueto theubiquitousadvancementit gives togovernance...

20 20 20 20 20 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, , OCTOBER 29, , OCTOBER 29, , OCTOBER 29, , OCTOBER 29, 20142014201420142014

Double jeopardyfor security guardwho duped a blindteacher

THE common saying,“every day is for the

thief, one day is for theowner”, aptly captures thepathetic story of how a blindfemale teacher in Enugu Statewas swindled of her lifesavings while trying to secureher son a plum job at ShellPetroleum DevelopmentCompany, SPDC.

It all began sometime in2012, when a 33-year-oldsecurity guard attached to aprivately-owned securityoutfit in Port Harcourt, RiversState, Gift Onyegam, inconnivance with three others,decided, ‘419’ style, to dupethe blind woman.

The result? Nemesis finallycaught up with him, althoughhis comrades-in-crimeescaped and are presently atlarge.

Not only did the court of lawconvict Gift, sentencing himto 10 years imprisonmentwithout an option of fine, he

Commission for the way theyhandled the matter. I almostgave up interest in the matterinitially when it was ‘cometoday, come tomorrow’. It wasstressful and I almost gave upbecause it was becoming athreat to my life. To God bethe glory that I have nowcollected back my hardearned money which wastaken from me throughdubious means. Oh, may Godelevate you the zonal headand all your staff to greaterheights. You are wonderful”.

…..EFCC South-East zonalhead speaks

Presenting a First Bank draftof N550,000 made payable tothe fraud victim, Mrs.Ihekanacho in his office,EFCC’s Head of Operations,South-East zone, Mr. DavidIloyanomo said: “I am happywe in this Commission havepainstakingly pursued thismatter to its logicalconclusion, through

was arraigned before the Hon.Justice M. Shuaibu of theFederal High Court 1 Enugu,Enugu State on a four-countcharge of obtaining moneyunder false pretence on the17th of June 2013 by theEconomic and FinancialCrimes Commission EFCC.

Gift, 33, who hails fromEtche Local Government Areaof Rivers State, was workingas security guard with AntiRisk Security Company in PortHarcourt, Rivers State whenhe and three other mendefrauded Mary RoseIhekanacho of the sum ofN830,000,00, according to theEFCC.

“Gift Onyegam duringinterrogation had admittedthat he introduced himself asPatrick Abah to Mary RoseIhekanacho, a blind woman,through a telephoneconversation with MTNnumbers 08165495063 and0816549506, and that he hadpromised to help her securea job for her son with ShellPetroleum DevelopmentCompany.

“After thoroughinvestigations, the EFCC hadcharged Gift to court on fourcounts of obtaining moneyunder false pretences.

Some of the charges read:That you Gift Onyegam,

Sunday Promise (at large),Okon Ayebaye (at large), andOpurum Emeka (at large),sometime in August 2012, inEnugu within the jurisdictionof the Federal High Court ofNigeria with intent to defraudobtained the sum of Five

hundred and forty onethousand naira fromRosemary Ihekanachothrough a first bank accountnumber 3050676816belonging to Okon AyebayeSusan by false pretence thatthe said money is meant forsecuring a job for her son atShell Petroleum DevelopmentCompany, which pretence youknew to be false and youthereby committed an offencecontrary to Section 1, (1) (a)of Advance Fee Fraud andOther Related Offences Act2006 and punishable undersection 1(3) of the same Act.

Relatedoffences

“That you Gift Onyegam,Sunday Promise (at large),Okon Ayebaye (at large), andOpurum Emeka (at large),sometimes in August 2012, inEnugu within the jurisdictionof the Federal High Court ofNigeria with intent to defraudobtained the sum of Seventythousand naira fromRosemary Ihekanachothrough a first bank accountnumber 3048914832belonging to Okon AyebayeSusan by false pretence thatthe said money is meant forsecuring a job for her son atShell Petroleum DevelopmentCompany, which pretence youknew to be false and youthereby committed an offencecontrary to Section 1, (1) (a)of Advance Fee Fraud andOther Related Offences Act2006 and punishable undersection 1(3) of the same Act.

That you Gift Onyegam,Sunday Promise (at large),Okon Ayebaye (at large), andOpurum Emeka (at large),sometimes in August 2012, inEnugu within the jurisdictionof the Federal High Court ofNigeria with intent to defraudobtained the sum of onehundred thousand naira fromRosemary Ihekanachothrough a Diamond bank account number 0016766663belonging to AlamaboTeneilabe by false pretencethat the said money is meantfor securing a job for her sonat Shell PetroleumDevelopment Company,which pretence you knew tobe false and you therebycommitted an offence contraryto Section 1, (1) (a) ofAdvance Fee Fraud andOther Related Offences Act2006 and punishable undersection 1(3) of the same Act.”

Upon conviction,prosecution counsel,Mainforce Ekwu, had movedan oral application before thecourt praying the court toprevail on the convict to paythe victim her money, citingsection 11 of the AdvancedFee Fraud Act, 2006.

It was upon that order of thecourt that compelled theconvict to cough out the sumof N550,000 out of theN830,000, while still servinghis jail term; the balance wasstill being expected to be paidback to the woman.

What a double tragedy for acon-man.

prosecution, theconviction and inrecovery. That iswhat EFCCstands for, justiceno matter who isi n v o l v e d ,whether poor orrich. All we needis informationand cooperation.If she did notcome to giveevidence incourt, he (Gift)couldn’t havebeen convicted.So we are callingon members ofthe public to giveus usefulinformation andto also comeforth to givee v i d e n c ed u r i n g prosecution”.

. . . T h e

charge that nailed him

Gift Onyegam,

was also compelledto cough out themoney he collectedfrom the woman.

…. Genesis of thecrime

The victim, Mrs.Rose Ihekanacho,had a chance tonarrate her ordeallast week at theEnugu zonal officeof the Economic andFinancial CrimesCommission, EFCC,when she came tocollect part of themoney to berefunded to her. Shewas assisted to theoffice by her son.According to her: “Itwas a painfulincident. I had neverthought in my lifethat somebody will,without conscience,dupe a physically-challenged personin this my condition.But I thank God andalso thank this

•To spend 10 yrs in jailBY AUSTIN OGWUDA,

Enugu

*Mrs. Rose Ihekanacho receiving the bank draft from EFCC Head of Operations, SouthEast, Mr David Iloyanomo.

I had neverthought in mylife thatsomebodywill dupe aphysically-challengedperson in thiscondition

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 21

USD 85.52 USD -0.61

190.7 -0.8

2,960.00 -90.00

16.04 -0.34

USD 80.84 USD -0.17

CBN Exchange Rate as 28 /10 /2014

DOLLAR 154.76 155.26 155.76STERLING 249.3184 250.1239 250.9294EURO 196.2666 196.9007 197.5348FRANC 162.734 163.2597 163.7855YEN 1.4347 1.4393 1.444CFA 0.2796 0.2896 0.2996WAUA 229.0948 229.8349 230.5751RENMINBI 25.2991 25.3813 25.4635RIYAL 41.2473 41.3806 41.5139KRONA 26.3628 26.4479 26.5331SDR 229.8341 230.5766 231.3192

OANDO Plc has declared adividend of N2.4 billion for itsshareholders for the financial

year ended December 31, 2014.Announcing this to the shareholders

at 37th Annual General Meeting, theChairman of the Board of Directors ofOando, Oba Michael Gbadebo said “The dividend represents a 30 kobo pershare for the 2013 financial year andand also an interim of 70 kobo per sharefor the six months ended June 30, 2014,which amounted to N2.4 billion at N1per share

The company reported a gross profitof N50.5 billion for the first half, H1 2014,showing an increase of 68 per cent fromN30.233 billion in the correspondingyear, 2013. Profit before tax rose 103 percent from N6.156 billion to N12.452billion, while profit after tax grew by 110per cent to hit N8.9 billion, comparedwith N4.271 billion.

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

Oando grows PAT by 110%, pays N2.4 bn dividendBy PETER EGWUATU

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

CBN pegs banks’ foreign loans to 75% ofshareholders funds

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)has pegged foreign currencyborrowings of banks to 75 percent ofthe shareholders’ funds.In a circular to banks posted on itswebsite, the CBN said that, “Theaggregate foreign currency borrowingof a bank excluding inter-group andinter-bank (Nigerian banks) borrowingshould not exceed 75 % of itsshareholders’ funds unimpaired bylosses”.The circular titled “Prudentialregulation for the management offoreign exchange risks of banks”, wassigned by Mrs. Tokun Martins,Director, and Banking Supervision.The CBN stated that the introductionof the limit was prompted by, “withconcern the growth in foreign currencyborrowings of banks through foreignlines of credit and issuance of foreigncurrency denominated bonds(Eurobonds).”“The lower interest rate on foreigndebt has created an incentive for banksto borrow abroad, and this has theadvantage of providing fairly stableand long term funds to extend creditfacilities in foreign currency andenhance their capital base.“However, this also exposes banks toforeign exchange risks and their risks.Therefore to ensure that these risks arewell managed and avoid losses thatcould pose material systemicchallenges, the CBN issues thefollowing prudential and hedgingrequirements:“The aggregate foreign currencyborrowing of a bank excluding inter-group and inter-bank (Nigerian banks)borrowing should not exceed 75percent of its shareholders’ fundsunimpaired by losses;

“The 75 percent limit supersedes the200 percent specified in Section 6 ofour Guidelines for Foreign Borrowingfor on -Lending by Nigerian Banks issued on November 26, 2001;“The Net Open Position (long or short)of the overall foreign currency assetsand liabilities taking into cognizance

transformed the company into Nigeria’slargest indigenous oil and gas producer,shareholders were assured of furtherimprovements in the company’sperformance as the acquisition is set toincrease daily oil productionexponentially by 600% equivalent to45,000 boe/d, annual revenue of overUS$600 million, and annual free cashflows of $150 million.

Commenting on the released results,Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc, Mr.Wale Tinubu said “With an eye to thefuture, we took on our largest and mostdaring feat with the acquisition ofConocoPhillips Nigeria, adding capacityto support our future growth plans. Ourstrategic refocus on the higher marginpromises to create profitable growth forus and immense value add for ourstakeholders in the near term. We havesucceeded in repositioning ourselveswithin the sector, and through futureacquisitions and innovative efficacy wewill seek to up our market share in sub-Sahara’s Upstream sector within the nextfive years to 100,000 boe/d in net

production. We remain committed tostrengthening our balance sheet andexpect 2014 to be another strong yearfor the Company.”

“In the first half of 2014, the companyhas already seen positive indicationsfrom its active strategic initiatives;upstream investments, midstreamexpansion and downstreamoptimization. Based on its Q2 2014performance, it is likely to exit the yearwith a N24 to N30 billion profit” headded. Meanwhile, shareholders at theAGM commended the company for itsperformance as well as its successfulacquisition of ConocoPhillips.

The various leaders of shareholders’groups, such as Gbenga Idowu, JosephOkelana, Chief Timothy Adesiyan,Goodluck Akpore said “The Board andmanagement of Oando Plc have showncommitment to the growth of thecompany. Now, we the shareholdersexpect higher dividend haven enduredfor years since the company commencedits restructuring and transformationprogramme.

both those on and off-balance sheetshould not exceed 20 percent ofshareholders’ funds unimpaired bylosses using the Gross AggregateMethod;“Banks whose current NOP exceed20 percent of their shareholders’funds are required to bring them to

prudential limit within six (6) months;Banks are required to compute theirmonthly NOP using the attachedtemplate.“Banks should borrow and lend in thesame currency (natural hedging) toavoid currency mismatch associatedwith foreign currency risk.


CMYK

INSURAN C,

,The Nigerian insuranceindustry, being a microcosm ofthe larger Nigerian nation haslittle or no place for consumerrights

Consumers are the largesteconomic group in any

country’s economy, affectingand effected by almost everypublic and private economicdecision. But they are also theonly important group who areusually not effectivelyorganized and whose views arehardly heard.

It is in this light that Insurance

Need for insurersto recognizeconsumer rights

Consumers Association ofNigeria, INSCAN, ischampioning the insuranceconsumers bill of rights andresponsibilities.

Insurance is a contract bynature and it imposes certainduties on the providers of theservices as well as acommensurate exercise ofrights and responsibilities onthe part of the clients

It is worthy of note that theconcept of InsuranceConsumers Rights was derivedfrom the global conception orfocus on Consumer Rightswhich was borne out of therestive agitation, particularly inthe US in mid – twentiethcentury, for increased rightsand legal protection againstmalicious business practices.By the end of the 1950s, legalproduct liability had beenestablished in which anaggrieved party need onlyprove injury by use of aproduct, rather than bearing theburden of corporatenegligence.

The Nigerian experienceThe Nigerian insurance

industry, being a microcosm ofthe larger Nigerian nation haslittle or no place for consumerrights. Inspite of the fact thatthe insurance industry couldnot succeed without thepatronage of customers orconsumers, the industry of

which underwriters andbrokers are critical players havecarried on without sufficientregards for the consumersrights for which they had notreceived concomitantresponsibilities. Operatorsflagrantly ignore theirresponsibilities to insuranceclients, especially if they arethe small ones.

According to ManagingDirector of Riskguard Africa,Mr. Yemi Soladoye, insurance operators shouldrealize the universalexpectation of consumers fromproducers of goods andservices.

He highlighted some of theserights to include, right to beinformed; right to quality ofservice; right to be heard; aswell as right to redress.

On the right to be informed,Soladoye said that insuranceconsumers have rights tosufficient information about thenature of risks and how theycould maximize theirinsurances. This right alsoprovides them opportunity tomake intelligent and informedchoices about insuranceproducts they want to purchase.“The idea of supplying paucityof information on policydocuments is antithetical to thisright,” he said.

On the right to qualityservice, Soladoye said thatinsurance consumers must beavailed the most quality valuein exchange for their money.“Insurance companies andbrokers must continually createenvironments as well asprocure tools and acquireorientation that are gearedtowards rendition of qualityinsurance services to clients,”he said.

Experts in the insurancesector say public

contempt and lack of grassrootsawareness about insurance aremajor factors militating againstthe insurance sectordevelopment in the country.

The assertion was made at thelaunch of a report titled,“Making Insurance Work forNigeria”, organized by theTransparent Protection Limited/Gte (TPL) in Abuja.

The experts lamented thecurrent level of insuranceacceptance among Nigerians,saying that the situation wherethe insurance sector contributesonly about 0.72 per cent to thecountry’s GDP, despite itshuge potentials is totallyunacceptable.

They expresseddissatisfaction that the sectorstill struggled with littlepenetration, estimated at oneper cent of the population.

In his speech, the ProgrammeManager of the group, GodsonIbekwe-Umelo, who decried theappalling state of insurance inNigeria, stated that the

Experts identify public contemptas bane of insurance in Nigeria

organization had identifiedpublic contempt for insuranceand lack of grassrootsawareness about insurance asamong the major problemsmilitating against the insurancesector development.

He noted that the adoption ofa solo approach in creatinginsurance awareness will makeit difficult for the sector tosufficiently address theawareness challenge.

He called on the stakeholdersto work as a team to achieve thedesired level of insuranceawareness for the country. This,according to him, will not onlyguarantees aggregation offinance but will equally work toeliminate waste.

He said, “The proactive publicawareness campaign andpalpable respect for the interestof the policyholders bystakeholders through sustainedconsumer education andprotection as well as promptsettlement of all genuine claimswill definitely engender arevolution in the insurancesector.”

Management of GuineaInsurance Plc has said

it will continue to revitalise andposition the company on ahigher pedestal that willgenerate positive emotionalafter-taste and further propelconfidence and equitableservice delivery for the benefitof its stakeholders.

At the company’s 56th AnnualGeneral Meeting held recentlyin Enugu, Enugu State, thecompany reported a profitbefore tax increase of 67 percent amounting to N300 millionin 2013 as against N179.7million recorded in 2012. Totalasset increased by six per centamounting to N4.2 billion in2013 as against N3.9 billionrecorded in 2012. Insurancecontract liability decreased by 4%amounting to N533 million in2013 as against N555 millionrecorded in 2012. Total equityincreased by 16% amountingto N 2.9 billion in 2013 asagainst N2.5 billion recordedin 2012. Claims expenseincreased by 15% amounting toN324million in 2013 as againstthe sum of N281millionrecorded in 2012.

These results were containedin the company’s annual report& accounts presented to theshareholders at the company’sAGM.

Chairman of the company, Sir

Guinea insurance focuses onequitable service delivery

Emeka Offor, said that in spiteof the daunting challenges inthe operating environment, thecompany remained focusedand true to its ideals ofbecoming an insurer of first choiceby persistently building capacity,exploring opportunities within theindustry and strategically directingits internal processes on the path ofreturning the company toprofitability.

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

Stories by ROSEMARYONUOHA

CIPM issues first HR practicelicenses

THE Chartered Instituteof Personnel

Management, CIPM at its 46thAnnual National Conference, inAbuja, commenced the maidenformal issuance of CIPM HumanResource Practice Licenses todeserving practitioners inprofessional categories such asFellows, Members andAssociates.

At the conference themed:“Switch On,” where thousandsof delegates includinggovernment functionaries, HRleaders, business executives,opinion leaders, line managers,thought leaders and policymakers from both the public andprivate sectors concurred on theneed to switch-on to the positivevalues creativity, execution,excellence and accountability,

Victor Famuyibo, President/Chairman, CIPM, received thefirst CIPM HR Licence, whileAbiola Popoola, the immediate-past President received licenseas a Fellow.

Other recipients were Dr. MusaRabiu, Fellow; Mrs. PhilominaNwekete, Member; and AnthonyOmaenikun received a licence forthe Associate category.

Famuyibo, who howeverrecognized and celebrated theprofessional accomplishments ofHR Practitioners who met thestringent qualification criteria forthe licenses, in his congratulatorymessage encouraged the newlylicensed practitioners “to adhereto the Institute’s code ofprofessional conduct and corevalues, as well as make their personalcontribution and sacrifice - financiallyand otherwise - towards the growth ofthe institute.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014, — 23

CE & YOU ,

, Consumers rights include,right to be informed; right toquality of service; right to beheard; as well as right toredress.

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

According to him, there is needfor all operators to be moreingenious in customer relationsskills as well as acquisition ofmodern IT tools that wouldenhance service delivery.

On the right to be heard,Soladoye said that it is the rightof every insurance customer to beheard. “This has actuated theneed for insurance operators toprovide platforms of engagementand dialogue with clients on aregular basis. The era should bepast for good when insuranceoperators preoccupy themselveswith selling insurance, ratherinsurance should be bought.”

On the right to redress,Soladoye said that insuranceoperators must begin to come toterms with the fact that insuranceconsumers should have the rightto seek redress in the law courtsor in established extra legalinstitutions against unsatisfactoryconduct of operators in theimplementation of the insurancecontract.

Responsibilities of theconsumer

Since the flip side of rights isresponsibility, Soladoye said thatthe insurance consumers mustbegin to come to terms with thefact that they are also obligated topay claims before commencementof an insurance contract as nowunderscored by the ‘No premium,no cover’ policy.

Consumers must also disclosematerial facts at thecommencement of insurancecontract.

According to Soladoye, if theabove rights are recognized byinsurance operators and theresponsibilities on the part of the

clients are respected, the insuranceindustry in Nigeria will flourish aswell wrest itself from perennialimage challenges that occasionedthe low public awareness andgrowth of the insurance industryin Nigeria.

For Managing Director ofConsolidated Hallmark InsurancePlc, Mr. Eddie Efekoha, customersare important assets of a companyand in spite of the almost universalacceptance of the importance ofcustomers, the actions of mostcompanies don’t always matchthe talk.

According to Efekoha, customersare people who need assistance,adding, “They are not aninterruption to your job. They arethe reason you have a job or are inbusiness.”

He said that businesses thrivewhen they have customers orclients and businesses survive andexpand when they have good clientservice.

On the way forward, Efekohasaid that insurance operatorsshould focus on people, process,product, and price as well as imbibea culture of on-going training tokeep people up-to-date.

He said that operators shouldthink like a customer; be proactivein problem solving; get it right, firsttime; walk the talk: developcustomer service standards;simplified renewal process forreturning customers; consistentcommunication not just at renewal.

Others are to take full advantageof technology and social media;create accessibility (telephones,emails, websites); massive publicenlightenment & partnership withthe media as well as customercomplaints bureau.

The Miss Insurance2014/2015 office

has officially kicked off its pet project, “TeensFor Insurance”

The project commencedwith its online essaycompetition, titled: TheSignificant role ofInsurance to thedevelopment of anEconomy.

The “Teens ForInsurance”, project wasdeveloped to sensitizethe younger generation

Miss Insurance 2014 kicks off ‘TeensFor Insurance’ project

on the needs and benefits ofInsurance, with the aim ofpreparing them for theimminent eventualities of life.

Speaking on the motivebehind the initiative, thereigning queen, MissFunmilola Ogunshola, who holds a Bsc MassCommunication fromIgbinedion University andMsc. Fashion Managementfrom Robert GordonUniversity, Aberdeen,Scotland, said the projectwas born out of a desire

to initiate early knowledgeand experience on thepractice and benefits ofinsurance to youths inNigeria.

“I have noticed thatmajority of the insuranceplayers in the industry areonly focusing on the oldergeneration, but the truth is weneed to start creating morepolices that focus on theyounger generation, so as tocatch them young and carrythem along in the insuranceawareness campaign. Thatexactly is what this project is

c e n t e r e dupon”, shesaid.

F u n m i l o l a ,e m e r g e dwinner of theMiss Insurancep a g e a n torganised bythe ChatteredI n s u r a n c eInstitute ofNigeria (CIIN)in March,amidst 12 othercontestants fromr e n o w n e dinsurance andbrokerage firmsacross thecountry, with agrand prize of abrand new 2013KIA car.

The Partnership for GoodGovernance (PAGG) has said

that exclusion of citizens particularlyat the community level during budgetpreparation has contributed tolopsided development at the grass rootareas.

PAGG said exclusion of citizens in

Gainers for EquitiesCompany 13/10/2014Close price(N) 17/10/2014Close price (N)DifferenceNEM Insurance 0.70 0.76 0.06Custodian & Allied Plc 3.95 4 0.05Aiico Insurance `0.8 0.81 0.01Continental Reinsurance 0.91 0.92 0.01Mansard Insurance 2.97 2.98 0.01

Losers for EquitiesCompany 13/10/2014Close price(N) 17/10/2014Close price(N)DifferenceInternational Energy Insurance 0.53 0.52 -0.01Wapic Insurance 0.66 0.65 -0.01

PAGG begins community budget and electoralparticipatory campaign

the entire budget processes hasfurther limited participation ofthe people in taking active partin governance thus wideningthe gulf between the ruling classand the governed.

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

State Accountability and VoiceInitiative (SAVI) a state levelprogram of DFID said it hastherefore taken strategic stepsto mainstream the communitypeople in the chain ofbudgeting.

According to the co-ordinator

of the PAGG Mr. AdebowaleAdepoju, the group wouldintensify its lobby at the localgovernment level to ensure theauthorities identify with thepeople when budgets are beingprepared.

Adepoju said that allowing thepeople to make input wouldgenerate the much desireddebate and development conceptthat are beneficial to the ruraldwellers.

“There is the need to establisha sustainable partnershipbetween the local governmentauthorities and the people so thatat every stage from conceptionof the budget up to executionand monitoring, all stakeholdersmake significant contribution”he said.

He regretted that the practicein which governmentanticipated a development planfor the people without properneed assessment has notallowed socio-economic

development and growth tooccur.

“It is in view of this obviousanti-development step thatinformed our renewedcampaign to engage allstakeholders and tutor them oninclusive governance practicewhich has become a globaltrend and proven to be the bestoption in modern democracy”Adepoju remarked.

He said that as the 2015general election approaches,PAGG would broaden itsengagement to properlyeducate the people to ensurethey are not coerced or inducedinto voting the wrongcandidates.

“The upcoming elections arecritical to national developmentand we must be wary of thosewho cannot be trusted and wehave to especially mobilise thecommunity people to activelytake part in the elections” hesaid.


CMYK

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

There was a period in the1990s when I lived and

worked outside Nigeria. Ireturned to Lagos every sixmonths for a two-week stay. Ihad to leave home at dawn onsome mornings so as to get intoLagos Island early. I usually hada meal of boiled yam, beans andfried peppers as breakfast at apopular restaurant on the Island.I found that during each two-week visit, I had to pay moreduring the current visit over andabove what I paid on theprevious visit for the samequantity of food. At the start, theunit of sale for the food was N20but by the end of the period theunit of sale was N50. It hasremained at this N50 level butwith smaller quantities perportion of sale.

The period witnessed a steeprise in domestic inflation, bankinterest rates on loans werederegulated in 1992 and 1993with the rates rising to dizzyingheights of 50% and more. TheCentral Bank of Nigeria, CBN,stipulated maximum lendingrates at 21% by 1994 but theeffective lending rates werehigher than the CBN specifiedmaximum. Early 1993, the rateof exchange was U.S $1 to N31.The current exchange rate isabout N160 to U.S $1. My visitswere from a place where theexchange rate of the localcurrency to the U.S dollar hasremained unchanged for yearsand where food prices remainedstable. We are into the third partof a series about what the nextgovernment of Lagos Stateshould do. The economic reviewis such that I can address theappropriate question to the nextgovernor of Lagos State. What isthe governor going to do to

Food supplies for LagosState’s future

ensure that foodis produced inabundance forthe residents ofLagos Statenotwithstandingthe fiscal andm o n e t a r ypolicies adoptedby theauthorities at thefederal level?

The basicobjective of anagr icu l tura lpolicy should beto have 60% ofthe food suppliesto Lagos Stateproduced withinLagos, Oyo,Ogun and OsunStates by mid-2019. These four

states are the coverage area of theOgun-Oshun River BasinDevelopment Authority,OORBDA. The OORBDA hassubstantial land holdings whichwere acquired for irrigationprojects. A number of theseirrigation projects have not takenoff and these land holdingsshould be released for rain-fedagriculture. There is an advisorycommittee of OORBDA whosemembership includes the headsof the divisions for agriculture,irrigation, fisheries, forestry,veterinary services and livestockin the state ministries within thearea of operations of theAuthority. This committee shouldbe made to bring forwardproposals for rain-fed agricultureon these land holdings.

The future of agriculturalproduction lies in bringing youngpeople into the business. TheLagos State Government, LASG,has a training programme foryoung farmers. The LeventisFoundation has a comprehensiveone-year programme whichexposes the participants to mostareas of agriculture and farmbusiness. However, the LeventisFoundation requires that aparticipant should have access toa minimum of one hectare offarmland, so it is obvious that theLASG and others have to put landin the hands of persons whohave completed their trainingprogrammes.

The LASG should also call onthe experience of Dr. Lekan Areand others. At an interview hegave on his 80th birthday inDecember 2013, Dr. Are spokeabout the late 1950s and his timeat a plantation belonging to theWestern Nigeria DevelopmentCorporation at Apoje, near IjebuIgbo. The PZ Cussons Group has

established aplantation inCross River Statefor its vegetableoil business. Ibelieve that thegroup wouldreadily make itsa g r i c u l t u r a le x p e r t i s eavailable to theLASG throughits PZFoundation asthe projects thatinterest theLASG would notbe in competitionwith the group’sbusiness. Nextweek, we shallstart withtransportation.

Sterling Bank Plc hasrecorded growth in thetop-line and bottom-

line in the third quarter 2014with pre tax growing by 41 percent.

Interim report and accounts ofthe bank for the third quarterended September 30, 2014showed that while grossearnings grew by 12.1 per cent,net interest income rose by 32.8per cent. This further bloomedinto 41.3 per cent and 39.2 percent in pre and post tax profitsrespectively.

Gross earnings closedSeptember 2014 at N73.01billion as against N65.12 billionrecorded in comparable periodof 2013. Net interest incomerose from N24.22 billion in thirdquarter 2013 to N32.1 billion inthird quarter 2014. Profit beforetax jumped to N8.50 billion in2014 as against N6.02 billion in2013. After taxes, net profit rosefrom N5.07 billion to N7.06

Sterling Bank grows third quarterpre-tax profit by 41%

billion.The bank’s pre-tax profit

margin rose from 9.24 per centin third quarter 2013 to 11.6 percent in September 2014,underlying the improvingprofitability of the bank.

In his remarks, managingdirector, Yemi Adeola, said theperformance of the bank wasdriven by increasing brandacceptability as shown in itsgrowing revenues andreduction in impairmentcharges.

According to him, as part ofthe initiatives to support its retailbanking proposition, the bankhas re- aligned its business bymarket segments for a morefocused market reach while ithas continued to increase itstransaction channels and it is ontrack to deliver additional 21branches and 500 AutomatedTeller Machines (ATMs) by theend of the year. “Following ourExtra-ordinary GeneralMeeting billed for November

11, we plan to conclude theongoing private placementbefore the end of the year.This will put us in a strongcompetitive position toachieve our growth plans incoming quarters. In themeantime, we remainfocused on efficiency and areoptimistic that the full yearreturns will be in line with ourearlier Managementguidance,” Adeola said.

He noted that the 41 percent growth in profit beforetax despite pressures onearnings arising frommonetary policy changes wasdriven by improvements inrevenues and a 30 per centreduction in impairmentcharges. According to him,interest income increased by15 per cent, while interestexpense declined by threeper cent resulting in a 32 percent growth in net interestincome.

Director General of Securities andExchange Commission (SEC)

Arunma Oteh won the West Africa’sBusiness Woman of the year 2014 at Africa’smost prestigious business awards, the AllAfrica Business Leaders Awards (AABLA).

At the ceremony which was held in LagosOteh was celebrated for her peerless visionand dedication in her role as DirectorGeneral of SEC Nigeria as she has been aninstrumental force in the on going growthand development of Nigeria’s economiclandscape.

In an address at the event, Joe Nazzal,head of Reserve said, “The nominees in thisyear’s AABLA Awards exemplify the game-changing vision that has helped to grow theWest African economy, with Nigeria makingincredible strides in this regard.”

Oteh emerges West Africa’s BusinessWoman of the year

“Johnnie Walker Blue Label is proud toacknowledge all these individuals who,through their tireless innovation andpioneering spirit, have made a lasting impacton the continent’s business sector. The factthat all winners were from Nigeriaemphasizes the impact the country ’sbusiness leaders are having on thecontinents’ business landscape” he added.

In her remarks after receiving the award,Oteh expressed her gratitude to CNBC Africawho she said has changed the landscape ofbusiness reporting and has been connectingAfrica to the world.

“So I am really honored that I amiable tobe some evidence of excellence. I also justwant to say that this recognition for memeans very much.

By PETER EGWUATU

,

,

T h efuture ofagriculturalproductionlies inbringingy o u n gp e o p l einto thebusiness.


Social marketplace,MoboFree.com, is set tolaunch its local presence

in Lagos, Nigeria saying thiswas necessary because itsregistered members in Nigeriagrow significantly on dailybasis.

Nigeria accounts for about2.2 million of the social mediacum market place’s over 3million registered users, evenas it claims to have strongfootprints in Zimbabwe,Uganda and Ghana.

MoboFree combines a socialnetwork and board ofclassifieds to create a platformwhere buyers and sellers canmeet, place their ads,negotiate and maketransactions safely and totally

BY EMEKA AGINAM

The Group ManagingDirector and Chief

Executive Officer, Terragon EloUmeh, will be among thespeakers at the GSMA Mobile360 Africa event slated to holdnext month in Cape Town,South Africa. The conference isexpected to bring togetherstand-out industry leaders fromall over Africa and beyond withthe theme ‘AdvancingEconomic Inclusion,Empowerment & GrowthThrough Digital Channels’.

The event will also explorethe possibilities of mobile infinancial inclusion, digitalmedia growth and itsintending benefits on the socialand economic development ofmany African countries, andcollaborations that arenecessary to overcome criticalroadblocks in technology,

By Emmanuel Elebeke

Having consistently criedthat lack of funding could

mar the country’s journey todigital broadcast switch over, itseems a life line is nearby. Thisis as the Chairman of the NBCGoverning Board, Prof.Herbert Orji, has just revealedthat the commission wasaccessing a N200 billionfunding to execute the project.

Orji said plans had goneadvanced stage towards theestablishment of this fund witha feasibility study that willguide it with regards to how tomanage it.

He revealed that thecommission would technicallystudy how the fund would bemanaged, even as the proposedfund will provide grants forcapacity building in thecountry and also provide softloans to the television, radio,cable stations and otherproducers including but notlimited to distributors andacquirers of content. NBC alsoseems to have been buoyed bythe prospects of the funding,going by its showing at therecently concluded Biennialbroadcast event taggedAFRICAST.

Content development

governance, business modelsand investment.

Enabling a digital economy,Increasing Digital andFinancial Inclusion,Empowering and Protecting theDigital Citizen and State, aswell as the need to AccelerateInclusive Economic Growth inAfrica, among others are issuesto be discussed at the event.

Umeh who will be speakingon ‘Delivering AffordableAccess to the People of Africa’,will join other contributorsincluding Nicola D’Elia, Headof Growth , Africa, Facebook;Gerard Brandjes, VicePresident, South and EastAfrica, Microsoft MobileDevices; George Ferreira, VicePresident and Chief OperatingOfficer, Samsung ElectronicsAfrica; Peter Panait Løjmand,Senior Vice President,Commercial Operations, OperaSoftware; among others.

Terragon boss to speak atGSMA Mobile 360 Africa 2014

MoboFree for Lagosfor free.

The MoboFree technologicalplatform makes buying andselling online easy for any userwith any device, not only forPCs and smartphones but alsoon feature phones.

Co-founder and Chairman ofthe board of MoboFree,Cristobal Alonso, says “we areexcited to be able to provide on-ground support to our growingcustomer base in Nigeria andto create locally adapted andcustomized opportunities thatwill deliver and exceed desiredreturns.”

A few months ago theCompany reported thatNigerians are selling unuseditems worth USD 526 million onMoboFree.com and shared

expectations that the total volume ofitems for sale in its marketplace willlikely reach USD 1.5 billion by 2015.

The outfit said that in view of thispotential, establishing a local presencein Lagos is a natural next step in orderto ensure more effective operations andachieve targets.

The over 3.3 million users, registeredon MoboFree, together generate, onaverage, around 60 million pageimpressions monthly.

Digital switchover:NBC eyes N200bn life line fund

•MoboFree screen shots

M e a n w h i l e ,stakeholders at theevent gave a neworder that all nationsin the Africancontinent must accordpriority attention tocontent developmentas the key driver for asuccessful digitalenvironment to becreated.

From almost ageneral point of view,

it was believed and stated thatdigitization is not all abouttechnology, but about content,production, sourcing anddelivery of appropriateequipments to achieve full and

successful digitization regime in allAfrican member States.

The event, which held at SheratonHotel and Towers, Abuja, October,21 -23, 2014, was the 10th bi-annual editionof Africast convened at the instance ofthe National Broadcasting Commission,NBC and in furtherance of thecommunication objectives of theConference/Exhibition.

The event entitled: Digital BroadcastContent: Production, Sourcing andDelivery, attracted African Broadcast professional organizations , engineers,intellectuals, broadcast equipmentmanufacturers, content providers, theacademia , broadcast marketingprofessionals and strategic industrystakeholders and broadcast partners across Africa and the globe.

*Digital broadcast studio

Gloo.ng adds shoppinglist, recipe broadcastfeature to site

BY ANULI EDOM

One of Nigeria’s online supermarkets,Gloo.ng, released a new feature to make

shopping easier and interesting.The new feature, according to the Founder,

Dr. Olumide Olusanya was inspired by thelevel of repeat customers that visit the site,seemingly shopping for the same items everymonth.

Olusanya said with this new feature, “all youhave to do now is create a shopping list orindicate that the order you are placing besaved by the system as a shopping list at thepoint of checking out.

“At subsequent visits, you only need to goto the previous shopping list(s) you havecreated to load to your cart with a click of abutton and then checkout. However, the newpackage also gives the opportunity for acustomer to edit the basket after loading. Themerit of this is that orders that previously take10-30 minutes to complete can thus becompleted in 1 minute.” He added.

He also said Gloo.ng has extended thisfeature for people with the flair for cookingand making recipes.

“You can prepare a recipe using the notestool of this feature to describe how to preparethe meal and adding the recipe ingredientsfrom the Gloo.ng site to your note. You canthen share this recipe via your email, socialmedia, blog, etc to your network. Your readerscan then click on the recipe link andautomatically load the items in the recipe totheir checkout basket—even if they are not yetregistered with Gloo.ng. we are dedicated tomaking the life of busy homemakers easierand happier.”

The online supermarket also promised togive N1,000 discount to new users on theirfirst purchase

Elpazio repositions withMitel relaunch

BY PAUL IKUFORIJI

Global industry player in communicationand collaboration, Mitel Networks Limited

recently, re-launched itself, now answering thenew Mitel. The new identity is said to alsoharness the original Mitel heritage plus likeAstra,Telepo and Oasiys, to forge a strongbusiness with one mission and one vision.

The new brand is represented in Nigeria byElpazio, a Technology Solutions Provider tobusinesses, including the hospitality industry.It provides solutions including IP PABX,Contact Centre Solutions, Electronic CardLocks for hotels, IP TV, Hotel Call AccountingSoftware, Voicemail and Wakeup calls,structured cabling, specialized hotel phones,among others.

General Manager of Elpazio Mr EmeonyeNwazota, said that ‘’the introduction of thenew Mitel brand follows some strategicmergers and acquisitions, including theintegration of four companies in just over ayear. The new Mitel also comes with a newlogo and other redefined brand elements,encapsulating a re-energized brand identity.

Mitel Networks as represented in Nigeriaby Elpazio, accounts for a great percentage ofPABXS in most big corporate and governmentoffices in Nigeria.

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


BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

Manager, SystemsEngineers at EMC, Mr.Travers Nicholas, last

week, declared that thevirtualization of infrastructure willtranslate into improved datamanagement and ultimatelyfacilitate cost savings and moreefficient use of service deliverynetworks in Nigeria’s public sector.

Nicholas noted that a major steptowards attaining this goal wouldbe by migrating public services andinfrastructure from legacytechnology investments to morecloud-centric operations.

He was speaking at a workshopon ICT-enabled Public ServicesSolutions held in Dubai.

The event, held in partnershipwith Galaxy Backbone Limited andother solution providers, aimed atcreating awareness for cloudsolutions, among stakeholders ingovernment. Nicholas highlightedthe various challenges associatedwith the delivery of public servicesin different countries, usingdetailed case studies. He alsodescribed how these challengeswere successfully taken care of bydeploying EMC’s three pillars ofopportunities – Big Data, CloudComputing and Trust. Accordingto him, these solutions not onlydeliver the necessary scalability asmore public services are integrated,but they also provide a base for the

computing of the future. “EMC isworking extensively to bringadvanced solutions togovernments across the world andNigeria’s position as a leadingemerging market makes it a primecandidate to benefit from the gainsof the most modern technologyavailable. The increasing mobileinternet penetration also presentsa platform for governmentagencies to provide citizenservices via mobile applications,”he said. By having a dedicatedfocus on shared services platformacross the whole of government,EMC and Galaxy BackboneLimited are positioned to provideNigerian government agencies

with solutions for more efficientservice delivery systems.

He said Galaxy Backbone wassuited to such partnership becauseit was established by the FederalGovernment of Nigeria in 2006based on the need to pursue astreamlined approach toinformation and communicationstechnology acquisition, operationand use in the public sector.

The main focus of theestablishment is to provide ITinfrastructure and support togovernment ministries,departments and agencies viainvestment in shared infrastructureand technology solutions, towardsenhancing economies of scale.

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

provoking and incisiveCongress. Slated for October30thand 31st2014 at EkoHotel and Suites Lagos, theorganisers said that whengovernment officials, telecomand information technologycompanies, regulatoryagencies, operators,computing and software firms,manufacturers, and otherstakeholders converge thisyear, their task will be toprovide answers on how tomaximally utilize theinfrastructure already onground in the sub-region aswell as proffer solutions on

•Cloud computing

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

Diamond Bank toequip 100university studentswith ICT skillsBY EMEKA AGINAM

Diamond Bank Plc is empowering100 Nigerian youths in selected

tertiary institutions, with top-of-the-range Information CommunicationTechnology, ICT and entrepreneurialskills.

The initiative is promoted inpartnership with Paradigm Initiativeof Nigeria (PIN), a social enterpriseorganisation that connectsunderserved Nigerian youths withICT opportunities.

The capacity training initiative willhighlight the effects of unemploymentand cybercrime among other vices thatlimit the potential contribution ofyoung Nigerians to the nation’seconomy.

On behalf of the Bank, PIN willprovide trainees with continued post-program mentorship and support fora period of six months aftergraduation. After the training, thetrainees are expected to internalizeworld-class ICT knowledge and skillsthat would help them face the futurewith predictable outcome.

Speaking on the training, the Head,Corporate Communications of theBank Ayona Trimnell disclosed thatthis year ’s ICT capacity buildingprogramme is scheduled to hold in theSouth-Eastern part of Nigeria fromOctober to December 2014.

Continued from pg 25

business environment that isNigeria.

But the question as the eventgears up once again for the2014 edition is if it can holdground as rallying point forsustaining Africa’s technologydevelopment. It means thattopics to be discussed willshift from pedestrian to thefocused and outcome ofdiscussions worth part ofagenda when Africantechnology development isdiscussed in internationalfora such as the InternationalTelecommunications Union,ITU World conferences,GSMA World organizedconferences among others.

Interestingly, the organizershave hinted that this year’stheme will revolve aroundBroadband forT r a n s f o r m a t i o n a lDevelopment: peoples,governments and industriesin West Africa withtechnologies and solutions totransform their societies.

The challenge, however is toensure that after discussions,

respective Africangovernments and policymakers immediatelyimplement decisions else theevent would count only as ayearly Jamboree.

Today, broadband is a keycomponent of economicgrowth due to the ubiquitousadvancement it gives togovernance, business andsocial life. Little wonder theITU declared that broadbandaccess is a basic human right,just as the right to healthcare,shelter and food.

But Nigeria is far from totallyharnessing suchadvancements becausebroadband for growth is stillat discussion stage here whenothers have alreadyimplemented or are alreadyimplementing.

WAFICT 2014

But IT&Telecom Digestmagazine, organizers of theevent has said that buildingon the successes of the pasteditions, this year’s editionwould be another thought-

development across WestAfrica using technology.Running for the sixthconsecutive year, theCongress is upping the antethis year, as it brings peopleat the highest levels ofgovernment, regulators, andoperators as well as allstakeholders in the ICTindustry together with onefull focus of finding ways toleverage on technology foreconomic development.Globally, broadbandtechnology is seen as veritabletool in driving economicgrowth and this is not without

broadband development is toher ministry.

Meanwhile, other keynotespeakers, including theExecutive Vice Chairman ofNCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah; DGof National BroadcastCommission, NBC, MrEmeka Mba; DG of NationalInformation TechnologyDevelopment Agency,NITDA, Mr Peter Jack, andMD of Galaxy Backbone,Yusuf Kazaure, among others,are also said to be lined up totrash the issue of broadbandat the event

The Congress, which holdsalongside an exhibition, isalso expected to provide anopportunity to beam furthersearchlights on cybercrimesand the challenging tasks forcybersecurity, as well as theway forward for local contentin the telecom and ICT sectorsin the sub-region. It isexpected that telecomregulators and operatorsacross the sub-region with topnotch speakers will thus chartthe course for the industry’sgrowth.

how to make additionsso that the continentwould not play catch-up to countries whichare already deployingbroadband astransformational toolfor development.

Publisher of themagazine, Mr MkpeAbang said that “the2014 WAFICTCongress is expected toopen new frontiers forall-round economic

verifiable evidences fromcountries with hugebroadband penetration”.

Johnson to leaddiscussions

According to him,Minister ofC o m m u n i c a t i o nTechnology, MrsOmobola Johnson, hasagreed to leaddiscussions at the event,to express how important


THE titanic battle betweenSenator Ike Ekweremadu,

the deputy president of theSenate and Governor SullivanChime of Enugu State for thePeoples Democratic Party, PDPEnugu Southwest ticket is dailystretching the nerves of politicalstakeholders in the state.

Many observers had pointedlyseen the governor’s ambition tosucceed Ekweremadu as an actaimed at retiring him undulyfrom active politics especiallygiven the fact that the governorhad zoned the 2015governorship ticket to Enugu-North.

Remarkably, both men havecontinued to mobilisetraditional, political andreligious groups to project theirinterests in the battle.

In the battle of wits betweenboth men, the pro-Chime men,fired a salvo penultimate weekwhen they successfullymobilised some traditional rulersin the state to endorse thesenatorial ambition of GovernorChime on the basis of what theyclaimed as his selflessleadership qualities and hisunprecedented achievements asgovernor. The position of the

Extreme politicsChime and Ekweremadu in Enugu-West:

achievements; for not wastingthe resources of Enugu State inadvertising his achievements;and for his single-minded,resolute and genuine efforts inentrenching a positive cultureof investing the funds of EnuguState in the development of the

Nze had been purportedlyremoved from office when amajority of the councillors in hislocal government who arethemselves believed to beloyalists of Ekweremadu sackedhim from office. The same groupof councillors also removed theleader of the legislative council,Kingsley Okeke.

Nze was especially targetedon account of his leading rolein the adoption of the governorfor the Senate seat during thestakeholders meeting.

Stakeholdersmeeting

Ekweremadu's ownendorsements cut acrossdifferent spectres of the politicalsphere in Enugu and there issome quiet unease among somethat Ekweremadu could in daysactivate his political structurewhich reportedly includes somecommissioners and top officialsof the party and governmentwho had until recently openlyqueued behind Chime butsecretly drifted towards thedeputy Senate President.

Firebrand priest, Revd Fr.Ejike Mbaka had a week agoendorsed Ekweremadu for theSenate in the 2015 generalelection.

Fr. Mbaka who declared thesupport during the weeklyprayer vigil at the AdorationMinistry ground in Enugu, saidthe Deputy President of theSenate had done so well anddeserved to be re-elected.

He said: “We have had aSenate President, and we haveequally had Senators, but it isSenator Ekweremadu that hasgiven the people of Enugu andthe South-East the feel ofgovernance.

“Many of the roads anddevelopment projects you seearound Awgu, Oji-River,Ezeagu, Aninri, and many partsof Enugu and the South-Eastcame courtesy of the qualityrepresentation by Senator IkeEkweremadu.

“Besides, he is here with hiswife, he has demonstrated theability to keep his family, andthat is the first test ofleadership”.

Describing Ekweremadu as aman with a good heart andcompassionate feelings, he saidthe Adoration Ministry wouldstand by the Senator to ensurehe is returned to continue hisgood work for Enugu and theSouth-East geopolitical zone.

He described theimpeachment of the formerDeputy Governor of EnuguState, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchias demonstration of wickedpolitics.

Charismaticpriest

The charismatic priestobserved: “How could anybodythink of impeaching SundayOnyebuchi? Did anyone everhear the quiet man? How manypeople even knew he was there?Yet they impeached him for

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

rearing poultry whereas thegovernor himself has poultry,piggery and ranch in theGovernment House. TheGovernor’s cattle and all sortsof animal move about andharass people in theGovernment House“.

PDPstakeholders

Ekweremadu's ownendorsment was solidified lastweekend when PDPstakeholders in Udi, Gov.Chime's hometown endorsedhim ahead of their famous son.The stakeholders who were ledby Chief Mike Ugwu, amember of the Second RepublicHouse of Representatives saidEkweremadu was betterpositioned to serve the peoplethan Chime.

The stakeholders whoreceived him were led by ChiefMike Ugwu, a member ofHouse of Representatives inthe Second Republic and anative of Udi, hometown ofGovernor Sullivan Chime.

He said: “I am a stakeholderof PDP in Enugu West andtherefore I know everythingabout PDP. What I’m saying isthat Ekweremadu has thecapacity of being a senator.Sullivan Chime hasn’t got theattribute, what it takes to be aSenator. “Ike Ekweremadu hasperformed very well. He hasworked hard and that is whywe are supporting him.”

Manyobservershad pointedlyseen thegovernor’sambition tosucceedEkweremaduas an actaimed atretiring himunduly fromactive politics

•Ekweremadu, Chime: In a battle of wits

BY FRANCIS IGATA

State. “As members ofthe Enugu StateCouncil of TraditionalRulers, we areprepared to supportGovernor Chime if heseeks elective office in2015 because of hisselfless leadershipqualities," the RoyalFathers added.

They were followedpenultimate weekendby some leaders of thePDP and otherstakeholders inEnugu-West senatorialdistrict who at ameeting endorsedGovernor SullivanChime for Enugu-Westsenatorial seat come2015.

Led by the Chairmenof the five localgovernment councilsand party executives inthe zone, theydebunked as “baselessand laughable”, thereport of the removalfrom office of theChairman of the AwguLocal GovernmentCouncil, Mr NathanusNze, a strong loyalistof the governor.

royal fathers waspart of a nine-pointc o m m u n i q u éissued at the end ofthe quarterlymeeting of theEnugu StateCouncil ofTraditional Rulers. Itwas signed by thechairman of thecouncil, IgweA m b a s a d o rLawrence O.CAgubuzu.

The royal fatherssaid they notedwith “delight theu n p a r a l l e l e d ,amazing ands p e c t a c u l a rquantum leap tomodernity whichthe urban centersand rural areascommunities inEnugu State hadtaken in the pastseven years andthree months underthe governor."

They alsoc o m m e n d e dGovernor Chimefor, “not beingboastful about hiso u t s t a n d i n g


Jang goes to Senate

MINUTES after leadingthe top management of

Diamond Bank plc through itsquarterly strategic session lastFriday, Dr. Alex Otti resignedfrom his job as managingdirector of the bank that isranked between fifth and sixthin the Nigerian market.

It was a shocking decision formany of his associates in theindustry. He left a job that asat present has only 20 placesin the market place in thecountry. It was more shockingto many when they heard thatthe former banker was delvingstraight into politics with anambition to become thegubernatorial candidate of thePeoples Democratic Party, PDPin Abia State. Remarkably, Ottiis not the only one leavingcertainty for uncertainty.

Certainty foruncertainty

Interestingly, one of his chiefrivals for the PDP gubernatorialticket in Abia is also a formertop banker, Mr. Marc Wabara.Though Wabara’s exit from topflight banking was not aseventful as Otti’s, he still countsas part of his curriculum vitae,

Bankers on the prowl

GOVERNOR Jonah Jang of Plateau Statehad for long been alleged to be intercedingon who would succeed him in office.However, while he prayed on who wouldsucceed him, few bothered to ask on thegovernor’s own future.That was, however, put to rest last weekwith the news that Governor Jang wouldbe doing a swap with the incumbent senatorfor Plateau North, Senator Gyang Pwjok.With Pwjok taking the governorship, Jangwould take Pwjok’s seat in the Senate.To give vent to the governor’s desire, acoalition of youth groups in Plateau Statelast weekend bought and presented thePeoples Democratic Party, PDP Senate formto the State governor, urging him torepresent the Plateau North Senatorial zonein the National Assembly.The youth groups’ representatives handedover the form to the governor’s Chief of Staff,Mr. Francis Bot at the Government Housein Rayfied, Jos and passed on theirassurance and support, urging him tocontinue in the good work he has beendoing for the State.Speaking separately at the event, some of

Of the trio of Otti, Wabara andEmmanuel, the prospects forEmmanuel could easily be seenas the most viable given theunqualified support he hasgotten from Akpabio. Giventhat the PDP’s NationalWorking Committee, NWCbarred state party officials andexecutive office holders fromopenly supporting aspirants,Akpabio was absent at

front of him, his ambition wouldin the consideration of somelook illogical. But beyond Dr.Otti’s moves is a philosophicaldrive for self realisation whichhe claimed could only befulfilled in serving hiscommunity.

Emmanuel as an executivedirector of Zenith Bank oversawthe international operations of thebank and could at a moment’snotice fly first class to any countryhe liked and in between have his

fun. But he gave away all that forthe lure of politics, or in his words,to serve his people. Theinclination of the former bankersis bound to arouse the kind ofmudsling that politicians normallythrow at one another. Even beforehe entered the fray, Otti wasalready receiving his own dosewith questions about his originin Abia.

For Wabara, Otti andEmmanuel, three testedbankers who have navigated

through many plots and pot-shots to get to the zenith of thebanking profession, they mayas well be armed with enoughbattle scares that may evenfrighten some well establishedpoliticians.

Whereas politicians throwtheir barbs in crude forms,bankers throw their arrows inmore refined manners in suchgarbs as de-marketing andother board room manouvers.E m m a n u e l ’ s

declaration, but theaura of his presencewas all aboutespecially in thepresence of his wife,Mrs. EkaetteAkpabio whopraised Emmanuelfor being about thebrightest of thechildren of Akpabio.

It is indeedtempting to ask whatis driving the bankbosses from theexecutive floor oftheir multi-trillionnaira establishmentsto the rough terrainof politics.

Dr. Otti in his firstsession withjournalists hoursafter he tendered hisresignation lastFriday described hisventure as themovement fromcertainty touncertainty. It isespecially so forhim. After movingDiamond Bank fromabout the 14thposition in the sectorto among the top six,and with a contractof six years still in

the fact that he was ata time managingdirector of a bank, thedefunct HallmarkBank.

Another top flightbanker who bit thebug earlier was Mr.Udom Emmanuel,the former executivedirector Zenith Bank,who shocked manylast year when he lefthis top job to take upthe position ofSecretary to the StateGovernment, SSG inAkwa Ibom State. Mr.E m m a n u e lpenultimate Mondayalso exited the SSGjob, and the followingday before anunprecedented crowdat the Uyo TownshipStadium, declared hisintention to vie for thegovernorship ofAkwa Ibom. He isgenerally believed tobe in pole positiongiven what isgenerally believed tobe the full gift to himof the politicalmachine of theoutgoing governor,Chief GodswillAkpabio.

the youth leaders including Sunday Gini of thePlateau North Political Front, Nansat Bitrus of theNational Youths Council, Kevin Pam of the PDPYouth Network among others stressed the gestureis in appreciation for what the governor has donefor youths in the State.The trio maintained the governor has been

Continues on page 31

Jang

•Udom: Said bye to Zenith Bank•Wabara: Former MD, Hallmark Bank

Bankersthrow theirarrows inmore refinedmanners insuch garbs asde-marketingand otherboard roommaneouvres

•Otti: Left Diamond Bank last Friday

SOME top bankers are leaving their comfortable positions and perks forpolitics. Why the drift from certainty to uncertainty?

BY MARIE-THERESE NANLONG

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN,Political Editor


IT is alleged that your eightyears in the Senate were

not impactful on the state. Doyou agree?

The press has the job ofeducating the public tomoderate expectations fromsenators. Who is a senator? Asenator is just a mere legislator.In fact, we can say a senator isa glorified councillor. You don'thave votes, so where do youexpect me to get the money tobuild hospitals and schools? Ithink you are not doing enoughto educate people and theynow compare a senator togovernor, you cannot. You can'teven compare a senator to alocal government chairmanbecause a local governmentchairman has votes to spend.Having said that, you canattract projects, you cancomplement the efforts of thestate and the local governmentcouncils. During the time I wasin office, we had three healthcentres, one in Olode in

How I worked for the peopleas senator — TESLIM FOLARIN

these things you claimed tohave done when you were inthe senate? You did notcommission any project then.

I agree with you, we couldhave done that, but, you knewthe security situation in thestate at that time. There was noway the last administrationwould allow us to do that andthat's the reason we didn't doit. We didn't do it to avoidbloodshed.

You were part of the forcesthat ensured the defeat of PDPin the 2011 elections, why areyou then trying to hide underthe same ‘umbrella’ you andsome chieftains of the party‘tore’ into shreds in the lastelection?

I have been trying to addressthis issue and I will do the samenow. Politics needs not be aboutviolence. It should be aboutbuilding a consensus, it is aboutinclusiveness, not aboutexcluding people and peoplewho talk about all these, like Ikeep saying, there are two partsto a movie. It is very convenient

for them to play parttwo and ignore partone where TeslimFolarin washumiliated, waslocked up forsomething I knewnothing about and Iasked them thequestion, if they werein my shoes, whatwould they do? I wasalso the Senate Leaderand I enjoyed thatoffice, they took thatticket off me. I wasn'tallowed to participatein the primaries. Ithink I haveaddressed this issueenough, I think ourpeople should moveon.

They never saidanything, it was okay,get rid of TeslimFolarin, but, now, theycan't get rid of me, I'mhere. So, we have tomanage each otherand I believe that asa party, we shoulddraw a line and moveon.

What's yourrelationship withAlao-Akala?

If you witnessedoccasions where wemet, you would seethat we were verycordial. We greetedeach other and don'tforget that he's verymuch older than I,and as a Yoruba man,I have to respect him

Oluyole LocalGovernment, one inPade (Akinyele LG)and the other one inOyo West. Whenyou look at the roadconstruction, theroad network atOlubadan Estate inEgbeda LocalGovernment, wefacilitated it, wedidn't do it.

Sinking ofboreholes

We told theF e d e r a lGovernment tocome and help themdo it and they didit. Over 150boreholes weresunk, even thoughI don't believe insinking boreholes, Ithink that's toopetty. I believe weshould move on,that's my personalopinion.

If you look at therehabilitation ofLagos-Ibadan road,we did a lot to getthe FederalGovernment to dosomething. Peopledon't understand allthese things, I thinkyou also have a roleto play.

Is it the mediayou blame or youdid not makeawareness for

and I do that.You just spoke about how you

were maltreated by him, andhow you were arraigned forthe murder you said you didnot know anything about, Cutsin...they didn't take me to court,they locked me up unjustly.

Will you still support thatsame person who was believedto have set you up if heemerges the party's candidate?

Absolutely, because it is aprocess.

How far have you gone inreconciling yourself with theopposing camp who felt youshort-changed them in 2011?

I didn't short-changeanybody. They short-changedme. I was locked up, I washumiliated, they tried to bringtrumped-up charges against

me. Do you know what it meansfor a serving Senate Leader tobe so treated? I don't want totalk about it, I think the bestthing is just to draw a line andmove on.

You seem to be too isolatedfrom the people you nowintend to govern?

What do you mean bydisconnect with the people?You have been here sincemorning, I have been attendingto people.

Attendingto people

I am accessible to people, lotsof people are there waiting tosee me, they will be here tillnight, I see them, they see me,

I don't know what they aretalking about.

How many people have youconsulted before embarkingon this venture. Did youdiscuss it with the formergovernor?

Why should I tell him?He is a leader of your party.He is a leader and I am also

a leader of the party too. Aleader of a party should not bean aspirant, why should I tellhim? He can't be a leader andaspirant at the same time.

But, as a former governor? You heard what I said. You

can't be an aspirant and be aleader, I am an aspirant ,I amnot a leader. You don't expectme to go to a fellow aspirantand be telling him I want tocontest, where is that done?

Jang goes to Senatecarrying the youths along in governance aswitnessed in his willingness to “anoint” a youthto take over from him in 2015.According to Bitrus, “The youths not only inPlateau North but the entire State is fully insupport of the governor going to the Senate,necessary support will be given to him becausehe has been standing by the youths.”Pam added, “You can’t change bad politics togood if good people continue to stay on thesideline. Credible people should come in and

change the face of politics to somethingdesirable not only in the State but Nigeria.”Responding after the receipt of the form,Governor Jang thanked the youths for thegesture saying it is historic to make such agiant stride.The governor who was represented by theChief of Staff, Government House, Mr.Francis Bot reiterated, “I do not have zonalpolitics in mind. What the youths have doneis very historic, I will not disappoint thepeople of Plateau.”

Continues from page 30

If you lookat therehabilitationof Lagos-Ibadan road,we did a lot toget theFederalGovernmentto dosomething

•Folarin: I succeeded in my duties despite serious difficulties

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

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

BY OLA AJAYI


Nigeria internationalRaheem Lawal isconfident that the Su-

per Eagles will qualify for the2015 Africa Cup of Nations inMorocco.

The Africa Champions faceCongo in a make or break en-counter in Pointe-Noire onNovember 15.

According to the Eskiseh-ierspor player, the gameagainst Claude le Roy’s menwill be tough but the Eagleswill give the encounter theirall towards securing maxi-mum point that will brightentheir Africa Cup of Nationschances.

“The game [against Congo]will be very tough but I canassure you that we will returnhome with a win,” Lawal told

Goal.“On a personal note, I’m looking

forward to the game, and if I get aninvite from the national team selec-tors, it will be business as usual asI’ll be ready to spill my blood for thecountry’s success.

“The Congolese are a very strongside and we won’t underestimatethem and if they could get a win inNigeria, then I don’t see anythingstopping us from paying them backbefore their home fans.

The 24-year-old midfielder is notperturbed that the game will beplayed on an artificial turf insistingthe Eagles are determined to winwherever the game is taken to.

“It doesn’t matter where Congo willtake us to, all that matter is a goodwin. We [Eagles] are aware of theimportance of the game and we haveno excuse to fail,” he added.

Eagles on course 2015 ticket – Lawa

James Milner insists Manchester City are fully fo-

cused on the next stage oftheir League Cup defenceagainst Newcastle United to-day. City overcame Newcas-tle on their own patch in thefourth round of last season’scompetition and the sidesmeet with a quarter-final spotonce again up for grabs at theEtihad Stadium.

Following their Wembley tri-umph over Newcastle’s north-east rivals Sunderland to liftthe trophy in March, City re-turned to the competition instyle with a resounding 7-0win against Sheffield Wednes-day in round three butManuel Pellegrini’s teamhead into their latest match onthe back of a deeply disap-pointing week.

Milner scored to give theCity a 2-0 lead against CSKAMoscow in the UEFA Cham-pions League last Wednesday,only for their Russian hosts tosalvage a 2-2 draw, and WestHam saw off a late rally todefeat the reigning PremierLeague champions at the

weekend.Although the latter

two competitions argu-ably represent higherpriorities for the club,former Newcastle mid-fielder Milner believesCity must fight hard onall fronts to ensure theyare firmly in the hunt fortrophies at the businessend of the season.

“We just take it onegame at a time, concen-trate on whatever is infront of us and try andwin it,” he told theclub’s official website.

“You can play threedifferent competitionsin a week so you can’tspend too much timethinking about just one

“We are the LeagueCup holders and al-though some say somecups are more importantthan others, a lot of peo-ple have never won theLeague Cup and wouldlove to have thechance".

Milner tips City tMilner tips City tMilner tips City tMilner tips City tMilner tips City to beat Neo beat Neo beat Neo beat Neo beat Newwwwwcastlecastlecastlecastlecastle

Manchester City are the bookmakers’ clear favourites ahead of to-

night’s Capital One Cup fourth roundtie against Newcastle, but Sammy Am-eobi has insisted: “You never knowwhat can happen.”

And the Magpies man - who scoredwithin seconds of coming from thebench at Tottenham Hotspur on Sun-day - knows that if United show thesame spirit and belief that they did atWhite Hart Lane, they can pull off ashock against the reigning leaguechampions and Capital One Cupholders.

City ended Newcastle’s interest inthe competition last term, winning 2-0 after extra time at St. James’ Park,but Alan Pardew’s side go into thegame at the Etihad Stadium on theback of two successive victories andwith their tails up.

“It’s been a tough start to the sea-son - everybody knows that - but we’vestuck together,” Ameobi told nufcTV.

“We had to stick together or wewouldn’t be where we are now. We’vehad to just fight for it because that’sthe Premier League. There are no easygames and hopefully we can kick onfrom here.

“It’s never an easy place to go, ManCity, but I’m really looking forward toit.

“If we can go out with the confidencewe had against Tottenham, you neverknow what can happen.”

Ameobi is pushing hard for a startagainst the Citizens after his instantimpact against Spurs.

Ameobi: Anything can happenagainst City

CMYK

Continues on page 3

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014VOL. 1 NO 11

— Page 6

ALSO IN THIS EDITION

— Page 3

BY FRANCIS IGATA

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

EnuguInternationalConferenceCentre of waste

*AbandonedICC building

,

,

ENUGU—THE abandonedEnugu International

Conference Centre, ICC,conceived by the previousadministration of Dr.Chimaroke Nnamanicomprises three auditoriumswith a combined sittingcapacity for 7,500 guests. The

*Another view of the abandoned ICC

main bowl has a capacity for5,000 on completion with thesmaller auditorium and thedome-shaped theatreaccommodating 1,500 and1,000 guests each.

The complex also had aprovision for a 200-room hoteland an office complex whichhad reached sixty per centcompletion before beingabandoned about eight years

ago. Now, the edifice has notonly turned to an eye-sore,but also a colossal waste of theresources of Enugu State.

Built in the shape of a bowl,the ICC is situated at a largeexpanse of land, opposite theOkpara Square or the ThreeArms Zone. About N2.5 billionhad been spent on the projectbefore it was abandoned.

In 2004, The then governor

had enunciated the ideabehind the ICC, sayingamong others that it wouldboost tourism and frog-leapthe revenue generation of thestate. The administration hadfigured that ICC would notonly serve as a source ofInternally GeneratedRevenue, IGR, to reduce thestate’s dependence on thedwindling monthly alloca-tions from the FederationAccount as well as add to theascetic value of the coal city.

South East Voiceobserved that most parts of thestructures had been roofed.The areas roofed included thebroken egg- shaped mainbowl which had also beenfitted with glasses and

Theadministrationhad figured thatICC would notonly serve as asource ofInternallyGeneratedRevenue, IGR, toreduce the state’sdependence onthe dwindlingmonthlyallocations fromthe FederationAccount as wellas add to theascetic value ofthe coal city

Abiacommunitylaments poorstate of federalroad PAGE 2

Onitsha traders reportLG officials to Obianoover alleged vandalism,extortion

Patients allege‘Ebola bag' ripoff by FMCUmuahia


UMUAHIA—FOR thepeople of Amizi

Awomnuzie, a sleepycommunity of rural dwellersin Ikwuano Local Govern-ment Area of Abia State, it islamentations galore over thedeplorable state of the federalroad that pass through thearea from Akwa Ibom andCross River states linkingAbia State through the oldUmuahia-Aba road.

Formerly, the road waslonely as it witnessed littletraffic until recently when itbecame very busy due to thetotal collapse of the ever busyIkot Ekpene-Umuahia federalroad, as motorists now divertthrough the Amizi road tolink Umuahia town amongother places.

Since then, life has not beenthe same for the people of thearea, who are mainly ruralfarmers and used to quiet life.Vehicles of all sizes,especially, trailers conveyingcement and other goods fromthe Calabar and Uyo axis toother parts of the country nowply the road on daily basis,inflicting heavy damage onthe road. The road which wasalready in bad condition hasbecome worse than the IkotEkpene-Umuahia road.

Amizi people who have carscan no longer drive them outof their compounds not to talkof the community because ofthe deplorable condition ofthe road.

Abia community lamentspoor state of federal road

ABIA

BY ANAYO OKOLIEven some motorists in their

desperate effort to find escaperoutes drive through someindividual compoundsthereby extending the pain tosuch people.

Before the Ikot Ekpene-Umuahia Federal road gotvery bad, the community saidit had drawn the attention ofthe Federal Government tocomplete the rehabilitation ofthe Amizi-Old Aba road whichcontract was awarded to a PortHarcourt-based constructionfirm, Marble Head, but therewas no response from thegovernment.

According to the PresidentGeneral of Amizi Awomnuziecommunity, Mr. Sam Ekpo,the people now live in amessy and difficult environ-ment as they had no road tomove about. School childrenare also affected as they alsotrek long distances to theirschools.

‘’The economic life of thepeople is also affected, astraders from other commu-nities that used to come to ourmarket and buy palm producefrom the rural farmers nolonger come because of thedeplorable condition of the

road.Ekpo said: “Before this time,

last year, I wrote to theFederal Ministry of Works,copies of which were sent tothe Governor of Abia State,the Senate Committee onWorks and the FederalController of Works in thestate, appealing that contractfor the repair of the road beawarded. This was over fouryears ago.”

According to him, thecontractor was doing a goodjob on the road before worksuddenly stopped and it hadsince remained abandonedfor over four years now. Noreason was given to thecommunity for the withdrawalof the contractor.

Ekpo further explained thatbecause of the eagerness ofthe community to have the

road rehabilitated, thosewhose crops, economic treesand other valuables weredestroyed did not ask forcompensation, adding thattheir hopes have beencompletely dashed even asthe reward for their goodwillhad become the inconveni-ence and hardship inflictedon them by the terrible stateof the road.

“Because of the total collapseof the Ikot Ekpene-Umuahiafederal road, and subsequentdiversion of traffic to Amizi,our road is now in a terriblecondition. My car had beenparked in my house for twomonths now. I can’t drive itout. Our people are suffering.

‘’Our people, especially theyouths have been trying intheir own little way to makethe road motorable but themagnitude of the damage isbeyond what we can handlethrough communal effort.

“One of our illustrious sonshad even spent N.5 million onstones to pour on the road tomake it manageable just as theTransition CommitteeChairman of Ikwuano Councilhas provided N150,000 for thesame thing. But the problemis beyond this type ofmeasure.

“We want the government tosave us from this mess. Ourpeople have been calm. Wecan’t go on rampage becausethis is election time. If we riot,they will say it is politics. Weappeal to them to save us. Weare part of this country,” Ekposaid.

*Amizi Oloko Road in Ikwuano

*AmiziOloko Rdin Ikwuano

OWERRI—THE presentadministration in Imo State have

been telling whoever cares that it hasconstructed more roads within three anda half years than all the previousadministrations put together. Much asthe administration has a right to itsopinion, a good percentage of thecitizenry think otherwise.

The people, especially commuters, areof the opinion that this is not the best oftimes for motorists in Imo State. Virtuallyall the roads in Owerri municipality andmost communities in the state, havefailed, courtesy of the poor execution ofthe road projects, non-maintenance ofthe existing roads and heavy rainfallbeing experienced this year.

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

….As motorists, commuters groanover bad roads in Imo

was the surface dressing of some streetsin Owerri with asphalt. But someportions of all the resurfaced roads hadpeeled off. Motorists now try to dodgethese bad spots and most end upcrashing into other vehicles.

Apart from the foregoing, some of theroads have deteriorated so badly thatthey are now waterlogged and deathtraps.

Another side to these bad spots is thatyoungsters now stand close to them andare ever ready to pull vehicles out ofthese deep spots for a fee.

One of the emergency hands at thedeep spot close to Dreamland Hotels,New Owerri, who simply identifiedhimself as Ikay, told South East Voicethat he now makes some money frommotorists that need his service.

“This ugly situation has provided asource of livelihood for some of us.Since the rain increased, I come out

here everyday. My colleagues and I,charge fees to help any driver whosevehicle gets stuck at this deep”, thejobless youth said.

One of the issues the people holdagainst the administration is that allthe roads Okorocha has been buildingare sub-standard and hardly last twomonths before going bad. TheGovernor is, however, not worriedabout the testimonial.

Addressing newsmen recently inGovernment House, Owerri, GovernorOkorocha said he was not worried thatmembers of the opposition partiesbrand the roads he built as “Chinaroads”.

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

If the past governors built what theynow call China roads, Imo would havebeen better than what we met onassumption of office”, Okorocha said.

By CHIDI NKWOPARA

IMO


ANAMBRA

ONITSHA—BARELY fewdays after the traders at

Sokoto Road unit of OnitshaMain Market had a bloodyclash with revenue officials ofOnitsha South LocalGovernment Area overalleged imposition of levies,no fewer than 500 of thetraders under the platform ofMillennium Merchants andImporters Association,Onitsha stormed AnambraGovernment House, Awka toreport what they termedvandalism and extortionactivities of the council

*Protesting Onitsha traders

Onitsha traders report LG officialsto Obiano over alleged vandalism,extortion

AFTERMATH OF BLOODY CLASH:

officials to Governor WillieObiano.

More than 50 persons hadsustained various degrees ofinjuries and were hospitali-zed, while some shops werelooted last Thursday duringthe clash which came as aresult of alleged imposition oflevies on the traders by thecouncil officials

On arrival at theGovernment House with theirplacards, the traders who arealso known as Sokoto RoadTraders, complained toGovernor Willie Obiano thatthey were being extorted bythe officials of the OnitshaSouth council who they said

usually invade their businesspremises with hoodlums andattack their members.

The protesters who carriedplacards with variousinscriptions including, ‘Irukamust go’, ‘We need peace inOnitsha south’, ‘Iruka stopdisturbing our governor ’,‘Gov. Obiano beware of thehoodlums around you’, ‘Irukaasked us to pay N50,000’,among others, said they wereurging the state governmentto intervene and protect themfrom overzealous councilofficials.

The traders who spokethrough their chairman,Valentine Ezechukwu, said:

“The problem is what we seeas injustice, intimidation andoppression by the OnitshaSouth local governmentchairman, who invaded ourmarkets with hoodlumsunannounced on Thursday,beating people anddestroying our goods. Lots ofpeople were wounded, ourcustomers were harassed. Welost lots of valuables, so wefind it abnormal and that iswhy we have come to informthe government that theirdemand from us is illegal.They are asking us to payN50,000 for no reasons whenthey are not our landlords.”

Also speaking, MrIgboamaeze Ikenna, secretaryof the market, insisted that nofewer than 50 of theirmembers were woundedduring the raid, adding thatit would be bad to frustrate thelegitimate businesses of over20,000 people in the market.

Dr Nkem Okeke, DeputyGovernor of Anambra State,who addressed the protesters,commended them for theirpeaceful conduct and assuredthem that the governmentwould look into theircomplaints.

Okeke said that he wouldpresent the matter to thegovernor, saying that the stategovernment would come upwith a resolution that wouldfavour all parties afterinvestigating the matter.

He therefore urged them toreturn to Onitsha andpromised them that nobodywould be harassed till furthernotice as the administrationhad zero tolerance forthuggery and all forms ofcriminality.

Other state governmentofficials who were on groundto address the protestingtraders were Mr. ObazeOseloka, Secretary to the StateGovernment, Mrs BeverlyNkemdiche-Ikpeazu, memberrepresenting Onitsha Southin the State House ofAssembly.

When contacted, Secretaryto Onitsha South LocalGovernment Area, SylvanusMgbechukwu declined tocomment on the matter.

,

,

By NWABUEZE OKONKWOThe protesters

who carriedplacards withvariousinscriptionsincluding,‘Iruka must go’,‘We need peacein Onitshasouth’, ‘Irukastop disturbingour governor’,‘Gov. Obianobeware of thehoodlumsaround you

electricity among others beforeNnamani left office in 2007.

However, more than eight years afterthe former governor’s departure, theICC had remained where those whoinitiated the project left it.

South East Voice also noticed thatthe ICC has now been overgrown bya thick forest which has totally erodedthe lofty idea for which it wasconceived.

Over grown trees, rodents, insectsamong other animals are competingfor spaces inside the buildingcomplex. The entire compound, evenas some of the roofs had given waywith the roofing materials vandalized

Continued from page 1

Enugu International Conference Centre of waste

by unknown persons.A portion of the perimeter fence had

fallen off, thus providing access to thebushy compound even though thegate leading to the centre was underlock and key.

Mamel speaksReacting to the incident, the

immediate past Commissioner forCulture and Tourism, Mr. Joe Mameltold South East Voice on thetelephone that, “there is no existingfile on the Enugu ICC in the custodyof the present administration led byGovernor Sullivan Chime.

‘’The physical and structural detailsof the facilities in the centre are no

where to be found. How can wecomplete a project you know nothingabout? Proceeding with the project isimpossible. Agreed that the ICC is 60per cent completed but nothing on theproject was handed over by the pastadministration to the present one.There are no details of technical andstructural drawings of the buildinganywhere in our files.

“This administration cannot wastetax payers’ money on such projects.That is the challenge theadministration is bedevilled with.”

However, another governmentofficial also hinted that apart from nothanding over of the project, it wasdiscovered that money approved for

the ICC was diverted to private projectsbut refused to expatiate further.

Residents lamentA civil servant in Enugu, Mr. Emeke

Eze, said: “The abandonment of theproject is not far from the frostyrelationship between the presentgovernor and his former politicalgodfather.

According to him, playing politics withsuch a gigantic project amounted toirresponsibility.

“The project could have created atleast between 4,000 and 5,000 jobs forthe teeming unemployed youths in thestate if completed apart from boostingthe IGR of the state or putting the areain the world tourism map.”

4—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29 , 2014

ANAMBRA

NSUKKA—”WE sufferhere in Nsukka. There is

no electricity; nothing!” Theassertion of the wife of the latefirst President of Nigeria, andOwelle of Onitsha, Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe, Prof. Mrs.Uche Azikiwe, who reviewedthe state of electricity supplyby the Enugu Electricity

•Business operators count lossesZik’s wife, Nsukka residents slamEEDC

EPILEPTIC POWER SUPPLY:

Distribution Company,EEDC, especially to theuniversity town of Nsukka inEnugu State.

Her lamentations in aninterview with the SouthEast Voice, encapsulates thefeelings of some electricityconsumers within theuniversity town of Nsukka aswell as both Igboeze Southand Igboeze North LocalGovernment Areas of the

AWKA—WORRIED by theincreasing rate of the

circulation of fake andcounterfeit pharmaceuticalproducts in the country,Pharmacists in Nigerian havevowed to fight the perpetratorsto a standstill.

The pharmacists, at their 23rdAnnual General Meeting,AGM, in Awka, Anambra State,said that as professionalstrained to ensure that onlygenuine and wholesomedrugs were found on drugshelves across the country,they would do everythingwithin their powers to combatthe menace to save Nigeriansfrom patronizing quacks whosemain motive is profit makingin drug business.

Anambra State chairman of

state.Other residents also

expressed their frustrationsover the alleged poor powersupply in the area, just assmall and medium scalebusiness operators in the area(who appear to be the worsthit) continued to bemoan thenegative implications ofepileptic power supply ontheir businesses.

Prof. Azikiwe who spoke to

South East Voice said: “Ihave a borehole where I sellwater. I had a generator forthe borehole; the oldgenerator wasn’t functioningwell. I now bought a biggergenerator set to serve theborehole.

“To help run activities in theborehole, I buy up to 300 litresof diesel which lasts for just aweek. So when the boreholeis being run, I have light to

the extent that I don’t evencomplain to them EEDCagain.

‘’But as you can see, todayis Sunday, I have no lightbecause we do not operate onSundays. I do not know whatwe will do to solve thisproblem.

“One priest, Rev. FatherAsogwa came to me and saidthat he went to EEDC tocollect a transformer and hewas asked to come and getpermission from me. I askedwhy and he said they told himthat the transformer is mine.

“I told him that I haven’tseen any transformer. If Zikhas a transformer dedicated tohis house, let them tell mewhy I don’t have light? I alsotold the Rev. Father; let themnot use my name. If thetransformer is ours, let thembring it into our compound sothat I will know why I don’thave light.

“They have privatizedelectricity, what is theproblem again? I pray thatPresident Goodluck Jonathanwill do it for us; let’s haveconstant power not just for mebut for the artisans,hairdressers, or internet caféowners. Others need power torun their businesses and earnincome. But there is no light.I think Nsukka is the worsthit.”

Some of the distraughtconsumers contacted alsocondemned the situationsaying, they had not hadelectricity for some days.

A barber, Innocent Udejisaid: “I don’t have any metreand as such, they fixed my billat N2,000 per month for mysmall shop. I barely have lightfor my business yet I keep onpaying bills. I spend more inmaintaining my generator tokeep my business going.”

A welder in the area, said:‘’Some residents and shopowners who moved in recentlyto the area had a battle withold debtors.

Meanwhile, Nsukka is yetto get pre-paid meters evenas the few who could affordto pay the sky-rocket pricesgot theirs in Enugu.

By CHIBUNDU ABUGU

*Burnt 500 KVA transformer at Nsukka

Pharmacists gather in Awka, vow total waragainst fake drugsthe Pharmaceutical Society ofNigeria, PSN, Chisom Uchemsaid they would proffersolutions that would help tosanitize the pharmaceuticalindustry to make the peopleregain confidence in the sector.

She said: “This forum affordspharmacists the ampleopportunity to brainstorm andproffer solutions to publichealth hazards of patronizingunapproved drug dealers. Italso provides veritable platformfor the PSN to partner with theAnambra State government onregulations, legislation andother restrictive mechanisms toforestall catastrophe resultingfrom the intake of fake andadulterated pharmaceutical

products, as well as other areasof effective collaboration thatwill be in the overall interest ofthe citizenry

“As a professional body, wemust deliver on our mandateto ensure that there are notraces of fake drugs in AnambraState.”

Uchem stated categoricallythat the society was determinedto unravel the mysterysurrounding the continuedthriving of illegal pharmaceu-tical business despite theefforts of the regulatory bodiesand the PSN, adding that inAnambra State, Governor WillieObiano has also charged theassociation to live up to theinternational standards in the

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

discharge of its duties to rid thestate of adulterated drugs.

According to her, pharmacistswill use the occasion of thisyear’s World Pharmacy Day toeducate the public on ways ofensuring that patients obtainedthe most reliable

pharmaceutical services.On Ebola, she promised that

pharmacists will intensify itshealth education programmesto ensure that no disease ofpublic health concern threatensthe people anymore.

A lecturer in the School ofPharmacy at Nnamdi AzikiweUniversity, Mr. Sunny Ndukaregretted that the open drugmarkets in Anambra State wasa fertile ground for breedingelements who feed fat in fakingthe services of certifiedpharmacists in the state.

He described as timely theFederal Government’s drugdistribution guideline, whichhe observed, would forestallthe activities of fake and sub-standard drug dealers.

,

,

As aprofessionalbody, we mustdeliver on ourmandate toensure thatthere are notraces of fakedrugs


DO you have anynews of neglect orabandoned projects oryour representative atthe local, state or federalgovernments are notrepresenting you well?Do you have uniquecultural activities comingup or any communitynews to tell us?

Emeka Mamah(Co-ordinator):08033218645Austin Ogwuda(Enugu):08037136440Francis Igata08033387069VincentUjumadu(Awka):08035804090Anayo Okoli(Umuahia):08034046839Chidi Nkwopara(Imo):08033391108Peter Okutu (Abakaliki):08032680756Chinenyeh Ozor(Nsukka):08185664011Nwabueze Okonkwo(Nnewi):08037794782Enyim Enyim (Onitsha):08169297179Or: e-mail us:[email protected]

REACH US

EBONYI

ABAKALIKI—AHEAD ofthe 2015 general election,

the Ebonyi State policecommand last week trainedofficers and men of thecommand in crowd control,use of fire arms, inter-personal relationship withmembers of the public andcommitment to duty, amongothers. The state Commis-sioner of Police, MaigariDikko, embarked on a tour ofthe three Area Commands atAfikpo, Onueke and Abakalikiwhere he charged the men onground to be prepared forgeneral election, adding thatthe role of the police in theprotection of lives andproperty cannot be overemphasized.

Meanwhile, to avertincidences of accidentaldischarge, careless andunprofessional use of firearmsby policemen in the state,Dikko directed and monitoredthe retraining of policemen oneffective use of firearm todislodge the activities ofcriminals across the state.

The training which tookplace at the Police ShootingRange within PMF 3Squadron, Enugu, broughttogether over 500 officers andmen serving in the three AreaCommands of the State for theexercise.

In a lecture delivered tomore than 2,500 officers andmen drawn predominantlyfrom the Inspectorate andRank-and-File cadre across allthe Divisions and formationsin the Command, CP Dikkoadmonished the men andofficers to be of goodbehaviour to the public in linewith the motto of the NigerianPolice Force “Police is yourHelper and friend” toengender peace and unityacross the state.

The CP reminded the menof the vision and mission ofthe Nigerian Police Forcewhich are: “To be a leadingnational, professional andefficient law enforcementorganisation” and “To providesafety and security in Nigeriacommunities; protect andrespect human rights, andpromote community partner-ship in preventing andcontrolling social disorder.”

He reiterated the need forevery police officer to have athorough understanding andknowledge of the laws, and ofthe orders and instructions,and to develop the attributesof integrity in refusing toallow religious, racial orethnic, political, or personalfeelings, or other considera-tion, to influence him in theexecution of his of her duties.

On attitudinal change, the

ELECTION: EbonyiPolice train 2500officers on crowdcontrol, use offirearmsCP warned the policemenagainst leaving their beat,absenteeism, sleeping onduty, using body as wedgewhile on stop-and-searchduty, divulging officialsecrets, drinking while onduty and fraternizing withcriminals.

Reacting to the entireexercise, Inspector Fidelis

Nweke with F/No: 028825 andW/Cpl Mercy Egorappreciated the command fororganising such programme.

They commended theNigerian Police Force for theinitiative, adding that asituation whereby members ofthe force are left on their ownfrom year to year without thiskind of professional exercise

*Ebonyi State Commissionerof Police, Maigari Dikko

*Police officers listening to their lectures in Abakaliki

BY PETER OKUTU

was not a good developmenteven as they appealed topolice authorities in thecountry to ensure itssustainability.

...over 700 patients waiting to be attended to

A B A K A L I K I — T H ESenate President,

Senator David Mark weekendcommissioned an In-vitroFertilisation Unit at theNational Obstetric FistulaCentre, NOFIC, Abakaliki.

About 700 patients withinand outside the South East

Mark commissions IVF Unitin Abakaliki

BY PETER OKUTUzone are waiting to benefitfrom the largesse. The ChiefMedical Director, CMD;NOFIC, Prof. Sunday Adeoyewho spoke said that thepatients were from within andoutside the South East zone,adding that they were waitingto be attended to by themanagement of the Centrewho were working to ensureits completion next week.

The centre, being the firstgovernment project in thatdirection, is meant to meet thereproductive needs of bothmen and women in the SouthEast geopolitical zone andbeyond.

The system would beassisted by the ReproductiveTechnology, ART, commonlyreferred to as IVF which is the

Continues on page 7

6 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

UMUAHIA—PATIENTSand patients’ relatives are

crying foul against themanagement of the FederalMedical Centre, Umuahia,Abia State over what theycalled “naked rip-off in thename of Ebola.”

They complained that theywere given “Ebola Bag” atbetween N5,000 and N10,000and that the contents weremere treatment materials.

According to one of theaggrieved patients whobrought them to Vanguardoffice, “this is a daylight rip-off by FMC, a Federal hospitalfor that matter.”

A look into the contents ofthe FMC branded Ebola bagshows that it has 100 grammesof supper soft cotton wool, abundle of bandage, five piecesof syringes, five pieces of

AWKA—THERE was anatmosphere of joy and

happiness at the Governor’sLodge in Awka, Anambra Statelast week when the lessprivileged and the physicallychallenged in the state spentquality time with the wife ofthe state governor, Mrs.Ebelechukwu Obiano duringwhich they were treated tosumptuous meals andshowered with gifts.

In attendance were the deafand dumb, the visuallyimpaired and paraplegic whowere mainly pupils fromspecial education centres,including the famous BasdenMemorial Special School,Isulo in Orumba South localgovernment area of the state.It was tagged a specialbirthday party for physicallychallenged persons inAnambra State.

The pupils had great fun asthey danced, renderedbeautiful songs, recited poemsand had special birthday cakefrom the first lady.

There were no restrictionswhatsoever as Mrs. Obianoexchanged banters andcracked jokes with the pupilswho expressed happiness thatthey were given theopportunity to dine with thefirst lady at the seat of power.

On the occasion, thegovernor’s wife called on NdiAnambra, especially thewealthy to devote some timeand part of their resources tohelp the less privilegedmembers of the society,particularly, the physicallychallenged to assist them inconquering their challenges.

According to Mrs. Obiano,the idea behind the party wasto give her guests a sense of

Day physically challengeddined with Anambragovernor’s wife

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

belonging, explaining thatshe derives so much fulfilmentfrom putting smiles on the

faces of the less privileged inthe society.

She said: “I am always athome with people with oneform of disability or another.There is not much differencebetween those of us who haveno physical challenges andthese ones, once they aregiven the necessary support toovercome their challenges.

“I call on our people,especially the wealthy, to helpin making life better for thesepeople. Apart from givingdirect support, philanthropistscan also collaborate with theCaring Family EnhancementInitiative, CAFÉ, which is an

NGO I set up purposely to as-sist the needy in our society.”

She said that since comingon stream, CAFÉ has done alot to mobilize and givesupport and succour toindigent families, as well asthe physically challenged,through various programmesand welfare packages.

“For instance, we have, apartfrom donating essential itemsto them, provided water atBasden Memorial SpecialEducation Centre, Isulo wherethe pupils and students weresuffering as a result of neglectbefore we intervened;” Mrs.Obiano said.

She added that in further-ance of the activities of theadministration of her hus-band, Chief Willie Obiano, inthe area of skills acquisition,the physically challengedhave been co-opted to learnvocations and skills that willenable them become self-reli-ant and contribute meaning-fully to the society.

Her pet project, CAFÉ, sheexplained, also encouragesand teaches the physicallychallenged that there is abilityin disability and urged themto believe and discover thoseinnate potentials God gavethem to enable them succeedin life.

She also enjoined otherNGOs to strive towardsuplifting the lives of lessprivileged in the society.

*Mrs Obiano on the occasion

,,

I call onour people,especiallythe wealthy,to help inmaking lifebetter forthesepeople

ANAMBRA

Patients allege ‘Ebola bag' rip off by FMCUmuahia

are seeing at FMC, Umuahia.“I think thjis is the worst

FMC I have seen. They areso much after money anddeliver less service. Even theattitude of their staff,including medical personnelis zero. I doubt if any otherFederal Government hospitalis cheating people like weexperience here”, lamented a

BY ANAYO OKOLIhand gloves and surgicalblades.

Ironically, there is nosanitizer or even soap to washhands, the two elementaryways of preventing the spreadof the dread Ebola Virus.

According to them, a bagwith more contents were saidto be given to patients at N10,000.

Surprisingly, even patientswho came for mere malariatreatment were given thebags.

“What am I doing with this?If there is sanitizer or evensoap, I would have felt a bitrelieved. Just look at the fewitems I can pick in anypharmacy shop with less thanN600 and I am asked to payN5000.

“What do you call it, is it notday light robbery.? We wantthe Federal Ministry of Healthto come here and see what we

patient who craved foranonymity for fear ofvictimization as he still has alaboratory test to collect fromthe hospital.

Several calls put across tothe Medical Director of theHospital, Dr. Abali Chukwucould not go through as hisline was put on permanentengagement.

The Ebola bag


ANAMBRA

Mark commissions IVF Unit in Abakaliki

ONITSHA—THE People’sClub of Nigeria, PCN,

which was the first socialorganisation uniting thepeople of the South East, afterthe civil war has re-branded.

Formed in 1971 in Aba, AbiaState by a small group ofindividuals led by Chief TitusUme-Ezeoke, at a period ofhopelessness following thethe Nigeria civil war whichended in 1970, the club camealive with the spirit of unitingmainly Igbo people of like-minds, for social interaction.

The formation, according tothem, was timely andextensively welcomedbecause of the Club’s found-ing principle which was; “BeYour Brother’s Keeper” andwith the motto: Unity, Loveand Service.

The club which was madepopular by the late musicmaestro, Oliver De-Coque,through his album ‘’People’sClub of Nigeria, Ndi Ezi-Omume,’’ was populated bybig Igbo traders, transportersand other businessmen acrossthe country whose desireswere to foster good relationsamong mankind throughsponsorship or promotion ofcharitable and philanthropiccauses.

They usually converged atburials or wedding of

Peoples Club resurrects,plans free medicaltreatment in Anambra *Delegates posing for photograph

at the Atlanta induction ceremony

By NWABUEZE OKONKWOmembers in their varioustraditional regalia promotingtheir cultures and tradtion.

For several years then, noIgbo businessman was said tohave arrived if he was not amember of the club which hadover 2,000 branches across thecountry, Europe and UnitedStates of America, explainingwhy it was renamed thePeople’s Club of NigeriaInternational, PCNI.

Then PCN was also,synonymous with Yago winewhich later became the official

drink of members during theirgatherings. The fortunes ofthe club, however, began todecline when other smallersocial clubs sprang up acrossthe geopolitical zones to takecare of the social needs ofmembers.

According to some of itsprominent members, itscurrent rising profile mightnot be unconnected with theemergence of its incumbentWorld President, Sir JoeIlonze who had been workingtirelessly to establish newbranches and induct newmembers at home and abroad

with their new branchexecutives.

Among the places wherenew members were inductedinclude London, Philadelphiaand Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

The Ilonze-led worldexecutive has currently linedup its activities for the year,including the induction of newmembers in Onitsha and Lagosbranches, as well as sending adelegation to induct newmembers in San-Franciscobefore finally wrapping up theyear with its prestigious AnnualGeneral Meeting, AGM.

Speaking to newsmen at the

*Atlanta induction ceremony of People’s Club of Nigeria International

PCNI headquarters, Onitsha,shortly on arrival from theinduction activities overseas,Ilonze also said that the clubwould bring in some medicalpersonnel from abroad toOnitsha to render free healthservices to the public,particularly the indigentpersons in the society just as italso planned to establish aDialysis Centre as a matter ofpriority.

Ilonze was accompanied tothe overseas ceremonies byChiefs J.O. Igwe, Ojukwu Ike,Mike Arinze and F.N.Okekearu, among others.

process of fertilization by artificiallyfertilising an egg with sperm in alaboratory dish, and then transferringthe embryo to the uterus.

The IVF can be used to treat infertilityamong the following patients: blockedor damaged fallopian tubes; male factorinfertility including decreased spermcount or sperm motility; women withovulation disorders, premature ovarianfailure, uterine fibroids, women whohave had their fallopian tubes removed,individuals with a genetic disorder aswell as unexplained infertility.

The centre is the constituency projectinitiated by Senator Chris Nwankwo,representing Ebonyi North SenatorialDistrict in the State to ensure effectivesolution for women and men havingfertility or reproductive challenges inthe state and beyond.

According to him, the centre wouldbring lasting joy to families and coupleswho thought they could never give birthto children again.

,,

The Ilonze- ledworld executivehas currently linedup its activities forthe year, includingthe induction ofnew members inOnitsha andLagos branches,as well as sendinga delegation toinduct newmembers in San-Francisco beforefinally rapping upthe year with itsprestigiousAnnual GeneralMeeting

Commissioning the project, SenatorMark noted that the healthcare systemwas critical for national developmentpointing out that this was why NationalAssembly, NASS, would not hesitate toappropriate more funds to the sector.

“I want to emphasise the importanceNASS attaches to our healthcare sectoras a critical factor to its development,hence the quick response to stem EbolaVirus Disease, EVD, in the country.

“I thank the efforts of NOFIC for theremarkable progress recorded sinceinception, especially the free medicaltreatment rendered to the women.

“This humanitarian attachment to yourservices is worthy of commendation. AndI want to assure you that the NationalAssembly’ appropriation committeewould always look favourably towardsthe centre.”

Mark further applauded thecontributions by the Federal Ministryof Health towards the development ofthe centre, saying, “The HealthMinistry has really accorded the centrethe deserved attention it needed to

operate efficiently and I also thankGovernor Martin Elechi for hisdogged effort in making this projectrealisable.”

Earlier, Governor Elechi had

thanked members of NASS forits approval andappropriation that saw to theuplifting of the place.

“No doubt the appropriationof NASS contributed immen-sely to the establishment ofthis great centre which isgradually attaininginternational recognition,’’ hesaid.

In his remarks, the formerMinister of Health, Prof.Onyebuchi Chukwu commen-ded President GoodluckJonathan for approving thetake over of the centre by theFederal Government.

Meanwhile, the MedicalDirector, NOFIC, Prof.Sunday Adeoye disclosed thatover 700 patients within andoutside the South East zoneare already waiting to beattended to as the manage-ment of the Centre areworking assiduously toensure its commencement bynext week.

,

,

The HealthMinistry has reallyaccorded the centrethe deservedattention it neededto operateefficiently and Ialso thankGovernor MartinElechi for hisdogged effort inmaking this projectrealisable

Continued from page 5


ENUGU

How false information over N5mdeal to EFCC in Enuguboomeranged

Activist's position on Enugu Chicken impeachment

BY AUSTINE OGWUDA

ENUGU—TWO personsincluding a company

have been arraigned beforean Enugu high court forwriting false petition to theEconomic and FinanceCrimes Commission, EFCC,alleging that they werepurportedly duped in a N5million deal.

Arraigned were-AduakaAnthony, Madu Jonathan anda company known as JoeanthoNigeria Limited.

They are facing a three-count charge bothering onfalse information to Economicand Financial CrimesCommission.

The petitioners had allegedthat a non-governmentalorganization, known as CivilAwareness and EconomicEmpowerment Initiative hadasked their company tosupply a truck of 600 bags ofrice at the rate of N9,000 eachto their Makurdi zonal office,claiming that after the supplywas duly made that they wereissued with dud cheques.

But further investigation,according to EFCC, revealedthat contrary to what thepetitioners had alleged,N4,400,000 had been paid tothe petitioners leaving abalance of only N940,000.

Count 1: *That you, AduakaAnthony, Madu Jonathan andJoeantho Nigeria Ltd, inOctober, 2013, at Enugu, inEnugu State within thejurisdiction of thisHonourable Court, conspiredto commit misdemeanour towit: making false statement toClifford Ike Mba, an officer ofthe Economic and FinancialCrimes Commission, while inthe exercise of the duties ofhis office, statement which toyour knowledge, was false inmaterial particular andthereby committed an offencepunishable under Section 496(a) of the criminal code, Cap30, Laws of Enugu State ofNigeria, 2014.

Count II: *That you, AduakaAnthony and Joeantho inOctober 2013 at Enugu Statewithin the jurisdiction of thishonourable court made to oneClifford Mba, an officer of theEFCC while in exercise of theduties of his office datedOctober 11, 2013 to whichyou know was false in material

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

particular and therebycommitted an offencepunishable under Section39(2) of the Economic andFinancial Crimes

(Establishment) Act.They pleaded not guilty to

the charge and were grantedbail in the sum of N500,000with one surety in like sum.

The surety must be a civilservant of not less than GradeLevel 12 who must be residentwithin the jurisdiction of thecourt and must deposit his/her

passport photograph with thecourt.

Further hearing into thematter was adjourned toNovember 4, 2014.

Aduaka Anthony (Suspect). Madu Jonathan (Another suspect).

ENUGU—AS outragecontinues over the

payment of N61,067 asSeptember salary to theimpeached deputy governorof Enugu State, Mr. SundayOnyebuchi, which he,Onyebuchi, remitted back tothe coffers of the stategovernment, a renownedhuman rights activist, Mr.Oghenejabor Ikimi, describedthe unfolding drama as ratherunfortunate but saluted his(Onyebuchi) uncommoncourage for rejecting thesalary.

Ikimi, who is the ExecutiveDirector of Centre for theVulnerable and theUnderprivileged, CENTREP,told South East Voice in anexclusive interview that “theimpeachment of the formerdeputy governor was civiliancoup in the first place as theentire process leading to the

said impeachment wasillegal.

“I therefore salute hisuncommon courage atrejecting the evil gift whichI think was clearly meant toset him up and create morewoes for him in the future.

“I think Mr. Onyebuchihas shown exemplarycourage and conduct whichis uncommon in our presentpolity and should becommended by all fordisplaying true leadership.In the words of John C.Maxwell, a leader is the onewho knows the way, goes theway and shows the way.

“Many politicians aretainted with unearned salaryin our present polity at thedetriment of the poor massesas many politicians seepublic office as stomachinfrastructure projects to thedetriment of the people theyare meant to serve. Littlewonder the welfare of the

people rather than being theprimary responsibility of all thethree tiers of government havebeen relegated to thebackground, causing an earth-quaking level of officialcorruption in the polity.”

The sacked deputy governorwho is still licking his woundsat home, had in a letteraddressed to the Secretary toEnugu State Governmentdated October 8, 2014, titled"Refund of moneymischievously paid to me,"wrote thus: “Although I believethat the unearned salary waspaid to me in bad faith. I havereturned it in good faith. Seeattached, Enugu State treasuryreceipt number 000796193 asevidence of the refund. I furtherexplained that your letterdeploying me to your officewas baseless. It is therefore asurprise that you went aheadand paid into my account thesum of sixty one thousand andsixty seven naira, twenty six

kobo (N61,067.26) as salaryas fraudulent as I did notreport for work anywhere, didnot work anywhere andtherefore did not earn anysalary.

“It is unfortunate that eventhough I have beendeliberately denied of myallowances as deputygovernor for the months ofJuly and August 2014, therehas been an indecent haste to‘dash’ me a salary for the monthof September 2014, for a job Iceased to hold as far back as2007.”

Meantime, upon the return ofthe said salary, the stategovernment had kept sealed lips.Efforts to get reactions from theChief Press Secretary, CPS, toGovernor Sullivan Chime, Mr.Chukwudi Achife as well as thestate Commissioner forInformation, Mr. Chuks Ugwokeproved abortive as they failed torespond to South East Voiceenquiry on the issue.


He concluded applaudingthe appointment of coachAmodu Shuaibu to lead theNigeria in the last two qual-ifying games saying he isrelishing the prospect ofplaying under him.

“He is a very great man-ager and I have a lot of re-spect for him. I can’t wait toplay under him or anyonepicked to handle the nation-al team. We are all workingfor the interest of the coun-try and I wish him the verybest,” he concluded.

With four points, Nigeriaare behind leaders South Af-rica (nine points) and Con-go (seven points) but aheadof Sudan (three points) go-ing into the final round of thequalifiers.

for Afconal

Manchester City wingerSamir Nasri is back in

contention for the Sky Blues fol-lowing surgery on a groin in-jury, reports the Express.

The French international hasmissed City’s last eight games,but could well feature in theirCapital One Cup clash againstNewcastle tonight. He is alsolikely to play against Manches-ter United the following week-end.

“Samir is working normallynow and he is in the squad list.We will see tomorrow - Ihaven’t decided who will startyet. Samir is just coming backfrom an important injury. He isnot ready for 90 minutes but I’msure he will have some minuteson the pitch tomorrow,” saidMan City manager Manuel Pel-legrini.

The 27-year-old has onlymade 3 starts in the PremierLeague this campaign, but im-pressed in 2013/14. Nasriscored and created 14 goals in34 league games last season.

Nasri reNasri reNasri reNasri reNasri returns tturns tturns tturns tturns toooooface Newcastleface Newcastleface Newcastleface Newcastleface NewcastleNasri reNasri reNasri reNasri reNasri returns tturns tturns tturns tturns toooooface Newcastleface Newcastleface Newcastleface Newcastleface Newcastle

Fifth Chukker has been celebrating their victory in the

MTN African Patrons Cup PoloTournament held weekend at theKangimi resort in Kaduna..

Fifth Chukker, winners of lastyear’s edition, defeated Max Air11-9 in a titanic final matchwatched by polo watches. Field-ing its traditional attacking quar-tet of Adamu Atta, MohammedBabangida, Santiago Solari andBenjamin Araya, Fifth Chukkerand cheered on by fans in thestands, which included the rep-resentative of the Vice President,Bolaji Ojo-Oba, Kaduna StateFirst lady, Alhajia Fatima Yero,Argentine Ambassador to Nigeri,,Gustavo Dzugala and officials of

FifFifFifFifFifth Chukkth Chukkth Chukkth Chukkth Chukker saer saer saer saer savvvvvourourourouroursssssPatrons Cup winPatrons Cup winPatrons Cup winPatrons Cup winPatrons Cup win

MTN, Fifth Chukker scoredthree quick goals in the open-ing chukka on their way toemerging the biggest winners ofthe international polo fiesta.

Max Air who was targeting itsfirst title, responded with twoquick goals in the second chuk-ka to keep its hopes alive, butthe defending champions dugdeep and kept the airliners atbay to crown its efforts with theglittering Patrons Cup. Atta, Ba-bangida, Solari and Araya allscored for Fifth Chukker in theexplosive encounter, but it wasAraya who accounted for five ofthe goals in the final, bringingtheir total goals tally to 29.

of their opening nine games in the league.Having won 3-1 in their third round tie against

Nottingham Forest, Mauricio Pochettino’s sidewill want to silence their White Hart Lane criticstoday – with a number of Spurs fans voicing theirfrustration at Sunday’s defeat to the Magpies.

Tottenham are heavy 4/9 favourites to win thetie, with Brighton struggling to replicate last sea-son’s form which saw them finish in the playoffplaces.

It’s been a tough start to Sami Hyypia’s tenureas Brighton boss, as the Seagulls have failed towin a league match since August, and are justtwo points above the relegation zone followingSaturday’s 1-1 draw with Rotherham at the AmexStadium.

With both sides booed off by their own fans atthe weekend, Spurs captain Younes Kaboul hascalled on his team to show more mettle in thegame at the Lane.

TTTTTooooottttttttttenhamenhamenhamenhamenhamaim taim taim taim taim toooooregain formregain formregain formregain formregain formagainstagainstagainstagainstagainstBrightBrightBrightBrightBrightononononon

Tottenham will beaiming to overturn

their disappointing formwhen they host Brightonin today’s Capital OneCup fourth-round game.

Spurs have lost theirlast two Premier Leaguegames – a 4-1 defeat toManchester City and a 2-1 loss to Newcastle –while winning just three

•Polo action at the tournament

CMYK


WOW, 70! How doesthat feel?

I feel happy that I am 70 andin good health. That is veryimportant. My mother died atthe age of 49 and my unclethat I was very close to ChiefOlu Aboderin also died at 49.So I was just praying that Ipass that age and now I’m 70.I thank God for it.

Did you miss having yourmother?

IN spite of a career that has spanned the better part offive decades, Chief Mrs. Onikepo Akande (OON, CON)hardly shows any sign of slowing down. Now that she is 70,it seems hardly likely that this will happen soon.

If anyone knows about the Nigerian economy, Mrs. NikeAkande does. Indeed she has taken active part in shaping itin various capacities- as a two-time Federal minister, a leaderat the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI),Hon. Life Vice President of NACCIMA, founding memberof the Nigerian Economic Summit Group NESG, Member ofVision 20:2020 and Board member of NEPAD BusinessGroup.

Her appearance belies not only her age but alsoher achievements as well. She sits on the boardsof Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. and PZFoundation; and is director of the NigeriaIndustrial Development bank NIDB nowBank of Industry as well as of NationalInsurance Corporation of NigeriaNICON. These are mere drops in theimmense ocean of her formidableresume.

A proud alumnus of the prestigiousQueens School Ede who has givenback extensively to her alma mata, shealso studied in Harvard and Oxforduniversities and continues to playactive and leadership roles in all theiralumni associations. At 70,Akande is computer savvy (shehas been for 25years); and stillworks out with a personal trainer!

President Goodluck Jonathanreferred to her as “an inspiration”,while praising the scope and vastnessof her contributions to the Nigerian state.

No, I had a mother till 49. Iam the eldest and my fatherwas a monogamist. He lookedafter us- he was really, reallycaring. He called us “goldengirls” and he did not marryanother woman to get a boy,which was very rare then.

Was there any pressure onhim to do so?

My mother died before him.She died at 49 and he died at71 and he didn’t remarry.

You are one of those women

that would first smashthe ‘glass ceiling’ in thecorporate world in Nigeria.Was it a fluke or pureambition?

I believe in hard work and ifyou work hard you get thereward. I always loved to be acorporate person. Right froma tender age I was a schoolprefect at Queens’ SchoolEde. I also had a scholarshipfrom Lever Brothers (nowUnilever) when I was insecondary school, so I have

Was there no element ofluck?

I am a very lucky personbecause most things come tome easily without anystruggling. When I got theUnilever scholarship my fatherwas very proud. I’ve alwaysheld responsible positions.Even when I became aminister they were looking forme. I didn’t want to become aminister; I didn’t lobby for itbut people love my abilities. Ihave been a very activeperson; done a lot of things inthe country. People werewatching. I was a member ofvision 20/20 and I wasrecommended. As if that wasnot enough, a lot of thingscame my way without reallylooking for it. That is God foryou.

Did your work as a ministertake a toll on family life?

That’s a difficult question. Ihave an understandinghusband. I am alwaysdedicated to my work and myfamily. I like to work hard andalso keep my family.

One of the papers youhave published is aboutaffirmative action.What’s your opinion onaffirmative action?

Continues on page 35

SPECIAL EDITION

I am a verylucky personbecause mostthings come tome easilywithout anystruggling. Evenwhen I became aminister theywere looking forme. I didn’t wantto become aminister...

*Chief Nike Akande

always been a bit ambitious. Ilike to be a leader. I hadyounger sisters so I had to bea good example to myyounger ones.

Achievement isabout TimeManagement— Chief Dr. Mrs.Onikepo Akande at 70

Interview By Ike Taire

CMYK



The Federation ofInternational Women Lawyers(FIDA) made me one of theirspeakers at their conference.They see that I believe in theempowerment of women andhaving got to this level theygave me that topic: TheEmpowerment of Women, is itby Legislature or AffirmativeAction? I listed the pros andcons of both sides but I feelthat legislation will give abetter result.

Why?You just legislate and say this

is how it should be done, andit will be done.

But you have achieved somuch without suchlegislation.

You see how things are goingand the younger ones havenot been able to come up asone would expect so to makethem come up you have tocreate opportunities. All thewomen who have been givenopportunities to lead in thiscountry have excelledthemselves. At least most ofthe women.

So you are saying theproblem is lack ofopportunities ratherthan capability?

Yes, it’s not that they are not

capable.You’ve also written about the

Work-Life balance. Whatabout that?

Most women when they getto a certain level in life, theyare not able to keep theirhomes.

Dividingyour time

The pressure is too much forthem, they don’t know how tobalance and everythingdepends on timemanagement. You can keepyour home, you can be a careerwoman, you can be a veryimportant woman in society,all by dividing your time.

For a woman to be trulysuccessful you need a steadyhome. It’s very very important.Otherwise it will be shifty andyou won’t be able to doanything. As I said, I have ahusband who allows me to bemyself. He knows what I like,and I always try to please him.

Where did you get time towrite books anyway?

Ha! I’m someone who likesto work. Anytime I haveopportunity, I writesomething. One can alwaysfind time for something thatthey want to do. I wish thereis more than 24 hours in a

day. I know many people butI don’t have too many friendsso I am always thinking.

How does that work-knowing many people butnot having many friends?

I don’t go to visit manypeople. I have a few peoplethat are my friends but I don’thave time. I am more of acareer woman.

Has your husband ever beenafraid or jealous that you’llovershadow him?

No. he’s a very successfulman. He’s a man that is verycomfortable.

As a stateswoman, whatdo you think of the stateof the nation?

The state of the nation isimproving. There’s a lot ofwork that is going on to makesure that the situation in thecountry is improved. It cannotbe done overnight. We humanbeings are overanxious. Wewant everything doneyesterday, not even today.

All hands are on deck. I alsobelong to an association: theAcademy for EntrepreneurialStudies. We are doing lots ofactivities to fast-trackdevelopment in the country.We try to see how people canimprove their lives. You don’thave to be looking for job allthe time. You can be your ownboss. We are all top executives

and I am the chairman.How has that gone?Lots of success stories. Some

of the things people don’tknow are happening in thestates are highlighted. We callthe government and say, “thisis the situation, what are youdoing to improve it and theywill go all out and explain.

Fastrackingdevelopment

We call the Minister ofLabour and say there is somuch unemployment and hewent to town to explain. ThisI think is very good in our ownpart as a way of fast-trackingdevelopment and a lot ofpeople are benefitting.

You were a delegate at thejust concluded NationalConference. Do you think ofNigeria differently nowhaving had that experience?

I have always believed inNigeria and that conferencewas really, really verysuccessful as far as I amconcerned because the calibreof people that participated inthe conference, it’s as if theywere carefully chosen: peoplewho were dedicated, whobelieve in Nigeria, who wantthings to improve in Nigeriaand we all worked so hard. Welooked at all facets of life. Welooked at the constitution,

I was minister of Industryand I’m also the deputypresident of the LagosChamber. This is a rightdirection becauseindustrialization is the key toeconomic development,employment generation andpoverty eradication. You haveto encourage it.

What of the finer details ofthe blueprint? Is it feasible-is it worthwhile- as an expert?

Yes. People are workingtowards it. They mean welland the effect will not be feltin one day. Everything thatwill improve the situation iswhat they are doing.

No one can really talk aboutyou without referring to yourpersonal style. What guidesthat?

That is inborn in me.Personally I like people to beneat and tidy and stylish. Itreally makes me happy. Somepeople don’t care but I am nota careless person.

Wealthywoman

All my people have alwaysbeen fashionable- even mygrandmother, Madam JulietAboderin. Very pretty, verywealthy woman. She was abusinesswoman. She had ahouse in England sixty yearsago and when I was studying,

‘Achievement is about TimeManagement'

You cankeep yourhome, youcan be acareerwoman, youcan be a veryimportantwoman insociety, all bydividing yourtime

•Chief Nike Akande

the wholeconstitution. I’mglad I’m part of it.If all ourrecommendationsare implementedwe will have abetter Nigeria.

There are oneor two of themthat are notpopular…

We can’t all befacing onedirection. Whenwe first startedeverybody camewith their ownagenda but in theend we all agreedwhich was verygood actuallybecause what wewant is a betterNigeria for us andour children. Evensome peopleadvocated forcreation of states.Some didn’t wantit but you had togive reasons whyyou wantedcertain things.

As an expert,what isyour opinionof the currentadministration’sI n d u s t r i a lRevolution?

she would come toLondon and stay atthe Savoy while westayed in the housewith our friends. Oneof the richest womenin Ibadan.

That isi n t e r e s t i n gp a r t i c u l a r l ybecause we’vetalked aboutaffirmative actionand how womencan be drawn outpushed, so to say,whereas therewere women solong ago who hadalready beenthere and donethat.

Yes. I am motivatedby her ability. Shewas able to competevery well with themen.

Is there anythingyou would changeabout your life?

No. I keep thankingGod everyday. It’simpossible to haveeverything that youwant but I just keepthanking God forwhat I’ve been given.

CMYK


CMYK


AS part of Caverton Helicopters, a member of the

Caverton Offshore SupportGroup, conscious policy to sup-port the Federal Governmentefforts to implement the LocalContent Act of 2010, the com-pany, weekend, held a gradu-ation for 15 Caverton Engi-neers who successfully com-pleted the AW139 Type ratingcourse. The training of the 15Nigerian Engineers by Caver-ton is part of the company’scommitment to develop localcapacity within the Aviationsector of the Nigeria economy.

Since 2010 when the compa-ny put in place a training pro-gramme, 146 Nigerians havebeen trained at a cost of morethan $1.2million. Those trainedinclude "three personnel forflight operations ab-initio, onefor Private Pilot License (PPL),two for Commercial Pilot Li-cence (CPL) and two for Rota-ry Wing Conversion; 81 pilotsfor different flight operationsType Rating training for all air-craft types -EC155, AW139,Bell 412, S76 and DHC-6. Fif-ty-seven Aviation engineershave also been trained as fol-lows: 16 Engineering Ab-Ini-tio and 41 Engineering TypeRating training."

Type ratedengineers

Speaking at thegraduation, the ManagingDirector, Caverton Helicop-ters, Captain Josiah Choms,said there is a shortfall in thepool of type-rated engineersin Nigeria. And to key ininto the vision of the Nigeri-an Government on localcontent development,Caverton decided to invest intraining of local man power.

Captain Choms said, “Caverton has a dedicatedprogramme to train and givetypes to indigenous engi-neers on an ongoing basis.Indigenous staff are trainedto world standards and de-ployed within our opera-

LOCAL CONTENT ACT, 2010:

capital flight from the Nige-rian shores.”

On the type-rating train-ing, Captain Choms said theAW139 type-rating coursewas delivered by the re-nowned REH HelicoptersLtd from United Kingdom, atCaverton offices at OzumbaMbadiwe, Victoria Islandand the Executive Flight Fa-cility at Ikeja, Lagos. Givinga breakdown of the 15graduands, he said in addi-tion to twelve students spon-sored by Caverton and oneself-sponsoring candidate,two NCAA Inspectors fromthe Directorate of Air Worthi-ness are also among the 15trained engineers.

To show the Federal Gov-ernment appreciation of thistraining programme, theGeneral Manager, Monito-ry and Evaluation, NigerianContent DevelopmentMonitoring Board, NCDMB,Engr. Chijioke was present atthe ceremony. He thankedCaverton for helping theFederal Government toachieve its transformationagenda through the LocalContent Act of 2010.

Hugeinvestment

He also enjoined thegraduands to justify thehuge investment on them byCaverton and also be goodambassadors of NigerianContent Development Mon-itoring Board, NCDMB, asaccording to him, they areproducts of Local ContentAct of 2010. Chijioke addedthat the graduands must dis-charge their duties diligent-ly and ensure that they re-port any case of margiliza-tion by their employer toNCDMB.

Speaking also at theceremony, Mr. AdeniyiMakanjuola, ChairmanCaverton Helicopters said“by collaborating withrenowned training providersto deliver training in-coun-try, and having the oversightof the Nigerian Civil Avia-tion Authority (NCAA),Caverton has demonstratedthat it is an innovative com-pany that can adequatelyadapt the business to meetchanges in the operating en-vironment.”

On what motivated Caver-ton to deploy huge resourc-es on the training of these 15young men and women,Choms said “As a company,

Caverton strongly believesthat Nigerians can competefavourably with the best inthe world if given the oppor-tunity. This is the abidinglesson from our own corpo-rate history, a lesson that wehave turned into an articleof faith.

“ It is our belief that a crit-ical aspect of giving oppor-tunity to Nigerians is provid-ing them the scarce skill-setsand the experience to com-pete in highly technical ar-eas. We are proud to say thatwe are contributing to thepool of trained indigenousworkforce for the benefit ofthe company and the great-er good of the aviation sec-tor and the country as awhole. It is our expectationthat this class of graduandswill use the knowledge theyhave received to better theircareers and bring aboutmeaningful impact to thecompany”.

Operationalbases

While congratulating thegraduands, the ManagingDirector told them that “ To-day you have accomplishedone stage of your careers.However, the end of onestage is the beginning of thenew one. According to Mr.Sean Ward, Deputy Techni-cal Manager Shell Contractat Caverton: “following thecompletion, the engineerswill be positioned within thecompany to the operationalbases that will add more ofthe practical elements re-quired to the theoreticalknowledge they have ob-tained to become unrestrict-ed Licensed Type RatedAW139 Engineers. Duringthis time period, the Engi-

neering Training Depart-ment, as well as, the Main-tenance Managers on therespective operational baseswill act as Mentors and pro-vide a structured path intheir development process.”

Caverton is currently thelargest operator of AW 139aircraft in West Africa andthe Authorized Agusta West-land Service Centre, andChoms said the vision ofCaverton is “ to be a one-stop-shop for training andlogistics services in Sub-Sa-haran Africa.

Logisticservices

This offers boundless op-portunities to those whohave the skills that today’sgraduands have obtained.”

Caverton Helicopters hasmade significant invest-ments towards human ca-pacity development in Nige-ria. The company has trainedlocal pilots, engineers andseafarers in support of itsaviation and marine logisticsservice provision to the oiland gas industry in Nigeriain line with government’s in-tention to increase indige-nous participation in the in-dustry through the develop-ment of human capacity, asstipulated in the NigerianContent Development Act of2010.

Captain Choms added “Wewill not rest on our laurels.We will continue to contrib-ute our quota to ensuringthat highly skilled indige-nous technical manpower isadded to the workforce forthe benefit of the Nigerianeconomy and as part of giv-ing back as a responsiblecorporate citizen.”

It is our beliefthat a criticalaspect of givingopportunity toNigerians isproviding themthe scarce skill-sets and theexperience tocompete inhighly technicalareas

•The 15 Nigerian Engineers type-rated on AW139 Helicopter.

Caverton trains15 NigerianEngineers onAW139Helicopter

By LAWANI MIKAIRU tions. We do not have tospend scarce foreign ex-change recruiting staff fromall over the world. In thisway, we build indigenouscapacity and also stem


Continues page 39

WHY would youdisconnect my light

when I have already paid? Doyou know what it means to payN10,000 for light that I did noteven consume? And you havethe guts to ask me to payanother money. You even billedus for the pumping machinewhen you know that we havenot had water in this part ofCoker Village for almost oneyear now. If you are in myshoes, will you pay?” a middle-aged woman yelled at themarketing officer attached tothe area by Eko ElectricityDistribution Company,EKEDC.

“Madam, I have told you thatnothing on earth will preventme from bringing down yourwire unless the outstandingN7,000 on the your bill issettled,” the marketer repliedwith an air of arrogance as

Protests overoutrageous bills

Electricity consumers invarious parts of the countryhave been groaning under theoutrageous electricity billsfoisted on them by thedistribution companies. InApril this year, residents ofUyo, the Akwa Ibom Statecapital and its environs, stageda protest over what theydescribed as “uncoordinatedand fraudulent charges” metedto electricity consumers sincethe takeover of electricitygeneration and distribution bynew owners.

Besides, the aggrievedprotesters called on the PortHarcourt Electricity Distributionmanagement to implement theprepaid electricity billingsystem to avoid frequentclashes with the powerdistribution officials overquestionable bills. Inneighbouring Calabar, about

causing a lot of outcry from thepeople. The arrogance of theirstaff as people left their workand business places andtrooped to their offices tocomplain about the horriblyinflated bills in the face ofegregiously dismal serviceswas grossly repelling – likeadding salt to an injury;extremely offensive,” Nga said.

Continuing, he alleged that“they spoke as if thegovernment has handedNigerians in that area over tothem to treat the way they like.Even though many of thepeople have functional meters,it was clear that they no longerrely on the meters to issue theirbills.

Relying on metersto issue bills

I went there to ascertain whatwas happening, and when Ienquired from one of theirworkers why they should clampsuch huge bills upon thepeople, she just said that therewas some “improvement” inelectricity supply in May andso the bills must of necessity goup. When she was askedwhether they relied on themeters to achieve the figuresin those bills, she just ignoredthe question and looked away.Her indifference was

insufferable.“Now assuming it is true that

there were some“improvement” in electricitysupply, does that justify thearbitrary allocation of bills toconsumers instead of relyingon the meter? Is this not agrievous abuse of the businessopportunity given to them?” heasked.

It’s affectingSMEs -LCCI

The Lagos Chamber ofCommerce and Industry,LCCI, whose members areripped off by the outrageouselectricity bills, joined in callingon the National ElectricityRegulatory Commission,NERC, to urgently address thegrowing concerns of electricityconsumers who are inundatedmonthly with over-bloatedbills. LCCI also called for anurgent review of the concept offixed charges.

President of LCCI, AlhajiRemi Bello, who spoke tonewsmen recently, said thereis need for NERC to urgentlyaddress the growing concernsover the outrageous bills toconsumers as most small andmedium enterprises, SMEs,spend considerable sum onpayment for public power

supply. He regretted thatoftentimes, these firms don’tget the power supplycommensurate to paymentsmade.

“The power situation is still amajor problem for businessacross all sectors. Energy costremains a major threat tobusiness sustainability.Expenditure on diesel andother fuels continued toincrease.

“The power sectorprivatisation is yet to make thedesired impact. Profit marginsof firms have been adverselyaffected. Let me again reiterateour position that the concept offixed charges should bereviewed as this is an unfairdemand on power consumers.Payments should be value-driven to be equitable,”hesubmitted.

Fixed charges attractiveA marketing staff of the

defunct Power HoldingCompany of Nigeria, PHCN,who would not want to beidentified, told VanguardFeatures, VF, that it would bevery difficult for the distributioncompanies to stop givingconsumers fixed charges.According to her, that (fixedcharges) is the only way thecompanies can take care of the

Consumers groanas DISCOs smileto banks

By Jude Njoku

They spokeas ifgovernmenthas handedNigeriansover to themto treat theway theylike

Dr Sam Amadi, CEO, NERC

OUTRAGEOUS ELECTRICITY BILLS:

1,200 angry residentslast July alsoprotested theoutrageous electricitybills by the PortHarcourt ElectricityD i s t r i b u t i o nCompany. In Lagos,residents ofIjeshatedo and Ikotunat different times, alsotook to the streets toprotest the high tariffseven when powersupply in these areashas remainedepileptic.

A Lagos-basedconsumer rightsactivist, Mr IbenyoNga, decried what hecalled heartlessextortion visited onthe people residing inAguda Surulere byEKEDC officials inSanya UndertakingCentre. “Although thestaff of EKEDC havebeen flooding ourarea (Aguda) withhuge bills, in Maythey took theire x t o r t i o n i s ttendencies to a mostridiculous extent.They just sat in theiroffices and allocatedunspeakably fat billsto the hapless peoplein that area, thereby

people milled aroundhim to plead theircase. “Ok, try it andyou will see my otherside today! By theway, what gadgetsdo I have in thehouse that youshould give me suchan outrageous bill. Idon’t blame you,”she retorted.

It took theintervention of theService Managerwho arrived thescene for frayednerves to calm down.The woman who waslivid with rage,alleged that she paidfor a pre-paid meterover five monthsearlier. She furtheralleged that themeter has not beensupplied because theelectricity companywants to continuecharging her forunconsumed energy.The Service Managerhad to direct themarketer to stopbilling the woman forthe pumpingmachine and also toaccept the paymentshe already made.



lost energy. She explained thatafter billing those withfunctional meters, the excess orlost energy is distributed toconsumers with non-functioning meters. “It is suchconsumers that pay for theunaccounted energy,” theformer PHCN staff said.

NERCreacts

Reacting to the outrageousbills handed to consumers bythe distribution firms, theDirector of Engineering andSafety Regulations in NERC,Mr Abdullahi Mohammed,explained that crazy bills andestimated billing are some ofthe problems which theCommission is trying to findsolutions to.

Mohammed who representedthe Chairman/ CEO of theCommission, Dr Sam Amadi atthe 6th Distinguished AnnualLecture of the Lagos StateChapter of the NigerianInstitute of Quantity Surveyors,NIQS in Lagos, stated that notsatisfied with the billingmethod adopted by theDISCOs, the Commission hasdeveloped an estimated billingmethodology that should beapplied in estimating billswhere the customer does nothave a functional meter.

According to him, the billingmethodology will check thearbitrariness in billings andensure that fairness andtransparency are adhered to bythe marketers. Mohammedstated that any DISCO that failsto conform with the newmethodology will be penalised.“We started it with ourselves atthe Commission’sheadquarters in Abuja whenwe noticed that we were beinggiven arbitrary bills. Weconducted a hearing on it andthe distribution company wasmade to refund the excesscharges,” he said.

He enjoined consumers toalways bring their complaintsto the Commission, promisingthat such would be looked into.Mohammed disclosed that theCommission has put in placethree layers of addressingcomplaints brought byconsumers.

Consumerscomplaints

“There is a mechanism forredressing consumers’complaints. If the DISCOsrefuse to attend to you, we havea Forum office which attendsto consumers complaints. Ifyou are not satisfied with theirdecision, write to theCommission and I want toassure you that we don’t takesuch complaints lightly,” hesaid.

On the allegation that thedistribution companies chargeN750 monthly for metermaintenance when such metersare rarely serviced,Mohammed informed that theN750 monthly fixed charge isnot for servicing meters asmeter maintenance fee hasbeen abolished. The fixedcharge, according to him, is acomponent of the tariff thatenables the investor to recouphis investments.

We have a programmeto replace obsoletemeters - EKEDC

Eko Electricity DistributionCompany which is in the eyeof the storm for allegedlyripping off its consumersthrough outrageous fixedbillings, has however deniedthe allegation. The Company’sAssistant General Manager,AGM Public Affairs, MrGodwin Idemudia, told VF thatsuch allegations wereunfounded. He debunkedclaims by consumers in theSanya and Orile DistributionCentres that they have beenplaced permanently on fixedcharges, hence they are now atthe mercy of Shylock marketerswho unjustly allocate hugeamounts of money to themmonthly. Idemudia explainedthat any consumer who feelsshort-changed should forwardhis bills to the company’s

complaints unit. “We have aprogramme to replace obsoletemeters. While this is going on,a meter that is functioning willnot be estimated. If your meteris functioning and you aregiven estimated bills, youshould bring your complaintsto us for it to be redressed,” heassured.

On the allegation that somemarketers are rude toconsumers, Idemudia saidsuch employees would bedismissed if found guilty.“What you just need is to tryand get the name or GSMnumber of such staff and callus. We have zero tolerance forsuch bad behaviour. We arenow a private sector companyand it can no longer be businessas usual. We will investigatesuch complaints within 48hours and if it is true, the staffconcerned will be firedinstantly,” he said.

Payment forprepaid meters

When told that someconsumers alleged that theypaid for pre-paid meter for overfive months now but have notbeen issued with one, the Eko

Mrs Ojoye was reported tohave blamed the delay inrolling out the prepaid metersto consumers on the fear ofbye-pass of its meters.

Mrs. Ojoye, who spokeduring a courtesy visit bymembers of the ConsumerRights AdvancementOrganisation, CRADO, led byChief Deolu Ogunbanjo to theEKEDC corporateheadquarters in Marina,Lagos, said that bye-passing ofpayment for electricityconsumed was evident mostlywith prepaid meters.

She said this fear has beenresponsible for the company’sinability to distribute the 9,000prepaid meters it inheritedfrom the defunct PowerHolding Company of Nigeria,PHCN, when it took over onNovember 1, 2013, adding thatthese meters go into negativeafter consumption of electricityalready paid for by theconsumers.

She said the company wasprepared to partner withmanufacturers of best qualityprepaid meters that would notbe bye-passed by itsconsumers, stressing thatwhether such meters were

Consumers groan as DISCOs smile to banks

An electricity transformer locally made orimported was not theissue.

Ojoye said EKEDChas a plan to roll outmeters next January,noting that the planhas already beenforwarded to theelectricity sectorregulators, NERC, inAbuja for theirapproval.

She said thecompany met bigproblems when it tookover, stressing thatwhat EKEDC met wasnot what it was told.

Asked whetherEKEDC did not availitself of the duediligence which all theDISCOs were givenopportunities toundertake, she saidtheir officials wereprevented from doingso by the electricityworkers union. Shesaid the union leadersrefused to allow themto access facilities ofthe defunct PHCN.

While stressing thatthe company was notinterested inforwarding estimatedbills to its consumers,Ojoye said it wasautomating the billingprocess becauseestimated billing wasnot profitable to thecompany.

Disco imagemaker advisedsuch individualswith genuinereceipts ofpayment tofurnish theirparticulars to thecompany andtheir meters willbe promptlyreplaced.

He stated that itis theresponsibility oflandlords to clearo u t s t a n d i n gelectricity billsbefore letting theirproperty to a newtenant. “If he(landlord) fails todo so, the burdenof payment will betransferred to thetenant. But we canhave a writtenagreement withthe tenant on howto offset the bills,”he said.

Why we havenot rolled outp r e p a i dmeters

I d e m u d i a ’ se x p l a n a t i o n sseem to be atvariance with thatof his VicePresident, Legal,Mrs Wola Ojoye.

We have aprogrammeto replaceobsoletemeters;while thisis going on,a meterthat isfunctioningwill not beestimated

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Share your problems and releaseyour burden. Write now to

Dear Bunmi,Vanguard Newspapers,

P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos, [email protected]

You obviously have talked thisover with your partner, but now is

Dear Bunmi, WHEN I met my current boyfriend, I was warned by a

couple of friends about how big he was. I am on the smallsize and when we tried to make love, I found his size really scaryand we couldn’t manage it as it hurt a lot.

I love this man and he’s the kindest and most generous man Ihave met. We have tried a couple of times and though he climaxed,he didn’t have· full penetration. Is there anything I can do toaccommodate him? I want to make him as happy as he’s made me.

Favour, by e-mail.Dear Favour,Your problem is not uncommon and both of you must find a way

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When you’re with your man, make sure you’re well aroused beforeyou try full love-making again. You could put your man’s manhoodinside you when he’s limp. As he starts to stiffen, you will expand.

If necessary, use lots of lubricant and try different positions, untilyou find one that makes love-making comfortable. As you havediscovered yourself, there are many other ways to please eachother that don’t involve full penetration.

Dear Bunmi,I live on a close and all the children play on the open field after

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This boy hasn’t attacked my kids yet, but I’m sure it’s only a matterof time before he does. Should I continue to intervene when I seethis rascal hurting another child even if it’s not my own, or should Ikeep my nose well out of it?

Peter, by e-mail.Dear Peter,The boy is obviously a bully and the only way to deal with a bully

is to stand up to him and let him know that he is being watched. Ifyou see him misbehave, knock loudly on your window or go outsideand sit on your front step where you can be seen.

In the meantime, tell your kids to stay well clear of him. If they’rein harm’s way call them into the house immediately. Talk to theother parents in your close and let them know what you’ve observed.Ask them to keep a look out for their children and if anyone of themsees something, they should go out and gently but firmly tell him to

back off.

Should I tell her that her fiancecheated with me?

Dear Bunmi,

MY BEST friend is gettingmarried very soon, but

I’m hiding a guilty secret fromher. A few days ago, I was at aparty, had a few too many drinksand her fiance made a play forme. I know I shouldn’t havedone anything, but we ended upgetting pretty steamy together.He said if I didn’t tell my friend,

then we could enjoy more rompstogether when he’s married.

The love-making was good andI was tempted to agree with him,but refused - I couldn’t do that tomy friend. I have felt reallyguilty since, but I really don’tknow whether I should alert myfriend on the type of philanderershe will be marrying.

Diana, by e-mail.

Dear Diana,Getting it together with your

friend’s fiance was not a goodidea as you’ve found out. Youshould be feeling guilty becauseas a friend, she should havebeen able to trust you. Evenhaving had a few drinks, youshould have known not to getinvolved. I wonder whether youwere driven partly by jealousyover your best friend’s wedding?If you’re close, then you maysecretly feel abandoned by hergetting hitched. All friendshipshave to adapt to changes in life,but if the bonds are strong, thena good friendship can last alifetime.

You need to do what’s best foryour friend having made thismistake. She’s about to getmarried to a man who isobviously intending to cheat onher. If not with you, it would bewith another woman.

Talking to your friend isn’tgoing to be easy and don’t expecther to be happy.

She’s invested a lot of hopes inthis relationship and is not likelyto believe you. You’ve made anawful mistake and you shouldlearn to live with it - instead ofdragging two people and animpending marriage down withyou.

Is my friend’s husbandhaving an affair?

Dear Bunmi,

I WORK in the same place asmy best friend’s husband.

Some weeks back I heard arumour that he was having anaffair with one of the personalassistants. At first I just ignoredit. Then my friend confided in methat her husband was behavingoddly. She asked if anyone atwork had anything to say aboutit. I didn’t want to upset her, so Isaid they hadn’t.

Now I feel guilty and wonderif I ought to talk to her about it.The trouble is, I don’t want to ruinher marriage or our friendship,or both. Do I keep out of this, orput my poor friend in the picture?

Cynthia, by e-mail.

Dear Cynthia,I don’t think you should get

involved in a situation where thefacts remain hazy.

Have you any proof yourfriend's husband is having anaffair? Be wary of pointing thefinger - you might end up beingblamed for any repercussions. Ifyou tell your friend what thegossip at work is and she uses itto accuse her husband ofsomething he hasn’t done, whatthen? .

If you need to keep a freeconscience, however, tell yourfriend what is being said at work,but be sure to stress that theseare just rumours. She can thendecide what action to take.

Why is he so interested in my daughter?Dear Bunmi,

I AM a divorced mother oftwo daughters in their

early 20's and have a man I’dbeen involved with for years.At first he didn’t see eye toeye with my first daughter andthey argued a lot. In fact, itwas so bad that my daughterwent back to live with herfather. But as soon as she gotinto the university, she startedspending more time with usand gets on like a house onfire with my partner. He doeseverything for her and eventakes her to the campuswhenever she wishes.

Now he’s talking aboutbuying her, her own car andeven taking her on holidayswith us. I never thought theday would come when I wouldbe jealous of my owndaughter, but their new foundlikeness for each other isgiving me a lot of stress. Evenmy ex- admits it’s unhealthy.What do I do to bring sanityinto my family?

Kemi, by e-mail.

Love-making with him is so painful

The neighbourhood hooligan

Dear Kemi,You obviously have talked

this over with your partner,but now is the time to have aword with your daughter. Ifyour partner were to show thesame affection to your otherdaughter, things might lookhealthier. Men go throughthe mid-life crisis too andyour man might be looking fora way to regain his lost youth.

You have to be careful the wayyou go about things so youwon’t turn both of themagainst you.

Encourage your daughter tobring home her boyfriend andtell her if she needs beingtaken anywhere, you eitherdo it or she takes commercialtransport. Affairs under one’snose is very common and verydangerous.

My girlfriend’s dishonestyDear Bunmi,The girl I love most in the world has just broken my heart not by

being unfaithful, but because I have just discovered she is a thief.We have’been together for 18 months.

The last time I was in her room, I curiously looked through someof her drawers because I’d been baffled by series of missing itemsin my place. I was really sad when I found a gold chain my mothergave me, a gold ring I bought the last time I travelled and a coupleof expensive cuff-links in her drawers.

When I showed these items to her, she burst into tears and beggedme to forgive her. I wanted to know if she’d taken monies that werealways missing from me and my younger brother who lives with meand she confessed she had. As far as I am concerned, I can’t movewith someone I can’t trust but she has started to make a nuisance ofherself by begging me to take her back and sending friends toplead with me. I don’t want to tell these people what she did as it isstrictly between us. What do I do?

Francis, by e-mail.Dear Francis,You are right to make your problems as private as possible,

especially in a delicate matter such as this one. It is a fact thatwhen a relationship is based on deceit, the foundation crumbles.

You obviously cannot trust your girlfriend and you should let herknow the reason you no longer feel comfortable when she’s around.A supposed girlfriend who robs both you and a younger brothershould be avoided at all costs.

If she still pesters you after you’ve been honest with her, then tellher you’ve found someone else. That might just do the trick if shehas any pride!

the time to have a word with yourdaughter. If your partner were to showthe same affection to your other daughter,things might look healthier. You have to

be careful the way you go about things soyou won’t turn both of them against you.

If she needs being taken anywhere, youeither do it or she takes commercial

transport. Affairs under one’s noseis very common and very

dangerous.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 —————4343434343


L - r : I C A Npresident, MrChidi Ajaegbuwith theD i r e c t o r -General of theInstitute forPolicy andS t r a t e g i cStudies, Kuru,P r o f e s s o rT i j j a n iM u h a m m e dBande duringthe visit of theI C A Npresident toNIPSS

THE Badagry LocalGovernment Chapter ofthe Peoples DemocraticParty in Lagos State hasdisassociated its teemingmembers from the suitinstituted by one AlhajiAdejumo Ajagbe seekingPresident GoodluckJ o n a t h a n ’ sdisqualifications from the2015 presidentialelection.

Tunde Hunpatin,Chairman of the BadagryChapter of the PDP, saidin a statement that after ameeting held by the LocalGovernment PoliticalLeaders/Elders itconsidered AlhajiAjagbe’s action to be anembarrassment to allmembers of the party inBadagry LocalGovernment of whichAjagbe was a member.

He stressed that both

Badagry PDP disowns suitagainst Jonathan

members and leaders ofthe party in the LocalGovernment Areastrongly condemnedAjagbe’s action in itsentirety, describing it astreacherous, callous,devious and intolerableby the party. Hunpatinwho challenged Ajagbeto prove his truemembership of the party,described the action asself-centered andtreacherous, appealed toboth the LocalGovernment ExecutiveCouncil and the stateCentral WorkingCommittee (CWC) of theparty to evoke the relevantsections of the party’sconstitution to penalizeAlhaji Ajagbe for thisaction to serve asdeterrence to others infuture.

ABUJA—ONE of theaspirants of the 2015

governorship seat of DeltaState, Chief NwoseChukwuma has withdrawnfrom the race

Chief Nwose who wasin Abuja with key membersof his CampaignOrganisation for thepurpose of picking thenomination form, wasprevailed upon not to do so.

Nwose said at a news

Power supply: FG needs $1bn annuallyfor transmission—Nebo

THE yearnings ofNigerians to have

regular power supplymay take a long time tocome unless the federalgovernment tackles theissue of fundingtransmission, which is thebackbone of electricity.

Addressing journalists,yesterday, at the ongoingPower Nigeria conferenceand exhibition in Lagos,the Minister of Power,Professor Chinedu Nebo,said that to grow the

By Sebastine Obasi national grid, at least $1billion will be requiredannually in transmissionalone.

He said, “We have tohave a stage-wisesystematic developmentof the transmissioninfrastructure in Nigeria.The reason is, there is noway you can getinfrastructure fortransmission to meet 170million Nigerians. It hasto grow. It is notsomething we have to doin one fell swoop. Weneed a minimum, I mean

barest minimum of $1billion every year intransmission alone, noteven generation ordistribution, in order to beable to grow the nationalgrid to where after severalyears most Nigerians willbe connected. But so farit is not possible.”

Nebo who said that thefederal government wastrying to stabilize thesector for now, whichnecessitated the injectionof N213 billion for thegenerating and gascompanies, added, “Thefederal government is notgiving anything. Thefederal government istrying to stabilise themarket by meeting theshort falls accruing fromprivatization andremaining on a tariffregime that is notcompetitive enough and atariff regime that is notreflective enough to makesure that gas is paid forand all the powersupplied are paid for.

“What the governmentis trying to do through theCentral Bank is tostabilize the market, it isactually a loan that isgiven to the generationcompanies, the gascompanies because ofdebts that are owed in thepast, so that they will nowhave the impetus to investthe money in expandingtheir facilities in a waythat Nigerians will benefitthe more."

He said the loan whichhas an interest rate of 10percent, will be paid backin 10 years.

On when the fund willbe ready, he said it isready: “Oh it is ready. Wewant to sign off. We wanteveryone of them to signoff. Within a couple of aweek or two, we should,in fact we were hopingthat we do that later partof this week. There areone or two little things-dotting the Is andcrossing the Ts, and Ibelieve it will be donevery soon."

conference that hiscampaign organisationwhich is duly registered asa Goodluck Support Groupwith the office of the SpecialAdviser to the President onPolitical Affairs will nowconcentrate on the re-election of Mr President,winner of the partyprimaries of the Delta Stategovernorship race and theoverall success of the partyat the polls.

Chukwuma out of gov race


Pro-Jonathangroupcommendsstakeholderson Delta LGpolls

Oil firmdonateshealthfacilityto hostcommunity

AN Abuja-basedgroup, Nigeria 36 for

Jonathan, N36, hascommended GovernorEmmanuel Uduaghan ofDelta State, stateIndependent ElectoralCommission, DSIEC, andsecurity agents forconducting violence-freelocal government polls inthe state.

National Co-ordinator ofthe group, Mr. DominicMutu, who spoke tojournalists in Asaba, saidthe high sense of politicalmaturity displayed by theelectorate was anindication of theirpreparedness towards the2015 general polls.

He said theoverwhelming victory ofPeoples Democratic Party,PDP’s candidates acrossthe 25 local governmentareas of the state will bereplicated in 2015.

MAMA ALICEIgweche of Ogbe

Ani Quarters, Akwukwu-Igbo, Oshimili NorthLocal Government Area ofDelta State is dead.

Wake keep is atIgweche’s compoundtomorrow, while intermentis next day at St. John’sAnglican Church,Akwukwu-Igbo.

Thanksgiving servicewill hold at same church,November 2.

She is survived by manyrelations, including Mr.and Mrs Andy Isichei.

Burial

BENIN—AHEAD of theAll Progressives

Congress, APC, primaries inEdo State, women fromIkpoba Okhai and Egor LocalGovernment areas of the statehave purchased nominationform for the former chairmanof the Egor LocalGovernment Area, Mr.Crosby Eribo, House ofRepresentatives aspirant forEgor/Ikpoba Okhai Federalconstituency.

Mrs Josephine Eguakun,who spoke on behalf of thewomen, said: “When Eribowas chairman of Egor, hebuilt our market and whenfire gutted the market, herebuilt it. He made sure we

were able to continue ourbusiness so we can train ourchildren in school.

“Whether you are Igbo,Urhobo or any part of the nationdoes not make any differenceto him. That is why the womendecided to come together tobuy the form for him.”

In his reaction, Eribo said: “Ihave never seen suchdemonstration of love and trust.I was overwhelmed. I think itis the love, the understanding,the togetherness and the factthat I have been with them fora long time.

“They are sowing a good seedand God willing, I will get theticket of my party and I willserve them with all my heart.”

No election held in Warri North LG,says APC

SWEARING IN: From left— Mr. Konbowei Benson, Speaker, Bayelsa State Houseof Assembly; Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd.), Deputy Governor; Governor SeriakeDickson; Mr. Fyneman Wilson, newly sworn in Special Adviser to the Governor on PoliticalMatters, and Justice Daniel Ayah, President of the State Customary Court of Appeal, duringthe swearing in Yenagoa.

WARRI— ALLP r o g r e s s i v e s

Congress, APC, yesterday,claimed that no election tookplace in Warri North LocalGovernment Area of DeltaState during last Saturday’scouncil polls, threatening togo to court.

This came even as membersrecounted how they wereallegedly attacked bysuspected political thugs.

While victims of the allegedattacks were said to bereceiving treatment atunnamed hospitals in thestate, no fewer than 30vehicles of APC and itsmembers were equally saidto have been vandalized bythe thugs.

Meanwhile, women of

Gbokoda, Udo, Tebu and AjaAmita communities in WarriNorth, yesterday, demanded are-run of the local governmentelections for them to elect theirtrue leaders.

The women, on the platformof Women Forum, WF, in apetition addressed to theAssistant Inspector General ofPolice, Zone 5, Benin, andcopied to Governor EmmanuelUduaghan, Commissioner ofPolice, Department of StateService, DSS, Asaba; JTFCommander, among others,expressed total rejection of theoutcome of the elections.

While declaring that noelection took place in the localgovernment, state OrganizingSecretary of APC, Mr.Amorighoye Mene, describedthe present administration inthe state as “bad and wicked,”claiming that PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP, was noton ground in North Warri Local

Government.Mene alleged that PDP, led

by a Warri Chief (nameswithheld) brought thugs toattack APC members anddestroyed more than 30vehicles belonging to them.

APC councillorshipcandidate for Abi-Ugborodoward in Warri North LocalGovernment, Mr. GeorgeInowandajegha, said: “I wasattacked with a machete byPDP thugs.”

Another victim of the allegedattack is Mr. Siko Eyenmi, fromOgbonbiri, who is APC vicechairmanship candidate forWarri North.

The petition, by Mrs. GraceGolly and Mrs. MercyFregene, Chairperson andSecretary, respectively, said:“Whoever is sworn in aschairman or councillor was notelected by the people of WarriNorth as no election wasconducted.”

By Gabriel Enogholase

... as Edo women buynomination form for Eribo

A Niger activist andLabour Party, LP,

candidate for Warri North

Constituency in the Delta StateHouse of Assembly, in 2011,Mr. Felix Adanse, has been

endorsed and urged to runagain for the position.

Warri North Unity Forum,NUF, a socio-political pressuregroup, comprising both theItsekiri and Ijaw ethnic groupsin the constituency, yesterday,called on Adanse Felix to re-present himself for the job.

Speaking in Warri, thePresident of NUF, Mr.Besidone Wiliki, said it washigh time a vibrant anddetribalized man was voted into represent the areaefficiently and effectively.

He said: ‘’Warri North needsa focused, detribalized,efficient, charismatic andcommitted man like Adanse,who knows the pains of thepeople at the grassroots. Weshall all work for hisemergence as the memberrepresenting our constituencyin the House of Assembly.

“I want to urge all the peopleof Warri North to send thisresponsible young man torepresent us in Asaba.”

DTHA: Activist urged to contest Warri North seat

PAN Ocean OilCorporation Ltd, an

operator in the oil and gasindustry, has donated anultra-modern healthcentre to one of its hostcommunities, Imasabor inOlogbo Dukedom of EdoState.

The donation makes it isthe second Pan Ocean willbe building within Ologboas part of its numerouscorporate social respon-sibility, CSR, projects.

While commissioningthe health centre, stateCommissioner for LocalGovernment andChieftaincy Affairs, Mr.Lucky James, lauded thecompany for providingand equipping the healthcentre with modernfacilities.

According to him, thefacilities will enhancemedical services inOlogbo and its neighbou-ring communities.

While advising thebenefiting community toprotect it from beingvandalised, as the gestureof the oil and gascompany was in line withthe policies andprogrammes of Edo Stategovernment, thecommissioner urged theoperator to buildperimeter fencing aroundthe health centre andresidential quarters forthe medical personnelthat the relevant localgovernment would post towork in the health centre.

Customsinterceptsgoods worthN70.4m

THE FederalOperations Unit,

FOU, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, ofNigerian CustomsService, has wreakedhavoc on smugglers withthe invasion andevacuation of 19 trucksladen with 10,252 bags of50kg parboiled rice and554 jerry cans of 25 litresof groundnut oil withDuty Paid Value ofN70,377, 500.

The Controller of thezone, DeputyComptroller UsmanTuraki, who affirmed thatthe recent operationalexploits of the unit isbased on the unit’srenewed vigour anddetermination to eradicatesmuggling, said it willcontinue to protect theinvestments oforganizations andindividuals, who haveinvested heavily in ricefarming and production.

Turaki also said his menand officers will continueto reciprocate the logisticsand capacity buildinggiven by the Comptroller-General, Alhaji AbdullahiDikko Inde, by ensuringre-dedication to duty.

By Ifeyinwa Obi


ALLEGED INSULT: Igbo leaders slam JunaidMohammed

By Clifford Ndujihe

SUMMIT: Legal Adviser, Alliance Against Monopoly, AAM, Mr. OgbonnaAgbafo (middle),Ms. Funke Awodumila (left), and Mr. Celestine Achi (right), both Consultants to AAM,during a summit organised by AAM in Lagos.

2015: APCgov aspirantassuresDeltans oftransparency

MR. AUGUSTINEC. Anoliefo

(Uzodimma) of UmuaforVillage, Ebenesi Nnobiin Idemili South LocalGovernment Area ofAnambra State is dead,aged 80.

A vigil mass will holdtoday at the deceasedhome town, UmuaforVillage, Ebenesi Nnobi, at5.pm.

There will be lying instate the following day, tobe followed by a requiemmass at St. Paul’s CatholicChurch, Umuru Nnobi, by10.am, while intermentfollows immediately at thefamily compound.

He is survived by thewidow, children and manyrelations, including Mr.Modestus Anoliefo.

Late Augustine Anoliefo

Pa AugustineAnoliefo dies@ 80

A S A B A —A gubernatorial

aspirant on the platformof All ProgressivesCongress, APC, ChiefFidelis Tilije, has assuredthe people of Delta Stateof accountability andtransparency, if given theopportunity to be the nextgovernor of the state.

Chief Tilije, who gavethis assurance at the stateparty secretariat, Asaba,during his expression ofinterest to the state partyexecutive to contest theforth cominggovernorship election inthe state, called on thethree senatorial districts togive him their mandate asthe next governor of DeltaState.

Tilije explained thatfrom 2009 that hecontested election as arunning mate to ChiefGreat Ogboru, he hadnever betrayed or sold outfor peanuts, saying hewould transform and bringthe state to place of envy.

Group wants Health Ministerto wade into NAUTH crisis

ENUGU—IGBO leaderson the platform of Igbo

Leaders of Thought, ILT, havetongue-lashed Second Republiclawmaker, Alhaji JunaidMohammed, over what theydescribed as his “senselessvituperations and general insulton Ndigbo.”

In an interview with anational newspaper (notVanguard), last weekend,Mohammed, while claimingthat all ethnic groups inNigerians would not vote forPresident Goodluck Jonathan in2015, said only the Ijaw andIgbo, who he said were for sale,would vote for the President.

“The Igbo are mercenaries,they are there for sale. If thedevil were to come today to say,‘I am the devil about whom theBible and the Quran havespoken, I am prepared to givemoney, the Igbo will take themoney and vote for him,”Mohammed said.

Reacting to the commentamong other attacks, the ILT, ina statement by its DeputySecretary and founder of IgboYouth Movement, IYM,Evangelist Elliot Uko, saidMohammed had taken hishatred for the Igbo to an insanelevel with “his general insult onNdigbo.”

IMO GOV RACE: Ihedioha tasksPDP on credible candidate

ABUJA—JUSTICE andEquity Mandate, JEM,

has called on the new Ministerof Health, Dr. KhaliruAlhassan, to intervene in theleadership crisis rockingNnamdi Azikiwe TeachingHospital, NAUTH, Nnewi,Anambra State.

While congratulating thenew minister on hisappointment, the grouppleaded with Ahassan to settlethe protracted crisis over whowas the substantive ChiefMedical Director, CMD, ofNAUTH, Nnewi.

In a statement signed by theChairman, Professor YakubuMohammed, and Secretary,

Dr. Frank Ihonvbere, respectively,JEM noted that there was nosubstantive CMD at the NAUTHsince April 2013.

According to the group, Dr.Anthony Igwegbe resumed asacting CMD of NAUTH in January2013 and was expected to vacateoffice in April 2013, after threemonths acting capacity asstipulated in the 1999 Constitutionand as amended unless he wasconfirmed the substantive CMD.

The group disclosed that theuncertainty over a substantiveCMD had brought the activities atthe health facility to its lowest ebb,saying “doctors and other health officialsin the hospital are disillusionedandfrustrated by the status quo.”

His words: “He (Mohammed)has consistently denigrated thegreat Igbo nation of over 40million people therebyconfirming his phobia for hardwork, excellence, industry,education and success whichNdigbo epitomize to both fellowNigerians and foreigners alike.

“Mr. Junaid Mohammedneeds to be reminded thatrabble rousers like him, have noplace any more in the emergingNigeria. His frustrations are aconfirmation that the

warmongers in the north, thosewith the born to rule mentalityhave become a tiny minority.Most northerners as well asother Nigerians work towardsa new Nigeria where thePresident could be Idoma, Ijaw,Tiv, Igbira, Itshekiri, Yoruba,Efik, Bachama, Mumuye,Angas or Igala.

“Most Nigerians crave for anew Nigeria, where all areequal, where no man isoppressed, where no sectionbelieves they are born to rule.Nigerians are surprised thatJunaid Mohammed is probablythe only Nigerian who does not

know that Ndigbo are notresponsible for his frustrations.

"The agenda of people like himwho dream to perpetually dominateand rule others is unworkable intoday’s Nigeria.

“He belongs to the tiny but dyingclique in the north who believe theyare blue blood royals, while otherNigerians are serfs. Their problembegan 21 years ago when theyannulled a credible election wonby a southerner. Their problemgrew worse when they stormed JosPDP convention 16 years ago in orderto stop a former Vice President, the onlyman who would have handed over powerto the North after only four years."

Why we're supporting NASS on minimum wage —NECABy Victor Ahiuma-Young

L A G O S — N I G E R I AEmployers Consultative

Association, NECA, yesterday,gave reasons for giving itssupport to the removal of theNational Minimum Wage,NMW, by the NationalAssembly. “We commend this

O W E R R I — D E P U T YSpeaker, House of

Representatives, Chief EmekaIhedioha, yesterday warned theleadership of PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP, that theparty's efforts to unseatGovernor Rochas Okorocha ofImo State, might remain amirage if unpopular and weakcandidate was fielded in thegovernorship election.

Ihedioha, who spoke at IsialaMbano, while addressingpolitical stakeholders in thearea, said: “If you love PresidentGoodluck Jonathan, you mustthen vote for people who canwin elections. The PDP will nogive the gubernatorial ticket topolitical weaklings.”

According to him, he was inIsiala Mbano in continuation ofhis governorship consultationswith stakeholders in the local

bold initiative by the NationalAssembly, as this is the rightthing to do.” NECA said.

NECA in a statement by itsDirector General, Mr. SegunOshinowo, in Lagos, arguedthat organized labour ’sopposition to the NationalAssembly’s decision was

needless and out of place.The statement read: “NECA

has followed the NationalAssembly’s discussion on theamendment of the Constitutionand commends its decision toremove the Minimum Wagefrom the Exclusive list to theConcurrent list. We are alsoaware of the opposition of thelabour movement to any actionalong this line, which weconsider needless and out ofplace. As the voice of privatesector employers, we equally

have a huge interest in this issue. We must consistently remindourselves that Nigeria is operatinga federal constitution, whichordinarily should ascribesignificant power andresponsibilities to the federatingstates, including the right andpower of the component units todefine and determine theminimum wage in their precincts.

“Therefore, we do not seeanything wrong in the intention ofthe lawmakers to move minimumwage to the concurrent list."

By Chidi Nkwopara council areas. He urged thePDP to reflect on why the partylost the last election in the state.

“We gave Isiala Mbano son,Chief Ikedi Ohakim, our fullsupport but how he managed itis another issue. Isiala Mbanois duty bound to reciprocate thisgesture”, he said.

While noting that severalpeople had not only declaredtheir interests to run for thegovernorship election in thestate, Ihedioha also disclosedthat about 20 persons hadpicked the governorship form inpursuit of their dream.

“Over 20 people have pickedthe governorship form in thestate. This is good for ourdemocracy, but somebody didnot sustain the party in the pastthree years, none of thesepeople would have found PDPgood enough to pitch their tent,”the deputy speaker said.


I can die for stability of Nigeria'sdemocracy — MARK

KWANKWASO DECLARES FOR PRESIDENT: Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of KanoState (3rd left) with his aides as he arrived to publicly declare his intentions to fly the flag ofthe All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2015 presidential elections to his teeming supportersat the Old Parade Grounds, Garki, Abuja, yesterday. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida.

By Peter Duru

Jonathanapprovesappointmentof deputyGMD forNNPC

A B U J A —PRESIDENT

Goodluck Jonathan hasapproved the creation of anew office of Deputy GroupManaging Director of theNigerian NationalPetroleum Corporation,NNPC and has alsoapproved the appointmentof Mr. Bernard Otti as itsinaugural head.

A statement issued by thespecial Adviser to thePresident on Media andPublicity, Dr Reuben Abatisaid the creation of the newoffice was in furtherance ofongoing efforts to transformthe Corporation into acommercially-driven entity.

According to thePresidential Spokesman,“the new office of DeputyGroup Managing Directoris expected to strengthenthe corporate governancestructure of the NNPC andhelp ensure that value formoney and return oninvestment increasinglybecome key factors in alloperational decisions.

Until his appointment,Mr Otti was the GroupExecutive Director (Financeand Accounts) and as thenew Deputy GroupManaging Director, he willalso double as the GroupExecutive Director (Financeand Accounts) of thecorporation.

Mr Otti who hails fromAnambra State has heldsenior positions in some ofthe largest financialinstitutions in Nigeria.

M A K U R D I — T H ESenate President,

David Mark, has reiterated hispreparedness to lay down his lifeto ensure the growth, sustenanceand and stability of democracy inNigeria.

Mark also restated hiscommitment to ensuring thecreation of Apa state for the peopleof Benue south senatorial district.

He spoke when he hosted Idomastakeholders in Otukpo, afterreceiving the nomination anddeclaration of interest form boughtfor him by the nine localgovernment council chairmen inthe Benue south senatorial zone.

Mark said that the creation of aseparate state for the Idoma peopleof Benue state was of utmostpriority to the children, youths andthe elderly of the zone who hadover the years craved for aseparate stated of their own.

Mark said, “I am overwhelmedby the show of love,encouragement and supportyou have shown me by thissingular act of purchasing theseforms and in unison asking meto go back to the senate.

“The enormity of theresponsibility you have entrust inme entails that I must be fair, justand unwavering in my leadershipand and also attain the wishes andaspirations of our people.

“I humbly accept to run in theforthcoming senatorial election inline with your wishes andaspirations, I will strife at all timesto ensure that the dividends ofdemocracy did not elude ourpeople.

“As we continue to strive to attainset objectives, I would want toaffirm that if you my people askme to lay down my life for thegrowth, sustenance and andstability of democracy and for thecreation of Apa state, I willwillingly do that, because withoutyou, there is no me.”

In his speech, the Minister ofInterior, Comrade Abba Moro,who led PDP Stakeholders andcouncil chairmen to purchasethe forms in Makurdi urgedanyone with senatorial ambitionfrom area to shelve it, noting;“because such an ambitionwould be contrary to the wishesof the people of Idoma land.”

COMMISSIONING: From left: House of Representatives aspirant, under All Progressives Congress,APC, Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency, Segun Akinyelure; Onilado of Ilado & Inagbe Islands,HRM, Oba Mobandele Oyekan; Executive Chairman, Amuwo Odofin Local Goverment, LagosState, Comrade Ayodele Adewale and Leader, Legistlative Arm, Wasiu Bello, during the officialcommissioning of Igbologun Primary Health Centre Doctors’ Lodge in Amuwo Odofin.

2015: NLC chief condemns debate on Muslim-Muslim ticket

DELTA NORTH: Ahmadu Ali’s wife submits form, says Nwaboshi is no match

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA—WIFE of formerNational Chairman of the

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,Dr. Mariam Ali, yesterdaystormed the party's nationalsecretariat to submit herexpression of interest andnominations forms to contest the

ILORIN—A Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congress,

NLC, Mr. Issa Aremu, yesterdayfaulted the debate over Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christianpresidential candidate, saying“we are looking for a president

By Demola Akinyemi as defined in Nigeria’sconstitution regardless of religiousbackground who is willing toguarantee the welfare and securityof Nigerians.

Aremu, who is also the GeneralSecretary of the National Unionof Textile, Garment and TailoringWorkers of Nigereia, NUTGWTN,

condemned the utterances of theformer president, OlusegunObasanjo and Gen MuhammaduBuhari on their preferredpresidential team based on theirreligious belief.

The NLC Vice President whospoke yesterday in Ilorin, said ’Itis wrong for both former president

Olusegun Obasanjo and GeneralMuhammadu Buhari to havementioned Muslim-Muslim orChristian-Christian ticket for the2015 presidential elections. It isa wrong mindset, just likeObasanjo was wrong to say weneed Muslim-Christianbalance.”

The two generals commentsclearly show lack of civility.Whoever will drive ourdemocracy must be strongcivilians who have civil outlook.We are tired of these generalswho will heat up the polity. Theirlanguage is not civil. No seriouscivilian will be talking of north-south candidate or Muslim-Christian candidates. Civiliansfought for our independence forus not soldiers. So if civiliansfought for independence for usthey should run it for us.

Delta North Senatorial Districtelection, boasting that the StateChairman, Chief Peter Nwaboshiwas no match to her.

Speaking with journalists aftershe submitted her forms, Mrs Aliwho was accompanied to theNational Secretariat by herhusband, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, familymembers, supporters, stressed

that God was in charge, just asshe explained that she was in therace to prove the point thatdetermined women can securevictory inspite of presumed odds.

Mrs Ali, who disclosed that shewas picking the form the thirdtime for the position, said that shewas coming out for the Senatebecause of her love for women

and children, adding that shewould use the opportunity as aSenator to provide health carefacilities for women, the childrenand the people of the senatorialdistrict, adding that she would beinstrumental to the establishmentof primary healthcare centers inat least all the local governmentareas in the district.


COMMISSIONING: From left, Internal auditor of Magodo Residents Association, MRA,Mrs. Omotola Dawodu; 2nd Vice Chairman, MRA, Mr. Jade Niboro; Vice Chairman, MRA,Mr. Yemi Bedu; the sponsor/project facilitator, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, and Chairman, MRA,Mr. Kunle Fashogbon, during the official commissioning and handing over of one of thesenator's constituency projects (street lights) to MRA, at Magodo, weekend.

PRESENTATION: Kaduna State governor, Dr. Mukhtar Ramalan Yero (2ndleft), presenting MTN Cup to the patron of Keffi Ponys, Hon. Aliyu Wada-da (right); Senior Manager Master Brand, MTN, Emamoke Ogoro (left)and Event and Sponsorship Manager, MTN, Okundola Bamgboye (2ndright), during the prize presentation ceremony of the MTN African PatronsPolo Tournament, at the Fifth Chukker Polo & Country Club in Kaduna,weekend.

CONVOCATION: From left,Mr. Rotimi Olaniyan,1st Vice President; Abdul Ganiyu Kole-doye, President; Rotimi Oladele, 2nd Vice President, and Mrs. Modupeola Babalola. Coun-cil Member, all of National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, during the 5th ConvocationCeremony of the institute, at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau

CEREMONY: From left, Professor Agatha Eguaveon, Professor Ifeanyi On-yeonoru, President NASA; Prof Akinpelu Olutayo, representing VC Academ-ics, and Professor Ayodele Jegede, HOD, Department of Sociology, Universi-ty of Ibadan, during the opening ceremony of the 50th Anniversary Confer-ence of department of Sociology. Photo: Dare Fasube

COLLECTION: Anambra Central senatorial aspirantof Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Obiora Okonkwo(right) with Party’s Protocol Officer, Mammy Balami,during the collection of the Senatorial Nomination Formfor Anambra Central senatorial zone by ObioraOkonkwo at the party’s headquarters, in Abuja

ELECTION: Member representing Bomadi/Patani fed-eral constituency, Nicholas Mutu, OFR, at his Onurunpolling unit 4(7), Akugbene ward 14 in Bomadi LGA,Delta State, exercising his franchise, in the local gov-ernment election area

ASSUMPTION: Professor Olukoya Ogen (middle), newlyappointed Provost of Adeyemi College of Education,Ondo, flanked with his classmates, from left, Mr. DokunTinubu; Mrs.Victoria Olugbemi; Mr. Wole Oladimeji &Mr. Ayodeji Olopade, during the assumption ceremonyaccorded him at the college premises, Ondo.

AWARD: From left, Mr. Victor Tasie, an awardee; Rot. Tolulope Onalaja, President,Rotary Club Lagos West; Miss Semiat Oyebanjo, an awardee; Rot. Lawrence An-yafulu, and Mr. Kelechi Chinekwe, an awardee, during Rotary Club of Lagos West's2014 Vocational Service Award, at the Villa Park Hotel & Suites, Amuwo Odofin,Lagos.

CONFERENCE: From left, Rasheed Adegoke, Director, Information Technology, United Bank forAfrica; Dr. Martins Akinseye, President, Nigerian Computer Society, NCS, Lagos Chapter; Ahaji LadiOgunleye, former President, NCS, and Engr. Hotonu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works andInfrastructure, Lagos State, during 2014 IT conference and award organized by the Lagos chapterof NCS, in Lagos.


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Vanguard,Vanguard,Vanguard,Vanguard,Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014—53


NASUdemandsstifferpenaltyagainstwomenabuse

FG drags Coca-Cola, NBC, chiefexecutives to court over consumer lawTHE Federal Government

has dragged NigerianBottling Company, NBC,Limited; Coca-Cola NigeriaLimited and their chiefexecutives before a FederalHigh Court in Abuja forcriminal breach of ConsumerProtection Council, CPC, Act.

Attorney-General of theFederation, Mr. MohammedAdoke, in the charges filedbefore the court, preferred aone-count charge againstNBC, its Managing Directorand a two-count chargeagainst Coca-Cola and itsChief Executive, makingthem liable to jail terms,ranging from three to fiveyears, if found guilty.

The Federal Government inthe charge against NBC andits Managing Director, Mr.Ben Langat, by the Director,Public Prosecution of theFederation on behalf of theAttorney General of theFederation, alleged that thetwo accused personscommitted an offence byviolating the orders of CPCby “deliberately failing,refusing and/or neglecting tocomply with the council’sorders duly made and servedon you and, therefore,committed an offencecontrary to Section 21 of theConsumer Protection CouncilAct, Cap C. 25, Laws of theFederation of Nigeria, 2004and punishable under thesame section.”

In the first of the two-countcharge against Coca-ColaNigeria Limited and itsManaging Director, Mr.Adeola Adetunji, thegovernment alleged that thetwo accused personscommitted an offence byrefusing to “attend thehearing of the ConsumerProtection Council held inAbuja in relation toinvestigation of violation of

product quality standard underthe Consumer ProtectionCouncil Act after summons wasduly issued and served on youand, thereby, committed anoffence contrary to Section 18of the Consumer ProtectionCouncil Act Cap C. 25 of theFederation of Nigeria, 2004and punishable under the samesection.”

Coca-Cola and its ChiefExecutive, as in the case of

NBC, were also charged forviolating the orders of CPC bydeliberately refusing tocomply with the order dulymade and served on them,thereby committing an offencecontrary to Section 21 of theConsumer Protection CouncilAct, Cap C. 25, Laws of theFederation of Nigeria, 2004and punishable under thesame section.

The two criminal cases have

been listed before Justice E. S.Chukwu of the Federal HighCourt 8, Abuja, and a date isyet to be fixed for hearing.

CPC had earlier this year,found NBC and Coca-Colaculpable, following its findingsfrom the administrative panelset up over a consumer comp-laint regarding two half-emptycans of Sprite manufactured byNBC under the licence andauthority of Coca-Cola.

CITIZENS LiberationAdvocacy Initiative,

CLAI, has warned Nigeriansagainst selling their voter’scard to desperate politiciansin the forthcoming 2015general elections.

Speaking at a votersadvocacy forum in Lagos, theNational President of thegroup, Prince AdebolaAdeniji-Adele jnr, said therewas urgent need for voterseducation in the country toenlighten the electorate on the

dangers of selling theirvoter ’s card to desperatepoliticians.

He said: “It would be verydifficult to effect changewithout voter’s card, whichwould fast track the muchdesired goal.

“We are joining theIndependent NationalElectoral Commission, INEC,in educating the electoratenot to sell their PermanentVoters Card to anybody asthey risk two years jail termand mortgage theirconscience and future.

“We still need to do morethrough voters’ education

across the length and breadthof the country.

“The vital role of theelectorate cannot beoveremphasized, hence allhands must be on deck atbuilding a nation where allcitizens are treated as equalsand made to prosper.

” We all need to cometogether and protect ourcollective mandate given topoliticians every four years.

“While it is true that thereis no bad leadership withoutbad followership, leadersmust first exhibit exemplarycharacter before expecting thefollowership to reciprocate.”

Rights group cautions against sellingvoter’s card

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

A B U J A — N O N -ACADEMIC Staff

Union of Educational andAssociated Institutions,NASU, has decried theincreasing abuse againstwomen, especially rape ofyoung girls, and called fora stiffer penalty to stemthe tide.

At a two-dayeducational trainingprogramme for NationalWomen Commission andprincipal officers of statewomen committees inNASU, in Abuja,participants expressedconcern that perpetratorsof abuses against womenwere mostly notsanctioned.

In a communiquéissued at the end of thetraining by Mrs. IyaboKolapo and Mrs. BolaAjayi, Chairperson andSecretary, NationalWomen Commission,respectively, the unionexpressed “concern overthe persisting securitychallenges in Nigeria,particularly the masskillings in Borno, Yobe,Adamawa and Plateaustates, among others.”

It condemned theincessant havoc beingperpetrated by theinsurgents on innocentcitizens across the NorthEast and Middle-Beltstates and called ongovernment to urgentlyintensify efforts in itsongoing negotiation withthe neighbouring coun-tries of Cameroon, NigerRepublic, Chad, amongothers, on how to halt thepersistent cross-borderinsurgency.

The union viewed “withgreat sadness the mannerwomen are treated anddebased by policies andpractices that reduce themto second-class citizens orsex objects at home andworkplaces.

“Participants, therefore,called for stiffer penalty tocurb all forms of abuse.”

It, however,appreciated the efforts ofgovernment at creatingawareness on genderequality, but expressedworry about genderimbalance at all levels.

By VictorAhiuma-Young

NYSC members get training on EbolaBy Caleb Ayansina

ABUJA—THE NationalYouth Service Corps,

NYSC, has equipped all corpsmembers, who are medicaldoctors from the 36 states of thefederation and the FederalCapital Territory, FCT, withrelevant training on EbolaVirus Disease, EVD.

Director-General of theagency, Brig.-General JohnsonOlawumi, said this was tosustain the giant striderecorded by the government

and the people on thecontainment of the virus.

Olawumi, who disclosed thisat the opening of a three-dayTraining of Trainers Workshopon Ebola Virus DiseaseAwareness Creation andPrevention for scheduledofficers and selected corpsmedical doctors from the 36states and FCT, in Abuja, saidthose participating at thetraining were expected to goback and facilitate the processof mobilizing, training,educating and sensitizing

their colleagues and hostcommunities on the preventionand control of the disease.

He said the activities of thescheme cut across the 774 localgovernment councils in thecountry, adding that sincenobody could predict whereany outbreak could occur,prevention remained the onlyproactive measure.

He said: “The schemeassembles a large number ofpeople. We cannot afford toexpose corps members andother Nigerians to EVD.”

CELEBRATION:From left— Chief SundayEmekwe, representingKing A. J. Turner; RearAdmiral John Jonah(retd), Bayelsa StateDeputy Governor; wife ofthe Bayelsa StateGovernor, Rachael;Governor Seriake Dicksonof Bayelsa State; ColonelSam Inokoba (retd.), statePeoples Democratic Party,PDP, Chairman; and hiswife, Helen, during the66th birthday celebration ofColonel Inokoba inYenagoa.

PHOTO: GoodluckAyebatonye.


Ondo PDP caretaker c'ttee resumes

By Dayo Johnson

Kawonise accuses Daniel of misleading followers

Keeps party secretariat shut

By Daud Olatunji

AKURE—THE Ondo StatePeoples Democratic Party,

PDP, Caretaker Committeemembers arrived Akure, thestate capital yesterday anddirected that the party secretariatremain closed for now.

Committee Chairman, DareAdeleke, in Akure said that thesealing off of the secretariat wasto prevent unauthorised access,possible destruction and orpilfering.

His statement reads in part;“The Ondo State PDP CaretakerCommittee wishes to notify theentire PDP family in the Statethat the PDP secretariat in thestate shall remain closed fornow.

“This step is to avoidunauthorised access andpossible destruction and orpilfering, consequent upon thedissolution of all the ExecutiveCouncils of the party across thetiers in the state by the NationalWorking Committee of theparty.

“The committee assures allthe members of the PDP inOndo State of its unwaveringcommitment to the promotion ofjustice, peace and fair play andcalls on all aggrieved membersto remain calm and be lawabiding.

Cofusion in old PDPMeantime, confusion still

reigns within the camp of the oldPDP as members seem not sureof the next step to take.

While some leaders are of theview that they should give thecaretaker committee time tocommence work and that theirbody language will determinetheir neutrality or otherwise,some leaders are insisting on

throwing away the bath waterand the baby following thealleged unjust action of theNational Working Committeewhich axed the EXCO from thestate and ward levels.

Several meetings are still on-going across the state by leadersacross the three senatorialdivisions of the state.

Reports had it that leaders ofthe PDP from both the central and

the northern part of the state aretelling their followers to be calmand disregard the defectionsong by some leaders of theparty.

Meanwhile, governor Mimikois scheduled to meet withaspirants of former Labour Partyto brief them of the developmentand to assure them that theirindividual interests would beprotected in the new scheme ofthings.

ABEOKUTA—A formercommissioner for

Information and Strategy inOgun State, Sina Kawonise,has accused former governorof the state, Otunba GbengaDaniel of misleading hisfollowers into the PeopleDemocratic Party, PDP.

Kawonise who served inDaniel’s administration,however, claimed that, thosewho defected to the PDP alongwith Daniel were being treatedas second class members.

But, in a swift reaction, Danieldescribed Kawonise asambition-driven person whowas nowhere when he wascampaigning for governorshipin 2003 and 2011.

Daniel who spoke throughone of his media aides, SteveOliyide said he wishedKawonise luck in his politicalsojourn.

Kawonise spoke at the LabourParty, LP’s Secretariat, Adatan,Abeokuta, shortly after he wasannounced as the party’sgovernorship candidate for thecoming election.

Daniel and some of hisloyalists in the Labour Partyhad defected to the PDPpenultimate Tuesday and

You are a nobody—Daniel's aide

Residentstask Amosunon roads,unemployment

claimed that there was no moreLabour Party in the state.

But the state chairman of LP,Olabode Simeon ; the Secretary,Sunday Oginni and thefinancial Secretary, ArabambiAbayomi held a state-widemeeting and endorsed Kawoniseas the party’s governorshipcandidate.

While speaking on why herefused to follow his former bossto the PDP, Kawonise describedthe PDP as a party whose interestis to share money and positionsat the detriment of the people inthe state.

According to him; if you lookat the array of godfathers in thePDP, you will know that the partycan never serve the people of

Ogun State.“They are going to put their

godsons in different positions.There is no way that kind ofarrangement can bring a goodgovernment.

“Those who defected weremisled that they will get universalwaivers, but, unfortunately forthem when they got there, theparty did not give them waivers.

“Even, those who had defectedto the PDP have not gottenwaiver. So, as I speak with you,those who defected cannotparticipate in the delegateelection and can not be votedfor. When they said this, ourpeople have started coming backin droves.

In his reaction, Oliyide said;

“There is nothing, but, to wishhim good luck. Otunba GbengaDaniel has played his politics inOgun State and Nigeria at largein a more responsive andresponsible way, taking intocognisance the interest of hisfollowers, so, we can not but,wish him luck in his vocation andventure.

“Except he is saying thatOtunba Gbenga Daniel, havingdrafted Kawonise to serve as acommissioner under him is alsoa misleading action.

“In 2003, when OtunbaGbenga Daniel contested forelection in Ogun State defeatingan incumbent, a Sina Kawonisewas nowhere then."

A B E O K U T A —STAKEHOLDERS

in Ogun State, yesterday,appealed to the stategovernor, SenatorIbikunle Amosun toaddress theunemployment challengeand fix the deplorableroads in the state, amongothers.

The stakeholders whowere mainly residentsand natives drawn fromthe 20 Local GovernmentAreas of the state, gave thecharge at the town hallmeeting held to get theirinputs into the 2015budget at June 12 CulturalCentre, Kuto, Abeokuta.

Some of the stakeholdersinclude farmers, teachers,students, traders,traditional rulers amongothers filed out one afterthe other to make requests.

The governor afterlistening, submitted thatthe issues ofunemployment anddeplorable roads rankedhighest.

He said: “Requests foremployment, fixing ofdeplorable roads andconstruction of new onesseem to be more than otherrequests.

“It is true thatunemployment is there.And it is also true thatgovernment cannotemploy everybody. That iswhy we are creating anenabling environment toopen up the state forbusiness.

“That is why we areworking on theinfrastructure. Once theinfrastructure have beenput in place, investors willcome and there will beemployment for thepeople.”

While speaking on hisefforts towards reducingthe high rate ofunemployment, Amosunsaid he has ordered that450 teachers be offeredemployment, saying soonnot less than 2,000environment marshals andstreet maintenance officerswould be absorbed.

On roads, he said assoon as the rains subsided,work would begin onconstruction of two roadseach in all the localgovernment areas.

The students of Ogunorigin in higher institutionsalso demanded for theprompt payment of theirbursary, while the corpersin the state also asked for abefitting corpers’ lodge.

By Daud Olatunji

PRESENTATION: From left: Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, Alake of Egbaland, Chief OlusegunOsunkeye, Chairman, Lafarge Africa Plc., Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu, Olowu of Owu kingdom,and Mr. Guillaume Roux, during the book presentation and send off for Mr. Guillaume Roux,the former Managing Director of Lafarge Africa Plc.,in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

Fashola commissions 8.8mw IPP

L A G O S — L A G O SState Governor,

Babatunde Fashola and CETPower Limited will todaycommission the 8.8MWMainland IndependentPower Project, IPP, to furtherboost electricity supply in thestate.

The Mainland IPP willprovide uninterrupted 24-

By Providence Obuh hour power supply to the Statepublic institutions within theGovernment ReservationArea, GRA, Ikeja.

The institutions includeLagos State UniversityTeaching Hospital, LASUTH,Lagos State UniversityCollege of Medicine,LASUCOM, Old Secretariatcomplex, High Court complex,Lagos Water Corporation and

over 20 kilometres of existingpublic lighting.

General Manager, LagosState Electricity Board,LSEB, Mrs. DamilolaOgunbiyi, said that the powerproject is a Public PrivatePartnership, PPP, betweenthe state government andCET Power Limited, one ofthe largest indigenous IPPproviders in the country.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 — 59

BRIEFSDoctors strike hits Zimbabwe

PATIENTS have been waiting in long queueswhile others were being turned away at state

hospitals in Zimbabwe, as hundreds of doctors stageda strike to press for higher pay.

About 300 junior doctors went on strike at the lapseof a two-week ultimatum for the government to addresstheir demands for a pay rise of nearly 400 percent.

“The nationwide strike has attracted anoverwhelming response from all government hospitalsover 300 doctors withdrawing their services until theemployer meets their demands,” Farai Makoni,president of the Zimbabwe Hospital DoctorsAssociation, told the AFP news agency.

“What the doctors are asking for is not anything outof this world.”

Makoni said the junior doctors wanted their monthlysalaries increased from $283 to $1,200, their housingand transport allowances raised and were also seekinga risk allowance.

“These grievances have been there for some timeand the strike shall be protracted if the employercontinues to pay a blind eye to the plight of doctors.”

Opposition leader suggests ‘softexit’ for Sudan’s Bashir

LEADING Sudanese opposition figure Sadiq al-Mahdi has urged President Omar Hassan al-

Bashir not to extend his 25-year rule and suggestedoffering him sanctuary from a war crimes trial if herelinquishes power.

It is the first time the opposition has publicly putforth such an idea, with Mahdi hoping that the notionof a “soft exit” could encourage factions within Bashir’sown party to push for his departure and end Sudan’sinternational isolation.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issuedarrest warrants for Bashir for crimes against humanity,war crimes and genocide relating to bloodshed inSudan’s Darfur region.

He has denied the allegations and refuses to gobefore the Hague-based court. If he leaves office, hewould have to entrust his fate to his successor andconcern over the charges was a key driver in his moveto seek another term in next April’s presidentialelections, political sources say.

Tunisia’s Ennahda ‘faces defeat’ inelections

TUNISIAN secular Nidaa Tounes party isemerging as the main winner in the 217-seat

parliament election after Sunday’s vote, preliminaryresults show.

Led by Beji Caid Essebsi, Nidaa Tunis has won 83seats (38 percent), according to official provisionalresults released on Monday.

The North African nation’s leading Islamist party,Ennahda, is in second place with 68 seats (31 percent).

Among the other parties, the provisional figuresshowed Free Patriotic Union and the Popular Frontwith 17 seats (seven percent) and 12 seats (fivepercent) respectively.

Essebsi said on Sunday night that there were“positive indications” Nidaa Tounes was ahead.

Ennahda’s head acknowledged late on Monday thathis party had finished second.

Ebola: Dallas nurse leaves hospital

THE second of twoAmerican nurses

who became infected withEbola while treating aLiberian man who died ofthe disease in Texas threeweeks ago will be releasedfrom the hospital onTuesday having beendeclared free of the virus,officials said.

The infections of thenurses at a Dallas hospitalunderscored the lack ofpreparedness in theUnited States public healthsystem to safely deal withEbola, which has killedabout 5,000 people in threeimpoverished WestAfrican countries and

P R O T E S T E R Sbattled police in

the capital of BurkinaFaso on Tuesday after amassive rally againstplans to let the long-serving president extendhis rule beyond 30 years.

Firing tear gas, securityforces chargeddemonstrators after theyapparently ventured tooclose to parliament. Mostof the protesters fled butseveral hundred stayedon to battle the police,according to an AFPreporter at the scene.

The violence erupted atthe end of a march inOuagadougou that drewup to a million people,according to oppositionleaders fighting toprevent what they see asa constitutional coup bysupporters of PresidentBlaise Compaore.

Schools anduniversities have closedfor the week of protestsplanned in theimpoverished westAfrican nation againstthe move to prolongCampaore’s 27-year-ruleby allowing him to seekanother term next year.

Pre-dawn violence hadalready broken out earlyTuesday as gendarmesfired tear gas at dozensof youths barricading the

Clashes as ‘one million’ protestBurkina leader’s power bid

country’s main highway,who hurled stones inresponse, according toan AFP reporter.

Hundreds of thousandsof people later set off fromthe capital’s main Nationsquare, blowing whistles

and vuvuzela trumpets,before the violence brokeout.

Senior oppositionfigures BenewendeSankara and AblasseOuedraogo claimed amillion-strong turnout,well above a previousrally in August.

Protesters carriedbanners reading “BlaiseGet Out!” or “Don’t TouchArticle 37", in reference tothe constitutional termlimit that may bescrapped to let thepresident seek reelection.

“Our march is alreadya huge success,phenomenal,” saidopposition leaderZephirin Diabre. “Ourstruggle has entered itsfinal phase. It’s make orbreak time — the nationor death!”

•President Blaise Compaore

INDIA’S governmentrevealed yesterday

the names of threeprominent businessmenaccused of illegallystashing funds in foreignbank accounts as it seeksto recover billions ofdollars parked abroad.

The ruling right-wing

India reveals names in quest forhidden foreign assets

Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) pledged to crackdown on “black money”after winning power inMay, accusing theprevious Congressgovernment of failing toget tough on the issuethat had become apolitical lightning rod.

The government filedan affidavit in theSupreme Court onMonday naming PradipBurman, a formerexecutive director of theDabur food group,bullion trader PankajChimanlal Lodhiya andmine operator RadhaTimbola as among thoseunder scrutiny.

The government said inits affidavit it was“committed to disclosethe names of personsholding illegal money...following due process oflaw, and in all caseswhere tax evasion isestablished”.

THE UN SecurityCouncil will hold an

emergency meetingWednesday to discussIsraeli plans to build moreJewish settlements in Arabeast Jerusalem, diplomatssaid.

The urgent talks wererequested by Jordanfollowing a letter fromPalestinian envoy RiyadMansour, who called onthe 15-member council to“address this crisis situationin occupied eastJerusalem.”

Israel pledged to buildmore than 1,000 new settlerhomes in east Jerusalem onMonday, angeringPalestinians who warned itcould trigger an“explosion” of violence.

In his letter, thePalestinian representativecalled on the council todemand that Israel rescindits plan immediately and“commit to the path of

UN Security Council to meet on Israelisettlements

peace that it has clearly andrecklessly abandoned.”

On Tuesday, IsraeliPrime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu hit back at US

and European criticism ofthe plan for more settlementbuilding, saying thestatements were “detachedfrom reality.”

raised fears of a wideroutbreak.

The nurse, AmberVinson, had been treatedat Emory UniversityHospital in Atlanta sinceOct. 15. The other nursewho worked at Texas

Health PresbyterianHospital, Nina Pham, wasdeclared virus-free lastFriday, left the Marylandhospital where she hadbeen treated and met withPresident Barack Obama.

Vinson’s case causedwider alarm when it wasrevealed that she hadflown from Texas to Ohioand back on commercialplanes. Ohio state healthofficials are still monitoring163 people in case theyshow symptoms of Ebola,a hemorrhagic fever thatcan only be transmittedthrough the bodily fluidsof an infected person andis not airborne.

•Amber Vinson

INDIA will soon be supplying naval vessels toVietnam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on

Tuesday, the first significant military transfer to Hanoiat a time when it is embroiled in a territorial disputewith China.

The announcement came after Modi held talks withhis visiting Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Tan Dung,during which the two sides agreed to modernize theVietnamese military as well as raise Indian involvementin Vietnam’s energy sector.

Both India and Vietnam have territorial disputes withChina - India in the Himalayas and Vietnam in theSouth China Sea. New Delhi and Hanoi are beefingup defenses even as they ramp up commercial tieswith China, the world’s second-largest economy.

“Our defense cooperation with Vietnam is among ourmost important,” Modi told reporters, adding it will beexpanded.

India to supply Vietnam with navalvessels amid China disputes


IVORIAN midfielderand captain,

Yaya Toure, has emergedthe only African playerlisted in the 23-manshortlist for the 2014FIFA Ballon d’Or.

Toure, who beatNigeria’s Mikel Obi toemerge the reigningAfrican Player of theYear, has been listedalongside big guns likeCristiano Ronaldo andfour times winner LionelMessi.

U n d e r s t a n d a b l y,reigning worldchampions Germanydominates the listhaving six players in the23-man shortlist for the2014 Ballon d’Or.

Top on the lists ofGermans in the run forthe coveted player ’saward include theirretired captain, PhilipLahm and Mario Gotze,who scored the winninggoal against Argentina.

Two goalkeepers arealso on the list - ManuelNeuer and ThibautCourtois- releasedTuesday morning by theorganizers of theprestigious awards.

The shortlist will bepruned to three playerswho received the mostvotes from national teamcoaches and captains, aswell as internationalmedia representativeschosen by Frenchmagazine FranceFootball.

Later, FIFA’s award

Toure, Messi, Lahm battle to unseat Ronaldo

Gareth Bale (Wales),Karim Benzema(France), Diego Costa(Spain), ThibautCourtois (Belgium),Cristiano Ronaldo(Portugal), Angel DiMaria (Argentina),Mario Gotze(Germany), EdenHazard (Belgium),Zlatan Ibrahimovic(Sweden), AndresIniesta (Spain), ToniKroos (Germany),Philipp Lahm

2014 shortlist

FIFA Ballon d'ór

(Germany), JavierM a s c h e r a n o(Argentina), LionelMessi (Argentina),Thomas Muller(Germany), ManuelNeuer (Germany),Neymar (Brazil), PaulPogba (France), SergioRamos (Spain), ArjenRobben (Netherlands),James Rodriguez(Colombia), BastianS c h w e i n s t e i g e r(Germany), Yaya Toure(Ivory Coast).

•Ronaldo

•Toure

•Messi

•Lahm

•Neymar

•Neuer•Gotze •Robben


FIFA

ty to avoid a lengthysuspension.

On Saturday in Wind-hoek, Namibia, CAFPresident Issa Hayatoutold Nigeria’s SportsMinister, Tammy Dana-gogo in clear terms thatthe world was fed upwith Nigeria’s incorrigi-bility in the area of foot-ball administration. ‘’Itis all very disappointingbecause we have over 50National Associations inAfrica, but a big countrylike Nigeria is the onealways giving us the big-gest headache’’. Hayat-ou lashed out in a meet-ing with Sports Ministerin Namibia.

But in the letter to Pin-nick, FIFA said that ifthey do not receive proofthat the case has beendefinitively withdrawnfrom court and the boardelected on September 30is able to carry out itsactivities without anyhindrance, they wouldrefer the case to FIFAEmergency Committeefor implementation of thesuspension.

In the letter, FIFA alsowarned of the dire con-sequences of a ban on

Continues from BP the country stating thatit would for instancemean that no team fromNigeria of any sort (in-cluding club teams)could have any interna-tional sporting contact.

The letter with the ti-tle; Situation of the Ni-geria Football Federa-tion reads thus -

We acknowledge re-ceipt of your correspond-ence dated 27 October2014 with regard to thelatest developments ofthe situation of the Ni-geria Football Federa-tion (NFF).

We take note of the or-der granted by the Fed-eral High Court nullify-ing the NFF elections of30 September 2014 andthe fact that some per-sons claiming to havebeen legitimately elect-ed previously went tooccupy the offices of theNFF causing great con-fusion among the ad-ministrative staff. Wealso note that securityforces prevented youfrom travelling to Na-mibia where you weresupposed to representthe NFF at the finalmatch of the AfricanWomen’s Champion-

ship.As stated in our previ-

ous letters dated 9 Sep-tember 2014 and 2 Oc-tober 2014, FIFAstressed that should theelectoral process andthe instalment of thenewly elected NFFboard be affected by anyinterference, the casewould be brought to theattention of the appro-priate FIFA bodies for asuspension of the NFFuntil the next FIFA Con-gress due to take placeon 28 and 29 May 2015.The course of events asdescribed in your corre-spondence clearlyshows that interferencehas not ceased.

Under these circum-stances and in order togive Nigerian football alast opportunity to avoida lengthy suspension,we inform you that if byFriday 31 October 2014at midday Nigerian timewe have not receivedproof that the case hasbeen definitively with-drawn from court andthat the board elected on30 September 2014 isable to carry out its ac-tivities without any hin-

drance, we will refer thecase to the FIFA Emer-gency Committee for im-plementation of the sus-pension.

We would like to un-derline the dire effects asuspension could haveon Nigerian football. Itwould for instance meanthat no team from Ni-geria of any sort (includ-ing club teams) couldhave any internationalsporting contact (art. 14par. 3 of the FIFA Stat-utes). But it would alsomean that neither theNFF nor any of its mem-bers or officials couldbenefit from any devel-opment programmescourses or training fromFIFA or CAF any long-er.

We recommend thatyou contact the mainstakeholders and con-cerned parties to briefthem on the FIFA posi-tion. We thus hope thatby Friday midday, wewill receive the request-ed evidence in order toavoid the adverse conse-quences of a suspen-sion.

Jerome ValckeSecretary General

NFF congress

Maigari. The sportsminister Tammy Dana-gogo addressed the con-gress and moved thatelection into a new boardof the Nigeria Footballbe held. The delegateswere not there to con-duct any election. Some-how, a result was an-nounced and ChrisGiwa was said to havebeen elected. Those be-hind the charade werechallenged to producenames of the delegatesthat voted. They couldnot immediately do so.But some days after, theyproduced a list on NFFpaper purporting thenames on the list to haveparticipated in the elec-tion and signed to havedone so. The list washand-written. The listwas said to have beenpart of the documentsubmitted to authenti-cate the purported elec-tion.

Now, many of thosewhose names appearedon the list say that theywill sue those responsi-ble for forgery and im-personation.

“I was not part of anyelection. There was noelection. It simplymeans that I’ll go tocourt. I’ll sue those whoforged my signature.And it is not only me.Many of those whose

Continues from BP signatures were forgedwill be heading to thecourt too,” said LuckyEwa, the chairman ofBayelsa State FA chair-man whose name ap-peared on the list. Hesaid that he did not signthe signature placed byhis name.

Sports minister yester-day asked Chris Giwa towithdraw a case he filedin court against the Ama-ju Board which waselected September 30 ina transparent electionattended by all dele-gates. The Federal Gov-ernment, Fifa and Cafhave all recognised theAmaju board. The min-ister was making effortsto clear the confusionhe initiated when heappointed a secretary torun the affairs of Nige-rian football following asimilar court actionagainst the Maigariboard. The minister wasalso behind the Septem-ber 26 ill-fated con-gress. But he was newin sports and now ap-pears to be masteringthe terrain.

Fifa abhors takingfootball matters to ordi-nary law courts. Sportsdisputes are usuallytaken to Court Of Arbi-tration For Sports, CAS.Nigerians must abide bythe rules or face inter-national sanctions.

Sports Minister orders immediateresolution of NFF crisis

THE Minister ofSports and Chairman,

National SportsCommission, Dr. TammyDanagogo has orderedquick and unambiguousresolution of the crisisthreatening to tear theNigeria FootballFederation apart, anddirected feuding parties tosheathe their swords in theinterest of peace. Danagogo, at a meetingwith top officials of theFederation and the factionled by Ambassador ChrisGiwa, specifically chargedthat the court case enteredinto by the Giwa factionshould immediately bewithdrawn to save Nigeriafrom impending FIFAhammer. He alsoconfirmed holding ameeting with President ofConfederation of AfricanFootball (CAF), Alhaji (Dr)Issa Hayatou in Windhoekon Saturday, where theCAF supremo told him inno uncertain terms that

•Wants court case withdrawn; confirms meeting with HayatouFIFA and CAF have had itup to their neck withNigeria. “Dr. Hayatou told meNigeria could actuallyhave been stopped fromplaying the final of theAfrican WomenChampionship in Namibiaon Saturday, but he had toplead with FIFA to stop itsEmergency Committeefrom taking immediateaction. He also explainedthat such an occurrencewould have handed thetrophy automatically toCameroon, and peoplewould have thought thatbeing a Cameroonian, heinstigated such to favourhis country. “The CAF President wasreally unhappy with us.He brought outdocuments whichconstitute the protocolsthat every country wishingto be in the internationalfootball family had to sign,and which Nigeriasigned.

Eulogies for Ekeji at book launch•As Anenih warns against crisis in football

IT was a day of gloryin Abuja yesterday

for the former DirectorGeneral of the NationalSports Commission (NSC),Dr. Patrick Ekeji as sportsstakeholders in the countrywho graced the occasion of

BY JUDE OPARA,Abuja

the presentation of his booktitled; Odyssey of a GreenEagle heaped praises onhim for his efforts in thedevelopment of sports inNigeria.

This is just as formerMinister for Women Affairs,Iyom Josephine Anenihfrowned at the penchant forsome people in Nigerianfootball to run to court

warning that such peoplemust ensure that they don’tendanger the game whichshe noted has broughtNigerians together morethan anything else.

She further advised thosewho are politicians to leaveNigerian football alone inthe interest of the teeming

youths who earn a livingfrom the game as well asmillions of citizens whoderive joy each time thecountry was playing.

Speaker after speakerrecalled one thing or theother which Dr. Ekeji whowas a one time national teamplayer had done to add tothe country's numerousachievements.

DIEGO Maradonahas been labelled

a psychopath after avideo emerged appear-ing to show him as-saulting his on-off girl-friend.

In the video, Marado-na, who captained Ar-gentina to World Cupglory in 1986 beforemanaging the side withless success, can beseen getting up fromhis sofa and approach-

Maradona branded apsychopath

ing his girlfriend RocioOliva to have a go at herfor using her mobile.

Oliva filmed the 53-year-old walking to-wards her spluttering:‘You still looking at yourphone?’

She retorted: ‘Can’t Ilook at it?’ before beg-ging him: ‘Stop Diego,calm down, stop hit-ting.’ as he allegedlytried to strike her twicewith his right hand.Dr. Ekeji (l) with team mate, Chief Segun Odegbami

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YESTERYESTERYESTERYESTERYESTERDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSTODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLE

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

QUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORD

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

ACROSS1 Cab (4)4 Fix (3)6 Intense (4)8 Light (8)9 Vent (6)10 Line (3)12 Loaf (5)14 Complain (5)15 Soar (5)18 Calm (6)20 Countless (6)24 Dissuade (5)26 Tally (5)28 Lorry (5)30 Obtain (3)32 Disregard (6)33 Bureau (6)34 Inactive (4)35 Manage (3)36 String (4)

DOWN2 Wrath (5)3 Copy (7)4 Nobleman (4)5 Increase (4)6 Trench (5)7 Everlasting (7)11 Poem (3)12 Coach (3)13 Fellow (3)16 Marry (3)17 Groove (3)19 Betrothed (7)21 Novel (3)22 Trade (7)23 Noise (3)25 Sheep (3)27 Elicit (5)29 Happen (5)30 Equipment (4)31 Borough (4)

ACROSS: 2, Spite 7, Tempo 8, Alter 10,Rouse 12, Air 13, Devil 15, Trapped 17,Onager 19, Rip 20, Defamed 23, Grid 25,Deft 26, Demonic 30, Car 31, Cattle 34,Diverse 37, Layer 38, Tan 39, Exult 40, Catch41, Ether 42, Study.

DOWN: 1, Seven 2, Sprig 3, Pooled 4, Test 5,Clapped 6, Beret 9, Tip 11, Erattic 13, Dodge14, Valid 16, Aim 18, Remorse 21, Deity 22,Steer 24, Decency 27, Mar 28, Called 29, Vital32, Tatty 33, Lever 35, Vat 36, Exit.

FIFA gives Nigeriareprieve •Friday new deadline

NIGERIA yesterday received a

reprieve from world soc-cer-governing body,FIFA, which has movedthe deadline for the na-tion’s ban to Friday, Oc-tober 31, 2014 at middayNigerian time.

The grace according toFIFA’s Secretary-Gener-al Jerome Valcke in a let-ter addressed to the Pres-ident of the NigeriaFootball Federation,Amaju Pinnick was inorder to give Nigerianfootball a last opportuni

BY TONY UBANI

Continues on Page 63

NFF Congress: FA Chairmen tosue for forgery

SOME State FootballAssociation Chair-

men have vowed to sue

those behind the currentfootball crisis for imper-sonation and forgery.Their story started thisway:

On August 26, 2014, acongress of the NigeriaFootball Federation wascalled in Chidah Hotel,Abuja.

The extra ordinarycongress was expectedto draw a road-map andfix the date for electivecongress.

When delegates ar-rived, they found outthat Aminu Maigari, thethen President of NFFwas detained by secu-rity men. The delegatesstormed out of the con-gress in solidarity with

Continues on Page 63

BY ONOCHIEANIBEZE

TIME IS RUNNING OUT — Blatter Pinnick

Sports Minister orders immediate resolution of NFF crisis — Pg.63

How to Play Sudoku

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line canhave two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (alsonine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within abold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1through 9. This means that no number can appear twicein any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, divisionor multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

Resign now, PDP tells Tambuwal

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