ATTACK ON EMIR OF KANO: IBB, Tinubu, Mark,others warn

...towards a better life for the people

N150VOL. 25: NO. 61800

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013**

Mr & Mrs

•IBB urges Jonathan to dialogue with insurgent groups•Rise to the challenge, Mark, Tinubu tells security agencies•UK to assist Nigeria on terrorism — Pocock•We killed 2 Mali-bound Nigerian soldiers — Ansaru

IBB, Tinubu, Mark,others warn

Continues on page 5

LES LEBA

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DELESOBOWALE

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Eagles underpressure,Yobo admits

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OBAMA'S SECOND TERM—US President Barack Obama (L) takes the oath of office from US Supreme CourtChief Justice John Roberts (R) as First Lady, Michelle Obama, holds the Bible and daughters ,Malia (3rdL) and Sasha look on inthe Blue Room of the White House in Washington, yesterday. Photo: AFP.

16 policemen burntto death in Kwaraauto crash

BY EMMANUELAZIKEN, JIMITOTAONOYUME, HENRY

UMORU & VICTORIAOJEME

L A G O S — R E A CTIONS have con-

tinued to trail Saturday’sattack on the convoy ofthe Emir of Kano, AlhajiAdo Bayero, by gunmen,which left two of hisaides dead, with formerMilitary Head of State,General IbrahimBabangida, describingthe attack as a wake-upcall.

He also called on

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ATTACK ON EMIR OF KANO:

COLUMNISTS:

•P.13N20m contract: Reps to invite Anenih

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OCHEREOMENNANNA

CMYK

2 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013 — 3

CMYK


CMYK

POCKET CARTOON

TAKE HEARTBY ELLA RANDLE

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013—5

LIFEWORDSBY PASTOR ITUAH

Continues from page 1

LET go of your need to win: Ego loves to divideus up into winners and losers. The pursuit of

winning is a sure-fire means to avoid consciouscontact with intention. Why? Because ultimately,winning is impossible all of the time. Someone outthere will be faster, luckier, younger, stronger, andsmarter— and back you’ll go to feeling insignificant.— Wayne Dyer

You’re not your winnings or your victories. Youmay enjoy competing, and have fun in a world wherewinning is everything, but you don’t have to bethere in your thoughts.

There are no losers in a world where we all sharethe same energy source. All you can say on a givenday is that you performed at a certain level incomparison to the levels of others on that day. Letgo of needing to win by not agreeing that theopposite of winning is losing.That’s ego’s fear.

If your body isn’t performing in a winning fashionon this day, it simply doesn’t matter when youaren’t identifying exclusively with your ego. Be theobserver, noticing and enjoying it all withoutneeding to win a trophy. Be at peace, and match upwith the energy of intention. And ironically, althoughyou’ll hardly notice it, more of those victories willshow up in your life as you pursue them less.

Attack on Kano Emir: IBB, Tinubu, Mark,others warn

Whenever the devil reminds you of your past,remind him of his future — Touché

COMMISSIONING—The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke (mid-dle) being assisted by the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Engr. Andrew Yakubu (2nd left)while commissioning the NPDC Early Phase Integrated Gas Handling Facility at Oredo Field, EdoState, yesterday. On her right is the GED, E&P, Engr. Abiye Membere, and the MD of PPMC, PrinceHaruna Momoh with others.

President GoodluckJonathan to caution hispolitical appointees ontheir intemperate lan-guage, which heclaimed had done moreharm than good.

Meantime, SenatePresident David Markdescribed the attack onthe Emir as a violent as-sault on the nation’s tra-ditional institution just

as the United Kingdompromised to help Ni-geria tackle terrorism.Also, a radical Islamicgroup, Ansaru, yester-day claimed responsibil-ity for Saturday’s attackin Okene, Kogi Statethat killed two soldierswho were due to be de-ployed to Mali, and in-jured five others.Senate President Mark,who condemned the act,

reiterated his call on thesecurity agencies to riseup to the challenge byensuring that the perpe-trators were brought tobook.

Arewa ConsultativeForum, ACF on its part,expressed shock overthe attack, noting that“violence can never ad-dress perceived griev-ances, however strongwe feel about them”.

Peoples DemocraticParty, PDP, described theattack as a sacrilegiousassault on the respectedtraditional institution.

PDP National PublicitySecretary, Chief OlisaMetuh in a statement,while condemning theact, commiserated withthe families of those wholost their lives in the at-tack as well as otherskilled in series of suchattacks in the country.

Governor IbrahimShema of Katsina State,on his part, commiser-ated with the govern-ment and people of KanoState on the incidentand prayed for thepeaceful repose of thesouls of those who losttheir lives in the attackand their families to bearthe irreparable loss.

Member of Board ofTrustees of All NigerianPeoples Party, ANPP,Chief Solomon Edebiri,also spoke in like man-ner and urged govern-ment at all levels in thecountry to treat the issue

of security very seri-ously.

Presidential aidesmust shunlanguage of force– IBB

General Babangida,who spoke to Vanguardsaid: “I advise the Fed-eral Government to ex-ploit the option of dia-logue with members ofthe insurgent groups inorder to arrest this pre-vailing drift in our na-tional security. The useof force has proven to beinadequate and ineffec-tive to checkmate thisugly trend.

“Government mustalso encourage positivediscourse among its po-litical appointees de-livered with respect andrendered in temperatelanguage to soothe themood of the nation. Lan-guage of force will nothelp us in our determi-nation to address thisinsecurity problem. Wemust engage ourselvesconstructively and in amanner that puts the in-terest of the country farand above other partisanconsideration.

“The attack on the Emirof Kano, which report-edly left four peopledead is a wake-up callfor all of us. What doesanyone stand to gain byattempting to kill an

Emir that is nearing 80years? The Emir of Kanostands out as one tradi-tional ruler who doesnot seek favours fromthose in government andoutside it, and who overthe years, has been ableto live an exemplary lifeto the admiration of all.His record of achieve-ments, the stability andcandour he has broughtto bear on the throne,are virtues that will livefor posterity.”

Let’s employlegitimate meansof seekingredress– Mark, PDP

Mark, in a statementby his Special Adviser,Media and Publicity, MrKola Ologbondiyan, saidhe was saddened by re-newed violence in Kanoand some other states,lamenting the incessantincidents of gun attacksas well as the activitiesof insurgent groups,who always target inno-cent individuals in oursociety.

He called on Nigeri-ans, who have informa-tion about the hideout ofthe activists to makesuch available to the se-curity agencies.

PDP on its part, notedthat the party wasdeeply saddened by thewave of attacks andurged those behind thedastardly acts to have arethink, stressing thatthere was no justifica-tion for bloodletting.

“Nigerians must learnto live harmoniouslywith one another. Thosewho have grievances ofany kind should seeklegitimate means of get-ting redress instead ofresorting to violence.”

The party urged thesecurity agencies to riseto the occasion and en-sure that those behindthe attack on the Emirand other Nigerianswere brought to book.

Violence won’taddressgrievances– ACF, GovShema

ACF in a statement byits National PublicitySecretary, Mr AnthonySan, said: "The news ofattacks on the convoy ofEmir of Kano, which re-sulted in the loss of twoof his aides came to ACFas a rude shock, becausethe Emir, as a custodianof traditional values andculture that inspirepeaceful coexistence,harmony and stability,should not reasonably bethe target for attacks byany right thinking per-son or group. The attackswere, condemnable be-cause they were un-called for.

"Consequently, wecondemn the attackswith all sense of serious-ness and concern be-cause violence can neveraddress perceivedgrievances, howeverstrong we feel aboutthem. May God reposethe souls of those whodied in the attacks andprovide those they leftbehind the fortitude tobear the irreparablelosses."

Governor Shema in astatement by his SeniorSpecial Assistant onPress Affairs, Mr LawalMatazu, appealed toNigerians to embracepeace and dialogue asthe best tool for solvinggrievances.

Let’s strengthenour securityinstitutions – Edebiri

Chief Edebiri, whospoke to Vanguard, yes-terday, in Port Harcourt,Rivers State, said it wassad that anyone couldthink of attacking the

Continues on page 46

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

16 policemen burnt to deathin auto crash

ILORIN — SIXTEEN policemen, who hadjust passed out of Police College were

yesterday burnt to death at Omua-Aran areaof Kwara State following an auto crashinvolving a Mercedes Benz car and Hummerbus.

Eye witnesses told Vanguard that the accidentoccurred at about 9:00 a.m in front of theFederal Government Girls College, Omu-Aranin Irepodun Local Government Area of thestate.

The Toyota Hummer bus which thepolicemen chattered was travelling from Ilorinto Nasarawa State, while the Mercedes Benzcar with number plate Kaduna AB 347 BKAwas coming from the opposite direction andrammed into the "police vehicle."

It was said the impact caused the fire to

erupt. Rescuers were said to have arrived toolate as the two vehicles were said to have beenburnt into ashes before their arrival.

However, there were three survivors who wererushed to Omu-Aran General Hospital wherethey are receiving treatment.

Vanguard checks also revealed that thepolicemen were indigenes of Kwara who weretrained in Lagos.They reportedly made a detourto Ilorin enroute Nasarawa State where theywere allegedly posted to before they met theiruntimely death.

Confirming the accident, the Police PublicRelations Officer, Fabode Femi, who said thepolice were aware of the accident, however,added that he was yet to confirm the number ofcasualty.

He assured that he would brief the press assoon as he was able to get the accurate figure ofthe victims.

We can’t sell petrol at N97per litre — IPMAN

Says it buys from private tank farms at N105

N97 is official pump price, DPR insists

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG, JOHNBOSCO

AGBAKWURU & GODWINORITSE

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State (left) and Vice President Namadi Sambo during the Vice President's visit toAbeokuta, yesterday.

LAGOS — THE IndependentPetroleum Marketers

Association of Nigeria, IPMAN,Eastern Zone, has said that it wasnot possible to sell PremiumMotor Spirit, PMS, otherwiseknown as petrol, at thegovernment approved N97 perlitre in the South-East.

The association said this wasbecause it buys the product atN105 from private tank owners.

The zonal acting chairman, Mr.Chukwudi Ezinwa, stated this,weekend, in Calabar, Cross RiverState. Speaking on the state of thepetroleum sector, Ezinwalamented that only three of the21 depots in Nigeria werefunctioning but at below 50 percent capacity.

He said: “We cannot sell N97per litre while we are buying atN105 from private tank owners,pay transport and other loadingexpenses. It cannot work.”

However, the Nigeria Union ofPetroleum and Natural GasWorkers, NUPENG, through itsActing General Secretary, Mr.Isaac Aberare, has expressedshock at the statement.

Abarere who spoke toVanguard, said it was a challengeon the Federal Government to riseup to its responsibilities to thecitizens and ensure that PMSremained at the official price ofN97.00 nationwide.

Illegal activities ofprivate tank owners

IPMAN also called on thegovernment to check the illegalactivities of private tank owners,who he said were fleecing itsmembers, saying plans wereunderway for it to meet withrelevant government institutionsincluding the National Assemblyto demand for proper actionagainst the alleged illegalactivities.

He dismissed rumours that hismembers were hoardingproducts, declaring that “IPMANdoes not own refineries or depots,so we cannot hoard products tosuffer Nigerians .You cannot givewhat you do not have.”

Ezinwa said that part of theproblems of fuel scarcity was thatthe country currently has 21 oildepots across the country but onlythree were working, although, atbelow 50 per cent capacity.

He advocated for theinvolvement of state governmentsin the security of oil pipelines thatpass through their domains,saying the take-over of monitoringand securing of oil pipelines intheir domains was the best wayof curbing crude oil vandalismand oil theft in the country.

He added that “IPMAN is readyto partner with them in this regardand this will go a long way toreducing vandalism of pipelinesand oil theft by unscrupulouselements in the country.”

IPMAN not againstremoval of oil subsidy

Ezinwa also said that IPMANwas not against removal of oilsubsidy by the FederalGovernment, but that governmentshould put in place measures thatwould make it work.

He said: “What we are sayingis that, before you remove subsidy,you must put in place necessarymeasures to make it work. Andone of the conditions was that allthe refineries and governmentdepots must work at full capacity.”

He said that removal of oilsubsidy without governmentrefineries or government depotsworking was capable of creatingsocial insecurity and confusion inNigeria.

NUPENG expressesshock

According to Acting GeneralSecretary of NUPENG, Mr.Aberare, if IMPAN was sayingmembers could no longer sell atofficial price at N97.00 in theSouth-East, it meant that theywere getting the product higherthan N97. He declared howeverthat if the subsidy regime couldnot address their concern, then,something was wrong withsubsidy regime.

Aberare said: “If they are sayingthey can no longer sell at theofficial price of N97, it means theyare sourcing the product at a veryhigh rate. In that case, we call ongovernment to live up to itsresponsibilities to the Nigerian

citizens and make the productavailable to Nigerians nationwideat the official price.

“Another issue is what happensto the subsidy regime? Does it notcover those in the South-East? Weknow the government has issueswith subsidy regime especiallypayment of subsidy claims tomarketers. This should not be anexcuse to inflict pains on a sectionof the country because they areonly talking about South-East.

“Whatever the reasons that aremaking IPMAN members tocome out and say they can nolonger sell at N97 should beaddressed by the appropriateagencies as soon as possible. TheNigerian National PetroleumCorporation, NNPC, that hascontinued to boast that there willnot be scarcity of product, shouldensure that the people of theSouth-East do not sufferunnecessarily.”

N97 is official pumpprice, DPR insists

Meanwhile, a source from theDepartment of PetroleumResources, DPR, insisted that N97was the official pump price forPMS, adding that it was anoffence for anybody to sell abovethe official rate.

The source said: “The issue isa supply issue and we are tryingto see why most of the depots arenot selling at the governmentcontrolled price.”

Vanguard also gathered that theDPR has scheduled a meetingtomorrow with IPMAN and depotowners to discuss the matter afterwhich the agency would comeout with an official position.


From left: Ms. Arunma Oteh, Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission,SEC; Mr. Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator; Mr. Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Holdingsand Dr. Aliko Dangote, President, Dangote Group during a meeting hosted by The TonyElumelu Foundation to discuss US-Nigeria public-private partnership as a new way ofimproving economic development.

Civil war comment: Matchyour words with action,Okogie tells Obasanjo

BY SAM EYOBOKA

LAGOS — THEArchbishop Emeritus of

the Catholic Archdiocese ofLagos, Anthony CardinalOkogie, has commendedformer President OlusegunObasanjo over his recentwarning against commentsthat could plunge the nationinto another civil war, askinghim, however, to match hiswords with action.

Obasanjo had at a recentreception in his honour by theSouth-West zone of thePeople’s Democratic Party,PDP, urged Nigerians to putbehind them the harrowingexperience of the Nigeriancivil war and work for theunity and progress of thecountry.

But in a swift reaction,Okogie, while noting that thecomment of the formerpresident was in order,stressed that for such a callto be meaningful, there wasalso the need for thecountry’s leaders, includingthe different ethnicnationalities to bury their

hatchets, forgive one anotherand work together for thepeaceful co-existence of thecountry.

He said: “I want tocongratulate formerPresident OlusegunObasanjo for tellingNigerians to forget about theills of the Nigerian civil war.It is a patriotic comment; butit should go beyond that.How I wish that the formerPresident and all our leaderscan put the words into action.

”I wish that all those whobear grudges against oneanother can come forwardand bury their hatches. Theforgiveness he talks aboutshould go beyond the civilwar. Let him and allNigerians continue to searchtheir conscience and ask ifwe genuinely want peace toreign in our nation.”

Okogie further said the onlyway for lasting peace was for“us to forgive the wrongsmeted on us by others,” andchallenged Obasanjo to leadthe way through his actions,just as he prayed God togrant the country sustainablepeace and harmony.

Army to court-martial 11officers over murder, others

As NHRC begins probe of soldiers over alleged rape

BY TONY EDIKE &IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

ENUGU — THE 82 Divisionof the Nigerian Army,

Enugu, is set to try its officersfound to be involved in criminalacts and other offences classifiedas indiscipline.

This came as the NationalHuman Rights Commission,NHRC, weekend, said it wouldnot rest on its oars until all thesoldiers who allegedly abductedand raped some women in theFederal Capital Territory underthe guise that they wereprostitutes, were fished out andpunished accordingly.

The 82 Division of the Armysaid it had concluded plans toswear in members of GeneralCourt Martial that would try theaccused officers today.

Serious disciplinary/criminalcases that occurred within thedivision’s area of responsibilitywill be tried, according to astatement by the AssistantDirector Public Relations of thedivision, Col. Hamzah Gambo.The cases to be tried includemurder and scandalous/disgraceful conducts.

The statement hinted that therewere 11 accused personnel to betried by the general court martial.

The court martial, according tothe statement, is expected toround off its sitting within 90 days.

NHRC begins probe ofsoldiers over allegedrape

Meanwhile,NHRC has saidthat it had commencedinvestigation into several reportedcases of alleged human rightsabuses involving officials of AbujaEnvironmental Protection Board,AEPB.

Addressing journalists at the

national headquarters of thecommission in Abuja, ExecutiveSecretary of the NHRC, Prof. BenAngwe, noted that thoughSection 35 of the AEPB Act of1997, forbids street begging,hawking and prostitution withinthe FCT, neither soldiers nor anyother security agency had thestatutory powers to infringe on thefundamental human rights of anyNigerian under the pretence ofenforcing an extant law.

According to Angwe, thecommission received complaintsthat aside harassing innocentwomen on allegation that theyseemed like prostitutes, officialsof the AEPB usually arrest andconfiscate items from hawkers fortheir personal use, adding thatsuch hawkers were usuallyforced to bail themselves withhuge sums of money.

He stressed that thecommission had received severalcomplaints from victims of suchalleged misconduct by officials ofthe board and had sincecommenced investigation into theallegations.

He said: "The commissionwhich gathered that the matter isalready before the FederalSecretariat, Abuja Police Station,however, condemns in its entiretyall forms of rights violations andis ready to ensure that the rightsof the victims are enforced.”

Angwe who spoke alongsidethe chairperson of the AfricanCommission on Human andPeoples’ Rights, ACHPR, MrsDupe Atoki, who is also a memberof the NHRC board, said the bodyhad accordingly sent letters to theChief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen.Azubuike Ihejirika and theCommissioner of Police, FCTcommand, Mr Adenrele Shinabato promptly investigate the rapeallegation and update the

commission on any action takenon the subject matter to enable ittake further necessary action inline with its mandate.

Jonathan off to Switzerland, Ethiopiaon investment drive

BY BEN AGANDE

ABUJA — PRESIDENTGoodluck Jonathan will

embark on a working visitto Switzerland and Ethiopiatoday with engagements inGeneva and Davos whichare intended to draw theattention of members of theinternational businessfinance community toNigeria’s immenseinvestment potentials.

A statement signed by DrReuben Abati, SpecialAdviser to the President onMedia and Publicity,yesterday, said PresidentJonathan was leading adrive to attract greaterforeign expertise andcapital, to boost the FederalGovernment’s efforts torapidly modernize andpositively transformNigeria’s agricultural sector.

The statement said thepresident would meet withan Eminent Persons Groupon Nigeria’s TransformationAgenda in Geneva,tomorrow.

Abati listed members of thegroup to include Mr. BillGates; former Secretary-General of the UnitedNations, Dr. Kofi Annan;President of the

International Fund forAgricultural Development,Dr. Kanayo Nwanze;President of the AfricaDevelopment Bank, Mr.Donald Kaberuka andChairman of the Del MonteProduce Group, Mr.Mohammed Abu-Ghazaleh.

He said the Presidentwould at a special session ofthe annual meeting of theworld’s leadingbusinessmen andindustrialists at the WorldEconomic Forum in Davoson Wednesday also promotenew incentives forinvestment in Nigeria’sagricultural sector targeted atattracting greaterinternational support for theestablishment of a moresuccessful and profitableagro-allied industry in thecountry.

According to him, thesession will also focus onongoing policy andinstitutional reforms in thesector, the establishment ofstaple crop processing zonesand medium to long termfinancing options foragriculture in Nigeria.

President Jonathan whowill be accompanied on thetrip by the Minister ofAgriculture, Dr. Adewunmi

Adesina; Minister of Financeand Coordinating Minister forthe Economy, Dr. NgoziOkonjo-Iweala; Minister ofNational Planning, Dr.Shamsudeen Usman;Minister of PetroleumResources, Mrs. DiezaniAllison-Madueke; Minister ofTrade and Investment, Dr.Olusegun Aganga andGovernor of the Central Bankof Nigeria, Mallam SanusiLamido Sanusi. He is alsoscheduled to host a privatesession with representatives ofleading multinationalcompanies under the auspicesof the Business InteractiveGroup on Nigeria.

Abati noted: ”The Presidentwill also seize the opportunityof his participation in specialsessions of the World EconomicForum entitled “De-RiskingAfrica” and “Africa’s Promise”to draw fresh global attentionto the great opportunitieswhich ongoing reforms andderegulation, privatisation andcommercialisation of formerpublic sector monopolies haveopened up for willing investorsin key sectors of the Nigerianeconomy such as oil and gas,power supply,c o m m u n i c a t i o n s ,transportation andagriculture.”


Ikimi heads 19-man c’tteeon ACN, CPC, ANPP merger

Oko Baba fire disaster: 98 childrenin Relief Camp —LASEMA

L A G O S — L A G O SState Sector Com-

mander of the FederalRoad Safety Commis-sion, FRSC, Mr.Nsebong Akpabio,weekend, said that pa-trol along the Lagos-Ibadan Highway, wouldbe enhanced to check-mate the increasingcases of accident oftrucks, tankers and othervehicles.

Akpabio in a statementafter yesterday’s roadcrash on Long Bridgealong Lagos-Ibadan Ex-pressway, said: “Theupcoming FRSC LagosState Commandstakeholder ’s meetingwith the Truck and

Auto crashes: FRSC promisesto increase patrol on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

BY EVELYN USMAN

Police foilbankrobbery inLagos

LAGOS—THERE wasa shoot-out, yesterday,

between a team of police-men and a 12-man robberygang who attempted tobreak into the Elemorobranch of one of the firstgeneration banks, alongEpe road, Lagos.

However, the robbers,reportedly fled the sceneabandoning their opera-tional vehicle and housebreaking implements.

The bandits as gathered,stormed the bank at about2am and scaled into thecompound through thefence. They were said tohave been at the verge ofbreaking the AutomatedTeller Machine, ATMwhen policemen fromElemoro, led by the Area JCommander, Mr FelixVwamhi, who received adistress call, swopped onthem,thereby leading to agun duel.

The robbers according tothe Lagos State Police Pub-lic Relations Officer, NgoziBraide, “ bowed to the su-perior fire of the policemen.Some of them escapedwith bullet wounds.

L AGOS—POWERHolding Company of

Nigeria, PHCN, engineersand technicians are work-ing round the clock to fin-ish repair works on com-pany’s control room in the132KHV Amuwo transmis-sion station in Lagos thatwas last Wednesday gut-ted by fire.

Areas affected by the in-ferno included the panel T-one and panel T-two.

Although panel T-onewhich supplies electricityto FESTAC and some partsof Amuwo Odofin area wasseverely damaged by theinferno. Vanguard, how-ever, gathered that workwas in progress to restorepower supply to the af-fected areas.

Similarly, work had alsobegun on panel T-two thatsupplies electricity toKirikiri town and its envi-rons. There were strong in-dications that power sup-ply could be restored to af-fected areas soon.

PHCNcommenceswork on burnttransmissionstation

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

BY OLASUNKANMIAKONI

LAGOS—FORMERMinister of Foreign

Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi,has been appointedchairman of a 19-mem-ber committee to nego-tiate the Action Con-gress of Nigeria, ACN,planned merger withCongress for Progres-sive Change, CPC, andAll Nigeria PeoplesParty, ANPP.

ACN National Public-ity Secretary, Alhaji LaiMohammed, in a state-ment, yesterday, saidthe committee, had asmembers former Gover-nor of Ogun State,Aremo OlusegunOsoba, former Governorof Ekiti State, OtunbaNiyi Adebayo, Gover-nors Babatunde Fasholaand Rauf Aregbesola,Sen. John Akpan

doedehe, Pastor OsagieIze-Iyamu, SenatorGeorge Akume andAbike Dabiri-Erewa.

Other members areSen. Lawal Shuaibu,Chief Audu Ogbe, ChiefAchike Udenwa, ChiefJohn Odigie-Oyegun,Senator Chris Ngige,Dr. Usman Bugaje,Hadjia Rabiat Eshak, Dr.Ibrahim Lame, AlhajiYusuf Ali and Alhaji LaiMohammed.

According to ACN, theappointment of the com-mittee was an indicationof its total commitmentto making the merger areality, noting that there

was no going back in theparty’s determination towork with the CPC andthe ANPP to rescue andsalvage Nigeria.

ACN congratulatedthe leadership of theCPC and the ANPPwhich had alreadynamed their merger com-mittees, for their patriot-ism, and appealed to allNigerians to support theplanned merger.

According to the state-ment ‘This is not aboutthe ACN, CPC or ANPPbut about our countryNigeria, which is totter-ing on the edge of dis-aster due mainly to the

lack of leadership andfailure of governance bythe ruling PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDPsince 1999. The mergerof the three parties islike a ‘Noah’s Ark’which all Nigerians whoare tired of the endlessdrift of our country mustenter into. This is notabout winning power atthe centre at all costs, asthe naysayers will wantNigerians to believe. Itis about putting the in-terest of Nigeria andNigerians above every-

briefing: Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (middle); Chief Medi-cal Director, Mother and Child Hospital, Akure, Dr Lawal Oyeneyin (left)and Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, during a briefing on thesuccess of the Abiye (Safe Motherhood) Programme of the Ondo State Gov-ernment under Mimiko in Washington DC, USA, yesterday.

thing else.’’We will also like to

inform Nigerians thatcontrary to what thedoubters and spoilersare saying, the threeparties are going intothe merger plans uncon-ditionally and without aset mind over posts oranything else. The onlyissue that has been set-tled is the urgent needto rescue and salvageour country. In this re-gard, the oppositionknows it has a date withhistory.’’

Tanker Owners will re-view frequent crashes oftruck and tanker alongLagos-Ibadan corridorin addition to the en-hancement of the Corps’patrol operation alongthe corridor.

‘’The command re-ceived a report of roadcrash on Long Bridgealong Lagos-Ibadan Ex-pressway this morning.Various patrol teams onthe corridor were alertedimmediately to move tothe scene for rescue op-erations. DAF95XFtanker with number plateXR 326 AGL (LAGOS),loaded with PMS had acrash on the LongBridge on its way out ofLagos on Sunday, Janu-ary 20, 2013..

L A G O S — L A G O SState Emergency

Management Agency,LASEMA, weekend,said no fewer than 98children of Oko Baba firevictims were currentlyin the Agbowa ReliefCamp, where they aretemporarily being ac-commodated.

It would be recalledthat fire gutted the OkoBaba Plank Market inEbutte-Metta, MainlandLocal Government Area,early this year and de-stroyed property worthmillions of naira, render-ing occupants homeless.

General Manager ofLASEMA, Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, during hisvisit to the camp to as-sess state of the inter-nally displaced victimswho had been relocatedto the camp, said all 98children of the victimswere discovered to benutritional disadvan-taged, according to theagency’s findings.

He said: “As I men-tioned earlier, all theseare just to provide psy-chological, emotionaland socio-economic re-lief for them as a resultof the hardship theymust have been goingthrough due to the firedisaster. “We have pro-vided shelter and all fa-cilities for them. Thefeeding is three times ina day and we ensurethat special attention isgiven to the children.

We have also providedin the camp, sportingand recreational facili-ties for the InternallyDisplaced People, IDPs,in the camp.

“Beyond this, weslaughter one cow perweek in addition tochicken and differentspecies of fish we servethem to enhance theirnutrition. That is whyyou can see that they arevery happy with our of-ficials.”

BY OLASUNKANMIAKONI

BY CHARLES KUMOLU


.As Lagos raises alarm PETER DURU & MONSUR

OLOWOOPEJO

Lassa fever: FGreleases 4,500doses of drugs forBenue

Gov Fayemi challenges FGover Federation Account

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, Political Editor

ADO EKITI — GOVERNOR KayodeFayemi of Ekiti State, has challenged the

Federal Government to enthrone the samesystem of accountability in the distribution offederal revenue, in its collection.

He claimed that no one governor in thecountry knows the exact amount of moneycollected into the Federation Account.

Governor Fayemi in an interview, weekend,said though governors were not saints, thepresent set of governors had proved themselvesto be far better than their predecessors.

Governor Fayemi also cited developmentstatistics showing that Ekiti State had the

Obasanjo adoggedfighter— Uduaghan

BY EMMA AMAIZE

A NEW book entitled'The President

Explains' by formerPresident OlusegunObasanjo will bepresented to the publictomorrow.

In a statement,yesterday, by the PublicPresentation Committee,the event which holds atPresidential Library,Abeokuta, at 10 a.m.,will also be launched bytop government officialsand captains ofindustry.

The book, a version ofthe Obasanjo’s popularRadio Nigeria program-me with the same title,covers Obasanjo’spolicies and programmesas president for eightyears.

A B E O K U T A —DELTA State

Governor, Dr. EmmanuelUduaghan, hasdescribed formerPresident OlusegunObasanjo, as anationalist, who standsand fights doggedly forwhatever cause hebelieves in.

Uduaghan, whospoke, weekend, whenhe visited the formerPresident at his Abeoku-ta residence, during areception organised bythe South-West PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP,said “Chief Obasanjo isa man who stands bywhat he believes in anddoes not waver, no matterthe situation.

"Once he believes in acourse, he pursues it toa logical end.”

....New bookfor launch

highest life expectancy, the lowest HIVprevalence rate and the lowest maternalmortality rate in the country to show thedevelopment strides achieved in the state overthe period.

Fayemi boasted: “This is the only state inthe federation that gives every secondaryschool child a computer, personalisedcomputer.

"We have the highest life expectancy inNigeria at 55

"We have the lowest HIV prevalence rate inNigeria at one per cent and we have the lowestmaternal mortality rate in in the country.”

Faulting the regime of transparency adoptedby the Federal Ministry of Finance in thedistribution of allocations to the states,Governor Fayemi challenged the federaladministration to adopt the same attitude inits collections.

According to him, “We like what Ngozi(Coordinating Minister of the Economy) hasbeen doing by publishing what goes to us;that is fine.

"Our people should know what goes to usso that they can monitor us. We too, we wantto know the actual money earned by theNigerian state to which we belong, so that wecan also challenge it with our own independentanalysis. People should support that insteadof haranguing us.

“Monies are collectedby the NNPC, we do notknow the amount, nogovernor in this countrycan tell you how much thiscountry earns on a dailybasis.

"Shouldn’t I be whippedat home that I amsupposed to be part of anentity and there isaccountability andtransparency, yet nobodygives me a full picture ofwhat is earned?

"Time and againgovernors have raised thisissue at all sorts of fora andwe have four cases on thisat the Supreme Court. TheFederal Government hasbeen requesting for an outof court settlement inmany of these cases."

LAGOS —THE Federal Ministry ofHealth has released over 4,500

doses of both Ribavirin and Virazoletablets and intravenous drugs to theBenue State government to checkfurther spread of the deadly Lassafever epidemic which broke out inMakurdi, the Benue State capital lastweek.

This came as Lagos Stategovernment, yesterday,stressed theneed for residents to maintain adequate

personal and environmentalhygiene at all times as partof the precautionarymeasures to prevent outbreakof Lassa fever in the state.

On the release of doses,Benue State Director of PublicHealth, Dr. Joseph Kumba,who disclosed this, weekend,said aside the drugs, theministry also dispatched ateam of four experts to thestate to ensure that thedisease was contained assoon as possible.

He disclosed that FederalGovernment Lassa Feverlaboratory, at the FederalMedical Centre, Irua, in EdoState, actually confirmed theoutbreak of Lassa fever inMakurdi, after testing theblood of some victims inBenue State.

Woman, 30, bags 5-yr jailterm for killing child

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

OSOGBO — A 30-year-old woman, Mrs.Yidiat Bakare, has been sentenced to five

years imprisonment by an Osogbo Magistrate'sCourt for intentionally throwing her three monthsold child into a river in Ifon-Osun, headquartersof Orolu Local Government Area of Osun State.

Bakare, according to Police prosecutor, Mr.Oladoye Joshua,committed the offence onJanuary 10, 2013, at about 4.00p.m.

She was said to have had seriousmisunderstanding with her husband AmoduBakare on that fateful day.

Police prosecutor, told the court that her actionled to the death of her baby, declaring shecommitted an offence punishable under section325 of the criminal code, cap 34 voll II, laws ofOsun State of Nigeria 2003.

From left: Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, Kwara State Governor; Senator Bukola Sarakiand Hon. Rasaq Atunwa, Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, at the State PDPMonthly Meeting, in Ilorin, yesterday.


BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

Prof Okonjo’s kidnap: More to bearraigned soon —Delta PPRO

Man, 35, jailed 3yrs for defiling 6-yr-old girlBY SAMUEL

OYADONGHA

Airhiavbere vsOshiomhole:Judgment dayJan 23

BY SIMONEBEGBULEM

Communal clash: Perpetrators won’tgo free —Cobham

LAUNCHING: From right: Mr. Mike Okeme; Dr. Rukevwe; Evang. Gbigbideje Ogheneovo;Prof. Amos Utuama, Delta State Deputy Governor; Engr. Aloku, President, Urhobo ProgressUnion, UPU, Asaba Branch, and Chief Ighoyota Amori, during the launching of aN150,000,000.00 utra-modern Urhobo Cultural/Event Centre project, in Asaba Photo: NathOnojake.

YENAGOA—A 35 yearsold man, Gift Meshack,

has been sentenced to threeyears in jail by a Bayelsa StateHigh Court sitting in Yenagoa,for defiling a six years old girl.

Trial judge, Justice NayaiAganaba, in his judgment,said: “Any attempt to makelove to a female counterpartwithout her consent amountsto rape, but in this case, thevictim is just six years old.”

Meanwhile, a group, Na-tional Anti-Corruption Volun-teer Corps, NACVC, led byPrincess Elizabeth Egbe, haswritten to the state governor,Mr. Seriake Dickson and theAttorney-General and Com-missioner for Justice of thestate to prevail on the state Po-lice Command to initiate ahigh powered investigationinto the gang-rape and mur-der of an 18 years old girl,Miss Imomoemi Esegi, bysome youths.

The court said the convictcontravened the law and thatthe jail term should serve asa deterrent to others.

Prosecuting counsel, Mr.Boy Endoni, had told the court

that the accused, Gift Me-shack, had, in July, 2010, atEtegwe-Epie area in theBayelsa capital, had unlaw-ful and indecent canal knowl-edge of the six years old girl.

Endoni told the court thatthe convict raped the victimand committed an offencepunishable under section

146(2) of the Criminal CodeLaws of Bayelsa State.

According to the prosecutingcounsel, the victim’s complain ofpains in her private part attract-ed the attention of the motherand questions were asked, “Itwas at this point that the victimtold the mother what happened.”

NACVC, on the 18 years old

girl who was raped to death, saidthe incident happened on July30, 2012 between 12 noon and 2pm inside a shop.

The victim, who hails fromAgudama-Epetiama in YenagoaLocal Government Area of thestate, was an employee of an In-terio Decoration outfit at Amara-ta as a computer operator.

BENIN—EDO StateGovernorship Elec-

tion Petition Tribunal will,Wednesday, deliver judg-ment in the petitionagainst the re-election ofGovernor Adams Oshi-omhole of Action Con-gress of Nigeria, ACN,by the governorsip can-didate of Peoples Demo-cratic Party, PDP, in theJuly 14, 2012 governor-ship election, Gen.Charles Airhiavbere(rtd).

Airhiavbere had al-leged in his petition thatOshiomhole lacked theeducational qualificationto contest election for theoffice of governor of EdoState, adding that thesaid election was marredby alleged irregularities.

Oshiomhole in his de-fence, argued that he pos-sessed the necessary ed-ucational qualification forthe election.

A S A B A — P E RSONS arrested in

connection with the kid-nap of the mother of theMinister of Finance, Dr.Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,Professor KameneOkonjo, currently beinginterrogated at the statepolice headquarters,Asaba, will be arraignedin court as soon as inves-tigations were conclud-ed, state Police PublicRelations Officer, Mr.Famous Ijieh has said.

Meantime, the ApostleGeneral of Cherubimand Seraphim in DeltaState has been kid-napped from residence

on Kwale/Ashaka Road,Delta State.

William Omenma, oneof the suspects and firstto be arrested for his al-leged involvement inthe kidnap of Prof.Kamene Okonjo, was,weekend, arraigned be-fore a Chief Magistratecourt, Asaba, on a four-count charge of conspir-acy, armed robbery andkidnap.

Omenma, who was re-manded at Ogwashi-Uku prison, is also fac-ing another two-countcharge of alleged kid-napping one Mr. Maz-well Dim, male, the own-er of Obi-Link filling sta-tion, Asaba, along with

other accomplices still atlarge, on October 6,2010 as well as the al-leged kidnapping of oneOsadebe between No-vember 2011 and Febru-ary 2012 with the collab-oration of others still atlarge.

Vanguard gatheredthat the abductors of theApostle General of Cher-ubim and Seraphim,numbering six, stormedhis residence on Fridaynight and forcefully tookthe 76-year-old religiousleader to an unknowndestination. Ijieh con-firmed the kidnap yes-terday, saying, “we havespread our dragnet forthe abductors.”

BY JOHNBOSCOAGBAKWURU

ACTING Governorof Cross River

State, Mr. Efiok Cob-ham, has said that thosebehind the communalclash between the stateand the neighbouringAmagu community inIkwo Local GovernmentArea of Ebonyi State thatreportedly claimed thelives of no fewer than 11

persons from Cross Riv-er and 2,000 displaced,will not go unpunished.

Cobham, who spokeduring an on-the-spotassessment of the affect-ed community, yester-day, said governmenthad put machinery inmotion to ensure thatnormalcy returned to thearea.

Sympathizing with thepeople over their losses,Cobham urged them to

cooperate with law en-forcement personneldrafted to the area andavoid self-help as itwould only worsen thesituation.

He said: “I am here tocommiserate with youover the unfortunate in-cident that happened onSaturday. We share inyour sorrow and willstand by you to ensurethat we get to the rootcauses of the crisis.”

OPINION

12— Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

*Mr. Kupoluyi wrote from Federal Varsityof Agric., Abeokuta, Ogun State.

BY ADEWALE KUPOLUYI

Continued from pg 17

THE objectives of the Act, as stated in itsSection 2, are to: Ensure that every

person who worked either in the publicservice of the Federation, Federal CapitalTerritory or the private sector receives his/her entitlements as and when due; assistimprovident individuals by ensuring thatthey save in order to cater for theirlivelihood during old age; and establish auniform set of rules, regulations andstandards for administration and paymentof retirement benefits for the public serviceof the Federation, Federal CapitalTerritory and the private sector.

The benefits of the new pension schemeare obvious in terms of: Firstly, theenormous deposit growth of banksthrough the placement of pension funds infixed deposits and from more regularpayment of pension entitlements ofexisting pensioners.

Secondly, the new pension scheme isexpected to generate about N60 billion incontributions every year.

Thirdly, under the new pension system,the use of accumulated funds in individualRetired Savings Accounts to purchaseannuities from insurance companieswould also provide another major tonicfor insurance business in Nigeria.

Fourthly, stock broking firms stand toprofit from the higher business volumeswhich the increased transactions onretirement bonds, corporate bonds andequities consequent upon the higher

capital market operations that increasedpension funds offers.

Again, mortgage and propertydevelopment firms are expected toexperience greater profitable long-termopportunities for their real estates andcommercial property developmentschemes as an increased build-up ofpension funds forces pension fundmanagers to seek more and safer inflation-proof outlets for their investable funds.

Ordinarily, a civil servant, either at thestate, federal or local government level, isqualified to draw pension if he/she has putin, a minimum of 10 years in the serviceand the maximum of 35 years. A person ishowever not qualified to draw pension ifhe/she has not attained the age of 45 evenif he/she has served for required qualifiedperiod of pension. However, the amountcomputed for such beneficiary would waituntil when the age of 45 is attained.

Gratuity, on the other hand is the lump-sum amount of money paid to an employeeof any of the three tiers of government onleaving the service, having served for aminimal period of five years. For gratuity,the lowest percentage of total emolumentpayable is 100 per cent, for a person thathas put in a minimum period of five years.

Despite the existing legal framework, theadministration of pension and gratuity inNigeria remains problematic for a numberof factors that could be best described asman-made.

To start with, some employees who workin government establishments that handlepension and gratuity matters havecontinued to be very fraudulent in theirdealings.

This, they do by inflating the pensionpayroll through the inclusion of fictitious,non-existent and/or ghost pensioners onthe payroll. Through these means, moniesmeant for persons rightfully retired go intopersonal coffers.

Stations’ swapping or pay points ofretirees are also manipulated. For instance,a pensioner, whose pay point is in Kaduna,is intentionally indicated to be paid ineither Lagos or Owerri and vice-versa.

Invariably, when the said pensioner isunable to trace his/her name at thesupposed pay point, he/she gets frustrated,but unknown to him/her these pensionpayments are claimed by other persons.

Other mischievous acts include non-payment of dead pensioners’

entitlements, falsification of the documentsof retirees and wrongful computation ofthe total amount payable. It is extortiongalore by faceless officials during thebiometrics capture exercises.

Due to the complete maladministrationof pensions, the government’s latestintervention through the Pension ReformTask Team (PRTT) - set up to bring sanityinto the system and ensure that pensionersreceived their pensions as and when due

appear to have been dashed – for allegedlyengaging in fraudulent practices.

Apart from the reported problem ofpower tussle between the Office of theHead of the Civil Service of the Federation,the Task Team and the Police Pensions forcontrol over these accounts, there havebeen allegations of the mismanagementof N45 billion at the Police Pensions Officeand another N21 billion of police pensionsby the chairman of the Task Team onPensions, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina.

The consulting firm, KPMG, which wasinvited to audit the police pensions, hadalleged that remittances were fraught withirregularities. For instance, N1.5 billionwas said to have been remitted to the PolicePensions Office monthly, as against theN500 million that was actually requiredwhile another N24 billion was kept in anaccount meant for the payment ofharmonisation arrears.

KPMG also observed that accounts werebeing opened and monies belonging to thepolice pensions were being moved around,as every new management opened newaccounts in banks and moved fundsaround.

Another major issue with the pensionadministration is its poor execution at thestate level.

Still on the plight of pensioners(2)

Continues tomorrow on pg. 17

SOON all that the National Assemblywould be doing is investigating or probingone matter or the other. Even before thecommittees set out on these missions, thepublic is always certain about the outcome:nothing.

It is therefore with benign equanimity thatNigerians learnt that money was missingfrom the Mint, the factory that prints thenational currency, at least the bit that is notimported. Its official name is the NigerianSecurity Printing and Minting Company.The Mint has no security.

The scandal is not that money is missing; amilder manner of reporting a theft, but thedisclosure that nobody knows what wasstolen. The Governor of Central Bank ofNigeria guesses it is N2 billion, theManaging Director of the Mint said it wasN1.5 billion while another Mint officialposited an easily negligible N900, 000. Thefact is that money was stolen from the Mintsince early December.

It was not the first time. Would it be the last?For how long has this been happening? Howwas it possible? How much has been stolen?

Missing Mint MoneyMissing Mint MoneyMissing Mint MoneyMissing Mint MoneyMissing Mint MoneyWhat about the numerous security camerasand body searches meant to forestall suchoccurrence? Who could steal from the Mintwithout official connivance?

To move N2 billion would require asizeable vehicle, no matter the denominationin which the money is. Even the more paltryN900, 000 (an unlikely interest for a Mintthief) cannot be tucked into pockets. Stealingfrom the Mint falls in the realms of thehighest levels of organised crime.

Now that thieves can have their take of thenational wealth from source - in the sameway they steal oil sources withoutpunishment – chances are that criminals, intheir numbers, would enroll for fuller

participation in this supposedly newventure. It could bear less risk, yet withbountiful results.

The tragedy is that daily, the flanges ofcriminality are increasing withcorresponding impunity. The organisationand technology that result in successfulheists at the Mint are beyond the securityagencies, and definitely out of the reach ofthe National Assembly.

All these are the sort of unattended threatsthe country faces. Criminals walk the streetsand the corridors of power with certaintythat they are beyond the law. Nationalresources that require protection are atgreat risk.

If people can plunder the Mint, knowingthey can use the stolen money without beingdetected, why would they not make anenterprise of it? We are faced with threatsfrom another set of criminals and they arenot petty thieves.

The National Assembly will probe this andmore crimes. It cannot prosecute theoffenders. Nigerians are wondering whatthe security agencies do.


N20bn contract: Anenih hasa case to answer — Reps

Workers raise alarm overALSCON's deplorablecondition

BY SONI DANIEL,REGIONAL EDITOR,

NORTH BY OKEY NDIRIBE &EMMAN OVUAKPO-

RIE

ABUJA—THE House ofRepresentatives will

this week invite formerWorks Minister, Chief TonyAnenih, to explain his rolein an alleged N20 billioncontract scam. This was disclosed,weekend, by Chairman ofthe Public Accounts Com-mittee, PAC, of the House,Solomon Olamilekan. The contract whichwas said to have beenawarded during Olusegun

Obasanjo’s administrationhas made it impossible forthe committee to concludeits report on the AuditorGeneral of the Federa-tion’s annual report for2 0 0 6 . Olamilekan said: “We willformally invite Anenih tocome and explain to us howN20 billion remains unac-counted for during his ten-ure as Works Minister. "We want him to come sothat we can conclude ourinvestigation. This is be-cause he has a case toanswer; if he does notcome it will make our probe

i n c o n c l u s i v e . ” Reacting to Anenih’sclaim late last year that hehad not been formally in-vited by the House,Olamilekan said: "Yes, weare going to do that thisweek unfailingly."The PAC chairman alsosaid that nine PermanentSecretaries managing Riv-er Basin Authorities in var-ious states would appearbefore the committee to ex-plain how N993 million dis-appeared from the coffersof the agencies. He said: “These men willgive account of all these

funds because even thoughsome of them have beenretired from service, theyare still working". It would be recalled thatthe former Minister ofWorks, Chief Tony Anenih,was mentioned last year tohave been involved in aN2.3 billion roadcontract purportedly dis-bursed for an abandonedroad project in NasarawaState in 2006.

The contract was said tohave been awarded in2001 when he was still theMinister of Works.The committee also threat-ened to summon site engi-neers, Federal Controller ofWorks and Permanent Sec-retary of the ministry whenthe contract was awarded. Olamilekan had threat-ened that the House wouldnot hesitate to use the serv-ices of Interpol to extraditethe contractor, Torino Inter-nazionale Nigeria Ltd,which left the country aftercollecting N1.8 billion with-out executing the roadproject.

Apo resettlement: Abuja indigenesseek implementation of report

BY LAIDE AKIN-BOADE

ABUJA—THE originalinhabitants of Garki in

the Federal Capital Territo-ry, FCT, have urged the Fed-eral Government to imple-ment the report of the Min-isterial Committee on ApoResettlement Scheme. Thecommittee was headed bythe Solicitor General of theFCT, Mrs. Helen Oloja. The Ministerial Commit-tee, which was inaugurat-ed by the Minister of Statefor FCT, Olajumoke Akin-jide, in August 2012, sub-mitted its report on Decem-ber 13, 2012. The indigenes in a state-ment issued by President ofGarki Youth Association,GYA, Comrade Joel Yazeg-be, in Abuja, weekend, ap-pealed to the Minister ofFCT, Senator Bala Mo-hammed, to ensure thatthe full report was pub-lished and implementedi m m e d i a t e l y . They also demanded thatthe Department of Resettle-ment and Compensation berestructured, if the FCT Ad-ministration was to achieveany meaningful resolutionof the resettlement crisis. According to Yazegbe:“We don’t want the reportto go the way of other re-ports of past administrationswhich were not implement-ed.

“We commend the Feder-al Capital Territory Admin-istration for setting up theministerial committee onApo Resettlement Scheme.

“This is the best attemptmade by the FCT Admin-istration to resolve the prob-

lem which has lingered forfour years. “The members of theCommittee met with stake-holders, including elders,traditional rulers, youthsand others. They also visit-

ed the area to see thingsfor themselves. We toldthem our demands and weare hoping that they willkeep to the trust theyshowed during the stake-holders’ meetings.”

UYO—UNABLE tocope with the deplor-

able condition of Nigeria’sonly Aluminium SmeltingPlant, ALSCON, in IkotAbasi, Akwa Ibom State,senior staff of the company,yesterday, dispatched anappeal to the Presidency tocome to the aid of the dy-ing company.

The workers, in a four-page petition addressed toVice President, NamadiSambo, who is chairman ofNational PrivatisationCouncil of Nigeria,pleaded with him to takeurgent steps to salvage thecompany from those whowere bent on killing it andsave the workers from fur-ther suffering.

The petition by the execu-tive members of MetalProducts Senior Staff Asso-ciation of Nigeria,MEPROSSAN and Steeland Engineering WorkersUnion of Nigeria, SEWUN,was routed through Direc-tor General of Bureau ofPublic Enterprises, PBE.

The petition, drew the at-tention of the Federal Gov-ernment to the allegedgradual depletion of theassets of the company byRUSAL, which took over

the firm in 2006 under acontroversial privatisationprogramme, which was an-nulled by Supreme Courtlast July.

The workers, complainedthat the management of thecompany had constantlyrejected calls to replaceworn parts particularly inthe production line but pre-fers to close down such fa-cilities thereby graduallydepleting the number ofproduction pots in the com-pany.

The aggrieved workerslamented that the refusal byRUSAL to secure newspares had resulted in thecannibalisation or scrap-ping of vital production fa-cilities in the plant thereby,reducing the number ofproduction pots from over114 in 2007 when they tookover to less than 56 at themoment.

The practice, they notedhad also resulted in turn-ing an automated plant intoa manual one, endanger-ing the lives of the work-ers.

They pointed out that outof the nine cranes inheritedby RUSAL at inception in2007, none was functionalat the moment, while thecapacity of the plant hadalso been downsized by thenew management.

CMYK


CMYK






South-West PDP celebrates 'Obasanjo as Oustanding Nigerian Statesman, National Icon'

From right: Senator David Mark, Senate President; Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria'sformer President; Mr. John Kufuor, former Ghana's President and Chief Ernest Shonekan,former Nigeria's Head of Interim Government, during the celebration of Obasanjo as'Outstanding Nigerian Statesman and National Icon', with lecture series: 'Obasanjo in theEye of History'. Photos: Wumi Akinola

From left: Rear Admiral Akin Aduwo (rtd), Prince BolaAjibola and Chief Ernest ShonekanFrom right; Prince Bola Ajibola, Chief Doja Adewolu, Iyalode Alaba Lawson and Oba Kehinde

Olugbenle, the Olu and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland

From left: Professor Mohammed Yahaya, Ambassador NuhuAudu Bajoga and Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State

From left; Mrs. Bola Obasanjo, Prince Segun Adesegun, DeputyGovernor of Ogun State and Mallam Adamu Bello, former AgricMinister.From right, Mrs. Yemisi Gbadebo, Bells University, Ota; Mr. David Littlechild and

Asiwaju Yemi Oluyomi

From right: Oba Femi Omolade, Olubara of Ibara; Oba Rauf Adeole,Onipokia of Ipokia and Oba M. A. Awode, Ololo of Idofin Cross-section of the traditional rulers, others


Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013 —45

Obi expresses shock over mystery deadbodies on Ezu River

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

Rep accusesElechi ofsponsoringmilitantsagainstC’River

3 remanded over kidnap of 9 children in EbonyiBY PETER OKUTU

BY JOHNBOSCOAGBAKWURU

Flood: Uba pledges support forOmambala people

AWKA—GOVERNOR PeterObi of Anambra State, yes-

terday, expressed shock over thediscovery of many corpses float-ing on Ezu River on the bordertown of Amansea in Awka NorthLocal Government Area of the stateand offered N5 million to anybodywho might provide useful informa-tion on the matter.

Ezu River flows from Enugu toAnambra State.

This came as relations of de-tained suspects for various crimesalso yesterday besieged police sta-tions in the state to know the fateof their relations.

Obi, who was away to the UnitedKingdom on official duty at thetime of the discovery of the deadbodies, cut short his trip after be-ing briefed by his aides on themysterious development.

He arrived Awka yesterdaymorning and headed straight toscene of the incident.

Obi speaks

Fielding questions from report-ers, Obi said: “The fact that RiverEzu flows into Anambra State fromanother state shows that thesecorpses obviously floated fromelsewhere into our state.

“As you can see, the bodies arealready decomposing and thisshows that this incident happenedsome time ago.

“But I do not care where thecorpses floated from; I am worriedthat this type of scenario could bewitnessed in our country in thisage and time. This is a most bar-baric and unacceptable develop-ment. It cannot happen in anydecent society.”

...contacts Enugu

ABAKALIKI—THREE persons were, weekend, ar-

raigned before a Magistrate Courtin Abakaliki on a four- countcharge relating to the recent ofkidnappings of over 9 kids atIshiagu in Ivo local governmentarea of Ebonyi State last Decem-ber 2012. The accused persons, includingOnyedikachi Nwosu, Iboko Amosand Chidiebere Amadi, were ar-raigned before the magistrate court1 sitting in Abakaliki, the EbonyiState capital on a four count chargeof conspiracy to commit felony towit: kidnapping and allegedly kid-napping three of the abducted kidsaged between 2 months and fiveyears. The accused persons in the mat-ter of the Commissioner of Policevs Onyedikachi Nwosu ‘M’ 24,Iboko Amos ‘M’ 18 andChidiebere Amadi ‘M’ 24 with

ABUJA—THE member representing Abi/

Yakurr Federal Constitu-ency in the House of Rep-resentative, Mr. BasseyEwa, yesterday, accusedGovernor Martin Elechi ofEbonyi State of sponsoringmilitants to attack neigh-bouring Adadama commu-nity in Cross River State inthe renewed communal cri-sis that has reportedlyclaimed many lives.

Reacting, GovernorElechi described the alle-gation as frenzy, addingthat no sane human beingwould think that a sittinggovernor could sponsormilitants to attack fellowhuman beings over landdispute.

Ewa was said to have es-caped death by the whisk-ers from the suspected mili-tants in the ongoing com-munal war betweenAdadama people of AbiLocal Government Areaand Amagu Community inIkwo Local GovernmentArea of Ebonyi State.

The federal lawmaker,who said he was on an on-the-spot assessment,claimed that over 15 per-sons from Adadama com-munity had been killed bytheir Ebonyi neighbours.

Ewa saidn a telephoneinterview: “It was a veryterrible and horrible expe-rience yesterday, (Saturday).Having been briefed about thecrisis by the members of the af-fected community because I rep-resent them in the House of Rep-resentatives, I visited the com-munity to condole with them be-cause I heard that four personshad been killed.

“So I wanted to go and meetthe bereaved, console with them,donate relief materials to thosewho have been displaced andassure them that government isworking hard to bring the situa-tion under control.”

Offers N5m for information on perpetrators

Government

He urged Nigerians to respectthe sanctity of human life likeother civilised people of theworld who believed life was sa-cred.

The governor has contacted theActing Governor of Enugu State,Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, urginghim to embark on a thorough in-vestigation into the strange oc-currence, assuring the EnuguState government that AnambraState government had alreadybegun a painstaking probe intothe matter.

He explained that the N5 mil-lion would go to anyone who pro-vided necessary information

which would help to unravel thecircumstances surrounding thestrange incident.

Relatives of detaineesbesiege police stations

Meanwhile, many relations ofdetained suspects for variouscrimes yesterday besieged manypolice stations in Anambra Stateto know the fate of their relations.

Looking desperate and wor-ried, some of the relations saidthey could not catch sleep afterseeing the gory pictures and thenumber of dead bodies on thetelevision and therefore decidedto enquire from the police if any-thing had happened to their

loved ones.A middle aged woman, who

simply gave her name as Ngozi,said her husband of 10 years wasaccused by his distant relation ofbeing a kidnapper, adding thathe had been in police detentionfor over two weeks.

She said though she had beenvisiting him since the detention,she became worried when somepeople started insinuating thatthe dead bodies might be thosein detention for suspected kid-napping in Anambra State.

Other places besieged yester-day by anxious relations includethe State Anti Robbery Squad,SARS offices at Awkuzu andNnewi, as well as the CentralPolice State, CPS, in Awka.

charge number MAB/50C/2013,were alleged to have committedthe offences December 20, 2012,at Ayaragu village, AmaguIshiagu in Ivo Local GovernmentArea of Ebonyi State. According to the court, thethree accused persons had on thesaid date, and place in the Ivomagisterial district kidnappedone Marvelous Chukwu, aged2 months and 11 days old;Akachukwu Nkwor ‘m’,aged 1year and 7 months; andChiemere Nkwo, aged 5 years. ”That you Onyedikachi Nwosu‘m’, Iboko Amos ‘m’ andChidiebere Amadi ‘m’ and oth-ers now at large on the same date,and place in the aforementionedMagisterial district did kidnapone Marvelous Chukwu aged 2months and 11 days old andthereby committed an offencecontrary to Section 4(1) (a) andpunishable under Section 4(2) of

Internal Security Enforcementand other related matters Cap 55Vol. 2, Laws of Ebonyi State ofNigeria 2009", read the count two.”That you Onyedikachi Nwosu‘m’, Iboko Amos ‘m’ andChidiebere Amadi ‘m’ and oth-ers now at large on the same date,and place in the aforementionedMagisterial district did kidnapone Akachukwu Nkwor ‘m’ aged1 year and 7 months old andthereby committed an offencecontrary to Section 4(1) (a) andpunishable under Section 4(2) ofInternal Security Enforcementand other related matters Cap 55Vol. 2, Laws of Ebonyi State ofNigeria 2009.” the court said. After the charges were read tothe accused, their lawyers P. O.Nwaebonyi and C. A. Ugandu,made oral applications for theirbail which was rejected by thepresiding magistrate, Job Orude.

The Magistrate remanded the

accused persons in prison cus-tody, saying the court lacked thejurisdiction to entertain the mat-ter.

It will be recalled that the ac-cused persons were December 25and 25, 2012, alleged to haveunleashed mayhem on three vil-lages in Ivo local governmentarea, abducting 9 children withinthe age bracket of 3 and 5 yearsold.

As governor slamsRep over comment

AWKA—SENATOR AndyUba has pledged sustained

assistance and full support toOmambala people as they re-cover from the flood disasterwhich ravaged many communi-ties in Anambra East, AnambraWest, Ayamelum and Oyi LocalGovernment areas, respectively,last year.

Senator Uba, who represents

Anambra South in the Senate,made the pledge, weekend,when he visited Aguleri.

Speaking to key members ofOmambala Progressive Move-ment, drawn from different politicalparties and 52 political wards in the fourlocal government areas at Aguleri, Ubasaid he was optimistic that Anambra willcontinue to grow and experience betterleadership as it entered another crucialperiod of its history.

MEETING: From left: Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, Minister of Information,Mr. Labaran Maku, and Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, arriving the venue ofthe Town hall meeting organised by the Good Governance Media team, after their projects’inspection tour of Abia State in Umuahia.


Rep faults billon Nationalgrazingreserve

RETREAT—From left: Uzo Azubuike, Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions; Al-haji Bello Sali, Head of Service of the Federation; Engr. Emeka Ezeh, DG, Bureau of PublicProcurement and Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, Chairman, House Committee on Public Procure-ment at a retreat organised for perm secs in Lagos. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

BY TAYE OBATERU

JOS—THE Plateau State Government has dismissed spec-

ulations that it had been unableto pay the three months salariespromised local government work-ers who called off a prolongedstrike last year because the mon-ey was deposited in a distressedwonder finance house.

The Commissioner for LocalGovernment and Chieftaincy Af-

BY TAYE OBATERU

JOS—A member of theHouse of Representatives,

Mr. Bitrus Kaze, has faultedprovisions of the bill on na-tional grazing reserve andstock routes currently beforethe National Assembly, de-scribng it as contrary to theprovisions of the country’sconstitution and incapable ofsolving the security problemsbetween herdsmen andfarmers.

Kaze who represents JosSouth/ Jos East in the Na-tional Assembly in a state-ment, weekend, describedthe provisions of the bill asexpansionist and draconianadding, “rather than solveany security problem,the discriminatory provi-sions of the bill if passed, willworsen the age longclashes between farmersand the pastoralists.”

He also cautioned that theautonomy for local govern-ment councils should be han-dled with care so as not toend up putting them underthe control of the FederalGovernment.

fairs, Dr. Paul Wai, said in a state-ment, weekend, that contrary tospeculations, the money was nei-ther fixed in a bank nor deposit-ed in the wonder high interestpaying finance house which hasnow gone under.

He said it was also untrue thatgovernment had refused to im-plement the agreement reachedwith the local government work-

ers, especially the payment ofthree months salaries or that gov-ernment obtained a loan to paythem.

Said the statement: “All LocalGovernment Councils have paidthe October and November sala-ries in full while December pay-m e n t shave since commenced. Meantime,Local Government ManagementCommittee Chairmen, including

the Plateau State UniversalB a s i c E d u c a t i o nBoard, PSUBEB, are hereby di-rected to complete all paymentsas agreed within one week. "Government hereby debunksthe insinuationst h a t m o n i e s m e a n t f o rthe payment ofstaff salaries for the monthsof the strike were either depos-ited in fixed accounts, or invest-ed in Fadama or used tofund political campaigns. Suchinsinuations are totally baseless,mischievous and calculatedattempts to set the workersagainst government and presentgovernment in bad light to thep u b l i c . "It is equally importantto state categorically that thePlateau State Government didnot obtain any loan or credit fa-cility from any bank to payagreed salaries as it is beingspeculated by some mischief mak-ers".

There had been speculationsthat the government was offeringto pay just two of the three monthsagreed to because the commer-cial bank from which it was seek-ing to obtain a loan did not giveit enough to pay the threem o n t h s .Some also claimed that contraryto the assurance from govern-ment that the seven months sala-ries of the workers which wereunpaid during the strike were in-tact, the money had either beenlost in the distressed financehouse or fixed in banks. But thecommissioner said the allega-tions were unfounded.

Attack on Kano Emir: IBB, Tinubu, Mark, others warn

Continues from Page 5not alone.”

Asked if the amalgamation ofNigeria was a decision takenin good faith considering thecalls for the breakup of thecountry, he said the decisionto unite the then Southern andNorthern protectorates in1914, was a carefully chosenone.

Pocock said the aim was thatNigeria, with its peoples andvast resources, was better asone indivisible nation, ratherthan operating in units. “Itwas an action taken in goodfaith,” Pocock remarked.

Why we attacked thesoldiers – Islamicgroup

In a statement, Ansaru saidSaturday’s explosion at Okenecity was in response to Niger-ia’s deployment of troops toMali.

“We have successfully ex-ecute (sic) our first attempt in(crippling) the Nigerian armytroops (whose aim was) to de-molish the Islamic empire ofMali,” said Ansaru, whichhad also claimed last month’skidnapping of a French citizenin northern Nigeria.

“We are equipped and wait-ing for any slightest attempt

of Nigerian army moving to-wards the Islamic empire ofMali,” yesterday's statementsaid.

The group also warned Afri-can countries to stop helpingthe West fight Muslims.

“We are warning the Africancountries to confiscate theireffort for helping Westerncountries in fighting againstIslam and Muslim (sic),” vow-ing to retaliate, especiallyagainst the Nigerian govern-ment, “anywhere, anytime.”

Ansaru is less well knownthan Islamist group BokoHaram, which is waging adeadly insurgency acrossnorthern Nigeria that haskilled hundreds since 2009.Boko Haram has said it wantsto create an Islamic state in theNorth.

The two groups are knownto have ties but are seen asindependent from one another.

In November, Britain’s inte-rior ministry identified Ansaruas a “Nigeria-based terroristorganisation” and bannedmembership of the group orsupport for it.

The group’s full name,Jama’atu Ansarul Musliminafi Biladis Sudan, is roughlytranslated as “Vanguards forthe Aid of Muslims in BlackAfrica.”

Britain has said the grouplikely has ties to Al-Qaeda inthe Islamic Maghreb, and mayhave been responsible for the2011 kidnapping of a Britonand an Italian in northern Ni-geria. Both hostages werekilled last March.

Tinubu condemnsattack

Former Governor of LagosState and leader of the ActionCongress of Nigeria, ACN,Asiwaju Bola Tinubu also con-demned the attack on the Emirof Kano as a new low in thesafety and security of Nigeri-ans.

“Nigeria has sunk to a newlow in insecurity”, Tinubumaintained in a statement is-sued by his media office inLagos.

“These incessant attacks andthis most recent one on the re-spected Emir of Kano is unac-ceptable in a country governedby an elected government in-vested with power and stateresources to ensure efficientsecurity for all its citizens. Ni-geria continues to bleed, whilethose charged with protectingtheir lives flounder and fiddlein their response to a problemthat could undermine nationalsecurity and endanger ouryoung democracy”.

LG workers' salaries: Plateau govtdenies lodging money in wonder bank''

Emir.Edebiri said the Federal

Government shouldstrengthen security institu-tions all over the country, add-ing that the rising spate of kid-napping for ransom had be-come worrisome in Edo andother parts of the South Southregion.

He enjoined government atall levels in the country to seejob creation and youth empow-erment as the twin-solution tothe problem of crime in thecountry.

UK ready to assistNigeria on terrorism– Pocock

The United Kingdom, UK,weekend expressed its readi-ness to reduce the threat ofterrorism within Nigeria andthe West African sub-region.

Newly appointed BritishHigh Commissioner to Ni-geria, Dr Andrew Pocock,stated this while speakingwith journalists in Abuja. Hesaid Nigeria mattered to theUK because of her size, re-sources, importance in West

Africa, Africa and globally.Pocock said: “Sadly, terrorismin the North has taken manylives and is damaging eco-nomic and development pros-pects; and increasingly, thedaily struggle of too manypoor people.”

He said working together toreduce terrorism within Ni-geria and the sub-region wasone of his cardinal objectives,which he noted “demands anintegrated political, economic,security and human rightsapproach.

“The UK has had its ownexperience, which it is alreadysharing with the Nigerian au-thorities,” Pocock said and at-tributed the insecurity in thecountry to a regional issue as“what is happening in Nigeriais part of the Sahelian prob-lem just like what is happen-ing in Mali.”

Pocock said: “Nigeria andthe UK have a shared agendanot just to address security inthe region, but worldwide.Nigeria is not alone in thefight against terrorism in yourcountry. We are with Nigeriaconsidering our interests here.We have a long history of mili-tary-military cooperationwhich we hope to expand.Nigeria is not alone, West Af-rica is not alone and Mali is


Operators vow to resist unfair sanction from NCC

CBN to mop up N826bn from circulation

BY PETER EGWUATU

THE Central Bank ofNigeria, CBN,

weekend, said it will mopup about N826.31 billionfrom circulation in the firstquarter of 2013, throughthe sale of Treasury Bills,(T-Bills), just as the DebtManagement Office,DMO, said it will raiseN110 billion onWednesday through theissuance of bonds withmaturities ranging frombetween five to ten years.

According to the DMO,it will raise the fundsthrough the issuance ofN35 billion bond with five-year maturities, N30 billionbond with a seven-yearmaturity and a 10-yearbond worth N45 billion,using the Dutch AuctionSystem. The CBN said itwill raise, at its twice-monthly auction, N321.29billion, N354.93 billion andN140.09 billion in 91-day,182-day and 364-day T-Bills in January, Februaryand March respectively.

Treasury Bills are shortterm debt obligation withmaturities of less than oneyear, issued by the CentralBank of Nigeria, CBN. T-Bills are used by the CBNas an Open MarketOperation (OMO)instrument to control theamount of money incirculation. Bonds, on theother hand, are long termdebt instruments, with aminimum maturity periodof one year and can be upto 30 years or 50 years.

BY PRINCEOSUAGWU

TELECOM operatorsin the country have

vowed to resist any unfairsanction from the regulator,the NigerianC o m m u n i c a t i o n sCommission, NCC.

The operators werespeaking against the

backdrop of speculationsthat the Commission wasspoiling for war againstthem over consistent poortelecom services in recenttimes.

NCC’s Director PublicAffairs, Mr. Tony Ojobo,had declared during theyuletide period that theoperators may be

sanctioned this quarter overpoor services if the keyperformance indicatorswhich the commission putin place, indicted them.

But in a swift reaction,yesterday, Chairman of theAssociation of LicencedTelecom Operators ofNigeria, ALTON, EngrGbenga Adebayo, said theoperators would employlegal means to resist anypenalty from the regulatorwhich did not take intoaccounts the spate of attacksand vandalisation theoperators have suffered.According to Adebayo,from wilful damages tovandalisation, flood andbomb attacks, the operatorshave been at the receivingend and on each occasion,they would be left to leaktheir wounds.

Adebayo said thedamages on the operators’facilities could notimmediately be quantifiedbut revealed that it ran intohundreds of millions ofdollars. He noted thatinstead of sanctions, thiswas the time for thegovernment to rally supportfor the operators to ensurethey continue to provide

services for the generalityof Nigerians.

Adebayo who spokeexclusively to Vanguardsaid: “key performanceindicators or not, I don’tthink that the governmentwould be fair to talk aboutsanctions now. Everybodyis aware of the problemswe have been facing,including the recent bombattacks on our facilities. Ithink that the governmentshould even be talking ofgiving us some form ofcompensation to help us

recoup. We are not talkingof cash compensation,rather some form of tax orimport waiver to enable usimport back some of thesefacilities which actually runinto several hundreds ofmillion dollars to replace.

“But in any case, we willemploy every legal meansto resist any penalty wedeem as been unfair to usby the government. Youcould remember that thegovernment rolled outsome form of relief for theflood victims but as we

speak, no operator wasconsidered a beneficiary,irrespective of the fact thatour losses at the flood werephenomenal.”

Ojobo had said that theregulator would not fold itsarms and watch millions ofNigerians who depend onthe services of theoperators to communicateto loved ones, friends andbusiness associates tosuffer losses due to poortelecommunicationsservices, adding thatoperators the KPI indictedas feeding poor services,would be penalised fromthis quarter, to serve asdeterrent to others.

Heritage Bank begins operationJan 29, gets CBN licence

By PETER EGWUATU

HERITAGE Bank,formerly Societe

Generale Bank (Nig.)Ltd., SGBN, willcommence commercialbanking operation,Tuesday, January 29,following the approvalgranted it by the CentralBank of Nigeria, CBN.

According to the termsof the CBN approval,Heritage BankingCompany Ltd. which willtrade as Heritage Bank isto offer full commercialbanking services under aregional bank status. Asa preliminary step, the

bank said it willcommence an immediatevalidation exercise foraccount holders of theformer Societe GeneraleBank (Nig.) Ltd.

The letter conveyingCBN’s approval for grantof Banking Licence toHBC entitled: ‘Re:Application for aCommercial BankingLicence with RegionalAuthorisation’ was datedDecember 27, 2012 withreference number FPR/LAD/CON/HBC/02/062,and signed by the CBNDirector of Financial Policyand Regulations, Chris O.Chukwu.


Gun-crazy Americans incontrol dilemma

BY HUGO ODIOGOR, ForeignAffairs Editor, with Agency report.

,

,

The proposals called for:1.A focus on universal background

checks. Right now some 40 percent ofgun sales take place without backgroundchecks, including by private sellers atgun shows or over the Internet.

2. A ban on assault weapons andlimiting ammunition magazines to 10rounds or fewer.

3. A federal statute to stop “straw man”purchases of guns and crack down ontrafficking rings.

4. More anti-bullying efforts; moretraining for teachers, counselors andprincipals; and funding for schools formore counselors and resource officers.President Obama is among millions ofpeople around the world who werehorrified by the killing of 20 schoolChildren and six adults at an elemen-tary school in Newtown, Connecticut lastyear.

President Barack Obama’s broad effortto reduce gun violence will include pro-posed bans on military-style assaultweapons and high-capacity ammuni-tion magazines as well as more than adozen executive orders aimed atcircumventing congressional oppositionto stricter gun control. The broadpackage also include efforts to stopbullying and boost availability of mentalhealth services. But Congress wouldhave to approve the bans on assault

improve safety. But he is not expectedto call for armed guards in schools, aposition promoted by the NRA.

GUN CONTROL LAWSOn Tuesday, the State of New York Gov.

Andrew Cuomo signed into law thetoughest gun control law in the nation,and the first since the Connecticut schoolshootings. The law includes a tougherassault-weapons ban and provisions totry to keep guns out of the hands ofmentally ill people who make threats.Some other states are making moves tointroduce more control on the owner-ship of guns. There are series of guncontrol laws and regulations at all levelsof government, with the vast majoritybeing local codes.

The NRA argues that there are about20,000 gun laws in America but a studypublished in the American Journal ofPreventive Medicine stated that thereare about 300 federal and state lawsregarding the manufacture, design,sale, purchase, or possession of guns.For instance, at the federal level, fullyautomatic weapons, short barrelshotguns, and short barrel rifles havebeen taxed and mandated to be regis-tered under the National Fire arms Acts(1934).

The Gun Control Act of 1968 requiresthat guns carry serial numbers andimplemented a tracking system todetermine the purchaser of a gun whosemake, model, and serial number areknown. It also prohibited gunownership by convicted felons. The Actwas updated in the 1990s mainly to add

This is the concluding part of this piecewhich was first published last Friday

a mechanism for the criminal history ofgun purchasers to be checked at thepoint of sale.

In 1996 the Domestic Violence Of-fender Gun Ban prohibited ownershipand use of guns by individuals convictedof misdemeanor on domestic violence.The 1994 Violent Crime Control LawEnforcement Act enacted the defunctFederal Assault Weapons Ban, whichbanned the purchase, sale, or transferof any weapon specifically named in theact, other weapons with a certain numberof “defining features”, and detachablemagazines capable of holding more than10 rounds of ammunition, that had beenmanufactured after the beginning dateof the ban. The Assault Weapons Banexpired in 2004.

This was a major victory for the gunrights advocates at the federal level.Efforts by gun control advocates toextend the ban at the federal levelfailed; two later attempts toreestablish the ban also failed. Whilethe families that have lost their lovedones grieve, others are rushing toacquire deadly weapons and othersare lobbying to ensure that they areleft unleashed to carry deadly weap-ons around, it is clear that no legis-lation will quench the appetite ofAmericas for guns, soon we will hearanother cry of agony from unfortu-nate families.

gun buyers. Some gun control advocatesworry that opposition from Republicansand conservative Democrats, as well asthe National Rifle Association, will betoo great to overcome.

Research on gunuse and crimes

The proposal which was draft by VicePresident Joe Biden will compel federalagencies to conduct more research ongun use and crimes. The vice president’sproposals included 19 steps that couldbe achieved through executive action.On mental health, Obama will focus onmore availability of mental healthservices, training more schoolcounselors and mental healthprofessionals, and mental health first aidtraining for first responders, accordingto the lobbyist, who was not authorizedto discuss the plan publicly before thepresident’s announcement andrequested anonymity.

Obama may also order the JusticeDepartment to crack down on peoplewho lie on gun-sale background checks;only a tiny number are now prosecuted.Such a step has support from the NRA,which has consistently argued thatexisting laws must be enforced beforenew ones are considered. Obama gaveschools flexibility to use grant money to

weapons and am-m u n i t i o nm a g a z i n e sholding morethan 10 bullets,along with arequirement foruniversal back-ground checks on

It is clear that no legislation willquench the appetite of Americasfor guns, soon we will hearanother cry of agony fromunfortunate families


Algeria crisis: 32 hostages killed in raid

THE death toll offoreign and

Algerian workers takenhostage during a siege ata desert gas facility mayrise from 32, an Algerianminister has warned.

A final tally would bereleased in the cominghours, communicationsminister MohammedSaid told Algerian radio.

British, US, Norwegian,and Japanese nationals

were among the missingafter the siege at InAmenas, which wasended by an Algerianarmy raid on Saturday.

Algeria said its troopshad killed all 32 hostage-takers.

Officials said the armylaunched its assault afterIslamist militants begankilling foreign hostages.

Mr Said said he verymuch feared the death

toll “ would,unfortunately, be revisedupwards”.

He added that themilitants were from sixdifferent countries,“nationals of Arab andAfrican countries, and ofnon-African countries”.

Unconfirmed reportsfrom In Amenas spoke ofa number of bodiesdiscovered by troopsmaking the site safe.

FRENCH andMalian forces

continued their pushagainst the Islamistrebels as the Malianmilitary announced at theweekend that they arenow controlling Diabaly,marking an importantaccomplishment for theFrench-led offensive tooust the extremists fromnorthern and centralMali.

“People are calm sincethe Islamists left the cityof Diabaly before it wastaken by the Malian andFrench forces yesterday,”said Oumar Coulibaly,who lives in the nearbytown of Niono.

The Associated Pressobtained video filmedSaturday by a localresident, which showspeople from Diabalyinspecting the fighters’vehicles and charredweaponry destroyed byFrench airstrikes andMalian ground forces.

The Islamists tookDiabaly several dayslater — 270 miles (430kilometers) away from the

France, Malian troops re-take Diabaly, continue pushcapital — as part of analarming descent intocentral Mali and closer tothe government seat ofpower in Bamako. TheIslamists first seizedcontrol of the main townsin northern Mali ninemonths ago, takingadvantage of a powervacuum after a militarycoup in the distant capitalof Bamako.

West African regionalneighbors talked of amilitary intervention to

PRESIDENT BarackObama said at the

weekend that the U.S.stands ready to providewhatever assistanceAlgerian officials need inthe aftermath of thedeadly terrorist attack ata natural gas complex inthe Sahara.

The four-day standoff atthe weekend afterAlgerian special forcesstormed the complex.

retake northern Mali formonths, but it was notuntil the French begantheir offensive Jan. 11 thatthe Islamists faced amilitary threat to their gripon power. Severalarmored vehiclesbelonging to the Malianarmy also can be seenlying abandoned anddamaged at the side ofroads in Diabaly, a townof 35,000 that is home toan important militarycamp.

US restates support formission

The clash left at least 23hostages dead and killedall 32 militants involved,the Algerian governmentsaid.

The State Departmentissued a travel warningSaturday night forAmericans in or travelingto Algeria, citing crediblethreats of the kidnappingof Western nationals. Thedepartment alsoauthorized the departurefrom Algeria of staffmembers’ families if theychoose to leave.

In a statement from theWhite House, Obamasaid the blame lay withthe militants and that theUnited States condemnstheir actions. “This attackis another reminder ofthe threat posed by al-Qaida and other violentextremist groups in NorthAfrica,” Obama said. “In

the coming days, we willremain in close touchwith the government ofAlgeria to gain a fullerunderstanding of whattook place so that we canwork together to prevent

tragedies like this in thefuture.”

The video marks thefirst pictures to emergefrom the area, which wastaken over by al-Qaida-linked militants at the

beginning of the week.The zone remains blockedoff by a military cordonand journalists have notbeen able to access thearea so far.

BRITISH PrimeMinister David

Cameron said yesterdaythat three Britons werekilled and another threewere believed dead,along with a foreignerwho was living in Britain.He said that 22 Britonswho survived the ordealare now back in Britain.

Three Britons killed —Cameron

“Now, of course, peoplewill ask questions aboutthe Algerian response tothese events, but I wouldjust say that theresponsibility for thesedeaths lies squarely withthe terrorists wholaunched a vicious andcowardly attack,”Cameron said.

US President BarackObama took the

oath of office for a secondterm in a small, privateceremony at the WhiteHouse yesterday, incompliance with theConstitution, whichmandates that thepresident take office onJanuary 20.

Vice President JoeBiden was sworn in bySupreme Court JusticeSonia Sotomayor, makingher the first Hispanicjudge to administer anoath of office for one of thenation’s two highestoffices.

Biden’s family, about120 guests and a fewreporters witnessed theprivate swearing-inceremony in the mainfoyer of his NavalObservatory residence.

Obama, Biden begin second term, inauguration todayBiden used a Bible witha Celtic cross on the coverthat has been in his familysince 1893 in the eventwhich took only about fiveminutes.

But both men will stillbe sworn in publiclyoutside the U.S. Capitoltoday with all thetraditional pomp andpageantry. An estimated800, 000 people are toattend the ceremonywhich is beingovershadowed by thequarrels over budgetdeficits, gun control anddivision in the House.This time the crowds areexpected to be smallerand enthusiasmsurrounding the eventdiminished.

A bitter 2012 electionfight, stubbornly high

unemployment and fiscalshowdowns - both pastand still looming - havetempered the hope thatObama symbolized when

•President Barack Obama, with his wife, Michelle and daughters as well as VicePresident, Joe Biden during the oath of office, administer by Chief Justice JohnRoberts at the White House yesterday.

he took office four yearsago after sweeping tovictory on a mantle ofchange as America’s firstblack president.

Both times, Obama willbe sworn in by ChiefJustice John Robertswho, after flubbing theoath the first time in 2009,

administered it to Obamaagain in the White Housethe day after hisinauguration. Biden is tobe sworn in again bySotomayor.

Biden and Obama thenattended a wreath-layingceremony at ArlingtonNational Cemetery, andthe president and FirstLady Michelle Obamaswayed and clapped theirhands to the tune of agospel song at a servicein the historicalMetropolitan AfricanMethodist EpiscopalChurch.

Obama took the oath ofoffice for a second term ina small ceremony in theBlue Room of the WhiteHouse with Chief JusticeJohn Roberts willadminister the oath

•Map of Mali indicating the flash point



It's fight of ourlives — Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso have vowed to put up the

fight of their lives when they tackle the

Super Eagles in their Group C opener today

at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

Paired in a group that also includes

Zambia and Ethiopia, the Stallions of

Burkina Faso find themselves in a tough

situation to progress from the first round

stage of the 16-nation tournament.

The west African side had a new

conference yesterday and their French-born

coach, Paul Put, used the forum to set their

priorities at the tourney, stating that they

were in South Africa to compete amongst the

top teams on the continent.

“We will fight the fight of our lives against

Nigeria. We are here to compete and every

game, for us, will be a fight”, said Put.

He said that he was not going to be

deceived by talks on Nigeria coming to the

tournament with inexperienced players or

young players, stating that “the name

Nigeria is big and for us, we have to give

them a big fight. We will o everything to win

the first game”.

Ejide ready to rumble

Zambia begin title defence

against Ethiopia

After suffering aninjury scare against

Cape Verde in an inter-national friendly, thatsaw him sidelined fordays, Goalkeeper AustinEjide is back and fit asa fiddle.

The Hapoel Beer She-va of Israel player, wasamongst the playerswho spoke reporters atthe pre-match confer-ence held yesterday atthe Mbombela Stadiumin Nelspruit and whenasked about his fitness,the goalie, who im-pressred so much in thegame agaist the Islandnation, said that he wasready.

Zambia kick off thedefence of their

2012 Africa Cup ofNations crown againstminnows Ethiopia at theMbombela Stadiumtoday.

The Copper Bullets,who defeated IvoryCoast on penalties toclaim their first AFCONtitle, were drawn inGroup B which also in-cludes Nigeria andBurkina Faso.

Chipolopolo coachHerve Renard has a ful-ly-fit team to choosefrom following the returnof midfielder RainfordKalaba, who had beensuffering from a groininjury.

The Frenchman hasselected 19 members ofthe team that conqueredtheir more illustriousopponents in Gabon andEquatorial Guinea.

Renard realises theimportance of his side’sopening clash andhopes they can secureall three points, muchlike they did when beat-ing Senegal 2-1 in 2012.

He told the BBC: “Thefirst game against Ethi-opia is very important -it is crucial that we start

the tournament with awin just as we did lastyear.

“A lot of pundits do notbelieve we can win thetitle again and do notwant to take risks withtheir predictions. It iseasier to say Zambia willnever win the Cup ofNations again.

“Should we fail to re-tain the trophy, it simplymeans another team wasbetter than us. Howev-er, it will be very diffi-cult to beat this Zam-bian team.”

TUSSLE...Ghana’s JerryAkaminko (R) vies for theball with DemocraticRepublic of Congo’s TresorMputu during their 2013African Cup of Nationsmatch at the NelsonMandela Bay Stadium inPort Elizabeth on January20. It ended 2-2. PHOTO:AFP

“If they pick me, I amready to rumble. I amvery fine”, Ejide said ashe thanked Nigeriansfor their concern duringhis time on the injutylist. “My thanks to Ni-gerians for their concernand prayers”.

Alspeaking, goalkeep-er trainer, Ike Shorun-mu, said that all threegoalies, comprising Vin-cent Enyeama, Ejideand Chigozie Agbimwere in prime shape forthe tournament.

“All the three goal-keepers are in goodshape. Anyone pickedby the coach will dowell”, said Shorunmu.


It’s good we start with a win — Keshi

SUPER Eaglescoach, Stephen

Keshi is unruffled overthe persistent rains inNespruit, South Africa,where the Eagles willbe playing their 2013

Africa Cup of Nationsmatches.

It has been rainingeven before the com-mencement of the soc-cer fiesta here and theConfederation of Afri-

can Football has beenforced to issue a direc-tive to participatingteams not to have pre-match practrice ses-sions on the turfs.Teams are only allowed

to have a feel of the turfduring pre-match warmups.

“I am not botheredabout the directive,”Keshi quipped, point-ing out that the direc-tive was applicable toall the teams. “It affectsall the participatingteams and not peculiarto Nigeria.”

Asked if he was underany pressure becausehe brought an inexpe-rienced squad to SouthAfrica. Keshi said, “ex-perience is got fromplaying. It is from in-experience that theywill get the experience.They will get the expe-rience from this tourna-ment and will buildfrom here.”

Exuding confidenceand sounding optimis-tic the Super Eagleschief coach was bullishwhen asked about thechances of his youthfulside. “We have equalchances with all otherparticipating teams. Werespect our opponentsbut it will be good westart with a win,” Keshisaid, as spoke on Ea-gles opening matchagainst Burkina Fasotoday.

SUPER Eagles assistant coach, Dan-

iel Amokachi has add-ed his voice on thegrowing controversyover the quality of thepresent Super Eaglessquad compared withthe 1994 Nations Cupwinning squad.

Amokachi who was amember of the ’94squad told Sports Van-guard in Nesprui t ,South Africa that theStephen Keshi tutoredsquad presently cam-paigning in Afcon2013 could be as goodas the famous ’94team.

He supported Kes-hi’s assessment of theteam this way,“Theseboys have qual i ty.They can be as good asthe 1994 team. Theonly thing they are yetto get is the experi-ence we had. They arestill very young, com-pared to our team.”

Asked i f he couldidentify one Amokachiin the present squad,Da Bull , as he was

Yes, these boys can be as good as ’94Eagles — Amokachi supports Keshi

fondly called in his ac-tive days said, “Yes.Emenike, Ideye, Efe,are all good players.They will all grow andbecome householdnames. The only dif-ference is that they arenew and they have notwon trophies. Withtime, everything willbe okay.”

NIGERIA wingerVictor Moses is

expected to make hisAfrica Cup of Nationsdebut on Monday,having overcome aknock to take his placeagainst Burkina Faso.

The 22-year-old isexpected to startalongside Chelseacolleague John ObiMikel in Nelspruit as theSuper Eagles begin theircampaign for a thirdtitle.

Captain Joseph Yobo ispoised to equalNwankwo Kanu’s recordof six Nations Cupappearances for Nigeria.

Burkina Faso havegone 17 matches withouta win in the Cup ofNations.

The team failed to wina point at thetournament in 2012, butwith striker AristideBance fit to start there isan air of optimismaround the squad.

The return to fitness ofhis strike-partner AlainTraore, after a heelinjury, is a further boostfor Burkina Fasoalthough Monday ’sgame may come too soonfor him.

Traore is seen as a keypart of the squad,having scored a decisivestoppage-time goal toput them through at theexpense of the CentralAfrican Republic.

Nigeria have hadmixed results in thebuild-up to thetournament, drawing 1-1 with Catalonia, beingheld to a 0-0 draw by

Moses set for Afcon debut

fellow qualifiers CapeVerde, beating SpartaRotterdam 1-0 beforeeasing to a 5-0 victoryover Portuguese seconddivision outfit Farense.

But having beenamong the dominantforces in African footballa decade ago, the GroupC match against BurkinaFaso marks their returnto the Nations Cup aftermissing out on thetournament a year ago.

Nigeria winger VictorMoses: “We haveprepared well and,having missed the lasttournament, wish tomake Nigerians proudby the end of it.”

Burkina Faso strikerAristide Bance : “Ibelieve we have learntfrom past failures andhave a realistic chance ofgetting out of thegroup.”

THE Super Eagleswill face the Stallions

of Burkina Faso in Mon-day’s second game ofGroup C in Nelspruit.

“This is very much awork in-progress butdon’t get me wrong thisis a good side. We have a

Keshi: We have the right balanceright balance and goodblend of local players andthose playing abroad,”Keshi told Cafonline.

“We come into the tour-nament after a pleasingtraining camp where theboys worked together as

a unit, something l amworking on improving.

“That goalless drawagainst Cape Verde waslargely so because wemissed numerous chanc-es we should have putaway."

Super Eagles midfielder, Mikel Obi being mobbed by his team mates

•Emenike

•Keshi•Moses

AFCON 20AFCON 20AFCON 20AFCON 20AFCON 2013 Special ••• AFCON 2013 Special ••• AFCON 2013 Special ••• AFCON 2013 Special ••• AFCON 2013 Special ••• AFCON 2013 Special ••• AFCON 2013 Special ••• AFCON 2013 Special ••• AFCON 2013 Special ••• AFCON 2013 Special ••• AFCON 2013 Special•••13 Special•••13 Special•••13 Special•••13 Special•••

CMYK


Pix: AFP

MAN MOUNTAIN . . . South African artists perform dur-ing the opening ceremony of 2013 Africa Cup of Nationsat football competition at City stadium in Soweto

CALISTHENICS . . . South African artists perform during the open-ing ceremony

BICYCLE KICK . . . South Africa midfielder Lerato Chabangu (C) tries anoverhead kick during thier group A football match against Cape Verde. Matchended goalless.

CONTEST . . . Ghana’s midfielder Derek Boateng (R) vies for the ball withDemocratic Republic of Congo’s forward Patou Kabangu

AFRICAN STYLE . . A Democrat-ic Republic of Congo supporterbeats a drums for his country.

BIG HANDS . . . Morocco fans wave their national flag atthe start of their match against Angola

THE PATHRIOT . . . A Ghanian supporter cheers the BlackStars against Democratic Republic of Congo

BAFANA . . . SouthAfrica coach GordonIgesund gestures


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YOU CAN B O O K Y O U R A D V E RT SAT OU R

L A G O S I S L A N D O F FI C E —VA N G U A R D

M E D I A L I M I T E D ( L A G O S O F -FICE) K I O S K

4 8 E A S T PAV I L I O N T B S ,L A G O S .

VANGUARD'S LAGOS OFFICE

CMYK

CMYK


•Super Eagles players celebrating after a goal.

Eagles under pressure, Yobo admits

SUPER EaglesSkipper, Joseph Yobohas admitted that theNigerians will be underpressure when they flag-off their Africa Cup ofNations campaignagainst Burkina Fasotoday at the MbombelaStadium in Nelspruit

The two-time formerchampions, who wereabsent at the lasttourney jointly hostedby Equatorial Guineaand Gabon, return to thesummit of Africanfootball at AFCON2013and while speakingat a news conferenceheld yesterday, theformer Everton centre-back, said that thestrong desire ofNigerians for the teamto win in South Africaand the players’ questfor success have puttremendous pressure onthem.

“Everybody wants usto win in South Africa.The calls from home, thepleas and demands

•But hopes Nigeria will shinefrom officials and thegeneral expectations ofNigerians are mountingpressure on us. Thepressure is within too aswe all want to win herebut we are going to takeit one at a time. Thepressure is on but wewould take it easy. It’spart of the game”, saidYobo.

He added that the teamwas a great side, notingthat the blend ofexperienced and theyoung players was goingto work wonders forNigeria at the competition.

“This is a great team, ablend of experienced andyoung ones and we areconfident of success. Ihave played for so many

teams of Nigeria. This is agood team. We haveworked hard and thecoaches have beentremendous. We want towin for them and forNigerians in general.”,said Yobo, who is the most-capped Nigerian player ofall time. He plays his lastNations Cup and hopes toleave South Africa with“something.” That couldbe the trophy, the silver orbronze.

Ojido lists 3 best Eagles coaches,hopes Keshi joins them

VETERAN sportsadministrator and

commentator Pa John Oji-do is wishing StephenKeshi and the Eagles well,hoping that Keshi wouldlater be listed among thegreat coaches of Nigeria.Ojido spoke at length thisway:

“Three coaches havestood out in Nigeria in thepast 20 to 25 years. Theyare Clemens Westerhof,Phillip Troussier andShaibu Amodu. Westerhofchanged our football. Hewon our first Nations Cupoutside our shores in Tu-nisia in 1994, qualified usfor our first World Cup fi-nals among other thingslike one Nations Cup sil-ver and one bronze. Buthe did more by develop-ing our players. PhillipTroussier qualified us forFrance ’98 World Cup andhe was playing goodmatches. But then sportsminister Chief Jim Nwo-bodo plotted his removal

BY ONOCHIEANIBEZE

on the grounds that hewas not a world classcoach. It was naïve andpainful. Westerhof did a lothere. Was he a world classcoach before he came? Somany people have de-stroyed our sports withpoor decisions. I felt badwhen they sacked Trouss-ier. After Troussier, the nextcoach that did well for Ni-geria as far as the recordsshow is Amodu. He quali-fied Nigeria for two WorldCups and also won bronzemedal at the Mali NationsCup. Interestingly, Keshi

was his assistant in Maliand when they qualified forthe 2002 World Cup. I hopethat Keshi joins this list.He is doing well andshould be given a chanceto continue the good work.He is at the Nations Cupwith six local players, thefirst time such a thing washappening in about 20years. I commend him.Our football is down andsomebody has to build it.That’s what Keshi is doingnow.”

Ojido spoke passionate-

ly on track and field, sportsadministration and otherissues from Illah, near Asa-ba. We’ll serve you the juicyinterview he granted fromhis sick bed. The body wasweak but his brain was assharp as ever. He will be87 years in June.

AFTER a hectic tripfrom Faro, Portugal,

through Lisbon and fromthere to Johannesburg,South Africa, beforearriving its Nations Cup2013 first round base inNelspruit, last Thursdayevening, the Super

Eagles defy rains to prepare for Stallions

•Amodu •Troussier

NIGERIA opentheir Africa Cup

of Nations account asclear favourites in theirgroup C clash againstBurkina Faso inNelspruit today.

The Super Eagles willno doubt be looking forsuccessful return to thetournament after missingout on the last edition inGabon and EquitorialGuniea.

Nigeria coach StephenKeshi has brought anew-look side to thisyear’s finals, with only ahandful of his teamhaving competed at thecontinental showpiecebefore.

However, he will beable to count on theexperience of captainJoseph Yobo, who takespart in a record sixthAFCON for the SuperEagles.

Expect the ever presentJohn Obi Mikel tocontrol the game frommidfield with Chelseateam-mate Victor Mosesproviding the width inattack.

Newcastle forwardShola Ameobi is the mostnotable absentee forNigeria, having chosennot to represent thecountry of his birth afterplaying for England atyouth level.

Keshi said of thesituation: “I was veryimpressed with him and

Eagles begin as favourites

he would have added alot to our team.

“But we can’t dwell onthe players who are nothere. We have selecteda group of very talentedplayers who are ready togive their all for theircountry and I believe inthese boys to do whatthey are asked to do.

“Burkina Faso are theteam in front of us now,and we are prepared.The boys want to do theirbest and want to do theircountry proud.”

The Stallions ofBurkina Faso will offer astern test in theiropening match and willlook to bounce back fromtheir disappointingshowing at their lastAFCON in Gabon andEquatorial Guineawhere they went out inthe group stages afterlosing all their games.

Jonathan Pitroipa isthe player most likely togive Nigeria problems,and with his creativityand pace in midfield, theRennes attacker is morethan capable getting thebetter of defences on hisday.

Moumouni Daganoand Alain Traore areexpected to startalongside Pitroipa inmidfield and will haveto play well if theStallions are to have anychance of pulling off anupset

Eagles have quickly set-tled down with four train-ing sessions so far at thelush green pitch of Ing-wenyama Sports and Re-sort Centre.

The workout sessionsupervised by HeadCoach, StephenKeshi,first started at 8am

local time and 7am in Ni-geria on Friday. Keshitook the players on re-gaining the physicalityafter a long trip and toldthem that there will be an-other training session lat-er in the evening at7:30pm, which will be6:30 in Nigeria.

•Westerhof

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-8944295. Advert Dept: 01-7924470;Hotline: 01-8737028; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Advert:[email protected]

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e-mail: [email protected]

How to Play Sudoku THE VIGILANTE

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.

FRIFRIFRIFRIFRIDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERS

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

TODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLE

FRIDAY'S SOLUTIONS

Eagles begin asfavourites — P.55

Zambia vs Ethiopia — 4pmNigeria vs Burkina Faso — 7pm

TODAY'S MATCHES

Ghana 2 vs DR Congo 2Mali 1 vs Niger 0

RESULTS

“Burkina Faso are the teamin front of us now, and we

are prepared, the boys wantto do their best and want to

do their country proud.”

“We will fight the fight of ourlives against Nigeria, we arehere to compete and every

game for us, will be a fight”

Keshi

Paulo,Burkina

Faso Coach

Yobo, EaglesCaptain Mahamadou Kere, Burkina Faso

Captain

DOWN1 Take (6)2 Portray (6)3 Obtain (3)4 Only (4)5 Tendency (5)6 Abandoned (8)8 Breed (4)11 Vital (9)14 Soil (4)16 Leader (4)18 Afresh (4)21 Rude (8)23 Canvas shelter (4)25 Assistant (4)26 Rush (4)29 Revised (6)30 Colour (6)32 Performer (5)34 Discharge (4)36 Thoroughare (4)40 Cur (3)

ACROSS4 Den (5)7 Talented (6)9 Because (3)10 Golf-peg (3)12 Contract (5)13 Sinful (4)15 Pale (5)17 Rough (6)19 Rush (4)20 Giant (5)22 Consume (3)24 Wander (7)27 Intelligence (3)28 Poor (5)31 Roster (4)33 Best (5)37 Face (4)38 Same (5)39 Cover 93041 Scull (3)42 Bullfighter (6)43 Learnt (5)

DOWN: 2, Next 3, Swap 4, Imagined 5, Peer6, Steep 7, Toy 8, Arena 12, Realm 13, Valid 14,Did 15, Never 17, Rival 18, Yokel 20, Ridicule22, Lip 25, Order 26, Extra 28, Aged 29, Stem30, Unit 32, Ire.

ACROSS: 1, Onus 4, Imp 6, Stay 9, Tor10, Excavate 11, Eyed 14, Din 16, Spray19, Examiner 21, Devil 23, Dedicate 24,Model 27, Rip 31, Edit 33, Gluttony 34,Err 35, Area 36, Due 37, Mate.

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ATTACK ON EMIR OF KANO: IBB, Tinubu, Mark,others warn

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