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Orubebe, three other ministers to go •Maku, Odua, Bala Muhammad to be affected•More ministers warm up for guber election in 2015
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...towards a better life for the people N150 VOL. 25: NO. 61885 ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 ** Mr & Mrs Orubebe, three other Orubebe, three other Orubebe, three other Orubebe, three other Orubebe, three other minis minis minis minis minis t t t t t er er er er er s t s t s t s t s t o go o go o go o go o go LES LEBA •P.34 DELE SOBOW ALE •P.40 COLUMNISTS: •P. 44 OCHEREOME NNANNA Continues on page 5 Maku, Odua, Bala Muhammad to be affected More ministers warm up for guber election in 2015 P AUL BASSEY •P.54 CABINET SHAKE-UP BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH A BUJA—INDICA TIONS emerged, last night, that President Goodluck Jonathan might have concluded plans to offload four min- isters from his cabinet in a reshuffle that is about to take place this month. The four ministers; Elder Godsday Orubebe, SERVICE FOR ACHEBEPrimate of All Nigeria Anglican Communion, The Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, flanked by Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Member Achebe Burial Committee, Prof. Uzodinma Nwagi, while Information Minister, Mr. Labaran Maku (R); Wife of former Senate President, Senator Magery Chuba-Okadigbo (L); Anambra State Deputy Governor, Mr. Emeka Sibeudu (2L) and former FCT CAN Chairman, Rev. Williams Okoye (2R) join in a group photograph after the Commendation Service in honour and Memory of Prof. Chinua Achebe at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, yesterday. Inset: The choir during the service. Photos: Abayomi Adeshida. More pix and story on Page 13. Who should be the next CBN Gov? •P.22 IMF okays PIB; calls for early passage ST A TE OF EMERGENCY : 3 soldiers, 14 insurgents killed; 20 arrested •P.8 •P.7 C M Y K
Transcript

...towards a better life for the people

N150VOL. 25: NO. 61885

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013**

Mr & Mrs

Orubebe, three otherOrubebe, three otherOrubebe, three otherOrubebe, three otherOrubebe, three otherminisminisminisminisministttttererererers ts ts ts ts to goo goo goo goo go

LES LEBA•P.34

DELESOBOWALE

•P.40

COLUMNISTS:

•P. 44

OCHEREOMENNANNA

Continues on page 5

•Maku, Odua, Bala Muhammad to be affected•More ministers warm up for guber election in 2015

PAUL BASSEY•P.54

CABINET SHAKE-UP

BY SONI DANIEL,REGIONAL EDITOR,

NORTH

ABUJA—INDICATIONS emerged,

last night, that PresidentGoodluck Jonathanmight have concludedplans to offload four min-isters from his cabinet ina reshuffle that is aboutto take place this month.

The four ministers;Elder Godsday Orubebe,

SERVICE FOR ACHEBE—Primate of All Nigeria Anglican Communion, The Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh,flanked by Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Member Achebe Burial Committee, Prof. Uzodinma Nwagi, whileInformation Minister, Mr. Labaran Maku (R); Wife of former Senate President, Senator Magery Chuba-Okadigbo (L); AnambraState Deputy Governor, Mr. Emeka Sibeudu (2L) and former FCT CAN Chairman, Rev. Williams Okoye (2R) join in a groupphotograph after the Commendation Service in honour and Memory of Prof. Chinua Achebe at the National Christian Centre,Abuja, yesterday. Inset: The choir during the service. Photos: Abayomi Adeshida. More pix and story on Page 13.

Whoshould bethe nextCBNGov? •P.2

2

IMF okays PIB;calls for earlypassage

STATE OF EMERGENCY:3 soldiers, 14 insurgentskilled; 20 arrested

•P.8 •P.7

CMYK

2 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

CMYK

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013—3

CMYK

4— Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

CMYK

POCKET CARTOON

TAKE HEARTBY ELLA RANDLE

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 5

LIFEWORDSBY PASTOR ITUAH

Continues from page 1

CABINET SHAKE-UP: Orubebe,three other ministers to go

If you genuinely love someone, don’t ever deco-rate their eyes with tears, their ears with lies andtheir heart with wounds. Love genuinely and genu-inely love.

We can save ourselves a great deal of grief bydoing or giving purely for the joy of doing. Withno expectation of reward or return, our giving anddoing becomes a blessing to us. It’s called a serv-ice when we serve with joy; the universe, not peo-ple, pays us in abundance — Iyanla Vanzant

Do you love yourself? Are you in harmony withyou? Do you treat yourself with respect? Are yougenerous and kind, and supportive of you? Do youtrust yourself and treat yourself as though you canbe trusted? Do you accept your weakness and cel-ebrate your success? Do you radiate love or are youjust looking to find love. Until you love who youare, not just say it, but do it and believe it, you willnever find the love you are or the love you believesomeone else has to give you.

A relationship is not just a place we go to findlove and companionship. It is a place we go to heal,to grow and work on ourselves. A relationship is anenvironment which gives the opportunity to see howmuch we are capable of giving, how strong we are,and flexible we can be. The key to successfully liv-ing through issues of a relationship is one’s abilityto keep the heart open to do the work that is re-quired for your growth.

Mr. Bala Muhammad,Stella Odua andLabaran Maku, are saidto have indicated inter-est in the 2015 electionand had obtained thetacit approval of thePresident to proceedwith the process of con-testing the gubernato-

rial elections in their re-spective states.

Minister of State forEducation, Mr NyesomWike is also believed tobe leaving the Federalcabinet to actualise hispolitical ambition.

A competent sourcetold Vanguard that thecabinet reshuffle, thefirst major one to be un-

dertaken by PresidentJonathan since cominginto office after the 2011election, is planned tomark the second anni-versary of his adminis-tration and to pave theway for those with higherpolitical ambition to ac-tualise their plans.

2015: Moreministers warmup for guberposts

The source said thatthere might be moreministers who are inter-ested in taking over fromthe current set of gover-nors across the countrybut that the picturewould emerge in thenext few days as thePresident was set to un-fold the shape of hiscabinet that would en-able him to deliver divi-dends of democracy tothe nation and win re-election in 2015.

The source hinted thatit was as a result of thesubtle blessing giventhe Niger Delta Minis-ter by Jonathan to beginthe process of takingover from GovernorEmmanuel Uduaghan ofDelta State that madeOrubebe publicly an-nounce his gubernato-rial ambition to the peo-ple of the state during arecent visit.

Although, the declara-tion of his political inter-est to rule Delta Statehas pitted him againsthis godfather, a sourceclose to the Presidencysaid that the apparentdifference would be re-solved in Orubebe’s fa-vour since Clark couldnot disagree withJonathan’s interest.

“The most importantdevelopment in theDelta situation is thatOrubebe has got the en-dorsement of both Presi-dent Jonathan and Gov-ernor Uduaghan. At theappropriate time, Clarkwho brought Orubebeinto the ministerial seat,will calm down,” thesource explained.

It was also learnt thatthe Federal Capital Ter-ritory Minister, Mr. BalaMuhammad, had alsopleaded with the Presi-dent to allow him contestas the gubernatorial can-didate of the PDP inBauchi State so as totake over from his formerboss, Mallam IsaYuguda.

The major snag inMuhammad’s case,however, is that an influ-ential female player inthe administration ofJonathan described asBala’s godmother mightnot be favourably dis-posed to allowing him toleave the crucial FCTministerial post for themurky water of politics.

The woman, it wasgathered, was instru-mental to Bala’s choicein 2010 and re-appoint-ment in 2011 and wouldtherefore grudgingly ac-quiesce to his ‘untimely’exit from the cabinet.

Maku, Odua eyeNasarawa,Anambra govthouses

In the case of LabaranMaku and Stella Odua,the source explainedthat political strategistsbelieve that they havewhat it takes to wrestlepower from the opposi-tion governors inNasarawa and Anambrastates and give the PDPan edge in the next elec-tion.

Maku, an Eggon, the

largest tribe inNasarawa State, may,however, have to contestagainst SolomonEwuga, another strongpolitician, who recentlywon a court victory torepresent the area in theSenate.

Odua, a strong cam-paigner for Jonathan, isalso said to have theears of Governor PeterObi, who is enjoying hissecond term in officeand is seen as the arrowhead of support forPresident Jonathan inthe South-East.

A cabinet member,who spoke in confidenceto Vanguard confirmedthat there were permu-tations around 2015 andthat the President beinga democrat would notstand in the way of anymember with politicalambition.

DANCE COMPETITION—From left: CMO, MTN Nigeria, Larry Annetts; CTO, MTN Nigeria,Lynda Saint-Nwafor; popular actor and comedian, (Saka) Hafiz Oyetoro and GM, Consumer Market-ing, MTN, Kola Oyeyemi, at the MTN “I Don Port" Dance Contest presentation, held at the MTN Office,Ikoyi.

Emergency rule yieldingresults — Jonathan

ABUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck

Jonathan, yesterday,thanked Nigerians forthe overwhelming sup-port they gave to thestate of emergency whichhe declared last week inBorno, Yobe andAdamawa states.

The President alsonoted that efforts of theArmed Forces have al-ready started yieldingpositive results.

A statement issued bythe Senior Special As-sistant to the Presidenton Public Affairs, Dr.Doyin Okupe said:“President GoodluckJonathan has expressedgratitude to all Nigeri-ans for the overwhelm-ing support they havegiven to the declarationof state of emergency inBorno, Yobe andAdamawa States.

"The President alsothanked the leadershipof the National Assem-bly and many of its mem-bers, who have through

calls and personal visi-tations, given solidarityand support for this ex-traordinary step takenby the President to haltthe mindless killings,bombings and generalinsecurity that had pre-vailed in that part of thecountry."

The statement alsonoted that "available in-formation confirms thatthe insurgents havebeen dislodged fromtheir previously safe ha-vens and camps whilemany have been appre-hended, and their ac-tivities in the affectedstates have been broughtto a total halt.”

The President thankedthe "Governors of thefederation, especiallythe Northern states gov-ernors Forum; Leadersand Elders in the North,traditional rulers, reli-gious leaders, culturaland political groups na-tionwide including op-position political parties,civil society organisa-tions and the Media”.

6 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

Police nab ASP, 3 others overkidnap kingpin’s escapeAs JTF arrests 4 suspected kidnappersRazes native doctor’s shrine

BY EMMA AMAIZE

ASABA — POLICE in DeltaState have arrested and

detained four police officers,including an Assistant Super-intendent of Police, Sergeantand Corporal, for allegedly aid-ing the escape of a kidnapkingpin from police cell inAsaba, weekend.

Delta State Commissioner ofPolice, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba,confirmed the detention of thepolice officers when contactedby Vanguard, yesterday.

This came as the Joint TaskForce, JTF, in Sapele, arrestedfour suspected kidnappers andrazed the shrine of a native doc-tor, who prepared charm for thegang.

Investigations showed thatsoon after he escaped, the kid-nap kingpin from the South-Eastregion called the complainant inthe case to inform him that hehad paid his way out of policecell and he should get ready forhim.

Our source said: “The com-plainant and his family fled theirlocation to an unknown place,same night the escapee kidnapsuspect called him. You can im-agine what some greedy policeofficers have caused the man andhis family.”

Commissioner Aduba in a terseSMS said: “Detention and inves-tigation ordered, appropriatesanction will be applied.”

He later told Vanguard onphone: “The stand of the Inspec-tor General of Police is very clear:any police officer involved in anycriminal matter is on his own. Thematter is being investigated. Youknow me, I do not condone non-

sense and we will remainfocussed in our fight againstcriminals in the state.”

A police officer, who spoke toVanguard said: “What happenedis a shame. Police officers col-lected money from the kidnap-per, brought by members of hisgang and they brought him out.A person who was on handcuffs,they unchained him and one of

them claimed he was going tocut his hair or do something up-stairs.

“I even heard that they gavehim police uniform to wear andhe walked out of the police sta-tion in Asaba and they are theretelling cock and bull stories thatthey do not know he was a kid-napper. This is not the first timethis kind of thing is happening,but I know the Commissioner willnot spare anybody. That is theirown cup of tea.

JTF arrests 4 suspectedkidnappers

The four suspected kidnapperswere nabbed by the JTF in con-junction with the Delta Water-ways Security Committee,DWSC, Warri, after the rescue ofMr. Enye Edema, father of theHead of Department, Security,Delta State Oil Minerals Produc-ing Areas Development Com-mission, DESOPADEC, Mr S.

Edema, a lawyer, who was ab-ducted about five days ago.

Our source said: “One of them,Great, was arrested betweenAdeje and Oviri Court, Sundaymorning, when he came to pickup N500,000 ransom placed ona culvert, not knowing that secu-rity agents had laid siege to theplace.

“He came out of hiding to pickthe ransom and was promptlyarrested. He confessed that Pre-cious drove the vehicle the dayPa Edema was kidnapped whichled to the driver’s arrest.

“The leader of the gang,Marcus, was also arrested inSapele with the assistance of avigilance group.

“However, two other membersof the gang, Lawrence and Peaceare at large, while the shrine ofthe native doctor, who they tookPa Edema to was razed.

“Three motorcycles were report-edly used by the kidnappers inthe operation,” he added

Hardened kidnappers behind Judge’sfamily abduction — Security men

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

BENIN CITY — ABDUC-TORS of the wife, daugh-

ter and driver of Justice BodeRhodes-Viviour, of the Su-preme Court, have beenranked as ‘hardened kidnap-pers’ by security agents and aresuspected to have internationallinks.

They are described as suchdue to their doggedness inkeeping the family of the Su-preme Court Judge in an un-known destination two weeksafter they were abductedaround Okada area while trav-elling from Lagos for a wed-ding in Edo State, despite thepleas by Nigerians for theirrelease.

Vanguard learnt that thesearch for the family has inten-sified in the three states of Edo,Ondo and Delta. It was alsogathered that the suspectedkidnappers are insisting on aransom of N200 million.

It was also gathered that thesuspected kidnappers operatein a sophisticated form by en-suring that they are not tracedto any particular area.

However, security operativesare working 24 hours to ensure

that the victims are freed safely.The Edo State government

had last week appealed to thekidnappers to release the vic-tims unhurt so that they wouldbe able to rejoin members oftheir family.

Meantime, the Nigerian BarAssociation in Edo State has re-iterated its appeal for the re-lease of the victims and urgedthe kidnappers to see them as

Top prisons officer arrested for operatingillegal varsity ...600 illegal schools uncovered

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

ASABA —A SENIOR offi-cial of the Nigerian Pris-

ons Service in Delta State hasbeen arrested for allegedlyrunning an illegal universityin the state.

This came as no fewer than600 illegal schools have alsobeen uncovered.

A team of officials of the Na-tional Universities Commis-sion, NUC, accompanied bymen of the ICPC had, lastThursday, in Asaba, stormedthe illegal university where

the prisons official who is theProgramme Director waswhisked away along withother staff.

The illegal Imo State Univer-sity, Asaba satellite campusbegan operation in 2008.

The Programme Director ofthe illegal university (nameswithheld) admitted that theywere asked to close downsince last year but insistedthat they were no longer ad-mitting fresh students butonly keeping on to graduatethe old intakes.

Meantime, the State Com-missioner of Education (Basicand Secondary), ProfessorPatrick Muoboghare shockedreporters, weekend, when heannounced that a total of 600illegal schools operated byprivate owners had been un-covered.

The commissioner said thediscovery followed “my min-istry’s surveillance which isaimed at establishing the cor-rect and current operationaland official status of institu-tions.”

One dies asbuildingcollapses inBadagry

BADAGRY — ONE personis suspected to have died

in a collapsed building locatedat Godo Blocks Estate, Iberekoin Badagry, weekend.

The News Agency of Nigeria,NAN, learnt that the victim,Kehinde Williams, 28, a car-penter, was working in thebuilding when it collapsed.

The building was said tohave collapsed about 10a.m.on Saturday but the res-cue work did not begin till12.24p.m.

An eyewitness said the de-ceased was trying to removethe planks from the deck of thebuilding when it collapsed.

“From our observations, itappeared that the blocks usedfor the construction were notof high quality and the cementwas not yet dry before hestarted removing the planksfrom the deck. It was whileremoving the planks that thebuilding collapsed,” the wit-ness said.

Why wereturned rapevictims toorphanage—Ogun

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

ABEOKUTA — THE OgunState government has ex-

plained that the decision toreturn the two children whowere allegedly raped by apastor to the orphanage wherethe incident took place was inthe best interest of the childrenwho had known no other placethan the Home.

State Commissioner forWomen Affairs and Social De-velopment, Mrs. ElizabethSonubi, in a statement, yester-day, explained that the victimsof the alleged child abuse werereturned to the Light of HopeOrphanage, Akute, run by Pas-tor Olutayo Atunde, who iscurrently remanded in prisonfor allegedly raping them, be-cause the home is the most con-ducive place for them.

Pastor Atunde who has beenaccused of luring the twochildren before having the car-nal knowledge of them wassubsequently arrested by po-lice and then charged to courtwhich remanded him inprison.

Explaining why it took theaction, the government said:“A Non Governmental Organi-sation, Project Alert, whichpetitioned the Police over theallegation against Atunde, de-manded money to accommo-date the children and relativeswho were invited to take theminto custody outrightly rejectedthe offer to take up such re-sponsibilities."

A sewage truck discharging waste at a roadside in Oppolo Epie, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State,yesterday. Photo: NAN.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 7

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU

ARRIVAL—From left: Princess Olabisi Sangodoye; Dr Alex Ekwueme; and Chief EbenezerBabatope at the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly at the Eko Hotel in Lagos, yesterday.Photo: Shola Oyelese.

IMF okays PIB; calls for early passage

...declares macroeconomic performance positive

GLOBAL financial watchdog,the International Monetary

Fund, IMF, has commended Ni-geria’s Petroleum Industry Bill,PIB, saying, it “would boost in-vestment, government revenue,and fiscal transparency.”

The commendation was givenin spite of varied criticisms by oilmajors and other interest groupsagainst some of the fiscal prop-ositions in the bill. It was the firstinternational endorsement forNigeria’s economic reforms, inwhich oil and gas is the bedrock.

The IMF in a Public Informa-tion Notice, PIN, released onMarch 28, and obtained by Van-guard, also called for early pas-sage of the bill saying, “direc-tors welcomed reforms underwayin the energy sector, and lookedforward to an early passage ofthe Petroleum Industry Bill.”

The IMF said its appraisal fol-lowed the conclusion of consul-tations between its ExecutiveBoard and Nigeria under the2012 Article IV, on February 6,2013.

The PIB is one of Nigeria’smost important pieces of legis-lation, which proposes massivereforms in the petroleum indus-try.

As such, the IMF pass markcomes at a time the Bill is goingthrough critical appraisals underpublic hearings in the lowerhouse of the National Assembly.

Commendationcounterweighs IOCscriticism

The IMF’s endorsement, ana-lysts believe, will provide acounterweight to the trenchantcriticism coming mainly from theInternational Oil Companies,IOCs, regarding the Bill.

Although the fate of the Billrests with the legislators, theIMF’s remarks is expected topresent an important interna-tional perspective on the Bill forthe benefit of the lawmakers whoare daily fed with disparagingremarks on the document.

Surprisingly, the IMF’s en-dorsement, which is yet to bepublicised, is a welcome devel-opment, especially as the globalagency is constantly criticised forits “conditionalities” in savingdeveloping countries, includingNigeria, from economic woes.

At the recently concluded Off-shore Technology Conference,OTC in Houston Texas, USA,the lawmakers who attended theconference like the IMF, agreedthat the bill will institute great-er transparency in the systemand maximise government’srevenues.

N-Assembly reiteratescommitment to passageof PIB

Speaking on behalf of his col-leagues, Senator EmmanuelPaulker, also Committee Chairon Upstream, and his counter-part from the House of Repre-sentatives, Samson Osagie,Deputy Committee Chair onPIB, reiterated the commitmentof the National Assembly topassing the bill before year end.

They maintained that unlikeits predecessor, the new bill willnot suffer from undue politicalmanipulations, but will protectnational interest.

The IOCs have continued toinsist that the passage of the Billwill force operating companiesto exit Nigeria for countrieswith more generous fiscal terms,but the legislators gave the as-surance that the fiscal regimewill not be too harsh as to driveaway existing or prospective in-vestors.

Macroeconomicobservations

The IMF in its notice also de-clared Nigeria’s macroeconom-ic performance as being “broad-ly positive over the past year”,notwithstanding that “realgross domestic product, GDP,growth is projected to have de-celerated slightly to 6.3 percent,reflecting the effects of the na-tionwide strike in early 2012,floods in the fourth quarter of2012, and continued securityproblems in the north.

“Annual inflation increasedfrom 10.3 percent (end-of-peri-od) in 2011 to 12.3 percent in2012, owing mainly to the ad-justment of administrative pric-es of fuel and electricity; largeincreases in import tariffs onrice and wheat; and the impactof floods in Q3.

“The external position hasstrengthened while internation-al reserves rose from US$32.6billion at end-2011 to US$44 bil-lion at end-2012 (5½ months ofprospective imports), driven bysustained high oil prices, strict-er administration of the gaso-line subsidy regime, and strongportfolio inflows.”

Furthermore, the agency not-ed that the country’s fiscal pol-icy stance was tightened in

2012, and fiscal buffers are be-ing rebuilt. “The non-oil pri-mary deficit of the consolidat-ed government is estimated tohave narrowed from about 36percent of non-oil GDP in2011 to 30.5 percent in 2012,mainly due to expenditure re-straint.

“Monetary policy remainedtight in 2012 in response toinflationary pressures. TheCentral Bank kept its policyrate unchanged during theyear but raised the cash re-serve requirement for banksfrom eight percent to 12 per-cent and lowered allowableopen foreign exchange posi-tion for banks. Financialsoundness indicators point tocontinued improvements inthe health of the banking sys-tem.

"It also noted that “in 2013,growth is expected to recoverto above seven percent. Infla-tion is projected to decline be-low 10 percent, supported bythe tight monetary policystance and ongoing fiscal con-solidation.

“The key downside risks area large drop in world oil pric-es; and slow progress inbuilding consensus aroundkey fiscal reforms.

FG macroeconomicpolicy

"In view of the foregoing, theIMF Executive Directors com-mended the Federal Govern-ment for its “prudent macr-oeconomic policies that haveunderpinned a strong eco-nomic performance in recentyears.”

However, the directorsagreed that “widespread un-employment and poverty re-main key challenges for poli-cymakers,” and called for re-newed efforts to make econom-ic growth more broad-basedand inclusive.

The directors also supportedgovernment’s strategy to con-solidate the fiscal positionwhile opening up policy spacefor needed investment in in-frastructure and human capi-tal.

“To this end, they underscoredthe need to improve tax admin-istration, prioritise public ex-penditure, strengthen pub-lic financial management, andimprove the fiscal framework.

Reduction of fuelsubsidy

“In particular, they encour-aged the authorities to reducepoorly-targeted fuel subsidies,adopt a rule to set the refer-ence oil price in the budget,and fully operationalise theSovereign Wealth Fund assoon as possible.”

They added that efforts tomobilise public support forthese reforms should be inten-sified.

Furthermore, the Directorsconsidered the current tightmonetary stance to be consist-ent with the authorities’ objec-tive of reducing inflation to sin-gle digits, adding that the ex-change rate in real effectiveterms is broadly in line withfundamentals.

Other commendations andobservations of directors were:"Commended Nigeria’s suc-cess in restoring financial sta-bility after the 2009 bankingcrisis.

"In light of this achievement,they recommended windingdown the operations of the as-set management company tocurb moral hazard and fiscalrisks.

"Welcomed the CentralBank’s commitment to addresssupervisory and regulatorygaps identified in the financialstability assessment update,particularly the need tostrengthen cross-border super-vision and the regime againstmoney laundering and terror-ism financing.

"Concurred that wide-rang-ing reforms are key to makegrowth more inclusive. Agreedon the importance of support-ing sectors with high employ-ment potential, not throughprotectionist measures or taxincentives but rather with ini-tiatives to improve governance,the investment climate, andcompetiveness.

"Encouraged the authoritiesto promote market-based ac-cess to credit for small and me-dium sized enterprises".

8—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

Aviationworkersinsist onstrike

LagossalvagesN139bnproperty

PRESENTATION: Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State(4th right);Professor Itse Sagay, the author(3rd left); Professor Ben Nwabueze (2nd left); Mr. LawalPedro, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice (left); Mr. Ade Ipaye, Attorney-Generaland Commissioner for Justice (2nd right) and his Ogun State counterpart, Mrs. AbimbolaAkeredolu (right), at the public presentation of Professor Sagay's book entitled TheEnforcement of Electoral Laws and Case Law of 2007 Election Judgments in Lagos.

State of emergency: 3 soldiers,14 Boko Haram members dead

ABUJA—AS the militaryoffensive to dislodge the

Islamist sect, Boko Haram,from the Northern part of thecountry continued yesterday,Defence Headquarters saidits mop-up operation had re-vealed that three soldierswere killed, one missing,and 14 terrorists confirmeddead.

The mop-up operation alsorevealed that seven soldierswere wounded, 20 terroristsapprehended, while sevenvehicles and 13 handsets,belonging to the sect mem-bers, were recovered.

The wounded soldiers werebeing treated in a military fa-cility.

Director of Defence Infor-mation, Brigadier GeneralChris Olukolade, who dis-closed this in a statement,

said: “Troops have continuedthe advance and attack onidentified terrorist camps inthe Northern part of thecountry.

“Patrols are also ongoing tosecure towns and villagesfrom infiltration, while cur-few on identified flash pointsis being enforced.

“Dislodged terrorist havebeen noted to be in disarraywith a large number of themheading backwards to vari-

ous borders. Their bases arebeing deserted but they aremaking efforts to evacuatemost of the large stock of lo-gistics, including scores ofvehicles in their holdings.

“In the course of SpecialForces pursuits and opera-tions, a number of encountershave ensued since yesterday.

“After a mop-up of scenes ofbattle, 14 terrorists were con-firmed dead, while seven ve-hicles and 13 telephone hand-sets were recovered. A total of20 terrorists were appre-hended as they fled.

“Altogether, three soldiersdied, seven wounded and arebeing treated in military medi-cal facility, while one soldieris missing.”

StrategyVanguard learnt that the

strategy of first deployingheavily armed soldiers, backedby air force reconnaissance air-craft to the bordering towns andstorming terrorists’ campsalong the borders withCameroon, Chad, and Niger,made it impossible for the ter-rorists to escape across borders.

A military source said: “I cantell you authoritatively that theso-called insurgents’ arecaged. They can’t run any-where.

“Even when they try to runand discover it is suicidal atthe borders, they come backand try to muscle their waybut we are ready for them. Weare, however, conscious thatthey could have surprises uptheir sleeve.”

Vanguard was told that thedecision of the Commandersof the troops on ground tobrave the dangers of launch-ing a direct confrontation withthe insurgents in their den,followed obedience to instruc-tions from the military highcommand in Abuja, who in-sists that rules of engage-ments should be followed andthe rights of combatants insuch operation respected andprotected.

BY KINGSLEYOMONOBI

Agbakoba asks court toquash N976.7bn subsidy suit

DEFENCE counsel toO l u w a s e u n

Ogunbambo and his co-de-fendants in two of many fuelsubsidy trials before a LagosState High Court sitting inIkeja, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba,has asked the court to quashthe charges against his cli-ents.

Economic and FinancialCrimes Commission, EFCC,

preferred a 10-count chargeagainst Ogunbambo for al-legedly using forged cargoand freight documents to ob-tain N976.653 million as sub-sidy claims from the FederalGovernment.

Agbokoba, in the applica-tion, raised the issues of ju-risdiction and constitutional-ity of the court to hear thematter, including MirandaRights, which are rights ofpersons arrested or de-

tained, to have legal repre-sentation immediately on ar-rest and before making anystatement.

The court is being called uponto determine the issue of non-administration of MirandaRights by law enforcementagents which, Agbakoba ar-gued, were contained in Sec-tion 35(2) of the Constitutionand Section 3(2) & (3) of the Ad-ministration of Criminal JusticeLaw of Lagos State.

BY INNOCENT ANABA

Flood: Ejigbo disburses N5m to CDAs

LAGOS—EJIGBO Local Council Development Area, LCDA,

has called on residents and com-munity associations to comple-ment government's efforts atchecking flood and its negativeeffect in the area as the rainy sea-son intensifies.

The council had already dis-bursed N5.72,000 million to 74Community Development Asso-ciations, CDAs, as grants to cleartheir drainage to enhance free-

flow of water.A total of N2,760,000 was disbursed

last year to 69 CDAs, with each re-ceiving N40,000, while N2.960,000was last weekend disbursed to 74CDAs, with each getting N40,000.

Chairman of the council, KehindeBamigbetan, while presenting cash inthe second phase of the programme atEjigbo Town Hall, explained that thetoken was to serve as an encourage-ment to the residents to initiate moveson the clearing of drains.

He noted that the measure had beenyielding results as the perennial flood-ing in the area had reduced.

BY OLASUNKANMIAKONI

LAGOS—WORKERSin the nation’s aviation

sector, yesterday, insistedon going ahead withplanned strike today, dis-missing statement from themanagement of NigerianAirspace ManagementAgency, NAMA, that thestrike had been suspended.

This came as the workers,under the umbrella of Na-tional Union of Air Trans-port Employees, NUATE,Air Transport Services Sen-ior Staff Association,ATSSSAN, and the Na-tional Association of AircraftPilots and Engineer,NAAPE, are, however, saidto be meeting with the offi-cials of the Aviation Minis-try, tomorrow, for possibleresolution of the issue.

A joint statement by Mr.Olayinka Abioye, Mr.Abdulkareem Motajo andMr. Aba Ocheme, leadersof NUATE, ATSSSAN andNAAPE, urged the publicto discountenance thestatement by the GeneralManager of Public Affairsof NAMA, Mr. SupoAtobatele, that the strikehad been put on hold.

BY DANIEL ETEGHE

LAGOS—LAGOS Stategovernment, weekend,

said N139 billion worth ofgoods and property, thatcould have been lost to firein the state last year, weresaved through the interven-tion of the state fire service.

Commissioners for Trans-portation and Home Affairsand Culture, Mr. KayodeOpeifa and Mr. OyinlomoDanmole, respectively, dis-closed this during the 2013ministerial briefing, to com-memorate the 6th anniver-sary of GovernorBabatunde Fashola’s ad-ministration.

Danmole said that theywere saved from the2,342 fire incidents re-corded, saying “largerpercentage of the firecases recorded in theyear under review oc-curred in residentialbuildings in the state.”

He lamented that thenumber of fire incidentsrecorded in the state wasoutrageous.

BY MONSUROLOWOOPEJO

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 9

Customs,firm disagreeover scannercontract

VISIT: From left— Mrs Annie Hawkins, wife of United States of America, USA's Con-sular-General; in Nigeria, Mr. Jeffrey Hawkins, US Consul-General, and Oba LamidiAdeyemi, Alaafin of Oyo, during the US envoy's visit to the Alaafin in Oyo, yesterday.

Alaafin urges US toassist Nigeria on security

IBADAN—THE Alaafin ofOyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi,

has called on the United Statesof America, USA, to intervenein the security challenges inNigeria.

human beings, we have to pre-serve our culture to knowwhere we came from.”

Earlier, Hawkins said: “I donot know how to play the talk-ing drum. But we appreciatethe Yoruba culture and yourkindness. We are here to ex-

The call was made, yester-day, when he was receivingthe US Consul-General to Ni-geria, Mr. Jeffrey Hawkins, inhis palace.

Oba Adeyemi said: “Nigeriais facing serious challenges inthe area of security. I want touse this occasion to ask you,formally, to get the Americangovernment to assist Nigeriain terms of security.

“We appeal to America, as astrong ally of Nigeria, to riseand help. Time is ripe forAmerica to help us. A part ofthe problem is that our coun-try has porous borders. Thatis one of the reasons why Ni-geria is being invaded.”

On culture, the monarchsaid: “We live in a fast chang-ing world. While things arechanging, we have kept vitalaspects of our culture alive. As

BY OLA AJAYI

plore andunderstandyour culture.We under-stand that ata time thisk i n g d o ms p a n n e dacross manycountries inAfrica.”

The Ameri-can also toldO b aA d e y e m ithat he andhis entou-rage werealso inter-ested inknowing theroles of tradi-tional kingsin modernNigeria.

Retired Methodist Arch-bishop, Ayo Ladigbolu, de-scribed the Alaafin as a lead-ing Yoruba monarch, addingthat it was the Alaafin thatsigned a peace treaty on Feb-ruary 3, 1893 as the repre-sentative of the Yoruba.

Ogun guber: ACN, PDP factions join LP

Ekiti guberaspirantfaultszoning

ABEOKUTA—AHEAD of the 2015 general elections, factions of Action Con-

gress of Nigeria, ACN, and Peoples’Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State, ledby the state’s former Deputy Governor,Chief Rafiu Ogunleye, and Chief LadiAdebutu, respectively, have defected tothe Labour Party, LP, in the state.

Also, Peoples Party of Nigeria, PPN, hasjoined LP in a bid to wrest power fromIbikunle Amosun-led government in thecoming governorship election.

Vanguard gathered that Ogunleye de-cided to dump ACN following the unre-solved crisis in the party, which report-edly led to his loss of hold in some partsof Ogun East Senatorial District.

Announcing his defection to LP in his

Iperu homestead, weekend,Adebutu, son of multi-billionarie busi-nessman, Chief Kessington Adebutu,said he, along with 5,000 others fromPDP, and the ruling ACN, had todefect to LP because the main oppo-sition party had become “prostrate”in the state.

Welcoming the defectors, the LPSecretary in the state, Mr. SundayOginni, said that the party wouldcontinue to welcome defectors fromPDP and other parties in Ogun State.

In a swift reaction, PDP said thatthose defecting to LP were membersof PPN, led by former governor ofthe state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

PDP's state Publicity Secretary, Mr.Waliu Oladipupo, said that Adebutuhad always been a member of PPN.

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

THERE is a sharp disagreement between the

firms contracted to install ascanner at the Seme Bor-der outpost of the NigeriaCustoms Service, NCS.

Contrary to reports, Man-aging Director of the com-pany, Global ScansystemsLtd, Mr. Fred Udechukwu,has said the scanners arenow fully installed, testedand are working at theSeme border post.

Public Relations Officer ofNCS, Mr. Wale Adeniyi,had recently alleged thatthe firm had defaulted inits obligations to install thescanners at Seme border.

Udechukwu said the newinstallation at the borderbrings to eight the numberof scanners currently oper-ated by the only indig-enous company executingthe Federal Government’songoing destination in-spection contract.

BY GODWIN ORITSE

ADO-EKITI—A gu-bernatorial aspirant

under Peoples DemocraticParty, PDP, in Ekiti State,Otunba Femi Olaosebikan,has advised politicians fromthe South Senatorial Districtof the state against dissipat-ing energy on zoning the2014 gubernatorial election.

Olaosebikan said theyshould rather focus atten-tion on how the party canproduce a strong candidatethat would dislodge ActionCongress of Nigeria.

Olaosebikan, said inAdo-Ekiti, yesterday, said:“We have had governorsfrom Central and North,when we believed in zon-ing, but nothing has comeout of it except cosmetic so-lutions to problems.”

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

Ajayi faultstricycle banin Lagos

LAGOS—A chieftain ofAlliance for Democracy,

AD, in Lagos, Chief KolaAjayi, yesterday, decriedthe banning of commercialtricycles on major highwaysin Lagos.

Lagos State Commis-sioner for Transportation,Mr. Kayode Opeifa, had onMay 10 announced the banin Lagos.

Opeifa said that operationof the tricycles, popularlycalled Keke Marwa, consti-tuted a nuisance on Lagosroads.

Ajayi, who is the Chair-man of AD in Lagos State,said that the ban was un-necessary.

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

FG wades into NIMASA, NLNG riftBY SONI DANIEL &

EMMA UJAH

BY JIMITOTAONOYUME

Wike charges Rivers PDP to seeAmaechi as party leader

PORT HARCOURT—MINISTER of State for

Education, Mr. NyesomWike, has charged the lead-ership of Peoples Democrat-ic Party, PDP, in Rivers Stateto reconcile with aggrievedmembers of the party.

Wike, weekend, at athanksgiving service organ-

ised by the party in Port Har-court, the state capital, alsotasked the new leadership of theparty to accord the governor ofthe state his rightful place in theparty. Describing the governoras the leader of the party in thestate, Wike noted that powerhad come back to the originalowners of the party in the state.

He said: “Power has returnedto the original owners. The peo-ple who just lost out in the proc-ess will be angry and they will

show anger in their behav-iour towards you. It is onlynatural because they arehuman beings also.

“However, we should notallow ourselves to be drawninto unnecessary feuds be-cause they are abusing us.We must be abused. Thechairman of our party shouldsee himself as a father andmake sure he reconciles allaggrieved party members.He must have a large heartand now proceed to bring

back his children.“I must state this

again, I am a min-ister and not thegovernor of thestate and the gov-ernor of the state isthe party leaderand must be re-spected as such.”

On his part, thestate Chairman ofthe party, Mr FelixObuah, assuredthat the party wouldsupport PresidentGoodluck Jonathanto run for a secondterm.

BY VICTORAHIUMA-YOUNG

Daewoo:LabourMinistrysummonsDelta NLC

WARRI—MINISTRYof Labour and Pro-

ductivity, has summonedthe leadership of Niger-ia Labour Congress,NLC, Delta State Coun-cil and the managementof Daewoo ConstructionLimited, to its office inWarri, Delta State, today,to find solution to thebrewing industrial unrestin the state over Dae-woo's alleged refusal toallow its workers belongto labour unions as guar-anteed in the NigerianConstitution.

This came as the stateNLC called on the stategovernor, Dr. EmmanuelUduaghan, and otherwell meaning individu-als and organisations tocall the management ofDaewoo to order to avoidindustrial upheaval inthe state.

Chairman of the stateNLC, Mr. Williams Ak-poregha, who confirmedthe summon to Van-guard, however, saidNLC would no longerguarantee industrialpeace in the state in thenext few days, should thegovernment fail to callthe management of thecompany to order, notingthat workers in the statehad been put on red alerton the issue.

NLC in the state andthe management of thecompany had been atloggerheads over Dae-woo's alleged refusal toallow its workers join theNational Union of Civil,Engineering and Con-struction Wood Workers,NUCCEUWW, an affili-ate of NLC.

UPU leadershipcrisis resolved

THE leadership crisisthat had rocked Urhobo

Progess Union, UPU, wasyesterday, resolved. At a well attended meetingof the Council of Represent-atives, an organ of the UPU,at Uvwiamuge – Agbarho, inUghelli North Local Govern-ment Area of Delta State, allissues relating to the crisiswere amicably resolved.

After a briefing by the Pres-ident-General, GeneralPatrick Aziza, on the causeof the crisis, Chief O. C Ma-joroh, First Deputy Presi-dent, requested that all is-sues relating to the misun-derstanding be laid to rest,to enable Urhobo nationmove forward. The Secretary-General, Mr. John Onojak-por, tendered an apology andasked to be forgiven for whathe had done.

The high point of the meet-ing was when Chief SteveSokoh, President-General ofUdu Kingdom, moved a mo-tion to pass a vote of confi-dence on General Aziza asPresident-General and theexecutive. The motion wasseconded by Chief Em-manuel Okumagba, Presi-dent-General of Okere-War-ri, and thereafter adopted.

COMMISSIONING: Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (2nd right); H.R.M.Noble Oyibo Eshemitan, the Orefe of Oghara Kingdom (right); Elder Ekeoma Ekeoma, Chair-man, Nepal Group and his wife Ngozi, MD/CEO, Nepal Group (left), during the commission-ing of Nepal Tank Farm and jetty, by the governor in Oghara, weekend.

THE Federal Govern-ment has intervened in

the face-off between the Ni-geria Maritime Administrationand Safety Agency, NIMASAand the Nigerian LiquefiedNatural Gas Company,NLNG, over unpaid leviesamounting to billions of Naira.

The face-off between the twogovernment agencies arosefollowing what NIMASA de-scribed as the expiration of theten-year tax holiday grantedNLNG by the law establishingthe firm. Under the Act, NLNGwas exempted from paying 3percent of its gross freight onall international inbound andoutbound cargo to the govern-ment.

However, NIMASA is insist-ing that the condition that war-ranted the exemption ofNLNG from paying the leviesterminated over ten years agoand that the latter should havestarted remitting its taxes andlevies to the Nigerian govern-ment since 2004.

The non-payment of the lev-ies, which are believed to havehit billions of Naira, forced NI-MASA to move againstNLNG, disrupting its exportsfor many days.

However, the Director-Gen-eral of NIMASA, Dr. PatrickAkpobolokemi, said yesterday,

that the Federal Government hadwaded into the feud and resolvedthat the matter should be sortedout amicably.

Although the DG did not sayhow much the NLNG was owingNIMASA, he stated that the gov-ernment had asked the gas firmto pay arrears of its indebtednesswith effect from 2009.

He said: “We had to enforce ourlaws relating to the payment oflevies by the NLNG. The compa-

ny refused to pay its indebt-edness to us and that act em-boldened others not to pay.But as at today, the govern-ment has seen reason with usand has asked NLNG to paythe debt. We should havestarted the calculation of whatthey are owing us from 2004when they hit over 3 percentin gas price sales but we willstart the calculation from 2009and whatever it comes to, they

have to pay us.”Throwing light on the oper-

ation of NIMASA, Akpobo-lokemi said the agency hadnot committed any form of in-fraction in its recruitment andretirement policies as allegedin some quarters but addedthat Nigeria did not haveenough Master Seafearersand surveyors, making it im-possible for all the states to berepresented in the agency.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 11

Priests’ protest: Okpalaeke to be ordained outsideMbaise

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

Why morning flights are delayed at Lagos airport

LAGOS—SPACE constraints on the apron

of the General AviationTerminal, GAT, of theMurtala Muhammed Air-port in Lagos may havebeen responsible for thedelay in the early morningflights operated out of theairport.

Vanguard investigationrevealed that spaces on theapron meant for parking forairlines on scheduled op-erations had been taken upby cargo aircraft, which op-

OWERRI—THE Vaticanhas, in collaboration with

the Catholic Archdiocese ofOwerri, concluded plans toordain the largely rejectedMonsignor Peter Okpalaekeas the new bishop of AhiaraDiocese.

Archbishop Anthony J.V.Obinna disclosed this yester-day, while delivering the hom-ily during a Pontifical Sung

Jonathan fulfils campaign promise toS-East

By TONY EDIKE

ENUGU—PRESIDENTGoodluck Jonathan has ful-

filled his campaign promise toNdigbo of the South Eastern zoneof the country by approving thetake off an international airportand the proposed establishmentof a Free Trade Zone in Enugu toboost the economy of the zone,

The President commissioned theremodelled terminal of Akanu Ib-iam International Airport, Enugu,weekend, with an assurance thatthe first international flight by Ethi-opian Airline would take off fromthe airport next month.

Jonathan, who also addressedIgbo stakeholders and politicalleaders at a forum held at Gov-ernment House, Enugu, said hewould continue to protect the in-terest of Ndigbo, having enjoyedtremendous support from thezone since he ventured into na-tional politics.

He said the upgrade of Enuguairport was one of the key re-quests he received from the peo-ple of the South East during hiscampaign in 2011, adding that hepromised to bring about the trans-formation of the economy byopening up the international wingof the airport.

The President said: ”This is thefulfillment of that promise. I amgrateful that this promise is be-

Approves take off of Akanu Ibiam In’tl Airport, Enugu

ing fulfilled through key inter-ventions not only here at theAkanu Ibiam international air-port, Enugu, but also at the SamMbakwe Cargo Airport in Ow-erri and other major sectors. Weshall not relent until everypromise we made is fulfilled.

”With Enugu hosting a brandnew runway and a newly re-modelled terminal, the South

To make Enugu a Free Trade ZoneEast region of Nigeria will besaying to the world we are openfor business.”

Laying the foundation of thenew international terminal of theairport, a project expected to becompleted in December 2014,the president said when com-pleted, the airport would liftabout 500,000 international pas-sengers each year as well as fa-

cilitate the export of farm pro-duce from Nigeria.

He said the South East was aland-locked area, stressing that“if there is any zone in this coun-try that really needs internation-al airport, it is the South Eastbecause most other zones haveaccess to the sea but the SouthEast is land-locked, even whenthe people of the zone are morein commerce, industry and arethe most travelled.”

Mass at Maria Assumpta Ca-thedral, Owerri.

The Archbishop said: “Bar-ring any unforeseen circum-stance, the Bishop-elect ofAhiara Diocese, MonsignorOkpalaeke, will be ordainednext Tuesday, at Seat of Wis-dom Seminary, Ulakwo.

“We decided to organizethe ordination away fromMbaise so as to give peace achance” adding that Okpal-aeke will stay outside Mba-ise until the situation be-

comes clear for him to resumeduties.

“Where it is not possible forhim to resume in Mbaise, thePope will decide on the next lineof action. It is sad that what weare experiencing is a war be-tween Catholics and Catholics.”

The cleric was visibly worriedthat some supposed Catholicsbrought a coffin and inscribed“Okpalaeke rest in peace” onthe coffin, pointing out that itwas the least thing anybodyexpected from a practicingCatholic.

He recalled that he had anopportunity to discuss thenagging Ahiara Diocesan withPope Francis for about 25 min-utes, adding that the Popesaid he could not change theappointment.

“This is a test of our faith.Owerri Archdiocese is current-ly passing through a difficulttime now. The world is watch-ing us. I prefer to be abusedby people than seeing myselfdoing the bidding of man,”Obinna said.

BY KENNETH EHIGIA-TOR

erations are not regular,aircraft on ground, AOG,private jets and aircraftwith technical problems.

Delays resulting from thespace problem had overtime set airlines againsttheir passengers who com-plain of missing their ap-pointments.

But Head, CorporateCommunications of Fed-eral Airports Authority ofNigeria, FAAN, Mr.Yakubu Datti, said airlinesalleging this as cause ofdelay in their morningflights were only lookingfor an excuse but noted that

in the spirit of the Trans-formation Agenda of thepresent administration,plans were on to expandall aspects of airportsacross the country, includ-ing runway, taxiway,apron, amongst others.

Some airline passengerswho bared their mind onthe issue, spoke of theneed for the aviation au-thorities to urgently ex-pand the airport’s apron orevacuate particularly air-craft on ground to createenough space on theapron.

A passenger, Chuks

Ukachi said: “It is unfortu-nate that airlines’ opera-tions in Nigeria are stilldogged by delays. On myway to Abuja last week, ourflight was delayed forsometime and by the time Iaccosted the officials of the air-line, they told me the delay wascaused by space constraint onthe apron.”

Reacting to the development,FAAN’s spokesman, YakubuDatti, said airlines should not useinadequate space on the apronas an excuse to delay flights, not-ing that the area aircraft not ondaily operations were packed wasan extended portion of the apron.

AWARD: Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Am-nesty Programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku (left), with former Presidents, National Association ofNigerian Students, NANS, Comrades Daniel Onje, Dennis Inyang, Daniel Oladele (pioneerpresident-second right), serving president, Comrade Yinka Gbadebo (right), former andcurrent leaders of the association, during the conferment of Meritorious Life MembershipAward on Kuku in Abuja.

Group backsJonathan onemergencyrule

BY GBENGA OKE

LAGOS—THE National Think-Tank, a non

profit advocacy group,weekend, supported thedeclaration of emergen-cy rule in the North-Eastby President GoodluckJonathan-led adminis-tration.

The group also urgedNigerians regardless oftribal, ethnic, religiousor political affiliation torally round the latest ac-tion by the Federal Gov-ernment to restore lawand order in the troubledspots in the North East-ern part of the country.

In a statement by theNational Director of Me-dia of the group, Mr.Dele Agekameh, thegroup maintained thatthe security situation inAdamawa, Borno andYobe state necessitatedthe declaration of a stateof emergency by Presi-dent Goodluck Jonathanbecause the states weregradually turning theentire North-East to atheatre of banditry, arsonand mindless killingswhich no responsiblegovernment would toler-ate.

He said: “The situationwas so bad that the en-tire government appara-tus in the affected stateswere in serious jeopardywhile economic life therehad almost collapsed, asituation which has col-lateral effect on the stateof the economy, securityand well-being of Nige-rians all over the coun-try.

The group cautionedthe military high com-mand to adhere strictlyto the rules of engage-ment as emphasised inthe declaration by thePresident.

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

Senate debates State of Emergencyproclamation tomorrow

By JOSEPH ERUNKE

Taxremittance:Reps beginhearing onrole of bankstoday

BY OKEY NDIRIBE &EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

PendingBills toreceiveacceleratedhearing—Mark

ACN, CPC senators may disregard party directive to opposeemergency declaration

ABUJA—THERE are strongindications that senators

elected under the platform ofActrion Congress of Nigeria,ACN, and some within Congressfor Progressive Change, CPC,may disregard the earlier direc-tives of their respective parties notto support the imposition of a stateof emergency on three states ofBorno, Yobe and Adamawa, as thedebate comes up tomorrow.

The action of the senators maybe in connection with the wide-spread anger and condemnationthat had so far greeted the state-ments from the two parties, call-ing on their members in the Na-tional Assembly not to support lastTuesday’s action of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan.

Some senators of the affectedparties, who spoke with Vanguardon the issue, said there was needfor all members to support thePresident’s action, given that itwas done in the general interestof the nation.

Senator Ganiyu Solomon, ACN,Lagos West, told Vanguard thatalthough he was awaiting fulldetail of the proclamation, he be-lieved it was done primarily torestore peace which had eludedthe three states.

He said: “Until I go through thedetails, I cannot say anythingmuch. But I think if the action ofthe President will bring peace in

ENUGU—FOURTEEN of thesixteen roads inspected dur-

ing an on-going inspection of fed-eral roads by the House of Repre-sentatives House Committee onWorks failed all standard tests.

When analysed in percentage,87.5 per cent of the on-going fed-eral road projects inspected in theSouth-East failed the standardtests conducted by members of thecommittee who were mainly pro-fessional engineers.

Only 12.5 per cent of the 16 fed-eral projects inspected met the re-quired standard as specified by theFederal Ministry of Works.

The tests were carried out through the use of rebound ham-

ABUJA—THE Houseof Representatives

will today start a full scaleinvestigative hearing oncommercial banks’ tax re-mittances to the FederalGovernment’s coffers.

House Committee on Fi-nance said the investiga-tion became necessary dueto alleged sharp practicesby some of the 23 desig-nated tax-collecting bankson collection and remit-tance to government.

The committee had in-vestigated some federalgovernment-owned agen-cies on Internally Gener-ated Revenue, IGR, whichled to additional remittanceof N100 billion into federalcoffers.

The Nigerian NationalPetroleum Corporation,NNPC, has, however, con-tinued to defy the commit-tee on the presentation ofthe account of individualsubsidiaries of the corpo-ration, insisting that it wasa joint account.

14 S-East roads fail Reps standard testBY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

the states affected by the state ofemergency, why would one notembrace it? “It is a good develop-ment, given that all elected struc-tures are in place. We should sitand pray that the desired peaceis achieved in the affected areasat the end of the day. I can’t speakfurther than that.”

On his part, Senator Ademuyi-wa Adeniyi, ACN, Ekiti South,said: “In as much as I support thePresident’s action against the

backdrop of increased senselesskillings of innocent people in theaffected states, I will advise thatthe state of emergency shouldnot be used as instrument of op-pression of perceived politicalopponents.

“Again, the President who hasthe power and authority to con-trol the military must ensure thatthey strictly follow the rules ofengagement.”

One of the senators electedunder the platform of CPC from

North Central who spoke but pre-ferred anonymity, said: “Giventhe spate of violence that we haveso far witnessed in these affect-ed states, we can’t afford to goagainst the action of Mr. Presi-dent.

“I believe everybody is affect-ed in one way or the other inwhat has happened in thesestates in the past. The violencethat enveloped the North East forsome time touched everybody, ir-respective of political, religiousand cultural affiliations.”

mer and coring machines.Rebound hammer was used to

test the strength of completed cul-verts and drainage, while the cor-ing machine was used to ascer-tain the thickness of asphalt usedby contractors.

The tests conducted during thecommittee’s oversight visit tosome on going federal roadprojects in Imo, Abia, Ebonyi andEnugu states, were based on jobspecifications as contained in thecontractual agreement of the Fed-eral Ministry of Works and vari-ous contractors.

All road projects inspected inImo State failed the standard test,while the only road which passedthe test in Abia State was executed

by Abia State Government on be-half of the Federal Government.

In Ebonyi State, the alreadycompleted drainage and thick-ness of the road betweenAbakaliki and Afikpo which is on-going passed the standard test.

In Enugu State, the drainage on theEnugu-Abakaliki road rehabilitation,under the World Bank’s Road Sector De-velopment Team, failed the test, whilethe thickness of the asphalt on the com-pleted section met the required stand-ard.

Some lawmakers who spoke to Van-guard, described this development asunholy and unacceptable “because inengineering practice, there is nothing likehalf measures only 100 per cent compli-ance is acceptable.”

By HENRY UMORU

2013 Budget amendment: We’re not in a hurryto pass it —Senate

ABUJA—THE lingering crisis between the executive

and legislature has deepened,with the Senate boasting that itwas not in a hurry to pass the 2013budget amendment Bill currentlybefore the National Assembly. Strong indications have also

BY HENRY UMORU

ABUJA—SENATEPresident, David

Mark, has promised thatall pending bills before theSenate will be given accel-erated attention to meet theyearnings of Nigerians.

Speaking at the weekendin Abuja, while respond-ing to a request by the Min-ister of Women Affairs,Hajia Zainab Maina, Sen-ator Mark assured aspeedy passage of the Vi-olence Against Persons(prohibition) Bill into law,adding that it was part ofmeasures to stop domesticviolence or harmful prac-tices against women inNigeria.

The Bill seeks to elimi-nate violence in private andpublic life, prohibit allforms of violence, discrim-ination and provide maxi-mum protection and rem-edies for victims as well aspunishment for offenders.

emerged that a new phase in theproblem is the fact that the execu-tive may have rejected the budgetwhich was passed last year by theNational Assembly. According to the Senate, it willtake time to go through the docu-ment thoroughly and will takeits time to go through all aspects

of the budget that had alreadybeing passed thoroughly as wellas the amendment being re-quested by the executive arm ofgovernment. Speaking with journalistsweekend, Chairman of the Sen-ate Committee on Appropriation,Senator Ahmed MuhammadMaccido, PDP, Sokoto North,explained that the amendment

bill gave the impression that allthe inputs made by the NationalAssembly into the earlier budgethad been rejected by the execu-tive arm of government.He said: “The amendment weare working on is just like an-other budget altogether. It seemsas if the whole input of the Na-tional Assembly into the earlierbudget has not been agreed toby the executive. ”They want us to look into ourinput as a whole. So, we have tosit down again and re-examineit. It is not something we are go-ing to rush because we are go-ing through the whole of thebudget again.”Senators Maccido, who notedthat the lawmakers were stillstudying the document, a situa-tion that will make the passingof the bill delay a great deal,said: “So, it is going to take us alot of time, like three weeks ormore. In any case this is its thirdweek

“I think most Senators are stillnot prepared for the amend-ment bill yet because they arestill going through it. Untilsuch a time when they arethrough, we cannot just putthe bill in the Order Paper.”

AWARD: From left: Ms. Kadaria Ahmed, member, panel of judges; Keith Richard, Man-aging Director, Promasidor; Ambassador Partick Dele-Cole, Chairman, panel of judgesand Mr. Jide Ologun, Chairman, NIPR, Lagos State chapter, at the Promasidor Quill Awardsin Lagos, weekend. Photo: Akeem Salau.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 13

Late Prof. Achebe’s commendation service

Senator Jim Nwobodo, former Enugu State Governor (left), exchanging pleas-antries with the wife of former Senate President, Senator Magery Chuba-Okadigbo, after the Commendation Service in honour of late Prof.Chinualumogu Achebe, at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, yesterday.Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, ANPP National Chairman (right) and Dr. AndrewUzoigwe

From right: Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, former NCC Vice Chairman; Mrs. NgoziOkonjo-Iweala, Finance Minister; Senator Magery Chuba-Okadigbo, wife offormer Senate President, Chuba Okadigbo and Mrs. Nkasiobi Okoh, wife ofAnglican Primate, singing a hymn during the service

From left: Prof. Uzodinma Nwagi; Prof. Nat Aniekwu; Navy Capt. JerryOgbonna and Chief Ifeanyi Iloegbunam

Cross-section of the congregation

Achebe was animportant African— Okonjo-Iweala.Name National Library after Achebe —Nwala

ABUJA — IN herbid to cleanse the

judiciary, the Chief Jus-tice of Nigeria, CJN,Justice Mariam Aloma-Mukhtar, weekend,maintained that hence-forth, the National Judi-cial Council, NJC,would use its perform-ance evaluation reportto weed out incompe-tent and indolent judgesfrom the bench.

The CJN who statedthis while receiving ‘Ni-geria’s Judicial Per-formance Evaluation2008 – 2011,’ compiledin seven volumes by theNigerian Institute ofAdvance Legal Studies,NIALS, said it was ri-diculous for her to dis-cover that some judgescannot deliver up to twojudgments in a quarter.

Stressing that suchjudges not only consti-tute a drain on theeconomy, the CJN in-sisted that such inepti-tude contributed to thereason Nigerians com-plain about the slowpace of justice deliveryin the country.

ABUJA — THEburial rites for the

eminent novelist, Prof.Chinua Achebe, whodied on March 21 in theU.S. began yesterday inAbuja with a commen-dation service at theNational Christian Cen-tre.

Some of the personali-ties at the service in-cluded the Minister ofFinance, Dr. NgoziOkonjo Iweala, Infor-mation Minister,Labaran Maku, formerAnambra State gover-nor, Jim Nwobodo, Pri-mate of the AnglicanChurch, The Most Rev.Nicholas Okoh.

They eulogised theeminent novelist as onewho fought to restore thedignity of the Africanand a role model for theyouth.

Chairman of theAchebe National Transi-tion Committee, Prof.Uzodinma Nwala askedthe Federal Governmentto name the National Li-brary after the departednovelist.

According to the formerpresident of the Associa-tion of Nigerian Authors(ANA) and member ofthe Achebe NationalTransition Committee,Dr. Wale Okediran,Achebe’s body will arrivefrom the United Statestomorrow at 8 a.m. andwill be received at theNnamdi Azikiwe Airportby government officials,writers, cultural organi-sations and other associ-ates.

At 10 a.m. today inAbuja, ANA will hold alecture at the Interna-tional Conference Cen-tre (ICC) for Achebe un-der the chairmanship of

Niger State governor,Dr. Babangida Aliyu,while a day of tributesalso will hold today atthe same venue at 3. 30p.m.

The body will then de-part for Enugu on Tues-day and will be in Awkaon Wednesday. He willbe buried on Thursdayin Ogidi, AnambraState.

Okonjo Iweala in hercomment said Achebewas an important Africanfigure and that the Fed-eral Government wasworking with theAchebe family, the NTCand the South East gov-ernors to give the latewriter a befitting funeral,adding that PresidentGoodluck Jonathan, whowould be attending thefuneral, personally re-ceived Achebe’s son,Ike, in Abuja recently.

Maku, echoing OkonjoIweala’s comments, de-scribed Achebe in su-perlative terms, sayingthe writer ranked along-side William Shake-speare, Homer, amongothers and that he wrotefrom Afrocentrist per-spective.

Maku said the fact thathe wrote fromAfrocentric perspectivedenied him the Nobelprize. He added that“the prize is not the mostimportant thing. Themost important thing isto write. Achebe put Af-rica in the bookshelvesand restored the dignityof the African which hadbeen abused.”

Former vice chairmanof the Nigerian Commu-nication Commission,Ernest Ndukwe, saidAchebe was a great pa-triot young Nigeriansshould emulate.

In his commendationservice, the Anglicanprimate, Most RevOkoh, said Achebe wasGod’s gift to Africa, Ni-geria and the Igbo.

Thanking God forAchebe’s life, Okoh said“Achebe is great becausehe spread his God’s giftto the world, thus expos-ing the cultural conflictin Igboland in early co-lonial period in Ni-geria.”

CJN vows to sackunproductive, indolent judges

Justice Mukhtar saidshe never knew how badthe situation was untilshe directed all judges toseek for permissionthrough their heads ofcourts before travellingabroad.

According to the CJN:“We are now thinking oflooking at the perform-ance evaluation of thejudges for the purpose ofdiscipline. If a judgecannot deliver three tofour judgements in ayear, there is no usekeeping him on thebench other than to beshown his or her wayout.

“The Nigerian Bar As-sociation have also beencomplaining about theattitudes of judges towork these days. Manywill leave their work andtravel abroad for days.

“This is why I insistedthey must obtain ap-proval before travellingabroad. Until this direc-tive, I never thoughtthings were all that bad,because some of thejudges will be seekingfor permission to travelabroad while the courtswere in session.”

BY UDUMA KALU

BY IKECHUKWUNNOCHIRI

.Body arrives Nigeria tomorrow, burial Thursday

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Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013—15

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OPINION

16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

Mr. Zowam, a social critic, wrote formAbuja.

BY GABRIEL ZOWAM

Concluded.

Continued from Pg 17Nigeria and the cross of reform(2)

THE real question is: Do we need a newworld-class regulatory agency (as Ms

Oteh is midwiving) capable of not justdriving the kind of capital market neededfor Nigeria’s development, but alsopreventing a re-occurrence of the 2008-typeof disaster? Or do we sustain an indolentcivil-service kind of SEC, which will noteven understand the language of the wiz-kids in our globalising banks and otherplayers in the capital market? Such a SECwill be nothing but another stock marketdisaster waiting to happen! Therefore, byappearing to take sides with the protesters,the Committee effectively emboldened theforces against reform, which was anoutright national disaster!

Finally, the Committee misled itscolleagues and the respected Speaker bysensationalising bogus figures of wastes andcorruption against Oteh without duly cross-checking them! What happens now thatthose wild figures (N2 billion, N850,000hotel bill daily, etc) have proved to beunfounded? The respected Speaker shouldask for the report by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, PWC, an internationalfirm of consultants, which did a morecompetent investigation. Ironically, it wasSEC’s Board that engaged PWC, aftersuspending Oteh, in a bid to nail herdecisively. But PWC, very remarkably, endedup vindicating her, and acknowledging thepositive impact of her reforms on the capital

market!The respected Speaker can also try to

speak to the over 50 young professionals,recently recruited by SEC (to help driveOteh’s emerging regulatory environment)- and confirm the unthinkable: youngNigerians were able to get into Nigeria’spresent-day public service (yes, Nigeria)without godfathers!

It is a national tragedy that only the publicofficials trying to change and improvethings in this country get hounded andcastigated, while all the others that aredoing absolutely nothing, are left to havetheir peace! That’s why Nigeria ranksamong the world’s most retrogressingnations, in practically all developmentalindices (poverty, healthcare, infantmortality, unemployment, education, etc)despite having some of the most endowedminds in the world! Why not, since wealways stand by while our vested interestsfrustrate every national programme thattampers with the status quo! Notice thatthis is again what is happening to ourcapital market reforms! The FinancialTimes of London was already forecasting(based mostly on Oteh’s reforms) thatNigeria’s capital market would record oneof the fastest recoveries worldwide in 2013;but the present stand-off between the Houseof Representatives and the Executive branch

(on Oteh) has practically crippled thosereforms!

That is why I must strongly appeal to therespected Speaker of the House of Reps topromptly call off this standoff. The Housecan find a more patriotic arena for tacklingthe Executive! Anything that slows down theongoing capital market reforms is not inour nation’s interests!

On her part, Ms Oteh, who has justreceived our nation’s baptism, must

not lose the inspired enthusiasm with whichshe has worked. One of the ironies of reformis that the larger public, who will benefitfrom it are silent (often, even uninformed)while those who will lose from it knowthemselves, and are quick to come togetherto fight it! Ms Oteh can take solace in thehighly commendable, steadfast support shehas received from President GoodluckEbele Jonathan. That kind of support is theonly way to create progress in a nationhostaged by vested interests! If not thatPresident Olusegun Obasanjo defied allopposition in 2004 to stand by his reformer,Prof. Charles Soludo, our bankconsolidation (and all the economicbenefits that came with it) would never haveseen daylight!

Finally, and most importantly, the timehas come for our political leaders at all

levels to begin to focus their energies on thereal issues that matter for Nigeria! It isridiculous that our leaders could bedissipating energy on SEC and Oteh, whentheir counterparts in other emergingnations are racing their countries towardsthe huge opportunities that globalisationis creating for all nations! Look at howKorea and fellow Asian nations (backed byvisionary national policies) are now takingover the game-changing global market forsmartphones and tablet computers (whichare the next ICT frontiers)! It isunprecedented, but Samsung Electronics ofSouth Korea has just dethroned all Westernfirms to become the market leader (32.7%of the global market share), while America’sApple comes a distant second at 17.3%! Thissame South Korea, just a few decades ago,was a poor, underdeveloped country,devastated by civil war, with a mere $87 asGNI per capita (equivalent to that of Ghanaat that time)!

In the same way, it was only a few decadesago that Indian professionals (both menand women) flooded this country, teachingeven in our secondary schools. Today, whileour leaders are bickering about SEC (andan oil-driven federal budget under N5trillion), India’s export revenue in 2011(without oil) exceeded N45 trillion! Let usplease call off this distracting standoff, andstart focusing on things that matter forNigeria!

NIGERIAN party politics since civil rule in1999 has been dominated by factions, internalcrises, irreconcilable differences, opendisagreements among members of the sameparty, especially those in high public offices.Three parties at the starting line - PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP, the All Peoples Party,APP, later All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP,and the Alliance for Democracy, AD in 1999 -have morphed to more than 50 parties, and sohave challenges of their politics.The main parties in the First Republic were

the Northern Peoples Congress, NPC, theUnited Middle Belt Congress, UMBC, theNorthern Elements Progressive Union, NEPU,the National Convention of Nigerian Citizens,NCNC, and the Action Group, AG. Their leadersSir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa,Joseph Tarka, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, and ChiefObafemi Awolowo had firm grip on their affairs.In the Second Republic, from 1979, the National

Party of Nigeria, NPN, Unity Party of Nigeria,UPN, Nigeria Peoples Party, NPP, Great NigeriaPeoples Party, GNPP, Peoples RedemptionParty, PRP and Nigerian Advanced Party, NAP,had their leaders Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji

Needed: PNeeded: PNeeded: PNeeded: PNeeded: PararararartytytytytyDisciplineDisciplineDisciplineDisciplineDiscipline

Waziri Ibrahim, Mallam Aminu Kano, Dr NnamdiAzikiwe, and Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Alhaji ChiefAugustus Meredith Akinloye, Maitama Sule,Mallam Suleiman Takuma, Chief TunjiBraithwaite in control.NPN wooed voters with qualitative education

and agricultural revolution; UPN promised freeeducation at all levels; NPP emphasised socialjustice and reduced dependence on oil revenue.GNPP was mainly known for “politics withoutbitterness”, PRP championed the cause of thepoor, the talakawa while NAP was renowned forbombast. Ideologically, the parties had identities.Internal party discipline was strong enough thatdisagreements were settled mostly internally,

dissenting members sought their interestselsewhere. Everyone knew who led the parties.Today, candidates campaign on their ownmanifestoes, not their parties’. Parties are nowordinary platforms through which personaldesires can be actualised, rather than vehiclesfor articulating delivery of services to the people.No single party today has a programme, ormanifesto that identifies it.Parties have members with divergent views,

people of disparate ideological leanings who arein the same party for the potentials of theplatform to provide electoral success. We havea dysfunctional political party system. If theparties had clear-cut programmes, politickingwould be saner. Political leadership developmentwould be systematic; unlike the present chaoticsystem where politicians in the various partiesgrow leadership by co-option. Co-optedmembers owe allegiance to their principalsrather than to the party, and by extension, thenation suffers the impact of the rumpus.There is need for a return to genuine, workable,

political party system where party disciplinewould enhance the nation’s political growth andsave it from needless political crises.

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Is’haq Modibo Kawu, Northern irredentistsand the appropriation of Nigeria

Clearly, instability, tension and criseswill continue to bedevil Nigerian politics,as long as the Federal Government con-tinues to control and disburse States’resources

BY ITSE SAGAY, SAN

I WAS amused at the almostphysical pain exhibited by

Is’haq Modibo Kawu in his col-umn in the Vanguard Newspa-per on Thursday, May 2, 2013,whilst reacting to a recent speechin the U.S.A. by Mr. KingsleyKuku, the President’s Adviser onthe Niger Delta. Mr. Kuku hadapparently stated that therewould be dire consequences ifPresident Jonathan is not re-elect-ed in 2015. My amusementstemmed from the fact KingsleyKuku had simply taken a leaf fromthe Northern irredentists’ politi-cal play book.

Memories are not so short thatwe have forgotten the threatsemanating from this group aboutwhat would happen in 2011, if thePDP zoning arrangements werenot adhered to and the candidatedid not come from the North. Andit was not just the issue of a can-didate of Northern (Arewa) ex-traction but a candidate selectedby Arewa and presented to Ni-geria as such. The question of arecord of his achievements, char-acter, programme, merit, capaci-ty, etc, did not arise. The solequalification was to be ArewaNorth by birth - a term whichembodies a clearly understoodlanguage and religion. All the bigguns of Arewa North were reso-lutely committed to this project,Malam Adamu Ciroma, Profes-sor Ango Abdullahi, Alhaji Law-al Kaita, Dr. Junnaid Moham-med, Mallam Tanko Yakassai,etc, etc.

In addition to these gentlemen,the Northern Governors and vir-tually all the political elite of theArewa North, believe that only

is my view that Jonathan shouldcontest the 2015 elections basedon his record in office between2010 and 2015. It is futile, puer-ile, infantile and is evidence ofpolitical and social immaturity, tobase the choice of political lead-ership on zonal or ethnic origins.A leader must be chosen on thebasis of character, track record,integrity, discipline, principles,intellect, level of enlightenment,commitment to service, politicaland social programme, etc. notplace of origin, language or reli-gion. But the Arewa leaders andelite have never believed in theseprinciples.

Infact they are registered own-ers of the patent called “Rule bytribal, ethnic, religious and zonalorigin” to ensure dominance in-deed monopoly, without recourseto quality merit or qualification.Their current cry is “power mustreturn to the North” as an entityand Nigerians have no right ofchoice, once this representativeof the ruler zone is presented.This is democracy, Is’haq andArewa style.

Point ofappropriation

The mind set of Arewa Northhas always been to dominate Ni-geria politically to the point ofappropriation. This proprietaryair is evident in Is’haq’s writing.According to him Kingsley Kukuis not grateful for what the Nige-rian State (substitute ArewaNorth) has done for the NigerDelta. Let me quote him. “Nevermind what the Nigerian State hasdone for the Niger Delta in re-cent years, with the 13 percentDerivation, NDDC, Ministry of

geria can continue to be in a stateof denial about it, but this cannotchange a mathematical fact. Thatthe Federal Government appro-priates all these States’ resourcesto itself does not change the factof true ownership.

My question to Is’haq then is,who is the benefactor and who isthe beneficiary? Niger Delta orNigeria? As recently as April,2013, Governor Kwakwanso ofKano State attributed the unde-veloped condition of his State tolack of equal access to Niger Del-ta oil proceeds with the NigerDelta States. In other words, hecannot bring any improvement tothe lives of the people of KanoState without having an equalright to Niger Delta oil and gasproceeds, as Niger Delta States.Apart from this being a remark-able case of total amnesia aboutthe identity and geographical lo-cation of Kano State, GovernorKwakwanso was admitting that helacks the capacity to organizeKano State to generate its ownfunds for the running of the State,and that he is completely depen-dent on Niger Delta oil and gasproceeds.

Derivationprovision

In calculating the proportion ofNiger Delta oil and gas proceedsbeing enjoyed by States, there hasbeen total fixation with the 13 percent derivation provision for Ni-ger Delta States based on whateach state produces, but nothinghas been said so far about localgovernment allocations from theNiger Delta oil and gas proceeds.Every year at least 20 per cent ofthe amount in the Federation ac-count is shared amongst local gov-ernments all over the country.There are 776 local governmentcouncils in Nigeria, with 419 inthe North and 357 in the South.So it is clear where the bulk ofthe 20 per cent goes. Kano State,

a non-oil producing State, has 44local governments gulping theirshares of the 20 per cent. Bayel-sa, a major oil producing State hasonly eight local governments.And so the proportion of the shareof the 20 per cent collected byKano, compared to what is col-lected by Bayelsa is 44-8 or 11-2.In other words for every N200worth of oil and gas proceeds col-lected by Bayelsa local govern-ments, Kano State local govern-ments collect N1,100. Kano pro-duces no oil and gas. Bayelsa isa major producer.

Again only recently, a curiousthing happened. It was reportedthat the Arewa Consultative Fo-rum was interested in collaborat-

taken by the ACF to be so naïveand clueless that they must havebeen waiting for the ACF to crowntheir efforts with a presidentialcandidate.

There is thus a mind-set, whichhas continued unabated since1914 when Lord Harcourt, theBritish Colonial Secretary an-nounced that “the promising andwell conducted youth” withoutmeans would be joined in “analliance with a southern lady ofmeans.” Thus in this Nigerianmarriage, the Arewa North, rightfrom the beginning was the“man” and “husband” and theSouth the “woman” and “wife.”The use of the term “youth” (man)for the North and “Lady”, (wom-an) for the South was not an acci-dent, nor an exercise in humour.

Permanentcontrol

It was a deadly serious matter,with the game plan being to bringthe two together in order to giveArewa North, political power overthe South together with perma-nent control over Southern re-sources. In the England of thetime of Lord Harcourt, the BritishColonial Secretary and match-maker, under the common law,married women had no indepen-dent legal right over their ownproperty. Once a marriage wascontracted, all the women’s prop-erty automatically became herhusband’s property. The womancould not enter into a contract inher own right. Her husband hadto conclude all her contracts onher behalf. This peculiar Nigeri-an arrangement imposed by theColonial Masters, has with mi-nor exceptions, continued up tilltoday.

one of themselves is entitled tobe the President of Nigeria, basedon where they come from; and asa group representative, regard-less of merit, quality, qualificationor track record. Let me state clearlyat this stage that I do not supportthe call of those who insist thatJonathan must be given a secondterm just because he is from theSouth South. On the contrary, it

,

,the Niger Delta and theBillions of Naira thatKingsley Kuku expendsas chair of the presiden-tial amnesty pro-gramme.”

There you are! Thegreat Nigerian State hasdone wonderful thingsfor the Niger Delta, byreturning to it, 13 percent of Niger Delta’s 100per cent owned oil andgas proceeds. NigerDelta should be gratefulfor being forced to sur-render only 87 per centof its assets to Big Broth-er. It is clear from

Is’haq’s writing that someone elseother than the Niger Delta, ownsthe Niger Delta oil and gas. Couldthat be Arewa North? Should Ni-ger Deltans now be grateful forthe 13 per cent they are allowedto keep? Nigeria today, is beingfunded by Niger Delta oil and gasproceeds (about 80 per cent), La-gos State VAT and Customs du-ties from the coastal States. Ni-

ing with the yet to be registeredAll Progressive Congress, APC.What is the basis of the ACF in-terest in APC? It is not for thepurpose of seeking to know itsprogrammes, manifesto or ideol-ogy, or contributing to its growthand popularity. No! It is to nego-tiate using the APC to sponsor anArewa presidential candidate.Such is the lust of the Arewa elitefor power that ideology and pro-gramme, are irrelevant to them,as long as an Arewa of their ownchoosing, gets the top politicalslot. You will never hear of ACFnegotiating for the vice-presiden-tial position. Never! It has to bethe presidency. It is the duty ofnon-Arewas to be subordinate andto accept the spare tyre position.The audacity of the ACF is unbe-lievable. It is as if those whoformed the APC and groomedand natured it to its present statehave no idea as to who to giveleadership positions. They are

The logic and mode of opera-tion is simple. Handover all Statenatural resources to the FederalGovernment. Then those whohabitually and by imperial au-thority, control the Federal Gov-ernment, also control and disposeof such resources as of right.Therefore, the revelation that Are-wa North elements own 83 percent of Niger Delta oil blocs cameto me as no surprise. Clearly, in-stability, tension and crises willcontinue to bedevil Nigerian pol-itics, as long as the Federal Gov-ernment continues to control anddisburse States’ resources. Intro-duce fiscal federalism, and allowStates to retain their resources inreturn for payment of taxes for theoperation of the Federal Govern-ment and immediate peace willdescend on the Country and ev-eryone will head for his State forthe generation of revenue and forthe promotion of development.

PRPRPRPRPROF ITSE SAOF ITSE SAOF ITSE SAOF ITSE SAOF ITSE SAGAGAGAGAGAYYYYY

Map of Nigeria

To be concluded

44—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

OPINIONBY GABRIEL ZOWAM

*Mr. Zowam, a social critic, wrote from Abuja.

,

,

Nigeria and the cross of reform

Continues on pg 18

FORMER Chief Justice of Nigeria, the HonourableJustice Alfa Belgore, once reminded us of how the

German government in 1962, came and set up ourDefence Industries Corporation, DIC; and how in thesame 1962, the same German government planted thesame seed in Brazil, the Brazilian Defence Industries.While the Brazilians have since blossomed their ownseed, such that Brazil now produces a wide range ofmilitary and civilian equipment (including fightingvehicles, assorted military and civilian aircraft, trucks,luxurious buses, and so on), DIC in our nationalretrogressive environment, ended up being known forthe salt it produced (DIC salt)! We are today gleefullyimporting manufactured products from Brazil! Thisexample illustrates how terribly our nation hasretrogressed, and why we must urgently start changingthings!

In 2009, President Umaru Yar’Adua brought Ms.Aruma Oteh to help clean up the mess in our Securitiesand Exchange Commission, SEC and the capitalmarket it regulated. The previous Director-General ofSEC, Mr. Musa Al-Faki, had been forced to resign,following the collapse of our capital market in 2008(which had wrecked thousands of investors) and SEC’spoor performance. Ms. Oteh, with an Ivy-leaguebackground, embarked on numerous reforms of boththe capital market and the regulatory agency. Many

people may not know that these reforms (and the manytoes that had to be stepped on) could actually havebeen her original sin!

Last year, the House Committee on Capital Marketsand Institutions launched a public inquiry “into thenear-collapse of the Nigerian capital market in 2008”.Although this inquiry was somehow belated, manyinvestors hoped that the people who had wrecked themwere finally on their way to where they belonged- injail! Unfortunately, the Committee bungled this vitalnational assignment, which misled the respectedHouse of Representatives and its Speaker, AminuTambuwal.

First, the Committee from the very first day, beamedan inquiry that was supposed to be on the near-collapse of the Nigerian capital market in 2008 on Ms.Oteh, who was not even there during the collapse! Itwas particularly bizarre how the Committee gave VIPtreatment to the principal characters in the collapse(from the CBN, SEC, and NSE), who should havebeen asked hard questions! No wonder theCommittee’s work cannot today be said to haveprovided any solace to those who were ruined by thecollapse, nor even seriously served to discourage a

re-occurrence!The Committee also failed to read the reform

environment that drove SEC’s staff and Commissionersto testify against their DG! It was like bringingeducation-sector workers to testify against ObyEzekwesili, or power-sector workers against Prof BartNnaji! Poor SEC staff! They had every reason to protestbecause SEC’s indolent, civil-service world was givingway to Ms Oteh’s vision of a new world-class regulator,capable of driving a capital market in our globalisingeconomy! They suddenly found themselves on theirtoes! Many traditional comfort zones for easy staffenrichment (travels, training estacodes, sundryallowances, etc), were giving way to value-drivenprogrammes of a serious-minded regulatory agency!What SEC’s staff union did was therefore not differentfrom what our power sector union (or any union forthat matter) would have done! But the Committeeseemed to miss this completely!

FINALLY, he got moving. Followingthe mass murders of innocent

Nigerians and security forces in Borno,Yobe, Adamawa and Nasarawa Stateswithin the past one month, PresidentGoodluck Jonathan cut short a state visitto Southern Africa and returned to aseries of meetings with top militaryadvisers. He declared a state ofemergency in three flashpoint states ofthe North East: Borno, Yobe andAdamawa.

Some argued he should have alsoincluded Kano, Nasarawa, Bauchi andPlateau. Perhaps, the president does notwant to spread the forces thin. Perhaps,he wants to tackle the border states first.He has superior information and advicefrom our security chiefs who shouldknow better than the rest of us. Let usgo along with the presidential decision.

Since the Boko Haram menaceresumed in 2011 shortly after the generalelections, we, on this page, have piledpressure on the president to go toughon the terrorists. We urged him to ignorethe media noisemakers, politicalblackmailers, parasitic sectional “elders”and regional boasters and hit theterrorists hard.

We asked him to bring them to theirknees before considering the option of“dialogue”. That is the only bittermedicine fit for terrorists. All over theworld, that is the medicine they arebeing fed. That was the pill the latePresident Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua forceddown their fundamentalist throats.

But our president chose to play Mr.Please-all. He wasted precious time,pandering to blackmailers and sendingformer President Olusegun Obasanjo(when the going was still good betweenthem) to go and offer financialgratification to the family of the slainleader of Boko Haram, MohammedYusuf. He allowed himself to beblackmailed into considering the extra-judicial killing of Yusuf of higher nationalinterest than arresting the resurgenceof his re-armed successors.

The president came out to inform us,in a resigned tone of voice, that BokoHaram supporters and financiers wereall over the place, even in his cabinetand the Presidency! Prodded further to

Emergency: late, or too late?

take action, our Commander-in-Chiefthrew his hands into the air andinformed us that he was “no Pharaoh”or “army General”. I wondered whatPharaoh had to do with it when thecountry’s territorial integrity was beingthreatened by paid foreign terror agents.Before you knew it, our leader suddenlybuckled to regional pressure anddecided to set up a committee towardsgranting unsolicited and undesirableamnesty to defiant terrorists!

While we wasted valuable time, theterror groups proliferated. Theygradually abandoned the option ofsuicide bombing and settled forgunfights, targeting police and armybarracks, as well as prisons and other

security facilities. The lives of our peoplein uniform, especially the Police, becamecheap. Every aggrieved group inBayelsa, Kogi, Nasarawa, Borno,Adamawa and Yobe States took pleasurein killing our policemen and takingpotshots at our army troops.

This delayed reaction exacted aheavy toll on the image of the

president. It appeared as if he was afraidof wielding the powers of his office. Theopposition, especially the ActionCongress of Nigeria (ACN) and theCongress for Progressive Change (CPC)talked about him without reverence orregard to his person or office.

A leader who appears indecisive whenfaced with tough decisions is a dangerto himself and the entity he leads. So

also does a leader who wants to pleaseeverybody. Failure to take decisive actionand on time when faced with a toughchallenge such as terrorism is likeincubating a vicious virus or cancer, orany other life-threatening afflictionwhich Niccolo Machiavelli calls “awasting disease”.

In his timeless letter to theMagnificent Lorenzo de Medici, in hisbook: The Prince, (translated by GeorgeBull, Penguin Books) Machiavelliwarned about the dangers of delayingaction in the face of a rising peril:

“When trouble is sensed well inadvance, it can easily be remedied; ifyou wait for it to show itself any medicinewill be too late because the disease willhave become incurable … politicaldisorders can be quickly healed if theyare seen well in advance (and only aprudent ruler has such foresight); when,for lack of diagnosis, they are allowedto grow in such a way that everybodycan recognise them, remedies are toolate”.

Of the nineteen states of the North,only Benue, Kwara and Kebbi have sofar been spared of Boko Haram violence.Kabiru Sokoto bombed St Theresa’schurch in Madalla, Niger State andbolted to Nasarawa State. When he wascaught and detained in Abuja, heescaped and was finally caught in faraway Taraba State. That is how mobilewanted criminals can get. The armedforces are conducting operations in threenorth eastern states. The terrorists, notknown for fighting pitched battles, couldbe anywhere before the militarycontingents arrived.

It is going to be that much moredifficult to achieve a total grip on theseenemies of the nation at this point thanthat outset in 2011 when the presidentchose to use kid gloves and declaredemergency in a few local councilswithout real emergency measures to gowith it.

I am hoping that we have not left ittoo late. Happily, majority of Nigeriansare pleased, even relieved, that thepresident has decided to act. The militarymust be allowed to perform theirprofessional duties with minimaldistraction. They must be decisivewithout caring whose political ox isgored, in the handling of culprits andtheir sponsors.

It is when people see that all terroristsand their backers, no matter how big orsmall, are being dealt with as befits thecrimes they have been committingagainst innocent Nigerians, thatconfidence will gradually return in theability of Nigeria to protect its citizens.

I WISH to congratulate an ebullient Elder of my Presbyterian Church, Elder E.E. Ekeoma and his wife Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoma, on the commissioning of the Tank

Farm and Jetty of their Nepal Oil and Gas facility in Oghara, last Saturday (18THMay 2013) by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State.As they grow in theLord so they are growing in their business. I wish them greater heights and moresuccess!

AS Nepal Tank Farm opens in Oghara

President Goodluck Jonathan

A leader who appearsindecisive when facedwith tough decisionsis a danger to himselfand the entity heleads. So also does aleader who wants toplease everybody.Failure to takedecisive action andon time when facedwith a toughchallenge such asterrorism is likeincubating a viciousvirus or cancer

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013—45

,

,

,BY ONORIODE AKPE

,*Mr. Idama, a public affairscommentator, wrote fromAsaba, Delta State.

*Mr. Akpe is SSA on Electronic Media toGovernor Dickson of Bayelsa State.

BY EJIRO IDAMA

WHEN Bayelsa State was created 16years ago, carved out of the previous

Rivers State, it became obvious frominception that the fledgling state will facegreat challenges on the path of attainingthe growth and development that autonomyhad bestowed on her.

Those who reason that states creationshould be guided by certain existing andpotential economic indices for sustainingthe existence of that state, including theunhindered possibilities of benefitting frominternally generated revenue, IGR, tocomplement that from the federationaccount, will find out that the Bayelsa Stateexample has survived against all odds.

It needs no repeating that over the years,Bayelsa State has experienced growth anddevelopment of monumental proportionswhich of recent within the last 12 months,with Seriake Dickson on the driving seat,has been accelerated to embrace somepromising economic initiatives that showthat the Bayelsa of tomorrow is now beyondbeing just a dream.

The reality of this dawned on the veryaugust gathering of Bayelsa’s best brains,great and eminent sons and daughters ofthis great state, when at the inaugural boardretreat that held in The Castle , GovernmentHouse, Yenagoa from April 22-27, 2013,Governor Dickson, in a keynote address,opined that indeed Bayelsa had the world’sbest economists and investment gurus everassembled by any one state in Nigeria,brainstorming on the economic future of astate with a vision to create for our futuregenerations an economic miracle based ondiversification beyond the ebbing oil wealthof today. To this extent, the Governor, as hehas always done at similar occasions, drew

Periscoping Seriake Dickson'srestoration agenda and the BDICinitiative

the attention of this eminent audience to theOloibiri oil well experience, Nigeria’s firstcrude oil exploration location, which todayhas dried up and no longer gushing out oil.He emphasised that there is now, than everbefore, an urgent need, in this regard, todiversify the economy of Bayelsa beyond oil.

Speaker after speaker identified thepotentials of non-oil activity in the economyof Bayelsa State if the governmentmaintains the tempo of the currententhusiasm to increase the opportunitiesinherent in self-development and enterprisein the state. Most of the papers presentedpointedly addressed attention towardscitizen participation with the governmentand, in that respect, the dedicatedcontribution, collaboration in synergy withgovernment’s efforts to stimulate theeconomic environment for the good andwellbeing of the people of Bayelsa State.

In identifying areas of citizenparticipation and collaboration withgovernment and in addressing the challengeof poverty and youth unemployment, it wasnoted that much attention is needed to befocused on and agro-allied activity in thecommunities and other interest like the aquatourism and related investment bygovernment which will alleviate poverty andthe pressure on job creation and youthengagement in the state.

The seriousness, with which GovernorDickson viewed the organisation of theinaugural board retreat of the BayelsaDevelopment and Investment Corporation,was clearly demonstrated by his practicalinvolvement in the deliberations and cross-cutting discussions he engaged with themembers. Prior to the keynote address hepresented, and the interactive session, hewent further to conduct, during the retreat,a novel approach in good corporate

governance, every member of the BDIC, whosat through all the sessions with HisExcellency, experienced the passion burningwithin the man, as he showed vividly hisdetermination to leave behind a legacy asone of the builders of the new and modernBayelsa State; a clear vision, a mission nowembedded in the mandate of the BDIC whichis vested with the task of becoming thestrategic enabler of economic prosperity inthe new and emerging Bayelsa State.

Even in the content of the keynoteaddress of the Governor, every Bayelsancould see in him the drive, the energy withwhich he wanted to use the BDIC to createthe enabling environment for inflow ofinvestments and creating a haven forinvestors to thrive in the plannedindustrialisation of the state.

According to His Excellency: “The newBayelsa that we all crave for, the new Bayelsathat we actually deserve, that new Bayelsacan only be founded on prosperity andsecurity. Government is building roads andbridges, schools and so on, but in vain do wedo all of this, if these activities do nottranslate to economic prosperity andopportunities for our people”.

The presentations and comments rangedfrom those made by seasoned consultantsand by members of the Advisory Council

and board, who gave their all in the contentsof the papers, with which every listener wasinspired to envision the dream of Bayelsa,and indeed that of an emerging oil-rich state,preparing to confront the future with adiversified economy well beyond its oilwealth.

It turned out that the banking communityare also determined to partner with BayelsaState as was succinctly expressed by thearticulate Group Managing Director/CEOof a prominent bank Mr KehindeDurosinmi-Etti, who said that much in hispaper, as he gave an in-depth analysis of theadvantages and serial benefits of Public-Private Partnership initiatives which arecapable of stimulating growth anddevelopment in Bayelsa State.

The comparative analysis by Mr JosephTegbe of KPMG dwelt copiously onpractical case studies of publicly runorganisations some which succeeded andsome which failed, examining also thepitfalls and the lessons to be drawn fromthose instances. It was a good thing to hearand learn so that the future can be thusguided from repeating those mistakes in theplanning by government for opening up theeconomic space and creating the enablingenvironment for enterprise to succeed inBayelsa State. While the programme lasted,the ventilation of ideas and the contributionfrom very successful Bayelsa bornentrepreneurs like Ben Murray Bruce of thefamed Silverbird Group, esteemed speakerslike Mr Iheanachor of the Lagos BusinessSchool and the group of eminent membersof the board, constituting the likes of MrsDiezani-Alison-Madueke(CON);HRMKing Alfred Papapriye Diete-Spiff(OFR,JP);HRM King Dr EdmundM a d u u a b e b eDaukoru(ARSM,FIC,CON);HRM KingEbitimi Banigo (OFR) among many otherprominent names coupled with theenduring presence of other well-articulatedmembers of the Nigerian corporate andbusiness community.

AS a resident in Delta State, onedevelopment that has impressedme greatly is transport. Theadministration of Dr. EmmanuelUduaghan has no doubt giventransportation uncanny attentiondeserving of some mention. Partof this transformation agenda hasmade Delta Line buses, with theirwhite and blue colour, a commonfeature in towns and villages ofthe state and many cities inNigeria. This leads me toconclude that across Nigeria,Delta State comes tops in suchwell-organised, integratedtransportation structure withpublic buses almostoutnumbering privately operatedbuses.

Because of what I observed, Idecided to research further theextent and impact of Deltagovernment transport policy. Theintervention in transportationbecame prominent in 2008 withthe establishment of the DeltaState urban mass transit schemeand the launching of 168 brandnew Toyota Corolla cars byGovernor Uduaghan. Some of theToyota set of cars were given outto interested drivers as part ofgovernment empowermentprogramme; others wereallocated to the Delta Line

Uduaghan's revolution intransport restores sanity

Transport Company forcommercial purposes.

In 2009 and 2010, the stategovernment further increased thefleet with the purchase andcommissioning of 100 and 200brand new Hiace buses. Thiswholistic approach intransportation should berecognised as a majorinfrastructure development, acritical component of the three-point agenda of the Uduaghanadministration. It is also ademonstration of theadministration’s total commitmentto opening up the state to attracttourists and investors.

By the acquisition of 800vehicles, comprising Hiace buses,Toyota taxi cars and Marcopolobuses, the Governor has stemmedthe hitherto crisis that greeted thetransport sector during thederegulation of the petroleumdownstream sector early 2012.

Similarly, in marinetransportation, hundreds of 19Uspeed boats have been acquired,while several jetties have beenbuilt in the coastal communities.Over 21 of such landing jettieswere provided between 2008 and2010. The Delta publics, who aremainly the beneficiaries, haveshown great enthusiasm andgratitude to their loving governorfor this intervention, particularly,

with the regulated fare. Thedownward review of the fares hashad tremendous impact in theState as it has put privateoperators in check.

In a random poll which Iconducted across Delta State overseveral months, I found manyrespondents reacting differentlyto the state government’sprogramme, especially after theintroduction of tricycles,popularly called Keke, in additionto the buses and the regulateduse of motorcycle in certaincommunities in Deltacommunities.

For example, a tricycleoperator in Asaba, the statecapital, Mr. Jonathan Ator,believes that the regime oftricycles and buses has been verybeneficial to both the operatorsand commuters. To the operators,it has restored sanity in the sectorand reduced frequent accidentsoccasioning limbs and legfractures. “I feel a lot safer driving

my tricycle, and the dailyturnover is mouth-watering”, saysthe unemployed Sociologygraduate who prefers it to Okadafor the safety it offers. Anothercommuter, this time a house wifeand civil servant, Mrs. RuthOkuns, said, even though, it isyet to reach the door steps ofmany homes, it guarantees moresafety for her and her little kidswho daily employ the services oftricycles for school runs. Shecommended Uduaghan’sinitiative in this direction. JarosJarikre, who combines work andschooling and traverses Asabawhere he works and Abraka, hisschool location, described therevolution as God’s intervention.A ride to Abraka from Agbor, hesaid, is one of comfort. “All of uson this route have called the bluffof these shylock private operators,which hitherto have madetravelling a nightmare. At themoment, those private buseshardly exist. I doubt if they stillexist.

Deacon Aburi Adams, saidmembers of the public haveembraced the revolution as societyand government are dynamic.There is nothing wrong with theinnovation. He lauded the stategovernment for its policydirectives in the transport sector,describing it as wonderful.However, he called on thegovernment to make the roadsmore motorable so that moretricycles can reach the door stepsof the commuters.

A public analyst in Warri, the

commercial city of Delta State, Mr.Richards Achums, described theUduaghan revolution in thetransport sector as novel. He saidin Delta State, commuters feelvery comfortable withgovernment intervention. Thevisibility of Delta Line buses, nowpopularly known as UduaghanBuses in every part of the statehas made transport fare verycompetitive. The masses nowhave alternative.

What is not lost on me is thatthis revolution which theGovernor brought into thetransport sector of the stateunderscores the government’scommitment to good governance.The mass transit programme,though remarkably a populistprogramme, has helped to easethe burden of the people greatly.

The economic vision did notonly cushion the hardship of thederegulation of the downstreamsector, it also provided jobs foryouths in commercialtransportation and today it is asuccess story.

At the last count, GovernorUdaughan administration hasprocured 800 vehicles comprisingToyota taxi cabs, 500 Hiace buses,60 Marcopolo buses, 10 Tatabuses and 130 boats deployed tovarious communities in the state.This has immensely improved thetransport sector and reduced thestress associated with dailymovement of Deltans.

What is not loston me is that thisrevolution whichthe Governorbrought into thetransport sector ofthe stateunderscores thegovernment’scommitment togood governance

Every Bayelsan couldsee in him the drive, theenergy with which hewanted to use the BDIC tocreate the enablingenvironment for inflow ofinvestments and creatinga haven for investors tothrive in the plannedindustrialisation of thestate

46 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

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,

WHAT is your reaction toDokubu-Asari’s war

threat that there will be nopeace if President Jonathanis not returned in 2015?

You have to put thatstatement in the context ofNigerian history. I wouldn’twant war. We have had morethan enough war now. But hehas a point he is making.

The point he is making isthat we have had well above50 years of Independence andout of those years, thirty-eightand half, the North suppliedthe headship of Nigeria. It isnot that everybody was happy,but nobody made war.

They've made Nigeriaungovernable for Jonathan— Ezeife

Former federal permanent secretary, governor of AnambraState, and presidential adviser, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife inthis interview with Vanguard responds to issues arising fromthe Boko Haram insurgency, the 2015 presidential contestamong others. Excerpts:

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHI-OGU threat. It is not an idle threat

and people should think. Ihad said before that eachmonth Boko Haram remainsactive, it will mean one yearof the north being out ofpower.

And let’s us calculate themonths and see how manyyears the North is alreadypushed out of power.

Are you ruling cattle? We arehuman beings. At a point, wewill say, “eji ndu eme gini,what is life for?

Some allege Asari’sstatement was a response toearlier comments by LawalKaita in 2011 of makingNigeria ungovernable for

Nigeria if Jonathan won in2011?

That is what we are talkingabout. A number of prominentNortherners not just LawalKaita said the country will bemade ungovernable ifJonathan wins and he wonand what are we getting? Thecountry is being madeungovernable. Blood all overthe place.

Are calls to arrest Asarijustified?

Well, we are idle people inNigeria talking nonsensemost of the time. This youngman blows up out ofaccumulated tension andfrustration and you say, arresthim. Start arresting from thebeginning.

Do you foresee Nigeriahitting the rocks by 2015 withall these perennial problems?

My view is that Nigeriamust remain a permanentNigeria. But there are things

for the country to break upinto pieces.

Where does the Igbo nationstand in 2015?

I see Jonathan as an easternperson holding the office ofthe President and put there byprincipally the south-east. Itis the confidence oozing outof the south-east that enabledsouth-south to galvanize. In1987, we had a meeting withthe Middle-Belt and they toldus the moment they see thesouth east standing firmly onan issue, they will go with us.What happened in 2011presidential election?

The Middle Belt went withthe south-east. South-southwent with the south-east. So,we put him there, it will notbe just to hound him out. Butwhen he is looking for hissecond term, we arerequesting for our first term.Hausa has ruled. Yoruba hasruled.

Legitimateinterest

Of the major tribes, only theIgbo has not. By 2015, everyzone shall have suppliedleader of Nigeria exceptsouth-east.

So, we have legitimateinterest in 2015 yet our manis there. I don’t think it makessense to go and competeagainst Jonathan but what Ihave said from the beginningis that we play a game of

cooperation with Jonathan.He would understand usfighting to be President.

We understand him fightingfor second term. Before theprimary election, we shouldmeet and look at the fieldandask him, “Mr. President,do you think, you can win inthis field without damagingeverything?”

Game ofcooperation

If the answer is yes, wesupport him. But we have toconvince ourselves that it isyes. But if on the other hand,it looks like he doesn’t win,we will ask him to support us.That is the game ofcooperation I mean.

Are you corroborating whatSenator Ben Obi saidsometime ago that Igboshould forget 2015?

Well, it is a matter of alanguage that is used. Thereis a way you can say “thankyou” and it looks like you said“go away”. And if he said itblatantly like that, it is notgood. But I am sure what he

means by that is thatultimately, we will have tosupport Jonathan for 2015.

Opposition parties havegathered to form APC so asto unseat the ruling PDP by2015. Do you see thathappening?

I think that APC is red lightfor Nigeria. I was one of the

eight permanent secretarieswho recommended two -partysystem for Nigeria and wefound it fantastic. It workedvery well. People didn’tunderstand how it cameabout.

They thought it was themilitary that imposed it. It waspeople like us. We first of allworked on it andrecommended it, then IBBannounced it. Every bodywho lived through that two-party system knew that it’sthe best thing for Nigeria.

We were bonding. A personfrom Sokoto coming toAnambra where I wasGovernor will think he isgoing home if it is SDP. Aperson from Anambra goingto Sokoto where NRC wasruling will think he is goinghome if it is NRC.

So, there was bonding alongtwo lines. So, if any othermajor party is developing torival PDP, such major partymust be based on ideologicalground; a little to the left, alittle to the right. Any thinggeo-religious is dangerous forus. And we don’t want riskingthe radicalization of westernMuslims who are the bestexamples of how to live withdifferent religions. So, APC isnot the party we are lookingfor to make a two-partyNigeria. It is a danger signalto Nigerian polity because itis not based on ideology.

A number of prominent Northernersnot just Lawal Kaita said the countrywill be made ungovernable ifJonathan wins and he won and whatare we getting? The country is beingmade ungovernable. Blood all overthe place

*Ezeife

Nobody tried to make thecountry ungovernable forShagari, not the talk about themilitary people. But now, asouthern person from theeastern part is president.

Before his election, we heardtalks of making the countryungovernable if he wins. Infact, he won, and; look at whatis going on. Blood flowingeverywhere. Don’t you thinkthat people from the south-south even south-east willthink that this is going onbecause somebody from thatpart of the country isPresident?

There is something Igbopeople say “Eji ndu eme gini?(What is the use of life)? Thereis a situation you may say“what is the use of life?” Let’sfight to the end. Death iswelcome. So, it is a bitterstatement made by AsariDokubo and it will not beadvisable to take it as an idle

that must be doneto make itpermanent.

As for theprediction of someforeign countries, itis their owninterest that theyare serving. Somepowerful nationson earth decided tothemselves that anIslamized Nigeria,in her position,mumbled, will bedifficult to manageand therefore theythink it will be best

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 47

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN,POLITICAL EDITOR

MUST it be violence forviolence?

We are human beings and ifwe continue to sit down andallow a certain group ofpeople to say certain thingsand laugh it over, then whatis happening today is whatwill happen, then I too cansay it and people can laughover it.

If President Jonathandecides not to contest, thenwhat would you do?

The decision to contest or notto contest is Jonathan’s. If forinstance, the Niger Deltapeople agree that Jonathanshould contest and he says heis not going to contest, that ishis choice. It is his choice andthat is the point I am makingwhich is that it is not thechoice of Kaita or Buhari oranybody to tell Nigerians whoto vote for.

As a civil right activist, areyou satisfied with theperformance of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan?

I am on record ofcomplaining about so manythings about Jonathan’spresidency so far, so let peoplego back and look at thosestatements.

Retractionof statement

I stand by every one of mystatements. I am not retractinganything. The only time I willretract anything is if thecondition that led to thatstatement changes, then I willchange my position.

Nobody is saying thatJonathan’s government isperfect. Nobody has said that.I have criticised it and I haveused the Niger Delta as ayardstick to measure hisperformance and I have saidit very clearly.

Now, having said that, weare two years into a four yearterm and I am not obliviousto the fact that from the day itbecame clear that he wasgoing to be the president ofthis country that some peopleconstituted themselves into asort of opposition that wouldmake him to seem ineffective.

It's Jonathan or no peace — Annkio Briggs•Says Nigerian presidency is not the birthright of Kaita's family

Annkio Briggs is undoubtedly one of the leading female activists to have come out from the Niger Delta region.President of the Agape Birthright, spokesperson of the Ijaw Republican Assembly (IRA) and also the UnitedNiger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), Briggs in this interview responds to issuesconcerning the 2015 presidential election and assertions by some Ijaw activists on the sustenance of theJonathan presidency. Excerpts:

People have now forgottenabout Boko Haram, BokoHaram has now beenrelegated to the backgroundand you now have banditsthat are roaming around insome states in the north!

I am not deluded thateverything possible has beendone to make sure thatJonathan is perceived and isseen and actually seen not tobe performing and until theseobstacles are not there will Ibe able to say categoricallythat Jonathan has notperformed.

But that does not mean thatI should say that Jonathanshould not exercise the rightand indeed, he shouldexercise the right thatNigerian voters have given tohim. No matter how we fightfor Jonathan, the finaldecision is Jonathan’s andwhen it comes to criticisingJonathan, I will not shy awayfrom crticising him.

But why has Jonathan withthe apparatus of government

in his hand not been able toidentify those who aresponsoring the violence?

We would not know and thatis what we are calling on himto do. I do not work withgovernment so I would in noway know.

What is your take on theamnesty plan for membersof the Boko Haraminsurgents?

It is not a matter of amnesty.Even the amnesty that wasoffered in the Niger Deltawhat has it been able toachieve in terms of time lineand what it was expected toachieve? We expected it tocreate the avenue wheredevelopment will come to theNiger Delta, but that has nothappened.

But it has stopped violence?Let me tell you why Niger

Delta is no longer violent isbecause Jonathan is thepresident. Let me tell you thetruth and anybody that doesnot know that is foolinghimself. The reason why the

,oil production hasgone up is becauseJonathan is thepresident. That isjust the truth andthat is the pointthat must be madeand must beunderstood and ifanybody elsethinks that why theoil production isgone up and theNiger Delta iscalm, then thatperson shouldreassess the wholescenario.

Are you saying ifP r e s i d e n tJonathan isdefeated in a freeand fair electionthat violence willspring up in theNiger Delta?

It doesn’t matterwho is thepresident as far asNiger Delta peopleare concerned, ourdemands remainour demands. Wewant to control ourresources, we wantto developourselves, we ownthe resources that

are in the Niger Delta, it is onour land. These are the thingsthat we are talking about. Theissue of the KaiamaDeclaration still stands.

The things that Adaka Borofought for still stand. The

Jonathan to do now? He is oneman!

What is it that we want himto do? We say he is notaddressing insecurity in thenorth, so we now are makingsure that his issue is notinsecurity in the Niger Deltaand people are saying that hehas not addressed this and hehas not addressed that.

If we also get up and put fireon Jonathan, then you willsee what will happen. Theoutput of oil will be reduced.See, there is no pointpretending, there is no pointin being afraid, these arethings that must be said andthey are being said now.

Pollutedwater

If Ciroma, Kaita and allthese elderly people can comeout and say these thingsabout Nigeria and aboutJonathan, then they shouldexpect that we also must beallowed to express how wefeel and the reality is, whetherit is agreed or not agreed, theresources are in the NigerDelta, therefore it belongs tous.

We are the ones drinkingpolluted water. Is Kaitadrinking polluted water? Is hebreathing gas flared oil?These are the things that mustbe said. Is Kaita drinkingpolluted water? When he talkslike that it is very offensive,

We are the ones drinkingpolluted water. Is Kaitadrinking polluted water? Ishe breathing gas flared oil?

*Briggs: Peace in Niger Delta is cos of Jonathan

therefore somebody like me Iwill talk the way he hasspoken so that we will see ifit is good or bad. If he thinksthat he can make Nigeriaungovernable, we too canmake Nigeria ungovernableand that is what we are saying.

Is the presidency of Nigeriahis birthright to be handedover to him and his family?Which president hasperformed better thanJonathan? Answer me andwho is he worse than? Whatnonsense!

things that Ken Saro Wiwadied for which is that theyshould stop despoiling ourenvironment; these demandsare still there, they are notgoing to go away whetherJonathan is there or not.

But President Jonathan hasnot addressed them?

If Jonathan addresses theissues he would be accused ofaddressing his people’sissues. When he does notaddress it he would beaccused of not addressing it.So what is it that we want this

48 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

AFTER winningadulation across

Mali for a five monthmilitary offensive thatcrushed al Qaedafighters, France is nowfrustrating some of itsallies by pushing for apolitical settlement with aseparate group of Tuaregrebels.

A standoff over how torestore Maliangovernment authority toKidal, the last town in thedesert north yet to bebrought under centralcontrol, is sowingresentment with Paris andcould delay plannedelections to restoredemocracy after a coup.

Mali’s army has movedtroops towards Kidal, astronghold of the MNLATuareg separatists, butmissed a self-imposeddeadline this week toretake the Saharan town.France, which has its ownforces camped outside,does not want Maliantroops to march on thetown, fearing ethnic

After crushing Mali Islamists, France pushes deal withTuaregs

bloodshed if it is taken byforce.

“Paris blocks army at thegates of Kidal,” read aheadline in Le Matin, aweekly in Mali’s capitalBamako.

Elections are plannedfor July in Mali to finallyrestore normalcy after achaotic 18 months thatsaw Tuaregs launch arevolt, the military carryout a coup, al Qaeda-linked Islamists seize thenorth and 4,000 Frenchtroops arrive to dislodgethem.

Many in governmentand on the streets ofBamako blame theJanuary 2012 uprising bythe Tuareg MNLA forunleashing the othercalamities that nearlydissolved the country.Nationalists now wantthe army to march intoKidal to disarm the rebels.

France is insteadbacking secretive talksbeing held inneighboring BurkinaFaso, designed to allow

the July elections to takeplace, while urgingBamako to addressTuaregs’ long-standingdemands for autonomyfor their desert homeland.

Clashes between Arabsand Tuaregs have shownthat ethnic tensionremains high.

The former colonialpower, France wonenthusiastic publicsupport across Mali for itsdecision to send troops inJanuary to crush the alQaeda-linked fighters.French flags still flutter inparts of the dustyriverside capital, andPresident FrancoisHollande was cheered asa liberator by hugecrowds when he visitedin February.

But goodwill is givingway to frustrations overKidal, with manyMalians questioningwhy France would notboldly confront theMNLA as it had done thecoalition of al Qaeda-linked rebels.

•French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (C) poses for a picture with Frenchand Malian army officers at the French military base at the airport in Gao.

POPE Francis iscalling for renewal

in the Catholic church ashe wrapped up two daysof mass gatherings in St.Peter’s Square aimed atenergizing the faithful.

About 200,000 peopleturned out yesterday forMass celebrated byFrancis, about the samesize crowd that came to apep rally for Catholics thatthe pope led the nightbefore in the square.

Francis urged hischurch to be morewelcoming and avoidclosing in on itself. But hewarned that faithfulshould avoid “dangerous

Pope calls for renewal inCatholic church

parallel paths” outside ofdoctrine.

In the pope’s nativeSouth America, manyCatholics have defectedto dynamic evangelicalProtestant churches.

For a second-straightday, Francis delightedthe crowd by riding in hispopemobile beyond theconfines of Vatican Cityand down a Romeboulevard.

SYRIAN troops havestormed the rebel

stronghold of Qusair andnow control the towncentre, state media hassaid.

State TV says 70“terrorists” have beenkilled while activists say40 people have diedincluding many rebels.

The town, near theLebanese border, hasbeen under siege forweeks. Its control wouldgive the governmentaccess from the capital tothe coast.

Lebanese militants aresaid to be involved -Hezbollah siding with thegovernment, Sunnigunmen with rebels.

For the rebels, control ofQusair means they cancome and go fromneighbouring Lebanon,says the BBC’s Jim Muir,in Beirut.

Syrian oppositionactivists said governmentair strikes and heavyshelling on Sunday hadkilled at least 40 peopleincluding 21 rebelfighters.

State TV said that troopshad taken over buildingsin the centre, includingthe town hall, and werenow chasing out“terrorists” - its term forthe rebels.

He denied the regime

Syrian army storms rebel town Qusairhad made any advancesin the town and said thatthe municipality buildingwas destroyed in fightingmonths ago.

“It’s the heaviest[shelling] since thebeginning of therevolution,” he said,quoted by AP newsagency.

Earlier, Rami AbdelRahman, of UK-based

activist group the SyrianObservatory for HumanRights, said troops wereadvancing from the southand Hezbollah fighterswere “playing a centralrole”.

“Soldiers and tanks aretrying to advance into thetown, the rebel forces areattempting to push themback,” he told AFP newsagency.

PRESIDENT BarackObama, under fire

for security lapses at aU.S. mission in Libya,will in a speech onThursday lay out hiswide-ranging counter-terrorism policy, from thecontroversial use ofdrones to efforts to closethe U.S. military prison atGuantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Obama’s use of militarydrone aircraft to attackextremists has drawn fireand increased tensions incountries like Pakistanand been criticized byhuman rights activists inthe United States.

His inability to followthrough on a 2008campaign pledge to closethe Guantanamo Bay

Obama to discuss al Qaeda,drones, Guantanamo Bay

prison has beendramatized by a hungerstrike among many of theterrorism suspects beingheld there.

And the resurgence inrecent weeks of questionssurrounding the deathsof U.S. ambassador toLibya ChristopherStevens and three otherAmericans in an attack ona U.S. facility inBenghazi, Libya, lastyear has put Obama onthe defensive.

In his State of theUnion speech early thisyear Obama pledged towork with Congress tomake certain that theU.S. targeting, detentionand prosecution ofterrorism suspects was

consistent with U.S. law.A White House official

said Obama wouldaddress these issues ina speech on Thursday atthe National DefenseUniversity inWashington.

NORTH Korea fireda short-range

missile from its east coastyesterday , a day afterlaunching three of thesemissiles, a South Koreannews agency said,ignoring calls for restraintfrom Western powers.

Launches by the Northof short-range missilesare not uncommon but,after recent warningsfrom the communist stateof impending nuclearwar, such actions haveraised concerns about theregion’s security.

“North Korea fired ashort-range missile as itdid yesterday into its eastsea in the afternoon, “

N/Korea fires short-rangemissiles for two days

South Korea’s newsagency Yonhap reported,citing a military official.

A South Koreandefense ministry officialconfirmed the Yonhapreport, but did notprovide any details.

U.N. Secretary GeneralBan Ki-moon said he wasconcerned about NorthKorea’s launch of short-range missiles, urgingPyonyang to refrain fromfurther launches andreturn to stalled nucleartalks with world powers.

Ban, who spoke toRussian state newsagency RIA Novostiduring a visit to Moscow,called Saturday’s launcha “provocative action”.

PAKISTANIS castballots in Karachi

yesterday , a day after theslaying of a well-knownpolitical leader who hadaccused rivals of voterigging.

As voters headed topolls, accusations flewover politician Zahra

Pakistani voters cast ballots after politician’sslaying

Shahid Hussain’s death.Sources said an

execution-style attack onthe eve of the electionkilled Hussain, the vicepresident of the Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI.

The party madeheadlines followingnationwide elections on

May 11, alleging voterigging in Karachi andelsewhere.

Amid the allegations,election officials held arevote Sunday for oneNational Assembly seatand two ProvincialAssembly seats inKarachi, Pakistan’slargest city.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013—49

CMYK

50—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

CMYK

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013—51

CMYK

YOUR LUCK TODAYYOUR LUCK TODAYYOUR LUCK TODAYYOUR LUCK TODAYYOUR LUCK TODAY

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

VIRGINIA

KAPTAIN AFRIKA in “Princess Shii’ By Andy Akman

[email protected]

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” By Lanre Kehinde

Commen3 by Lawrence Akapa

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

52— Vanguard52— Vanguard52— Vanguard52— Vanguard52— Vanguard,,,,, MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY, MAY 20,MAY 20,MAY 20,MAY 20,MAY 20, 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013

By Richard Eromosele

WHAT I callthe old man

here is not referringto any man really butit is a mere metaphor.It represents our oldways of life, oursinful past etc.Simply put — ourugly past.

The old manI believe everyone

reading this piecedesires a change inhis life for the better.If this is so, we owe ita duty to ourselves tochange from our pastlifestyle which has

kept us captivewithout positiveresult to the new onewhich is full ofpromise. Our pastidle nature must bedone away with, ourdogmatic way of

thinking will nowgive way to a moredynamic thoughtprocess.

If you desire achange in your life,pull down your oldman and put on thegarment of the newman.

AQUARIUS; Although friends are willing to assist youcircumstances may not allow complete help as expected.9.46am to 12.43pm can be a bit sensitive.

PISCES; Emphasis will continue to be on career relatedissues. However you will not be wrong if you take matters-of-the-heart more seriously now. Be more loving.

ARIES; Mid-morning till early afternoon period maybring more promises than it can actually deliver; yourbeing clever will see you through. Be very practical.

TAURUS; Continue to attach necessary importance toyour family values. Here is a day when joint ventures canbring you under pressure between 9.46am and 12.43pm.

GEMINI; Other people will continue to feature in youractivities; that is to say you will need to be as co-operativeas reason permits. Watch it between 9.46am&12.43pm

CANCER; You will be in good position to consolidateon progress made yesterday. However you will need towatch your mood from 9.46am to 12.43pm.

LEO; It is important you don’t take things for grantedaround mid-morning and early afternoon period so thatyou will not run into avoidable disappointments.

VIRGO; If you are in position to control your actionsyou would fare better if you can wait till after 12,43pmbefore you make an important move. Be family minded.

LIBRA; Your being receptive can enhance your prospectsbut that is not to say you have to be naïve, especiallyduring mid-morning and early afternoon periods.

SCORPIO; Success is boldly printed on your cards andlike yesterday if priority attention is given to money thescope of your success will be wider.

SGITTARIUS; Although things may be happeningaround you, you are the right person to make thingshappen and give others opportunities.. Be wise.

CAPRICORN; Take note that others may break promisesmade before early afternoon period; that is to say youshould not take anybody for granted before 12.43pm.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLINGASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLINGASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLINGASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLINGASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLINGSend ySend ySend ySend ySend your datour datour datour datour date and place of bire and place of bire and place of bire and place of bire and place of bir th tth tth tth tth to the Aso the Aso the Aso the Aso the Astrtrtrtrtrologicalologicalologicalologicalological

Counselling, PCounselling, PCounselling, PCounselling, PCounselling, P.M.B 1.M.B 1.M.B 1.M.B 1.M.B 100000000007, Apapa, Lagos7, Apapa, Lagos7, Apapa, Lagos7, Apapa, Lagos7, Apapa, Lagos

Dear Joshua,I don’t want my data published but tell me

everything I should know about myself. SometimesI am confused the type of a person I am, especiallywhen others misunderstand me. Thus I am askingyou who is actually in me- Astrologically.

Diran-Lokoja.

Dear Diran,At face value one may be tempted to wrongly take

you for a very soft person but, with thepreponderance of fixed quality and fire element inyour Astrological make ups here is a determinedand ambitious Soul with stronger will-power(actually once your mind is made up on anyimportant issue you rarely change). Saturn as theonly planet at home when you were born pointedto a person who will always take important decisionwhen and if his career will not be put in danger;meaning my career first.

Although, the Sun is the Centre of the Solar systemand wherever is placed in any given horoscope isthe heart of that horoscope, by implication placementof the mighty Sun in Cancer here means that youare mainly a Cancer born person, with more thantwo (there were actually four) heavenly bodiesplaced in Kingly Leo when you were born, you areequally a Leo born person as Leo was serving asthe stellium during your birth hour.

Equally it is important to point out prominence ofbold Aries in your chart as it hosted your natalMoon. Anyway equal distribution of planetaryplacement in push-full and non-push-full positionswill ensure balanced personality with powerfulLEADERSHIP skill in you. Your natal Sun, Moonand Stellium in Cancer, Aries and Leo respectivelyare indications of your being mainly a Cancer bornperson and partly Aries/Leo; meaning that basiccharacteristics of the three Star signs mentioned(namely Cancer, Aries and Leo) are highlypronounced in your inner-self.

Who is in me?

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 53

With nine minutes re-maining, the fourth offi-cial indicated that it wastime for PSG’s No 32 toleave the field and near-ly 45,000 Frenchmenrose as one to salute thisbloke from the other sideof the Channel.

Just 48 hours after an-nouncing his retirementfrom the game, Beck-ham, 38, was handedthe honour of captainingthe newly-crownedFrench champions.

Beckham played a

Kojo Williams

The Golden Eagletswere beaten finalists atthe African U17Championship inMorocco, while theFlying Eagles placedthird at the African YouthChampionship inAlgeria.

The Golden Eagletslost on penalties to Coted’Ivoire after final scoresstood at 1-1 in thechampionship final inMarrakech.

The U20s defeatedMali 2-1 in a third-placed match to avengea 1-0 loss to the WestAfrican rivals.

Both teams havequalified for theirrespective World Cupsand Nigeria can boast ofa special record ofhaving medalled inAfrica at fullinternational, U20 andU17 levels in onecalendar year.

Top government and

Continues from BP sports ministry officialshave been locked intalks over thepresidential reception.

A top official informedMTNFootball.com: “ThePresident will receivethe teams on Tuesday atAso Rock.

“All arrangements inthis regard have beenfinalised.”

However, the FlyingEagles are to behonoured in absentia asthey are currently inGermany on a trainingtour ahead of the U20World Cup in Turkeynext month.

Interestingly, they wonthe 2011 African YouthChampionship in SouthAfrica but were nothonoured.

President Jonathanrewarded the SuperEagles with nationalhonours, cash and plotsof land when they wona third Africa Cup ofNations in South Africain February.

later after he picked uphis second booking of theday and this means he hasbeen ruled out of the all-important return legmatch in Tunisia.

Rangers were withoutinternationals SundayMba and Chigozie, whoare away with the SuperEagles in Germany, whilefirst-choice goalkeeperGodwin Ayalogu was notfit enough and so NigeriaU20 goalkeeper Em-manuel Daniel started thisencounter.

Sfaxien attacked fromthe onset and it neededgoalkeeper Daniel toscramble into a corner agoal-bound shot by the

RangersContinues from BP Tunisians after just eight

m i n u t e s .Razaq Adegbite replacedinjured striker SanusiSani after 28 minutes asRangers fought in searchof a go-ahead goal.On the hour, Nigeria U20striker Alhaji Gero had achance to put the home infront but he missed agreat opening off a corner.But just when it lookedlike Rangers would becancelled out by Sfaxien,Uzochukwu produced thewinner late on, but hewas booked for celebrat-ing by pulling off hisshirt.

He was then sent offmoments later for a sec-ond booking.

BeckhamContinues from BP

small part in Zlatan Ib-rahimovic’s opener andstruck the corner whichled to Blaise Matuidi’ssecond. He was a by-stander when Ibrahi-movic struck the stun-ning third before half-time.

And then it was time toleave. Beckham em-braced his 10 team-mates before walking offthe pitch and hugginghis boss, Carlo Ancelot-ti, and the rest of thePSG bench.

VanguardVanguardVanguardVanguardVanguardCLASSIFIED

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ONWUEMENE—I,formerly known andaddressed as MissOnwuemene EstherNkechi, now wish tobe known andaddressed as Mrs.Uwaifo Esther Nkechi.All former documentsremain valid. LagosState Ministry ofEducation District IVand general publicplease take note.

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UCHE—I, formerlyknown and addressedas Miss Uche SarahChioma, now wish tobe known andaddressed as Mrs.Egwu Sarah Chioma.All former documentsremain valid. Generalpublic please takenote.

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AZETA—I, formerlyknown and addressedas Miss Vera OdegwaAzeta, now wish to beknown and addressedas Mrs. VeronicaOdegwa Hussaine. Allformer documentsremain valid. Generalpublic please takenote.

UWEH—I, formerlyknown and addressedas Miss UmehMagdalene, now wishto be known andaddressed as Mrs.Joshua MagdaleneEnize. All formerdocuments remainvalid. General publicplease take note.

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C H U K W U R A — I ,formerly known andaddressed as MissChukwura JoyObianuju, now wish tobe known andaddressed as Mrs.Eborka Joy Obianuju.All former documentsremain valid. NYSCand general publicplease take note.

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Confirmation of NameThis is to confirm thatthe name OmorodionI w h i w h u a v b eSolomon, refers to oneand the same personas OmodioI w h i w h u a v b eSolomon, now wish tobe known andaddressed as OmodioI w h i w h u a v b eSolomon. All formerdocuments remainvalid. General publicplease take note.

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01- 8737025

ADVERTHOTLINE

YOU CAN B O O K Y O U R A D V E RT S AT OU RL 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 F I C E ) K I O S K4 8 E A S T PAV I L I O N T B S , L A G O S .

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CMYK

,

,

SO much has been said and written about the recently held elections into the various sports as-

sociations in Nigeria.My view is laced with disappointment, shocked at a

system that I thought was going to bring about achange, only to draw us back many years.

I believed in the modalities put in place by the sportsministry. I agreed that those powerful secretaries whotook directives from the National Sports Commission,NSC, and undermined the board members shouldhenceforth be appointed on merit and subjected tothe boards of the various sports.

I knew that all the attention given to football wasbecause other sports were not living to scratch. In fact,most of them were as good as dead and buried.

After the disgrace at the Olympics and the angergenerated in the land, including the Presidential con-demnation, I was one of those who clamoured for thecomplete overhaul of the NSC. That from all indica-tions, the NSC was peopled by human beings whohad outlived their usefulness, bereft of ideas and hadreached a cul de sac as regards progress and produc-tivity.

We then soft pedaled and made a case for the newsports minister who could not have been part of therot, since he came in to inherit all the painlessnessthat predictably resulted in the London disaster thatwe all saw coming, except the leadership of the NSC.

We said the minister could not have been guilty.The guillotine was meant for those who in their falseand bizarre calculations deceived that gold and othermedals were going to be won aplenty.

So, we encouraged the retention of the minister andadvised him to clean the Augean stable. He was to setup a machinery for the review of the Olympics fromwhere the way forward will be charted including anemphasis on development and grass roots sports

Surprisingly, whereas the Presidential sports retreatwas held, ( Still awaiting the findings ) the culprits asit were, were let off.

I switched my hope to the impending elections whereI was very sure that those Presidents and memberswho messed up at the Olympics had no chance inhell to return. I was sure they were going to be bootedout and fast too...Surprise …..Surprise...When theresults were announced, the same people who in thelast ten years, (some of them more) held our sports by

That associations elections

the jugular and hemorrhaged it have been returned.This, is disastrous and a great draw back for our

sports.For the past three weeks I have been hooked to ten-

nis on the DSTV Network and every time I do, I seeSouth Africans holding their own in the circuit, I seeyoung tennis players ages seventeen, nineteen break-ing loose on the world stage and I ask why we do notplay tennis in this country? Who, will revive our ten-nis?

Every week end I watch live boxing matches in SouthAfrica. I do not want to talk about cricket, rugby,basketball…just name it. What ever happened to theGrass hoppers hand ball team of Owerri?….Where isEddy Aderinokun’s type Volleyball revolution? Theworld is developing and practicing sports, not Nige-ria. I repeat that to have returned those who over theyears dragged our sports into oblivion is the greatestdisservice to this country. People who should be tiedto sports stakes and shot.

Sponsorship and partnership have become taboo,seminars, clinics and grass roots development pro-grammes are not initiated. Do they even meet asboards? Pray what manifestoes did these individualspresent to warrant their return to office? It may beunfair not to say that the Athletics Federation of Ni-geria has had articulated programmes over time, in-cluding the hosting and winning of the 1st AfricanYouth Championships in March. Which other sport? Istand to be corrected.

The way it stands, no hope in sight, none, even asthe next Olympics looms large.

Edwin Clark Invitational hots up in UyoLast week end another competition was added to

the Nigerian football calendar when the Edwin ClarkU-18 international tournament kicked off in Uyo, AkwaIbom State with eight teams in attendance.

King Amachree Sportive of Benin Republic, PepsiFootball Academy from Lagos, Greater Tomorrow sportsAcademy of Akwa Ibom, Yenogoa City Football Acad-emy, Delta Stars, Rangers Junior of Enugu, Amaksonof FCT and Super Nova Academy of Rivers State werepart of an impressive ceremony last Thursday thatsaw the attendance of ex Super Eagles players Sam-son Siasia and Peter Rufai.

The final is slated for Saturday May 25 a day thatcoincides with the birth day of Chief Clark. When itcomes to age group and development, count me in.

I thank Chief Clark for initiating this competitionand kudos to Governor Akpabio for bank rolling thefirst edition.

….OF KANU AND OKWARAJI.Last week, while lauding the exemplary offer of fif-

ty thousand US dollars to the Super Eagles by in-jured Emenike, I wanted to find out whether we havehad such selfless acts before by Nigerian players whohave an history of insisting on their estacodes even tothe point of threatening “ no show” if their conditionsare not met.

Then came this text message from Toni Ekiugbo (08037250922) arguing that the Late Sam Okwaraji andNwankwo Kanu should be singled out and commend-ed, the one for selfless service, the other for puttingback into the society.

I promised him his view will be published.See you next week.

54 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

When the results were an-nounced, the same people whoin the last ten years, (some ofthem more) held our sports bythe jugular and hemorrhaged ithave been returned

Kembos College Inter House Sports: Sack Race intermediate Boys whichChiyinda of Pink House won and Emeka Onoinu of Orange House camesecond and Chisom Anibeze of Lemon House came third at the competit-tion, at the 4th Bi-Annual Inter-House Sport competition of Kembos Groupof Schools held at Metropolitan College Ire-Akari Estate, Isolo, Lagos onSaturday. Photo By Akeem Salau.

THE Nigeria Olym-pic Committee,

NOC, has hailed the ap-pointment of Hon. Gben-ga Elegbeleye as the newDirector-General of theNational Sports Commis-sion by President Good-luck Ebele Jonathan as asure way of bringing backthe glory days of Nigeri-an sports.

Honourable Elegbeleyereplaces former DG, SirPatrick Ekeji.

President of NOC,Engr. Sani M. Ndanusain welcoming the formerHouse of Representativesmember and former dep-uty Chairman of the

NOC congratulates Elegbeleye

House Committee onSports to the NSC, saidthat his wealth of experi-ence both in the Execu-tive and Judiciary arms ofgovernment would bringstability and results.

“I would like to send my

warm congratulations onyour appointment as Di-rector-General of the NSC.Your appointment ensuresthe confidence which thesporting community hasput on you. Your experi-ence will act as a helpfulasset to accomplish themission in looking afterand developing the coun-try’s sports. Your exception-al intelligence, dedicationand commendable trackrecord cast no doubt onyour success on achievingthis highly challengingpost”, Ndanusa who is alsothe President of NigeriaTennis Federation said.

•Elegbeleye

Sharks 1 Sunshine 0Heartland 1 ABS 0Nasarawa 0 Akwa 0Enyimba 2 Bayelsa 0Nembe 2 Wikki 1Wolves 2 Pillars 1Kaduna 1 Lobi 0Kwara 1 Dolphins 1Gombe 1 El Kanemi 0

Nigerian League Results

knowledge. The names ofthe players were on the listof 30 players Obuh select-ed for camping in Germa-ny. But NFF officials weresaid to have deleted theirnames at the Embassy ofGermany where they weresubmitted for visas.

Kojo added that Nigeri-ans should not hold Obuh

responsible if the teamfailed at the tournament,starting June 21to July13 in seven cities in Tur-key. Nigeria play Portu-gal in their first GroupB match on June 21 inKayersi,

Speaking yesterday toSports Vanguard, Kojosaid that Obuh has nobusiness staying for thestart of the tournament

if the NFF failed to re-listthe dropped players forthe World Cup.

“He has no businessstaying for the tourna-ment since the NFF hastampered with his list. Heshould resign and takethe next flight back toNigeria and allow theNFF to carry on with theirplan to run the show forhim.

“If Obuh truly knowshis onions, he shouldsimply resign now and

move ahead with his life,instead off allowing somepersons, who do not havea clue on how to managea national team to dictateto him. He is the coachand he has proved to bea good and capablecoach. So I am shockedthat the NFF can be tam-pering with his list for thetournament.

“It is bad how they treatour local coaches. I amappalled and baffled withthis sort of treatment."

Continues from BP

Presidential reception

CMYK

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013—55

CMYK

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]

Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

e-mail: [email protected] 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.

VANGUARD, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

YESTERYESTERYESTERYESTERYESTERDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSDAY'S ANSWERSTODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLETODAY'S PUZZLE

Sudoku

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

QUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDACROSS3 Spate (5)9 Short-sightedness (6)10 Victor (6)11 Attempted (5)12 Temper (4)15 Valley (4)17 Handled (7)20 Moose (3)21 Send (5)23 Imitated (4)25 Deficit (4)26 Rule (5)28 Ovum (3)30 Retribution (7)33 Summit (4)35 Boulder (4)36 Demise (5)38 Dog (6)39 Festival (6)40 Pulverise (5)

DOWN1 Sting (5)2 Smithy (5)3 Healthy (3)4 Pantry (6)5 Due (4)6 Performed (3)7 Fish (5)8 Inebriated (5)13 Dispose (7)14 Keen (5)16 Stretchy (718 Condescend (5)19 Lubricate (3)22 Soar (5)24 Lair (3)27 Tidy (6)28 Era (5)29 Wall-part (5)31 Direction (5)32 Garment (5)34 Ale (4)36 Delve (3)37 Owned (3)

ACROSS: 1, School 5, Gratis 9, Parde 10,Agreed 11, Earned 12, Never 14, Stem 17,Net 18, Here 20, Eaten 22, Talon 23,Resided 24, Beige 26, Newer 29, Edge 30,Bow 22, Sore 33, Panic 35, Groped 36,Dabble 37, Elder 38, Evenly 39, Relent

DOWN: 1, Sparse 2, Hornet 3, Open 4, Laden5, Greet 6, Rear 7, Tunnel 8, Sodden 13,Vemson 15, Tamed 16, Merge 18, Hades 19,Rover 21, Nee 22, Ten 24, Beagle 25, Ignore27, Wobble 28, Revert 30, Badly 31, Wider 33,Peel 34, Care

Resign now, Kojotells F/Eagles coach

Final Premier League Table

Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts1 Manchester United 38 28 5 5 86 43 43 892 Manchester City 38 23 9 6 66 34 32 783 Chelsea 38 22 9 7 75 39 36 754 Arsenal 38 21 10 7 72 37 35 735 Tottenham Hotspur 38 21 9 8 66 46 20 726 Everton 38 16 15 7 55 40 15 637 Liverpool 38 16 13 9 71 43 28 618 West Brom 38 14 7 17 53 57 -4 499 Swansea City 38 11 13 14 47 51 -4 4610 West Ham 38 12 10 16 45 53 -8 4611 Norwich City 38 10 14 14 41 58 -17 4412 Fulham 38 11 10 17 50 60 -10 4313 Stoke City 38 9 15 14 34 45 -11 4214 Southerampton 38 9 14 15 49 60 -11 4115 Aston Villa 38 10 11 17 47 69 -22 4116 Newcastle 38 11 8 19 45 68 -23 4117 Sunderland 38 9 12 17 41 54 -13 3918 Wigan Athletic 38 9 9 20 47 73 -26 3619 Reading 38 6 10 22 43 73 -30 28

Chelsa 2 Everton 1Liverpool 1 QPR 0Man City 2 Norwich 3Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1Southampton 1 Stoke 1Swansea 0 Fullham 3Tottenham 1 Sunderland 0West Brom 5 Man Utd 5West Ham 4 Reading 2Wigan 2 Aston Villa ?

EPL RESULTS

Confed Cup: Rangers pip Sfaxien Presidential reception forEaglets, F/Eagles

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan will on Tues-d a y

host the country’s U17 and U20 teams, offi-cials disclosed.Continues on Page 54

UGONNA Uzochukwu scored

the match winner andthen saw red as EnuguRangers pipped CSSfaxien 1-0 in a CAF

Confederation Cupmatch on Sunday.Defender Uzochukwugrabbed the winnerthree minutes from fulltime after Tunisian club

Sfaxien held their owninside the NnamdiAzikiwe Stadium in Enu-gu. However, Uzochuk-wu will see red minutesContinues on Page 53

FORMER Chairmanof the Nigeria

Football Federation(NFF) Anthony Kojo-Williams hascondemned the NigeriaFootball Federation fordropping five playersfrom the Flying Eaglessquad to next month’sFIFA U-20 World Cup inTurkey, without theconsent of Coach JohnObuh.

Obuh only yesterdayraised eyebrows over theprovisional 30-mam listreleased by the NFF,stating that he wassurprised that fiveplayers, comprisingLukman Dimiyo, MosesEpele, Bobby Ikpeazu,Ozioma Maduako andEzeugo Samson weredropped without his

BY JOHN IGBOKHAN

Continues on Page 53

Beckham in tears in last game

AS he staggered off the pitch at the Parc desPrinces last night, David Beckham looked an

emotional wreck.Following a career spanning three decades, it was

time to say a tearful adieu to Paris — and profes-sional football.

Continues on Page 53

EMOTIONS ... Beckham in tearsafter his last game

CMYK


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