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Robbers kill 400-level student BY CALEB AYANSINA Local manufacturers to

in Minna M INISTER of
Trade and In
vestment, Dr.
produce 2,000 mass
transit buses
A RMED robbers “He called for our help had since swung into Olusegun Aganga, says
shot and killed a and we couldn’t come to action and have prom- N25 billion has been set
400-level stu- his rescue because we ised to unravel those be- aside by the Federal ernment is not going to run that, we shall see more
dent of Federal Univer- were afraid,” she said. hind the act. Government as revolving the buses, but to provide the bus manufacturers now
sity of Technology (FUT), The Police Public Rela- “We have launched a loan for transporters enabling environme nt establishing in Nigeria
Minna in the early hours tions Officer, Mr Richard manhunt for the fleeing across the country to buy and the regulatory and seeing the current
of yesterday, according Oguche, confirmed the robbers and we are work- buses under the Mass framework for private ones employing more
to the Agency of Nigeria story, saying the police ing hard towards arrest- Transit Project. sector to operate. people. That is the way
(NAN). ing them,” he said. Also, the Director Gen- “We started the mass we want to move for-
The incident occurred eral of National Automo- transit revolving loan ward.”
tive Council, Engr.
when the victim, simply
identified as Emmanuel,
FG urged to promote Aminu Jalal, said they
with N10 billion. This
year we have added an-
He added that state
government and the pri-
had eight manufacturers
attempted to stop them
from robbing another
engineering profession to produce of 250 buses
other N15 billion which
is about N25 billion. This
vate sector have a strong
role to play, saying that
student in their rented each per year, to comple- is why the federal gov-

A
is the fund available to
apartment in the Zaru- Fellow of the Ni of NSE. ment government efforts transporters to buy their ernment considered
mai ward of Minna. geria Society of According to Wamuo, on effective transport sys- buses, but they will re- them as strong partners
The robbers were said E n g i n e e r s Building Services Engi- tem in Nigeria. pay back the loan since to make transport more
to have shot Emmanuel (FNSE), Engr. Chiyerem neering is a novel field Aganga, who is the Chair- it is a revolving loan so affordable and to create
when he opened the Winston Wamuo, has and is “ responsible for man of the Technical Im- that we can keep on re- job opportunities
door of his apartment to urged the Federal Gov- the electrical, mechani- plementation Committee cycling at least for now. through the involvement
help his neighbour. ernment to give the en- cal, health and safety on Mass Transit Pro - “But the most important of local bus manufactur-
“The robbers were try- gineering profession its aspects of new build- gramme, stated this at a ers.
workshop on mass transit thing is that we are pri-
ing to force a door open, pride of place if it hopes ings, ensuring that these oritizing, buying those Also speaking at the
and the female student to develop as a nation, services perform effec- framework, roadmap and workshop, Jalal said the
financing options in Abu- buses from local manu-
shouted for help, to just as Engr. Vincent tively and efficiently”. facturers. As a result of National Automatic
Okpalauwaekwe, FNSE, ja. According to him, gov-
which the victim re- Council had discussed
sponded, thus leading to lamented that a society with the Infrastructure
the unfortunate incident. produces its caliber of Bank on the aspect of fi-
“The robbers fled the engineers. Ido inaugurates planning committee nancing mass transit
scene immediately,” one Wamuo spoke in War- programme, but each

T
of the late student’s ri, yesterday, in a paper sive Union, shall be in- mittee to be inaugurat- state analysis will deter-
on Building Services En- HE 2012 Ido Day augurated by the Chair- mine the level of fi-
school mates and neigh- Planning and Im ed, Ido Ekiti Summit and
bour told NAN. gineering at a Public man, Ido Ekiti Summit, Ido Progressive Union nance.
Lecture Series which plementation Engr. (Chief) Babatope The DG noted that the
Another student, Sus- Committee will be inau- have been duly in-
an Ofuako, who lives in preceded the feting of Bejide, with royal bless- formed. Full and prompt 250 buses each per year
new Fellows of the NSE/ gurated on May 19, at ings from HRM Oba to be produced by eight
the compound, told re- Oba’s palace. The Com- attendance shall be ap-
porters that she heard a special induction cere- (Capt.) Ayorinde Ilori- preciated. Support for manufacturers will com-
mony organized by the mittee, jointly estab- Faboro, the Olojudo of
gunshot and the voice of lished by Ido Ekiti Sum- one’s town is service for plement the government
Emmanuel, pleading for Engr Ugochukwu Nzu- Ido Ekiti. a worthy cause”, Bejide efforts on mass transit.
rumike-led Warri Branch mit and the Ido Progres- “Members of the Com-
help. said in a statement.

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 SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012 — PAGE 5

Dele, Bola Ige’s brother, slumps

during ‘birthday ceremony,’dies
BY OLA AJAYI until I get to his residence.’’
When he was called about an hour later,

S
IR Dele Ige, the younger
brother of the slain Minister
of Justice and Attorney Gen-
eral, Chief Bola Ige, is dead.
The Ibadan-based businessman
reportedly slumped yesterday; all
efforts to revive him were unsuc-
cessful.
When Sunday Vanguard called
Muyiwa Ige, the son of the former
minister, who is the Commissioner
for Lands and Physical Planning in
Osun State, he confirmed his un-
cle’s death but added that he did not
have the details.
Muyiwa Ige said, “I can confirm
that he is dead. But that is all that I
From left: Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos and his Ogun State can tell you for now. I heard that he
counterpart, Ibikunle Amosun, during the joint Ogun and Lagos States
slumped and died while trying to
polio awarness campaign in Ogijo, border between the two states yester- deliver a birthday speech. I am on
day. Photo: Bunmi Azeez my way to Ibadan. I can’t say much
he said, “But I can say that his death
marked the end of a lineage of Ige fam-
ily because he was the last man.”
When asked further what could have
killed Sir Ige, he added, “ I am just get-
ting to Ibadan now from Osun State. All
I was told was that he slumped at my
cousin’s birthday, Akin Ige. He slumped
when he stood up to speak. That is what
I have for now. I will soon go to his res-
idence and see things for myself ”.
Akin Ige was said to be celebrating his
60th birth anniversary in Ibadan when
the incident happened.
When he slumped, the late Ige, was
said to have been rushed to an undis-
closed hospital where he was confirmed
dead.
Before his death, he was the propri-
etor
Continues on page 6

Gunmen sack police station, steal arms

Continued from page 1
the gunmen’s firepower, took
to their heels, the police said
they repelled the attack.The
gunmen were said to have
entered the armoury, took
arms and attacked two gener-
ation banks. However, the rob-
bery bid was reportedly foiled
by members of a vigilance
group who mobilised to stop
the gunmen.
Scene of terror was Igarra in
Akoko Edo Local Government
Area of Edo State. The inci-
dent happened on Friday
night.
An account claimed the po-
licemen at the station fled on
sighting the gunmen number-
ing over ten with AK 47 rifles
and dynamites, making it pos-
sible for the gunmen to gain
entry into their armory and
allegedly went away with
three guns.
The gunmen, after attacking
the police station, according to
the account, stormed the two
generation banks but met re-
sistance from members of the
vigilance group and youths in
the area who mobilized to stop
them from robbing the banks.
SOLUTION
One of the gunmen was said
to have sustained gun shot
wounds from the security men
attached to the bank.
T
wo members of the vigi
lance group, identified
as Kehinde Julius and Esho-
vo Ukonga, also reportedly
sustained gunshot wounds
during the battle with the gun-
men. An eye witness narrat-
ed: “The gunmen came, threw
dynamites at the police station
and took guns from the ar-
moury. Some of them proceed-
ed to the banks while others
stood along the road and were
shooting sporadically, but they
could not gain access into the
bank and one of them was
shot.
“The others snatched a jeep
with which they escaped and
later dropped off the driver
along the way. But the one
with gunshot wounds and an-
other member of the gang es-
caped into the cave in the Ig-
arra hills. Their blood stains
were used to trail them into the
cave and, in the process, they
shot two of our boys (vigilance
group). But they are still be-
lieved to be hiding in the cave
while others have escaped”.
Another account said the
armed gang, on arriving the
area, divided themselves into
two groups. While one group
allegedly invaded the police
station, the other went to one
of the banks frantically trying
to gain access into the bank-
ing hall. But a combined team
of Special Anti-Robbery Squad
(SARS) from Ibilo and Auchi
rose to the challenge and en-
gaged the gunmen in a shoot
out. While the fierce exchange
of fire was on, the gunmen
were said to have been forced
to abandon their plan to rob
the banks and took to their
heels.
P
olice sources said the op
eration may not be uncon-
nected with the movement of
huge sums of money from Be-
nin and Auchi branch of one
of the banks into the Igarra
branch on Friday evening,
adding that some staff of the
bank must have knowledge of
the robbery.
Edo State police commis-
sioner, Olayinka Balogun,
confirmed the gunmen attack
but said the attackers did not
gain entry into the armoury.
“Yes they invaded the police
station but they met resis-
tance. Their plan was to attack
the two banks located opposite
each other, but they were also
resisted there.
“We recovered three AK 47
rifles, a locally made explo-
sive and two vehicles; a Toyo-
ta Sienna and Camry. We sus-
pect that two of them are hid-
ing in the cave. We saw their
blood stained clothes, we are
sure they are still hiding in the
cave. We are firing teargas
into the cave to smoke them
out”, he said.
‘It was a siege’
they will not escape because
our vigilance group was at
alert”, he told Sunday Van-
guard, last night. The council
boss went on: “When they ar-
rived at the police station, they
opened fire unexpectedly. But
the policemen at the bank
opened fire on the robbers.
There was serious exchange of
fire at this point. One of the
robbers fell down. They now
ran to Ajegunle junction but,
by that time, I had informed
the DPO at Ibillo to mobilize
his people. So when they got
there, they opened fire and
there was an exchange of fire
again because the police had
blocked the road already . “As
Jonathan lashes at those
pursuing divisive agenda
BY TAYE OBATERU
P
RESIDENT Goodluck
Jonathan yesterday threw
darts at those fanning the em-
bers of sectionalism in the
country, warning that progress
will leave them behind.
In a message to the 25th con-
vocation of the University of
Jos, the president, who was
represented by the Minister of
State for Education, Chief
Ezenwo Wike, said in a world
where nations were making
progress by turning their di-
versity to strength, those mov-
ing against this tide would be
left behind.
According to him, “the nations
that prosper are those that
embrace their diversity and
turn it into a source of
strength. Societies are doomed
when the people cling to the
divisive superstition that their
they were chasing them, the
robbers stopped and trans-
ferred their men from their
Toyota Camry to the jeep
which they snatched. As they
were doing that, they discov-
ered that another one died in
the jeep. They passed through
Lampese to Kogi. The other
ones that could not enter the
vehicle ran into the cave. Ig-
arra youths entered the bush
this (yesterday) morning and
saw their blood. Either two or
three of the robbers should be
in the cave now. We are still
searching for them. The police
tried in this operation even
though they earlier attacked
their station”.
sist the gift of life itself.
”The progress of this nation
will not yield to obsolete and
destructive dogmas. Progress
will leave behind those who
cling to practices, which are
already dying; practices that
divide and set us back as a
united people.”
Jonathan commended Univer-
sity of Jos for her consistency
in producing graduates annu-
ally despite the security chal-
lenges of the environment and
reaffirmed the commitment of
the administration to improv-
ing the condition of universi-
ties in the countr y.
He said the on going needs
assessment of universities be-
ing undertaken by the Tertia-
ry Education Trust Fund would
be followed by an upgrade of
infrastructure, provision of
modern teaching aids, im-
proved facilities for students
and decent office accommoda-

A lso giving his own ac
count of the incident, the
transition chairman of Akoko
Edo LGA, Anslem Agbabi, de-
scribed the gunmen’s opera-
tion as a siege on Igara.
“I called the Area Command
and all of us were making ef-
forts to stop them. I was the
one that told the police to go
and make a roadblock so that
humanity is defined solely by
the tight circle of those who
share their world view.
”While we hack at each other
and waste precious energy
seeking revenge for perceived
wrongs, the rest of the world
keeps progressing. It is my
belief that the forces of posi-
tive change are at work even
here in this country and we
can no more resist it than re-
tion for staff.
He appealed to Nigerians to
bear with temporary pains that
might come with some of the
administration’s policies in the
bid to transform the country,
noting, “any action taken by
government is targeted at pro-
moting the greatest happiness
of the greatest number of Ni-
g e r i a n s . ”
PAGE 6—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012

1.1 million Nigerians are blind

— Ophthalmologist
BY JOHNBOSCO
AGBAKWURU, Calabar
care Education. The ophthalmologist de-
According to him, out of scribed low vision as a
the figure, the North- condition of diminished
West geo-political zone vision which is uncorrect-

A consultant oph
thalmologist at the
University of Calabar
Teaching Hospital, Dr.
Bassey Etim, has said that
there are an estimated
1.13 million Nigerians
from 40 years and above
that are currently blind.
Etim stated this in Cala-
bar, Cross River State, at
a training workshop on
‘Low Vision’ for optome-
Profesor Oluwafemi Olaiya Balogun, the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Fed- trists, ophthalmologists
eral University of Agriculture, Alabata, Abeokuta receives Ogun State Cor- and ophthalmic nurses
respondents Chapel (NUJ) Good Administrator Award from Hon. Adijat
organised by the Nation-
Adeleye Oladapo at a short ceremony held at the Chapel Secretariat NUD
al Eye Health Programme
Road, Abeokuta yesterday, while Mr. Kehinde Akinyemi, Chapel Chairman
watches. Photo By Wumi Akinola. in conjunction with the In-
ternational Centre for Eye-
5,700 candidates jostle for admission
has the highest number of
blind adults (28.6 per
cent), being the zone with
the largest population.
He also said that about
2.7 million adults were
estimated to have moder-
ate visual impairment
with an additional 400,
000 persons being severe-
ly visually impaired, thus
bringing to a total of 4.25
million adults in Nigeria
that are either visually
impaired or blind.
Why we relocated Abia
traders – Govt
BY ANAYO OKOLI
able by standard glasses,
contact lens, medication
or surgery, adding that it
disrupts a person’s abili-
ty to perform common age
appropriate visual tasks.
According to him, in Ni-
geria, untreated cataract
is the commonest cause of
low vision and blindness,
stressing that 84 per cent
of visual impairment in
Nigeria was either pre-
ventable or had treatable
causes.
According to the Special
Adviser to Governor The-
odore Orji on Project

into Unity Schools A Abdul assured that the

BIA State Govern
ment has said that
it carried along the trad-
Monitoring, Sir Pat Mg-
bemena, it is natural for
human beings to resist
even do it better than results would be released ers in the markets being change but “government
BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU FCT. mommy or daddy”. by NECO to the Federal
He said the greatest relocated to new places, will appeal to them to co-
The examination in Abu- Ministry of Education by
O VER 5,700 candi explaining that they were operate and move into the
challenge in the past was ja was peaceful and or- Tuesday.
dates, yesterday, “the pressure from parents in the picture of the pro- new markets ones they are
derly. The examination Commenting on the ex- gramme right from the ready”.
sat for the 2012/2013 com- who felt Junior cannot do started at exactly 9.40 a.m. amination, Minister of
mon entrance examina- inception of the idea of Mgbemena, who is also
it and so we have to as- as scheduled as all the State for Education, Bar-
tion into Federal Govern- sist him. But we always the relocation the markets. the chairman of Industri-
materials and invigilators rister Nyesom Wike, who The government said al Market Relocation
ment Colleges, otherwise advised parents to leave arrived early at the exam- also monitored the exer-
known as Unity Schools in the pockets of protests Committee, explained
Junior alone. Junior can ination centres. cise, scored NECO high.
the Federal Capital Terri- were expected as part of that the new markets
tory, Abuja as the Federal human nature but insist- would be in the best in-
Government scored the Oyo empowers women with generators, ed that it took the traders terest of the traders, and
National Examinations into confidence before the expressed hope that
Council, NECO, high on
freezers Mrs. Ajimobi, while der to enable them to con-
relocation exercise com- when the markets are

W
the peaceful conduct of IFE of Oyo State
the examination. Governor, Mrs.
The NECO officer in Florence Ajimobi, at the
charge of FCT, Mr. Mus- week-end, distributed
tapha Abdul, while on in- empowerment materials
spection of some of the to 198 women across the
centres in Abuja, said the state as part of the efforts
council had been able to to develop the women
perfect problematic areas economically and make
of the past. them self-reliant.
Abdul disclosed that
over 5,700 candidates sat
The items distributed in-
cluded deep freezers,
for the examination in generating sets and cash.
speaking at the occasion,
described women as
agents of change, urging
them not to make them-
selves redundant but to
always strive to make pos-
itive impact not only in
their respective families,
but also in the society at
large.
She said that the em-
powerment of women had
become necessary in or-
tribute their own quota to
the development of the
state.
Mrs. Ajimobi commend-
ed the state government
through the state Minis-
try of Women Affairs,
Community Develop-
ment, Social Welfare and
Poverty Alleviation for
striving to empower wom-
en and take them above
poverty level.
menced.
There had been protests
from some traders who
were resisting the reloca-
tion plan.
...Gives motor park touts
quit notice
T HE new Abia State
commissioner for
transport, Ukpai Agwu
Ukpai, has warned touts
operating in motor parks
in the state to steer clear
of the state and federal
roads and parks, saying
that government would
not tolerate them.
Ukpai said the touts had
been found to be extorting
money from motorists
operating or passing
ready and they move in,
they would see the bene-
fit and definitely appreci-
ate the government’s vi-
sion.
through the state in the
name of collecting
revenue for the state
government.
The commissioner said
the touts end up
tarnishing the image of
the state government and
without paying any kobo
into the coffers of the
government. According to
him, the government
would send those
involved in the act to
court.

Dele, Bola Ige’s brother, slumps

during ‘birthday ceremony,’dies
Continued from page 5
,Tilbury Construction
Company.
The son of the de-
ceased, Mr. Kunle Ige,
said when his father
slumped, he rushed him
to the University College
Hospital where he was
confirmed dead. He de-
scribed his father ’s
death as very painful.
Governor Abiola Ajimo-
bi of Oyo State described
his death as devastating.
The governor, in a state-
ment by his Special Ad-
viser on Media, Dr. Fes-
tus Adedayo, commiser-
ated with the Ige family
from Esa-Oke, Osun
State.

Gov’s wife rescues 150
abandoned children
BY JOHNBOSCO
AGBAKWURU, Calabar
W IFE of Governor
Liyel Imoke of
Cross River State, Mrs.
Obioma Liyel Imoke,
says one of her pet
projects, Mother Against
Child Abandonment,
MACA, rescued over 150
abandoned children.
Speaking on the
awards, including Tour-
ism Personality of the
year 2011, bestowed on
her at different times be-
tween 2010 and 2012 for
her service to humanity,
Mrs. Imoke said MACA
was established to take
care of abandoned ba-
bies and teenage preg-
nant girls who have been
kicked out of their
homes.
She said, “MACA takes
in vulnerable teenage
girls that get pregnant,
because they get preg-
nant and are kicked out
Fuel subsidy probe: ‘It’s unfair for
Nigerians to pay N97’
BY SIMON
EBEGBULEM, Benin
M INORITY Whip of
the House of Repre-
sentatives, Mr Samson Os-
agie, yesterday, declared
that Nigerians do not de-
serve to pay N97 per liter
of fuel, saying that the al-
leged fraud uncovered by
the House perpetrated by
the operators of the nation’s
oil industry, especially the
down stream sector, was a
declaration of war on Ni-
gerians.
Osagie, representing
Uhumwonde/Orhiomn-
won Federal Constituency
of Edo State, vowed that
the House would not rest
on its oars until the Feder-
al Government implements
its recommendations on
reforms in the sector.
His words: “Most of the
recommendations we have
made are recommenda-
tions for reforms in the sec-
tor. And some of them,
those reform strategies are
already being put in place.
All we can say is that we
will continue to monitor the
implementation of those
recommendations. It will
be impossible for me to pre-
dict how Nigerians and the
House of Representatives
that are on the same page
of their home, so they
have the babies and
dump them. So we bring
them in and counsel
them, teach them skills to
live independently forev-
er and we encourage
them to go back into so-
ciety and make some-
thing of themselves.”
She expressed grati-
tude for the organiza-
tions that found her wor-
thy for the awards, and
said she and her team
remained committed to
deploying their resourc-
es and time to shaping
the lives of people who
God created but, for one
reason or the other,
found themselves in dif-
ficult circumstances.
Speaking after present-
ing the Tourism Person-
ality Award to the First
Lady, the Project Direc-
tor of African Quarterly
Magazine, Mr. Ikechi
Uko, said the threat of
insecurity in the country
and other troubled parts
on this matter, will react if
government refuses to lis-
ten to the voice of the peo-
ple as spoken by the House
of Representatives.
“The president knows
how critical this sector is.
For us and for most Nige-
rians, I believe that Nige-
rians have no business
paying N97 for fuel given
the level of corruption that
we have exposed. Be-
cause what is simply hap-
pening is that the down
stream sector was highly
abused, a lot of our re-
sources were taken away
Izon warns against threat of violence in
Delta the wrath of the elders of
BY FESTUS AHON,
Ughelli
C
OORDINATOR of
Delta State Izon
Communities, Chief Bare
Etolor, yesterday, warned
youths of Ijaw ethnic na-
tionality against issuing
out threat to any ethnic
group and perpetrating
violence in the state.
Giving the warning in
a statement, Etolor said
any youth or group found
issuing threat to an other
ethnic group would incur
of the world had not di-
rectly affected tourism
development.
Uko said that the ra-
tionale behind the
award was the efforts of
the governor ’s wife to-
wards the development
of tourism in the coun-
tr y, adding that the
award was normally giv-
en to a best person or
product that has the best
impact in a particular
year.
He said that for 2011
there were different peo-
ple and products, add-
ing that the best tourism
product out of Nigeria
was Carnival Calabar
with the governor’s wife
being the driving spirit
behind it.
According to him, “The
Carnival Festival was
the best tourism product
out of Nigeria in 2011. I
can tell you from experi-
ence because I attend all
the festivals in the coun-
try.”
under circumstances that
were questionable.
“Imagine one of the
items in the report, where,
from the Office of the Ac-
countant General of the
Federation, N999 million
was paid 128 times,
amounting to N127 bil-
lion. These are things we
can sleep over. Whether it
is PPPRA, whether it is the
CBN or the Office of the
AG, we have said that
this is what happened.
We have a collective duty
both Nigerians and gov-
ernment to find out what
these payments were
meant for”.
Izon council.
Noting that such erring
persons, group or commu-
nity would not enjoy the
support and sympathy of
Izon people, he con-
demned acts aimed at that
could possibly lead to an-
other round of ethnic cri-
sis in the state, “be it in
the water-ways or on
land.”
Etolor, who is the imme-
diate past chairman, Izon
council of Elders in the
state, recalled that “the
last celebration of the 20th
Year Anniversary of the
creation of Delta State,
SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012 — PAGE 7
AMB. GABRIEL OLUSANYA’S BURIAL
Dr. Olaoluwa Olusanya (left) and mother, Mrs Megan Rose Olusanya dur-
ing the funeral service for late Prof (Amb.) Gabriel Olakunle Olusanya at the
Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos yesterday. Photos: Biodun Ogun-
leye
Dr K.B. David-West (left) and Prof. J.P Clark during the burial service.
‘We don’t want a repeat of the 1983
violence in Ondo’ digbos, the Mbadiwes, let
us stop using thugs, let there
past Secretary to State Gov-
BY DAYO JOHNSON, be peaceful politics, our peo-
ernment (SSG), Hon Isaac
Akure ple deserve peace and not
Kekemeke, has warned violence”.
A
HEAD of the gov against heating up of the Kekemeke said the essay
polity.
ernorship election in competition was to provide
Instead, he advised poli-
Ondo State, the immediate a platform for students to
ticians from the political par- meet elderly people that had
ties to work together for the achieved in their fields.
development of the state He expressed delight that
and not for selfish interests. the programme was yield-
Kekemeke spoke in Akure ing the desired result as the
held at Bomadi, an Ijaw
during the award presen- celebrated best student in
town, almost all the ethin-
tation ceremony of the 5th West African Secondary
ic groups, including It-
edition of the Hon D. I Keke- School Certificate Examina-
sekiri, Urhobo, Ijaw and
meke essay competition for tion (WASSCE), Tolulope
others participated in the
secondary school students Falokun, was a star prize
boat regatta. The event
in Ondo State. winner of the competition.
was peaceful and interest-
”We don’t want a repeat of Also speaking, the state Ed-
ing.
the 1983 violence in the ucation Commissioner, Hon
“Those who have politi-
state, we can work together Aderemi Olatubora, said the
cal misunderstanding
if we don’t have ulterior state was making progress
with their representatives
motive, we don’t need vio- in the education sector.
in government should set-
lence,” he stated. Master Adejoro Adeboye
tle their grievances with
”What we need in the state of Greater Tomorrow Inter-
government,” saying that
is people who can speak, national College, Arigidi
the Izon council of tradi-
people who have ideas, Akoko came first in the JSS
tional rulers were shocked
who can speak with the category while Ayodele Abi-
over the action of some
market women, youths and ola of Aquinas College
persons who wanted to
the masses. Akure came first in the SSS
cause chaos recently in
“Let us replace the Oka- category.
the state.”
PAGE 8—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012
Salami: Rights group wants
Jonathan to consider nagging issues
•Banjo congratulates PCA
BY VINCENT
UJUMADU
A HUMAN rights
group, the Interna-
tional Society for Civil Lib-
erties and the Rule of
Law, INTERSOCIETY,
has urged President
Goodluck Jonathan to en-
sure that certain critical
issues bordering on con-
stitutional provisions
needed to be addressed
before acting on the rec-
ommendation of the Na-
tional Judicial Council,
NJC, that Justice Isa Sal-
ami, President of the
Court of Appeal be rein-
stated.
In a statement in Onit-
sha, Anambra State, yes-
terday, the group’s chair-
man, Board of Trustees,
Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi,
observed that one of the
critical constitutional is-
sues bordered on Salami’s
statutory age of retirement
of 70years or his manda-
tory 35 years of service in
civil service, adding that
ordinary Nigerians need-
Strike: Federal hospitals in
Lagos grounded
BY CHIOMA OBINNA
F EDERAL health
workers in Lagos
under the auspices of the
Joint Health Sector
Unions, JOHESU, at the
weekend, made good their
threat to join the strike by
their colleagues nation-
wide even as Lagos State-
owned hospitals are shut
down following the faceoff
between doctors and the
state government.
Consequently, public
health services in the state
are grounded.
JOHESU had declared
an indefinite strike over a
10- point demand after a
failed meeting with the
Federal Ministry of
Health representatives.
At the premises of the
Institute of Chartered
Chemists of Nigeria, IC-
CON, while other feder-
al health facilities within
the Medical Compound,
Yaba, were under lock and
key, some of the workers
of the institute were seen
working.
A mild drama ensued
when members of the
Health Workers Union,
Lagos State Branch, in
company of journalists,
arrived at the premises to
monitor compliance of
the strike.
The peaceful monitoring
C
M
Y
K
ed to be put in the com-
mon knowledge of the
event.
According to the group,
during the Katsina Alu-
Salami scandal in 2011, it
was clearly stated and it
became a public knowl-
edge that Salami and Jus-
tice Aloysius Katsina Alu
were called to the Bar
same time and that in
terms of age of retirement
from the Bench, Salami
was few months younger
in the Bench than Katsi-
na-Alu, who retired in the
third quarter of 2011, add-
ing that what it meant was
that both were due for re-
tirement in 2011.
Meanwhile, Ogbeni
Lanre Banjo has congrat-
ulated Salami on the NJC
recommendation to rein-
state him. “Truth has pre-
vailed”, the former guber-
natorial candidate of the
National Conscience Par-
ty (NCP) said in a state-
ment. “The good spirit of
Nigeria stood by Justice
Salami and prevented the
enemy of progress from
of the workers strike al-
most took a violent dimen-
sion when the leaders of
the health workers ac-
cused the Director Gener-
al of the institute, Prince
Oritsejone Oghifo, of in-
timidating the workers
with sack should they join
other workers in the na-
tionwide strike.
Reacting to the allega-
tion, Oghifo, in a letter,
questioned the health
workers on why they
should commit his staff to
a nationwide strike with-
out allowing due process.
Other health workers in
Igbobi Orthopaedic Hos-
pital, Federal Medical
Centre Ebute Metta, La-
gos University Teaching
Hospital, amongst others,
complied with the strike
directive.
Conducting striking
health workers and jour-
nalists round the facili-
ties in Lagos to debunk
the statement credited to
the Minister of Health,
Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu,
that workers were at
work, the Chairman,
Medical Health Workers,
Lagos State Branch, Com-
rade Ibe Stephen Nwo-
kenta, stated that there
was going back on their
decision to join the strike
until their demands are
met.
having the last smile. Jus-
tice Salami must now in-
culcate uprightness, pro-
bity and principles into his
children and every one he
comes in contact with. He
must remember today in
his life sojourn and must
do more for Nigeria and
posterity”, Banjo stated.
“President Jonathan
must prove his patriotism
by not upturning the ver-
dict having attained his
objective. Justice Salami
must be immediately al-
lowed to resume his of-
fice”.
UNILAG VC suffers heart attack
twice in 24 hrs; dies at 62
BY AMAKA ABAYOMI
T HE Nigerian aca
demic community
was yesterday morning
thrown into mourning fol-
lowing the death of the
Vice Chancellor of Univer-
sity of Lagos (UNILAG),
Professor Adetokunbo Ba-
batunde Sofoluwe.
In a telephone conver-
sation with Sunday Van-
guard, the Dean, Stu-
dents’ Affairs, Professor
Kayode Amund, said So-
foluwe, 62, who was in his
second year of his five-
year tenure, had a heart
attack in his office, Friday
night, and was rushed to
the Lagos University
Teaching Hospital
(LUTH). He suffered an-
other attack before he
gave up the ghost early
yesterday.
‘East–West Coastal Road “ll accelerate devt of Niger Delta’
N IGER Delta Re-
newal
(NDRG), a non-govern-
Group
mental organization, has
said that one of the fast-
est means of developing
the Niger Delta region is
through the East – West
Coastal Road Project
which has been on the
drawing board since 1998.
The group, in a state-
ment signed by its nation-
al president, Isaac Opelle,
said the project, which
construction experts put
its cost at N1.8tr, will lead
to the acceleration of the
development of the Niger
Delta region.
“ This road is crucial not
only because of the vital
communication links that
it would provide, but the
From left: Prof. Linus Ilika; , Gov. Obi; a nurse; Bishop Paulinus Ezeokaf-
or; Obi’s daughter, Amaka; Obi’s wife, Margaret and Igwe Gibson Nwosu of
Awka during the flag-off of campaign for the eradication of polio at the
Regina Ceali hospital, Awka, yesterday.
In a statement announc-
ing the demise, the uni-
versity authorities said:
“The entire university
management deeply re-
grets to announce the
sudden death of the Vice
Chancellor at the Lagos
University Teaching Hos-
pital, Idi Araba, in the ear-
ly hours of Saturday, 12th
May 2012.
“The university commu-
nity in particular staff and
students are advised to
pray along with the fami-
ly for the repose of the
soul. A condolence regis-
ter has been opened at
the Senate House for mes-
sages to the amiable ac-
complished scholar and
astute administrator. Fur-
ther announcement will
follow in due course.”
‘Sad loss for Ni-
wider benefits also acting
as a catalyst in the devel-
opment of the region and
unlocking the vast tourism
potentials and abundant
opportunities in the re-
gion.
“The Coastal Road will
help immeasurably in
opening up of the Niger
Delta region’s economic
potentials, assist in dous-
ing the severity which en-
cumber the movement of
goods and enable the peo-
ple to improve their living
standards,” it said.
It quoted recent studies
as revealing that the road
project will create em-
ployment for over 11,000
peple in the region dur-
ing the construction peri-
od.
geria’
Reacting to the death of
Sofoluwa, the Vice Chan-
cellor, Lagos State Uni-
versity (LASU), Prof John
Obafunwa, described the
deceased as a humble
and easy-going man who
refused to wear the toga
of Unilag VC.
“It is a sad loss for the
education system because
he was a great man. We
were together about three
weeks ago and he was a
very humble man who
you can talk to for advice
and share experiences
with,” Obafunwa stated.
“Management and stu-
dents of LASU received
the news of his death with
shock and we pray to God
to give some comfort to
his family to bear the loss
because he will be great-
ly missed.”
National Association of
Also, Opelle, while
quoting the experts at a
workshop, held late last
year, said that even while
it is yet to take off, Nige-
ria has already started
reaping its benefits.
“ For the first time in
the history of Nigeria, lo-
cal experts are given a
chance to contribute to
national development and
this has created jobs, built
local capacities and en-
hanced technology trans-
fer.”
“The construction of
the coastal road from Cal-
abar to Lagos will engen-
der a genuine feeling of
national integration in the
people of the Niger Delta
Region who have always
felt marginalized in na-
Nigerian Students,
NANS, also described the
death of the late VC as a
national loss, particularly
to Nigerian students.
According to the Na-
tional President, NANS,
Comrade Dauda Moham-
med, “Prof. Sofoluwa died
at the very period that our
recent interactions with
him had already started
yielding positive results
in the interest of Nigeri-
an students, especially
with his determination to
reinstate a democratic
Students’ Union to
UNILAG after over a de-
cade of proscription.
“Our condolence, there-
fore, goes to his immedi-
ate family and the entire
university community
over this great loss. He
will surely be greatly
missed by us all. Adieu
dear VC.”
tional developmental pro-
grammes.
“ It will encourage the
creation of ecosanctuaries
where people will expe-
rience natural encounter
with wild life in a regen-
erating ecosystem. This
will bring about tremen-
dous development in the
area and engender em-
ployment opportunities in
tourism.
“ It will display the first
set of Nigeria’s monu-
mental bridge structures.
This will automatically
give a permanent seat to
Nigeria in the elite club
of nations with iconic
structures which will give
massive added flavor to
tourism.”

Accept FG’s invitation for
dialogue, Owie tells Boko Haram
BY SIMON EBEGBULEM
F
ORMER chief
whip of the Sen
ate, Senator Row-
land Owie, has com-
mended the resolve of
the Federal Government
to dialogue with Boko
Haram and urged the
sect members to lay
down their arms in the
interest of peace.
Owie, who declared
that the Federal Govern-
ment’s declaration came
as a relief to many Ni-
gerians who fear that
the nation may be head-
ing to disintegration, ex-
pressed his belief that
dialogue will bring to an
end to the crisis just as
it happened during the
crisis in the creeks of the
Niger Delta.
His words: “I congrat-
ulate Jonathan and the
Federal Government for
choosing to open up
once more the option of
dialogue with Boko
Bayelsa youths urged to shun cultism
BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME
P
EOPLE of Bayelsa
State have been
advised to shun all
acts of cultism as the new
regime in the state has no
tolerance for criminality
or any form of unlawful
activity.
The Nembe Elite Youths
Group (NEYG), which gave
this advice at a media chat
in Port Harcourt , com-
mended the governor, Se-
riake Dickson, for his refor-
mative agenda, noting the
newly signed Secret Cult
Societies and Similar Ac-
tivities Prohibition Law as
an indication of a season
of peace and economic
growth.
National Chairman of
the NEYG, Prince God-
swill, said the people of
Bayelsa had endured a pe-
riod of terror, executed by
violent persons, but said
the new law had come to
change that for the better.
According to Prince, this
was a time for all youths in
the state, especially those
who had previously given
themselves to violence and
terrorism, to refocus, turn
a new leaf and take advan-
tage of the era of peace and
growth that is just coming
in.
“While we call on our
brothers and sisters at
home to turn away from
cultism and all forms of
violence, and urge them to
embrace peace and the de-
velopment that will come
with it, we are also calling
on security agents and oth-
er arms of the executive to
key into the governor ’s
dream and effectively do
their duty in this war
against cultism.
Haram. I have always
believed that force won’t
solve the problem of
Boko Haram as love is
the only cure for hate. I
Egypt funeral turns happy
after dead man awakes
BY TONY NWANKWO
WITH AGENCY REPORTS
T
HE funeral of a 28
year-old waiter in
southern Egypt
turned into a celebration
when he woke up after
being declared dead.
Hospital officials had
pronounced dead Ham-
di Hafez al-Nubi, who
came from the village of
Naga al-Simman in the
southern province of
Luxor, after he suffered
a heart attack while
working.
His family says griev-
“This is a new era, the
one that promises to take
Bayelsa to the glory land
indeed and make every son
and daughter of our
blessed state proud again
wherever we find ourselves.
“ We want to specifical-
ly commend His Excellen-
cy, Governor Seriake Dick-
Community leaders commend
Delta council chairman
BY TOMMY ANADUAKA
T
HE Chairman of
Oshimili North Lo-
cal Government Council
of Delta State, Hon.
Christopher Okafor, has
been commended for
putting smiles on the
faces of the citizens of
the area. Community
leaders described the
council chairman as a
man of the people who
has used his position to
bring development to
the area.
They cited the ongo-
ing tarring of link roads
in Ibusa, construction of
3 killed in Kogi shooting
I
N the story with the above title published
on April 29, 2012, Alhaji Adamu Enape
was quoted to have confirmed the shooting.
It has since come to our knowledge that our
reporter did not buttress nor confirm the sto-
ry.
The error is regretted.
– Editor.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012 — PAGE 9
wish to also appeal to
the Boko Haram to go
back to the negotiating
table and state their
case.”
ing relatives took him
home and, according to
Islamic tradition,
washed his body and
From right; Mrs. Bolajoke Bayo-Ajayi, Marketing Flavor, Coca-Cola Nige-
prepared him for burial
Friday evening. ria Ltd, Mr. Segun Fayose, Head of Corporate Communications, MultiChoice
A doctor sent to sign the Nigeria and Ms. Juniper Musa, Acquisition Manager , AfricaMagic, during
death certificate found it the Press Briefing on live screening of Big Brother Africa, season 7 tagged
strange that his body “Stargame” , held at Oniru Estate, Lagos .
was warm. At closer ob-
servation she discovered
he was still alive.
His mother fainted
upon hearing the good
news.
With the doctor’s assis-
tance, both al-Nubi and
his mother were awak-
ened and soon were cel-
ebrating with guests.
son, for his vision for our
state, especially for the
teeming youths. We as a
youth organization are
pledging our support,
promising to continue to be
good and positive exam-
ples to those coming be- From right: Mr Bunmi Akintelure, Vice Principal; Mrs Olufunke Fowler-
hind us”. Amba, Director of the College; Mr Francis Fasuyi, Director of Studies and
Mr Babatunde Olabintan, registrar, during the 6th Annual Essay Mathemat-
ics & Art Competition of Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls at the
College premises, Lagos yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.
drainages, the multi
million Eke market, the
rehabilitation of aban-
doned projects as well
as the rehabilitation
work in progress in the
Local Government Area
which include Atuma,
Akwukwu-Igbo, Illah,
Okpanam, Ugbolu, An-
inwalo and Ebu saying
that the abandoned
health centres and gen-
erating set attached to
health centres in some
communities are now
also receiving the atten-
tion of the council chair-
man and remarked that
the gesture was in line
with the three point The children of the late Mrs B.N.Moore with their wives during the burial
agenda of Governor Ud- ceremonies of their mother,Mrs. Caroline.U.Moore at Nimo, in Anambra
uaghan. State.
Kogi speaker warns criminals
C
R I M I N A L LY handed down by the area, had resolved not to
minded persons Speaker of the state
condone acts of criminal-
in the Central Senatori- House of Assembly , Rt. ity.
Hon Abdullahi Bello, at
al District of Kogi State He advised the people
have been warned to ei- a security awareness
to always volunteer in
ther relocate from the campaign at Okene. formation on the move-
area or be ready to face The Speaker said gov-
ments of persons of
the full wrath of the law. ernment, in collaboration
doubtful character to the
This warning was with the five local gov- police.
ernments councils in the
PAGE 10—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012
THIS SEGMENT PRESENTS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS, IN A MANNER NEVER BEFORE EXPLORED, ON CRIME AND NATIONAL SECURITY MATTERS. THIS
IS DEPARTMENT 'C'
Boko Haram: More Muslims
are killed than Christians
—Joji, Arewa chief
z‘No religion to blame for Islamist insurgency’
zSays disunity in the North threatens Nigeria
BY BASHIR ADEFAKA
Captain Mohammed Joji, a
former Managing Director of
the defunct Nigeria Airways
and Secretary-General, Air-
line Operators in Nigeria
(AON), is the newly appoint-
ed Arewa Consultative Fo-
rum’s (ACF) Strategy Com-
mittee Chairman. The Chair-
man, Skypower Express Air-
ways spoke with Sunday Van-
guard at his Kaduna office on
why no religious group
should be blamed for the se-
curity challenges currently
faced by the country but rec-
ommended that the two ma-
jor religious groups in the
North should unite and pro-
vide solution. Excerpts:
W hat role are you
supposed to play as
Chairman, ACF’s Strategy
Committee?
In ACF, we have sub-
committees. Strategy
Committee is one of them and
I was appointed as the
Chairman. What we are
charged to do is to see how
we can make the North to live
together whether you are
Christian or Muslim. We are
to work it out how we can
make other Nigerians to live
together in one Nigeria. In
Strategy Committee, we are to
find out what our problems are
and what we can do to solve
those problems. It is in our
interest that we live together
in harmony within ourselves
and in the rest of the country.
The Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN) President,
Ayo Oritshajefor, insinuated
the Boko Haram as Northern
agenda to wipe out Christians
in Nigeria. Isn’t the time
ripe for you, the Northern
leaders, to speak out on this
matter: I mean what is your
reaction to that?
It is wrong because this
problem is our general
problem. They are killing both
Muslims and Christians.
Isn’t it? So, we Muslims too
in the North are affected by
the Boko Haram situation.
The last bombing in Kaduna,
which killed many Okada rid-
ers, affected Muslims largely
because majority of Okada
riders in Kaduna are Mus-
lims. In Yobe market this
morning (Thursday 3/5/2012),
sixteen people were killed. Is
Yobe a Christian dominated
state? 95 percent of Yobe
people are Muslims and so it
means many of the attacks
that, that state has suffered
affected Muslims the more
even though we don’t cry out
like the Christians do. But
there are others who are
neither Muslims nor
Christians who have also
been badly affected. So it
would be unfair for one
religious group to blame
another for a problem that
affects all of us as a people.
Let us be careful.
It was gathered that Boko
Haram was the result of bad
leadership in a particular
state of the North. Do you
agree and, if you agree, why
has that led to the serious
security situation that we have
had and what is the way out?
, We Muslims too in the North are af-
fected by the Boko Haram situation.
The last bombing in Kaduna, which
killed many Okada riders, affected
Muslims largely because majority of
Okada riders in Kaduna are Muslims
That is why I am asking peo-
ple who are using religion to
divide the North to stop it.
Politicians always use religion
to divide the people. It is
those who cannot win
elections that always try to
create problems under the
disguise of religion whereas
we never had religious
problem in this country. What
we have had has always been
political problem. Did you
read what Okah, the inde-
pendence day bombing sus-
pect, said and it was reported
in the papers yesterday (2/5/
2012), he was even blaming
the government for the bomb-
ings in the country? The in-
dependence day bombing
that killed both Christians
and Muslims, was that
Boko Haram? The
bombings, maiming,
killings and kidnap-
ping in the Niger
Delta, are they
Boko Haram?
So let us stop giving
prominence to religion as re-
sponsible for the problems.
I have been hearing this
CAN president always trying
to cause war in Nigeria. Let
him be assured that if the war
starts in the country, he
himself cannot survive it. All
the time you are drumming
war, but, if it comes, you
cannot survive it. That is not
what we need to help this
country as a people and as a
system. Whatever the
situation, our duty as
religious or regional leaders,
is to find way of dousing the
fire not to add fuel to it. If
our government doesn’t have
rest of mind to administer our
affairs, we too cannot live well
and, so, the earlier we
,
changed our attitude to crisis
management in this country
the better.
We have a common problem
in Nigeria today and that
problem is the problem of
insecurity.
L
et’s solve this problem
collectively because both
Christians and Muslims are
being killed every day; even
more Muslims are killed than
Christians. Go and find out.
Look at Jos where even the
flesh of human beings are
eaten; many things happen
that you don’t even know.
Whose flesh are they eating
there? They are not eating
the flesh of Christians; of
course it is the flesh of
Muslims they are eating
there! Go and find out. So,
where is that hatred coming
from? For somebody or some
people to sit down and blame
one religion for this problem
is pure nonsense. What we
need to do is for both of us,
the two major religious groups
in the North, to sit down and
provide solution. I can tell
you that, if both of us sit down
together in the North today
and talk these things over, the
security problem in the North
will vanish.
B
ut people themselves are
not helping matters
because even armed robbery
situation has been linked with
Boko Haram and, if we want
our government to really
succeed in their efforts to
tackle the security problems,
we should feed them with
correct information. If you
have incident of political
assassination, they say Boko
Haram. That is what we have
seen.
So, why don’t we sit down
to look at the issue and find
out who are the people using
this issue (Boko Haram) to
divide this country? We can
get to the root of the problem
if we want to.
The reason it drags, as it has
become, is because people,
instead of facing the reality
are just beating about the
bush taking joy in blaming
Islam or the North whereas
the problem is far beyond that.
We should therefore be
careful about the unwarranted
utterances like that of the
CAN president.
How do you view the
Federal Government efforts
at solving the insecurity
problem?
I have no comment on that.
You should go back and ask
General Azazi, the National
Security Adviser (NSA). He
may have a solution to that
problem going by what he
said in the papers. It is
beyond our reasoning. If the
NSA could come out to say
what he said, it means that
the problem can even be
solved by the NSA himself (if
allowed to do so).
If the government listens to
him, that means we are
coming near the solution
because he was accusing even
the security agencies. Do you
remember they said why
should the State Security
Service (SSS) report to the
NSA and why the police
should report to the Police
Service Commission? Were
they not reporting to the
Ministry of Interior before?
Anywhere you go in the
world, the police and other
security agencies are under
the Ministry of Interior. Isn’t
it? This political divide in
order to create jobs for some
people and cause problems
for the other is very wrong.
Why should you pitcht one
security agency against
another? True, all the road
blocks mounted by the police
never worked except that they
were causing hardship for the
people; even at that, what you
can do is surcharge the police
if it is not performing up to
standard, not to bring it down
completely.
The military has been
brought into the situation as
a last resort. Now that you
have brought them at this
point, if the whole system
collapses, who will you blame.
? So, we got everything

Jonathan’s Presidency hasn't
met expectations of Niger
Deltans — Former IYC Boss
BY JIMITOTA
ONOYUME
I
n this interview Dr Chris
Ekiyor former president
Ijaw Youth Council descries
the slow pace of development in
the Niger Delta region where
President Goodluck Jonathan
hails from.
He says the Jonathan’s presi-
dency has not met the aspirations
of the region, in terms of providing
infrastructure, tackling the
problem of gas flare.creating em-
powerment opportunities for
youths in the region to end mili-
tancy.
Excepts:
Infrastructure in Niger Delta
I have always said that the
expectations of the Niger Deltans
as they relate to the presidency of
Goodluck Jonathan have not been
met.
The pace of work going on in
the region today is not different
from what it was in the past. The
East- West road work is so slow, I
cannot understand why, though
the President is also involved in
other development programmes all
over the country. There is the pow-
er programme, there is an improve-
ment in the power sector .
However the basic infrastructure
expected in the region is yet to be
in place.
The people the President has
appointed in the region should
deliver on their part . The
governors should also get in-
volved.
The coastal road is a long term
plan so let's focus on the East West
road. We also expect the Minister
of Petroleum to find a common
ground with the international oil
companies, IOCs to tackle envi-
ronment challenges in the region.
Take the issue of gas flare. If any
government that had come could
not do anything, I expect this
government to address the
problem because the President’s
area is affected. This government
should tackle employment gener-
ation, gas flaring , beautiful pro-
grammes have been drawn but time
is not anybody’s friend.
Poverty in Niger Delta
Ekiyor...Amnesty has brought a lot of peace in the region
The government is misplacing
amnesty for employment genera-
tion for the region. Amnesty is for
a class of people, ex combatants
but the area has about 10 million
Niger Delta youths that are
unemployed yet are qualified. The
government has addressed 26,000
combatants, it should go beyond
the combatants to do more.
The Niger Delta Development
Commission, NDDC , Niger Delta
Ministry, Ministry of Labour and
Productivity should help to tackle
the problem of unemployment in
the region. State government must
generate empowerment pro-
grammes , peace in the region is
not all about creating opportunity
for oil exploration and production
in the area. People should have
jobs.
Employments should be
created. Government should look
at employment generation, look
beyond the amnesty to achieve
this. The amnesty has brought a
lot of peace in the region.
The Special Adviser to the
President on Niger Delta should
be given the mandate to create
opportunities for non militants in
the region.
Attack on Anglican church
It is only under President
Goodluck Jonathan that most
people want to find fault with ev-
erything he does. The President is
one who has continually made
sure everything he does is in the
public domain. The nature of some
Nigerians is that when a man is in
power he tries to gratify himself
but in this case it is not so. People
send cows to those in government
but this is a different scenario.
A company that has done so
much job in Bayelsa felt they
should give back to society and
they gave a church. For want of
what to do some have called it a
bribe. It is embarrassing.
In United Kingdom, the Ijaw
foundation decided that since
there is a university in Otueke they
would support it. They set up an
endowment fund. We all donated
to the university. If the company
says the President worships in a
small church they chose to
upgrade it, what is wrong? The
President does not live in the
church so the church is for the
worshippers. Some have said the
President has a bill of one billion
for meal for the year. It is for all
that visits the villa for the year.
How much can the President eat
alone? Let us be rational in our ar-
guments and attacks sometimes.
Boko Haram
Book Haram for me is more of
politics than security. There are
those who have not come to terms
that Goodluck Jonathan is
President. It is painful that those
dying are Nigerians.
What is happening now is not
different from what happened
during the civil war. The difference
is that people are more mature. The
security needs to do more.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012, PAGE 11
TIT-BITS ON POLITICS
Anambra Labour P ar
Par ty vvot
arty ot es
otes
for internal democracy
BY EPHRAIM OSEJI & AKOMA CHINWEOKE
N EWLY elected executive members of the Anambra State
chapter of the Labour Party has challenged its members to go the
extra mile to ensure excellent leadership in the state.
At a briefing shortly after a congress in the state, the new secretary
general, Hon, Basil Iwuoba, thanked the members for believing in the
party, but reminded them that work has just began as they have to go
in for massive enlightenment and mobilization to position the party
for successful outings.
He enjoined members to work hard so that the party would be the
one to beat in the state but pointed out that the feat could only be
achieved if all members have confidence in the executive.
Iwuoba promised that the executive will encourage internal democra-
cy in the party and called on market women, traders, professionals,
workers and students to embrace the party.
“From the ward level, local government areas to the state level, the
party conducted and concluded a successful state party congress
that led to the emergence of Jude Ezenwafor as the state chairman,
Hon Basil Iwuoba state secretary, Rich Ejike Onuorah P.R.O, Hon.
Nestor Okolo Deputy Chairman, Anambra North, Hon Sam Oraeg-
bunam Deputy Chairman Anambra central and Hon Luke Ezeanokwa-
si, Deputy Chairman, Anambra South,” he added.
Edo 2012: ‘Propaganda, blackmail
won’t help the PDP’
T
he Director of Media and Publicity of the Oshiomhole
Campaign Organisation (OSO), Prince Kassim Afegbua, has stat-
ed that intimidation, blackmail and propaganda cannot see PDP
through in the forthcoming July 14 election in Edo State. Afegbua,
who stated this in an interview, observed that the level of bare-faced
intimidation, propaganda and deliberate mischief of the PDP called
for worry by all well-meaning Edo people who are deserving of good
governance and accountable leadership.
According to him, the level of security breaches in the State and the
news flying around town about intended assassinations and politically
motivated killings are serious issues that should be dealt with by all.
“I am yet to reconcile why people, particularly the opposition party,
would feel that the only way to get electoral support is by propagan-
da and deliberate blackmail. It is worrisome that in the age of ideas
when political office seekers should dwell more on blueprint, what
you hear of are mundane and very pedestrian issues that cannot add
value to the collective well-being of the people”, he said.
Afegbua noted that what the PDP should concern itself about was
how to sell their manifestoes to the the people rather than waste
precious time and resources discussing about petty issues, raising
alarm where none exists and charging up the atmosphere as if it was a
do-or-die affair. “We are disturbed by the growing trend in the state
and the level of security breaches we see everyday as a deliberate
orchestration by those who want to seize governance by force.
While the president of the country had given a directive to resolve
the issue of the murder of Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, the PDP at the
national level had exonerated its party at the state level of any com-
plicity in the incident, knowing full well that is the party in government
at the centre. How do you then go about investigating such a scenar-
io with such policy statement from the PDP hierarchy?.”
Explaining that the Action Congress of Nigeria would dwell
more on issue-based campaigns because of the numerous
achievements of the Comrade Governor, Prince Afegbua not-
ed that the ACN had no cause to panic at the election bear-
Ndigbo needs roadmap for
2015 – Youths coalition
201
BY ANAYO OKOLI
A group, Coalition of Igbo Youths Assembly [CIYA], says
any Igbo man aspiring to lead Ndigbo must show proven com-
mitment to the cause of Ndigbo, saying that time was gone when any
person comes out to claim leadership of Ndigbo.
The group said its position became necessary in view of the experi-
ence of Ndigbo in the past. It noted with regret that while other ethnic
groups are speaking with one voice and trying to find the way for-
ward, Ndigbo are still speaking from different sides of their mouths.
Speaking after their meeting held in Umuahia, the President General
of the CIYA, Mr. Innocent Madu, said that there was need for Ndigbo
to come together and find a road map for the 2015. According to
Madu, other ethnic groups are busy strategizing for the 2015 yet Ndigbo
are yet to articulate themselves.
PAGE 12—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012
Life Is A Tragedy For Those Who Feel, And A Comedy For Those Who Think —JEAN DE LA BRU-
Ekweremadu...I am really grateful to the society and the people of Nigeria for giving me the opportunity to serve
How we pulled through the civil war
years, by Ike Ekweremadu
EMMANUEL AZIKEN
& HENRY UMORU
L
awyer and lawmaker,
Senator Ike
Ekweremadu was in
characteristically amiable
mood penultimate Wednes-
day when the team of Sun-
day Vanguard reporters ar-
rived his Apo residence that
morning. As Deputy President
of the Senate and concur-
rently Speaker of the
ECOWAS parliament, it was
not surprising that a visitors
from within and outside the
country including lawmakers
were all about the residence.
In between attending to his
guests, Senator Ekweremadu
who turned 50 yesterday
spoke to Sunday Vanguard on
his odyssey from the remote
village of Amachara Mpu in
Aninri Local Government
Area of Enugu State, through
the thick and thin of the ex-
tremism of post 1999 politics
in Enugu State to his present
duties as Deputy President of
the Senate.
A former lecturer in Consti-
tutional Law, Ekweremadu
was at one time executive
chairman of Aninri Local Gov-
ernment Area and subse-
quently Chief of Staff, in the
Chimaroke Nnamani admin-
istration in Enugu and then
Secretary to the Government
of Enugu State.
In 2003, he was elected
senator to represent Enugu
West Senatorial District. In
zOn Constitution Review: No no-go areas this time
zGovt. needs superior intelligence to combat terrorism
2007 he was re-elected by the
same constituency and on top
of that he was elected unop-
posed as the Deputy President
of the Senate. In that period
as Chairman of the Senate
Committee on Constitution
Review, Ekweremadu led the
senate to the first alteration
of the 1999 constitution. In
2011 Ekweremadu was re-
elected by the Enugu West
Senatorial district to the sen-
ate and also re-elected as the
Deputy President of the Sen-
ate. An additional feather to
his cap was his recent elec-
tion as Speaker of the
ECOWAS parliament, the re-
gional parliamentary body
that sits in Abuja.
Excerpts:
At 50 what is your assess-
ment of the little boy, Ike
from Amachara Mpu?
Well if you look back at 50
years, it was like it was just
yesterday. I want to thank
God for the modest achieve-
ments I have recorded these
past 50 years. And if you re-
call that the beginning of
these 50 years was also around
the time we had the civil war.
I was born barely 4 years be-
fore the war started. At that
age there was hardly anything
you could do in terms of con-
tributing to the war. It was just
that one was like a victim.
Running from place to place,
hiding from the battle and
also you know inconvenienc-
ing your parents because they
also were trying to protect
you. After that, by the time the
war was over, all the schools
had been shattered, hospitals
shattered, markets shattered,
all the infrastructure were
gone and that was the time
, I was born barely 4 years be-
fore the war started. At that age
one was like a victim. Running
from place to place, hiding from
the battle
people like us grew up.
So that was the environment
we found ourselves, going to
school under the trees, under
some shades.
I t was really tough at that
beginning. Economically,
it was tough. Socially, it was
tough. There was no basic in-
frastructure and then of
course, most people who
came back from the war, sol-
diers, who were disengaged
from the war took to armed
robbery. So there was also in-
So that was the environment we
found ourselves, going to school
under the trees, under some shades.
security, but by the grace of
God we were able to pull
through those tough periods
and then move through school
and by the grace of God we
are able to find ourselves
where we are today. It has
been a busy 50 years from the
onset till now.
Do you think Nigeria has
done you well?
,
Sure, the society has done a
lot in my life and that is why I
try as much as possible in ev-
erything I do, to also find time
to give back to the society.
From my humble beginning
from my village, I was able to
go through the local govern-
ment being elected as chair-
man, got up to the state be-
came SSG to the government,
and came to the centre to be
number two lawmaker in the
Senate of the Federal Repub-
lic of Nigeria. So what more
can one expect from his coun-
try? So I am really grateful to
the society and the people of
Nigeria for giving me the op-
portunity to serve.
D id Nigeria do well to
other members of your
generation?
Well, they have created the
platform for everybody to
thrive, for you to take up the
opportunity, to hold on to the
opportunity and make the best
use of the opportunity. And
when opportunity comes, not
everybody will take the full
advantage of in to the same
degree. Maybe some people
did not take the full advan-
tage of the opportunity the
system and our society cre-
ated.
If the society gave you the
platform to develop yourself
how do you react to claims
that those of you in leader-
ship helped by society are not
showing the same gesture to
the future generation?
Well the platform we are
talking about, it is just the
basic opportunity of life. At
least there was a school to at-
tend, there was a university
to attend, and there was a
court for me to go to when I
graduated as a lawyer for me
to practice my profession; not
that I had scholarship at any
point, not that the society pro
Continues on page 13

Life Is A Tragedy For Those Who Feel, And A Comedy For Those Who Think —JEAN DE LA BRUYERE
Ekweremadu......I was born barely 4 years before the war started
Govt. needs superior intelli-
gence to combat terrorism
Continued from page 12
vided any social safety net
for me and indeed for any per-
son. The thing I am talking
about is that right now, find-
ing myself in a peculiar posi-
tion, I have gone through
some of these things strug-
gling to be where I am today
and by the help of the plat-
form which the society pro-
vided, I believe it is also in-
cumbent on me and the rest
of us who have found our-
selves in the position of lead-
ership, also to give back to the
society in various degrees.
E verybody has his own
perception of what he
needs to do in terms of con-
tributing to the society. And
of course, we are like players
in the field; everybody has a
particular role to play. So I
believe that since I found
myself in the parliament, I can
safely say that Nigeria parlia-
mentarians have contributed
their own quota towards giv-
ing back to the society in terms
of quality of legislation that
emanated from the various
parliaments especially when
you note that the parliament
has suffered a lot of setbacks
because of the military inter-
ventions within this period
that I am talking about.
Besides learning under
trees what unique things
marked your growing up
that you have not told Nige-
rians?
Like I said, after the war, it
was very hectic for those of us,
(Cuts in) Did you have
shoes to wear?
C
M
Y
K
Yes, of course, I had shoes
but not all this kind of shoes
you wear… (general laugh-
ter.) It was really tough; the
whole Southeast was affected
by the war because that was
the centre of the war. So it was
expected that those of us who
grew up within that period
had a rough time.
You are chairman, Senate
Committee on Constitution
Review, is the committee
working in tandem with the
equivalent committee in the
House of Representatives?
I have made that position
that we are ready to work with
the House of Representatives
and I have spoken personally
and directly with the Speaker
and he welcomed the idea.
But we are going to have a
formal response from them in
that regard, and we expect to
work with them and like I said,
it’s going to be cheaper for the
country and it is going to save
everybody time and it is go-
ing to bring even more intel-
lectual variety because the
more, the merrier. Two heads
they say are usually better
than one. So I would like to
work with them.
Are you ready to make sac-
rifices in terms of position, co-
chairmanship and so on? Are
you ready to serve under the
deputy speaker?
I don’t mind serving under
the deputy speaker but, I am
sure he will not like me to
serve under him!
With regards to the consti-
tution review, I would like to
know your focus this time.
Are there no-go-areas?
First of all, there is no go
area. We are going to look at
all sectors.
One of the issues in consti-
tution review is that of state
creation and considering
your own presentation in
Canada, about the issue,
about the burden of govern-
ment. What direction do you
think your committee will
go?
You have to take it from two
levels. First of all, there is in-
justice and imbalance in those
states that were created in the
past. So people are agitating
for those imbalances to be cor-
, I have made that position clear
that we are ready to work with the
House of Representatives and I
have spoken personally and
directly with the Speaker
rected, those injustices to be
corrected and so we are go-
ing to address that.
T he second level of it is
the systemic failure I
talked about; even when we
create all the states there is
still need for us to review the
structure of our federalism. So
that is why we need to begin
to think about a long term
plan, how to restructure our
federalism even when we are
creating states so that we don’t
have cluster of states coming
together as provinces, as re-
SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012, PAGE 13
gion and as whatever you
want to call it. They will now
form the core federating units
of the country so that they can
undertake major regional
projects and be able to stand
on their own like strong fed-
eral states all over the world.
B
ut as long as we are
splitting, we are weak-
ening the ability of those
states to perform their respon-
sibility as federating units.
They will now continue to
depend at the centre. So if you
bring them together in clus-
ters and so that they can now
have muscle to begin to tackle
some of the responsibilities of
governance today, it is going
to be much easier for every-
body.
How do you feel that some
of your resolutions in the
Senate are not implemented?
Well, again we have to go
back again to the constitution.
The constitution in section 88
gives us over sight powers to
do investigations. But specifi-
cally it now said those inves-
tigations should be for the
purposes of exposing corrup-
tion and for purposes of
amending the extant legisla-
tions. So that is where the
problem started. So the execu-
tive at the different levels,
they understand clearly that
in fact all our resolutions,
technically are not binding
but to me they are persuasive.
So a listening government
should be able to take this
seriously because when a
whole senate and the House
of Representative take up an
issue and come up with a
resolution it should be sub-
stantively persuasive. But the
framers of the constitution in
their own wisdom did not
want it to be binding.
But if you compare it with
the American constitution,
their resolutions are binding
if it receives the requisite
votes, which is equal to a vote
necessary to pass legislation.
In fact some of their legisla-
tions are sent to the president
for assent and when that hap-
pens, it becomes binding. So
,
we are also proposing to bring
about a legislation that will
make some of our legislations
binding if they receive a par-
ticular quantity of votes from
both senates and the House
of Representatives.
You are talking about the
executive not implementing
your resolutions, but the Sen-
ate itself has refused to con-
sider a number of committee
reports from some of its own
committees?
I am sure you are aware in
the sixth and seventh senate,
there was no committee em-
powered to carry out public
hearing on any issue that has
not been reported to us. I am
not aware of anyone that was
reported to us that we didn’t
decide on it.
What of that of agriculture,
the food crisis?
I think what happened with
the food crisis was that it was
overtaken by events. When it
came was the time of the prob-
lem of Yar ’adua’s illness and
all that and we couldn’t take
it. But if you would recall that
of aviation which Senator Ude
chaired, we took a concrete
decision, it was carried to con-
clusion. The one for FCT,
which Senator Sodangi
chaired, we also concluded it
and likewise the report on the
sale of public enterprises by
the Bureau for Public Enter-
prises, BPE.
Why is the Senate always
going back to the BPE? Is it
targeted at Mallam Nasir El-
Rufai?
We never targeted El-Rufai.
He was not the only person
who headed the BPE; I am
sure you are aware of that. So
it is a public duty that called
for it because these were pub-
lic enterprises that were
meant to provide jobs to a
number of Nigerians and be-
cause they were weak, gov-
ernment decided at that point
to commercialize some, to sell
some, so that they will be vi-
able and be able to sustain the
vision of creating jobs for our
people and some things hap-
pened that most of those vi-
sions were never realized.
E
ven after the Senate
resolution that the gov-
ernment take all steps to end
the spate of insecurity in the
country the problem is still
persisting. What is happen-
ing?
The principal purpose of
government is the protection
of lives and property of indi-
viduals. So we still maintain
our stand that government
should do everything. I am
sure you will also recall that I
said in that session that fund-
ing is not an issue, it is an is-
sue of ideas. So we are deter-
mined to support the govern-
ment in every way including
appropriation to ensure that
the security challenge is dealt
with adequately. It is not only
Boko Haram, I am sure that
you are aware that there is a
resurgence of kidnapping in
the Southeast, armed robbery
is also coming back. So gov-
ernment needs to really put a
lot of resources to ensure that
these things are suppressed
once and for all. I am sure
you know the implication of
what it is to us as a country.
All the bad names it is giving
us, scaring away investors
and giving our children the
psychology of growing up
under such circumstances; it
is enormous, so it should be a
priority for us as a country
now.
Everything that has to be
done including collaborating
with other countries. We need
to engage those who have
Continues on page 14
 PAGE 14—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012
Continued from page 13
experience in such situations
to come and support us. It is
not something to be proud of,
it is something to be ashamed
of if only to invite people to
support us and help us in this
situation. So we need to get
everybody on board.
T his is a globalised world,
so we need as much sup-
port as we can and govern-
ment should not be ashamed
about asking for support and
help to get this thing sorted
out.
Do you think the adminis-
tration has the capacity to
handle the insecurity prob-
lem in the country?
I am not in the position to
make such a judgment. Let
me also say that the challenge
we are having is novel, except
maybe for kidnapping which
has been with us and then rob-
bery. But the terrorist part of
it is taking new dimensions
every day. Look at what hap-
pened in Kano two weeks ago
(BUK). It was not just about
bombing, but this one, they
threw bomb and people were
running and they were shoot-
ing at them; so it has taken a
very dangerous dimension.
So it is more like overwhelm-
ing the government, so the
government needs also to step
up. If you have to curtail them,
you have to come with a su-
perior intelligence to do deal
with this.
You are 50. Are you a happy
man?
I am.
What is your philosophy
about life? Secondly, what
prompted you to establish the
Ikeoha Foundation?
Let me start with the first
one. I believe that as a per-
son, it is difficult for you to be
happy and fulfilled when your
neighbours, your friends,
your colleagues are not happy
and they are not fulfilled. If
you want to get happiness for
yourself, you must get happi-
ness around you. That is the
only way such happiness that
you have can be sustained. So
I believe in giving back to the
society, I believe in helping
people to survive. I believe in
helping people to have the
same opportunity that I had.
I believe in giving back to the
society as much as possible so
that the society will be a bet-
ter place for everybody. I be-
lieve in equal opportunities
for everyone. I don’t believe
in exclusion.
I believe that everybody
should have equal access
to resources, equal access to
education, equal access to
amenities and equal distribu-
tion of these things across the
places that should have those
opportunities. And so this was
what led to my setting up of
my foundation. Basically, I
believe that even as I am in
government, there are certain
things that are difficult for me
to get the government to do.
With my own little resources,
I can be able to do those ones
even at a small scale and it
will make a whole lot of dif-
Life Is A Tragedy For Those Who Feel, And A Comedy For Those Who Think —JEAN DE LA BRUYERE
Ekweremadu... My father died a fulfilled man
Constitution Review: No no-go areas this time
ference in the lives of the
people. Because as a parlia-
mentarian, it is very difficult
for me to say to government
go and give scholarship to so
and so people in my area. But
I can use part of my resources
to get these things done. As
somebody who is in govern-
ment, it is difficult for me to
say, government you must go
to educate those who are not
opportune to go to school but
I can spend some my re-
sources to create adult literacy
programme so that those men
and woman can read and
write.
So some of these things are
, Most of the things I received as po-
sitions, I never aspired genuinely for
them. They came naturally. The very
few things I attempted to do myself
never worked
things that actually motivated
me into setting up the foun-
dation through which we have
been able to settle our young
men and women, support our
widows, support women to
ensure they have decent liv-
ing and be able to have ac-
cess to education because
without education there is
nothing you can do in this
modern world. We need to
also get them up to date, with
the modern technology. So
these are the issues that led
to the setting up of the Ikeoha
Foundation.
As a politician, you must
have attempted some posi-
tions that you didn’t get. How
did you feel?
Personally, I believe in des-
tiny, so that is just the thing.
I don’t worry about any situ-
ation. I hardly aspired for po-
sitions. Most of the things I
received as positions, I never
aspired genuinely for them.
They came naturally. The
very few things I attempted to
do myself never worked.
When I became a local gov-
ernment chairman, I wasn’t
planning to be a local govern-
ment chairman; we went to
ask for the creation of our lo-
cal government, I was the sec-
,
retary of the committee; I was
obliged to make the presen-
tation even with other elders
of the area who were with me.
So God blessed our efforts,
we got the local government,
I went back to my practice,
one day they came to me and
appealed that I should run for
the chairmanship and I be-
came the chairman.
And that was how I was con-
scripted into the race, as it
were and by the grace of God
I won. Even when I was ap-
pointed chief of staff in
Enugu, you know I was the
first person to be made Chief
of Staff (by the state govern-
ment). There was no such
thing in my card at all. And
when I became Secretary to
the state government, it took
the governor days to convince
me to accept the job, he is still
alive; you can go and ask him.
E ven coming to the sen
ate, I was one of the last
people that entered the race,
I was not planning to become
a Senator. And even when I
became the deputy Senate
president, I am sure you are
aware I was unopposed, it
wasn’t as if I went struggling
with anybody.
My colleagues in their own
wisdom gave me the privilege
of being the deputy president
of their senate for two con-
secutive times. So basically, I
concern myself as a child of
destiny.
As Speaker of the ECOWAS
parliament how do you feel
with the return of military rule
in some ECOWAS countries?
Thank you so much. I find it
very embarrassing, I find it
very disturbing because by the
time I took office as the
speaker, one of the things I
praised was the fact that
within the sub region, we
were free from military coups,
we were free from military
dictatorship and that democ-
racy was alive and thriving,
though nascent.
I praised the Nigeria gov-
ernment for the last election
which was adjudged to be free
and fair. I also praised the
people of Ghana for their at-
tainment in terms of democ-
racy.
But as a setback, you’ve seen
what has happened in Mali
and what is going on in
Guinea Bissau. Strangely
enough, when I was the
deputy Speaker of that parlia-
ment, we had similar a issue
in Niger and I chaired the
committee that intervened in
the parliament at the time. So
now that I am the speaker, for
us to be witnessing military
coming back to governance in
Africa, in West Africa basi-
cally, is of much embarrass-
ment to me and we are going
to take it very seriously when
we resume in May. So these
are some of the things that
will engage the parliament
during the next session.
But I am happy that the au-
thority of the Heads of State
and the Commission is deal-
ing with it adequately. As we
speak, the authority of heads
of state have met severally on
the subject and they have also
set up the committee, compris-
ing the Chiefs of Defence of
various member states to work
out modalities to send soldiers
to intervene in those two
places so that they will be able
to bring back democracy to
those places.
Y ou recently lost your
dad. Would you say that
he died truly satisfied?
On a last note, I would like
to say he died a fulfilled man
because he saw all of us grow
and he also witnessed the
transformation we were able
to bring to his domain as the
Royal Highness of Anekeoji
Mpu Autonomous Commu-
nity.
 SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 13, 2012, PAGE 15

I used to be ashamed of my self. Even if there is segrega-

tion you have to ask yourself
which way do I swing and still

boobs — Foluke Daramola

never speak English better
than an average English man.
And with all due respects, I
know when it comes to speak-
ing in English and I am quite
fluent. It is just an added ad-
vantage to be able to do both
very well. Like what I was
thought in International Re-
lations one must bring his/her
culture to light
These days there seems to be
a trend where the Igbos tend
to aggregate together and
vice-verse for the Yorubas.
Yorubas tend to produce their
own films while the Igbos do
likewise. What is you take on
this?
Really there seems to be a
subtle segregation in the in-
dustry and this phenomenon
is something of an environ-
mental issue and it cuts across
every work in Nigeria. Seg-
regation between the Yorubas
and the Igbos in the industry
is just a very subtle one but
when you are a true profes-
sional you don’t restrict your-
thrive.
They say you just launched
an NGO. What is it all about?
It is really not an NGO it is
my talk-show. I believe is a
talk-show enhancing NGO
where people are given op-
portunity to come and express
themselves and be celebrated
. It is not an NGO it is a plat-
form for people to help peo-
ple who need help. Like I said
before I would like to be re-
membered as a person who
has imparted positively to
humanity.
What work have you done re-
cently?
Apart from my TV Serial (Tag
Team) I have not done any
movie. After Wakati Eda
which has been over 3 years
ago I have not done any mov-
ie.
So how else do you earn your
living?
I do a bit of consulting and
motivational speaking. I still
run my TV Serial and I do a
minor business on the side.
Who do you enjoy working
with in the industry?
I have had reasons to work
with professionals that I would

F
,
love to work with again. I
oluke Daramola
may just be push
ing along in her
early 30s but more than
me in every aspect of life and
it is something that has ma-
tured me a lot.
, When it comes to marriage it is not
just about you and the man alone,
have worked with Uncle
Tunde Kelani, Tajudeen
Adepetu, Tade Ogidan, Uncle

15 years of those years
have been spent in the
glare of cameras and
lights of the movie in-
dustry, where she has
not just made good a
flourishing career for
herself but has become
something of a veteran.
At an event recently in
Lagos the starry-eyed
mother of two spoke
with Ayo Onikoyi on va-
riety of issues. Excerpts:
Heard you had a birthday
shindig recently, how old did
you celebrate?
Let’s just say I celebrated hit-
ting my early thirties but it
was not just a birthday cele-
bration I also celebrated my
graduation. I just got my
Masters from the University
of Lagos in International Law
and Diplomacy. My first de-
gree was in International Re-
lations from Obafemi
Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
How has life been as a single
mother?
It’s been challenging, inter-
esting and nice. It has made
me more independent-mind-
ed, more focused and more
conscious of the fact that I
have people that look up to
C
M
Y
K
You once said immaturity ru-
ined your marriage. Are you
saying you are more matured
to deal with it now?
My marriage is not something
I like to talk about. As far as I
am concerned is long gone.
It broke up 4 years ago, so
going back and forth, makes
me sound like a broken record
and besides, it makes me look
like I don’t have anything in-
teresting happening in my
life. It is not something I like
to dwell on. When it comes to
marriage it is not just about
you and the man alone, there
are kids involved. So I like to
keep that part of me away
from what am doing.
But what have you learnt
from it all and life general-
ly?
Like my Pastor, Pastor
Adeyemi would say, do not
look to the material things to
make you happy. True happi-
ness comes from within. For
me, I have come to appreci-
ate life, appreciate God from
the perspective of values I
have been able to impart in
other lives, especially the
younger ones and into hu-
manity as a whole
If the opportunity comes,
would you settle down again?
Let me ask you something; I
there are kids involved Olu Jacobs, RMD.
have kids, my daughter is 7
and my son is 5 and the kind
of job I do, the showbiz job is
so demanding and time-con-
suming. If I now decide I want
to combine that with marriage
now, do you think I would
make a success story of it?
Well, different things work
for different people
Yeah, yeah why I am asking
is because for me I have so
much on my hands. I want to
pick up another Masters and
I want to do my PhD. Really,
the least thing on my mind is
marriage. Not because I don’t
have my relationship, in fact
I have somebody that is very
close to my heart but the least
thing on my mind right now
is marriage.
You started with English-
speaking films but now tend
to do more of Yoruba-speak-
ing films. Why so?
Yes I started with English and
I still do English. For over two
years now I have been run-
ning my T.V. Serial which is
currently running on 8 chan-
nels across the country. But
one thing you cannot take
away is what one of my lec-
turers used to say that you can
PAGE 16 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012
The family in International Relations
and Global Harmony (2)
O B V I O U S LY ,
inspite of the
social system
in a given country,
particularly in advanced
societies with welfare
programmes for taking
care of infants, parents
are duty-bound to
provide for their
children until the latter
can live on their own;
likewise children are
expected to help their
parents and look after
them in old age.
Thorough investigation
of the nature of family
relationships throws up
certain
questions.
important
These
include: Are obligations
to children more
important than other
family obligations? Is
blood relation stronger
than a relation acquired
through marriage?
Whatever their origin, do
family obligations
supersede obligations to
friends, neighbours, and
other citizens? On what
ground(s) may friends,
neighbours and the state
violate family privacy?
What is the connection
between love and
loyalty, on one hand, and
family feeling and moral
ties, on the other?
Finally, is the traditional
heterosexual family
morally superior, and
debbiemoments@gmail.com
Raising me
I
F anyone had asked
me what I was like
as a child I would
have answered that I was
an almost model child. I
would have told of how I
was reserved and
respectful and how I was
so afraid of getting
punished that I hardly
ever got into trouble. I
barely have any scars on
my body and its a
testament that I wasn’t
rough or prone to fights.
I always said I would
have an easy time of
parenting if I had
children that were like me
and while I do have
such children I am not
finding parenting as
easy as I thought. If
anything I am feeling
very sorry for my mother
for having to deal with
me. I assumed that rough
children who broke
things, were loud and
disrespectful were the
bane of families but I am
finding out that children
who live inside of their
heads, who don’t say
hence preferable, to
families formed by single,
remarried or homoerotic
parents, or with the help
of gamete donors or
gestational (maternal)
surrogates?
T
he complexity and
incredible diversity
of family life indicates
that none of these
questions has an easy,
straightforward answer.
Scholars that approach
some of these issues from
a metaphysical cum
religious point of view,
such as the Neo-
Thomists, posit either the
overarching commands
of a deity as the
foundation of
familyhood. For others, it
is the
attributes
biological
such as
physical resemblance,
blood or genes that have
preeminence. Marxists
give primacy to economic
factors like family
property, inheritance,
income, and division of
work and resources. A
political approach to the
problem typically
attends to the power
relations within the
family, together with
their regulation by the
state, whilst a
psychological approach
considers affection,
identification, intimacy
much and have the
attention span of a fly is
just as much a
challenge!
There is no feeling as
frustrating as not being
able to reach a person
who is right there in front
of you; who is nodding
yes to all questions and
yet is miles away in their
mind! Not too long ago,
a friend of mine reported
me to a family member
for deliberately blanking
them out. Blanking
people out is simply
looking at them and
pointedly ignoring all
they are saying; they
only realise you are not
paying attention when
you don’t reply or blink
even when they wave. At
such times, I physically
have to be prodded or
yelled at before I am
startled back to attention.
I must have been a
mine field for family
members to navigate as
not only did I blank them
out all the time, I would
always burst into tears
the family constitutes the
first socialising unit for a
human being. Similarly,
after the emergence of
psychoanalysis as a
respectable school of
thought in psychology,
the importance of family
in the character
formation of a person
cannot be overestimated,
given the recognition
that early childhood
and emotional needs as experiences provide the
morally decisive. Even, foundation upon which
there is a narrative character is built.
approach which stresses
the role of remembering
and revision of family T his means that the
kind of family in
which a child is brought
stories as the cornerstone
of moral education and up goes a long way in
determining the kind of
definition of family ties.
These perspectives are adult that child would
not incompatible, but become later in life.
they tend to favour Thus, it is very important
different moral theories. that parents should have
For instance, the the right balance of good
economic, political and health, knowledge,
p s y c h o l o g i c a l moral and spiritual
perspectives complement insight to rear their
, Some degree of
discipline must be
inculcated in the young
,
so that they would grow
to become responsible
citizens
one another and may children. Any
blend well with dysfunctional family, a
consequentialist ethical family in which there is
theory, whereas there is constant vitriolic quarrels
nothing that prevents an among the parents, one
exponent of the religious in which the atmosphere
approach from accepting
the narrative approach
both of which are
of peace and love is
lacking,
polygamous
whether
or
compatible with different monogamous, is not good
versions of deontological for children. This is
moral theories. It is because children
generally accepted that
bet he was happy to be
my husband and not my
father!!!
The imagination is the
most powerful tool of the
human mind and I have
often found myself
preferring to live in its
beauty than in reality. I
loved reading; in a book
when they shouted at me
I could escape to lands
or hit me to get my far away, be beautiful,
attention.
I listened to my own
strong and rich;
everything I wasn’t in
voice yelling at my son my reality. I grew up in
to stop looking at me like a large family of people
that and I was thinking
with larger than life
Karma had come to roost
in my house.
everyone there I was
being unreasonable after
all the poor boy was
To , An abused child either
standing respectfully
looking at me and
listening to me. It wasn’t grows up to be an
till I asked him to repeat
abuser or a defender
what I just said that they
realised he hadn’t heard
a word I said. Just like and preventer of abuse
his mother; he had
perfected the art of
retreating to a place in
his mind where no one
could disturb his peace.
personalities. I stuttered
T
he problem with and could not find my
that was that just voice so I found refuge
like me, his teachers in literature that gave me
couldn’t get his attention expression. I felt
on subjects that he didn’t inconsequential and
like. I had just finished irrelevant so I withdrew
administering some from everyone. I could
spanking when I came to never understand why
the realisation that I was my mother was always on
raising myself. I sat my case; anytime I sat
down with my better half down to day dream she
and began to confess to would yell at me and find
behaviour that were a lot me something to do,
worse than the ones I sometimes she would
was yelling about and I add to my chores or even
exposed to such situation
will be adversely
affected by the polluted
p s y c h o l o g i c a l
atmosphere in the home.
Because children
naturally and
spontaneously absorb
important cognitive,
psychological and
spiritual cues from their
parents, they are likely to
assimilate patterns of
behaviour exhibited by
the latter. In a home
where the parents are at
peace with each other
and have the requisite
knowledge about how to
inculcate the right
thought-habits and moral
values into their
children, the probability
that the latter will grow
up and become
responsible citizens of
the community is high. In
conservative homes,
some parents still use
corporal punishment in
training their children.
However, it has been
shown by experts in
childhood education and
psychology
excessive use of that
that
method is counter-
productive and could
harm the child
physically, mentally and
emotionally. Children
brought up in a highly
restrictive and rigid
environment tend to
become either
excessively rebellious
ortimid and hypocritical
adults lacking in self-
confidence and critical
attitude.
T his is particularly
true in a hyper-
religious family where
both parents are devout
believers convinced that
strict adherence to the
authoritarian morality
create activities just to
get me up. Many years
later I understand how
worrying it is to raise a
child that would rather
retreat to some corner
than share the family fun
and participate with their
full attention to
education and even
reality.
I had always thought
the sometimes
unprovoked and regular
physical battering I
suffered as a child was
,
responsible for my
nature; in a large
compound, many things
happen that the parents
cant always prevent.
Feeding and providing
for that compound means
tempers are flared and
many things occurred
that would not be the
norm. I had always
thought I developed a
coping mechanism of
shutting people out to
get away from the not
always so pleasant
contained in either the
Holy Bible or the Holy
Koran, rather than
acceptance of a rational
moral code based on
scientific knowledge of
the human condition and
love, is the best way to
bring up a child.That
excessive use of the rod
associated with
authoritarian upbringing
hardly produces the kind
of children parents
would be proud of does
not imply that discipline
is not necessary in the
upbringing of children. It
is
acknowledged
generally
that
children, left to
themselves, will not
cultivate the habits
required for a happy and
fulfilled life.
As a result, some
degree of discipline must
be inculcated in the
young so that they would
grow to become
responsible citizens.The
habits and mode of life a
child imbibed, and
continues to imbibe, from
the family are
c o n s o l i d a t e d ,
complemented, and
modified by education,
both formal and informal,
which constitutes an
important component in
the total personality and
character structure of the
child. Still the family is
fundamental, because it
provides the substructure
on which further
learning is based. That is
why children from
families where the
appropriate physical,
intellectual, emotional
and spiritual
environments for the
unfolding of their latent
productive powers are
absent usually do not do
well in school.
reality. I am revising my
erstwhile opinion to
leave room for the
possibility that this may
just be a personality trait.
An abused child either
grows up to be an abuser
or a defender and
preventer of abuse. In
my case I would say I
was the latter so I am as
certain as can possibly be
that no abuse occurs in
my home. Yet here I am
looking most times into
the blank gaze of a child
that would rather create
comics in the exercise
books meant for the
maths homework.
I
am pretty sure I am
raising a genius who
will probably write a best
seller judging by the
intelligence thats very
easy to see. What I need
to figure out is a way to
maintain and nurture the
creativity while keeping
his feet firmly planted in
reality. It shouldn’t be a
problem; after all I am
familiar with the tell tale
signs of floating from
reality; I still do it. I will
be employing not only
patience but constant
prayers, I shall also be
begging God’s
forgiveness for all my
mother ’s frustrations
over me. I now know that
her life wasn’t a picnic in
many ways; it couldn’t
have been, she was
raising me; just like I
a m .

Why President, NSA must not
resign –3
“The only battle that counts is the last battle”
Richard Neustadt, in POWER AND
PRESIDENTS.
L AST week I ended
this series by stating
that President Jonathan does not know
those behind the Boko Haram threat; neither
does the National Security Adviser, NSA. They
don’t know, not because they are incompetent
or lack the will, as some have asserted but
because we are engaged in a guerilla war in
which the opponents of government forces
know the JTF and Police but the forces cannot
readily identify the terrorists. And, they are
difficult to identify because they dress, talk
and generally behave like the rest of society
and they live among us using us as human
shields. That has been the nature of terrorist
groups from time immemorial. In a pitched
battle, the front line is known and the enemy
can easily be separated from the civilian
population. In a guerilla war, everywhere is
the battle front. That explains why the media,
of whom I am a part, has also suddenly found
itself in the trenches. Not surprising to me,
we don’t know the enemy either because they
move about in various disguises which the
security forces cannot readily unmask. A
suicide bomber, until he delivers his deadly
message, looks like anybody else.
Furthermore, governments seldom receive
any help in fishing out the culprits for three
main reasons. First, most people who might
know the terrorists but who are not members
of the group are mortally afraid; they know
too well the consequences to themselves if
they are known, or even suspected to be
government informers. Second, many don’t
trust government officials not to disclose their
identity – especially as Jonathan admitted
“there are Boko Harams in my government”.
Why take a risk when the person to whom
you report might be a sympathizer of Boko
Haram? Third, some people actually want
the government to fail and if this is the way,
so be it. Most of the rest of us are just
indifferent to the plight of government; we
sit around, wring our hands and condemn.
That has been the lot of governments caught
in this trap whether self-induced or not.
, Unlike you, by the end
of the first year in
office, several of
Johnson’s initiatives
,
were already being
implemented. Yours
remain just talk
I have stated these truths so bluntly because
given our deep frustration and our fears, we
want solutions, we want immediate results
and most importantly, we want somebody to
blame. The President is the first fall guy under
the circumstances. But, in order to assign
blame to him, with a clear conscience, we
first of all need to write a script, even if a false
one, claiming that “he knows the terrorists
and their sponsors”. It is unfair to the
President. Let me quickly provide two
historical examples and we can close the
subject.
The Tamil Tigers were a guerilla group
terrorizing their own country for over
twenty five years on account of a secessionist
bid. During the time, more than four
Presidents ruled the country; each one
inheriting the problem until the leader of the
terrorists was killed last year. That was when
the bloodshed ended. Nobody asked the
Presidents to resign just because they could
not eradicate the rebels. Similarly, Morocco
in Africa fought several decades of ferocious
war with terrorists before the rebellion was
put down. Again, nobody asked the
government to quit on account of that.
The problem here to me is clear. We no
longer teach or read history. If we do we would
C
M
Y
K
be able to undertake comparative anal-
ysis of events and base our utterances
on better knowledge instead of senti-
ments.
Finally, don’t forget, I did not vote
for Jonathan; you probably did against
my advice. I shouldn’t be the one
defending him; you should be the ones
supporting him. But, the truth must be
told. Jonathan and the NSA should not
resign on account of Boko Haram –
unless someone can point to a
replacement who is guaranteed to bring
the mayhem to an end in a short time.
This time, as always, telling the bitter
truth is not just a duty fulfilled; it is a
pleasure.
Dear President; Try the Lyndon
Johnson Option – 1
“Reputation of itself does not persuade,
but it can make persuasion easier, or
harder, or impossible”.
Richard Neustadt in POWER AND
PRESIDENTS
First of all, the question that should
come to your mind is: who is Lyndon
Johnson? Well, he happens to be a late
United States President, who came into
power under almost similar
circumstances like you, Mr. President.
Johnson was Vice-President to President
John Kennedy, 1917-1963, the 35 th
President of the United States when he
was assassinated in November 1963
with over a year to go on his first term in
office. Johnson, like you, was sworn in
to complete Kennedy’s term. Again, like
you, he sought for election in his own
right in 1964 and was overwhelmingly
re-elected. Again, like you with your
transformation agenda (whatever that
means), Johnson embarked on his
GREAT SOCIETY programme. There
the similarities end.
J ohnson’s programme was the most
comprehensive in the nation’s
history for a first term, and last term,
president. Unlike you, by the end of the
first year in office, several of Johnson’s
initiatives were already being
implemented. Yours remain just talk.
Few Nigerians know what the whole
“she-bang” is all about. Even your
Ministers don’t know, so everything
anyone does, however foolish, is
presented as part of the transformation
agenda. The loquacious Minister of
Power promised 5,000MW of power by
December 2011; he failed; he announces
that his next muddle is part of the
agenda. Two Ministers, Finance and
Petroleum, attempted to bamboozle
Nigerians that there was N1.3 trillion
subsidy; it turned out there was over N1.5
trillion fraud. They also told us the SURE
document, resulting from this attempted
swindle, was part of the transformation
agenda also. In two years on the saddle,
Johnson had established a blazing
record of achievements – many of which
survived till today. In two years, your
government has failed to deliver more
electricity consistently than it met there.
And pensioners are now farther away
from payday than before – but civil
servants, under you, smile all the way to
the bank and their wardrobes – with
loot!! Try opening the newspapers any
day Sir. From the front page, it is
scandal and mayhem. That was not the
way Johnson did it. That is why America
is great. Just two years, Sir!
Yet for all his social and economic
achievements, Johnson found himself
with a nation divided by the Viet Nam
war and by racial unrest. Violence
consumed American cities and president
himself became the central topic on the
national agenda. His decision on the
war, made with good intentions, became
one of the major points for violent civil
unrest. Eventually, a point was reached
when Johnson, although entitled to go
for a second term, and would have
clinched his party’s ticket, had to decide
whether to go or not. To his everlasting
glory, Johnson decided and announced
in unequivocal terms that he would not
seek re-election.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012, PAGE 17
The act of giving
DENRELE ANIMASAUN FROM
LONDON
We all have the means to bestow
on others the most lavish gifts; love,
joy, peace, hope, kindness,
acceptance, encouragement,
laughter, forgiveness, time. There is
not enough money to buy them and
not too little money to give them. The
more you spend, the wealthier you
become; yet nothing will cost you
ast month Marks & Spencer, one
more than what you freely possess in the UK, launched its Shwopping
to give. -Eden Elliot campaign. The idea is to encourage
T
HE British are well known
for donating to good causes
at home and abroad. They
give old furniture, clothes, books, and
miscellaneous to charity. All these
donations are given then sold to
the public by the charity shops then
the proceeds is then used to help
the poor and the disadvantaged.
Even in this recession times, the
British are giving and they keep on
giving. Over the years, they raised
millions and millions of pounds to
helped refugees in the Sudan,
Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone. They help
across the globe to support
subsistence farmers get fair price for
their produce. They have set up
training for street children, former
prostitutes and marginalised women.
, In these hard times,
Food banks help
prevent crime,
housing loss,
family breakdown
and mental health
,
problems. A simple
box of food makes
a big difference
Why is this relevant? It is
important to know that giving helps
the giver as well as the receiver. I
am not talking of handing out
one- off several bags of rice , a box
of stationery , with
photographers on toe to record
the
the spectacle. Far from it.
Giving is much more than that
and it should form part of our psyche.
I know there are many unsung heroes
and heroines in Nigeria who are
giving without fanfare, pomp and
pageantry. I know people who send
clothes, shoes and books home to be
distributed amongst the less privileged
. People who send home hospital
equipments, give financial assistance
to school to furnish their libraries,
labs and sports halls. I have heard of
health professionals giving time to
help out in their communities. I have
seen firsthand a group of retired
nurses, fund raising yearly to provide
scholarships, run an orphanage and
provide pipe borne water system in
their villages in Nigeria. We should
all attempt to emulate these amazing
selfless individuals who through their
generosity transform lives. I once had
the opportunity of meeting an inspiring
woman, Maria who had a dream to
transform the lives of children in her
village in Brazil. She realised her
dream by donating gift in a shoe box. In
every shoebox she placed a pair of
slippers, tooth brush, tooth paste, a
book, a comb, sample-size shampoos,
soaps and deodorant, a top and a
pair of underpants, cap or hat. In
the last decade she started from
100 shoe boxes to 10,000 shoeboxes
a year! People heard about her
charity they told their friends , who
told their friends and it grew from
there. Some of these children are now
giving back by extending this brand
of kindness to others.
L
of the largest retail companies
people to bring old garments into
stores when they buy new ones, to
reduce the one billion items chucked
into UK landfill each year. More
crucially, the old clothes will be sold
or recycled by Oxfam, which already
offers a £5 voucher to people bringing
old M&S clothes into its charity shops.
In recession pressed UK, about 3
million people live below poverty line.
They go hungry for reasons ranging
from redundancy to receiving an
unexpected bill on a low income.
There are people volunteering at
the entrance of food store ,raising
awareness about shopping for extra
food item and giving it to the food
bank. Food is also collected at
‘Supermarket Collections’: These are
events held at supermarkets where
volunteers give shoppers a ‘foodbank
shopping list’ and ask them to buy an
extra item or two for local people in
crisis. . All food is donated by the
public and sorted by volunteers.
In these hard times, Food banks help
prevent crime, housing loss, family
breakdown and mental health
problems. A simple box of food makes
a big difference. They now work in
partnership with faith groups and
communities to distribute all food
donations to those in need. So far
there is over 200 food banks and
there are plans to have one in every
town .Frontline care professionals,
such as doctors and social workers,
identify people in crisis and issue a
food voucher. They then, receive three
days of nutritionally balanced, non-
perishable food in exchange for their
food voucher. Food banks also make
time to chat and to signpost clients to
other helpful services. Volunteers sort
food to check that it’s in date and pack
it into boxes ready to be given to
people in need. The food banks
provide a minimum of three days
emergency food and support to
people experiencing crisis in the UK.
L ast year, the food bank fed
128,687 people nationwide,
100% more than the previous year.
Rising costs of food and fuel combined
with static income, high
unemployment and changes to
benefits are causing more and more
people to come to food banks for help.
This is admirable considering that
the country is considered one of the
richest in the world.
So as you know charity begins at
home. If you could, today have a
rummage through your closets,
garage, rooms and collect all your
old, unwanted clothes, shoes, toys,
books or other items. They could be
of use to others. Better still, make up
a box of promise, get your children
to help, fill it with the essentials
like pencils, erasers, a book, crayons,
pass it on to a school where it can
be distributed to those in need. A
random act of kindness is so good for
your emotional well being. Even in
hard times , it is so important that
we reach out and do whatever we
can to help those less fortunate.
“The life of a man consists not in
seeing visions and in dreaming
dreams, but in active charity and in
willing service”- Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow 1807-1882.
PAGE 18—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012
Nigeria’s legion of notorious facts
J E
ULIUS, my brother,
says he is justifiably
upset with me for
staying back in Abuja
instead of returning to our
home town-Benin City-
after retiring from the
Public Service. He
imagines that if every
Benin citizen in Diaspora
declines to return home, our
city may shortly become a
ghost town. Whereas the
argument looks logical, it
loses sight of the fact that
Benin City can hardly be
deserted by virtue of the
daily influx of migrants
from the adjourning
villages into the city. To live
in Benin City appears to be
the goal of the average
Benin citizen. Even local
government officials
whether elected, appointed
or imposed who ought to
facilitate development in
the villages operate from
Benin City.
Representatives of our Oba
who are mandated to
traditionally superintend
over the villages do
likewise. Regrettably, the
hope that the villages may
soon develop to attract the
return of those who left or
to dissuade other indigenes
from “checking out” are
quite slim as successive Edo
State governments have a
city mentality that once
some work is in progress in
the urban areas all is well.
The problem is not
restricted to Edo State as
many Nigerian villages can
Wind of change over the West
N
OTHING yet
speaks more
volubly and
very pointedly about the
crisis of late capitalism
than the images out of
London this past week,
of off-duty English
policemen joining in the
street protests against the
proposed austerity
measures by the
government of the
United Kingdom.
These stolid defenders
of the establishment,
who are also about to be
cut to fit the size of public
government, have made
it quite clear, that a
reduction of the sort
proposed by the
Cameron government in
the UK under its
proposed austerity
measures may endanger
civil government and
public safety, and may in
fact torpedo the
government. But I’m
drawn more to the stark
symbolism of it. Who, as
my African-American
homies would say, have
thunk it? Who would
have thought that
policemen, that
institution often
associated with any
hardly develop because of
the notorious fact that
State Governors divert
local government
resources into other uses.
That is not the only
notorious fact in our clime.
Indeed that Nigeria has a
legion of notorious facts is
itself a notorious fact going
by the legal definition of
notorious facts as issues
, Nigeria would love to emulate
other nations which always
exclude dubious characters
from top political positions
but intelligence failure would
make that a hard nut to crack
which require no proof
because they are too easy
and obvious to know. Even
those who dispute them
know in their hearts that
such facts are irrefutable.
A good example is a
report credited to the
Commandant of the
Command and Staff
College, Jaji, Kaduna a few
days ago that intelligence
failure accounts for the
nation’s inability to
withstand its current
security challenges.
Although it was neither a
new point nor one that
needed proof, the aides of
the Commandant later
government in power
and who are necessarily
blind to the nature of
power itself, would
finally rise even in mild
public protest against
their economic
condition? Is this the sign
of things to come?
Europe, now laboring
under the current
malaise of capitalism
provides the true picture
of what it means to be
under real pressure.
Last week, French
voters sent a clear and
untrammelled message
in electing the Socialist
Mr. Francois Hollande
and in booting the
irascible Sarkozy out of
office, that the French
public has had it with
p r i v a t i z a t i o n ,
deregulation, and the
tightening of the public
purse.
To paraphrase a rather
pithy statement in the
London New Statesman,
the French public is
showing us the way
again to the
revolutionary road. The
road towards regaining
the agency of the public
voice. I think the New
Statesmanmissed the
refuted it perhaps to avoid
the wrath of some
authorities. However, both
the alleged author of the
statement and his aides
who refuted it as well as the
authorities who were
uncomfortable with it know
it to be true. Many
Nigerians would also
recognize the statement to
be true because it is a
,
notorious fact that we are
combating our current
security challenges such as
‘Bombings’ with 19 th
Century weapons and
strategies. For instance,
make shift security check
points mounted with the
use of broken pillars and
blocks in several locations
across the country are not
quite different from the
heap of stones with which
my ancestors-the warriors
of ancient Benin- sought to
stop the British invaders in
1897. Yet, a suicide bomber
can, in the twinkle of an eye,
kill himself and everybody
in the long queues around
the check points including
point: the street protests
in Africa in the 1980s
and 1990s were the early
precursors of what is now
only just happening in
Europe.
I t is just simply ironic
that Western Europe
is only just beginning to
, Nigeria’s economy has since
been held hostage by the
international system and any
prospect of sustainable and
humane growth has been
compromised
taste the bitter medicine
of austerity and
deregulation to which
most of the economies in
Africa was subjected in
the 1980s and the 1990s,
and which still has
lingering effects to date
on the growth and
development in Africa. I
will use the specific
example of Nigeria. In
1983, the austerity
measures forced on the
Shagari regime by the
International Monetary
the security personnel who
mounted the barricades.
The particular challenge
which such check points
are designed to address
may therefore not be easy
for a layman like this writer
to comprehend.
T o start with, I only have
some knowledge of
Journalism, Law and
Management but nothing
about security. Indeed, the
most dangerous weapon
available to me is a kitchen
knife making me
incompetent to evaluate
our security managers. Yet,
there is some inexplicable
suspicion in my sub
consciousness that the
difference between our
security managers and
myself may not be much.
Hence, I wondered aloud
last Tuesday at the Civil-
Military Relations
Seminar in Jos why we have
so much mundane, manual
and cumbersome physical
security structure in
Nigeria when many other
nations have since gone
digital in this age of
technology. For analysts
like me therefore,
intelligence failure is an
inevitable consequence of
our type of security
framework. Whether a
commandant also says it or
not is irrelevant. The
ordinary citizen is also
likely to have the same
feeling because it is difficult
to appreciate the trial and
error method of
determining which vehicles
are searched at check
points. What appears
obvious is that any well
dressed fellow in a new or
expensive vehicle is not
searched.
O ther routine security
assignments which
serve as ample evidence of
intelligence failure in our
country include the
clearance of politicians to
Fund and the World Bank
became a major
campaign issue in the
elections that year. The
great Zik, in fact called
the austerity measures,
“otanisi” and the NPP,
his party was a great
opponent of the
measures adopted and
proposed by the NPN
government.
T he NPP laid out a
broad, alternative
economic plan, and
campaigned on the
stimulation of growth
through the injection of
capital to public services,
,
a new tax regime, and a
reform of the national
revenue system. To be
fair, the Shagari
administration rejected
much of the pressure by
the international system,
freshly under the
impetus of the new
“Reaganomics,” and
adopted what we may
now even consider to be
limited measures rather
than go full throttle
towards austerity and
deregulation as required
contest elections in which
several negative
revelations about a unending communication
candidate come to light
only at the end of the
election. Of course, Nigeria
would love to emulate other
nations which always
exclude dubious characters
from top political positions
but intelligence failure
would make that a hard nut
to crack.
ven if our security
o p e r a t i v e s
successfully gather some
useful data, the political
class has more than enough
resources to ‘kill’ any
report thereby confirming
that there is a strong
correlation between
politics and crime in
Nigeria. It was thus
refreshing to read the
comments of the different
people who condemned
General Owoeye Azazi, the
National Security Adviser
(NSA) for attributing our
current security challenges
to the Zoning principle of
the ruling People’s
Democratic (PDP). While
there is some logic in the
argument that the NSA
should not have publicly
condemned the ruling
party which appointed him
into office, everyone seems
to forget that the inability
of the nation to overcome
its challenges derogates
from the personal sterling
qualities of Azazi who by
any standard is not a man
of mean achievements. A
former Chief of Defence
Staff (CDS), General Azazi
had served as the Chief of
Army Staff (COAS) soon
after holding office as
General Officer
Commanding (GOC) 1
Division, Kaduna
Meanwhile those who
think Azazi should have
channeled his opinion
through establishment
procedures are unaware
that in government, the so
by the international
hawks. He did not last
too long. The military
struck and under the
leadership of
Muhammadu Buhari
attempted to roll back
and renegotiate some of
the prescriptions.
General Buhari did not
last for too long either
before Ibrahim
Babangida and his group
struck.
Under Babangida,
Nigeria became a full
laboratory for the
economic measures of
the IMF and the World
Bank which today has
much of Europe up in
arms against their
c o n s e r v a t i v e
governments. With three
neo-conservative
economists – Kalu Idika
Kalu, Chu Okongwu and
Olu Falae - Babangida’s
“three horsemen of the
apocalypse” crafted a
most destructive
economic system that
foreclosed the gains of
decolonization, and
subjected an entire
generation to terrifying
poverty even as it made
only a handful extremely
rich.
N igeria’s economy
has since been
held hostage by the
international system and
any prospect of
sustainable and humane
growth has been
compromised ever since,
for indeed, Babangida’s
called internal channels are
easily exhausted in the
of the deaf posture of the
public service. In any case
whether the statement by
General Azazi was decent
or not amounts to shadow
chasing. The real issue is its
veracity which no one
questioned because it is a
notorious fact. It is indeed
a notorious fact that
ethnicity which zoning is
all about is one of the
‘settled’ issues of our
federalism. If not, our
successive Presidents would
not have had to often
abandon the state house to
go to their ‘places’ to
register and to vote during
elections. It was for the
same over-all importance
of ethnicity that Abia state
disengaged from its public
service more than 1,800
fellow Ibo workers of
Anambra State origin. It
also explains why the
indigene-settler imbroglio
in Plateau state
degenerated to what it has
become.
T here is thus no need to
fight the NSA over a
notorious fact. To do so is
to refuse to recognize the
many realities of Nigeria
which constitute its legion
of notorious facts. Among
them are the following:
every year the Nigerian
budget must be delayed;
the Academic Staff Union
of Universities (ASUU)
must organize an annual
strike action; voting by
under aged voters takes
place in every Nigerian
election; Nigerian judges
corruptly pervert the course
of justice; traditional rulers
honour questionable
characters with chieftaincy
titles while some Nigerian
journalists collect brown
envelope to manipulate
news. These are facts that
require no proof.
policies were pursued
without “a human face”
to quote the very words
of Obasanjo’s critique of
it. Ironically, those
policies were later
pursued to its logical
conclusion by Olusegun
Obasanjo himself, who in
his second coming took
Nigeria deeper into the
belly of the beast.
To understand the
fullest dimension of what
has taken place in
Nigeria from 1968 to
date, all any thinking
and literate Nigerian
needs to do is pick up a
copy of John Perkin’s
intriguing book, The
Confessions of
Economic Hit man.The
puzzles – including the
an
current crisis in the oil
sector, the moves to
privatize and deregulate
the power sector and
other areas of the public
system, the cuts in
subsidies, the huge level
of unemployment and
the mindless level of
profits in the hands of a
few individuals to whom
Nigeria’s public
investments were sold for
a song – all will fall in
place. Nigeria, like other
newly developing
African economies, was
forced to drink this
poisoned chalice by the
World Bank and the IMF
especially in the 1980s.
But it does seem that the
poisoned hand has
inexorably reached the
European mouth.

Should I tell him about the other man?
Dear Rebecca
I
am 25, I’m doing my
youth service. I’m in
love with a man who
loves me too. I suspect he
might want to propose to
me soon. My problem isn’t
that I can’t accept him, but
I had once had a forced
sexual intercourse with a
man whom I now found out
to be a good friend of his
and with whom he does
business sometimes. I am
now in a dilemma.
I take telephone mes-
sages from the man for my
boyfriend when he is not at
home, but he doesn’t know
I am the one. I don’t know
whether to go and beg this
man who lives in another
state not to let the cat out of
the bag, or to call it quits
with my boyfriend which
would even be more diffi-
cult. But I can’t afford to
lose my boyfriend. The
other man has two wives
and I was not aware of this
during our short fling. He
does not visit my boyfriend
and he has no idea about
our relationship. My boy-
friend talks about him a lot
and seems to like him.
Please help.
Valerie, Abuja.
REPLY
REPLY
I
suggest you apply to
this problem, a popu
lar American saying,
‘If it ain’t broken, don’t
mend it’. Unsolicited con-
fession can sometimes do
more harm that good, so, if
your boyfriend has not de-
manded that you tell him
about all the boys who have
dated you in the past, and
those you have had sex
with, I think it is wise to
keep your mouth shut and
stop fretting or feeling
guilty about anything.
Unwisely, you had sex
with the other man; well, all
that is in the past, so leave
it there.
If you had sex with him in
a moment of weakness
when you had already
started going steady with
your present boyfriend,
then you are guilty and
should worry. But from your
mail, that is not the case.
So, relax and enjoy your
relationship with your
present boyfriend. If you
panic and you go beg the
other man not to reveal
your past association, then
you would be putting your-
self in his power. He may
demand sex from you as
payment. In your fear, you
may agree but you will
never find peace again, as
he may keep demanding
payment over and over
again. If your boyfriend
gets to know that you had
a relationship with the
other man in the past,
admit it, but emphasize
that it was nothing deep.
If he asks why you didn’t
tell him, say that the mat-
ter did not arise and you
didn’t want to attach any
importance to something
that was trivial. If the
other man turns up unex-
pectedly and discovers
you at your boyfriend’s
place, greet him politely
and leave both of them
together. Be cool. Don’t
show any sign of guilt or
fear, not even if you have
to sit with them.
Don’t allow him to draw
you into a conversation of
Help! Girls reject me!
Dear Rebecca
I
AM a 24 year old
undergraduate. My
problem is getting a
girl as my intimate friend
(girlfriend). Whenever I
try to woo a girl, they al-
ways turn me down and
this is affecting me seri-
ously. I dont have a girl-
friend and have never
fallen in love. Each
time I make an effort it
never works for me. I
aways feel upset when-
ever I see my friends or
younger guys having
about two or three girl-
friends. I feel ashamed
of myself. I don’t know
if I use the wrong words
when I communicate with
girls, or they don’t find
me attractive enough for
t h e m . O r, perhaps, I
don’t have enough
money to woo them.I’ve
decided to forget about
girls or anything to do
with them because when-
ever they turn me down,
I really feel distressed.
What can be wrong with
me? Please I need your
a d v i c e .
Lola, Abuja.
REPLY
REPLY
I
AM sorry that you
feel this way about
not having a girl-
friend. You’re not alone,
because out there, there
are many boys and girls
who are wondering why
members of the opposite
sex are not attracted to
them.
Let me assure you that
your inability to have
girls as friends is not due
familiarity.
My guess is that he
will not try anything
nasty. As for your boy-
friend, if he really loves
you, he wouldn’t worry
about the friends you
had in the past, unless
you were promiscuous
and he is afraid you
would make an unfaith-
ful wife. It is what you
are to him now that mat-
ters.
Er, did you say that you
take your boyfriend’s
calls when he’s away
from home? Does that
mean that you’re living
with him and playing
to your looks, social sta-
tus, or lack of adequate
money with which to woo
a girl. There are many
decent girls who are not
looking for these things
as a condition for mak-
ing friends with a boy.
What many girls want in
a boy are - cleanliness,
politeness, self-respect,
a responsible attitude to
life, kindness, patience,
tolerance and a good
sense of humour.
I don’t know how your
approach has been, but
it may have been too
brash and intense, and
it may have put the girls
you approached off.
It is not advisable to see
girls as things you have
to conquer to show that
you’re a successful hu-
man being. You cannot
force another human be-
ing to like or respect
you.
H
aving a girlfriend
is not a certificate
to carry around. I know
that some young people
consider it an achieve-
ment, but it isn’’t.
Marriage at the right
time, is an achievement,
though. That is, when
it comes after you’ve
completed your studies,
established yourself in a
job or career, saved up
and are ready to share
your life with a wife and
children. Getting mar-
ried to a lady you love
and who loves you back,
is then an achievement.
Just going about having
girls,or competing with
other boys to see who
can have the most girl-
friends to parade about
with, is childish, imma-
ture, and totally undesir-
SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012, PAGE 19
‘wife’ to him in all areas
of life? What if that mar-
riage proposal doesn’t
come from him as you’re
expecting, since he’s al-
ready enjoying you as a
‘ wife’ free of charge?
What if at the end of it
all he feels you’re not the
ideal lady for him to
marry? I may be wrong,
but many men respect
more, those girls who are
not readily available to
them. I know that youth
corpers’ accommodation
is not usually the best,
but you don’t have to go
play housekeeper to this
man who you’re neither
engaged nor married to.
Think about this.
able. So, stop envying
boys who are constantly
parading girls about.
Responsible girls who
are also sensible,
wouldn’t want to have
anything to do with such
boys.
A responsible boy
starts out making
casual friends with girls
around him who respond
to him positively. This
means, you start off with
casual greetings when
you meet girls on the
campus, in church, in the
neighbourhood, etc. You
just greet politely as you
pass them by, and move
on. You don’t see a girl
and then tell her
straightaway that you
like her and want her as
your girlfriend. You will
only get a refusal on the
spot, or some telling-off.
After several times of
greeting a girl, if she re-
sponds well to these
greetings, you may one
day stop for a very casual
chat. If it is on the cam-
pus, you can ask about
her studies first, and then
later about her friends,
family, and other student
issues. If she contin-
ues to respond well to
you, you can offer to ex-
change novels, maga-
zines, cds.
I
f she accepts these,
you can stop for a
longer while to ask if she
had had time to read the
novel, magazine, etc,
and you can both discuss
this. Now don’t make it
a point to do all this in
full view of people in
order to show them that
you have got a girl.
That’s wrong.
The girl is not your girl-
friend, only a casual
friend. So, you don’t get
upset if you see her in the
company of other boys,
and you certainly don’t
rush around telling peo-
ple that she’s your girl-
friend. Many boys lose
good friendship with
girls because of this atti-
tude of bragging.
Have several girls that
you relate to in a casual
manner like this. As you
stop to chat and interact
with them, you all be-
come friends. If a girl
doesn’t respond well to
your greetings, don’t
worry and don’t pursue
her or force friendship on
her.
J ust greet politely
when you meet and
move on, as a well-man-
ner young person should
do.
As you interact with the
girls who are friendly
with you, you will have
the opportunity to study
and understand girls
more, and this will help
you when you want to
start dating later, as you
would know the type that
you like to have a rela-
tionship with. These
girls will have other boys
as friends too, or may
even have boyfriends.
This shouldn’t bother
you. Just be satisfied
with being a casual
friend. This gives you
confidence in relating
with girls.
At a point, when there’s
a girl you’re interested in
romantically among
these girls, you may tell
her in a friendly manner
that you would want her
for a girlfriend. If you
•All letters for publication on this page should be sent to: Dear
Rebecca, Vanguard Media Ltd, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B 1007,
Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria. E-mail: dearrebecca2@yahoo.com
can’t tell her face to face,
send her a card to ex-
press your feelings. If
she says ‘no’, accept, and
continue being her casual
friend. Relax. As time
goes on, you’re bound to
find one who would want
to be your girlfriend.
When you do, don’t start
behaving as if you own
her. Don’t insist on hug-
ging her, holding her
hands. Let the friend-
ship develop well first
before you try these.
There should be no de-
mand for sex. You don’t
own her body. Treat her
with respect. On birth-
days, give only the
presents that you can af-
ford. Don’t brag or try
to play ‘big’.
A
decent girl doesn’t
ask her boyfriend
for money.
Real cleanliness of a
good wash of the body,
and clean clothes, socks
and shoes, help a lot.
Girls may not want to
near a boy who has
smelly mouth, or body
odour. They won’t tell
you. They’ll just avoid
you, even if you’re hand-
some and have all the
money in the world.
Now, concentrate more
on your studies than on
girls. You need to make
very good grades in or-
der to stand a chance of
landing a good job later,
by the grace of God. If
you have a girl on the
campus, encourage her
to take her studies seri-
ously too.
Good luck.
 PAGE 20 —
PA SUND
SUNDAAY Vanguard, MAY 13, 2012
0808 066 0660
(Texts only!)
Mr. Nice Guy Vs. Mr. Love Rat - Who wins?
W HY do most
women fall
head-long for
love rats but turn up their
nose at Mr. Nice Guy,
who like the proverbial
bitter pill, might do them
a world of good?
‘Love rats can pull off
the cheesiest chat-up line
as if they really mean it”,
says Sarah, a relationship
expert. “In the early
stages, when they’re try-
ing to win you over they
have a knack of making
you feel incredibly special
and absolutely fascinat-
ing. Unlike most men,
they are not shy of using
three little words you
long to hear, usually
within a short time of
knowing you. So, it’s not
surprising that they have
great success with
woman. But with this suc-
cess comes danger. One
woman is never enough.
“They love the thrill of
the chase and the tri-
umph of conquest much
more than they will ever
love you. Marriage
doesn’t stop them - and
if you’re unlucky enough
to be wed to one, you will
have ceased to feel spe-
cial a long time ago. A
love rat rarely wastes his
charm on his wife ... “
This past Valentine’s Day
must have opened the
eyes of a lot of love-sick
women to the antics of
the love rats in their lives.
Some years back, I was
already settled in the late
evening, some goodies on
Good posture through the years
M
Y yoga
teacher was
of the opin-
ion that old age sets in
when one throws away
good posture to the
winds. He would say
“do your exercise regu-
larly to avoid that sort of
stiftness which starts
from the nape to the
neck down to the heels
of the feet.’‘
I, myself, have found
out through the years of
teaching Yoga to others
that even a little boy of
less than six years could
be incapable of doing
the head-to-knee pos-
ture, whereas, someone
of 30 who exercises
regularly has no prob-
lem with the same pos-
ture.
That fact drives home
the point that the dete-
riorating of the tone of
the muscles can occur
even while a child is
growing up. Loss of
muscle tone will not
C
M
Y
K
MAY
a plate and a nice video
playing when a loud
courier man bellowed
my name. Irritated, I
guy a chance, even if the
spark isn’t there.
T here are many
came to the door and women out there
there he was a wilting having their hearts bro-
bouquet in his hand with ken by love rats, yet they
a balloon attached to it give the brush-off to the
almost as withered as the kind of men they say
flowers. “Valentine’s they are looking for.
present for you madam,” ‘He’s very nice, they say.
he announced, expect- ‘In every other way he
ing me to jump for joy would be perfect, but
maybe? I looked at the there’s no chemistry, I
sender ’s name and wish I could fancy him,
laughed. He was a good but I don’t”. Once you
friend. We’d joked so of- understand that, you re-
ten about getting to- love rat a mile off and next to him. The tempta- with me - and he’d taken alize for you the spark is
gether, we’d practically make a run for it. “Come tion was too much. I hur- us on similar romantic a warning sign - that the
became like good the afternoon, he called ried to the toilet and outings. By the time she man who triggers it is
friends, so why was he personally at the clinic, went through his mes- left, my head was reeling, likely to be bad for you
sending me flowers? looking very upset,” sages. The same number I had been with Greg for and an unsuitable part-
And at this time of the Kate said. “His mother kept coming up, so I sent two years and I thought ner. Then you can ex-
night? Then it clicked. had been rushed to the a text: How are you? The we were going to spend periment and try dating
The clever rogue had hospital after suffering phone beeped a reply our lives together. We are that nice man for a while.
probably meant the yet another stroke, he immediately. ‘Fine both single parents and Without the spark, you
present for another vic- said. She’d had one a sweetheart. Still savour- I thought he would be as won’t be tempted to fall
tim. Did she ask it couple of years back but ing last Saturday! I sent eager to settle down as I into bed with him imme-
should be sent back to was now in a bad shape another message:{This was ... “ diately, that’s a good
him? Not wanting to after a relapse. Present- is Greg’s girlfriend.’ Im- So what can you do if thing.
waste his money, he’d ing me with flowers and mediately the phone you recognize you have “You’ll get to know him
ordered the flowers to be a box of chocolates, he rang. “We need to talk”, a fatal attraction to love first and discover
delivered to me rather promised to try and make a woman’s voice an- rats? According to Sarah, whether you have im-
then ending up in the it back in time for our swered. I told her I was ‘’Nobody quite under- portant things in com-
rubbish bin where they planned evening, if he on my way to the clinic, stands how it is that mon, such as values, in-
belong! couldn’t, he’d make it up gave her the address within a second of meet- terests and what you
to me the following Sat- then threw Greg’s phone ing a man, a part of us want out of life. If he’s
T his year, Kate
thought she had a
urday.
“He didn’t make it back
on the couch next to him. knows he will not fit with
our programming, even
interesting and fun to be
with as well, you’ll find
lovely Valentine outing
planned with Greg, her
partner of two years. “We
and two days later, a
friend called that Greg
was spotted in a night
L inda was a good
looking legal secre-
tary who told me she’d
ifhe’s a stranger. Yet it
happens all the time.
Learning to feel better
there is a more enduring
kind of chemistry - one
that grows as you begin
were to go to a posh club with a stunning been with Greg for two about yourself and deal- to feel safe, appreciated,
night club after a lavish date. I was really upset. years - same as me! The ing with whatever is un- loved and able to trust
dinner,” she said. A den- I went to his flat the next cad had strung both of us resolved from the past is him. In the end that’s
tist in her own private day and his servant let along. When he gave part of the process of even sexier than the
business, you would me in. He was having a excuses to me, he was weaning yourself off love spark ignited when your
think she’d be experi- nap on the couch in the with her. When he gave rats. The other way for- eyes meet across a
enced enough to spot a living room, his phone excuses to her, he was ward is to give the nice crowded room ...
during my periods. I
see,’ I want the reader
to know that this was
breathe in, bring down
the right leg to the right
side of the body to
an honest-to-God inci- touch the floor. Exhale
wait till you have at- to get them to exercise. that his children of both dence. and raise again up-
tained the same age as Children almost always genders became very For a good posture, wards. Thrice in all.
Methuselah. learn by example. See- good at doing the exer- which means an ab- Repeat with the left leg
This means that we ing their parents exer- cises, enjoying all the sence of a round back, to the left side of the
owe it to ourselves to cise will in most cases therapeutic benefits of the following exercise is body.
start to keep the body inspire them to follow the practices. to be practised. For the stronger indi-
healthy very early in lead. Typical of this situ- He would tell me, for Lie flat on the back viduals doing the exer-
instance, that none of raising the legs verti- cise with both legs at
, INBOX
This exercise will strengthen
his daughters suffered
from period pains or
had problems at child
delivery. And, he would
cally and making sure
the small of the back re-
mains on the ground.
Now, while you
the same time is encour-
aged. This exercise will
strengthen the spine
and expel fatigue in the
,
put all that small of the back.
the spine and expel fatigue in down to their
practice of Yoga.
the small of the back After a few
weeks of Yoga
classes, I once
told a group of
ladies that one
ation was what existed of the benefits of
life. Parents should,
therefore, realise the between my own Yoga the head-to-
teacher and his chil- knee posture
importance of fitness
not only for themselves dren. was that of pain- INBOX
but also for those that He would tell me that less periods and
because his children one of them
they bring into the
world to delight their thought most of the ex- said, ‘’no won-
ercises were funny, they der, I have not
days on earth!
Parents do not have to would want to join in the had to take pain
fun by doing them too. relievers for
breathe down the
necks of their children The end result being some time now Leg Raise
 SUND
SUNDAAY Vanguard , MA
MAYY 13, 2012, PAGE 21

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 08056180152, SMS only

Enstranged half siblings

B ENNY, a 46-year-
old mother of four
was relaxing one
serene Sunday morning
engrossed in her favour-
ite Sunday newspaper
when she turned the
pages and saw it. An ex-
tensive interview with
her “husband”, the father
of all her children. Her
heart pounding, she
skipped through the in-
terview, anxious to find
out how he tackled ques-
tions about his family.
“How many children do
you have?” the inter-
viewer had asked,
“Three lovely boys,” was
her husband’s answer.
He then proceeded to
ance’s dad. lage head and he con-
“But Yemi, my husband, firmed what we were
absolutely refused for me told.
to have an abortion,” That for reasons best
Benny continued, ? was known to my father, he
surprised. He’d never had decided to keep his
fed me any derogatory other family secret be-
stories about his wife. cause he’d once reck-
But he wanted ‘our ’ baby lessly promised mum, he
as he put it, and imme- wouldn’t marry a second
diately asked me to move wife. He confirmed that
into one of his vacant the three children had
apartments. We had a already been provided
native and customs’ do, for financially. That they
and that was it, I was a showed up at the funeral
married woman! He was was because they wanted
overjoyed when the baby to say goodbye to their
was a girl and her nam- father and probably make
ing ceremony was done their presence felt as
with most of his relatives rightful children of the
present. Over the years, deceased.
I’ve had three more chil-

mention their names,
their ages and a glowing
account of the wonderful
contribution his wife has
made to his life and ca-
reer in the thirty odd
years they ’d been mar-
ried.
Benny burnt with anger
and the embarrassing
humiliation of his denial
of her children. She men-
tally envisaged her
friends reading the same
interview and probably
sniggering at her humili-
ation. What kind of a
spineless man has she
saddled herself with?
Yet, she had the world at
her feet when she met
him. She was a fresh
graduate who’d done her
youth service in his of-
fice. He was a renowned
achiever who immedi-
ately swept her off her
feet. Expensive meals
and fancy nights-out in
swanky hotel rooms fol-
lowed – and he gener-
ously paid for holidays in
places she’d once read
about.
W hen Benny dis
covered she was
pregnant just after her
service year, she wanted
an abortion and was sure
her man would agree.
She already had a
fiance’lined up. In fact,
they worked in the same
office courtesy of her fi-
dren two girls and a boy.
H e is also a marvel
lous provider but I
have since removed the
rose-co loured glasses I
wore when we first met.
The wife knows of me
and my children, but has
bluntly refused to ac-
knowledge my existence.
Nor the existence of two
other women he’d since
had children with after
me. When I first’became
aware of his other
women, who he’d dis-
cretely hidden from me,
I played the detective.
Most of the children
looked like him-his
genes are that strong. I
won’t bore you with the
humiliating methods I
used to trace the other
kids, but they were his
kids all right - no doubt
about it.
“When I finally con-
fronted him, he didn’t
deny it. It was then he
told me that all his chil-
dren would never want
for anything, that it was
a good thing I was a suc-
cessful woman in my own
right. What was more, I
should consider the
house we live in as my
children’s. If any of us
three ‘ wives’ entertained
any idea of being publicly
acknowledged and
which might lead to his
embarrassment, we
should forget it. He was
a public figure, and no
woman would pull him
down. I was thoroughly
disillusioned after the out-
burst. Is he the only pub-
lic figure with more than
one wife? My children are
now in their teens and can
read the newspapers. How
on earth was I to explain
this type of humiliation to
them? I quickly hid the
papers so none of them
would read the interview
but naturally, one of my
first daughter ’s friends
had happily brought a
copy to show her in school
the next day, in case she
hadn’t seen it.
B
ut my daughter
didn’t feel as embar-
rassed as I thought she
would be. Apparently, her
school also has its share
of children like her and
they discuss things like
that in the school all of the
time. She told me to ig-
nore her father, that
though he was a good pro-
vider, she never really
liked his wife. That on rare
occasions the children had
visited, she always re-
garded them like a bad
smell. I’d protested about
such visits in the past, but
Yemi had insisted. One
would have thought he
would at least publicly ac-
knowledge his children -
I
was a bit confused.
We had a half-brother
but there he was, admit-
ting to having only
cated band from Lagos,
we had a local one too for
and sisters that we have
just discovered, who
three children when he the benefit of the locals. were very hostile to us.
has at least eleven.” As soon as it was the lo- When I eventually
Gani’s father, an in- cal band’s turn to enter- broached the subject of
dustrialist, was in his tain, three guests from reconciliation with our
late eighties when he the big canopy - a man mother and my other sib-
died. He’d always been and two women wearing lings, they were against
the right hand man of the same lace material - it, they said I should
their town’s ruler and it danced arrogantly to- leave things as dad in-
was only fitting that he wards the dance floor. tended them to be. Why
was taken home for his The band leader started take on responsibilities
final rest. The five chil- singling their praises that were never ours in
dren spared no expense and sympathising with the first place? If an ol-
at the funeral, after all, them on the loss of their ive branch were to be of-
their departed father father. In seconds, their fered, it should be from
not only left millions, guests had stormed the the secret ‘family ’. I
he’d made sure there dance floor, spraying guess I felt some sort of
would be ready cash for like mad. Curiously, sympathy for my half-sib-
his funeral before the some of us went near the lings because I remarried
Will was read. dance floor and were vir- after my divorce and have
“Because of the antici- tually elbowed out of the two children by my sec-
pated crowd from Lagos place. I was annoyed. ond husband. He was al-
and Ibadan alone,” Gani We’d paid for the enter- ready married with chil-
said, “ we decided to tainers and had the right dren when I met him, yet
have the funeral recep- to control them. So I he was man enough to
tion in a school com- stopped the band. introduce me to his wife.
pound and we really She might not like who I
T
made a carnival of it. he place was agog represent, but she knows
Most of our dad’s close with gossip. It was of the children too. If a
relations had their own then we learnt that the woman is good enough
canopies and there was three ‘mourners’ were for you to have children
this one almost as huge my dad’s children by a with, she should be good
as the one we had.
Much later, it became
obvious that the group
woman who lived locally.
In fact, the mighty house
they lived in was dad’s
enough for her and her
children to be publicly
acknowledged. It is a
under the canopy and before he died, he spineless man that hides
wasn’t particularly had ‘settled’ their side of his offspring because of
friendly but we just ig- the family so there a society that doesn’t
nored them as they wouldn’t be any confu- give a hoot about what
weren’t people we sion when he was even- you do”.
readily recognised. tually buried. The next
Apart from a sophisti- day, I went to see the vil-

with different-similiar character, love has made us
to become one flesh. My love, as long as we love
eachother, nothing can seperate us. As for me, I know
I will never ever leave you,
Omorville
omorville@gmail.com, 08062486549
A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all.
If only you could love enough you would be
the happiest and most powerful being in the world
Chris Onunaku
dekris4real@gmail.com
08032988826/08184844015.

The power of love I love you

Y OUR column to express your loving thoughts in
words to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let it
flow and let him or her know how dearly you feel.
Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor,
Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail:
sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope:
“LOVE NOTES"
My Queen
Love brings two different beings together. We are
from different state; different culture, different height,
There is no difficulty that enough love will not con-
quer; no disease that enough love will not heal;
no door that enough love will not open;
no gulf that enough love will not bridge;
no wall that enough love will not throw down;
no sin that enough love will not redeem...
It makes no difference how deeply seated may be
the trouble; how hopeless the outlook; how muddled
the tangle; how great the mistake.
We were not born together, we didn't grow up to-
gether, we are not related in anyway, but love - a
spiritual connective force- brought us together. Now
I can't live without you "a stranger" A stranger now
the most valuable person in my life. I love you...
Kiss!!
Kelechi Ndubisi (KC)
kconeofafrica@gmail.com,
08032900530

C
M
Y
K
 PAGE 22—SUND
PA 22—SUNDAAY VANGU
VANGU ARD, MA
ANGUARD, MAYY 13, 2012

SUNDAY Health Report

Rheumatic Heart Disease: A forgotten
BY CHIOMA OBINNA gery they need, secondary prevention
with penicillin – to prevent further at-
' tacks of rheumatic fever – is being un-

G
ABRIEL 5 was brilliant. At der-utilized and many patients are
age 2, he was already in Kin unaware of their target anti-coagula-
dergarten 2. His parents cher- tion levels.
ish him. Every morning, his mother, a In the study, only 41 per cent of pa-
full time house wife takes him to school tients enrolled in the study had re-
along with his sibling. One morning, ceived surgery. More than 85 per cent
she noticed Gabriel was running tem- of the enrolling centres do not have
perature. As the day went by, he start- surgery available on a regular basis for
ed coughing and wheezing. His moth- RHD patients.
er him to the hospital where he was Nearly one-quarter of all patients (22
treated for malaria. per cent) were in atrial fibrillation and
Days later, he developed sore throat of these patients, only 65 per cent were
and the parents continued to manage receiving necessary anti-coagulant
him in one of the private hospitals therapy.
around their community. But as time The study results further showed that
went by, his situation worsened. Fur- only 36 per cent of patients with mod-
ther medical investigations revealed erate or severe disease and only 20 per
that he had developed an acute Rheu- cent of those that have undergone valve
matic Heart Disease, RHD. It could im- replacement surgery are receiving sec-
mediately have been prevented or ondary prophylaxis with penicillin.
stopped by administration of Penicil- Crises of CVDs
Kanu Nwankwo and some children that survived heart diseases. However, the increasing global crisis
lin.
Rheumatic Heart Disease is caused
by an infection with streptococcal bac-
teria, responsible for strep throat in-
fections. For some reason, after the
streptococcal infection, the immune
system mistakenly attacks normal tis-
sue and inflammation occurs in multi-
ple.
Medical experts say streptococcal
bacteria caused more damage on his
heart apparently due to late presenta-
tion and the inability of the physician
who initially handled his case to diag-
nose him properly.
Although, he could have been
helped, Gabriel never lived to tell his
story as the doctors lamented that sur-
gery could do little or nothing to save
him. Gabriel died as a result of a dis-
ease that could be simply prevented
and treated if surgery or drugs were in Non-Communicable Diseases such
readily available. as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabe-
Few weeks before his death, he was number of children with the disease in gress of Cardiology, WCC, in Dubai, tes, etc according to experts pose a
having regular palpitation, wheezing, sub-Saharan Africa, where there is lit- revealed that RHD is significantly un- major threat to UN development goals
coughing, and often losing concentra- tle access to the treatment that could der-treated in Africa and Nigeria in- including poverty reduction, health
tion and sometimes fatigued. His beau- enable them to survive and live nor- clusive. The study showed that across equity, economic stability, and human
tiful skin gave way for pale looks. mal lives; over a million children are the African and Indian regions that security. In Africa, cardiovascular dis-
His condition required early diagno- estimated to suffer from the debilitat- patients are not receiving the surgery eases are the second leading cause of
sis, prevention and intervention. If ing and often fatal condition”. they need, secondary prevention with mortality and the first under the age of
there had been greater efforts aimed Investigations have shown a sharp penicillin – to prevent further attacks 50 years.
at detecting the first signs of the dis- rise in the incidence of heart related of rheumatic fever – is being under- Statistics have shown that RHD is a
ease which include; chest pain palpi- ailment. Many have blamed it on die- utilized and many patients are una- major cause of heart failure in Nigeria
tations, shortness of breath, wheezing, tary factors, stress, pollution, and smok- ware of their target anti-coagulation and other African countries. Accord-
cough, leg swelling, foot swelling, ing, diseases such as hypertension, levels. ing to experts, CVDs have reached near
faintness, fainting excessive sweating obesity, and diabetes mellitus. epidemic with RHD still major causes
and fatigue, in Gabriel, his case would New preliminary findings presented Across the African and Indian regions of mortality and morbidity in Nigeria
have not been progressed. at the just- concluded 2012 World Con- included in the study it was revealed and other African countries. For in-
According to the experts, all Gabriel that patients are not receiving the sur-
required was a monthly dosage of pen-
icillin and adequate clinical monitor-
ing. But for the fact that Gabriel lives
in a country where Rheumatic Heart
Disease has been forgotten, there was
no hope. Yet the disorder continues to
wreck havoc on the population.
Gabriel case is one out of the three
deaths in the world today as a result
of cardiovascular diseases. Studies
have shown that one in five children
with RHD will die by the age of 15 and
almost 4-in-5 will die by age 25 in most
Africa countries.
Neglected disease of poverty
Nearly forgotten in developed coun-
tries where it has been almost entirely
eliminated, RHD, according to the
World Heart Federation, WHF, remains
the most common cardiovascular dis-
ease of children and young people in
developing countries like Nigeria. But
unfortunately, the awareness about the
disease remains poor. Although, the
disease has continued to be the agony
of Africans, little or nothing is being
done to eliminate the disease.
Reports from WHF show that: “It af-
fects over 15 million people around the
world and kills hundreds of thousands
every year. Africa has the largest

SUNDAY Health Report
health crisis
stance, of the estimated 16.6 million
deaths attributed to CVDs worldwide,
80 per cent is in developing countries
like Nigeria. Studies have also found
that RHD is worst in pregnant women
as it increases the risk of maternal and
fetal complications. In Nigeria it is said
to be another factor fueling maternal
mortality in the country. Another study
in Senegal reports that 47 per cent of
pregnant women with Mitral stenosis
died in the peri- partum period. The
mortality rate for the total group was
34 per cent and foetal loss was 33 per
cent
However, the crisis situation of RHD
took centre stage at the just concluded
2012 World Congress of Cardiology,
WCC, organised by the World Heart
Federation, WHF, in Dubai last week.
The World Congress of Cardiology is
the international platform for the car-
diology community.
From the numerous scientific sessions
on the various cardiovascular diseas-
es, the 10,500 delegates that attended
the congress from the latest scientific
developments in the cardiology field
agreed that the time to act was now.
However, the hope of Nigerians in-
cluding other African countries that are
currently being ravaged by RHD was
risen with the new target by the world
to reduce premature cardiovascular
deaths by 25 per cent in 2025
The targets, tagged; “2525”, includes
, Statistics have
shown that
RHD is a major
cause of heart
failure in
,
Nigeria and
other African
countries
reduction of RHD in African countries.
President of the World Heart Federa-
tion, WHF, Sydney Smith said that the
WHF is uniting the CVD community
to reach the World Health Organiza-
tion mortality target.
The “2525” tends to achieve the tar-
get through raising the priority of CV
health on global agenda; global advo-
cacy and leadership, heart healthy diet
and physical activity for all, improve
recognition & control of high blood
pressure globally as well as advance a
tobacco-free world amongst others.
Youths under the aegis of Concerned Rivers youths protest in Port Har-
court weekend, calling for thorough probe of petroleum subsidy regime.
SUND
SUNDAAY VANGU
VANGU ARD, MA
ANGUARD, MAYY 13, 2012, PAGE 23
PA
Reeling out global statistics on CVD,
he said: “Cardiovascular disease and
stroke is the leading cause of deaths
in the world today, particularly in the
developing countries. By “By 2020
there will be slight rise of six million
deaths in developed countries while
more than doubling by 19 million in
developing countries.”
Smith who lamented that 80 per cent
will occur in developing countries re-
iterated that the United Nations recent-
ly adopted Non Communicable diseas-
es as a special focus said the time to
act is now.
Gaps in treatment
However, some of the cardiologists
who spoke Sunday Vanguard blamed
the crises states of the disease in Afri-
ca on gaps in recommended treatment
guidelines.
According to a Paediatric Cardiolo-
gist, Red Cross Children’s Hospital,
University of Cape Town, South Afri-
ca, Dr. Liesl Züklhe, who noted poor
commitments on the part of African
leaders, said only 30 per cent of pa-
tients in Africa has access to the sec-
ondary prophylaxis, penicillin used to
prevent the disease from spreading.
According to her, “To tackle the dis-
ease, there is need to address these
gaps by detect the first signs of the
disease, investigations should be done
properly, need to establish RHD sur-
veillance system for better documenta-
tion, screening programmes must be
performed among elementary school
children by echocardiography.
Other remedies she offered include;
great efforts should be done to imple-
ment primary and secondary preven-
tion programmes for rheumatic fever
and RHD including establishing health
educational programmes through dif-
ferent media. Advanced cardiac cent-
ers must be established throughout the
country to facilitate accessibility to ap-
propriate management including inter-
ventional therapies with less effort and
free of charge.”
Without doubt, appropriate public
health control programmes and opti-
mal medical care reduce the burden of
disease. WHF has launched a project
to strengthen the prevention and con-
trol of rheumatic fever and rheumatic
heart disease (RF/RHD) in Africa. It is
setting up demonstration sites in
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana and South Af-
rica. It has also established a global
Centre of Excellence for the control of
rheumatic heart disease. Meant to be
a resource for health practitioners and
policy-makers in countries like Niger-
ia where the disease is still common,
the web-based centre makes available
tools and training materials developed
in its demonstration projects.
 PAGE 24—SUNDAY VANGUARD,MAY 13, 2012
Re: Cashless economy & our rights
S View-Point
EVERAL readers who reacted to
this write-up were astounded that
a Nigerian fuel company could
request that only customers with ATM
cards can buy diesel from its outlet. Some
believe that it’s an attempt to further
lengthen the distance between the rich
and the poor in Nigeria, and make the
latter feel inferior and ineffective.
Two readers, however, feel that the com-
pany has the right to demand payment
in whatever form it deems fit, since
there’s no legislation about this. A reader
thinks that diesel outlet should be shut
down immediately for undermining the
buying rights of Nigerians with its elitist
attitude.
“Madam, if this piece had appeared in
a less known newspaper, I wouldn’t have
believed the writer. But, to a certain ex-
tent, many contents of your paper can be
considered credible. My point is, how
can an indigenous oil company, run by a
Nigerian, require only ATM card for pay-
ment? It is very unrealistic because this
company must be very aware of the level
of literacy in this country, and also, how
little exposed to the banking system are
the core of its citizens. How many peo-
ple have this plastic card, even in the big
cities? I think it’s an infringement on our
rights as citizens of this country if we’re
refused service because we can only pay
by cash. I hope the relevant bodies are
going to do something to arrest this silly
attitude of an organization that should
know better. Thanks, madam. - Oke,
Lagos.’
“Helen, thank you for writing on this
‘upstairs, downstairs’ attitude of that die-
sel outlet in Ikoyi. I had actually been
refused the sale of diesel there because I
wasn’t willing to use my ATM card to pay.
This was in spite of the fact that I’ve been
a regular customer there for several years
and I’m well-known to the attendants
there. They told me that they were no
longer permitted to accept cash by their
management. I asked why and they were
vague in their answer. I found their atti-
tude ridiculous and very unreasonable,
but what can one do? Where does one
go to report? I had to go buy diesel else-
where. I’m glad you went through the
same experience too, and you made it a
point to create an awareness of this non-
sense of a mode of selling to the public. -
Nnenna, Ikoyi, Lagos.’
“Mrs. Ovbiagele, I’m not holding brief
for the organization in question, but since
there’s no law yet stipulating that cash
must never be rejected for payment for
goods/services in Nigeria, I don’t think
we should castigate that fuel company for
opting for payment with ATM card, after
years of accepting cash. They must have
a very good reason for the change. Those
customers who cannot comply can take
their custom elsewhere. However, I do
agree with you that a sign regarding this
new mode of payment should be promi-
nently displayed at the entrance to that
filling station. Thus, buyers would know
whether they want to do business there
or not. - Nat, Ibadan.’
“Ma, I hope by now the regulators of
oil marketing must have done something
concrete to get that diesel marketer to
reverse its decision, and allow cash for
purchase. After reading your write-up, I
went to an outlet of that company on the
Oshodi/Apapa expressway to find out if
I would receive the same treatment. The
attendants accepted cash from me. When
I told them about your experience, they
agreed that they had received similar
instruction from their management, but
in their own case, they should refuse cash
after 7pm. I suppose the step is to fore-
stall being robbed. A way around that is
C
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Y
K
man /the canoe man who lives on
water most of the time to be bank-
savvy enough to have an ATM card
for making purchases? Should he
sell him diesel.
I hope the management of that out-
fit will reverse their decision imme-
diately. - Seun, Abuja.’
be refused sale of the diesel with “Madam, this sort of elitist attitude
which he runs his boat, which is is bad for a country where there’s
the source of his means of liveli- such a huge gap between the rich
hood, because he has no card to and the poor. Why should anyone
use? Wouldn’t that affect his life who sells to the public reject cash for
and the lives of his dependants? sales? I was baffled when I read your
This is not a case of the man hav- piece. Next, they would be rejecting
ing no money with which to make our currency and asking us to buy
a purchase, but rather, that of his with foreign currencies. However, if
mode of purchase being rejected! they must have their customers use
I’m not a lawyer, but in enlight- their ATM cards, they should make
ened societies, the man can sue for it an option, not mandatory for all
discrimination which has caused sales. That way, there would be some
damage to his general well-being. pumps for cash as well. Thank you
His lawyer can claim that the man’s for the write-up, madam. - Simeon,
life became endangered because of Warri.’
the refusal to accept his cash and We thank all those who wrote in.
Helen Ovbiagele
Woman Editor
, How can an
indigenous oil
company, run by a
Nigerian, require
only ATM card for
payment? It is very
unrealistic because
this company must
be very aware of the
,
level of literacy in
this country
for the cashier to be behind a bullet-proof
glass window overlooking the service area,
and customers can go pay, and then sub-
mit a stamped copy of the receipt to the
attendants before they’re sold fuel. It in-
volves some paperwork, but it’s faster than
waiting in line for your ATM card to be
processed before you’re attended to. It
also works well for accountability at the
end of the day, as you can see at a glance,
how much fuel had been sold. Thanks. -
Ipade, Ago Palace Way, Lagos.’
‘Thanks. Your article is interesting. The
issue is, our policymakers do not have any
love or consideration for the end user. How
can our uneducated brothers and sisters
operate the ATM card? Many customers
are frustrated. My bank gave me ATM
by force and deducted 600 naira without
my permission. The Central Bank of Ni-
geria is not monitoring our banks. The
ATM may not be working. When you with-
draw twenty thousand naira, the bank au-
tomatically deducts one hundred naira
when they do not pay you any interest.
There is a great need for consumer-pro-
tection in this country. - Akwaeke.’
‘In my opinion, madam, that diesel out-
let was just being snobbish in demanding
that their goods be paid for only with the
ATM card. Don’t they realize that more
than half the population of this country do
not have bank accounts, let alone have ATM
India fashion week
cards? Do you really expect the fisher- Kangana Ranaut at wills

Drama in palace
...as mob seizes monarch's crown
Palace scribe and Secretary of Efut Combined Assembly,
Ndabo Godwin Bassey
BY JOHNBOSCO
AGBAKWURU,
CALABAR
E arly that fateful day, there
was no inkling of violence
to take place at the palace of
the Muri Munene of the Efut
nation and the paramount
ruler of Calabar South
LGA,Cross River State. The
Muri Munene, Munene
Efiong Mbukpa; the palace
scribe and secretary of Efut
Combined Assembly, Ndabo
Godwin Bassey ;and some
other members of the people
were at the palace while
artisans were doing some
repair jobs at the palace gates.
Suddenly, there was the
baring of siren heralding the
convoy of the men of the state
Department of Public
Transportation, DOPT,
comprising of the army, navy
and police, in a pick-up van,
followed by a bus conveying
fierce looking young men. The
soldiers shot sporadically into
the air while the occupants of
the bus came down to
forcefully open the gates that
had been locked as the repairs
were going on.
There was resistance from
the palace guard and the
Munene’s driver, but the duo
were over powered. The
palace scribe, who was at one
end of the palace, jumped over
the wall for safety. As the
shooting was going on outside
the gates, some traditionally
C
M
Y
K
dressed men,said to be
kingmakers opposed to the
Munene, walked into the
palace chanting slogans,
signaling that they had taken
over the palace.
Watching in amazement
the purported takeover of the
palace, Mbukpa attempted to
put up resistance, but the
young men with the alleged
kingmakers descended on
him, removed his crown and
collected his phones.They
,
Watching in amazement the purported takeover
of the palace, Mbukpa attempted to put up
resistance, but the young men with the alleged
kingmakers descended on him, removed his
crown and collected his phones
then allegedly went inside the
palace, destroyed the royal
stool, broke the monarch's
portrait and carted away some
vital documents in the office
of the palace scribe which was
broken into..
H o w e v e r, there was a
drama as the young men, who
had allegedly prepared
themselves with native
concoction known as ‘odeshi’
and ready to crush any
opposition to the palace
takeover,fell down and started
The Muri Munene and leader of Efut nation, Munene Efiong
Mbukpa
eating grass. Initially, some
onlookers suspected that the
youths were suffering from
epilepsy, but it was realized
that what they put in their
bodies was tormenting them.
The spokesman for the
group that came to sack the
palace, however, denied that
they entered the palace with
force, claiming that their
position was that Mbukpa,
who he described as an
imposter, should not parade
,
himself as the paramount ruler
of the area.
H e said, “The people that
entered here first were
the army, t h e D O P T
(Department of Public
Transportation). Nobody can
say that we entered here with
thugs. We would not have
invited the army if we wanted
to enter here with thugs.
“ We would not have invited
the police, the army and the
navy. Why should we invite
them but because we wanted
SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 13, 2012, PAGE 25
peace and sanity that is why
they entered first, they were
here before we came".
The timely arrival of the
State Security Adviser, Mr.
Rekpene Bassey, and the
Commanding Officer, NNS
Victory, Navy Commodore
Kingdom Itoko, with heavily
armed soldiers suspected to be
members of the newly
commissioned Quick
Intervention Squad saved
what could have snowballed
into a serious crisis following
alleged plans of reprisal
attacks by some youths, who
were not happy over the
treatment meted out to
Mbukpa. The SSA ordered the
kingmakers who had taken
control of the palace to the
office of the State
Commissioner of Police.
Narrating his ordeal, the
embattled paramount ruler
said that the youths, who, he
alleged, were sponsored by
one of the claimants to the
stool, with the backing of a
highly placed government
official came, with the cover of
the DOPT and got him beaten,
collected his cell phones,
destroyed his royal stool,
collected his crown and carted
away documents.
To forestall the escalation of
the crisis in the area, the state
government sealed the palace
with heavily armed security
personnel stationed there.
The kingmakers were
arrested and detained for
alleged attempted murder and
charged to court but they have
been placed on bail.
Meanwhile, the Efut
Combined Assembly, the body
saddled with the
responsibility for the selection
of the Munene,has
condemned the sealing of the
palace which they claimed
was built by them without any
contributions from
government, arguing that
what government should
have done was to either use
the security guarding the
palace to protect the Munene
or find alternative place for the
monarch.
But the State Security
Adviser,Bassey, defended the
government action. "The place
was locked to maintain the
peace and douse tension.
Different levels of
investigations are currently
ongoing and, as soon as we
conclude that, the palace will
be reopened. Remember too
that the matter is already being
treated as a criminal matter in
court. But, the bottom line is
to maintain the peace and
order as well as avert
bloodshed."
I n an interview, Mbukpa
said he got
intelligence report that the
an
palace was going to be
attacked by one of the
claimants to the throne and
that, in the morning of April
25, he got another report that
those behind the alleged
planned attack were meeting.
He said that he alerted the
State Security Service, the
police and the State Security
Adviser.
“ We were in the palace when
we saw the NTA crew that said
they were directed to come and
cover an event in the
palace.When I told them that there
were no events taking place
there, they insisted that they were
invited to cover the event. As I
was discussing with them, I
heard siren, I thought it was a
boost to tell any body planning
to attack the palace to stay away
as I had informed the SSS, the
DPO Mbukpa and the SSA to His
Excellency.But that was in the
contrary. I saw the DOPT people,
I went outside to see what was
happening, I saw a bus with the
youths and the kingmakers..
“They kicked the gates and
they were forcefully opened.
Thank God the SSS and the
DPO were there.The next thing
I heard was,' this is him, kill
him'.They beat up the palace
guard and my driver, they held
my neck, jacked me up and tried
to suffocate me. It was the DPO
Mbukpa that sent armed police
men when I was already down,
that was what had saved me.
Then again the State Security
Adviser came with armed men
and chased the youths away,”
the monarch said.
 PAGE 26—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 13, 2012
Country News
T
BY SAM EYOBOKA
hey had barely slept when
signs of trouble manifested
at about 2 a.m. The wife, a
light sleeper, heard an
unusual sound at the gates to
their premises, peeped out
and saw some fully armed
persons opening the gate.
That marked the beginning of
the horrifying night for the
Arhere family at their Refinery
Road, Warri, Delta State
residence on Friday, March
30. The family head, Chief
Richard Mejere Arhere, was
not only shot by the armed men
and left to die in the presence
of the wife, they also took time
off to entertain themselves
with drinks from the family
fridge.
To Maureen, the wife, the
killing is reminiscent of the
murder of his father, Chief
Lawson Onokpasa, in
Aghardo, Ughelli LGA, Delta
State, five years earlier in the
presence of her mother and
herself by yet-to-be-identified
merchants of death who
invaded their residence.
Narrating the incident of
March 30 to Sunday Vanguard,
the widow, now left to cater for
four children, could not hold
back tears.
“That very night, my
husband returned from an
outing with his twin brother a
little late because of a religious
programme that obstructed
movement on their way back.
When I called him at about
10.00 p.m. he said he was in a
The Abia controversial road
BY TONY NWANKWO
C ontroversy is trailing the
one kilometre road being
constructed in Idima Abam,
Arochukwu LGA, Abia State by
the Niger Delta Development
Commission (NDDC). In May,
last year, the NDDC had come
to pour gravel on a kilometre of
the community's 13-kilometre
road. The road, the fabled
Omenuko Road of historic
times, runs from Bende through
a stretch of seven kilometres to
Idima Abam and runs
northwards across Igwu River
to Ndi Ememe where it links
through Ndi Oji Abam across
Akpanabo River to Arochukwu.
The construction of the road has
been under discussion from
God knows when!
So when the NDDC workers
came with their gravel, they
chose this single kilometer that
ends in the centre of the
community. Within 20 days and
three rainfalls, the gravel were
swept down the erosion laden
town. Without constructing any
gutters, the gravel rested on
A widow's horrifying night
•`Assailants were drinking while my husband battled for life'
Mr & Mrs Arhere
barbing saloon and would
soon be home and truly he got
back at about 11.00 p.m. He
took his bath and ate and we
went to bed shortly after,” she
stated. Then the gunmen
invasion. And being the first
person in the family to notice
them, she added: “I ran out to
inform my husband that
armed robbers had entered
and we immediately put off all
people's homes, churches,
stores and farms. All enquiries
on how a government agency
known for its thoroughness in
handling even gigantic projects
could descend to picking a
kilometer of road and not
showing the masterpiece
construction it is known for, met
a brickwall. The Idima Abam
Progressive Union, IAPU,
saddled with the responsibility
of discussing the issue, said
their visits to the offices of
NDDC yielded nothing. Even
workers handling the project
kept sealed lips on who actually
was the contractor.
However, in December, last
year, the national chairman of
the union, Chief Jones Oti
Okorie, said he finally made
contact with the Project
Offices of the NDDC,OkeIkpe,
Ukwa West, where he was
shown a document purporting
to cover the Idima Abam road
project and with a kilometer
as sample. Based on the
complaints of the gravel flow,
the workers returned to site,
this time to construct gutters.
the lights in the house.”
A
ccording to her, the
intruders started
breaking into their
neighbour ’s apartment
downstairs while she was busy
calling people on phone to
inform them about the
development but many of the
contacts were not reachable
including an uncle, retired
They constructed the gutters
on both sides of a road that is
so narrow. The contractor just
dug up the ground for the
gutters. As it stands now, it is
impossible for two cars coming
in opposite direction to pass
through without collision,
particularly at the ime ogo.
Analysts are worried that with
no designs or plans, project
officers simply neglected the
oft known criteria of pulling
down structures to create
space for a proper road
construction. This means the
ancient footpaths which
developed into roads the
community forefathers
created, when even motoring
was a luxury, is being
retained.
This elicited the gathering of
the community's elite last Easter
to discuss the issue. At the
meeting, the onus fell on
Ezeogo, Chief Uduma Kalu, to
clarify the position of the project.
According to the traditional ruler,
the Abia State government had
come to construct the road from
the Bende end, but brought only
Brig. General Dominic Oneya.
She kept making the calls until
the hoodlums entered their
apartment. “I tried my mum’s
number too and it was not
going.”
She was gripped with fear
and not knowing what else to
do as the hoodlums started
“breaking into our compound
and I was afraid that they
would soon enter our flat. My
husband tried to pacify me,
saying I should not panic since
he had some money in his
room. Truly, he went into his
room and brought out N100,000
and I brought out another
N30,000 and my laptop.”
T he suspected robbers,
according to her, spent
over one hour in the premises
while they were pleading with
them to take it easy, “that the
door was already opened but,
unknown to us, they were
breaking the wall and not the
iron door. They asked me to
open the door which I did and
I was begging them not to
shoot. They were six in
number but four of them
entered while two others
stayed at the passage,
apparently keeping watch.
They instructed me to lie face
down and my husband was
pleading with them, saying he
one caterpillar and no pay
loaders. The caterpillar started
digging out mud and broke
down after the first two
kilometres of the seven
kilometres road that terminates
in the community. The people
waited patiently hoping the
equipment could be repaired or
another brought to site, but
nothing happened.
They were however surprised
to watch the caterpillar towed
away and construction workers
abandon site. Meanwhile, the
initial caterpillar work had
further destroyed the portion,
making it impassable to
vehicular and even Okada
traffic. The road has remained
in that state for over three years
now.
A communique issued at the
end of the IAPU meeting
advised the people to remain
calm while union officials sort
out the problem with the
agencies concerned. When
contacted, Engr. Obeka of
NDDC said he had no capacity
to comment on the Idima road
project. Asked for a link with
would cooperate and give
them anything they wanted. I
was there on the ground
praying God to take control.
“As my husband was
pleading with them, one of
them said he was talking too
much and he shot him. I could
not see what happened
because I was lying face down
but I felt my husband slumped
to the ground. I started
shouting `Jesus'. I heard
footsteps moving to my
kitchen and they opened the
fridge and took out drinks
which they drank while my
husband was bleeding
profusely on the floor. “When
they finished, they asked me
what I had to entertain them
and I went to my husband’s
room and gave them two
foreign wines. They drank
one there and left with the
other. They asked me to lock
the doors with a stern
warning that if I shouted,
they would come back and
finish me.”
Knowing that time was not
on her side, she made for her
room where she could peep
through her windows to
observe whether they had gone
and she saw them entering the
neighbouring compound. Still
afraid that they could return to
make good their threat.
NDDC Abia coordinator,
Rogers Nwachukwu, Obeka
switched off.
The people had hoped that
when the Abia State
representative on the newly
inaugurated governing board of
NDDC, Mr. Alloysius
Nwagboso, said he was going
to ensure that the right things
were done to bring lasting
development to the people of
Abia State, he was speaking for
all. Speaking at Ukwa West and
Osisioma LGAs, Nwagboso
said: “The whole essence of
NDDC building a project in any
oil producing communities is for
them to benefit … but we have
to get it right because if things
are not well captured in the
designs, then it becomes a
problem for the contractor to pay
compensation for items not
included in the contract sum”.
Idima is not asking for
compensation, they just need a
passable road to and from their
community.
Hopefully, there could be a
rethink in the appropriate
quarters.

The need to diversify Nigerian economy
Dear Sir,
A
S the over-dependence on oil
is culminating into crisis in
Nigeria, like - insecurity,
unemployment, poverty, bombing,
killings, massive corruption, bad
leadership, among other vices, the
country must diversify its economy, as
it has great potentials of being one of
the leading economies in the world.
Nigeria must be ready to attract
investment through structural reforms
This will ensure access and equity for
the small and medium enterprises
(SMES)and making them to compete
in the local, as well as among global
economies.
Nigeria must critically adopt
adequate policy strategies within the
context of its domestic potentials and
external relations, to embrace the
promises of globalization for
sustainable democracy … the
experiences of India, South-Korea,
Brazil, Malaysia and Singapore are
prime examples.
Our political leaders must fear and
trust in God and be politically willing,
and committed. Corruption must be
checked, poverty reduction
programmes must be made to work.
Nigerians must learn to adhere strictly
to the rules of democracy. The
international community should
appreciate our efforts and extend good
gestures, in improving the economic
well-being of all Nigerians.”
On the bane of the nation’s
development, we have lack of fear of
God, greed, unrighteousness,
callousness and covetousness. Also,
ministers-of-God should not keep quiet
to burning issues in the country. We
should contribute and help build
Nigeria among the political class
because the corruption in the country
if not curbed, the nation cannot make
any headway.
Nigerian businessmen are advised to
embrace manufacturing of goods for
local consumption and export, while
government should improve on power
supply.
Nigeria has no business talking about
scarcity of food, the only reason we are
C
M
Y
K
M A I L B A G
complaining is that we are not doing
the right thing. Before the discovery
of oil, agriculture had always been the
height of economic growth and
development because farmers were
encouraged by the government, but
reverse is the case now.
Also, the low employment level in the
country and poverty could be solved
through agriculture investments, by all
Open letter to Governor Abiola Ajimobi
Dear Sir,
O
N behalf of thousands of
citizens residing in Ona Ara,
Egbeda, Oluyole local
government areas of the state and other
adjoining settlements, we want to put
on record the positive impact of
developmental projects being put in
place by the Senator Isiaq Abiola
Ajimobi administration.
We commend His Excellency and
members of his team. Like the
proverbial Oliver Twist, we are now
making a passionate appeal to the
Governor in the area of road
construction. The roads in question are
existing roads which were once
repaired but are now in deplorable
state. One of such is the Akanran-
Kajola Road in Ona Ara local
government.
Similarly we earnestly seek your
excellency’s prompt intervention in
the annexation of Odeyale – Ajia road
with Egbeda junction in Egbeda local
government. If this is done, the
present gridlock occasioned by heavy
traffick congestion along Amuloko-
Jegede-Olunloyo road will ease out.
We also want our governor to consider
seriously annexing Amuloko area with
Ayegun in Oluyole local government.
Sir, it is on record that the former
administration of elderstateman, Alhaji
Lamidi Onaolapo Adesina fixed the
Odeyaje-Ajia road up to Egbeda.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012, PAGE 27
All letters bearing writers' names and full addresses should be typed
and forwarded to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, Kirikiri Canal, P.
M. B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E-mail: sunvanguardmail@yahoo.com
tiers of government and other
stakeholders.
As a matter of fact, the only thing any
government can do to make people
happy is to provide food for its people,
so, agriculture sector is the engine
room. – The public should not be an
end in itself. It is held in trust for the
common good and not to terrorise or
kill innocent citizens. Violence is not
At present, the once motorable link
road is unmotorable. Please do
something on this. There is yet another
economically important road that
requires urgent rehabilitation. By this,
we mean if Akanran-Kajola road is
rehabilitated it will greatly help in
transporting foodstuff and other agro
products from the farms to the urban
centres. If this is done, post harvest
losses will be drastically be curtailed
thus increasing supply and
guaranteeing meaningful return on
An appeal to Gov Uduaghan
Dear Sir,
T
HE residents of Ekete waterside
in War ri, in Udu local
government area of Delta State
highly commend the state governor, Dr
Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan and his
lieutenants on the efforts they have
made so far to reconstruct the Ekete
waterside road which was before now
rough and rugged. The residents are
full of smiles and gratitude for such a
unique development. According to
them, the road, if completed would be
a-state-of-the earth edifice.
We the landlords and tenants and
other users of the road say: THANK
YOU VERY MUCH.
what we should celebrate. Violence is
the argument of the person who has
run out of logic. Politics should be
about dialogue, issues, campaigns and
not violence.
Prophet Oladipupo Funmilade –
Joel (Sekunderin) General Overseer,
The Way of Reconciliation Evangelistic
Ministries (TWOREM), 08057741511,
08033733470
investment which will in turn impact
positively on food security.
While we pledge our continued
loyalty to your purpose driven
administration, we pray for outstanding
success and divine guidance during
your tenure.
Long live Oyo State, long live
Nigeria!
Chief Emmanuel Folorunso-
Ogunnaike (MFR) Chairman/MD,
FOL-HOPE AGRIC Services, Ibadan,
Nigeria, 07027278394.
Nevertheless, we call on you to look
into the sister Orhuwhorun road which
is about going into dilapidation. The
ruggedness of the road, especially
around the round about/Jigbale market
is posing a great problem to the users,
especially motorists who find it
extremely difficult to reach their
destination on time due to incessant
gridlock.
We therefore appeal to you to
subsume the road (Orhuwhorun) in
the Ekete waterside contract so that the
contracting company would visit it as
soon as they are through with the
Ekete water side job
Once again, thank you for job well
done.
Nkemakolam Gabriel
Warri , 08072257360.
 28 —SUNDAY, Vanguard, MAY 13, 2012

Grand burial rites of

Segun Adeniyi’s mother
in-law
With Ayo Onikoyi 08033286159

F
uneral service for Late Mrs Ibiyemi Folasade,
Deluxe wedding of Funsho Oladimeji’s mother in-law to Mr Segun Adeniyi
Managing Director of ThisDay Newspapers
recently took place at Ebenezer African Church
daughter
F
unsho Oladimeji, Cathedral, Ibadan while the reception held at the
a renowned Jogor centre. Several notable media executives were
estate surveyor on hand to commemorate with Adeniyi and the
and valuer and his in- family of his wife. Photos by Dare Fasube
laws, family of Elder and
Deaconess David
Sunday Frank dazzled
Lagosians last Saturday
when their children;
Miss Olubunmi
Oluwakemi Oladimeji
and Olawale Olushola
were joined in a Holy
matrimony at the Chapel
of Christ the Light,
Alausa, Ikeja. Notable
personalities from the
public and private
sectors graced the event.
Photos by Lamidi
L-R: Mr and Mrs Funsho Oladimeji; bride's parents Deaconess Lydia Aladejana Bamidele
(middle) and Elder and Deaconess David Frank, groom's parents R-L;Mr Segun Adeniyi, Mrs Oluwatosin Adeniyi,
Abolade Salami and Ajibola Idowu.

R-L:Mrs Omolara Erogbogbo, Perm. Sec., Ministry

of Education, Lagos State; Mrs Sewanu Amosu, Dir. The new Couple, Mr and Mrs Olawale Frank
of Education; Mrs E A Adelakun and Chief (Mrs) R-L: Taiwo Ajibola, Engr. Salami O. Tunjiand Mrs
Ayo Akintuyi Ronke Kosoko.

R-L: Chief Ebenezer Fabiyi; Mr. Oyewumi Tomoki

R-L:Mr Gbenga Adefaye; President NGE, Mr Tony
Mr Jimoh Makanjuola Dansu and his wife Ayodele and Mr. Dan Onaolapo
Chiejina of Dangote group and Mr Waziri Adio.

Funeral mass for late Lady Florence Ojo

T
he quiet town of Opopogbooro in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state woke up to influx of people from far and wide on Friday, April 20th as notable government officials,
captains of industry, royal fathers and others converged on the town for the funeral mass of Lady Florence Bukunola Ojo at the St. Michael’s Catholic
Church. Even the governor of the state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi joined the family and well-wishers in saying the final farewell to the woman described by
associates as warm, humble and kindhearted.

L-R:Mrs. Nkem Dibia, AGM, Chams Mobile and

L-R: Elder Olagoke Ojo and the Governor of Ekiti
Mrs. Anire Celey-Okogun, MD, Chanelle Children of the deceased and other guests
State, Gov. Kayode Fayemi
Microfinance Bank
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 SUNDAY, Vanguard, MAY 13, 2012 — 29

CAC inducts Oluwadare

District Superintendent

I
With Ayo Onikoyi 08033286159
t was another historic event for the Christ
Apostolic Church, Agbala Itura, Agege district,
when Prophet (Dr) S.K. Abiara, the General
Evangelist, inaugurated the district and inducted
Lush-plush union of Nosa Osawe and Esohe
Pastor Emmanuel Folorunsho Oluwadare as the
District Superitendent on Sunday, 6th of May 2012. Omorere
T
According to the General Evangelist the choice of
Pastor Oluwadare became necessary given his track he families of Hon. Ambrose Osawe, former member, House of Representatives and that of Mr.
record of honesty, godliness and vision for the E.K. treated the people of Benin City, Edo state to a spectacle of splendour and style when their
church. Oluwadare, a former banker and civil children; Nosa Edosa Osawe and Esohe Omorere were joined together as man and wife at the
servant, who started his sojourn in the vineyard of First African Church Mission, Ebenezer Cathedral on 26th of April .The traditional engagement took
the Lord in 1980, in his acceptance speech thank place earlier on 24th and it only set the stage for the razzmatazz to come. Many eminent Nigerians
God and implored God’s guidance in deliverance graced the glamorous event. Photos By Barnabas Uzosike
of his duties. Members of the CAC worldwide from
far and wide graced the memorable occasion. Photos
by Joe Akintola, Photo Editor

The happy couple; Nosa Edosa Osawe and Esohe

Hon. and Mrs Ambrose Osawe, groom’s parents Omorere

Prophet Samuel Abiara (c), Gen. Evangelist CAC

Worldwide flanked by Pastor Funsho Oginni (l) and
Pastor Segun Akinrinade(r)

Mr And Mrs E.K. Omorere, the bride’s parents

Pastor and Mrs Ken Okungbowa, sponsors

L-R:Pastor & Evang (Mrs) Emmanuel Oluwadare

with Pastor & Evang (Mrs) S . F Alayande, Zonal
Chairman, CAC, Lagos State

L-R:Chief John Oyegun, former Edo state

Governor and Chief Inneh. Justice S.O. Uwaifo (Rtd) and wife

Amudah marks 60 Opone celebrates 50

L-R: Pastor & Evang (Mrs) Emmanuel Oluwadare
with Iya Ijo, CAC Agbala Itura, Oke-Odo Agege
SPECIAL Adviser to the Osun state governor on
Works and Transport, Engr. Sabitu Amudah was
joined by other top state government functionaries
in Iwo recently to celebrate his 60th birthday
PATRICIA Opone, wife of Chief Johnson Opone,
an auditor of many years standing celebrated her
50th birthday in grand style on April 24th at the Ibis
Hotel, Lagos. Family and friends joined her in the
celebration

L-R:Mrs. Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, Osun Dep. L-R: Engr. Tony Ezeuku, his wife; the celebrant,
L-R:Pastor M . O Ojo, Pastor Muyiwa Oshati and Gov, SA to the Gov. on Works and Transport, Mrs Patricia Opone, her husband, Chief Johnson
Engr. Sabitu Amudah (celebrant) and his wife,
Pastor Fela Keshinro SSG, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti Opone and Chief George Okpala
C
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PAGE 30—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012

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 SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012, PAGE 31

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PAGE 32—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012

Ed
Ar
ited
eb
by
i
Ye
tu nd
08074109057

Wedding dresses and bridal e

gown trends
Family of the week
Strapless
Wedding
Dresses
Strapless wedding
dresses continue to
dominate the bridal
bridal gown market.
Sophisticated and
elegant, they emit a hint
of sexiness and
sensuality. Strapless
dresses are flattering to
most figures, allow
freedom of movement
and work well with
nearly all styles of
weddings. Add a little
antique lace for a
vintage wedding or team
it with some
contemporary jewellery
for a modern touch.
For a timeless outfit,
there are so many
Nigerian bridal couture
designer who make
emphasis on silhouette,
construction and texture;
with every fold, every
hem, every sparkling
bead lovingly hand-
stitched, you’ll know that
a wedding dress from
Catherine is a
spectacular, original
creation. Feminine and
Flirty Wed-
The Mermaid Wedding Dress- ding Dresses
Wedding es with Touches Bows, feathers, ruffles
Dress
It’s back! Figure-hug-
ging at the bodice, hips
and thighs, the Mermaid
wedding dress then
flairs out, giving brides a
mermaid-like silhouette.
It’s not a wedding dress
style for the faint-hearted
but if you can pull it off,
you’ll look curvy and
luscious on your wed-
ding day.
of Glamour
It’s all about simple
wedding dresses with
attention focused on the
little details. Brides are
glamming up their dress-
es with metallic thread
embroidery, trails of tiny
buttons and rhinestone
buckles.
By E STHER
ESTHER
ONYEGBULA
and tiers are charming
and whimsical expres-
sions of femininity.
These gorgeous addi-
tions will showcase your
unique personality and
provide stylish wedding
flair. They are ideal for
second marriages too as
they add a youthful
touch to your wedding
gown.
Wedding
Dresses with
Ribbon Details
Many of the latest
bridal couture designs
feature wedding dress-
es with ribbon detail-
ing. Satin sashes tied at
the waist are huge at
the moment as is ribbon
crisscrossing its way
dramatically down the
back of your dress.
Tea-length
Wedding
Dresses
For a sophisticated and
contemporary look, go
for tea-length wedding
dresses. Falling be-
tween the bottom of the
knee and the bottom of
the calf, it’s the pre-
ferred length of bridal
Child Dedication
designers this season. It was indeed a grand day of celebration for
Ideal for semi-formal or
casual weddings, they
the family of Mr. and Mrs Abass-Alesh
Kolawole who recently celebrated the
suit most figures and christening of their son Master Abulazeez,
inspire romance and
fun.
Oluwagbotemi- Alao.
Special thanks to everyone who through their
love and support made the event a success.

Choosing the right wedding jewelery

There’s an extremely fine crystals then feature the same
line between looking then choose only one item
and make sure that it’s a crystals in your wedding
gorgeous and looking jewellery. Likewise, if you’re
garish on your wedding plainer piece.
gown has seeded pearls sewn
day. The one mistake you onto the fabric then match it
can make is choosing the Style the piece with pearl earrings or pearl
wrong wedding jewelery.
However, there are a few to your dress hair pieces.
simple rules you can follow Choose your gown first
so that you’ll bling rather and then your wedding Balance the
than blind everyone jewelery to complement it.
walking down the aisle. Vintage dresses just cry necklace to the
Less is more
out to be teamed with
romantic, antique jewelery neckline
just as modern dresses Strapless gowns expose a lot
Matching earrings, need to be accessorised of skin so an elaborate drop
necklaces, rings and with contemporary pieces. necklace will complement the
bracelets look great in a dress and prevent brides from
jeweler’s window but will
look overdone on a bride. Match the looking too bare. For a V-
neckline or sweetheart
Choose two of the three
wedding accessories only.
jewelery to the neckline, wear a V or Y-
shaped necklace. If your
If you’re wearing a heavily beading dress has a high neckline or
beaded or sequined gown If your wedding dress an intricately beaded neckline,
features Austrian Swarovski skip the necklace altogether
WEDDING & VOWS HELP LINE and wear a striking faux! it’s tasteful - so have fun with
faux on your wedding day.
headpiece or chandelier Weddings are expensive Costume jewelers will
Set to take that great walk with the one you love? Do you have any problem with any enough without having
aspect of your wedding plans and preparation? Do you wish to know about all the nitty- earrings. manufacture to order so you
gritty of wedding plans why don’t you ask us. Wedding and vows will answer all your to finance real jewels. can create your dream
questions with the help of seasoned professionals. Our address is weddings and vows, It’s actually fashionable wedding jewelery without
Go with now to wear costume breaking the bank.
jewelery providing that
C
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 SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012, PAGE 33

Restoration of uniform societies

would help restore morals
— Mrs Brodie-Mends

S
HE is an indefatigable woman! At age 65, Mrs.Christiana Fadekemi Brodie-
Mends (nee Bailey) is still seriously engaging girls in Girls Brigade at the
Cathedral Church of Christ in Lagos where she is the Captain. She’s of the
opinion that in the early days when children were actively engaged in uniform
societies, they were well-mannered than in this generation where they are left idle.
Mrs.Brodie-Mends whose romance with uniform societies dates back to her second
year in primary school at age 8, sees no end to her determination to groom
*Fadekemi Brodie-Mends young girls. This grandmother who also initiated the inauguration of a Red
Cross Society in her first year at the Anglican Girls Grammar School in
Lagos, was recently honoured with a Performance Merit Award by the
Cathedral Church of Christ alongside a few others for her
contribution to the development of the girlchild. It would also
be recalled that in 2007, Mrs.Brodie-Mends was given a Merit
Award for Commitment and Service by the Lagos Chapter
of the YWCA. In a recent chat with Vista Woman, she
suggested the need to revive uniform societies so as
to promote character-moulding in young people, and
also bothered on the over-complexity of the current
procedure for gaining admission into our tertiary
institutions of learning.
Her words:

children during bright girls who have not been able to

holidays, organise
excursions, vocational
skills acquisition, etc.
JAMB, Post-JAMB
gain admission into any higher
institutions because even when they
succeeded in their JAMB, the Post
Jamb stood as a problem. That’s a
serious issue which I believe Nigerian

O ne issue that has

however been a
burden to us is the educational
By JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA system in the country. This is
actually where most girls get
Good old days I do not know if the advent of not themselves mixed-up! During our
government has to look into because it
is stressing and making young people
lose focus! We eventually had to enrol
one of the girls in an Accounting
School here in Lagos since that’s her
course of choice. We also enrolled the

T
HINGS were much more better
when we were young because
we had very vibrant uniform
societies like the Red Cross, Girls
Brigade, Boys’ Scout, Girls’ Guild,
Man O’ War, etc. that actively
engaged us. It’s however sad that
things have changed, and young
people are left to wonder aimlessly
during their free hours. That’s why
they now seem to be more daring and
violent!
I could remember how I enrolled
as a junior member of the Red Cross
Society when they came to my
school, Christ Church Cathedral
School, when I was in Primary 2 at
age eight. Thereon, when I
proceeded to the Anglican Girls
Grammar School in Surulere, Lagos,
I personally initiated the
establishment of a Red Cross Society
in the school. I could remember that
at weekends when we had nothing
doing at home, we would go to the
Island Maternity, Polo Club at
Falomo, etc. based on listing, to do
social work. We were taught a lot of
things and also how to wait to see
what is happening whenever we see
using cane is what is making
children to be wild or because
economic pressure is preventing
parents from having a close
relationship with their children
these days, but I know for sure that
the restoration of uniform societies
would help restore morals. I however
believe parents have a lot to do with
this generation, and I strongly feel
they ’re not being brought up in the
way of the Lord from their early age.
Need for life-changing
activities
Inspiring programmes are there in
churches, and parents could get
their children involved in them so
that they are not idle. That was why
when I became the Captain in the
Girls Brigade in my church,
Cathedral Church of Christ in Lagos,
in 2006, I decided to reinforce life-
changing activities in line with our
four square programme in Girls
Brigade; spiritual, physical,
education and service. Our aim is to
mould children and lead them to
Christ. We have children from age
five to eight who we call ‘Explorers’,
age nine to eleven called ‘Junior ’,
days, we only had to apply to higher other girl at Home Science Training
institutions that we wanted to Centre where she went to learn
attend, and that was all. But now, pastries. I advise that government
JAMB will jam these children, and addresses the issue of JAMB. It is
Post-JAMB too will do its own! It’s either JAMB is scraped and
frustrating because it puts them in a universities are left alone to conduct
dilemma and leaves them confused their exams, or the Post JAMB is
about the next step of their lives! For scraped so that children are not made
instance we presently have two to suffer so much!
Watching over children at school
Another issue that has been a
, concern to me is the careless attitude
of parents towards their children.
Parents believe that paying their
Parents believe child’s school is the issue. Therefore,
they just give them their school fees
that paying their and do not even bother to find out how
child’s school is their children fare or behave while at
school! This happens mostly in the
the issue. universities! No child is too big to talk
to, and parents must know this. When
Therefore, they my children were still growing up, I
just give them their ensured I knew about their welfare at
every point in time, and I made friends
school fees and do with their teachers and lecturers! We
have to grow along with these children
not even bother to as they grow, but more importantly, we
have to know how to balance it up.
find out how their When you are too harsh on them, they
children fare or run away from you!

a crowd, so that we could file reports
to the police or for our own use as a
group. As a Red Cross member also,
you cannot drop a piece of paper on
the floor and walk past it. You will
be sanctioned!
Responsibility for parents
,
age twelve to fourteen called ‘Senior’ Career background
and fifteen to eighteen called
‘Brigadier ’. I believe the sky is the
behave while at My working life began at the
Nigerian External Telecommunications
limit for any girl that imbibes our school! Limited in 1974. I voluntarily retired
teachings. from there in 1994 after which I delved
As part of our activities, we into creche teaching.
organise free summer school for
C
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PAGE 34 — SUND
SUNDAAY VANGU
VANGU ARD, MA
ANGUARD, MAYY 13, 2012
Will Okwagbe provide
tonic for Church unity?
By SAM EYOBOKA
T
HE motto of the
umbrella body of
Christians in Nigeria,
Christian Association of Nig-
eria, CAN which was establ-
ished in 1976 was derived from
the Bible book of John 16:6:
'That they my be one,' but sad-
ly Christendom in the country
is perhaps one of the most dis-
united organization on Planet
Earth. The reason is not far
fetched. For too long the
Church neglected the true
foundation of the faith and
celebrated and influenced b
temporal and mundane ind-
ucements until it was invaria-
bly sandwitched betwixt the
Devil and the deep blue sea
as faithful saints are now be-
ing daily maimed and marty-
ed.
As far back as 1991, a miss-
ionary couple, Edwin and
Jody Mitchell had alerted the
world and warned church
leaders in Nigeria of diabolical
plans and satanic activities
aimed at world take over by
both the Roman Catholic Ind-
ustry and the Islamic Confed-
eracy but what did the Niger-
ian Church? Nothing! It be-
came obvious that something
needed to happen to cause a
shaking in the Church to bring
the giant back to the true
foundation—the message of
the Cross.
S
ome church leaders
who received copies of
the warning of the
current holocaust, instead of
*Papa and Mama Oritsejafor watching the different choir min-
istrations at the revival programme in Okwagbe.
...Cleric out with book for mind change
P
ASTOR Emmanuel
Adebiyi, a minister
in The Apostolic Church,
Nigeria recen-tly released a
book titled; Repositioning for
positive change, to address
people's mindset towards
C
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joining forces to declare a
solemn assembly to pray
against a systematic religious
cleansing, deluded them-
selves believing that the more
the secret is revealed, the more
powerless their plan would be,
and continued to build empir-
es with donations from the
sponsors of the satanic moves.
The turning point is now. It’s
now time for an Asuza-type
revival in the Church; thanks
to Boko Haram.
It was therefore gratifying to
see Christian leaders from the
17 states that make up south-
ern Nigeria gather the other
day under an umbrella to be
known as Southern CAN to
break all walls of Jerico and
fight for the survival of the
Church of God.
B
ut, by far the most
gratifying news
coming from the
Church was one event that
took place in Okwagbe in
Delta State penultimate Satur-
day that went almost unnotic-
ed. It reminds one of the Azusa
Street Revival on April 14,
1906 which gave rise to mod-
ern day Pentecostal move-
ment.
Okwagbe is an Urhobo town
in Ughelli South Local Gov-
ernment Area of Delta State
with two sub regions; Okwa-
gbe Inland and Okwagbe
Waterside, near Warri. It is two
towns in one; Okwagbe Inland
and Okwagbe Waterside. It is
a commercial town located
along River Forcados almost
midway between Bomadi and
achieving their purpose and
goals in life report OLAYINKA
LATONA and DAVID OSO.
The book, the first from the
man of God, is an inspirational
work that reaches out to Mus-
lims, Christians as well as
Burutu. It has the largest local
market in Ughelli South LGA.
The hospitality of the people,
the commercialization and
security of the town as well as
the abundant opportunities for
investment in it has attracted
many people to settle in the
town.
A revival programme by the
Covenant Teaching Centre of
Word of Life Bible Church in
Okwagbe on April 21, 2012
with a simple theme: 'Bring it
to him' was attended by all
church denominations in the
twin town. The St Patrick
Catholic Church, Baba Ido
Memorial Baptist Church,
Christ Salvation Ministry sent
in their different choirs to min-
ister at the programme among
others.
Ughelli South branch chair-
man of CAN, Anglican Bishop
Arhawharen was accompanied
by other executive officers to
grace the occasion. In his
remark, he extolled the virtues
of the national president of the
umbrella body of Christians in
the country, saying "Papa is a
lion of Africa."
O
n behalf of CAN in
Ughelli South, he
appealed to Pastor
Oritsejafor to prevail on the
indigenes of the area in high
public places to remember
their roots and attract govern-
ment presence to the area.
In the same vaein, the
chairman of Okwagbe Inland,
Mr. Patrick Kpaive described
Oritsejafor as a great advocate
of Africa, not forgetting to re-
mind him that the community
had been building a town hall
since 1975. "We believe, Papa,
that with your prayers today it
will soon be completed," he
appealed.
Before preaching the sermon
of the day, the national presi-
dent of CAN, Pastor Oritseja-
for used the occasion to lament
the spate of insecurity in parts
of the North, expressing happ-
inness about the mammoth
crowd of other ministers of the
gospel at the event.
He was particularly impress-
ed by the ministration of the
Catholic Church choir, saying:
“When you begin to see all
churches together like this
then you know that the coming
Jesus Christ is near. When all
churches begin to come tog-
ether then you know nothing
unbelievers to help the reader
reposition his/her mindset to-
wards a positive change in the
society.
At the public presentation, the
author revealed that the book
is a dream he had nurtured
L-R: Chief Charley Ogbire, HRM Owhowho II Okobaro of
Ughievwen Kingdom, Matthew Edirin Egbi, his wife, Felicia
Egbi and Chief Baudju Yokoto dancing like Biblical King David
during the occasion.
*A cross section of participants at the Covenant Teaching Cen-
tre in Okwagbe, Delta State.
is impossible. The
Bible said when the-
re is unity in the
Church then God
commands blessing."
He explained that
when there is unity
in the Church, God
would be moved to
command blessing.
I
n the North, he
continued,
"where some
people perpetuate
evil, they don’t ask
whether you are a
Catholic or Penteco-
stal; they bomb any
church in view and
the bomb will not *CAN president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor
select a particular set and the traditional ruler of Ughievwen
of people to kill. Ra- Kingdom, HRM Owhowho II Okobaro of
ther, they kill or inju- Ughievwen Kingdom, Matthew Edirin
re those around. Egbi in a warm embrace after the event.
"The last terrible
one that happened in Kaduna "We cannot stop worshipp-
was targeted at the various ing God because of terrorists.
churches on the street inclu- Let us therefore put aside our
ding ECWA but vigilant Chri- differences and fight together.
stians stopped him at the en- We need to wake up from our
trance to the street and so end- slumber to our collective res-
ed up bombing a cluster of ponsibilty in unity," he expl-
Okada riders," he added. ained, noting that the imp-
Oritsejafor therefore appea- ression being created in the
led to Christians in any part international community sug-
of the country not be annoyed gests that it is the Nigerian
if they asked to pack their cars Christians that are the aggre-
away from their church premi- ssors.
ses.
over the years, explaining that
it was inspired God.
the work will go a long way in
helping Nigerians, especially
The cleric advised Nigerian the youths in reshaping their
youths to shun all forms of evil mind towards maintaining
practices and redirect their good moral and imbibing
mind-sets towards positive godly values, pointing out that
ventures that will change the “if Nigerian youths can read
country for better. the book their thinking would
Reviewer of the book, Mr. definitely be repositioned
Akindeji Ogunbode noted that positively.”

CHRISTIANS MAKE
TERRIBLE HUSBANDS
I
WAS a loving hus
band until I be
came a “born
again” Christian. Then
I discovered certain
things written by Paul in
the bible appointing me
the head of my wife. I
eagerly accepted the ap-
pointment. Jesus reveals
that the worst kind of evil
is the one which is pre-
sumed to have a reli-
gious sanction. I might
be a murderer but in my
heart-of-hearts I know it
is wrong to kill. Howev-
er, if the church convinc-
es me that by killing men
I am doing the work of
God, then I can kill with
gusto and without any
conscience.
Paul say: “Wives, sub-
mit to your own hus-
bands, as to the Lord.
For the husband is head
of the wife, as also
Christ is head of the
church; and He is the
Savior of the body.
Therefore, just as the
church is subject to
Christ, so let the wives
be to their own husbands
in everything.” (Ephe-
sians 5:22-24).
Even though this is ad-
dressed to wives and not
to husbands, it was mu-
sic to my ears. I thanked
God that he deemed it fit
to make me head and
not tail. As far as I was
concerned, it gave me
the divine sanction to
lord it over my wife.
Those who know my
wife will immediately
recognise that such pre-
sumed lordship would
be fiercely contested. It
took a few battle-scars
and the tutelage of the
Holy Spirit for me to rec-
ognise this scripture
which gave me putative
authority over my wife
“in everything” is mor-
ally and spiritually bank-
rupt.
Pauline fallacy
I
n classically
Pauline fashion,
the scripture is full
of inherent contradic-
tions. Christian wives
cannot say Jesus is Lord
on the one hand (I Cor-
inthians 8:6); and say
husband is Lord on the
other. Jesus says: “No
one can serve two mas-
ters; for either he will
hate the one and love the
other, or else he will be
loyal to the one and de-
spise the other.” (Mat-
C
M
Y
K
Let a man go and work in the
Ministry of Finance and tell
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that
“the head of woman is man.”
thew 6:24). It is funda-
mentally irreverent for
Paul to ascribe equal sta-
tus to the husband “as to
the Lord” in the life of
the wife.
Paul says: “I want you
to know that the head of
every man is Christ, the
head of woman is man,
and the head of Christ is
God.” (I Corinthians
11:3). This is prepost-
erous. It is not only un-
scriptural, it is
unworkable. In the Old
Testament, Deborah was
a judge in Israel. (Judg-
es 4:4-7). This made her
the head of all the men
by divine sanction. To-
day, let a man go and
work in Nigeria’s Min-
istry of Finance and tell
the female Minister;
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,
that “the head of woman
is man.” He will not last
on the job.
J B
esus would never
make the man the
head of the
woman. That would dis-
place God; the one and
only head Jesus pre-
scribes for every-
body. Indeed, Jesus
does not give authority
to a man over another
human-being. He says
to his disciples: “You
know that the rulers of
the Gentiles lord it over
them, and those who are
great exercise authority
over them. Yet it shall not
be so among you.” (Mat-
thew 20:25-26). T h e
only authority Jesus
gives his disciples is
over demons: “I give you
the authority to trample
on serpents and scorpi-
ons, and over all the
power of the enemy, and
nothing shall by any
means hurt you.” (Luke
10:19).
Matrimonial
dictatorship
Paul is in error and he
leads many Christian
men into error. He has
created a situation
where, in Christian
homes, the abuse of
wives by husbands is
rampant. The Christian
husband asserts his
“Paul-given” right to con-
trol his wife’s life. He
uses Pauline scriptures
and chauvinistic church
doctrine to enforce his
presumptive right to tell
her what to do. He de-
mands her unquestion-
ing submission to his
whims and
caprices. There is often
little or no mutuality or
loving consideration
here. It is either his way
or the highway. When
the Christian man mar-
ries, he does not only
marry a wife. He marries
a cook, a washer-woman,
a sex-slave and a maid,
all in one Pauline pack-
age for the fee of a
dowry. Every morning,
he wakes up saying:
“Thank you, Jesus!”
ut it is all thanks
to Paul that many
a Christian hus-
band believes his wife’s
feelings and opinions are
inconsequential. He may
discredit them on princi-
ple or specifically be-
cause “Adam was not de-
ceived, but the woman.”
(1 Timothy 2:14). O r, he
may give lip-service to re-
specting her views, but
later disparage them as
“emotional and not logi-
cal.”
Thereby, the Christian
wife, who has been ran-
somed by Christ, is put
back into bondage. She
is constrained to dissoci-
ate from certain friends
and family-members be-
cause of the need to keep
“His Majesty ” happy.
She avoids some of her
favourite activities for the
sake of “keeping the
peace.” If she objects to
her Lord-husband’s hea-
vy-handedness, she is
castigated as “rebellio-
us,” and “spiritually im-
mature.” If she ques-
tions his opinions and
decisions or disagrees
with them, his lordship
might just beat her up so
that “the will of God”
SUND
SUNDAAY VANGU
may be done in her life.
But it is not the will of
God that the wife should
play second-fiddle to
her husband. It is the
will of Paul. It is the will
of God that all men and
women should submit to
God. Marriage is not
about doing of the will
of the husband. It is
about the doing of the
will of God. The Chris-
tian husband who oper-
ates on the premise of
my will be done has set
up himself for a cantan-
kerous marriage.
Servant husbands
L
et me speak di
rectly to my pow
er-drunk hus-
band colleagues who
would have me excom-
municated for daring to
love our female adver-
saries. No matter the
forcefulness of your dic-
tatorship at home, I as-
sure you your wife re-
sents you. She may be
kneeling down for you
on the outside, but she
is standing up to you on
the inside. If you would
just take the time to
study the words of Je-
sus, you would see that
your house is built on
sand. Sooner than lat-
er, it will fall.
Even if the husband
were to be the head of
his wife; that would still
not be to his advan-
tage. A Christian head
is different from a secu-
lar head. Jesus says:
“Whoever wishes to be-
come great among you
shall be your servant,
and whoever wishes to
be first among you shall
be your slave; just as
the Son of Man did not
come to be served, but
to serve, and to give His
life a ransom for many.”
(Matthew 20:27-
28). This means even
Paul’s position ends up
making the husband the
servant of his wife.
When there was disa-
greement between Abra-
ham and Sarah over Ish-
mael, God did not take
sides with Abraham as
some bogus head of his
wife. God declared his
own overriding will,
which happened to
agree with Sarah and
not with Abraham. (Gen-
esis 21:9-12). That is
the role of God in the
Christian home. Every
decision is referred and
deferred to him.
Because we fail to un-
derstand this, Christian
men make lousy hus-
bands. If you don’t
agree with me, you don’t
need to argue. Just
prove me wrong in your
home.
VANGU ARD, MA
ANGUARD, Y 13, 2012--- P
MAY AGE 35
PA
Onaiyekan, Umeh charge
youths on creativity
A
BUJA – CATHOLIC Archbishop of Abuja, the
Most Rev. John Onaiyekan has admonished
Nigerian youths to be creative and more in-
novative to add value to their lives and the society
reports CALEB AYANSINA.
The national chairman of the All Progressive Grand
Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh advised the gov-
ernment to be alive with its responsibility while urg-
ing the youths to be honest and industrious in all
their endeavours, not using the present economic
situation in the country as an excuse to remain stag-
nant.
The two men were speaking at the launching of the
N500 million National Youth Centre by the Catholic
Youths Organization of Nigeria, CYON, in Abuja.
Onaiyekan commended the Catholic Youths for
deeming it fit to build an edifice that would add
value to their future, noting that such a centre will
help in addressing youth unemployment in the
country.
Continuing, he said: “They should not keep wait-
ing for the future; they must live now for the present
and do something with themselves. They must go
beyond complaining and take concrete actions and
refuse to allow anybody to kill your dreams”.
Chief Umeh, in his words, maintained that what the
nation invests in the youths today would determine
what we get in the future, noting that, some parents
have failed in their responsibility all in the name of
civilization.
First Lady donates church
to RCCG
B
ENUE State first lady, Arc. (Mrs.) Yemisi
Suswam has donated a 300-seater church
building to the Redeemed Christian Church
of God, RCCG, Anyii in Logo local government area
of Benue State in commemoration of her 45th birth-
day anniversary, reports PETER DURU.
Speaking at the dedication of the building which
attracted top government functionaries including the
Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Dr.
Samuel Ortom and Governor Gabriel Suswam, Mrs.
Suswam urged Nigerians to pray for peace in the
country, noting that the donation was in fulfillment
of a pledge she made to God.
According to her: "Sometime ago I ran to God for
something with a vow to show appreciation. He kept
his word and did it for me. The church building is
my own part of the vow. Actually the church is an
inspiration from God.
"Most importantly, it is a sober moment in the coun-
try and that is why I have chosen this manner of
celebration to mark my 45th birthday celebration.
With all the challenges that we are facing; I know
that I have a God, be it in good season or bad sea-
son. Bombs here and there, one thing is for sure, it
is only God that has the solution to any problem,"
the first lady stated.
Fashola for Lagos West Synod
T
HE opening session of the first session of the
5th Synod of the Diocese of Lagos West, Church
of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, comes up
on the May 16, 2012, at 4.00 p.m. The presentation/
launching of the Bishop’s Presidential Address fol-
lows the following day at 11.00 a.m.
Dignitaries expected at the Synod include the gov-
ernor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola,
his deputy, commissioners, traditional rulers, cap-
tains of industry, as well as delegates and visitors
from within and outside the Diocese.
Koh speaks at May AiMP
T
HE May edition of AiMP Series holds on Sat
urday, June 2, 2012 at 5:30 pm at the
Oceanview Restaurants, Adetokunbo Ademola
Street, Victoria Island. This special session of the
AiMP Series holds in partnership with Africa Cen-
tre of Theological Studies (ACTS) and will feature
Dr. Victor Koh as the keynote speaker.
Dr. Koh who was born in Singapore in 1949 travels
extensively giving lectures in the areas of Organi-
zational Development and National Transformation.
PAGE 36—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012

BY EMMA
OVUAKPORIE

I
f heaven knows no rage
like a woman scorned,
members of the House of
Representatives’ ad-hoc Com-
mittee probing the near col-
lapse of the Nigerian Capital
Market, saw first hand last
week, the rage that can be dis-
played by big ladies who
chose to go after one another’s
jugular. This was no ordinary
rage.
As she did during the very
first hearing of the probe panel
where she failed to respond to
questions regarding what
some described as
ostentatious living at the
expense of government, but
instead discloed that
committee members had
demanded bribe from her, last
Monday, Madam Arunma
Oteh, Director General, DG,
Securities and Exchange
Commission, SEC, shocked
members of the probe panel
when she made startling
revelations of how the Arunma Oteh Vs Ndi Okereke-Onyuike...
immediate past leadership of
the Nigeria Stock Exchange,
NSE, which Director General
was Prof. Ndi Okereke-
Onyuike, mis-classified ex-
CAPITAL MARKET PROBE ACCESS Bank Plc on
secondment by the SEC boss.
They claimed that Oteh did

War of the ladies

penditure, lavished millions of
naira on the purchase of a
yacht, bought Rolex wrist
watches for tens of millions of
naira as gifts for awards of long
service to NSE board members
and staff, among others.
The revelations were mouth
watering and those who had
already taken keen interests in
the probe wanted to know
what Onyuike’s response
would be. Mind you, the suc-
cessor to Onyuike, Onyeama,
was also on hand to make a
presentation but never really
dwelt on the tenure of his pre-
decessor. Now, why Oteh
made it her responsibility –
even bounding duty - to go
, Prior to that, the Director, Hu-
not carry them along in tak-
ing the decision. Their claim
was contrary to an earlier
statement by the DG that the
issue was discussed and
agreed upon by the executive
management.
Prior to that, the Director,
Human Resources, Useni
zYou are on your own, commissioners tell Oteh Dauda, had told the panel that
due process was not followed
zProduce my documents now, Okereke-Onyuike asks Oteh in the recruitment of some con-
tract staff. He said the staff
zIntrigues, allegations and counter allegations trail SEC were brought by Oteh upon
assumption of office and were
failure to appear on Tuesday. yet to get the endorsement of
man Resources, Useni Dauda,
Before the commencement of
proceedings, she apologized
to the committee for her fail-
ure to appear the previous
the executive committee. He
also refused to deny the alle-
gation that the contract of the
staff was renewed despite the
had told the panel that due pro-

after Onyuike may yet be un-
known.
But when Onyuike stormed
,
day. She explained that the advice of the audit department
cess was not followed in the re- action was as a result of her
meeting with the National
to the contrary.

the panel the following day

with her massive frame to not
only deny the allegations but
level her own, members
watched in amazement and
amusement because she made
her presentation like an
cruitment of some contract staff
agreed on a number of issues.
They alleged that the DG's
administrative style had
the Nigerian stock market
ranked as one of the best in
the world were all carted away.
Economic Management Team
chaired by
Goodluck Jonathan.
President O teh defended her action
saying that steps were
being taken to ratify the ap-
She came along with her pointment of the staff. She
management team, a team that declined response to the ques-
nailed her. tion on why she renewed the
appointment of the staff

anchor on one of the Comedy
Central series. (See Box)
Infact the on-going probe
took another dimension last
Wednesday when executive
commissioners of SEC, gave
their DG a raw deal.
In what could be described
as a unanimous verdict
against Oteh, the commission-
ers of the Exchange told the
ad-hoc committee of the House
eroded confidence in the com-
mission and caused the regu-
latory agency to remain unpro-
ductive.
The former DG of the Nige-
ria Stock Exchange, NSE,
Prof. Ndi Okereke-Onyuike,
had on Tuesday, alleged that
Oteh used unidentified po-
licemen to burgle her office in
August last year.
She told the bewildered pan-
elists that as a "Prof my pre-
sentation would have taken
the form of a booklet but here
I am with a mere 13 page pa-
per. ”All the same”, she said,
“I know that I do have a re-
tentive memory".
This was followed by a re-
sounding applause from the
audience.
Oteh, who arrived the venue
T
he DG’s appearance was
sequel to the threat by
the committee on Tuesday to
arrest her if she failed to come
in person on Wednesday to
clear the air on some knotty
issues.
The first indication that all
was not well and would not be
well between Oteh and mem-
bers of the executive manage-
ment started when the latter
inspite of the advice to the
contrary.
In a similar fashion the Ex-
ecutive Management also dis-
agreed with the SEC boss on
the road map document cur-
rently being implemented in
the capital market. Oteh had
told the panel that the docu-
ment which captured how the
capital market in Nigeria
would be raised to a world

S
of Representatives that the he said all the docu on Wednesday at about group denied knowledge of class standard had the input
management of SEC operated ments pertaining to the 9.45am, was made to tender the processes that led to the of stakeholders and the man-
like a one-man show. roadmap pursuant to making an unreserved apology for her engagement of two staff of Continues on page 37
The commissioners dis-
C
M
Y
K
 SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012, PAGE 37

Produce my documents now, Okereke-Onyuike asks Oteh

Continued from page 36

agement. was nothing wrong in engag-

But in their reaction the SEC
commissioners, five in number
said the document was neither
discussed at the management
meeting nor given to them in-
dividually for their input. The
Commissioner in charge of
Legal Services, Mr. Charles
Udora, caused an uproar
when he shouted that nobody
had ever approached him over
the document.
“I do not know anything
about the document. Nobody
zDaisy
sought my input or attention
on the roadmap”, he stated.
T he five commissioners
equally denied being in-
ing contract staff by the com-
mission, he, however, main-
tained that efforts are not be-
ing made by the current lead-
ership to properly guide the
staff in manner that they
would be beneficial to the
organisation.
Udora’s short address elic-
ited applause. Ekina also
spoke in similar manner. She
said that staff morale in the
commission was low due to the
zLawal Sani Stores seeming whimsical treatment
Ekineh
they get from the leadership.
She said “What I can confirm
is that the morale is low, there
is mistrust among the staff ”.

volved in the organisation and
celebration of the Project 50,
a golden jubilee celebration to
mark 50 years of the existence
of SEC. One after the other
they described as untrue ear-
lier claim by Oteh that the cel-
ebration, which was chaired
by her, had the support and
participation of the manage-
ment and staff of the commis-
sion.
Daisy Ekinah, a commis-
sioner in charge of operations
who had served the commis-
sion for 30years, however shot
a salvo, when she alleged that
outside a presentation she
wrote for her on the roadmap
to becoming a world class
Capital Market, that Ms. Oteh
read at NESG programme,
she never had any link with
the project.
Also, Mr. Udora claimed ig-
norance but indicted the As-
sets Management Company of
Nigeria, AMCON, over sale
of Intercontinental Bank and
zEric Elujeka
clearance of Union Bank, Plc,
to have a co-investor.
The panel had grilled Oteh
over donations by the Central
Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and
some private organisations for
the celebration, a claim the
SEC boss denied. Hon Bimbo
Daramola, ACN Ekiti, who
anchored the question and
answer session, however, in-
zUdora Charles
sisted that all the necessary
documents pertaining to the
involvement of all the
organisations’ donations must
be tendered before the com-
mittee by Oteh.
Stressing further, on the mis-
trust and infighting in the
commission Ekina and Udora
said that the staff was disen-
chanted with the goings-on in
BY EMMA OVUAKPORIE
L
ast Monday, Madam
Oteh had shocked mem-
bers of the probe panel when
she made startling revelations
of how the immediate past
leadership of the Nigeria
Stock Exchange, NSE, which
Director General was Prof. Ndi
Okereke-Onyuike, mis-classi-
fied expenditure, lavished
millions of naira on the pur-
chase of a yacht, bought Rolex
wrist watches for tens of mil-
lions of naira as gifts for
awards of long service to NSE,
among others. But Onyuike
stormed the panel the follow-
ing day to deny the allega-
the organisation. Udora said
tions but instead leveled her
the loss of trust in the leader-
own, which were even more
ship of SEC has resulted in
startling.
the staff exhibiting indiffer-
But after the session, the
ence on matters concerning
badly dazed Oteh refused to
the commission.
join issues with members of
He said “Our staff is no
the executive management.
longer killing themselves for
Instead she insisted that she
the organisation because they
was focused on the transfor-
feel they are not recognised”.
mation of the capital market.
Although he said that there
Well, some focus; some
transformation. The hearing
continues.

All members of my NSE board were bigger than me, but not in size — Okereke-Onyuike
I ate private money, not in the SEC, Onyuike set the hall reeling with with her rib cracking jokes when she said all mem-
public funds laughter when she said her mission to Harvard bers of her board at the NSE were financial big wigs
Former Director General of Nigeria Stock Ex- University is to go and teach not to learn. like Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Oba Otudeko, Mr. Femi
change, NSE, Prof. Ndi Okereke-Onyuike, last Here in Nigeria when I go to Nnsukka I equally Otedola and a host of others.
Tuesday at the on-going Public Hearing on the go and teach, others go there to learn. But before the audience could begin to think of the
near collapse of the Capital Market stunned the "I go to these places to teach free of charge and stupenduous wealth of those she mention, Onyuike
audience when she declared that the money she no strings attached”, she thundered, her massive quickly added, for obvious effect, that "they are big
spent was the money of a private concern. frame giving effect to her every word. men but not bigger than me in size. Look at the
In her words: "It was our money I ate not pub- Onyuike had appealed to the committee mem- board today who are the big men there now."
lic money, it was the money of a private concern bers that because her office was burgled and her
so what is wrong with that. documents carted away, her presentation which Purchase of 165 Rolex wrist watches
"I was not seen on the street of New York but would have been in a booklet form and "not these Okereka-Onyuike did not mince words on the al-
on a trading floor in a stock market where I was pieces of paper”, did not betray any emotions. leged purchase of 165 wrist watches at N185million
invited home to help develop the stock market "It is unfortunate that I have to write all these when she declared that they were used to honour
in Nigeria". Mean Madam, this was a reference from my head because I do have a retentive staff who had worked for the Exchange for 48years.
to Oteh. memory”, Onyuike explained. According to her, they were long service awards for
staff who had served the commission since incep-
Others go to Harvard to learn but All members of my NSE board were tion in 1960. She said some of the "staff like Chief
I go there to teach bigger than me, but not in size Ogiri and others who had passed on got awards which
Apparently referring to her female counterpart Standing at almost 1.89m, Onyuike continued members of their families collected on their behalf.

C
M
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PAGE 38—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012

STORY IN BRIEF JUSTICE FOR SALE IN NIGERIA and generally in Nigeria’s

public life.

How some retired and

The alarming rate of “Therefore, if any of these
standards are detracted from,
the perversion of the high regard in which a
justice in Nigeria judge is held within the soci-
ety is diminished, and the

serving judges, senior

and the angst of the likelihood of his pronounce-
ments to be viewed with ut-
Chief Justice of Ni- most levity by the public is
geria, CJN, Justice undoubted, thereby making

lawyers pervert justice

him unfit for that exalted po-
Dahiru Musdapher, sition in the hallowed cham-
and Chief Judge of bers of justice.
“My lords, if the provisions
the Federal Capital of the Code of Conduct for Ju-
Territory High over the state of the nation’s dicial Officers are obeyed to
judicial system, said: “as your the letter, we would not be
Court, Justice Lawal lordships are aware, the Code battling to extricate the judi-
Gunmi, is pre- of Conduct for Judicial Offic-
ers is divided into Rules 1 to
ciary from some of the rot and
prevailing iniquities which it
sented in this re- 3. Rule 1 deal with the avoid- has unfortunately enmeshed
port. Their posi- ance of impropriety and the
appearance of impropriety in
itself in,”

tions are corrobo-

rated by the obser-
vations of the Nige-
ria Bar Association,
NBA/
BY IKECHUKWU
NNOCHIRI
J ustice according to John
Rawls is the first virtue of
social institutions, as truth is
of systems of thought! Virtue
connotes a positive trait or
quality deemed to be morally
good and therefore valued as
a foundation of principle.
The opposite of virtue is
“vice,” which unfortunately
has permeated the hallowed
chambers of the judicial
temples in the country.
Whereas “Boni judicis est
ampliare justitiam,” is a Latin
maxim that says “It is the duty
of a good judge to make pre-
cedents which amplify jus-
tice,” “Nulli vendemus, nulli
negabimus, aut differemus
Justice Dahiru Musdapher
some judges in the country
lack “integrity, honesty,
knowledge of the law, willing-
ness to listen, sense of fair
play, patience and humility.”
All these from the CJN!
Though this allegation,
coming from the number one
judicial officer in the country,
succinctly captured the sorry
state our justice sector wal-
lows in presently, it is further
worrisome that the hidden
skeletons in our jurispru-
dence is being laid bare by for-
eign judicial authorities.
A classical example was the
case of the former governor of
Delta State, Chief James Ibori,
who was declared innocent at
home and found guilty abroad
on the same sets of primary
facts.
Chief J.B Daudu
Except our judges enthrone
the principle of “Quod ad jus
nattrale attinet omnes hom-
ines aequales sunt, meaning
“All men are equal as far as
the natural law is concerned,”
our legal system will continue
to suffer intense bashing
abroad.
Addressing judges that
came for the conference at the
NJI, the CJN, who never
ceases to express his concern
Policy on sickle-cell coming - Sen. Dantong
BY TAYE OBATERU
all the activities of a judicial
officer and Rule 2 deals with
the adjudicative and admin-
istrative duties of a judicial
officer. Finally, Rule 3 pro-
vides guidelines that regulate
the extra-judicial activities of
a judicial officer in order to
maximize the risk of conflict
with the duties of his office.
“It then follows that judicial
officers must imbibe all the es-
sential qualities of a good
judge such as integrity, hon-
esty, knowledge of the law,
willingness to listen, empathy,
sense of fair play, patience and
humility.
“These and many more are
the hallmarks of a good judge.
These attributes are sadly
lacking amongst some judges
"We must intensify counseling of intending
couple in churches, mosques, courts and
A ccentuating the stance
of the CJN, the Chief
Judge of the Federal Capital
Territory High Court, Justice
Lawal Gunmi, who spoke at
the commissioning of the In-
ternational Centre for Arbitra-
tion and Mediation,
(ICAMA), on May 8, blamed
the dwindling state of foreign
investment in the country on
insidious level of corruption
in the judiciary, insisting that
our justice sector ranked
among the worst in the world.
Justice Gunmi, stressed that
lack of timely, predictable and
affordable access to justice
was having negative toll on
the confidence both citizens
and foreigners have in the
Nigerian judiciary.

rectum vel justitian,” means
“ we will sell to none, we will
deny to none, we will delay
to none, either equity or jus-
tice.”
It is no longer news that
several well meaning judicial
egg-heads in the country had
in recent times, raised alarm
over the depreciating stan-
dard of justice administration
in the country.
Primarily, the judiciary
ought to be the bastion of hope
for the common man, however,
where even the common man
expresses reservation in the
ability of the so called “custo-
dians of the law”, to guaran-
tee him free and fair judg-
ment, indeed, takes the na-
tional flag to half mast.
Little wonder why the Chief
Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Jus-
tice Dahiru Musdapher, in a
speech he delivered at the
National Judicial Institute,
NJI, on May 7, stressed that
C
M
Y
K
H C
owever, should we re
ally castigate the actors
in our judicial landscape or
should we blame the environ-
ment within which they work?
Could the Judge that freed
the convicted ex-governor
have acted otherwise, taking
into cognizance the fact that
the Nigerian judiciary is only
independent when it comes to
a judge choosing the colour
of shoe to wear to court? Who
okays the remuneration of
Judges? What was the status
of the accused person in the
administration of that time?
Nevertheless, is there any
justification for judges that
pervert the course of justice
to favour a crony? I say NO!
It is an elementary maxim in
law that “Justitia non novit
patrem nec matrem; solum
verrtatem spectat justitia,”
implying that Justice knows
neither father nor mother but
looks to the truth alone.
hairman, Senate Committee on other places where marriages are conducted.
Health, Dr. Gyang Dantong has Research centers should be created at every
said the National Assembly would work local government area for early detection,
hard to have a national policy on the proper management and care.
management and control of sickle cell "Screening of all new born babies should
anemia in place to reverse the negative be carried out by the use of High Performance
toga of Nigeria being the capital of the Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) while bone
disease in the world. marrow transplant centers be available at ev-
He said while delivering a distin- ery national geographical zone", he said.
guished alumni lecture at the University The senator also recommended advocacy at
of Jos that whereas it might the difficult all levels through drama, lectures and pub-
to enforce a legislation on the control of lic discussions in cities and villages as well
the disease which he described as worse as free medical
than HIV/AIDS, such a policy would go treatment for chil-
a long way. dren under five
Dantong who is the senator represent- years which he said
ing Plateau North District delivered a pa- was a component of
per entitled: "Sickle Cell Anaemia: A the National Health
Genetic Disease of Public Health Con- Bill.
cern." He later an-
He said the National Assembly would nounced various
make efforts to have a national policy in donations to the
place towards reversing the current Faculty of Medical
Dr.
prevalence rate of 20 per one thousand Sciences and the Gyang
births and the unenviable situation of con- Department of The- Dantong
tributing about 150 thousand of the 200 atre and Film Arts of
thousand annual cases recored in Africa. the university.

EMMA UJAH,
Abuja Bureau Chief
T status for Abuja
he Original Inhabit
ants Development As
sociation of Abuja,
OIDA, a group representing
all the indigenous people of
the Federal Capital Territory,
FCT, Abuja, has called for a
state status for the nation’s
capital.
OIDA President, Pastor
Danladi Jeji, said in Abuja,
that the original settlers had
been unfairly treated by the
federation, having been
turned into a people without
constitutional right of state of
origin and denied land own-
ership.
His words, “as a people let
down by the Nigerian federa-
tion with our basic constitu-
tional/fundamental rights to
citizenship of a state and own-
ership of land usurped, we are
grateful that other Nigerians
are beginning to see the light
that Late General Murtala
Mohammed was sold a BIG
lie and misled by the Justice
Akinnola Aguda Panel that the
entire 8,000 square kilometres
landmass known as the FCT
was “Virgin” with no indig-
enous people.
By Henry Umoru
Senate and the review of
the 1999 Constitution
How far can it
go this time?
A fter becoming almost a
stillborn, the issue of
constitution review has once
again come to the front burner
at the National Assembly. In
fact, the Deputy Senate Presi-
dent, Ike Ekweremadu,
penultimate week promised
that all things being equal, an
amendment to the 1999 Con-
stitution will be ready in July,
2013.
The Senate, it appears, is
back, ready to settle down and
do serious business, appar-
ently with what could be
termed renewed vigour to
give Nigeria a new constitu-
C
M
Y
K
Late General Murtala
Mohammed ...misled by the
Justice Akinnola Aguda
Panel
“We beg to ask that if the
FCT did not have indigenous
persons as the constitution
may want Nigerians to believe,
then why was there a resettle-
ment policy which the Federal
Government has consistently
remained inconsistent in its
implementation thereby lead-
ing to the policy being dis-
carded and replaced with an
integration policy?”
Pastor Jeji said that more
tion.
This seriousness first reared
its head when Senate Presi-
dent, David Mark had, at the
beginning of the Seventh
Senate, said that constitution
amendment remained one of
the priorities of the Senate,
adding, ‘’let me note that con-
stitution amendment remains
one of the top priorities of the
Seventh Senate. Our success
in the electoral reforms is now
obvious and has been widely
acknowledged after the 2011
general election. I congratu-
late members of the Sixth
National Assembly once
Indigenes demand state
than 90 per cent of Abuja in-
digenes are yet to be re-
settled, a situation he said has
made life extremely difficult
to the rural poor whose farm
land are being taken away
from them by estate develop-
ers.
“The people of FCT whose
major preoccupation is farm-
ing have had their farmlands
and homes taken over by the
Nigerian Government thereby
leaving us without any ad-
equate means of livelihood
which would have been taken
care of if we were initially com-
pensated FULLY and at our
own terms as enshrined in
Chapter IV, Section 44, Sub-
section (1b) of the 1999 Con-
stitution. “Contrary to specu-
lations in the media, mischief
making by some politicians
and arm-chair critics, the Fed-
eral Government of Nigeria is
yet to fully compensate over
ninety (90) per cent of the
original inhabitants whose
lands were forcefully taken for
again, for breaking the jinx of
constitution amendment in
Nigeria. The onus is therefore
on us to build on this success.
We shall endeavour to pro-
duce a workable constitution
that will stand the test of
time.”
Areas to revisit in the
amendment
T he Senator
Ekweremadu-led Con-
stitution Review Committee
Ike
will revisit the fundamental
issues of state creation, local
government system, devolu-
tion of powers, revenue allo-
cation, State police, State In-
dependent National Electoral
Commissions, uniform mini-
mum wage, Fiscal Responsi-
bility, Joint account, among
other contentious, but impor-
tant issues.
Who are these Committee
members from the Senate?
T he Committee is headed
by the Ekweremadu and
his counterpart from the
House of Representatives,
Emeka Ihedioha. The list is
made up of one member from
each of the 36 states of the
federation and representa-
tives of all the six geo-politi-
cal zones.
For added measure, all the
female senators were in-
cluded.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012, PAGE 39
the establishment of the Fed-
eral Capital Territory. We
stand to be corrected by any
documentary evidence either
by the government or any
group”, he insisted.
I n a memorandum sent to
the National Assembly,
according the OIDA presi-
dent, specific prayers of the
indigenes asked that a Fed-
eral Capital City be carved
out of the current FCT and the
remaining part declared a
state.
“Since the Federal Govern-
ment has not fully compen-
sated the over 1.5 million
original inhabitants spread in
858 villages and towns within
the territory, and due to a
couple of court judgments
which say “the Federal Gov-
ernment cannot claim owner-
ship of lands in the FCT
which have not been duly
compensated to the original
inhabitants in line with the
customary title deeds of land
Other members are, Senators
Uche Chukwumerije, Bello
Mohammed Tukur, Chris
Ngige, Ita Enang, Abdul
Ningi, Heineken Lokpobiri,
Barnabas Gemade, Ahmed
Zannah, Victor Ndoma Egba,
James Manager, Christopher
Nwankwo, Odion Ugbesia,
Anthony Adeniyi, Ayogu Eze,
Joshua Lidani, Chris
Anyanwu, Abdulaziz Usman,
Datti Baba-Ahmed, Bello
Gwarzo, Abu Ibrahim,
Abubakar Atiku Bagudu,
Smart Adeyemi, Mohammed
Sha’aba Lafiagi, Ganiyu
Solomon, Suleiman Adokwe,
Dahiru Awaisu Kuta and
Adegbenga Kaka.
Others are Senators
Boluwaji Kunlere, Sola
Adeyeye, Olufemi Lanlehin,
Joshua Dariye, Magnus Abe,
Umaru Dahiru, Abubakar
Tutare Umar, Alkali Jajere,
Ahmed Sani, Philip Aduda,
Nkechi Nwaogu, Helen
Esuene, Nenadi Usman,
Oluremi Tinubu, Zaynab
Kure, Aisha Al-hassan,
George Akume, Ayoola
Agboola and Mohammed
Saleh.
While speaking on the com-
mencement of the exercise
last week, Ekweremadu said,
“Give and take, our estimation
is that by July, 2013, we will
be able to conclude another
set of constitutional amend-
ownership,” we the indig-
enous people of the Federal
Capital Territory will like to
put the country on notice in
the following areas:
“That while we shall still
concede the 1,600 square
kilometres of the Federal
Capital City as drawn out in
the Abuja Masterplan to Ni-
geria as the capital city of the
nation, we are asking for the
remaining 6,400 square
kilometres of the larger Fed-
eral Capital Territory to be de-
clared a state status for the
original inhabitants of the ter-
ritory. When done, this will be
in tandem with what was done
for Lagos in 1967 where Gen-
eral Yakubu Gowon (rtd) de-
clared the entire Lagos Island
and surrounding environs as
the nation’s capital while
Lagos Mainland was carved
out and declared a state with
the capital located in Ikeja,
after being merged with cer-
tain parts of the old Western
Region.
ment. We even thought we can
move faster than that but we
are going to engage in other
national assignments, we are
going to engage the 2013 bud-
get which I suppose will come
in September and then en-
sure that the other legislations
did not suffer, so when we put
all these things together, we
believe that July 2013 will be
an appropriate time to deliver
the next set of amendment.’’
Will the Senate/ House put
behind them the issue of ego?
N ow that the National
Assembly is set for the
job, it is hoped that the prob-
lem of egocentricism will not
set in with regard to who
chairs or whether the problem
of seniority will not set in be-
tween the Deputy Senate
President and the Deputy
Speaker and then make the
very serious national assign-
ment suffer discounts on ac-
count of that as was the case
in the past.
Ekweremadu at the briefing
had promised that the Senate
will work with the House of
Representatives in the
amendment of the constitu-
tion and thus put to rest fears
of possible ‘fight’ between the
Senate and the House of Rep-
resentatives when the issue
of Chairman, Co- Chairman
comes up.
PAGE 40—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012

2015 ON THEIR MINDS (1)

STORY IN BRIEF
This is a build up to Presi-
dent Goodluck Jonathan's
first year in office as an
elected leader. But there
appears to be a stasis in the
President Jonathan and
the succession debate
affairs of the nation, occa-
sionally shattered by the
bombing raids of
insurgents. Yet, the political
class is enmeshed in a con-
troversy about succession
come 2015. Worse, the
body language still Mr.
President and his minders zOptions before Mr. President, PDP and opposition parties
suggests that it could be a
go for him. This piece is an
the day he participated in, and voted for ately after, those who promised that
exploratory voyage on pos- BY JIDE AJANI the retention of the zoning arrangement Jonathan's tenure as President and
sible scenarios and out-
comes, particularly in the of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, re- Commmander-in-Chief would be hellish
power struggle to come be- stating that the South would have eight have since been keeping their promise.
tween the North and JONATHAN'S VOTE FOR years after which the North would have Today, the agitation is already on for
ZONING IN 2002 which section of the country would pro-

Jonathan over zoning,
within the context of the
report that Nigeria risks
disintegration either by
2015 or by 2030.And
whereas Mr. President has
declared that they should let
him focus on development
issues for now, those who
would benefit from his
decision to contest or not are
still on the prowl
C
M
Y
K
H
e would have been awe struck.
Late on the night of Decem
ber 2, 2002, when then Deputy
Governor of Bayelsa State, Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan, representing his boss,
Diepreye Solomon Peter
Alamieyeseigha, sat in that conference
room of Aso Rock Presidential Villa, he
could not have known that the events of
that night would play a significant role
in his evolution later in life - that was
its own eight years of presidential power.
But events were to both collaborate in
favour of and conspire against Jonathan
some 10 years later - it had to do with
the propriety or otherwise of his aspira-
tion as a contender in the presidential
race of his party in January 2011.
Jonathan got the ticket of his party and
went on to win the presidential elections
of 2011.
There endeth the easy part.
Just before the elections and immedi-
duce the president in 2015, barely a year
into a four-year tenure.
2015 AND DISINTEGRATION
Yes, 2015. That is the year that was ini-
tially predicted as Nigeria's year of doom,
when disintegration is expected to set
into the affairs of the nation. But it has
been again reviewed to 2030.
According to a report emanating from
Continues on page 41

Continued from page 40
the United States of America, "Nige-
ria (is expected to) be engaged in mul-
tipartite civil war like it happened in
Lebanon in 1975 and Somalia in 1991
before its final disintegration in 2030,
a report by the United States military
experts released by the Centre for
Strategy and Technology, Air Univer-
sity, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
has said.
"The report, written by five US mili-
tary scholars and entitled “Failed State
2030: Nigeria – A case study” and
dated February 2011, is one of the
many periodic scenario building
analyses undertaken by the US mili-
tary think tanks on the future of coun-
tries within the sphere of economic
interests of the US.
""In the 156-page latest report, the
US Air Force officers posit that
“Nigeria’s lack of unifying national
identity, history of corrupt governance,
religious and cultural schisms, and
shifting demographics may cause the
state, over time, to break apart.”"
"In the case of Nigeria in 2030, the
experts believed that Nigeria’s “his-
tory of tribal and religious conflicts,
endemic corruption at all levels of gov-
ernment, poor national planning, un-
even development, social disorder,
rampant criminality, violent insur-
gency, and terminal weak governance
provides an environment that could
portend imminent collapse and fail-
ure.”"
A n earlier report had been re
leased during the administration
of former President Matthew
Okikiolakan Aremu Obasanjo by the
US National Intelligence Council,
where the US intelligence experts pre-
dicted Nigeria’s collapse in 2015. The
consolation, which former Foreign
Affairs Minister, Professor Bolaji
Akinyemi, agreed with in a separate
interview, is that ""the military schol-
ars explained that the security report
is “not a specific prediction of the fu-
ture or a depiction of a state of affairs
that will and must occur ” but “a dis-
cussion of how the trends occurring
in Nigeria since its birth as a nation
in 1960 could, under the right condi-
tions, lead to its failure.”That is where
Akinyemi comes in. In an interview
with Sunday Vanguard on a separate
issue, Akinyemi pointed out that
"Nigeria should be eternally thankful
to the United States of America, USA,
for alerting us on the impending
danger", adding that "the wise thing
for us to do as a people who want to
be seen as wise is to act now and not
attack the messenger".
Alarmingly, the report concludes that
“fragmentation of the Nigerian body
politic could create conditions for a
multipartite civil war, mirroring in
some ways the events in Lebanon in
IN PART 2 NEXT WEEK
zIS IT A COINCIDENCE THAT
2015, WHICH WAS PREDICTED
AS NIGERIA'S YEAR OF DISINTE-
GRATION, IS ALSO AN ELEC-
TION YEAR?
zWHAT ABOUT THE NEW DATE
OF 2030?
Options before Mr. President,
PDP and opposition parties
President Jonathan... body lan-
guage confusing
Muhammadu Buhari... never-say-
die - to contest again?
1975 and Somalia in 1991. The report
however said that “Nigeria’s 250 mil-
lion people, 350 different ethnicities,
and religious differences can, under
the right circumstances, cause the
nation to shatter in an instant.”" But
can anyone say with certainty that
politicians in Nigeria are behaving
wisely
z WHEN WOULD 2015 BE ON
PRESIDENT JONATHAN'S MIND
SINCE IT IS NOT ON HIS MIND
NOW?
zHOW DOES HE PLAN TO CON-
TAIN THE EXCESSES OF THOSE
AROUND HIM WHO SEE IN 2015
THE OPPORTUNITY TO REMAIN
RELEVANT BY REMAINING IN THE
SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012 , PAGE 41
Atiku Abubakar.... Still
considerably influential
Attahiru Jega... will 2015
elections not be scientifically
rigged again?
AVERTING DOOM
And whereas President Jonathan at-
tempted to douse the tension at the
PDP National Convention, when in a
speech delivered by his deputy, Vice
President Namadi Sambo, pontificat-
ing that the party could be torn apart
by the 2015 succession battle, another
attempt to draw the attention of Nige-
CORRIDORS OF POWER?
zHOW DOES THE NORTH PLAN TO
RESPOND TO THE 2015 CHAL-
LENGE?
zWOULD THE INSURGENCY GO-
ING ON IN NORTHERN NIGERIA
HAVE BEEN CONTAINED BY
THEN?
rians to the needless distraction that
the matter was becoming penultimate
Saturday left gaps in the statement
from his office.
The statement had categorically
stated:"What began as an irritating
distraction some months ago, appears
to have now assumed a life of its own,
dominating political discourse in the
country, with all kinds of mischief-
makers and opportunists latching on
to it, to heat up the polity unneces-
sarily. The pointless, diversionary and
very distractive hue and cry about the
President’s alleged ambition to seek
a second term in office is becoming
increasingly disturbing by the day
with headlines such as
“JONATHAN’S 2015 AMBITION
CAN BREAK UP NIGERIA” and
“JONATHAN’S 2015 AMBITION
FUELING INSECURITY,” now regu-
lar fare in our newspapers and on the
internet.
"For the avoidance of any doubt what-
soever, President Jonathan wishes to
reiterate that his primary concern and
the focus of all his efforts now, just
about a year into the four-year tenure
for which he was elected in April 2011,
is to deliver on his promise of posi-
tive national transformation.
"The President’s sole preoccupation
as the nation moves towards the first
anniversary of his administration on
May 29, 2012 is to continue to give
effective and purposeful leadership
that will steer Nigeria towards over-
coming its immediate security and de-
velopmental challenges. Nothing
could be farther from President
Jonathan’s mind at this point in time
than the 2015 elections. The President
has definitely not directed or autho-
rized any individual or group to
launch any campaign on his behalf.
"President Jonathan urges the politi-
cal class and the Nigerian mass me-
dia, once again, to focus on the im-
mediate priority of protecting, pre-
serving and consolidating democratic
governance in Nigeria, and giving the
nation’s current crop of elected lead-
ers at all levels the opportunity to de-
liver on their promises to the people
without the distraction of an unend-
ing campaign for future elections".
The statement was signed by his Spe-
cial Adviser on Media, Dr. Reuben
Abati.
Even with the statement from
Jonathan's office, it may appear as
though a separate life is being
incubated for 2015.
CONTINUES NEXT WEEK
zWHO ARE THOSE WHO CON-
STITUTE THE EMERGING
POWER BLOCKS IN THE NORTH
AND IN THE SOUTH?
zWHAT HAPPENS TO THE OPPO-
SITION POLITICAL PARTIES AND
WHAT SORT OF CHALLENGE
WOULD THEY POSE?
PAGE 42, SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012
SUNDAY INTERVIEW
Elder Godsday Orubebe
BY WALE AKINOLA
The Minister for Niger Delta Af-
fairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe,
joins the debate on whether or
not President Goodluck
Jonathan should seek re-election
in 2015,saying the issue is for
Nigerians to decide. The minister
also speaks on the mandate of his
ministry, Boko Haram and the
politics of his home state,Delta.
C
AN you identify some of
your achievements as the
Minister of Niger Delta
Affairs?
Our mandate as given by this
government is to fast track devel-
opment in the Niger Delta and
coordinate developmental activi-
ties in the region and provide a
new thinking, new frameworks on
the way forward for peace and
security in the Niger Delta. That
was why when the ministry was
created the first thing we did was
to work with all the security
agencies, the state governors and
local government chairmen to
bring to pass the current peace
we are enjoying in the Niger
Delta. The ministry led the dele-
gation, went round all the creeks
of the Niger Delta and eventually
amnesty came. Today, every
Nigerian knows about the benefits
of amnesty as a programme. As a
ministry, we have also put up a
programme for youths generally
in the region, providing some
sorts of engagement for the non-
militant youths in the Niger Delta
and so far about 721 youths are
being trained within and outside
the country, some in oil and gas,
some in maritime, some in agricul-
ture, tourism and ICT. Now talk-
ing about the East/West Road, it
is a project that was awarded in
2006 and then it was in the hands
of the Federal Ministry of Works.
But by 2009, the government felt
that there was need to fast track
the completion of the project. Sub-
sequently, the project was trans-
ferred to our ministry. As at that
time, it was 10 per cent completion
but a lot of things were not right
with the project, it was when
we took over that the issues of
designing and feasibility study
were taken care of. The budgeting
for the project started effectively
from 2009. That is why as a
ministry we have backlog of
liabilities and activities
concerning the road. But today,
the project has budget head and
Mr. President has directed that it
has to be completed by Decem-
ber 2014.
Right now, most of the youths
from the Niger Delta and other
parts of the country are trained
outside Nigeria and the thinking
of the ministry is that we would
save a lot of money and also add
to development if the youths are
trained within the country. And so
the ministry is constructing nine
world-class training centres in the
nine states of the region, one in
each of the states. We have also
done a lot of environmental and
erosion projects, a good number
of them have been completed. We
also have other adjoining road
projects, about eight of them, that
have reached advanced stages of
completion. And then, most
importantly, the ministry is today
working with the United Nations
Development Programme
(UNDP), various stakeholders and
development partners. We are pro-
viding development frameworks
and the essence is to ensure that
the activities and the resources of
the various development
agencies and governments are
harnessed so that we avoid
wastage and duplication of
2015: Jonathan made
no commitment to the
North —Orubebe
'Let Nigerians decide'
projects.
What are the new projects your
ministry will embark upon this
year?
As a ministry we are not likely
to do new projects this year. Our
concentration is on how we are
going to
complete the projects that we
started in 2009/2011. Our desire is
to complete these projects
How do you feel when you are
being accused of non-perfor-
mance by some stakeholders in
the region despite these
achievements you have enumer-
ated?
I
appreciate the concern of
people that are making com-
ments. Expectedly, anybody from
the Niger Delta and even Nigeria
expect certain visible things must
be seen now. But people must
also realise that development
takes time. This ministry came into
being in 2009 and of course, there
has to be planning, there has to
be activities. And these projects
must start from somewhere. As I
said, it will take some time but I
believe that as from late 2013,
when most of these projects
, Expectedly, anybody from the
Niger Delta and even Nigeria
expect certain visible things must
be seen now. But people must
also realise that development
takes time
would be commissioned, people
will then appreciate what we are
doing.
Do you have the required
funding for the execution of the
mandate of the ministry?
N o ministry has the required
funding. What is important
is planning and utilizing effective-
ly what you have in your hand.
But as a ministry, we are going out
with what we have and expect that
by the new thinking, the way we
are working with the development
partners and others because the
reality of the issue is that the gov-
ernment alone cannot develop the
Niger Delta and so we are bring-
ing in development partners and
we are working together under the
leadership of the UNDP.
What are the challenges facing
the ministry?
The challenges are quite enor-
mous. The first challenge I can tell
you is probably the development
of the area in terms of what
contractors face in our various
sites. Most of the time, we are
intervening for contractors to go
and work. I think that there is need
for all stakeholders to appeal to
our people to allow contractors to
work in our sites. Of course the
issue of funds is another
challenge, reasonable funds are
needed for the development of the
Niger Delta. The funds are not
enough, that is a very big
challenge. The other one is the
terrain of the Niger Delta, it is a
very harsh terrain and so a lot of
funds are needed for the
development of the area. Whereas
it is easy to do certain projects in
other areas, it is difficult in the
Niger Delta. For instance if you are
constructing a road, you first of
all, you have to develop an earth
road before you can think of
constructing the main asphalt
road that they are expecting.
These are some of the artificial and
natural challenges that we are
,
facing in the ministry.
There was this idea of bringing
the NDDC under your ministry.
Has the idea been jettisoned?
You know recently the President
put up a committee, the Oronsaye
Committee and the committee is
rationalizing agencies and what
have you and I think that some of
these issues that are pending will
be resolved by the time the gov-
ernment starts to implement the
white that will come out of the
committee’s recommendations.
There are still pockets of
agitations in the Niger Delta,
especially by some militants who
claimed that they were not
absorbed into the amnesty pro-
gramme after they have disarmed.
Is there anything being planned
to accommodate them?
I think that two things are fun-
damental here. We must get them
very clear. If something is not
good, we must say it is not good,
if something is good, we must say
it is good. If something is not right,
you must say it is not right and if
it is right, you must say it is right.
The amnesty programme today is
being supervised by the Special
Adviser to the President on Niger
Delta but because I have followed
it up from the beginning, I know a
lot about the amnesty programme.
When amnesty was announced,
there was a time frame that was
given and within that time frame,
people were expected to buy into
it. Most of the people who are
agitating here and there today are
people who did not buy into the
amnesty programme as at that
time. So, number one, they are
not part of the amnesty pro-
gramme. If for any reason they
never declared before the time, I
think they should appeal in a way
to the government instead of
creating problems. And I want to
add that everybody from the Niger
Delta today must be thanking God
and be praying for Mr. President
because this is an opportunity that
is very rare. If you don’t allow de-
velopment to take place in that
place, if you don’t allow peace to
reign in that place to enable
development and productive
activities to take place after this
time, we probably may not have
the opportunity to regret. Today,
we have a president from the
region, this is the time all of us must
join hands with him, pray for him
to be able to make the needed
reasonable contributions towards
the development of the Niger
Delta and Nigeria generally.
How do you react to the views of
some sections of the Niger Delta
that the region is yet to gain
anything from Jonathan’s
presidency?
The views are wrong. Even at
the level of the ministry, I just
highlighted certain things to you,
other ministries are doing their
own. There are a lot that is being
done in the Niger Delta. Take for
instance education, we have one
additional federal university in the
region. We have a number of poly-
technics that have been
established in the Niger Delta.
People sit down, just in their homes
and probably when they want
something and they have not got
it, they speak from their personal in
Continues on page 43

2015: Jonathan made no commitment
to the North —Orubebe
Continued from page 42
terests. So many things are
being put in place and as I
always said it is not a question
where within one month, you
sleep and wake up and you see
the kind of development you
have in London in a place. It
takes time. There is no country
in the world that has developed
within a short period. Develop-
ment is a gradual process and I
think that people should allow
Mr. President to develop the re-
gion.
H
slow?
ow do you react to the
view that Jonathan is too
When people talk about slow,
how do you describe somebody
being slow? The crash pro-
gramme we have run in this
country have always taken us
nowhere. In this country, we have
gone into projects without plan-
ning, without articulating what
we should do, the benefits avail-
able from projects. We have al-
ways rushed into everything.
That is why today we have not
got power in Nigeria after
spending billions of dollars. But
Mr. President has said that any-
thing we want to do in this coun-
try must be done well, we have
to plan towards it, we have to
know how we are going to do it
and we have to know who should
do it. My appeal to Nigeri-
ans is that we must have patience
and understand the transforma-
tion agenda of Mr. President and
I am very definite that under the
leadership of Goodluck
Jonathan, Nigeria will come out
of the woods.
Leaders of some ethnic nation-
alities in the Niger Delta have
accused the Federal Govern-
ment of treating the region as
being synonymous with the
Ijaw with all major
appointments and projects be-
ing given to only the Ijaw group.
Specifically, the Itsekiri ethnic
group has accused your minis-
try in particular of not putting
any project in their area. How
do you react to this?
That probably may be the think-
ing of some few persons who
probably on a personal note
want to criticize the government
because in one form or the other
as individuals they did not get
benefit from government. In Del-
ta State, take for instance, the
Itsekiri area that you mentioned
when we came on board, the first
state office for the Ministry of
Niger Delta was earmarked for
the Itsekiri area. That project
was initiated for that place and
the budget and everything were
sent to the National Assembly. It
came back without a vote, that
is why that project was not done.
There are environmental and
canalization projects that are
going on in Itsekiri axis of the
Niger Delta. . The ministry has
tried as much as possible to re-
flect generally every area.
Now the government of Good-
luck Jonathan has the Petroleum
University in Effurun, that is not
in the Ijaw area. Every federal
ministry is doing projects in so
many areas in the Niger Delta.
What about appointment into
key positions? They talked about
the appointment of Ijaw persons
as ministers of petroleum and
Niger Delta Affairs.
I come from Delta State and a
minister is supposed to come
from Bayelsa State. And so if a
minister from Bayelsa State is an
Ijaw and a minister from Delta
State is an Ijaw, we should not
be treated as the same people.
Every minister is treated on the
basis of the state that he comes
from. There are other areas
where you have the same tribe
in all the offices. For goodness
sake, we are only two Ijaw peo-
ple. If you want to use the word
tribe, we are only two Ijaw peo-
ple and we have 42 ministers. We
have had situations where Ijaw
people were not ministers and
we did not complain. The impor-
tant thing is that we should see
ourselves as one and work with
one another for the development
of the region.
The Urhobo ethnic nationality
in Delta State is also complain-
ing that your ministerial slot
ought to have been given to an
Urhobo man this time around.
Their argument is that the Ijaw
have got a slot in Bayelsa State.
Are you aware of this?
W hy? What are the rea
sons? We are talking
about state. When the Ijaw peo-
ple were not governors of Delta
State and an Urhobo man be-
came governor of the state, we
worked with them. We did not
complain. We worked for them
and we voted for them. Are you
satisfied with the level of peace
in the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) in Delta State now? I am
reasonably satisfied with the
peace that we now enjoy in the
PDP in Delta State and I think
the governor has done very well.
We have agreed to work with the
governor and frankly too I think
we have altogether worked very
well. I think what is important
now is for us to build on what we
have found
and in moving forward, building
a very solid cooperation so that
peace will continue to reign in
the state.
Are you aware that some
members are still aggrieved by
the outcome of the reconcilia-
tion? For instance your former
colleague in the federal cabi-
net, Chief Kenneth Gbagi and
yourself have engaged in ver-
bal altercations over the out-
come of the congress.
Gbagi has no business com-
plaining because during the
congress I went to my ward but
he did not go to his ward. He did
not go to his local government.
He was not found anywhere.
Anybody who did not participate
in the congresses, in the election,
has no business to complain. We
all agree to work together and if
Gbagi was not there, it is unfor-
tunate. PDP cannot wait for him.
But today I can tell you that we
are working very well with the
governor and we are moving PDP
forward in Delta State. With the
fact that you still have some ag-
grieved persons within the par-
ty, what is the way
forward?Today, we
have the state executive in place,
it is their duty to work round ev-
erybody to ensure permanent
peace. PDP is a very big family,
Elder Godsday Orubebe
it is in the interest of all of us to
see that the state executive works
with everybody, brings every-
body on board for the larger PDP.
A re you not bothered that
Boko Haram is over-
whelming the Federal Govern-
ment and it is becoming an em-
barrassment to this country?
What I will say is that we have
a national problem and I think
that it is time that the whole coun-
try should file behind Mr. Presi-
, 2015 is purely a political issue, it has
got nothing to do with the crisis and
the political issues in Nigeria are al-
ways defined by the desire of the peo-
ple to have good government
dent to ensure that the crisis is
resolved and I think that it is a
wake- up call for everybody to
understand that it not about sit-
ting at a place and accusing the
government of not doing any-
thing. I think that it is a problem
for everybody and we are all ex-
pected to play one role or the
other to see that the problem is
put behind us. Every household
leader, every local government
leader, every state leader and
every national leader should
be concerned about it. Boko
Haram is a new phenomenon
that has come to play and gov-
ernment is doing everything it
can to see that it comes to an end.
My position is that we should
work together as brothers to en-
sure that there is peace in this
country. That is the only way we
can move forward and I think
that the security agencies are
doing their best to ensure that
the issue of Boko Haram is put
behind us.
Do you share the views of the
National Security Adviser
(NSA), Gen. Owoye Azazi, that
the Boko Haram was rooted in
the undemocratic practices in
PDP and response to the ru-
SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012 , PAGE 43
moured 2015
second term
aspiration of
President
Jonathan?
I think they
are clear is-
sues. Boko
Haram start-
ed long before
Dr. Jonathan
became Presi-
dent. While
President
Yar’Adua was
alive, Boko
Haram was in
existence. It
has got noth-
ing to do with
2015. That
time that
Boko Haram
came up, what
were they
fighting for?
When Presi-
dent Yar’Adua
was on board
and Boko Haram came up, was
there anything like 2015? There
was nothing like 2015. Boko
Haram started during the time
of President Yar’Adua. As at that
time there was no issue of 2015
and for anybody to say it is be-
cause of 2015 that Boko Haram
came into being is total fallacy,
it is not true. They have their own
programmes and agenda, it is a
mere coincidence that it is hap-
pening at this time but Mr. Pres-
ident is on top of the situation
,
and very soon it will be a thing
of the past.
Will the issue of Boko Haram
likely affect the chances of a
South/South person angling for
the presidency of the country in
2015?
I think we should separate the
crisis and 2015. 2015 is pure-
ly a political issue, it has got noth-
ing to do with the crisis and the
political issues in Nigeria are
always defined by the desire of
the people to have good govern-
ment and I think Nigeria has
come of age and what Nigerians
appreciate is to have good gov-
ernment. Let us separate these
things. In 2015, Nigerians
are looking towards having a
president they can trust, a presi-
dent that can deliver, that is what
Nigerians are looking for. Nige-
rians are not looking for a sec-
tional president anymore, they
want a president that can put
food on the table of the poor, a
president that can listen to the
people.
Does Jonathan fit into this?
Yes, of course, he is. It is the peo-
ple that will decide.
If you say Jonathan fits and a
lot of Nigerians believe that the
country is drifting under his
w a t c h . . . . . . . . .
Drifting to where? We have al-
ways had crisis in this country.
This is not the first time we are
having this type of crisis. We have
had crisis of various dimensions,
some in the West, some in the
East, some in the Niger Delta
and now in the North. I don’t
think this is the first time we are
having this kind of serious crisis
in Nigeria. We have had crisis in
Nigeria when oil production
went down to almost a zero lev-
el. That was a very serious eco-
nomic crisis that we had
but we overcame it. We have the
crisis of OPC, we have crisis of
MASSOB in the East, Maitsaine
in the North etc. I don’t think
Nigeria is drifting. I think that it
is one of these crises and we will
overcome it and Mr. President is
on top of the situation.
Some ex-militant leaders in the
Niger Delta are in the vanguard
of a second term campaign for
Jonathan. Specifically, Asari
Dokubo and Government Ekpe-
mukpolo, alias Tompolo, have
insisted that Jonathan has the
right to seek re-election. Do you
share the same sentiments and
do you believe they are doing
the right thing?
As a journalist what do you
think of it?
But it is your opinion that I am
asking for. What is your opin-
ion?
Y ou as a journalist who is
open to the law of the land,
does it stop Jonathan if he wants
to? It is two things we must get
clear from here. Every Nigerian
is entitled to run for the presi-
dency of this country. Every Ni-
gerian when you fit into the reg-
ulations that are set for
somebody to run for the presi-
dency , now the constitution al-
lows President Jonathan to run
for a second term but the issue
of whether he will run or he will
not run is a personal decision.
But the constitution permits him
to run in 2015 if he wants to run.
But it is a personal issue. The de-
cision is personal to him. He has
not told any Nigerian, he has not
told anybody that he wants to run
in 2015. Today, Mr. President is
faced with the burden of how to
provide power for this country,
to fix our roads, to develop agri-
culture to a reasonable level, to
provide food on the table of the
poor, to move Nigeria from
where we are, that is the burden
of Mr. President. He is bothered
about how he can achieve these
for Nigerians. He has not told
anybody about 2015.
Do you support the ex-militant
leaders that Jonathan can con-
test 2015?
He has the right if he wishes. He
is not stopped by the constitution
but that is his personal deci-
sion.
Are you aware of any com-
mitment by President
Jonathan to any individual or
group, especially in the
North, before the 2011 elec-
tion, that he would not seek
a second term ticket in 2015?
I am not aware of any com-
mitment he made to anybody
or group but all what I know
when he decided to run for
presidency in 2011 he called
us together and told us that
he was running for the presi-
dency of this country for 2011.
So, we mobilised ourselves
and worked for him and to-
day he is there. That is the
story. I don’t know about any
meeting anywhere where he
made commitment to anybody
or any group. I am not aware
of that.
PAGE 44— SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012
How we raked in N1.3bn in first quarter—DC Akande
STORIES BY UDEME CLEMENT
The Ogun State Customs
Command has recorded over
N1.3billion revenue in the first
quarter of 2012 and 230
seizures with Duty Paid Value
(DPV) of N153.4million. The
Command also realised over
N362million as revenue from
3,644 vehicles. The Customs
Area Controller (CAC) DC
Akande Bamidele speaks on
the strategies adopted by his
team to make the Command
much more active
T unrelenting efforts
ELL us about the
activities of your
Command in the first
quarter of 2012?
The Command for the period
of January to March 2012
made an impressive
performance. For instance, we
realised over N1.3 billion
revenue as against
N730million collected the
same period in 2011, which
shows a difference of
N613.3million. The Command
is working assiduously
towards achieving the monthly
revenue target of N900million
given it. The strategies we
adopted resulted in the
collection of N362million as
revenue on 3,644 vehicles for
the period under review as
against 692 vehicles with
revenue of N115.8million
generated in the same period
in 2011.
Can you give us the
percentage difference in
revenue from the previous
year?
A comparative analysis of
what we realised shows a
percentage difference of 308
per cent and the quantum
increase is as a result of the
unrelenting efforts of officers
against smugglers in the area.
Also in the period under
review, we made 230 seizures
with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of
over N153.4million as against
320 seizures with DPV of
N229.3million, which the
Command recorded in the
same period in 2011. In
practical terms, the downward
trend in seizure-making has
resulted in high revenue
collected for government. The
astronomical increase in
revenue generation was due to
the quantum leap of the
imported vehicles on which
duties were collected, as the
vehicles were smuggled into
the country without payment of
import duties and taxies.
O gun Command has a
porous border with
numerous illegal routes. What
tactics did you adopt in
carrying out your operations?
I took over the affairs of the
Command on January 20, 2012
and this has forced smugglers
to resort to legitimate
declaration of imports and
subsequent duty payment
instead of risking seizures of
their goods. The unscrupulous
car dealers are now
reconditioned by the
aggressive anti-smuggling
campaign in the Command.
, officers were attacked with
A comparative
analysis of what
we realised shows
a percentage
difference of 308
per cent and the
quantum increase
is as a result of the
,
of officers against
smugglers in the
area.
Notwithstanding, there are
challenges because there are
many illegal routs within the
borders.
How do you handle the
people in the border areas
who see your activities as a
NIWA to deploy swamps harvesters in inland waterways
Ahmed Aminu Yar’Adua
I
N a bid to ensure smooth
navigational activities in
the waterways in the
country, the National Inland
Waterways Authority (NIWA) is
putting measures in place to
deploy swamps harvesters to
inland waterways across the
country. In that capacity, NIWA
has acquired two swamps weed
harvesters to carry out regular
clearing of weeds from the
dredged river Niger and other
locations.
The managing director of
NIWA, Ahmed Aminu
Yar’Adua, explained that the
initiative was to ensure that
weeds are not allowed to grow
in the river, as massive growth
of weeds in the dredged river
Niger was affecting smooth
navigational activities in the
region.
He explained, “The swamps
harvesters will be used for
clearing water hyacinth as well
as other aquatic weeds from
the waterways. Also, the
equipment will be deployed in
all the inland waterways in the
country to ensure that
DC Akande Bamidele
clog?
Some people in the border
communities are very volatile
since they see smuggling as a
legitimate trade and are not
ready to give up. Given the
precarious nature of the
operational environment at the
border and the violent nature
of people within the border
community, our officers are
frequently attacked
smugglers who moblised
community members against
by
Customs in order to continue
with illegal trades.
In such incidences, our
navigational activities in all the
dredged channels were safe
and smooth. Massive weeds in
the dredged channels of the
inland waterways can hinder
smooth navigation in the river.
As such, the equipment must be
used for periodic clearing and
cleansing of the river for
optimal utilisation. The swamps
harvesters are the mechanical
equipments best suited for
intervention towards opening
up of blocked waterways, which
is very rampant in the dredged
river Niger and other inland
waterways in our environment.”
Giving an update on the
dredging of the lower River
Niger he stated, “Already the
capital dredging had been
completed. What we have now
is a channel of 2.5 metres depth
from Baro in Niger State to
Warri in Delta State . So, this
development has increased
activities in the inland water
transportation, which is of great
economic benefit to the country.
What is needed at the moment
is for companies to take
advantage of these
opportunities and move into the
sector. We are also marketing
our product by discussing with
mega companies like Dangote
on the need to ship their goods
through the water. Aside from
that, we are holding discussion
with Katsina Rolling Mill
and numerous other companies
about the advantages of moving
their products through the
water. Some firms are already
moving crude oil through the
channels we have created,
which is a good idea”.
Yar’adua further disclosed that
the management of NIWA and
guns, cutlasses and charms.
Within the last two weeks, we
recorded two incidences. One
happened at Ilashe along
Idiroko/Atan road, where a
group of smugglers attacked
our officers with dangerous
weapons in an attempt to
retrieve seizures. They were
overpowered and one of them
was arrested with sword and
charms. The suspect by name
Mr. Sunday Adisa has been
charged to court already.
Another incident took place at
Aiyetoro where a smuggler in
an attempt to escape arrest
knocked down an officer. The
vehicle was shot and the bullet
hit the smuggler on the leg.
The suspect is undergoing
treatment in Customs staff
clinic Idiroko and will be
charged to court as soon as his
condition improves. The
tokunbo vehicle found with
him was impounded.
A side from these, what
other uncommon trend
of smuggling have you
uncovered in the Command?
We impounded a commercial
bus brought in across the
the Federal Ministry of Transport
had concluded arrangement to
float a 45-passenger boat from
Lokoja to Onitsha . We will start
with two this year. Already the
Ships & Ports goes daily
N
IGERIA’S widest
circulating maritime
newspaper, Ships&
Ports, is now being published
daily, as the maritime industry
publication currently known as
Ships & Ports Daily Free
Newspaper will appear five
times weekly, Mondays to
Fridays.
The Editor of the newspaper,
Obiajulu Agu, explained that
the decision to go daily was to
serve the industry ’s
stakeholders better and give
From right: Mr. John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice
Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Biola Alabi, Managing Director, M-Net
Africa & Mr,. Mayo Okunola, General Manager, GOtv at the
official showcase of the new AfricaMagic Channels, at Eko Hotel
& Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi.
border but painted in Lagos
colour to escape security
checks. We intercepted
another vehicle smuggled into
the country with the banner of
Odua People Congress (OPC)
with an inscription, OPC
Squad Yewa, Chief Apena
Agbaye of Ijebu Ode. We
impounded smuggled vehicles
that were mixed up in the
entourage of the governor to
escape arrest. We have
seizures of second-hand
clothes used to conceal Indian
Hemp. We are warning those
still engaging in smuggling to
desist from this economic
sabotage. We will seize their
goods and charge them to
court for prosecution.
The Comptroller General of
Customs, Dikko Inde was
recently honour by Business
Hallmark as the Public Officer
of the year 2011. How would
you describe this honour?
It was an honour well
deserved because Dikko has
been able to transform the
service in an enviable height.
Officers are well trained and
logistics are provided for us to
carry out our statutory duty
effectively.
route from Baro to Onitsha in
Anambra State is now very
accessible as some companies
had started moving their barges
through the river.
information to operators as
events unfold. “We pioneered
daily maritime reporting on
radio, weekly maritime
reporting on television and
then started the free weekly
newspaper as the nation’s first
regular weekly maritime
publication. We are replicating
what we report daily on radio
in the newspaper.
He said, “Ships & Ports made
its debut in October 2007 as a
four-page weekly publication,
which over time was increased
to 12 pages.
 SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012, PAGE 45

The battle over GSM base stations, masts

BY KINGSLEY MUTU , erators aimed at improving w r o n g
The telecoms industry in Ni-
.

T
HE National
Environmental
Standards and Regu-
lations Enforcement Agency
(NESREA) has initiated a
drive aimed at attacking net-
work service providers and
shutting down base stations
deemed to have been erected
in contravention of its stan-
quality of service.
Shutting down base Also, section 130 of the Nige-
rian Communication Act that
stations as has been created the NCC explains the
done by the NESREA scope of its activity as it con-
cerns telecoms equipment and
will certainly under- infrastructure. It is therefore
mine the efforts of the wrong for the NESREA to take
over the functions by law of an
service providers to existing agency. That will be
improve on the quality illegal. If the NESREA must
geria does not need this un-
necessary distraction and the
NESREA should back track to
enable the NCC continue the
worthy work it is doing in
regulating the industry and
any agency that has informa-
tion about any breach of regu-
lations should lodge its com-
plaint with the communica-

dards as it regards environ-
mental safety. It is worthy of
note here that there is no sci-
entific claim that backs up the
NESREA’s claim that situating
a base station five meters away
from the nearest residential
area as stipulated by the NCC
is hazardous to health. Their
reason therefore for shutting
down network operators’ base
stations may be deemed as
baseless and unfounded.
It is also to be observed that
with reference to areas desig-
nated as residential, the real-
ity of usage and topography
of the area may have no bear-
ing on the designations. As
such, traffic patterns follow
demographic concentrations
rather than area designations.
As an example, Victoria Island
in Lagos is a traditionally des-
ignated area that has evolved
into a predominantly commer-
cial district. Wuse II in Abuja
also appears to be evolving in
the same manner. On this note,
,
of service already
being rendered in the
telecoms sector
usurpation. Shutting down
base stations as has been done
by the NESREA will certainly
undermine the efforts of the
service providers to improve
on the quality of service al-
ready being rendered in the
telecoms sector. It will lead to
a fall in the quality of service
especially in high density ar-
eas as operators will not be
able to respond to network
Ignorance keeps Nigeria away from dev —Ikpe
BY AKOMA CHINWEOKE
traffic exigencies promptly
and appropriately as a result
of the crippling of their infra-
structure. It will increase con-
gestion on the network as an-
other base station will have to
take over the functions of the
shut down station. This will se-
riously undermine the efforts
of the NCC and network op-
keeping Nigeria away from
development. He, however,
said it is not yet midnight for
the country as it can still turn
take over these functions, then
the NCA Act needs to be
amended to reflect the change
in regulator as an already ex-
isting law cannot be contra-
vened even by a more power-
ful or superior body. Also, since
the lawfully created body
whose function it is to regulate
the telecoms sector is the
NCC, the NESREA needs to
defer to the NCC on decisions
that affect location and man-
agement of base stations and
masts especially as NESREA
is just a body set up to ensure
enforcement of regulations;
usurping the NCC and taking
over its functions can only be
yam and so on. Once we do
that, jobs would now be creat-
ed for the people and we
would become self-reliant.”
tions commission to investi-
gate and enforce compliance.
The NESREA, being only an
enforcement agency, lacks the
jurisdiction to seal base sta-
tions because it does not have
the power to make regulations
but is only empowered enforce
the regulations made by other
parastatals with respect to en-
vironmental standards.
The NESREA should revert to
the NCC on matters such as
this henceforth in order to fore-
stall the occurrence of both
bodies clashing publicly
shamefully as has been the
case recently.
Mutu is resident in Yenagoa
erything we have. In the end
we have nothing. So it is a
rent seeking economy and we
must change the structure of

A
it will be observed that areas bank chief and chair its dwindling economic for- He also advised the country's the economy. Once, we pro-
sparsely populated could eas- man of Ithoki Energy tunes around . leaders to learn to live less on duce locally, we won't have
ily become densely populated Resource, Chief “Our people should be a pro- politics as a way of making these rent seekers and once
over a period of time leading Kingsley Ikpe has advised that ductive people. We should stop money or being self -depen- these rent seekers come, they
to violation of requirement to avert further ruins in the importing things that we can dent adding that self-depen- see opportunities and that's
such as setback distance and nations economy it's economic make. It is not right that we are dency would come from the when the bribery and corrup-
height specifications. In many planners must stop relying so a petroleum producing coun- country's industries. tion flourish
instances, operators are able, much on imports and seek try yet we import petroleum “We don't want to be worry- The seasoned stock broker
under the watchful eyes of the ways to encourage productivi- products from the UK. It is not ing so much about the lootings blamed the continuous dwin-
Nigerian Communications ty if it hopes to remain rele- right that we grow cocoa yet . I want shift emphasis for our dling fortune of the country's
Commission (NCC), to comply vant in the global competitive we import cocoa finished prod- people to be productive. In economy to emphasis on im-
with the proposed set back of market. ucts from Cadbury. So, our other words the policies of gov- portation and challenged the
10-12 meters from the wall of Ikpe who chaired a public planners must make sure that ernment should discourage government to be more pro-
residential premises, schools presentation of a book titled this country is industrialized importation. We export crude ductive by investing in infra-
and hospitals. Nigeria... A Future In Ruins and the industrialization oil. 90 percent of our foreign structures and great compa-
Given the peculiarities of Ni- written by Dr. Jimanze Ego- should begin with value add- exchange earnings comes from nies that would in turn produce
geria and the lack of proper Alowes in Lagos, lamented ed industries. Industries that crude oil and then we use that values that would be far more
development and planning in that lack of knowledge was can add value to cassava, rice, money to import virtually ev- than what was invested.
most parts of the country, there
are severe constraints in at-
taining the said setback but
the NCC makes sure that op-
PHOTO NEWS
erators comply with the five
meters set back from residen-
tial areas, hospitals and
schools as observed all over
the world.
Also given that there is no
law preventing residential ar-
eas from springing up within
any designated range of
telecoms and other infrastruc-
ture, it is now the added func-
tion of the NCC to make sure
that residential areas are not
built closer than five meters
to an already existing base sta-
tion or mast as it will not make
sense to ask operators to move
already existing base stations
in order to accommodate newly From right: Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation,
built residential areas. The Mr. Kayode Opeifa; Permanent Secretary, Motor Vehicle Ad- From left : His Majesty Nnaemeka Achebe,Chairman; Mr
NCC has been performing ministration Agency, Mr. Akin Hanson, and the Ag. Perma- Atedo Peterside, Non ED; Mr Thabo Mabe,MD and Senator
these tasks with zest and for nent Secretary in the Transport Ministry, Mr. Noheem Said, at Udoma Udo Udoma, Non ED during the 87th Annual General
the NESREA to rubbish all the the media briefing to mark first year of second term in of Meeting of Unilever Nigeria Plc at the Civic Centre , Victoria
effort that has been put in this office of the present Administration in Lagos State. Photo: Ke- Island, Lagos yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye
regard smacks of avoidable hinde Gbadamosi
PAGE 46—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012
Privatisation: Messy times @ Daily Times
VIEWPOINT
BY BONAVENTURE MELAH
VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF
The case instituted by the
Attorney General of the
Federation (AGF) against
the Anosike brothers.
A
N Ikeja High Court last
Monday dismissed a
case instituted against
the Anosike brothers on the sale
of Daily Times of Nigeria (DTN)
which their company Folio Com-
munications Limited bought in
the privatisation exercise. Justice
Habeeb Abiru in striking out the
case said it was unfair for the
prosecution to be delaying the
case at the detriment of the ac-
cused persons who may suffer
unjustly as a result of the delays.
“If your home is not tidy, why
should the people outside suffer?”
the judged had asked the prose-
cution.
The Attorney General of the
Federation (AGF) had initiated
a criminal prosecution against
the Anosike brothers following a
petition from Senator Ikechuk-
wu Obiorah a Minority Interest
Holder struggling for control
and takeover of DTN on the ba-
sis of loan DSV, a company
owned by Sen Obiorah gave to
Folio. This is evident from the
appearance of Mr. L A Idu on
behalf of DSV at all the court ses-
sions while the case lasted. After
series of adjournments, the AGF
decided to transfer it to the La-
gos State Directorate of Public
Prosecution on grounds that it
was a state case.
The Lagos State Attorney Gen-
eral and Commissioner for Jus-
tice Mr. Ade Ipaye said that his
office may revisit the case if Po-
lice finds any other reason to do
so. He was quoted to have said
that his office had just finished
the review of the investigation
Imoke and the BRACED agenda
VIEWPOINT
BY ETOWA OKOI
T
HE outstanding success of
the 2009 seminar, South-
South Economic Summit
at Tinapa Resort, in Calabar
Cross River State, cast a long
shadow over the Second Summit,
only just concluded in Asaba,
Delta State, in April. One of the
most fundamental achievements
of the 2009 Calabar Summit was
the establishment of the BRACED
Commission that effectively mid-
wifed the 2012 Asaba Summit
three years later. BRACED, an
acronym for the South-South
States of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa
Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Del-
ta, is gradually being main-
streamed as an iconic model for
regional economic and social
integration within the bounda-
ries of a sovereign State, as op-
posed to economic blocs
amongst independent nations
that are geographically contigu-
ous.
The Chairman of BRACED,
Governor Liyel Imoke, CON, of
Cross River State, has left no one
Contribution of not more than 1,200 words should be sent to sundayvanguard@yahoo.com
report and found out there was
need to carry out further investi-
gation “because of several gaps.”
One of the ‘several gaps’ may
include a letter written by the In-
spector General of Police (IG) to
the AGF dated 6th May 2010
with the title, RE- FINAL INVES-
TIGATION REPORT, THE CASE
OF FRAUD IN THE DAILY
TIMES NIG. PLC (CR NO:94/10)
in which the IG made reference t
report no: CB,4099/4/SFU/
FMIU/VOL.1/50 dated 28th April
2010 and directed that ‘the case
be regarded as a civil case in na-
ture.’ It therefore arouses a sense
of curiosity why the AGF ignored
the IG’s recommendation and
went ahead to initiate criminal
proceedings.
Another of the ‘several gaps’ is
a letter written by O. O Fatunde,
then Deputy Director Public Pros-
ecution on behalf of the AGF to
the Director of Public Prosecu-
tion through the Lagos Liaison
Office of the Federal Ministry of
Justice in which the AGF ob-
served that ‘one Mr. Ugwu
(ACSC) went ahead to file crimi-
nal charge while investigation
was still on.’ The AGF went on to
direct that the case be withdrawn
to ‘allow for dispassionate re-
appraisal of the entire case.’ This
same ‘Ugwu’ was said to have
refused to comply with the AGF’s
directives and carried on with the
case for months before another
mysterious approval from the
AGF emerged directing that the
criminal charge be ‘filed.’
A new question that is begging
for answer, is why the Lagos State
Attorney General and Commis-
sioner for Justice would not ac-
cept that there is no case to pros-
ecute since he cannot find any-
thing incriminating on the ac-
cused especially in view of the
IG’s earlier recommendation?
What new thing would the Police
find that could not be found since
the past two years ? Some people
have even insinuated and we hope
it is not true that the Attorney
General of the AGF sent the case
in doubt about his bold vision for
the creation of a sustainable eco-
nomic hub in the Sub-region that
will not be solely driven by the
South-South regions enormous
oil wealth. In this context, Im-
oke’s agenda as embraced by
BRACED is as timely as it is am-
bitious and profound. It is a ver-
itable road map for the prosper-
ity of the South-South, and the
welfare and security of its peo-
ple. In just a few years of its es-
tablishment BRACED has prov-
en to be a road worth taking.
BRACED represents a para-
digm shift in integrated macr-
oeconomic management, and in
the exploration of natural re-
sources’ using a multi-faceted
strategy. As it is, the political
leaders of the South-South are
looking back to the golden, im-
mediate post-independence era
when agriculture was the bedrock
of the regions economy, and the
prosperity of her post-civil war
years. In a welcome message at
the 2012 Asaba Summit, Gover-
nor Imoke alluded to this expec-
tation when he expressed the hope
that the Summit will further
strengthen the resolve of
BRACED to build on the progress
to Lagos state hoping the Anosike
brothers would be in a great dis-
advantage on the basis of ethnic
sentiments.
Folio on 30th July 2004 paid
the sum of N1.25billion to ac-
quire 233,754,840 shares of DTN
which gave it 96.05% of the Com-
pany. This was after Folio had
, If your home is
not tidy, why
should the
people outside
,
suffer? the
judged had
asked the
prosecution
gone through all the due proc-
esses of privatisation as provid-
ed in the Privatisation Act and
emerging as the preferred bidder.
Before Folio bought DTN, the
company was completely dead,
having been run down. When
DTN was being sold, the Bureau
of Public Enterprises (BPE) said
it spent N820million on settle-
ment of liabilities because one of
the conditions of the sale was that
new owners would take over with-
out encumbrances. When Folio
took over DTN, they were said to
have been confronted with 150
liability claims totalling
N1.1billion which they have been
battling with. This was in view of
the claim by BPE that DTN’s to-
tal assets were worth N1.9billion.
To make matter worse, a valua-
tion report on DTN found in the
course of the research for this
write up reveals that the compa-
ny was valued at N730,o64,520
by the time it was sold. The re-
port stated that all of DTN ma-
chines were obsolete. The valua-
tion was “based on net value of
DTN, level of shareholding of the
made since the Calabar summit
to chart a way forward towards
building a virile economy for the
region that will be less oil-de-
pendent and better suited to the
demands of the 21st century glo-
bal economy.
This new economy is already
in full swing in Europe, Asia and
other parts of the world. In Eu-
rope, the European Union, EU,
is the machinery for economic
integration. In Asia, it is the As-
sociation of South-East Asian
Nations, ASEAN. There is also
the Union of South American
Nations, UNASUR, the Carib-
bean Community, CARICOM,
the Central American Integra-
tion system, SICA, the Arab
League, AL, African Union,
ECOWAS, and of course other
numerous regional organiza-
tions. BRACED is the most re-
cent of these economic blocs. It
is an idea whose time has come.
Like Martin Luther King, Jnr
said, in a new era, there must be
new thinking and even the most
conservative elements are forced
to admit that an economic
change is necessary.
Regional integration is a proc-
ess in which States enter into a
new investors and other points
raised.” Judging from the report
therefore, Folio paid the sum of
N1.25billion on DTN which is
N500million premium over its
worth, in addition to the huge li-
abilities it inherited.
Folio as a company managed
by young and enterprising Nige-
rians, faced the daunting task
and within a short period was
able to put the four DTN publi-
cations back on the newsstand.
But what obviously seems like a
conspiracy between some busi-
nessmen and others in govern-
ment have become a clog in the
wheel of DTN progress. Folio
said recently in a statement that
it has spent over N500million on
court cases alone.
Folio while paying for DTN
had borrowed some money from
a company called DSV owned by
Sen Obiora and Chief Ben
Okoye. Folio had subsequently
divested a minority interest of
DTN to DSV. In 2007, a Senate
ad- hoc Committee initiated
moves to probe privatisation ex-
ercise of the regime ofex- presi-
dent Olusegun Obasanjo. By this
time, Sen. Obiora was a member
of the Senate. It was alleged that
his disagreement with Folio on
DTN was one of the reasons why
the Senate probe was initiated
and that Sen Obiorah used his
position to influence his col-
leagues to recommend that DTN
be handed over to his company.
While all these gang-ups en-
dure, the BPE has continued to
say that Folio legitimately
bought DTN. In a letter written
by BPE dated April 13, 2010 and
signed by Ms. Bolanle Ona-
gorowa to the Commissioner of
Police (Special Fraud Unit An-
nex), BPE stated that “BPE sold
233,754,840 ordinary shares of
Fifty Kobo (No.50) of Daily
Times to Nigeria Plc to Folio
Communications Limited. This
represents 96.05% of the issued
and fully paid up share capital
at the price of N5,34k per share.
regional agreement in order to
enhance required cooperation
through regional institutions
and rules. The objectives of the
agreement could range from
economic to political. The
,
Imoke represents
the new face of the
global economy.
His avante garde
economic policies
,
in Cross River State
have made the state
an emerging
economy
South-South Economic Summits
as interpreted through the
BRACED Commission is a gen-
erational political economy ini-
tiative where commercial pur-
poses are the means to achieve
broader socio-political and secu-
The balance of 3.95%of the is-
sued and paid-up shares of the
Company representing
9,600,000 ordinary shares of
No.50 each are held over by
16,862 other shareholders.”
So what was the interest of the
AGF that made him institute a
criminal proceeding against the
owners of DTN alleging theft of
DTN?
In efforts to boost the fortunes
of DTN, Folio in January 2010
raised money through their as-
sets in DTN and imported four
modern printing machines but
Sen Obiora again used his con-
nections to obtain court order
against the equipments. Up till
now, the machines are stranded
at the Ports for over two years,
while it is attracting demurrage.
This is in addition to the sale of
some London assets of DTN by
the duo., which the due have been
dragged to court for.
This case is a reminder of the
termination of the Concession
agreement of Ajaokuta Steel
Company and National Iron Ore
Mining Company(NIMCON) by
President Umaru Musa
Yar ’Adua despite warnings
Ajaokuta was out of produc-
tion for over 15 years before it
was given out to an Indian Com-
pany in a 10-year concession .
The Indians were able to resusci-
tate Ajaokuta and put it back into
production. But the government
terminated the agreement based
on allegations.
The terms of privatisation
agreements are contained in Ar-
ticle 10.2 of the Share Sale Pur-
chase Agreement between BPE
and Folio. It stated that if a dis-
pute arises, the parties must re-
solve it through arbitration. For
the AGF to take side with the
offending party instead of com-
plying with the letters of the SSPA
speak ill of the government.
There is need for President
Goodluck Jonathan to intervene
and call the AGF to order. It is
Folio that has direct dealing with
BPE on DTN and therefore the
owners of the organisation. The
earlier this matter is resolved the
better.
The minimum government can
do is to mediate in a manner that
Folio finds way to pay off Sena-
tor Obiorah and his associate so
that DTN can go back into full
production.
*Melah, an Abujabased jour-
nalist, author and public analyst,
can be reached on :
bonphimelah2001@yahoo.com
rity objectives. Governor Imoke
is strongly committed to the re-
alization of their ideals and ob-
jectives for the South-South re-
gion.
It is worth recognizing that
BRACED could not have wished
for a better Chairman in Gover-
nor Imoke. In domestic terms,
Imoke represents the new face of
the global economy. His avan-
te garde economic policies in
Cross River State have made the
State an emerging economy that
is perked on tourism. It’s inten-
sive development of rural areas
has checked rural-urban migra-
tion. His health programme has
resulted in the attainment of a-
zero-IMR in the State, the first
such feat in Africa, South of the
Sahara. His definition of a min-
imum standard for academic ex-
cellence and comprehensive pro-
vision of educational infrastruc-
ture has raised the bar for excel-
lent academic performance for
students and pupils. His estab-
lishment of a-one-stop centre for
investment has led to a surge in
investment levels in the State.
His environmental programme
has boosted the carbon stock
in the State.

Between Oritsejafor and Lateef Adegbite
VIEWPOINT
BY ALBERT UKO
VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF
The Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN) replies the
Secretary-General of the
Nigerian Supreme Council
for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA),
Dr. Lateef Adegbite on
killings in the north.
T HE Secretary-General
of the Nigerian
Supreme Council for
Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Dr.
Lateef Adegbite, has been in
the news lately on account of
the insurgencies of the Boko
Haram sect.
First, he slammed the sect
members for the bombings and
killings of innocent Nigerians,
saying that Islam abhors such
acts. He therefore called on the
Federal Government to go
after the recalcitrant members
of the sect and dialogue with
those who are ready to do so.
Adegbite, no doubt, spoke
well like the elder statesman
and gentleman that he is.
However, in a recent
interview published in
Sunday Vanguard of May 6,
2012, he spurned the
leadership style of the
President of the Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN),
Mimiko in the eyes of Labour
VIEWPOINT
BY SAMUEL OLADUNJOYE
A N encounter with Ondo
State civil servants which
Governor Olusegun
Mimiko would not forget in a
hurry was this year's Workers Day
when they openly declared their
support for his adminstration.
However, this year’s celebration
was unique in itself because as
early as 8 o'clock in the morning,
workers were seen mobilizing to
the Gani Fawehinmi Feedom
Arcade venue of the event in high
spirit rejoicing and singing
praises to God for having a
caring man at the helms of the
affairs in the state in terms of staff
welfare.
Just as news filtered in at the
parade ground that workers
across the country either walked
out on their governors, booed
them or out rightly forced them
to stay away from the celebration,
those of Ondo marched with
pride and excitement in
appreciation of the governor ’s
approval of N22, 000 minimum
wage across board for them.
Workers in the organized
private sector and members of
labour unions in the informal
sector of the economy also
exhibited their happiness with the
Mimiko administration.
While the various traders’
associations were full of
appreciation to him for
removing them from the streets
where they hitherto display their
C
M
Y
K
Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.
HIS words: “I am surprised
about the leadership style of
our colleague, the president of
CAN. What solution does he
have if he doesn’t want
dialogue? The solution has to
be two approaches. You strive
and lure those who are
moderates and dialogue with
them. Those who are
extremists, deal with them. He
(Oritsejafor) recently criticized
us on a very serious issue. He
has forgotten that, maybe the
world will listen to us, that we
must introduce incentives. We
must solve the problems and
he knows them. So he has to
change his style of
leadership”.
We recognize this to be his
personal opinion to which he
is entitled. If the CAN
president is also entitled to his
opinion, which should be the
best is a question of the
judgement of the generality of
Nigerians. In this matter of
opinion, Pa Adegbite would
certainly not be in the right
position to judge whose
opinion is acceptable to
Nigerians since he is an
interested party, being a
Muslim whose members are
the subject of discussion. His
(Adegbite) assessment of the
CAN president’s style of
leadership only flows from the
opinions expressed
concerning the Boko Haram
wares and constructed modern
markets directly allocated to
them with soft loans to carry out
their businesses, artisans
commended the Caring Heart
governor for relocating them
from the roadside.
The joy of the artisans knew no
bounds as they showed
appreciation to the governor for
the loans extended to them by the
state government to complement
their efforts at contributing to the
development of the state through
job creation.
The leadership of the workers,
under the aegis of Nigeria
Labour Congress and the Trade
Union Congress, in their different
speeches on the occasion,
commended Mimiko for his
administration’s
friendly programmes.
workers
Specifically, the two labour
congresses, led by Comrade
Bosede Daramola of the NLC and
Ekundayo Soladoye of the TUC,
particularly lauded the governor
for approving the payment of
N22, 000 as minimum wage for
workers in the state civil service
when most state governments
were yet to implement the N18,
000 minimum wage for their
colleagues.
The two union leaders, while
reading their addresses,
expressed the hope that workers
would reciprocate the good
gestures of the government by
rededicating themselves for
efficient service delivery.
The union leaders noted that
the affected workers had, during
last year’s May Day celebration,
issue, in which case we wish
to remind him that opinions
are personal feelings and
thoughts of those who express
them.
O
pinion can also the
beliefs and views of a
group of people. That being
the case, Pastor Oritsejafor, as
a leader, has all along been
expressing the views of
Christians in Nigeria under
, For the avoidance of doubt, the
call by CAN on the Federal
Government not to dialogue with
the Boko Haram leadership was
informed by the demand of the
sect to Islamize Nigeria
the aegis of CAN. Adegbite is
therefore castigating the
leadership style of CAN and
not that of Pastor Oritsejafor,
its president.
If the opinions of the head
of a group are held to account
for the style of leadership of
the leader, then CAN is also
entitled to call on the Sultan
of Sokoto and President-
General of the Nigerian
Supreme Council for Islamic
Affairs to change his style of
leadership which has not
walked out on the governor in
protest, over his non-committal
to the specific date for the
implementation of the minimum
wage.
The TUC chairman, in his
speech, stressed that the
government had not done badly
in other areas of workers welfare
including good work
environment, work safety,
training and retraining.
Ekundayo said a comparative
, Three years on,
the tempo of
government
activities has
not diminished
neither has the
enthusiasm of
,
the people for
good
governance
analysis of minimum wage
across the country indicates that
the net pay of Ondo State
workers was the highest in the
South-West.
The chairman explained that
while the Federal Government,
which signed the minimum wage
SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012 — PAGE 47
succeeded in checking the
excesses of his members who
are responsible for the burning
of churches, bombings and
killings of innocent people,
both Christians and Muslims
inclusive.
Pa Adegbite should realize
that Christians are largely at
the receiving end of the Boko
Haram insurgencies. How
then can a father keep mute
when his children are being
,
bombed and killed? We state
emphatically that we have
confidence in the leadership
style of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor
and that no outsider should
bother to cry out for us
Christians.
P
a Adegbite is, therefore,
not competent to rate our
President’s style of
leadership. As a respected
Muslim elder statesman, Pa
Adegbite should direct his
thoughts and strategies and
into law, only increased the salary
of GL 01 to 04 by N1, 800 and
that of GL 05 to 17 by N900, the
percentage increase of workers in
Ondo, as a result of the
implementation of the scheme, is
about 34 per cent.
He warned individuals,
political parties and other groups
that the issue of workers welfare
had become a no-go area during
electioneering campaign.
He said, “We are no
politicians. Politicians should
slug out their differences on
political pedestal without
involving labour issues.
“As from this moment onward,
any person or political parties
found making innuendoes or
inflammatory remarks
concerning workers welfare shall
incur the infuriation of the
congress”.
Daramola, on her part,
appreciated the state government
for the upward adjustment of
workers salary in 2010;
introduction of salary relativity
in 2011; and the implementation
of the N22, 000 wage in 2012,
which is currently the highest in
the country.
She noted that the current
administration in the state had
introduced 25 percent allowance
for civil servants in the state, a
gesture, she said, was the first of
its kind in Nigeria. The NLC boss
stated that payment of 27.5
percent teachers peculiar
allowance, payment of 50 percent
basic salary as Christmas bonus
since 2009 and training and
retraining of workers stood
Mimiko’s administration tall.
join hands with other well
meaning Nigerians towards
finding a lasting solution to
the current security challenges
instead of playing the blame
game in the wrong quarters.
For the avoidance of doubt,
the call by CAN on the Federal
Government not to dialogue
with the Boko Haram
leadership was informed by
the demand of the sect to
Islamize Nigeria. We are sure
the President-General of the
NSCIA would have done the
same if a group had asked for
the introduction of Canon Law
all over Nigeria and follow it
up with violence.
C AN also believes that
certain northern leaders
and prominent Muslims like
Adegbite, rather than the
Federal Government, should
dialogue with the sect
members; the reason being
that they are the people the
sect members can trust and
listen to.
We therefore implore key
northern leaders and
prominent Muslims to raise
the dialogue stake by meeting
with the sect leaders to drop
the extreme ideas about their
religion if they are really keen
on bringing the insurgencies
to an end.
. Uko is Acting General
Secretary/ National Legal
Adviser, CAN.
Mimiko created a scene on the
occasion when he openly
admitted that he left the parade
ground the previous year an
unhappy man because of the
ways the workers walked out on
him. He however expressed his
happiness on the occasion
because the situation had
changed as the state had
approved the highest minimum
wage for workers.
He assured the workers of
more friendly programmes
promising that the
administration would not
retrench any worker as he urged
them to rededicate themselves for
efficient service delivery.
The governor noted that he
pledged at his inauguration to
work for the people of the state
and that three years on, the tempo
of government activities has not
diminished neither has the
enthusiasm of the people for good
governance.
He listed his administration’s
achievements as they affected the
workers’ welfare to include
among others; appointment of 22
Permanent Secretaries and two
Tutors-General, end-of –the-year
package, allocation of official
vehicles which are owned by
senior civil servants at
retirement, training and
retraining, reducing interest
payable on car loans from 15 to
eight percent, payment of
housing loan, purchase of buses
to aid workers’ mobility, clearing
of arrears of pensions and
gratuities and regular payment
of new retirees, and massive
renovation of offices.
PAGE 48—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012
Language, Literature and Decolonization
of Nigeria’s Political Culture
•Prof. Afejiku in cap flanked by Dr wale Okediran and students of English dept, Uni ben at the event.
BYTONY E. AFEJUKU
DISCOURSE
E
very literature that
exists does so because
there is in existence a
language in which it is created
or expressed. In other words,
if there is no literature and
there never can be literature
in the absence of language.
And so long as there are native
speakers of any language, the
language will thrive and live
with or without the existence
of creative or imaginative or
realistic literature. What this
urgently tells us or suggests
to us is that language and
literature, creative written
literature, that is, can never be
weighted equally. But let us
attempt to prove the case we
are tendering by asking the
very familiar question: which
comes first, the egg or the
chicken? Perhaps this question
is unnecessary in the context
of the distinction I have
attempted to draw above.
Thus one can say without
qualms that language is both
the egg and the chicken.
C
M
Y
K
, To pass as a Nigerian writer, to pass
as a national writer writing about a
national culture, he must write in
English language, the colonizer’s
language
Literature is because
language is. It is not the other
way round.
I
n what we utter, that is, in
our speeches we direct
ourselves and each other
in the society we inhabit to do
one thing or the other. And in
what we do through what we
say, we express our culture. In
pre-literate societies, meaning
societies where one knew not
how to write such as was the
case before the white
colonizers came to our
respective communities; this
was precisely what was the
case. Thus we can see the
pride of place, the big status
language occupies in human
societies. But in the modern
time it is not sufficient any
longer to utter words, to make
chimeena@yahoo.com
be the primary concern of
Nigerian universities and
other tertiary institutions
today. Unfortunately, however,
the language in which the
,
study of literature is done in
our universities and other
tertiary institutions is English,
the language of the
colonizers.
E
nglish is our official
speeches, to tell tales, to recite
language, yet we are
poems, to dramatise
requested time after
experiences orally without
time to address the issue of
putting them down in writing.
decolonization in our culture,
What we put down in writing
politically and otherwise. We
today in terms of stories,
must worry about the fate of
poems, plays, essays and
our respective languages, and
other forms of composition
give deep thought to how we
constitute our written
can wean ourselves of English,
literature.
which I have said time after
T
time is in exile. Of course,
his is an obvious
because “huge” Nigeria has
enough remark to
no singular language that is
make, but in the
our official language, we
context of our present
cannot speak in terms of a
engagement, it is a significant
Nigerian national culture,
enough stand-point. We don’t
strictly speaking, in the same
need to ask why. Yet if there is
way that Russians, for
the insistence from some
example, can speak of a
quarters that an answer be
Russian national culture. This
provided, all that need to be
is the reason why Wale
said is that the study of
Okediran, a Yoruba, has not or
literature and the language in
cannot write his stories,
which it is done happens to
, English is our
official
language, yet
we are
requested time
after time to
address the
issue of
decolonization
,
in our culture,
politically and
otherwise
novels and essays in Yoruba.
To pass as a Nigerian writer,
to pass as a national writer
writing about a national
culture, he must write in
English language, the
colonizer’s language. Yet Wale
Okediran must attempt to de-
colonize in his writings
Nigeria’s political culture.
Okediran’s problem is the
problem of all Nigerian’s
writers, distinguished and un-
distinguished. By the way, if
Okediran had written Tenants
of the House in Yoruba, would
he receive the capital
attention he is receiving
everywhere today outside his
Yoruba area? As nationalists
and patriots, we would like to
champion any cause that
would unite and amalgamate
us against foreign ideals and
influences that go against any
grain of our culture. But is this
not a treacherous, hypocritical
and even a stupid thing to do
since we have no national
culture, old or young? I must
not be misunderstood. We
have our diverse ethnical
cultures, but because of who
we rightly are, our multi-
ethnical standpoints have not
sowed (and are not sowing) in
us a sense of a national
culture. The fact of our
national life today is that we
have various interests and
policies competing against one
another with their attendant
declamations and
meaningless slogans and
phrases that do nothing but to
further divide us. “Huge”
Nigeria has always known a
huge fraud – right from 1914
when the colonial lords joined
the different ethnical groups
together in what is now known
as the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
To be continued

BY MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU
BOOK REVIEW
Born to Serve, africagenda
Publications, Abuja, Enuma
Chigbo &Ejiro Barret, 2011,
pp.208.
B
iographical writing is
not only about what one
achieves in life, but also
about the challenges one
encounters in the discharge of
life entrusted responsibilities
as well as one’s envisioned
programmes for the progress
of society and humanity.
These three expectations
from what should be
considered a well thought out
and accomplished
biographical account are all
met by the duo of Enuma
Chigbo and Ejiro Barret, who
engaged themselves at
chronicling the interesting
journey of Senator Liyel
Imoke in the public service.
Committed to documenting
the life of Senator Liyel Imoke,
notable public servant and
two times Governor of Cross
River State, these writers in a
book titled, Born to Serve,
beyond telling the story of un
quantified development
strides recorded by Cross
River State under the
leadership of Imoke, goes
further to detailing important
critical problems that if not for
the magnanimous mind and
excellent leadership skill of
the young leader would have
stifled all forms of growth in
the State.
Under the heading;
Overcoming Challenges of
Life, the book examines how
Cross River State effectively
responded to World Court
ruling that ceded previous
Bakassi people of the State
to the neigbouring country of
Cameroun.
Second most important
challenge faced by Imoke as
the Governor of Cross River
State according to the book is
the withdrawal of 75 oil wells
from the state, which were
handed over to River State
government.
T approach of the
he implication of the
second challenge was
a serious financial
stress resulting from drop in
revenue generation, which
became a challenge for the
government to identifying
other sources of revenue
generation for the execution
of development projects.
Coming from the stable of
africagenda Publications,
Born to Serve, comes out
timely, as Senator Liyel
Imoke will be marking another
one year in office at the end
of this month in his second
ride as the governor of Cross
River State.
Appropriately titled, Born to
C
M
Y
K
Liyel Imoke’s
Score Sheet…
Serve, the book provides an
innovative platform with
which the public can engage
the performance of their
leaders, seated on hot seat.
Apart from also chronicling
the interesting formative years
of the subject in the beautiful
city of Enugu, the book
further reveals how proper
upbringing helps to shaping
the humble and agenda
setting public servant one
sees in the person of Imoke.
The story is told through an
innovative interview
approach. Through this well
exploited style, Chigbo and
Barret succeed in bringing
their subject to a proper public
trial as the entire narrative
revolves around interview
responses from over a 100
hundred witnesses drawn
from different strata of society
and ethnic formations.
chimeena@yahoo.com
, Brilliantly too,
the authors
methodological
interview style
makes it possible
for the
interpretation of
,
the activities and
personality of the
subject
These witnesses include two
Presidents in the person of
former president Olusegun
Obasanjo, Goodluck
Jonathan, clergies, business
SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012, PAGE 49
moguls, party
chieftain, public CBAAC,OAU host
servants and
traditional rulers. Film Festival
A C
part from entre for Black African
venturing Arts and Civilisation,
into the CBAAC in collaboration with
murky waters of
the University of Missouri,
Nigeria’s politics as St.Louis USA and the Institute
the country ’s of Cultural Studies,
youngest senator at a ObafemiAwolowo University,
relative young age of Ile-Ife last week hosted the
30, Senator, Liyel 5th edition of African World
Imoke in the course Documentary Film Festival at
of his public service the Institute of Cultural
career has been Studies, OAU Ile-Ife.
privileged or rather The festival featured about
unfortunately been thirty different documentary
saddled with very films on various issues of
challenging national significance to Africa and
assignments. African Diaspora history,
In the last twenty culture, arts, societies and
years, President peoples. The films which were
Goodluck Jonathan submitted by different
wrote in his foreword filmmakers from various
to the book, “ Senator parts of the world highlighted
Liyel Imoke has been and showcased overviews of
actively engaged issues, challenges and
with Nigeria, having potentials inherent in Africa,
served in various Africans and African societies.
capacities: senator of
the Federal Republic
of Nigeria in 1991,
Special Adviser(
D ean Faculty of Arts, Prof
Oladipo Salami who
stood-in for the Vice-
Utilities) to President Chancellor, Prof Tale Omole at
Olusegun Obasanjo, the Opening Ceremony later
Chairman Technical led a delegation of the
Board of NEPA, Organizers of the Festival to
Executive Chair of the Office of The Deputy Vice-
the Federal Chancellor Academics, Prof
G o v e r n m e n t Ayo
Committee to wind Salami on a courtesy visit.
down OMPADEC IN During the meeting, the DVC
1999, Minister of Power, Academics reassured CBAAC
Minister of Education and of the University ’s
currently, Governor of Cross preparedness to partner with
River State.” it within the provisions of the
I
MOU between the two
t is to these national institutions.
assignments that the
biographers of this
critically engaging book bring narrative also reveals another
to trial with the intent of not significant and hidden fact
having the honor to about the nation’s political
convicting their subject or culture. That fact is that Imoke
acquitting him, but more represents and achieves all
honorably, allow the public to that entire are attributed to
pass its judgment. him due mainly, to a proper
Brilliantly too, the authors harnessing of his productive
methodological approach of
the interview style makes it
possible for the interpretation
young age in service of
humanity.
This revelation is perhaps
one of the authorial views of
of the activities and
personality of the subject be these biographers , who
done by outsiders, who do not appropriate their subject as a
have anything so to say, at case study in proposing this
stake, in scoring the man. important hypothesis,
It is important to state here
that this biographical writing
perhaps, suggesting that the
nation should consider more
approach is very innovative seriously the call by larger
Nigerians for generational
and equally lends some sense
of objectivity to the entire shift in the leadership
account.
From the account of all the
structure of the nation.
Besides being properly
witnesses that spoke about packaged and excellently
edited, Born to Serve, which
Imoke in the book, essential
evidences in his favor are: will be presented at Kola nut
absolute dedication, loyalty, Conference and event Centre,
th
innovativeness, good team Calabar on 25 May, 2011,
player, brilliancy and above is no doubt an important read,
all, humility in low and high not only because of its subject
places. matter, but more significantly,
The entire trial of Imoke in because of its manner of
the course of this engaging presentation.
PAGE 50—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012
NCMM lists monuments for
World Heritage
...Calls for states govt collaboration
A typical sample of Kano wall
BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU
D etermined to make
the country a hub for
world heritage, Na-
tional Commission for Muse-
ums and Monuments,
NCMM has proposed three
more sites for enlistment in the
global heritage sites just as the
commission calls on govern-
ment of states to come to the
help of the country’s heritage
through support.
Minister of Tourism, Culture
and National Orientation,
Chief Edem Duke made this
appeal at this year ’s World
Heritage Day on the theme,
“World Heritage and Sustain-
able Development, which held
in Abuja.
The Minister said that fed-
eral government through the
NCMM is soliciting the sup-
port and collaboration of states
government across the coun-
try to supporting the commis-
sion in achieving its mandates
more so, now that the nation’s
heritage sites are on the in-
crease.
“I am also aware that the
National Commission for Mu-
seums and Monuments is
processing 24 new properties
for inscription on the National
List. The Commission has
gone further to propose three
(3) more sites – Oke-Idanre
Cultural Landscape in Ondo
State, Surame Cultural Land-
scape in Sokoto State and the
Kano City Walls in Kano State
for possible enlistment into the
World Heritage List.” He said.
These three sites, he said
“ will add up the present 65
monuments/sites the country
has, in addition to two
UNESCO World Heritage
Sites.”
The Minister therefore ap-
pealed to the Government of
Ondo, Sokoto, Kebbi and Kano
States and other relevant
stakeholders to collaborate
with the National Commission
for Museums and Monuments
towards actualizing these
projects adding that its
completion will in turn bring
about tourism, employment
and economic growth in the
respective States and the Na-
tion at large.
A lready the commission
has succeeded in enlist-
ing two sites into the World
Heritage List- Sukur cultural
landscape in Adamawa State
and Osun Osogbo Sacred
Grove in Osun State in 1999
and 2005 respectively
The Minister however com-
mended NCMM for diligently
carrying out its functions,
promising that the ministry
will continue to support the
Commission towards actualiz-
ing the enlistment of more
monuments and sites into the
chimeena@yahoo.com
World Heritage List.
S peaking at the event,
Yusuf Abdallah Usman,
NCMM’s Director General af-
firmed that the commission
needs the support of the com-
munities and other stakehold-
Things Fall Apart at Great Books Chicago, 2012
T
he title of world classic
and one of the great
est books of the 20th
century, Things Fall Apart did
not only form the theme of the
Great Books, Chicago, 2012
festival, but was also one of
the books privileged to be read
and discussed at the up heeled
event.
Great Books Chicago is the
Great Books Foundation’s an-
nual event for anyone who
loves reading and talking
about outstanding literature.
Since 2000, the Foundation
has been hosting this 3-day
program of lively book discus-
sions and outstanding musi-
cal and theatrical perfor-
mances.
During this year ’s event
which took place between 27
to 29, April, visitors also had
the opportunity to visit muse-
ums and other interesting sites
in and around the city. But
ers for the realization of its set
goals and objectives of pre-
serving the nation’s monu-
mental heritage for humanity.
‘I urge you all present to join
us in preserving our monu-
ments and sites so as to have
a legacy to bequeath to the
most of all, Great Books Chi-
cago is an opportunity to get
together with old friends and
make new acquaintances who
share the same commitment to
good conversation about books
and ideas of enduring value.
Written by Chinua Achebe,
Things Fall Apart, which took
its title from a poem by W.B.
Yeats chronicles Africa’s story
on the eve of colonialism with
its attendant psycho- histori-
cal and religious burdens.
A
ccording to the organiz
ers, “Things fall apart;
the center cannot hold,” wrote
the poet Yeats. Left to them-
selves, bowing to the law of
entropy, things tend to dete-
riorate and fall into disarray,
in both our personal worlds
and the larger world that we
all share. Unless, of course,
there comes into play a prin-
ciple that pushes back against
future generations.
The Commission today is
tasked with the responsibility
to gather the support of com-
munities and other
stakeholders for the develop-
ment of our monuments.” He
said.
this downward spiral. Call it
mind or will or soul or love or
even hope—something is at
work keeping things whole.”
T
sion
he three day event wit
nessed a literary discus-
of William
Shakespeare’s, Timon of Ath-
ens, Chinua Achebe’s Things
Fall Apart and reading of po-
ems by Elizabeth Bishop,
Percy Shelley, Gerard Manley
Hopkins, Wislaws Szymborska
and W.B.Yeats as well as the-
atrical performances of
Shakespeare’s Timons in An-
them by the Chicago Shakes-
peare Theatre, BoyGirl/Boy-
Girl monologue and Boom or
Bust, a witty talk by financial
expert, Alex Pollock.
Great Books Chicago is pre-
sented with generous support
from Harrison Middleton Uni-
versity, Encyclopedia Britan-
nica and Penguin Books.
C
M
Y
K
 SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13 2012, PAGE 51
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 PAGE 52—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012
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EKO 2012 National Sports Festival:
Watch out for
Lagos – Oshodi
L
agos State
Commissioner for
Youth, Sports and Social
Development, Barrister
Waheed Enitan Oshaodi
is a pragmatic and easy-
going man. Despite his
tight schedule, it did not
take him long to agree to
meet with Sunday
Vanguard Sports for an
interview. He spoke with
Jacob Ajom and Sylva
Eleanya at his Teslim
Balogun Stadium office.
He spoke on the Lagos
plan of action viz a viz
the forthcoming
National Sports Festival,
Eko 2012. Below is an
excerpt of the chat that
lasted just 15 minutes.
Lagos will be hosting
Nigeria in the forthcoming
National Sports Festival in
November, what is your
projection – in terms of
competition and
organisation, generally?
Our projection and target for
the Games is to be the best
host ever, although this has
not been made easier by the
standard displayed by the last
host, Rivers State at the 2011
Games in Port Harcourt. It is
Focus on youth development
…..KFA urges FG facilities and provide the
enabling environment for our
By IME BASSEY
T he Director of the Kwara
Football Academy (KFA),
KumbiTitiloye has urged the
National Sports Commission
(NSC), to concentrate more
on youth development through
the instrument of sports
Titiloye, while speaking to
Sunday Vanguard Sports, said
the federal government must
provide the enabling
environment which in turn will
encourage private investors to
come on board the train of
sports development.
“It is the responsibility of the
NSC to tap into the abundant
talents of our youths for a
sustainable social system and
economic growth of our youths.
If we build, maintain our
C
M
Y
K
our intention to move a notch
up. Governor, Babatunde Raji
Fashola has asked for
excellent facilities, athletes’
welfare and comfort for all
contingents as well as visitors.
The governor has been very
helpful and with his
continuous support, we will
achieve our goal.
In terms of competition,
how will Lagos finish? Is it
going to be the usual slogan
of ‘hosting to win?’
With the plans we have put
in place, we are confident, we
will do well. I know it will be
•Okagbare
difficult to beat traditional
frontrunners like Delta, Edo
and others, but we will
compete strongly and fairly. I
foresee a resurgence in
athletics as we have nurtured
so many young athletes in the
youths to do sports, violence
will be a thing of the past
because all the youths that are
involved in the various acts of
violence can do sports”, said
Titiloye
On the composition of the
KFA Titiloye said, “currently
we have 87 players headed by
Paul Ashtoreth who is vastly
experienced in youth football
coaching. We also have some
Nigerian coaches, comprising
Thompson Olihia, Samuel
Elijah, Alphonsus Ejimohah,
JimohBalogun, Paul Odeh,
Amusa Adisa and Akin
Akinsheyinde”.
He commended former
Senator Bukola Saraki for
establishing the football
academy.
past few years, I believe it is
time for them to explode. We
will insist on fairness and
transparency, particularly on
the medals table. Luckily, the
DG in the National Sports
Commission, Dr Patrick Ekeji
has assured us that
the best technical
hands will man
the Main
Organising
Committee. We, in
Lagos are prepared to compete
in line with the best
international practices.
Before the Games, there will
be a list of all the sports and
number of medals at stake. It
is more important that the
festival is seen to be fair and
transparent than just doing it
anyhow. We will insist on
fairness and transparency. It
is not
going to
b e
winning
at all
cost.
There
w a s
supposed
to be a
Lagos
State
Sports
Festival
t h a t
would
o f f e r
room to test-run the facilities
on ground and select athletes
for Team Lagos. When is this
coming up?
Ans: The Lagos Sports
Festival is still in place. It will
be coming up between 14 and
26 of May, 2012. There will
also be a Schools Sports
Festival that would run
alongside the State Sports
Festival. After the
competitions, Team Lagos will
then be selected. The final
entry for the National Sports
Festival will be done sometime
in September. We still have a
lot of time on our hands to try
as many athletes as possible
before the Games.
Apart from the State sports
Festival, we have the
quarterly club competitions;
the sports associations are
holding competitions
regularly for the athletes.
What we are doing is not just
for the sports festival. We
intend to make it a continuous
developmental programme to
encourage the athletes and
laying a foundation for
corporate bodies to get
involved in sports
development. Government
SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 13, 2012 — 53
cannot do it all alone.
How do you motivate your
athletes for optimum
performance?
We have been able to look
into the issues bothering on
the welfare of athletes, giving
them educational
scholarships, 420 of them are
on monthly stipends. The
governor has also approved
and, we have engaged the
services of 107 coaches to re-
enforce our coaching staff. We
will maintain and strive to
improve on this as time goes
on. We are laying a foundation
for sound sports development.
One issue that has taken the
front burner in the polity is
insecurity. How do you intend
to check this during the
festival?
Our security apparatus is up
and doing. The state
commissioner of Police is
chairman of the Security sub-
committee. They are working
round the clock to ensure all
the visiting contingents and
visitors to the state are well
secured. They are working
round the clock and I can
assure all the athletes and
officials coming for the Games
that Lagos is the safest place
to be. We are ready.
Although you have
been in sports for
sometime now it’s
surprising that your
appointment has
coincided with an
increase in sporting
activities at all
levels. What has
been the
secret?
We l l ,
there is no
secret. We
have a
very good
team and
we have
b e e n
g i v e n
t o t a l
support by
the governor, who
is a sportsman
himself. He has
been very
supportive.
We have put the
welfare of the
athletes before any
o t h e r
c o•Osay-
nsideration.
omi has seen the
This
emergence of
young talented
athletes who will
feature at the
Sports Festival.
But beyond the
festival, we want to
have a production
line. That is why we
have revamped
Schools sports, club
competitions and the
like. We will soon see the
result or our programmes.
Only last week, the Main
Organising Committee for
Eko 2012 were in Lagos
for the final inspection of
facilities on ground. and
Lagos was certified almost
ready with over 80%. How do
you co-ordinate the Local
Organising Committee so
effectively?
Members of the committee
are committed people with the
executive Secretary, Dr Tandoh
as the man at the centre. They
work round the clock to ensure
everything goes on well. They
have shown passion and
commitment. Most of them are
from the private sector – just
like myself – and they have
brought to the committee the
same commitment they show
in their private businesses. But
there is still a lot to do.
You talked about the the
committee being dominated
by private businessmen. How
has the private sector
responded to your call for
partnership?
We enjoy a very good rapport
with the private sector. It has
been so since my days as
chairman of the Table Tennis
Association. The openness of
our programmes and sincerity
of purpose give them the
confidence to deal with us. We
also explain to them the
benefits inherent in sports
sponsorship. The synergy is
working well. And come to
think of it, His Excellency, the
governor is our chief marketer.
He is doing so much. We are
all working hand-in-hand with
the private sector.
54— SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 13, 2012
potentially developing players,
it is first to have the coaches.
So chronologically, you have
to educate people to coach, and
then create schools where you
can develop the players.
To make it as simple as
possible, football is first a
technical sport. It is not natural

Nigeria not producing

to use your feet to do
something. Your feet are made
to walk through the street, not
necessarily to play football.

good players anymore So you have first to transform

someone into a football player,
and that is between ages 5 and

– Wenger 12 years old. When you come

at 14, it is too late. That is why
you have to educate people to
•Says Kanu’s an exceptional player teach the basics of our sport
between five and 12.

I
t was amazing to hear
Arsene Wenger switch from
English Language to
French and then German
during the announcement of
Arsenal’s pre-season tour of
Nigeria at the club’s training
ground in London last week
before the match with Norwich.
It was the eve of his 900th
match as the manager of
Arsenal. Wenger is today the
only manager that has
presided over more matches at
the club and has equally
enjoyed the same amount of
successes. Known for his
ability to spot and develop
players from around the world,
Wenger, in this chat with
Sunday Vanguard’s Jimoh
Babatunde, took time out to
speak on Nigeria’s football and
her players. Excerpts:
Since the exit of Nwankwo
you have his knees, and you still
play today, you must be brave.
Why are you not taking more
Nigerians to the club?
(It is) for one single reason. It
is that Nigeria is a massive
country, but I believe that at the
moment, they do not produce
enough players anymore. It is
140 million people who love
football. I met the Minister of
Sports during the World Cup,
and he talked about that
situation. I think Nigeria has a
job to do with the youths, to
rebuild the system.
From the explanation I got,
every province is different in
terms of their system, but there
is no global system to educate
young players. It is vital to me
that they educate the young
people…They do not produce
any good players, not enough
anymore.
•Wenger
he is doing extremely well, but
maybe you have more of these
players in Nigeria who do not
get the chance to go out.
On the pre-season tour
We compromised, honestly on
the sporting side because we
I was even frightened at some
stage by how popular Arsenal
is in Kenya as well. It is
absolutely unbelievable, so
every morning at breakfast, I
had some meetings with people
from all over Africa, and I
The kind of quality the coaches
need is to know what you can
do to develop people, that is the
exercises that you can give, and
as well to teach him not to make
basic mistakes.
There are two things in our
job that can be very dangerous.
One, not to develop the
potential of a person, the other
is to disturb the potential of a
person by making him do the
wrong things. Sometimes, we
can as well do that.
Your fans in Nigeria are
disappointed that you have not
won a silverware for five years
or so now. As a manager, how
do you feel about that?
You want to give me sleepless
nights (laughter). But we have
maintained our level at the top,
but we couldn’t finish…It s true
that we missed winning, but we
were at many times very close.
Let’s not forget that in 2006,

Kanu from Arsenal, we have
not had another Nigerian in
the club. What’s your
impression of Nigerian players
in the EPL?
For me, Kanu was an
exceptional player. I saw Kanu
in the Olympic games, he
arrived there late. It was the
preparations and he was the
best player there when Nigeria
won. I like Kanu because he
was not only a great player, but
he was very brave, and you
could travel with him
anywhere.
I think he was very great in
representing Nigeria. He was
a player that everybody loved
here, as well as a man
everybody loved here in
England.
He never complained, you
could kick him from
everywhere, and he would
never say a word, and he was
very brave.
Then he created his heart
foundation, and he does a good
job with that. He is brave; when
I
s there a window of
opportunity from this tour
to create the platform for a
relationship between Arsenal
and Nigeria?
To create a relationship, I
think is a good start, but our stay
is too short to create something
deeper and to create the
communication such that
Nigeria can be very important.
We are not staying for such a
long time that would allow for
that.
How do you rate Mikel Obi
as a midfielder in the EPL?
He plays for Chelsea, and if
you play for Chelsea, you are
a great player. But he had
strange movement out of
Nigeria because he was in
Norway, and then he came back
for Man United before
Chelsea, so he did it in a
complicated way.
But since he has shown great
quality. He is as well a bit of
the Kanu type, he is strong in
character, he is a fighter, and
had a rational methodical
approach of our pre-season and
we sacrificed some of that to go
on tour…I realized when I was
at the World Cup in South
Africa, how popular a club like
Arsenal is in Africa, especially
in Nigeria. It was unbelievable.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:
Chelsea have nothing to lose – Di Matteo
C
HELSEA have nothing to
fear when they face
Bayern Munich in the
Champions League final this
weekend as their semifinal win
over Barcelona proved they can
beat the best in Europe,
caretaker boss Roberto Di
Matteo said.
Chelsea are the underdogs
going into the final at Munich’s
Allianz Arena as they bid to
become European champions
realized how popular our club
was over there.
I don’t really know how you
can transform that popularity
into market…
On football development
I believe that there again,
when you think about
for the first time.
But Di Matteo, who has
turned the club’s fortunes
around since taking over from
Andre Villas Boas in March,
said his players were brimming
with confidence.
Speaking at the club’s Player
of the Year awards night he
said: “If you manage to go
through two legs against
Barcelona, I think then you can
beat anybody in European
football.
“They’re supposed to be the
we were in the Champions
League final and we have never
gone out in the championship
against small clubs. We went out
most of the time against clubs
who won it, like Barcelona,
twice. That is what people
forget.
The spirit is very high.”
Chelsea know that if they do
not beat Bayern they will not
take part in next season’s
Champions League as they
cannot finish higher than sixth
in the English Premier League.
Disappointment in the
league, where they will finish
outside the top four for the first
time since 2002, has been
tempered by their FA Cup final
win last week and they now
stand poised for a cup double
and their greatest triumph.

Heartland didn’t sack me - Kriuf best team and I think we have

a fantastic group of players with
tremendous quality and belief.
“We’ve enjoyed a good eight,
nine weeks. The players have
been fantastic with me,” he
now is in their court, to decide if I should “The confidence is very high. said. “They’ve performed at the
By KATE OBODO
continue or not,” he said. highest level possible and

H eartland technical adviser Lodwjke De

Kruif has debunk claims that he was sack
by his club .
The Dutch coach penultimate Monday
travelled to his home country after his
team(Heartland ) lost to AC Leopard of Congo
3-2 in the CAF Confederation Cup. The Dutch
however, told Inside Out Premier League
from his base in Holland that he wasn’t sacked
but only went to his country (Holland) to
attend some financially needs.
According to De Kriuf, “ no body sacked me
, because team have being doing very well.
But, if they (management) can give the
financial guarantees then, that is the only
possibility to come back. In essence, the ball
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Continuing he said, “the problem started last
year, when they did not pay me for three
months and was delaying. While in my country
we’ve found ourselves in a
great position now to win the
biggest trophy in European
all the bills were runing on which affected football.” Chelsea will be
me and other family needs. without suspended skipper
The actual thing is that they must guarantee
me that the money is there and is available to John Terry as well as Branislav
Ivanovic, Ramires and Raul
pay me. I don’t want to wait any longer for
three months before they could pay me Meireles against the Germans.
otherwise they would declare me bankrupt. Terry said missing their
The government house together with the biggest game was hard to
General manager should work hand in hand swallow.
to make this possible,” he concluded. “For myself and the guys who
It would be recalled that the Dutch coach are going to be suspended,
assisted in broken the jinx of 23 year of obviously we’re bitterly
winning the Federation’s Cup in 2011. •Di Matteo
disappointed,” he said.

NFF to launch U-15
tourney in honour
of Yekini
•Donates N.5m to his family
BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI,
Ilorin
S PORTS administrators,
top government officials
from across the country as well
as sportsmen and women in
their thousands yesterday
stormed Ira town,the country
home of the ex-Super Eagles
striker in Kwara State, late Ra-
sidi Yekinni for his 8th-day
Fidau prayers.
At the ceremony, the Nige-
ria Football Federation (NFF)
assured that the late football
maestro, Rashidi Yekini will get
all the national honours he de-
served as it donated N500, 000
for the family he left behind
PRESENTATION... Delta State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos
Utuama (2nd left) with Executive Director Ecobank, Henry Ajag-
bawa, presenting the winners’ medals to the Warri Wolves play-
ers, winners of the Ecobank/Delta State FA Cup.
Iroha draws curtain on MTN Football
Hub Season 1
T HE MTN Football Hub
will experience a unique
soccer-laced excitement this
weekend as former Assistant
Coach of the “Dream Team 5”
and ex-international, Ben Iroha,
leads key soccer stakeholders to
the prestigious Oriental Hotel,
Lagos for the last round of
matches for the 2011/2012
English Premiership League
(EPL).
Iroha, a member of the Tuni-
sia ’94 African Nations Cup
Winning Squad that later took
the world by storm at the USA
’94 World Cup, is noted for his
great marksmanship and
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adding that it would launch an
annual U-15 National Cham-
pionship in honour of late Ye-
kini, and also recommend to
the Federal Government,
through the National Sports
Commission, for him to be giv-
en a post-humous National
Award.
“Also, we plan to organize a
Memorial Match in his ho-
nour, which will bring togeth-
er players of his USA ’94 Class
and a Nigeria Selected, which
will be played at the Ilorin
Township Stadium,” Maigari
said at the palace of the Onira
of Ira, Oba Abdulwahab Oye-
toro.
The NFF President, Aminu
backstopping roles in the Ea-
gles’ defense in the 90s.
Speaking from his Abuja base
ahead of the event, Iroha said,
“The Hub will experience a
boost because this Sunday will
be a special match day in the
EPL. For a long time, winners
of the EPL are normally
crowned before the last round
of matches. But this season is
different, the title winner will
not be known until the last
game. This makes the weekend
games exciting. Fans are going
to be treated to top quality foot-
ball. I am happy to be part of
the MTN football showcase,” he
said.
Maigari, who took permission
to leave the venue for other
national engagements and
spoke through his vice presi-
dent, Chief Mike Umeh, add-
ed that many other pro-
grammes had been lined up
to honour the worthy football
ambassador.
Maigari also hinted that an
international soccer duel
would soon be organised to
honour Rashidi Yekini, adding
that the proceeds made from
the gate takings would go to
family and children left behind
by the ace soccer hero.
In a sermon at the pro-
gramme, the Chief Imam of
Offa, Sheikh Muideen Salman
said that, it was high time that
all muslims and christians
faithful ensured that they do
good deeds while on earth,
stressing that it is by so doing
that their deeds will provide
them a sort of blessings in the
life hereafter as he prayed for
the soul of late Yekinni to rest
in perfect peace.
The cleric also used the oc-
casion to advise the govern-
ment to always strive hard to
honour the nation’s heroes
while they are alive, adding
that a situation where the na-
tion’s heroes are honoured af-
ter their death is against the
will of Almighty Allah.
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed,
who spoke through the Speak-
er of Kwara State House of As-
sembly, Abdulrazag Atunwa,
extolled the virtues of the late
football giant, saying foreign-
ers recognise every Nigerian as
Rashidi Yekini in foreign coun-
tries.
He described the death of
Rashidi Yekini as a loss to Afri-
ca and the world football family
in general and prayed for the
repose of his soul, asking God
to serve as fortress for the fam-
ily and children he left behind.
Also speaking, Kwara state’s
sports commissioner, Kayode
Towoju, said the state govern-
ment would continue to encour-
age young talents in the state
towards achieving their poten-
tials in life, noting that Yekini
did not only make the state
proud throughout his football
career, but also contributed to
national sports development
and progress.
Kola Oyeyemi, General Man-
ager, Consumer Marketing,
MTN Nigeria, explains that the
MTN Football Hub is a platform
to recognize and delight the
company’s high-end customers
through their passion point -
football. According to him, “We
are happy that the viewing cen-
ters have turned out to be an
excellent platform to showcase
the best of football.”
The 3-city international viewing
centers were launched in
November 2011, for the delight
and excitement of MTN high
net-worth and professional
customers in Abuja, Lagos and
Port Harcourt.
SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 13, 2012 — 55
Allowing Abuja National Stadium decay
A BOUT a fortnight ago, I listened to Mitchel Obi on Ray
Power FM and heard how the NSC was trying to bail out
the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF with provision of fertilizer
to help the turf of the Abuja Stadium built under 10 years ago
with billions of tax payers money.
That was before the NFF finally settled for the U.J. Esuene
Stadium in Calabar for the Super Eagles qualifying matches for
both the Africa Nations Cup and World Cup qualifiers beginning
in June.
I then asked myself, whose responsibility is it to maintain the
Abuja National Stadium and other federal government owned
stadia scattered around the country. Definitely not the NFF. That
is why the NSC has a department called Facilities Department
with a director at the helm.
The Director, whom I hardly hear of, must be asleep to his
responsibility in ensuring that all the Stadia are in good shape
all year round because money was voted for that purpose. He is
however quick to run to Lagos to issue warning and ultimatum to
Lagos SWAN and its tenant, Old Skool over the use of the SWAN
secretariat for the same business O’Jez does but doesn’t get
harassed.
Coming back to the Abuja National Stadium, its poor State
caused the NFF to run from pillar to post searching for venues for
the Super Eagles Nations Cup and World Cup qualifiers. We
have a penchant for building grandiose facilities which we lack
capacity to maintain or rather unwilling to maintain because
contractors are always ready to quote big sums for repair purposes,
the sums which eventually end up in peoples pockets rather than
being used for the job.
Time was when the NSC under the leadership of the fallen czar
of Nigeria’s sports toyed with the idea of going to Kenya to import
grass for the Lagos National Stadium for the hosting of the U-20
World Cup in 1999, a decision scoffed at by the International
Institute for Tropical Agriculture, IITA which advised the authorities
to come to Ibadan, its base, to get quality grass.
One thing that is wrong with our structure at the NSC is that
we think the Stadium Manager’s job involves caring for the pitches
of the Stadia we spent billions of Naira to put in place. Because
we have failed in the maintenance of the grass in these stadia,
the sports contractors connived with FIFA officials when Nigeria
hosted the U-17 World Cup to replace the natural turfs with artificial
ones which our Super Eagles players now run away from and
their coach, Stephen Keshi confirming that it is not good for good
football display.
During the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester,
organisers of the Games took journalists covering the Games on
an inspection tour of the Old Trafford, venue of Manchester United
fondly referred to as Theatre of Dreams, during the off season.
One of our excited colleagues almost wanted to jump on the
pitch for a photo section to register it that he was at the Old
Trafford. He was caught airborne by our guide who later told us it
was forbidden as the grass was nurtured like a baby to make it
good for football and nobody gets unto it just like that.
Professional horticulturists are in-charge, watering, trimming
and picking any foreign grass different from the type planted.
Herbicides are also employed to ward off insects that could cause
damage to the grass. The turf was too beautiful to behold, no
wonder players find it easy and enjoyable to glide on when they
score. The same thing I am sure applies to all other stadia used
for Premiership matches in England.
It is too early for the Abuja National Stadium to have problem of
a good playing turf. Experts should be employed to nurture the
grass like it is done in all serious football countries. If Togo and
Benin Republic could manage the pitches at their various stadia,
why is it difficult for Nigeria to do same.
To allow the Abuja National Stadium which was built at a cost
European experts said would have built four of such in their
countries, would not only be a disservice to the youths of this
country but also criminal. It is time also to stop all activities outside
football from taking place on the pitch of the Abuja National
Stadium to preserve it for posterity.
Adieu Yekini
L ast Friday when most sports lovers were warming their mind
into a weekend of football excitement across the globe, the
sad news of Rashidi Yekini’s death hit our ear drums. It was difficult
to believe but it turned out to be true.
Yekini was an asset to Nigeria but like all the country’s asset
left to rot, Yekini was allowed to be drowned in his emotional
troubles with little or no assistance from those concerned.
He is gone but his football prowess while he was active will
remain etched in the minds of Nigerians, especially those who
enjoyed him in the colours of Nigeria, Shooting Stars, Africa
Sports, Vitoria Setubal, FC Zurich, among many others. Adieu
Yekini.
SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 13, 2012
CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:
Ogunbote not underrating Djoliba
By IME BASSEY that he is not going to Dina International
underrate his Malian Stadium in Ijebu Ode.

C OACH of
Sunshine Stars of
Akure, Gbenga
opponent (Djoliba) in
today’s return leg of the
CAF Champions League
Ogunbote told Sunday
Vanguard Sports that his
team will pick the ticket
Ogunbote has disclosed round of 16 at the Dipo to play in the group
stage of the competition
as his wards will punish
their Malian opponents
after understudying
them during the first leg
of the encounter which
ended 1-1.
He also noted that his
team would replicate
their feat against
Recreativo de Libolo of
Angola.
“It is another big test
for my team and also in
my coaching career. We
earned a draw and
scored an away goal in
the first leg. The result
does not mean they
Trophy (Djoliba) are a push
over, so we are not going
to underrate them on
S u n d a y .
”We know they will be
coming out to play their
Mancini life out but my players
Ferguson
are ready to punish

EPL title race: Who laughs

them. Against all odds
in our first game against
Recreativo, we needed to
score three and we did.
This game will be tough
but I am optimistic the

last, Ferguson or Mancini?

team will qualify for the
group stage on Sunday,”
Ogunbote said.
Meanwhile, Ogunbote
warned clubs in the
league that his team are
still in contention for the
M ANCHESTER
United manager
Alex Ferguson and his
*Will QPR go down? with numerous difficulties
this season including
Carlos Tevez’s lengthy
point that could also deny
City the title and give
Hughes some revenge for
NPL title, adding that
the title is still open and
Manchester City counter- champions for the first City - quality-wise - are absence from the club and his sacking. “For me, they Sunshine Stars stand a
part Roberto Mancini willtime since 1968. All that very similar to Chelsea at Mario Balotelli’s erratic (QPR) are a good team, chance of coming tops.
could stop them is if
rally their troops one last that time. behaviour. they don’t deserve to stay “The league is still
time today when the nine-United win by at least “Some of their players Mancini said today’s at the bottom,” said open and the best team
nine goals, or possibly
month battle for the 2011/ have had outstanding sea- game was not a personal Mancini. “They want to will win it. It is not over
2012 Premier League ti- more at Sunderland. sons. When you win the battle between him and do everything to stay in until it is over. We are
tle will end in victory forIf City lose or draw and league you need five or his opposite number the Premier League and still in contention for the
one club or the other. United win, then United six players who are con- Mark Hughes, once a for this reason I think it title. We have some
will retain the title they
The final scenes in what sistently good all the time. United player and the will be a tough game. outstanding matches to
is widely regarded as thewon last year and be “City have had that this man sacked as City man- “I don’t know him very play and if we pick good
crowned champions for
best season since the Pre- year and the manager, for ager to make way for well but it is not Mancini results from those
mier League replaced the the 20th time. most of the part, has done Mancini in December against Hughes or matches, then we are
old Football League’s With the time for the fi- well.” 2009. QPR need a point Hughes against Mancini. close to the title,” he
First Division 20 years nal action almost upon Mancini has had to deal to avoid relegation, a It is City against QPR. added.
them, Ferguson and
ago as the top flight, will
be played out at the Mancini faced the press
Etihad Stadium where for their last pre-match ACROSS 32. Adorn (5)
City take on Queens Park conferences of the season 1. State capital (7) 33. Exacting (7)
Rangers and at the Sta- on Friday. 4.Yoruba thunder god (5)
dium of Light were With City in pole posi- 7. Hand joint (5) DOWN
Sunderland host United. tion to claim the title, 8. Pope’s domain (7) 1. Lance (7)
The mathematics are Ferguson compared the 9. Female sheep (3) 2. Alcove (5)
simple enough. Both situation to the one he 10. Result (5) 3. Possessors (6)
have 86 points but City’sfaced when Jose 11. Rent (5) 4. Strain (5)
goal difference is eight Mourinho arrived at 13. Songs of praise (6) 5. Commonsense (4)
better than United’s. Chelsea in 2004. 14. Vapour (3) 6. Possessors (6)
If City win they will be “We had to contend with 16. Old Delta King (4) 12. Theatrical platform (5)
Jose’s management style, 19. Thankfulness (9) 13. Sow (5)
All matches start at 3pm which was very effective,”
20. Jacob’s brother (4) 15. Nigerian state (4)
Chelsea v Blackburn Ferguson told reporters. 22. Wager (3) 17. Assistant (4)
Everton v Newcastle “He did a fantastic job 18. Poor (5)
23. Accompanied (9)
Man City v QPR there. “You knew you 21. Unused (7)
Norwich v Aston Villa were competing against a 25.Tubers (4)
Stoke City v Bolton 26. Immature (5) 22. Above (6)
very clever manager. You 23. Fishes (6)
Sunderland v Man Utd 28. Busy insect (3)
Swansea v Liverpool weren’t just facing the 30. Earn (7) 24. Tailor’s implement (6)
Tottenham v Fulham money, you were facing a 27. Coax (4)
West Brom v Arsenal very united squad. 31. Praise (5)
29. Italian wine (4)
Wigan v Wolves “They were hard to beat. SEE SOLUTION ON PAGE 5

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