2015 presidential contest: obasanjo intensifies plot against jonathan

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Page 1: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

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Page 2: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

PAGE 2, SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013

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Page 5: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

SUNDAY VANGUARD,SUNDAY VANGUARD,SUNDAY VANGUARD,SUNDAY VANGUARD,SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 31, 2013 MARCH 31, 2013 MARCH 31, 2013 MARCH 31, 2013 MARCH 31, 2013 — PAGE 5— PAGE 5— PAGE 5— PAGE 5— PAGE 5

SOLUTION

President Goodluck Jonathan(left) condoling with MamaHilda Awolowo over the death of her son, Chief OluwoleAwolowo, publisher, Nigerian Tribune Newspapers, in Ikene,Ogun State, yesterday. Photo: State House.

Jonathan, Mark, ACF, govs sue for peace at Easter*Terrorists are brainwashed pawns of international terrorism – President

THE need for peace in thecountry, sacrifice andlove by the citizenry

dominated the messages ofNigerian leaders to Christiansas they celebrate Easter today.

Easter Sunday marks theresurrection of Jesus threedays after crucifixion about2000 years ago.

Goodluck JonathanPresident Goodluck Jonathan

called on Nigerians to re dedicatethemselves to living together inpeace and harmony and resist theantics of international terroristsand the local collaborators whohe described as the “brainwashedpawns of internationalterrorism.”

In his message to the nation, thepresident said peace and securityare germane to the developmentof the country, vowing thatsecurity agencies would ensurethat peace in the country issustained.

”As we celebrate this year ’sEaster therefore, I urge allNigerians to rededicatethemselves to living in peace andoneness with all members of theircommunities no matter theirethnicity, religious beliefs orplaces of origin,” he said.”On your part, dear countrymenand women, I urge you to continueto exhibit restraint andunderstanding in the face ofseeming provocations. Those whomindlessly and indiscriminatelyattack churches, schools, healthworkers, motor-parks, banks andordinary road users must be seenas they truly are: the brainwashedpawns of international terrorism.”They do not represent any truereligion or section of the countryand we must never play into theirhands by succumbing to theirnefarious ploys to incite religious,ethnic hatred and division amongus”.

David MarkSenate President, David Mark,

called on Christians to exemplifyChrist’s life by continuing to livein peace and harmonyirrespective of faith.

Mark, in his message, throughhis Special Adviser, Media andPublicity, Kola Ologbondiyan,

The deputy speaker, in hismessage, also expressedoptimism that challenges facingthe country will give way tobreakthroughs in several facetsof national life when Nigeriansdo not relent in prayers, hardwork, diligence and patrioticcontributions to nation-building.

Ola MakindeThe Prelate, Methodist Church

Nigeria, Dr Sunday OlaMakinde, pleaded withChristians to reflect true love andgenuine concern to the plight ofothers.

In his Easter message, hecharged Christians to seize theoccasion as a true reflection forsacrifice for a better country.

Isaac Ayobami OlawuyiThe Bishop, Diocese of Lagos

West, Methodist Church Nigeria,Rt Revd Isaac Ayobami Olawuyi,demanded a road map forimproved economy, stemmingfrom the sacrifice of theexperience during the 40-dayfasting.

The cleric, in his message,called on the leaders to rule withthe fear of God and to genuinelyaccess the masses, who electedthem to power.

ACFArewa Consultative Forum,

in its message, askedNigerians to use the spirit ofthe time and resolve to loveone another with patrioticcourage and in hope that aunited Nigeria inhabited by apeaceful society that is sociallyd i v e r s e , e c o n o m i c a l l yempowered and politicallyactive is within reach andholds lot of promise forNigerians. “All that isrequired of Nigerians is topray for God to enable all ofus make consciously directedefforts at making what wecollectively desire and sharepossible and then actual. Thesocio economic and politicalchallenges Nigeria faces noware temporary because they arenot beyond redemption. WithGod all good things arepossible”, the northern leadersgroup said in its Eastermessage to the nation.

BY OUR REPORTERS

reminded that “Christ died onthe cross of Calvary as asacrificial lamb and for theforgiveness of sins of mankind”and urged Nigerians to use theseason of Easter as a period ofreconciliation with each other asexhibited by Jesus’ death.

Ike EkweremaduDeputy Senate President,

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, in hismessage, said: “A praying nationis a winning nation, but we mustmatch our prayers with goodwork, fervent patriotism, andunconditional love for others soas not to squander Christ’sSacrifice”.

Babatunde Raji FasholaGovernor Babatunde Raji

Fashola (SAN) of Lagos Stateasked the people to work in thespirit of oneness, tolerance andrestraint.

“The season reminds us of theselflessness, love and toleranceof Jesus Christ throughout Hisearthly sojourn. It was a difficultperiod but He persevered”, hesaid in his message..

“It is a season when we shouldpause and reflect on ourindividual and collective rolestowards promoting andsustaining that foundation oflove, peace and harmony in oursociety”.

Adams Oshiomhole

In his own message, GovernorAdams Oshiomhole of Edo Statesaid Nigeria will attain her fullpotentials when her citizensresolve to live a life of sacrificeand righteousness.

In the message signed by hisChief Press Secretary, Mr. PeterOkhiria, Oshiomhole said: “Aswe commemorate the death andresurrection of Jesus Christ, whogave his life as a sacrifice formankind, I enjoin the Christianfaithful to toe the footsteps oftheir progenitor and emulate hisspirit of peace, love, sacrifice andrighteousness”.

Kayode FayemiEkiti State governor, Dr.

Kayode Fayemi, urgedChristians to see Easter as anopportunity to offer a betterservice to God and mankind.In his message signed by his ChiefPress Secretary, Mr. OlayinkaOyebode, Fayemi said JesusChrist who died for the sins ofmankind paid the supreme pricefor the salvation of man.He charged Christians to emulatethe sacrificial nature of JesusChrist by committing themselvesto serve their Creator and fellowhuman beings better byexhibiting piety and love.

Emmanuel UduaghanDelta State governor, Dr.

Emmanuel Uduaghan, urgedNigerians not to despair in theface of the challengesconfronting the country.

In his Easter message, he urgedChristians to reflect on the importof the celebrations in theirdealings, not only with otherChristians, but also with peopleof other religions. He saidNigerians must eschew bitternessand all forms of violence,stressing that the progress, peaceand security of the nation areanchored on goodneighborliness and peaceful co-existence

Rotimi AmaechiRivers State Governor and

Chairman of the NigeriaGovernors’ Forum, Rt. Hon.Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi,enjoined Christians to prayfervently for the nation and itsleaders and take advantage ofthe Easter period to show love andforgiveness.

Amaechi, in his message signedby his Chief Press Secretary, Mr.David Iyofor, said the crucifixionand resurrection of Christ was aclear indication of the love of

God for mankind and urgedChristians to always emulateJesus Christ and imbibe thevirtues of love and forgiveness.

Godswill AkpabioGovernor Godswill Akpabio of

Akwa Ibom State describedEaster as the most importantevent in the Christian calendar,maintaining that that lesson ofthe celebration should not be loston all Christians.

The governor, in his message,urged Christians to learn a lessonfrom Christ’s sacrificial death,and be more committed toservice to humanity.

Theodore OrjiAbia State governor, Chief

Theodore Orji asked Christiansto use the occasion to pray forpeace for the nation.

Orji who spoke through hisChief Press Secretary,Ugochukwu Emezue, in hisEaster message, explained that“one of the greatest solution tothe nation’s security challengesremains prayers, so that God willtouch the hearts of those who arebent on destroying lives andproperty to have a change ofheart”.

Reagan UfombaThe APGA governorship

candidate in the 2011 election inAbia State, Ochiagha ReaganUfomba ,in his message, wantedNigerians to reflect on thosevirtues for which Jesus Christcame and died on the cross,saying that is the only way tomake the Easter celebrationm e a n i n g f u l .Bukola Saraki

Senator representing Kwaracentral in the National Assembly,Senator Abubaka Bukola Saraki,in his message, urged Nigeriansto “emphatically pray for peacein our nation and all those whowork for peace andreconciliation in various parts ofN i g e r i a ” .Emeka Ihedioha

Deputy Speaker, House ofRepresentatives, Hon. EmekaIhedioha, called on Nigerians toremain steadfast in prayers forthe unity, peace and progress ofthe country.

Pope Francis marks firstEaster Mass

…reaches out to ‘Muslim brothers’

BY SAM EYOBOKA withAgency reports

POPE Francis is expectedto mark the first EasterSunday mass of his

papacy today few hours after hecelebrated his maiden Eastervigil yesterday just as he prayedfor peace in the Middle East andstronger Christian-Muslimdialogue at a torch-lit ceremonyfor Good Friday.

The newly-elected Argentinepope yesterday presided over amass at St. Peter’s Basilica from8.30 p.m. local time, baptisingfour adult converts—anAlbanian, an Italian, a Russianand a US national.

The ceremony effectivelywrapped up a series of intensivepreparations leading up toEaster Sunday—the holiest day

in the Christian calendar—by thefirst non-European pope innearly 1,300 years.

Tens of thousands of people areexpected to gather today for theEaster Sunday mass when thePope will issue a special blessingfrom the same balcony of St.Peter ’s Basilica, where heappeared on the night of hiselection.

Giovanni Maria Vian, editor ofthe Vatican’s official dailyOsservatore Romano, said seeingthe new Pope during Easterhelped explain the timing of hispredecessor Benedict XVI’sresignation.

Meanwhile the Argentine Popereached out in friendship to “somany Muslim brothers andsisters” during a Good Fridayprocession dedicated to thesuffering of Christians fromterrorism, war and religiousfanaticism in the Middle East.

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Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

Presidency are pressingfor decisiveness on thepart of Mr. President,with a view to clippingObasanjo’s wings.

The latest indicationabout the formerPresident’s moves iswhat sources describedas the “series ofmeetings andconsultations betweenObasanjo and traditionalrulers in the North”.

A former stategovernor familiar

with the surreptitiousmovements of Obasanjoin the last one monthtold Sunday Vanguard:“The former presidenthas been moving roundthe North under theguise of being a specialguest at functions; butthe real reason for hisvisits to the North is theseries of consultations heis holding withtraditional rulers acrossthe zones – save, ofcourse, North East geo-political zone where thedreaded Jamaatu AhlilSunna Lidawati walJihad, otherwise knownas Boko Haram, holds

sway”.It was learnt that

Obasanjo’s latest movesare “ with a view topacifying the Northwhich heaps on his headall the blames for the lossof its hold on power asoccasioned by the deathof late President UmaruMusa Yar’Adua, a deathwhich paved the way forthe enthronement ofJonathan as president.

“What Obasanjo hascome to realize is thateven most of those heconsiders his traditionalfriends and confidantspoke disdain at him forhis role in the impositionof the late Yar’Adua andJonathan as presidentialcandidate and runningmate on the platform ofthe Peoples DemocraticParty, PDP, in 2007, andhe is very desperate tomake it up to ‘hispeople’”.

“The meetings arecentred on how best theNorth can present aunited front against theaspiration of Jonathan. And because of his vastnetwork of friends acrossthe country, Obasanjo iscashing all his cheques

because of this project”.Sunday Vanguard can

also report that the off-and-on relationshipbetween Obasanjo andformer militarypresident, IbrahimBadamasi Babangida,has again engaged the‘ON’ mode.

“When you seeObasanjo andBabangida comingtogether again with theirinterests coalescing,then you knowsomething is in the air”,our source said.

Another source – aformer presidential

aide - that is veryfamiliar with the scheme,said, “It is not so muchof what Obasanjo wantsfrom the northerntraditional rulers butwhat the rulers wantfrom him. Yes, I canconfirm to you that hehas been all over theplace and he has beenholding series ofconsultations. Theagenda is to workagainst the 2015aspiration of PresidentJonathan”.

Asked about the

r u m o u r e drapprochement betweenObasanjo and his ex-deputy, former VicePresident AtikuAbubakar, the source wasemphatic in saying that“the two have not satdown to meet one on onebut there are behind thescene consultations witha view to ensuring thathappens”.

In addition, Obasanjois also said to be inconsultation with a fewPDP state governors whoare very loyal to him,specifically Sule Lamidoof Jigawa State andRabiu Musa Kwankwasoof Kano State.

Indeed, sensing thisemerging threat, PDPBoard of Trustees, BoT,Chairman, Chief TonyAnenih, launched acounter offensive.

Already, the BoTChairman has held

talks with Lamido,Kwankwaso, GovernorBabangida Aliyu ofNiger State, andGovernor Mukhtar Yeroof Kaduna State, amongothers.

His rescue mission is to“ensure that a proper

reconciliation isengendered between thePresident and the stategovernors”, a verydependable source toldSunday Vanguard.

The talks, which arecontinuing, are said to be“yielding very positiveresults”.

On his part, Jonathanhimself held talks with asection of Yoruba leadersthree weeks ago inLagos.

Sunday Vanguardlearnt that the

meeting, which had someelders in the land as wellas a very strategictraditional ruler inattendance, exploredways of pacifying the S/West geo-political zonewhich is increasinglybecoming vociferousabout its claims ofmarginalization underthe Jonathanadministration.

The Yoruba leaders,who do not appear to beon the same page withthe Action Congress ofNigeria, ACN, or itsintended successor party,the All ProgressiveCongress, APC, are to

hold another round oftalks with the Presidentat a later date.

Interestingly, even asthe President patience isbeing taxed byObasanjo’s scheme,some hawks in Aso RockPresidential Villa are ofthe view that the formerPresident’s wingsshould be clipped.

A Presidency sourcetold Sunday

Vanguard:”It is becausePresident Jonathan ismild-mannered; if not,are we not livingwitnesses to how theformer Presidentdeployed state power tohaunt those heperceived as capable ofstopping him fromachieving his failedThird Term agenda?

“That he is walking thestreets of Nigeria freedoes not mean he is asaint, especially the wayhe’s been carrying on. Isit not the mess that hecreated after eight yearsin office that thisadministration is stillbattling to clear”?, thePresidency sourcequipped.

Continued from page 1

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A policeman waskilled by unknown

gunmen at the weddingof his two daughters inDamboa town in Damboalocal government area ofBorno State, localsources said yesterday,saying the incident hap-

Gunmen kill policeman atdaughters’ wedding

pened on Friday.Residents told our

correspondent that thedeceased policeman wasshot dead in front of hishouse while conductingthe wedding Fatiha of hisdaughters shortly afterthe Friday congregationprayer(Jumat). It wasgathered that the

BY NDAHI MARAMA,Maiduguri policeman ran from the

town for months follow-ing death threat sent tohim by unknown personsonly to return to the townlast week in order tomarry out his daughters.

”He came back last weekto marry out his twodaughters but was shotdead on Friday after

From left; Gov. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto State; Vice PresidentNamadi Sambo; Secretary General, Muslim World League, Makkah, SaudiArabia, Dr.Abdullahi Bin Abdul-Muhsin Al-Turki; the Sultan of Sokoto ,AlhajiMuhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar and the Speaker , House of Assembly , AminuTambowal during the international conference on Islam and the fundamen-tals of peaceful co-existence in Nigeria held Sokoto weekend

Politicians rally forOshiomhole @ 60

Comrade Governor ofEdo State, AdamsOshiomhole, turns 60 on Thursday, April 4, 2013.

To mark the event, asymposium titled, ‘Deepening Democracy andEnhancing Public Welfare,’will hold at ImagueroCollege Hall, Sapele Road,Benin from 11 am.

Speakers are, Speakerof the House ofRepresentatives, Hon.Aminu Tambuwal ;Governor of Niger State, Gov. Mu’azu BabangidaAliyu; former Governor ofLagos State and nationalleader, Action Congress ofNigeria ( CAN), AsiwajuBola Tinubu; and formerMinister of Education, Dr.Oby Ezekwesili.

The occasion will bechaired by the chairman,Arewa Consultative Forum( ACF), Alhaji Aliko Mo-hammed.

Vanguard will on April4 have a specialpublication to mark theComrade Governor ’sbirthday. Be a part of it.

Senator Iyiola Omisorehas condoled with SenatorAkinfenwa over his wife’sdeath

“I received with rudeshock and regret thetransition into eternal gloryof the wife of SenatorMojisoluwa Akinfenenwa”,Omisore said in a tribute.

According to him, Mrs.Bolanle Akinfenwa, duringher lifetime, was a pillar ofsupport to her husband.“There was no one who isclose to the the Akinfenwaswho would not attest to thegood spirit of thedeparted,her caring heartand the warmth sheradiated”, he added.

Diya, Arthur Eze,Tejuosho, others forchurch dedication

The newly completedCathedral of the UnitedAfrican Methodist Evan-gelical Church, AbuleIjesha will be dedicated onApril 6 under the chair-manship of Chief ArthurEze while Oba AdedapoTejuosho, the Osile of Oke-Ona Egbaland, and theAlaye of Odogbolu, ObaAdedeji Onagoruwa, arethe royal fathers of the day.

The Prelate, MethodistChurch Nigeria, Dr.Sunday Ola Makinde, willdeliver the sermon at theevent, which will becoordinated by the BabaIjo, former Chief of Gener-al Staff, Lt. Gen. OladipoDiya (RTD), the Iya Ijo,Chief Mrs. Mabel KehindeKomolafe, the OtunbaBaba Ijo, Chief FolorunsoOladepo, the Otun Iya Ijo,Chief Mrs. PatienceOlarewaju Adeleke, andSenator Anthony Adefuye,among others.

Omisorecondoles withAkinfenwa overhis wife’sdeath

BRIEFS

|In our 24-Hour Report of last Sunday, head-lined, ‘On the Road with Kano Street Kids’, weinadvertently, in one of the pictures, referred toMr. Tayo Oni, a lecturer at Child and AlmajiriEmpowerment and Support Initiative, CAESI, asan Almajiri. The error is regretted.– Editor

CORRECTION

We have recorded 90% success oninvestigation — AIG

Jumat while the weddingwas going on”, a residentwho did not want to benamed said.Our reporterlearnt that the deceased officer was from Michika localgovernment area ofAdamawa State butresident in Damboa. Inanother development, atelecommunications net-work mast has been burntdown in Ajigin village,an outskirts of Damboalocal government area.

Locals said that theAirtel’s mast, was justrepaired Thursday,wasburnt for the secondtime. No officialstatement on the twoincidents and efforts toget the Borno policespokesman,DSP GideonJibrin, weres notsuccessful as at the timeof filing this report.

THE new AssistantInspector General

of Police [AIG], Zone 9,Umuahia, Abia State, Mr.Tambari YaboMuhammad, has calledon the governors in thezone to set up securitytrust fund to assist inproviding logistics forsecurity agencies in thezone.

Muhammad, whospoke to journalistsshortly after meetingwith police commission-ers in the zone, urgedthe governors under hisjurisdiction, comprisingof Abia, Anambra,Enugu and Imo states, toemulate Lagos State bysetting up security trustfund in the states.

He said the initiativeto be funded by

KWARA POLICE COMMISSIONER’S ASSASSINATION

*Seeks ‘the Lagos solution’ to insecurity in S/EastBY ANAYO OKOLI

corporate bodies, amongothers, would help thestates as the governorsmay no longer dip theirhands into state coffersto provides logistics forsecurity agencies in theirarea.

The AIG also disclosedthat the policeinvestigation into themurder of former KwaraState PoliceCommissioner, ChinwikeAsadu, has recorded 90%success, and hinted that,before long, theinvestigation would beconcluded.

According to him, hecame to the zone withrenewed vigour to fightcrime, but would requirethe assistance of thepeople to succeed. Hesaid that the people

could help by providinginformation on crime andassured of the protectionand confidentiality ofinformants and theinformation.

“We really need their[governors] support inthe area of logistics.Police are doing theirbest within the meagerresources available tothem, but I believe thatwith support from thegovernors, we will domore,”Muhammad said.

“Almost everything isanchored on security,without security therewill be investment. Sowe are appealing to theGovernors of the zone tocome the assistance ofthe security agencies todo more. I suggest thatthey set up security trustfund in their states likein Lagos so that moneycan be raised to buyequipment for securityagencies. Lagos Statehas up to 300 patrolvehicles and every placeis covered”.

The AIG also promisedto resuscitate Police

Community RelationsCommittees across thezone to encourage thepeople to volunteerinformation.

The Board of theNiger Delta

D e v e l o p m e n tCommission (NDDC)has streamlined thecomplex contract systemin the commission which“in the past hadspawned several ‘toxicprojects’ – projects thatwere awarded withoutbudgetary provisions.”

“And considering theplight of innocentcontractors choked withthese toxic projects, theBoard has passedresolutions empoweringthe Managing Director toact on them. The process ison-going,” a source toldSunday Vanguardyesterday, while saying theBoard had worked quietlysince it was inaugurated,leading to landmarkachievements.

“Second, issues ofpayment ,procedureswhich had led contractorsto slow down or abandonprojects have beenaddressed. The Board hasreviewed the AccountingManual and reformedthe payment procedure.Now contractors ,havesome stability ofexpectations as interimpayment certificates areto be paid between 10-20 working days. TheBoard has also empow-ered the ManagingDirector to fast-track

NDDC streamlines contracts toend abandonment of projects

some very importantprojects like the Univer-sity Hostels and roadconstruction and theyare going on satisfactori-ly,” the source stated.“Finally, at the last BoardMeeting, in order to furtherimprove service delivery,the Board has created a“Work-sanitation Day”onthe last Wednesday of everymonth during which everyemployee must clear his orher desk, and theSERVICOM has beenempowered to monitorcompliance. Servicom hasalso been empowered tomonitor file movementsin every office and reporton a regular basis to theManaging Director whowill report to the Board.”

The new Imo StateDeputy Governor,

Prince Eze Madumere,was, yesterday, sworn-in bythe state Chief Judge, Hon.Justice Benjamin AhanonuNjemanze.

The ceremony, whichtook place in the SamMbakwe Extended Execu-tive Council Chambers ofGovernment House,Owerri, attracted severaldignitaries, including thePresident, CustomaryCourt of Appeal, Hon.Justice Pius IfeanyiOkpara, lawmakers andtraditional rulers.

Addressing Madumere,Governor RochasOkorocha warned that “inthis job, you must hate theidea of primitiveaccumulation wealth, aswell as be guided that thisjob must end oneday”.While saying that

Okorocha regrets losingOkorocha regrets losingOkorocha regrets losingOkorocha regrets losingOkorocha regrets losingformer deputyformer deputyformer deputyformer deputyformer deputy

swearing-in of the newDeputy Governor wasordained by God,Okorocha, however,expressed regret that helost his former deputy, SirJude Agbaso.

BY LEKAN BILESANMI

Free medicarein Delta

Neo Black Movement ofAfrica, Delta Zone has

carried out free medicalcheckup for traders in theWarri Main Market, Warri,Delta State. Theprogramme was part ofactivities to mark the oneyear memorial of one of itsleaders, Mr. BelieveErovwo, who was murdereda year ago in Warri byunknown gunmen.The traders, whose bloodpressure and sugar levelwere tested, were givenmedication according totheir test results.

CHIDI NKWOPARA,,OWERRI

*Successor sworn in

Page 8: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

PAGE 8—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 31, 2013

,

,

Chinua Achebe, a celebration

THERE is the Igbostory of the woodpecker who pro-

claimed without doubtthat he would honour hisfather in death by peck-ing down the great Irokotree. But the day camewhen his father died, andthe woodpecker sudden-ly grew a boil on itsbeak. I feel like thewoodpecker. ChinuaAchebe’s death last weekleft me tongue tied.

Not because I thoughthe would not die; I wasin fact at the last AchebeColloquium at Brown lastNovember, and I felt inthe chill of the New Eng-land winter, a slight pre-monition. It is just thatmen like Achebe tran-scend death.

They seem immortaland timeless. They occu-py a zone of reality thatis between myth and leg-end. So, the announce-ment of his death feltlike a great pillar hadshifted underneath theearth and nothing feelsthe same or is likely tostay in the same familiarbalance. An era had cometruly to a close.

Eustace Palmer, the Si-erra-Leonean critic of Af-rican Literature said somuch, that Achebe’spassing is such an earth-shattering event thatyears from now it wouldbe asked, “where wereyou when the great

Achebe died?” We wereat the Marriot Hotel inCharleston, South Caro-lina, at the annual con-ference of the African Lit-erature Association(ALA) when the newscame. A great pall of si-lence had descended,then began the celebra-tion of a great and mag-nificent life. Achebechose a symbolic mo-ment to pass: the gath-ering of the writers andscholars of the literatureof the African world in acity which itself has sig-nificance in the transat-lantic movement of Afri-cans through the middlepassage. Chinua Achebemagnified the Africanstory in the 20th century.

The significance mightnow slightly be lost tothose who now regardAfrican literature as giv-en, but before ChinuaAchebe, there was no Af-rican literature; not be-cause Africans were notwriting; not becausethere was no tradition ofimaginative expressionin Africa by Africans; it issimply because, in thewords of the great Nige-rian critic, F. Abiola Irele,Chinua Achebe’s writ-ing, for the first time pro-vided an “image of Afri-ca [that] was quite un-precedented in litera-ture.” After Achebe, Af-rica was no longer that“area of darkness” de-

nuded of human con-sciousness. Achebe re-stored its coherent insti-tutional fabric and its“universe of meaningand values.” To put itquite simply, ChinuaAchebe’s importance is

I read Arrow of God,the first of the Achebenovels I encountered, asa nine-year old in 1975.I was haunted by the sto-ry. The powerful story ofthis priest who tried towrestle with Time in thename of his god, and wasfound in the end with hismind turned.

It is true that many crit-ics have comparedAchebe with another ofhis creations, thethoughtful and intro-spective Obierika, thethinking man; Okonk-wo’s alter-ego in ThingsFall Apart, but Achebehad reminded me moreof the high priest Ezulu,equally thoughtful and

introspective, committedand principled, with acapable and philosophi-cal mind, and endowedwith a quiet, dignifiedand stubborn will. Forinstance, while hisfriend, the poet Okigbo,lived and wrote with theurgency of a meteorite; astar in the ascent, muchlike Obika, Ezulu’s son,Achebe wrote with thecalm and measure of de-liberate truth, even in the

face of personal tragedy.Chinua Achebe arrivedthis world as the starsaligned; no wondertherefore his parentsnamed him Chinualu-muogu.

There is much to a nameand his “Chi” indeedfought for him. Born onNovember 16, 1930,Chinua Achebe sharedthe same birthday withDr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, an-other lighted torch of thatcentury. C. C. Momah,former Librarian of theUnited Nations andAchebe’s best friend andclassmate from the Gov-ernment College Umua-hia to the University Col-lege Ibadan has writtenabout how the famousschool master, Mr.Okongwu, Dr. Chu S.Okongwu’s father, thenheadmaster at the St.Michael’s school in Abain the 1940s had warnedthem of a boy at Ogidiwho “ would make therain that will beat” themin the competitive en-trance into the Govern-ment College Umuahiain 1943.

It was there they allmet in January 1944, atthe Government CollegeUmuahia – “Eton of theEast” – where Achebeindeed showed his met-tle. Unlike Okigbo orMomah at Umuahia, hewas no athlete; I evenhave a picture of V.C. Ikeas cricket scorer forUmuahia with WoleSoyinka scoring forIbadan on the oppositeside in 1948, but Achebetook swimmingly to aca-demics. He made by allaccounts, the best resultsin the Cambridge examand the entrance to thenew University CollegeIbadan in 1948, where hearrived to study medi-cine, but soon found him-

self more interested inthe Humanities fromwhich he took his degreein 1954. It is the happi-est of accidents for Afri-can literature becausefrom Ibadan to life inbroadcasting at the Ni-gerian BroadcastingService, and to the pub-lication of Things FallApart in 1958, we havethe seeds of the Ache-bean imagination.

Chinua Achebe’s life isby now too well knownand needs no easy re-hash. So, let me say thisappropriately to sum itssignificance, for it was amagnificent life: ChinuaAchebe’s life was a mir-acle. It was a miracle oflove and a miracle of en-deavor. He was a well-loved man, at both thepublic and the privatespheres. After his acci-dent in 1990, when hebecame paralyzed fromthe waist, his true love,his wife Christie, gave upher own life to care forher love.

The image of ChristieAchebe pushing ChinuaAchebe everywhere on awheel chair was shorn oftragedy, but became thepicture of true and per-fect love. Of endeavor, nosturdier shoulder hasborne the weight moreeasily of the story of aworld. On Achebe’sshoulder lay the weightof the African story in themodern era – an era thatwill henceforth be knownas “the age of Achebe.”

He was the greatestphilosopher of his age inAfrica, and in his deathhas ascended the pan-theon of the world’sgreatest thinkers of anyage. Chinualumuogu:the gods spoke throughhim.

that he restored the dig-nity and humanity of theAfrican, pillaged for overfive hundred years inantinomic imagery andstories circulated acrossthe world without thechallenge of a counternarrative. It was a histor-ic task and only a man ofAchebe’s genius andpowerful introspectioncould achieve it. Hewrote with crystallinepower and authority.

Chinua Achebe’s importance isthat he restored the dignityand humanity of the African,pillaged for over five hundredyears in antinomic imageryand stories circulated acrossthe world without thechallenge of a counternarrative

Mrs. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, one of the

surviving children of thematriarch of Awolowofamily, Mrs. HID Awolowo,has asked those who mighthave been wishing theiraged mother death to stopthat, saying, no one couldfast track her death.Awolowo-Dosunmu statedthis, yesterday, while wel-coming President Good-luck Jonathan to their fam-ily house in Ikenne on acondolence visit over thedeath of their late brother,Chief Oluwole Awolowo.While disclosing the cir-cumstances that led to thedeath of their brother, thewoman said, “I recall withgratitude that when ourbrother’s illness turned forthe worse, the statement Iwas told you (President )made, I’ll never forget, wasthat you will do everythingto make sure mama doesn’tgrief again and unfortu-

No one can fast-track our mama’sdeath — Awo family

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

*Jonathan says he will adopt children of the deceased

nately our prayers were notanswered but God knowsbest. “This is a terrible timefor us in this family, ourbrother passed away ex-actly two weeks to thesecond anniversary of mysister and so, for mama,we can’t even imaginewhat will be going on inher heart, but we are peo-ple of faith and we be-lieve we will never un-derstand everything inthis side of the divide.“ But a time will come,then, we will all be thereand see God and He willtell us why he did thisand then we will under-stand but my prayer asbad as this situation is,whatever that God is say-ing to us that we willhear, whatever lessonshe wants us to learn, wewill learn and that at theend of it all, some goodwill come out of this. “Asfor mama, we pray forlong life for her, her time

will come when it willcome, there is nothing any-one can do about that. Weknow for a while it will betough on her because it istough on us that are her sib-lings”.The President was joinedby ex-governor of OgunState, Otunba GbengaDaniel, ex-Chief of Gen-eral Staff, General Olad-ipo Diya (rtd), to pay thecondolence visit to thematriarch of the Awolowofamily. Responding,Jonathan announcedplan to adopt the chil-dren of the deceased,who died in London hos-pital as his children.Jonathan, who arrivedIkenne in a presidentialchopper disclosed thathe decided to pay hispersonal condolence tothe matriarch of theAwolowo family and oth-er members of the familybecause he had been in-tegrated into the family.

Above:L-R Nicholas Okoh, Primateof Anglican Church of Ni-geria; Emeka Anyaoku andwife, Bunmi; Gen. YakubuGowon after the thanksgivingservice in honour of Anyaokuwho turned 80 at St. AndrewAnglican Church yesterday.

Below:Former Commonwealth Secre-tary General, Chief EmekaAnyaoku,welcoming theSpeaker of the House of Rep-resentatives, Hon AminuWaziri Tambuwal,during his80th birthday anniversary cel-ebration at his country homeof Obosi, in Anambra State,yesterday.

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Dear Sir,

All letters bearing writers' names and full addresses should be typed and forwarded to: TheEditor, Sunday Vanguard, Kirikiri Canal, P. M. B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E-mail:[email protected]

SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013, PAGE 9

Decreasing food production in the country

THE decreasing food availability has been a terrible problemin our country since the last

decade. The production of food grainper person has gone down. Theaverage person has fewer calories perday than he or she had ten or fifteenyears ago.

Worse still, the havoc caused by therecent flood that devastated the cropsnation wide has continued to undermind the efforts of our farmers. Eventhough the government quicklyintervened by donating food, moneyand other essentials to the affectedvictims nationwide, efforts should bemade to avert such disaster in future.

There ought to be a politicalmechanism for consulting the farmersand allowing them express their viewsto know when to assist them beforethings get out of control. One farmerby name, Musa, said “ Did I not knowthat the government controls seeds,fertilizer, tractors and other equipmentand these things are not readilyavailable to the farmers.

This demoralizes the farmers. Hesaid before the advent of oil boom,agriculture was the mainstay of oureconomy and source of our foreignexchange. Regrettably, variousgovernments no longer pay enoughattention to agriculture. Farmsettlements have been abandonedsince the end of the civil war.

Government should providemechanisms to ensure abundant and

healthy food supply. The so-calledloan to farmers often end up in thehands of claimers not farmers. Theyoung people of this nation should beencouraged to join the food andagriculture industry. It is a great placeto work. Government shouldencourage all Nigerians who go intoagriculture. These should be incen-tives.

For those who want the country tobe move forward, I challenge you tojoin the food and agriculture industriesto ensure that there is enough foodsupply. Incentives should be given topeople who teach agriculture and

agric students. This is a wake up callto those states that had since aban-doned farm settlements, rice mills andrice cultivation. Adoption of moderntechnology has brought great change.Increased mechanization has allowedfarms to become larger and farmingmethods have increased theproduction output in most advancedcountries. It is not enough for ourgovernment to say “Rice importationwould stopped without effort to backup the production locally.

Farming alone can help reduceunemployment since hired farmworkers in forestry, fisheries,

Dear Sir,

Why our country is down on her knees

POLITICS is presently the mostlucrative venture in ourcountry, the quickest avenue to

instant wealth and a life time of comfortwithout sweat and that is why ourgreedy politicians regard it as a do-or-die affair!

The era of good governance andselfless service to our fatherland,ended with the demise of the 1stRepublic on 15/1/66 and since the 70still date, those that served in both themilitary and civilian regimes, cameinto power to amass wealth and not torender selfless service to ourfatherland. Dishonest civil servants

and those in the private sector that dobusiness with government, joined thebandwagon. All these people whohave become richer than our country,have succeeded in bringing her downon her knees with their filthy itchingfingers!

Our country will never developrapidly with its abundant resourcesand the masses will continue to bedenied the basic necessities of life andsubjected to suffering in the midst ofplenty, as long as our ruling class,dishonest civil servants and businessmen and women in the private sectorthat do business with government,continue to regard our country as one

fat cow to be milked to death and ifthey do not emulate our foundingfathers who rendered selfless serviceto our fatherland and left enduringlegacies without stealing our countryblind and amassing mind-bogglingwealth!

Let us keep our fingers crossed to seeif such group of Nigerians will everemerge to be at the helm of our affairsin our life time.

Ifeka Okonkwo,Plot 44,Ahocol, Housing Estate,Phase II G.R.A,Awka.

agricultural services and extensionamount to almost 2 million nationwide.

There also those who are employedprimarily at non farm jobs. These doseasonal farm works to supplementtheir non farm earnings and studentsdo farm work for only few weeksduring the year to earn extra money.

It is imperative for the governmentto set their priorities right, by investingin the agricultural sector. If this issincerely done, most of ourunemployed youths will be off thestreets.

Mr. Cletus Okereke,a public affairs analystwrites in from Anambra State.

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“It is the storyteller,whomakes us what we are, whocreates history. The story-teller creates the memorythat the survivors must have- otherwise their survivingwould have no meaning.” -Chinua Achebe

CHINUA Achebe,the internationally celebrated Nige-

rian author, statesman anddissident who gave literarybirth to modern Africa withThings Fall Apart, has died.He was 82. I was in my office when I heard of the passing of ourelder, Chinua Achebe. Thenews shook me to the core, then I scrambledto the nearest computerpot. I was stunned therewas no mistake, it wastrue that Chinua Achebewas no more.

I had to call my son,who although at 23, hadnever been on Nigeriansoil, but read Things FallApart at his secondaryschool. When I told him thenews, he paused and thenhe said of how lucky wewere to have read his books.I tried to think why I

,

,was bereft, I felt I lost someone close. Then I re-alised I have. Through Chinua Achebe’s novels we in our individual ways caught a glimpseof the man and his mastery.

Chinua Achebe had influ-enced many a writer andNelson Mandela said howreading his novels madethe walls of the prison in-visible. Many of my non-Nigerian friends had read Things Fall Apart and many wereconverts of his novels asa result. Many of the UKnewspapers carried his passing and all were very complimentary of the man. And so they should, after all many had read his books andsome had been present at some of his talks .

Things Fall Apart hassold more than eight mil-lion copies worldwide andtranslated into more than50 languages. The novelhas been a staple of manyschools the world over. He was a critic of Western lit-erature, of that he said:”

thing I have to find out my-self.” - Chinua had said.Until his death, ProfAchebe was the David andMarianna Fisher Universi-ty Professor and Professorof Africana Studies atBrown, New York.

He twice rejected beingnamed a Commander of theOrder of the Federal

Republic(CON) on the basis that the Nigeri-an government was rid-dled with greed and corruption. “The reasonsfor rejecting the offer whenit was first made have notbeen addressed, let alonesolved. It is inappropriateto offer it again to me,” hesaid when it was offered thesecond time.

He said at the time howhe had watched events inNigeria with alarm anddismay. He said “I havewatched particularly thechaos in my own state of An-ambra where a small cliqueof renegades, openly boast-ing its connections in highplaces, seems determined toturn my homeland into abankrupt and lawless fief-dom” and “ I am appalledby the brazenness of this

Until Lions write their ownhistory, the tale of the huntwill always glorify the hunt-er “ and he was right,our history can only betold by us and not from an outsider’s clouded viewof the then colonial’s ter-minology of the “savag-es”. He was vehemently crit-ical of Joseph Conrad’sHeart of Darkness, which was a standard reading for millionsaround the colonisedcountries. He set a stand-ard and blazed at r a i l ; w i t h o u t adoubt has beenresponsible for founding and developing African literature by an African.“Nobody can teach mewho I am. You can describeparts of me, but who I am -and what I need - is some-

clique and the silence, if notconnivance, of the presi-dency,” continued Achebe.President Jonathan re-sponded that Achebe’s claim “clearly flies in theface of the reality of Niger-ia’s current political situa-tion” and he expressedhope that the writer would“find time to visit home

soon and see the progressbeing made by the Jonath-an administration for him-self.” I guess Achebe knew enough and he saidthat ”Nigeria is what it isbecause its leaders are notwhat they should be”.

I’ve had trouble now andagain in Nigeria because Ihave spoken up about themistreatment of factions inthe country because of dif-ference in religion. These arethings we should put be-hind us,-Chinua Achebeonce wrote.

As Achebe told The Asso-ciated Press in 2008, that“age was respected amongmy people, but achievementwas revere”. As the elderssaid, if “Storytellers are athreat. They threaten allchampions of control, theyfrighten usurpers of theright-to-freedom of the hu-man spirit — in state, inchurch or mosque, in partycongress, in the universityor wherever.”

Achebe was irascible andhe defined himself as a pro-test writer, with restraint.Whatever the restrainthe had he managed itwell with grace andaplomb . Like an astuteobserver he noted thathe feared what could become of his belovedcountry, Nigeria, that should a leaderless upris-ing took over what was a bad government will only be replaced byone much worse. He wasright. If the word shouldside with the peopleagainst the “ the Emper-

Ode to the Bard

PAGE 10—SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013

or” that oppresses his orher people.

The last word: whenasked how he felt beingseen as the founder of African Literature , he said“I resisted that very, verystrongly. It’s really a seriousbelief (of mine) that it’s riskyfor anyone to lay claim tosomething as huge and im-portant as African litera-ture… the contributionmade down the ages. I don’twant to be singled out as theone behind it because therewere many of us - many,many of us”.

Chinua Achebe left hiswork, his legacy and forevery child, adult thatopen up Things Fall Apartor any of his otherbooks they will notbe alone, they will infact be opening up to aworld from the past andcomplex characters whocan be from anywherein the world. Achebecame with a purpose andhe did more by writing. Hechanged the way Africawas portrayed by the colonials and the outside world. He was always un-compromising and he, in-deed wrote what he wanted and he did not want his life to be dic-tated to by anybody but him. We are indeedthankful to have had himin our midst and for him tohave been one of ourown. We will always beaccompanied by this ebul-lient imaginative, creativepurposeful, patriotic Afri-can soul.

Thanksgiving or araid on the treasury?

Achebe came with a purpose and he did more by writing. Hechanged the way Africa wasportrayed by the colonialsand the outside world

“A sucker [fool] is born eve-ry minute”. P.T. Barnum,

IF it takes God’s OwnCountry a wholeminute to produce a

dunce, then Nigerian moth-ers must be dropping themevery second. At Unijanka-ra, we are getting fed-up de-livering lectures to FellowCompatriots who refuse tolearn street wisdom – whichis our 100 level Course. Likethe suckers they are, theyfell for two stories, on thesame subject, both for themarines.

First, the wife of theChairman/Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Nigeria Incorpo-rated disappeared, intothin air, for several weeks,giving rise to speculationsthat she was seriously sick.The Chairman/CEO imme-diately got his two echoes,called Special Assistants, todisclaim the story about ill-ness. No, we were told,Madam is quite fine; justresting somewhere; but no-body was allowed to seeher. So far so good; evenwhen we all knew they werelying again. Lying has be-come official policynumber one this timearound.

Four months after, Mad-am returned, looking quitefine, as a matter of fact.Immediately, the echoestold the suckers, “see we toldyou she was all right”.Again, so far so good de-

spite the fact that we sus-pected that it was all a congame.

Then a month after herarrival, Madam suddenlyannounced that she had in-deed been at death’s doorall the time she wasabroad. According to thenew version of what hap-pened during those fourmonths of absence, she nowclaimed that she even spentseven whole days discuss-ing with St Peter, at heav-en’s gate, whether she couldcome in or not. In the end,she was sent back to the hellcalled Nigeria. Pity.

By now, Unijankara staffand students were alertedthat something suspiciouswas about to happen. Sowe took her statement toour forensic laboratoriesfor analysis. Lo! And be-hold, we found the clue.Madam had, during herrevelation, spoken abouther properties being soldoff by people she trusted,who thought she was dead.We wondered why Madamdid not simply call in theIGP and the Attorney Gen-eral to go and get those whostole the properties. At leastthat is what any other per-son whose property hadbeen misappropriated byothers would do. Onebright faculty member,speaking on condition ofanonymity, provided theanswer to that puzzle. Ac-cording to the fellow, who

is a future Dean, the wife ofthe Chairman did not callthe cops because she didnot want Fellow Nigeriansasking how she obtainedthe properties in the firstinstance.

So, the next thing was“how do you recover theproperties?”. Answer: holda fund raising party; butcall it thanksgiving. Thatway, Nigeria Incorporatedfoots the bill and cool cashtumbles in to replace thelost properties. Sources,speaking under conditionsof anonymity again, saidthat the fund raising, sorrythanksgiving party cost the

nation N500 million. Gen-eral Gowon was there; sowere the liars who told usMadam was only relaxingfor four months at, perhaps,the French Riviera. One ofthem once worked for anewspaper whose motto is“Conscience nurtured bytruth”. At Unijankara, weknow definitely that “it wasa swindle, as simple andsweet as any really beauti-ful swindle is”.

Oh well Life goes on.

MEANWHILE LIFEALSO WENT ON ATBAYELSA STATE

“The more you look theless you see”, Professor Pel-ler, the Magician.

Most Nigerians haveprobably forgotten that theMadam, who went AWOLfor four months, in addi-tion to her other public du-ties, is also a PermanentSecretary in Bayelsa State.She, a few months ago,swore in the Governor, orwas it the Governor swear-ing in the Perm Sec. Ordi-narily, the Perm Sec standswhile the governor seats.The Perm Sec, along withCommissioners and otherPerm Secs would go to theairport to meet the Gover-nor. And, the Perm Sec willsend in a medical reportand ask the Governor forpermission to go for treat-

ment. Since Bayelsa Statehas not yet passed the lawmaking rumour monger-ing a crime, let me tell youa rumour. The Super Spe-cial Perm Sec, who was en-gaged less than one yearago, went away for fourmonths and for a long timethe government of BayelsaState knew no more aboutits Perm Sec’s whereaboutsthan the man on the street.

Come to think of it; whatsort of a government is that,

where a Perm Sec is report-ed by her husband’s trustedspokesmen to be having agood time abroad, for fourmonths, and she was notsacked? Even a state gov-ernment in a banana repub-lic can do better than that.The hapless governor wasalso invited to the fund rais-ing, sorry again, thanksgiv-ing party, after the storyabout holiday turned totreatment abroad.

If a man fools you once;shame on him; if twice,shame on you”. You fell forthe sob story, “I have noshoe” in 2011; I am sorryfor you. Now after a N2 bil-lion St Joe’s Cathedral anda N6 billion Deaconry, in abush somewhere, all weneed is for one contractor,to go and donate a shoefactory. After that, it will betime to bid our friend good-bye.

LAST LINE: Given achoice between Obasanjoand Jonathan, as the onlytwo candidates, I will voteJonathan. At least, theChurch, the Deaconry, theUniversity and the Airport,at Otuoke belong to thepeople – even though fund-ed by donors who may havetheir motives. By contrast,the Presidential Libraryand Bell’s University, estab-lished by Obasanjo, belongexclusively to Obasanjoand his descendants. Thatis SELFISHNESS! BabaIyabo has no lesson toteach GEJ on ethics.

TWO OLD MENAND A BOAT.

“PDP is all about entitle-ments; we compensate thosewho lose elections”, AlhajiBamanga Tukur, Chairmanof PDP.

For those who had madethe mistake of believingthat PDP and Jonathan aretwo different entities, the

Chairman of the PDP hasfinally made clear, whatclear-eyed observers of thepolitical scene had long re-alized. The PDP is not apolitical party establishedto foster the welfare of thepeople of Nigeria. Instead,right from the start, it hasbeen a conspiracy to raidthe national treasury forthe benefit of its members.

Bamanga Tukur, an octo-genarian, who cannot betaught any new things, isstrongly wedded to the be-lief that a political partyshould exist only for thebenefit of its members.Frankly speaking, theydon’t give a damn about therest of us.

And there is another oldman, the Chairman of theBoard of Trustees, BOT,Chief Anenih cares onlyabout how his party.

We must say ENOUGH.

CALLING IGBOBICOLLEGE 58-62 SET

Tempus fugit, and, if youhave not completely buriedyour Latin under mountainsof eba, amala, booze andother things best left un-mentioned, still means,“time flies”. We all left dearold Igbobi College, fiftyyears in December. So ourclass’s 50th Anniversarycomes up in April. Pleasecontact Segun George,KSJW, our class Presidentto find about the arrange-ments. More to the point,we need your donations,starting from N100,000.Segun’s number: 0803-3013349.

P.S. Condolences are inorder on account of ourdear late ELIJAH JOE, akaDeacon Ayo Ositelu, whowas a member of the plan-ning committee for thisevent until the end. May hissoul rest in perpetual peace.

www.delesobowale.com

Now after a N2 billion StJoe’s Cathedral and a N6billion Deaconry, in a bushsomewhere, all we need isfor one contractor, to goand donate a shoe factory

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SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 31, 2013, PAGE 11

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The trouble with Nigerians (2)

,

THEREFORE, in myopinion, the mostimportant chal-

lenge for Jonathan is notethnic inequality per se inthe distribution of key posi-tions, but to justify his choic-es on the criteria of excel-lence and performance inspite of ethnicity.

From the not-too-encour-aging performance of hisgovernment thus far, it isfair to say that, ethnic biasor not, Mr. President, inmost cases, did not choosethe best caliber of Nigeri-ans to occupy several cru-cial positions in his govern-ment. The situation is wors-ened by his increasing ten-dency of allowing egoisticconsiderations to overshad-ow merit and national in-terest in decision-makingprocesses. According toSobowale, with his lopsid-ed appointments the Presi-dent is unwittingly creatingproblems for us. Sobowaleclaims apocalyptically thatif political “power swingsback to the north, in the nearfuture generations unbornfrom the south will pay theprice for the actions of Pres-ident Jonathan with his at-titude to appointments andgovernance.”

Evidently, that predictionis predicated on the “re-venge mentality” of someprominent northerners, thetype of mind-set which mo-

tivated Murtala RamatMohammed and The-ophilus Y. Danjuma to exe-cute the bloody revengecoup of July, 29, 1966. Butthere is nothing inevitableabout Sobowale’s predic-tion; it is quite possible thatthe northern President whowould be elected afterJonathan might be a wiseand enlightened leaderdeeply committed to genu-ine national rebirth andreconciliation.

The main problem withethnic bias in official ap-pointments is not the possi-bility of revenge, althoughthat in itself is deplorable.

Instead it is the denial ofmerit and excellence whichis a type of social injusticethat harms the individualsdirectly involved and, ulti-mately, the entire society.

As Prof. Achebe correctlyobserved in his latest andhighly controversial book,There was a Country: A Per-sonal History of Biafra,“ whenever merit is setaside by prejudice of what-

ever origin, individual citi-zens as well as the nationitself are victimised.” Therecent state pardon grant-ed by President Jonathan tosome Nigerians foundguilty of various offences isan avoidable miscalcula-tion which has generatedheated debates in the coun-try and abroad.

Critics of Jonathan argue,and I concur, that pardon-ing convicted criminalslike Diepreye Alamieyesei-gha, former governor ofBayelsa state, and Moham-med Balama, erstwhilemanaging director of Bankof the North, is immoral

and a complete negation ofthe war against corruption.However, Reuben Abati andDoyin Okupe, Jonathan’smouth pieces, insulted theintelligence of Nigerians byarguing, inter alia, that (1)critics of President Jonath-an’s action are sufferingfrom “sophisticated igno-rance,” (2) that the issue ispurely a matter of law, theexercise of the prerogative

of mercy vested on the Pres-ident by the constitution,and (3) Jonathan has donenothing wrong since someAmerican Presidents alsopardoned American citizenswho were guilty of variousoffences. Sycophants tendto go to absurd lengths justto please their paymasters,especially when the materi-al rewards are huge. Toclaim that there is a lot of“sophisticated ignorance”among critics of the statepardon is to commit a mis-take the Austrian philoso-pher, Ludwig Wittgenstein,called “language on holi-day.” Frist, the meaning of“sophisticated ignorance”is unclear. Second, critics ofJonathan, including experi-enced lawyers and intellec-tuals, know very well theprocedures for grantingstate pardon as stipulated inthe 1999 constitution.Therefore, Abati and Okupeare arguing against thestraw man by pretendingthat the issue is just aboutlegality and procedure sim-pliciter. The crux of objec-tions to Mr. President’s ill-advised action is that par-doning convicted felons, es-pecially Alameyeseighaand Balama, at a time whencorruption at the topmostlevels of political and cor-porate governance is crip-pling the country and whenthe current administrationis purportedly fighting awar against corruption willencourage corruption-minded Nigerians to goahead with their plans in thehope that, even if they arecaught and convicted at alater date they will be par-doned by a “compassion-ate” President. Hence, theconsequences of the pardontranscend mere legalism.

Significant issues of moral-ity, of deterrence, of reper-cussions on the war againstcorruption are also in-volved. The questions Mr.President and his syco-phants should ask them-selves are: what is the likelyimpact on the fight againstcorruption if people con-victed of stealing billions ofnaira are pardoned so easi-ly? How will our benefac-tors such as the UnitedStates and United Kingdomrespond to the tacit endorse-ment of corruption by theNigerian government? Isbeing the political benefac-tor of Mr. President suffi-cient reason for granting acriminal who jumped bailin a foreign country statepardon? We have alreadystated that Jonathan’s deci-sion will encourage VIPthieves to go ahead withtheir plans.

On the second question,an official of the Americangovernment has alreadyhinted that the US might cutof development aid to Ni-geria this year estimated at$600 million. Britain wouldlikely do the same for agood reason, becauseAlamieyeseigha, who wasdetained in London in Sep-tember 2005 for moneylaundering charges and lat-er released on bail, jumpedbail and eloped back to Ni-geria. Concerning the statepardon granted by Ameri-can Presidents to somecompatriots, Jonathan’ssycophants are incrediblydisingenuous to use that tojustify what is unarguably aterrible misjudgment by thePresident – it is a case ofmixing bananas with or-anges. For instance, whenRichard Nixon was par-doned by Gerard Ford, the

PhD, Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos,

offense for which he wasfound complicit and forwhich he got pardoned wasnot part of a major system-ic problem in America theway official corruption isin Nigeria – the burglary ofan office belonging to theDemocratic Party was anaberration, a one-off occur-rence.

More importantly, thatAmerican Presidents didsomething does not auto-matically make what theydid right, to the extent of be-coming a universal stand-ard for other leaders toemulate. Every action of aleader must be judged on itsown merit, irrespective ofwhether it has or does nothave a precedent elsewhere.It is even insulting to sug-gest that Nigerians shouldaccept President Jonath-an’s selfish and unpatrioticstate pardon simply be-cause former Americanleaders did so; that is a sil-ly endorsement of colonialmentality and self-abnega-tion that has been militat-ing against the attainmentof authentic selfhood andindependence in Nigeriaparticularly and in sub-Sa-haran Africa generallywhich must be rejected.

From the foregoing theconclusion is clear: Presi-dent Jonathan erred by mis-using his powers to pardoncriminals. But that is not theend of our troubles: it ishighly probable that aselection time approaches,Jonathan would be preoc-cupied with decisions thatwould bolster his chancesof reelection, not with themuch more important taskof improving the lot of Ni-gerians.

To be concluded.

Edo teachers and their Governor

UNTIL a fewmonths ago, thetopical issue in

my State - Edo - usuallycentred on the beautifi-cation of major towns inthe State. The story-lineappears to have changedas a new topic has sincetaken over. These days,the matter of the momentis the directive of theState Government toteachers to produce theirprimary school certifi-cates. So, what makes thedirective so significant?Should a teacher - a per-son who is trained totrain others - find it hardto produce evidence ofhis qualification? Any an-alyst who thinks the is-sue is a simple one wouldno doubt be amazed tohear stories of how Edoteachers have some timenow been running from‘pillar to post’ in searchof their basic certificates.If so, how were they inthe first instance as-sessed, appointed andplaced on their respec-tive salary grade levels?

The stories on the cer-tificate issue are numer-ous. To some teachers,the issue is no more thanpolitical vendetta be-cause in their own view,many teachers were notwell disposed to the re-

election bid of the Gov-ernor, Comrade AdamsOshiomhole in the July14, 2012 Governorshipelections in the State.That sounds incredibleconsidering that the Gov-ernor reportedly won theelection in all the localgovernment areas in theState including the tradi-tional strong-holds of theopposition. Would it notbe absurd for him to seekto penalize the few per-sons who may not havevoted for him? To thisquestion, there is a rath-

er humorous answer byone teacher who allegesthat the Governor himselfhas no genuine academ-ic qualification hence heevolved the current op-eration show your certif-icate to prove that eventeachers are not betterthan him. If not, why, theteacher asked, is theGovernor more interest-

ed in the primary schoolcertificates of teacherswho are mostly NationalCertificate of Education(NCE) holders and uni-versity graduates?

Another teacher com-plained that many of hiscolleagues have no restof mind these days as theGovernor and his Com-missioners now operatelike spies monitoring themovement of teachers soas to dismiss them withthe slightest excuse. In-terestingly, the rat andcat game between the

teachers and their Gov-ernor appears to be agood omen because ithas served as a wake-upcall for teachers in ourpublic schools to becomemore alive to their re-sponsibilities. Oh yes, forlonger than makessense, many teachershave shown crass irre-sponsibility in their gen-

eral disposition; actingas teachers by professionand as entrepreneurs byoccupation. While manyhave trading companiesto which they devote ut-most attention, others areoccasionally in schoolmainly to hawk theirwares. Indeed, some ofour teachers live abroad.Thus, the allegation ofpolitical vendetta is hardfor me to comprehendjust as I never under-stood my brother, Igodo-migodo’s “delicate equi-poise between the un-folding centrifugal andcentripetal socio-politicalproclivities” in our State.

In any case, if anyteacher who has beensacked attributes it to hisrefusal to vote for theGovernor; he still de-serves ample blame forcreating the loophole forthe sack by not having acertificate or by being ir-regular at work. This ver-dict would howeverchange when there isevidence that some teach-ers who were similarlyfound wanting werespared because they aresupporters of the rulingpolitical party. Untilthen, our teachers mustbecome more dedicatedand result-oriented. Onthis score, we commendthose teachers who havenot been found wantingand urge them to encour-age their deviant col-leagues to purge them-selves of idle talks andgo back to the classroomsto teach our children.Teachers and indeed allprofessionals have a dutyto give back to a societyfrom which they have

made gains. In earnest,they need to appreciatethat they are educatedbecause their own teach-ers did not derelict intheir duties.

Accordingly, the EdoState Government mustgo beyond perusing cer-tificates and marking at-tendance registers; thatalone cannot rescue ourdecaying school system.One visible challengewhich stares our educa-tion managers in the faceis the abandonment ofappropriate supervisionwhich in the past, waspremised on close mark-ing of school performanc-es. Unfortunately, manyStates and even the fed-eral government have forawhile left substance inpursuit of shadows like‘education summits’where the ills of ourschool system are sub-jected to unending de-bates without action. Edomust shun such wastefultalk-shops and deal withthe core of its dilemma.Consequently, it must asa matter of urgency, re-vamp the InspectorateDivision of its Ministry ofEducation to systemati-cally monitor our schools.As few as 20 well trainedinspectors can visit 400schools in one monthwith one inspector visit-ing one school a day and5 schools a week. Theworkings of the Inspec-torate must be well or-ganized with an inspec-tor ’s manual into whicha check list to guide theinspectors should be in-corporated. The goalshould be to weed outunqualified and non-per-

forming teachers; returnthe high standards of ed-ucation of old to ourschools and ensure thatour teachers earn ratherthan receive salaries.

At the same time, soci-ety must always remem-ber that a citizen, who isexpected to do a firstclass job, deserves a firstclass ticket. To this end,Edo State needs to stim-ulate job satisfaction inthe teaching profession.Our teachers should nolonger be subordinatedto their colleagues in thecivil service. They toodeserve to enjoy regularpromotions and rise upto the highest levels. Itis therefore unnecessaryto elevate a teacher to theposition of a permanentsecretary; instead, everyprincipal of a ‘Grade A’school should enjoy allthe privileges of a per-manent secretary includ-ing salary for life. In viewof the special role of ed-ucation in national de-velopment, governmentshould as a matter of de-liberate policy organizeother packages of moti-vation for teachers. La-gos State for instance, hasan Annual EducationMerit Award to honourteachers who distinguishthemselves in their jobs.Last year, the event wascelebrated with twobrand new cars whichwere presented to theBest Teachers in both pri-mary and secondaryschools in the state. Edoshould emulate this. Ir-respective of who winselections in the State,every teacher shouldteach well.

Our teachers should no longerbe subordinated to theircolleagues in the civil service.They too deserve to enjoyregular promotions and rise upto the highest levels

Every action of a leader mustbe judged on its own merit,irrespective of whether it hasor does not have a precedentelsewhere

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•All letters for publication on this page should be sent to: DearRebecca, Vanguard Media Ltd, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B 1007,Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected]

PAGE 12 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 31, 2013

Dear Rebecca

REPLREPLREPLREPLREPLYYYYY

Dear Rebecca

Her family doesn’t want me!

REPLREPLREPLREPLREPLYYYYY

you and your girl findyourself constantly alonewhether at your place orat hers. Even if you arenot alone you will beginto look for opportunity tohave some privacy. Akiss, a hug, and thingsmay get out of hand. So,

How to handle plain friendship

I would not adviseyou to continue visiting her at home

when her people areagainst such a thing.The nightmare of mostparents or guardians of

I am eighteen yearsold and still in secondary school. My

boy is twenty, a business-man.

I started dating him twoyears ago. He is also myfirst boyfriend. Problemis that he keeps a lot ofgirls.

I’ve met some of themand he doesn’t apologizefor this attitude.

I buy him things I feelwill make him happy buthe never does so to me.Instead he takes from mebut spends on other girls.The truth is, he is a flirtand this makes me jeal-ous. I decided to end therelationship, realizingthat he is irresponsibleand that in future, I willmeet somebody, who willlove me and care for me.

Now, this guy has comeback begging to forgivehim. I am so confused.

Rose,Lagos

Dear Rebecca

I am a nineteen yearold boy in love witha girl who said she

does not want a relation-ship with me. I sug-gested that we should atleast be friends. I amafraid that if she agreesI wouldn’t know how tohandle it or what to say .

Segue

When a sensiblegirl this girl is! If she agrees

to ordinaryfriendship, just developwith her, a relationship

like the one you wouldnormally have with a boy. Chat, exchange cleannovels and magazines,and treat her like a sis-ter. Be quite relaxedabout the friendship .

Sometimes we may de-sire a romantic relation-ship with someone butlater find that just plainfriendship is better andmore satisfying .Makefriends with other girlstoo .Amongst them, thereis bound to be one whowill want a romantic re-lationship with you. Ifyou behave like a gentle-man, are clean, respon-sible, respectful, politeand humorous, girls arebound to like you.

I am a nineteenyear-old boy inlove with a girl of

19 who is still in school.Our relationship is twoyears old.

My problems with herare muilt-demensional.She has a sister whodoes not want see me atall. She always embar-rasses me whenever Ivisit their house. In spiteof this, I always createthe impression that all iswell.

Somehow, peoplearound always tell herwhat her sister does tome . One day, she in-vited me to her place.Her uncle who has al-ways welcomed me be-fore now told her to tellme to leave. I heard,and told her I will nevercome to her house anymore. She pleaded withme not to take it to heart,and because I love herI stayed in the relation-ship. I have proposed tomarry this girl.

I hear that when cou-ples don’t live in har-mony, their children willfollow in their footsteps.I plan to marry her in fu-ture. Do you think thiswill happen to our chil-dren? She has also in-vited me to her houseagain. Is it wise for meto go?.

Chi,Owerri.

He’s like a butterfly!

REPLREPLREPLREPLREPLYYYYY

The sensible thingto do is to end therelationship, but

if you are still fond of himand want him back, thenhave him on your ownterms. You re not marriedto him, so you do nothave to tolerate hismisbehavior and sufferemotionally. Tell him ex-actly what displeasesyou in the relationshipand hear what he has tosay.

Then watch for im-provement; if there isnone, then break off the

relationship.Actually, at your age

and still at school, youshould have severalboys as friends and beinvolved very lightly inromantic relationshipwhile concentratingmore on yourstudies.These shouldnot be moopoly andownership at thisstage. That shouldcome later in a seriousrelationship when youare ready to settledown. All you shoulddo now is study boys soyou could know thetype you would want todate later. It is not wisefor a girl to shower giftson her boyfriends,even if she is very rich;usually such a girl isnot appreciated by theboyfriend who wouldthink that she is des-perate to have him,and is willing to buyhis friendship.

He would get puffedup and treat her badly.Meanwhile he wouldspend on other girls sothey would want to re-main his girlfriends.

You feel hurt andcheated because youhave been spending onhim, and yet he goesafter other girls. That’slife.

Sincerely, you shouldput all your efforts intoyour studies. Having aboyfriend while still insecondary school, is avery bad distraction, asyou won’t be able toface your studies well,and you may fail yourexaminations.

female teenagers whoare still at school, is theireducational career beingcut short due to an un-wanted pregnancy.

Hence they do their bestto shield their girls fromsuch disruption. Any-thing can happen when

understand this and re-spect your girl’s people’swish. Both of you can al-ways meet for chats out-side your places.

I would not advise thatyou should get seriousabout the relationshipand start thinking of mar-riage.

At nineteen and eight-een, you are both tooyoung to want to settledown in the next coupleof the years. You bothneed to complete yourstudies first. Get jobs andbe in a position finan-cially and emotionallybefore you think of mar-riage.

You need to interactmuch with members ofthe opposite sex, andknow the type you wantas wife, before thinkingof marriage.. By the timeyou are ready to settledown,, you may find thatyou and this girl havedrifted apart and don’tconsider each other theideal marriage partner.Only time will tell if youwill become man andwife, so, I advise youkeep on with the rela-tionship but in a lightmanner, while you bothconcentrate on your edu-cation or training. Actu-ally, that should be moreimportant to you nowthan having girlfriends.

Is this man interested in me?

Dear Rebecca

I am 22. AlthoughI’m not a virgin, Itry to keep away

from men and relation-ships. A few months agoI became friends with aman, who always advisesme to keep away frommen. He has not yet ex-pressed interest in hav-ing a relationship withme.

Should I ask him whathe wants from me or thinkof a relationship else-where?

Worried girl

I understand howyou feel. You areobviously ready for

marriage although youdid not specify whetheryou are a student or aworker. When a manwho seems to be in a po-sition (age and finance)to take a wife starts todate a girl, she is natu-rally anxious to knowwhat he has in mind. No

girl wants to waste hertime with a man she isunsure of. And if othermen observe a man com-ing to her, they wouldassume he is serious,and they would keepaway even though theyare interested in her,and may want her for awife. Very few men withserious intention like todate a girl who is hav-ing a serious relationshipwith another man. Menwho just want fun andthen move on to othergirls don’t mind doingthat. They can even datea married lady.

Many girls miss seri-ous and perhaps goodsuitors while in relation-ships with men who arenot decisive.. You waitand wait, while he con-tinues to tell you that heloves you. In the longrun he may propose toanother girl that he hadbeen courting in secretall along. Again some

men may tell you theywant marry you, just sothat you may remainwith them, and perhapsallow them sex. At theback of their mind theyknow that they don’twant you for a wife.

I do not advise a girlasking a man point blankif he wants to marry her.That may frighten evena serious suitor away ,and it would show youup as a girl who is des-perate for a husband.That’s not good for yourpride .Since this relation-ship is only a few monthsold ,be patient and studythe man very well .Youwill be able to tellwhether he is serious ornot, or whether he is ac-tually the sort of man youwant for a partner. If atalmost two years he hasnot mentioned marriageand his intention to meetyour people, end the re-lationship and let othermen date you .

REPLREPLREPLREPLREPLYYYYY

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Ditch your lover by getting hubby into shape!

AFTER a couple ofkids, it used, tobe understand-

able that a woman let her-self go because she’dpacked on .some flabfrom nurturing her kids.In the last few decadesthough, quite a lot ofwomen are fighting toothand nail to gain controlof their weight. They lookand feel good. They arehappy. But can the samebe said for their hus-bands? Now take a lookat the man in your life. Ifonly he could take morecare of himself, couldn’the see how your mar-riage has gone off theboil? That his belly blub-ber is the reason? All hedoes most evenings,when he is home, is sitin front of the telly withsnacks and his favouritetipple balanced on hismassive tummy!

A few of us ‘girls’ re-cently decided to have alook-in at a youngerfriend’s housewarmingparty. The site of youngermen with their ripplingmuscles did send shiversdown our spine. Therethey were, tight-arsedand flirty. It was suchwicked fun seeing theman in the older women’seyes. Ropo, a ravishingbeautician who is in her40s made a beeline forOlumide who’d justlanded a juicy contractand was game for any-

thing to help him cel-ebrate. By the end of theevenings, they were allover each other.

I was happy for Ropo,she’d complained overthe years that her hus-band had taken his pas-sion for pounded yam toa dangerous level. “Hedoesn’t care about hishealth,” she used tomoan. He brags he’s atypical native man andmust have pounded yamwith all its accompani-ments every day of theweek! The first questionI asked any house helpis if he could pound yam.Some had stayed theperiod, a few had com-plained and left!

“Now, after almost 20years of marriage, he’sturned into a slob of ahusband. Whereas he’dbeen a slim, trim hunkwhen I’d said ‘I do’ tohim all those years ago.”So, whilst Ropo had be-come a health fanatic,husband kept on hispounded yam binge:-only the portions kept ongrowing bigger and big-ger. Was it any wonderRopo was now seriouslyattracted to Olumide’slithe figure, with thosepelvis now grinding intohers most effectively?What followed was inevi-table. Mide and Ropobegan a torrid affair thathubby didn’t suspectwas on - as long as he

had his gluttonousmeals, burping offen-sively at the end of eachfood.

Only, the unimagina-ble happened.Muyideen, Ropo’s hus-band suddenly decidedhe would want to join hiswife at the gym! “Icouldn’t believe what Iheard”. Roro said. “HadMuyi cottoned on to myaffair? I didn’t think soand I realised he was abit sheepish as he admit-ted to being over weightand could do with losinga few pounds for``health reasons’. Hehas a very competitivejob and the young man-agers in his office muthave made him take agood look at himself.

“I was very happy withhis decision. We have few

healthy children and thetwo eldest were alreadysavouring most of theirdad’s delicacy - a dan-gerous precedent. Fromthen on, it was whole-some food packed withfruits and vegetables. Ididn’t completely throwout pounded yam - hehad it twice a week.Which made it worthlooking forward to. Andhe had smaller portions.

As I concentrated onslimming down my man,I realized my marriagewas having a boost too.Muyi’s weight graduallyreduced but it wasn’teasy. He groaned at someof the healthy meals Iserved but he ate them.At the gym, his flabbyface’ fell as he puffed andpanted. He was onlyhappy when his waist-band reduced.

“As he got healthier, hegot back his sense of hu-mour and our love-lifeimproved. It was then Istarted questioning mymotive in plunging intomy affair with Midewhen all I’d needed todo was put some effortsinto my marriage. Iwasn’t really the unfaith-ful type – just frustrated.I got some irritated asMide harassed me intogoing out on more ‘dates’ with him. I had tolie to him that someonehad snitched to Muyiabout our affair - that weshould cool things a bit.With his physique andwealth, he would haveno problem fiding re-placements ...

“Now my marriage isback on track and Muyiis a hunk all over again -the children are evenhealthier! Once in awhile, I worry that some-one might squeal toMuyi about my affair:that would really kill him... “ I quickly assure hernot to even give it athought. Affairs are socommon - place that noone would worry theirpretty heads aboutsquealing to her hus-band. This is for youreaders who’re trying toput more umphs into yourlove-life. Like I’ve al-ways stressed, you getrewarded when you putin more efforts workingat what turns your part-

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08052201867(Text Only)

MY yogateacher wasof the opin-

ion that old age sets inwhen one throws awaygood posture to thewinds. He would say“do your exercise regu-larly to avoid that sort ofstiftness which startsfrom the nape to theneck down to the heelsof the feet.’‘

I, myself, have foundout through the years ofteaching Yoga to othersthat even a little boy ofless than six years couldbe incapable of doingthe head-to-knee pos-ture, whereas, someoneof 30 who exercisesregularly has no prob-lem with the same pos-ture.

That fact drives homethe point that the dete-riorating of the tone ofthe muscles can occureven while a child isgrowing up. Loss ofmuscle tone will not

wait till you have at-tained the same age asMethuselah.

This means that weowe it to ourselves tostart to keep the bodyhealthy very early inlife. Parents should,therefore, realise theimportance of fitnessnot only for themselvesbut also for those thatthey bring into theworld to delight theirdays on earth!

Parents do not have tobreathe down thenecks of their childrento get them to exercise.Children almost alwayslearn by example. See-ing their parents exer-cise will in most casesinspire them to followlead. Typical of thissituation was what ex-isted between my ownYoga teacher and hischildren.

He would tell me thatbecause his childrenthought most of the ex-

delivery. And, he wouldput all that down totheir practice of Yoga.

After a few weeks ofYoga classes, I once tolda group of ladies thatone of the benefits ofthe head-to-knee pos-ture was that of painlessperiods and one of themsaid, ‘ ’no wonder, I

ner on. ‘According to popular

findings, it would be ina man’s favour to clean-so shave! Beard stubblefeels like sandpaper.Don’t pinch your lover’snipples as most womensimply don’t like it - a lotof men erroneously be-lieve they do! When awoman says ‘that’s it’,she means just that. Shedoesn’t mean do itharder!

So follow her lead -women often touchwhere they want to betouched. The pressureshe uses indicates howfirm or light she’d likeyour touch to be. Don’tforget to slow it down-teasing is very sexy!

It is not all down to themen though. Womenshould learn to be pa-tient and not go to theaction spot fIrst-makehim wait! This will turnhim on even more. Oncein a while, consider ask-ing him if he’d like towatch you because menare visual creatures.Sucking on a mint beforepleasuring him providesa tingling sensationmany men love. It’s a factthat most men love beingtouched more fIrmlythan women, so a little bitof scratching in a wavymotion around importantbits could help. Lastly,why not trim his pubesfrom time to time as partof foreplay?!

ercises were funny,they would want to joinin the fun by doingthem too. The end re-sult being that his chil-dren of both gendersbecame very good atdoing the exercises, en-

joying all the therapeu-tic benefits of the prac-tices.

He would tell me, forinstance, that none ofhis daughters sufferedfrom period pains orhad problems at child

* Leg Raise

Good posture through the years have not had to takepain relievers for sometime now during my pe-riods. I see,’ I want thereader to know that thiswas an honest-to-Godincidence.

For a good posture,which means an ab-sence of a round back,the following exercise isto be practised.

Lie flat on the backraising the legs verti-cally and making surethe small of the back re-mains on the ground.

Now, while youbreathe in, bring downthe right leg to the rightside of the body totouch the floor. Exhaleand raise again up-wards. Thrice in all.Repeat with the left legto the left side of thebody.

For the stronger indi-viduals doing the exer-cise with both legs atthe same time is encour-aged. This exercise willstrengthen the spineand expel fatigue in thesmall of the back.

Yoga classes at 32 Adetokunbo Ademola,Victoria Island, Lagos, 9.10am on Saturdays

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Email: [email protected] (07036819426)

View-Point

Helen OvbiageleWoman Editor

www.japanesestreets.com

ONCE upon a time, not so longago, family was everything tous. Parents, siblings, family

members, all came first in our lives.You couldn’t do without them. Theywere the first you turned to in adver-sity and in sharing of good news. Thefamily had so much influence on theindividual that you thought twice be-fore you engaged in any act of misde-meanour, as a list of dos and don’tshad been drummed well into you rightfrom childhood, and you were raised,to know that you must not do anythingthat would bring dishonour/disgraceto the family. You were loyal to yourfamily and you chose your confidantsfrom among the members.

Having them behind you gave youthe confidence you needed to face theworld, until you have a family of yourown, and you and your spouse becomemembers of two extended families.

All this was irrespective of whetheryour family was polygamous or mo-nogamous. Most heads of family tooktheir responsibility seriously, not onlyby providing for the welfare of mem-bers, but also by ensuring that every-one stayed connected to the family.Family was dear to every one, irrespec-tive of distance or social level.

Sadly, that affinity seems to be dis-appearing fast as among young peo-ple of this generation.

I must say I was shocked while lis-tening to a contributory programme onradio, when quite a number of listen-ers who contributed said that theywould rather confide in their friendsthan in family members. The ques-tion was, ‘Who comes first for you; yoursiblings, your relations or yourfriends’?

When the first caller said that hewould rather go to his friend, I dis-missed it as a joke, coming from some-one who wanted to shock other listen-ers, knowing the importance of familyin our culture.

. What sort of African, especially aNigerian, would put a friend first be-fore his relations? Look at the waymany people rush home every Decem-ber to spend the Christmas period withtheir kith and kin. Look at the waythey take their dead to go bury in theirfamily compound!

Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but thethought that that caller could preferhis friends to his relatives didn’t makesense to me. However, as more call-ers expressed that view, I began torealize that this could be the trendnow, as some of our young people jointheir western counterparts in puttingfamily on the back burner. Theanchorman who was a young personhimself laughed at this view, and askedseveral of them why they would rathergo confide in friends rather than mem-bers of their own family.

‘My friends understand my vibes’,claimed one. ‘A friend is always therefor one without criticizing’, said an-other one. ‘Don’t you like members ofyour family?’ asked the anchorman.‘Sure I do, but I would rather go askmy friends for advice when I have aproblem, than go to family members.’

Hm!That’s unfortunate, isn’t it? A fewlisteners did say that they would rathergo to their relatives with their prob-lems than go to friends, but from theirvoices, I deduced that they must beolder than the other lot.

I asked myself how and when oursociety has degenerated to this sorrystate of affairs. Is it the influence of

foreign media; particularly of showbiz peo-ple and other celebrities? Or, is it due to thestress of living in this country which makesparents too worn out to have the time to forgea healthy relationship with their wards? It’sa sorry state of affairs because, even thoughthere could be friends who would give goodadvice, but these are few, and even then,only the very godly would give you advicethat would make your situation better thantheirs.

Also, due to inexperience, advice fromfriends on many crucial issues of life, arelikely to be the wrong ones.

People come from different backgroundsand upbringing. Some have good values andchoices taught them, while others don’t atall. A parent who thinks it’s alright to stealpublic funds, ask for bribes, cheat in busi-ness, spend money entrusted to his/her care,is very unlikely to bring up children whowon’t cheat in examinations, who won’t en-gage in internet scams, and would showthemselves honest citizens.

Those parents who feel that having goodmoral values are meant for characters in fic-tion books on religion and not for real life,are unlikely to raise children who know rightfrom wrong on the issue.

Children brought up by parents who areuncouth, disruptive, and who settle scoreswith violence, cannot advise their friends tobe calm and law-abiding citizens. The listgoes on.

The imagination boggles at whatadvice the offspring of these sortof parents can give to their friendswho choose them as their confi-dants, instead of members of theirown family. Any wonder that weare living in a decadent society,and shocking criminal activitiescontinue to be committed?

Young people will, at a point infuture, take over the reins of gov-ernance and run this country. Afrightening thought, isn’t it, givenwhat some of them engage in? Tomake matters worse, many adultsof this generation are not good rolemodels.

We know that by divine interven-tion, some children from thesebackgrounds can turn out to behonest people with integrity, havegood morals and a high sense ofresponsibility, but we all know thatthis is not the norm, unless we par-ents see the need to discipline our-selves and raise our children to beof good character, by our own ex-ample. Family ties have becomeso slack that some children raisethemselves; with the friends theyprefer to confide in as their rolemodel.

Many things on raising childrenfall on us the parents. Giving themenough attention and loving carewould help ensure that they re-gard us and their siblings asfriends. Hopefully with the helpof God, this may pay off and ourchildren will always have confi-

Declining family affinity & decadence in the society

Indian Latest Fashion Trendswww.dnaindia.com

dants among members of the family,and they would be guided the rightway. When they have their ownhomes, they and their marital part-ners would raise their own childrenthe same way, and would lead to hav-ing more well-adjusted citizens to runthe affairs of this nation in a way thatwould bring us respect.

Religious leaders have a role toplay in ensuring that parents raisetheir children by good example. Theyshould preach more on how to raisegodly children by example, than onhow to get wealth. Poverty is not adesirable state to be in, but not eve-ryone is destined to be a billionaire,so, the focus of messages from thepulpit shouldn’t always be on how toacquire wealth. Programmes can berun by religious organizations toempower people to have a better life.Constant messages on more moneyand more property, only make the poordissatisfied with their situation, andthis could push them into criminal ac-tivities.

The government too has an impor-tant role to play in order to ensurethat children are raised well. Quali-tative education, healthcare, trans-portation, housing, and basic socialamenities should be affordable to allcitizens. No child should be withouta vocation, and more jobs should becreated so that parents can take goodcare of their children, and also foryoung people to be gainfully em-ployed on completion of their stud-ies.

Religious leaders havea role to play inensuring that parentsraise their children bygood example. Theyshould preach moreon how to raise godlychildren by example,than on how to getwealth

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Email: [email protected] (07036819426)

A 1963 Scotland-trained medical doctor,Prof.(Mrs.)Ibironke Akinsete is one of thefew Nigerian women who have engraved theirnames on the sand of local and internationalmedical practice. Currently the Chairman ofPathCare Medical Laboratory, Prof, as sheis fondly called, is a Haematologist of greatrepute. A former Chairperson of the NationalAgency for the Control of AIDS andPresidential Adviser on HIV/AIDS, she sitson the board of several organisations. ProfAkinsete who will be seventy-five in Maystresses the need for preventive healthcarein this interview.

THERE is an increase in cases of

sudden deaths in recent times; couldthere be a remedy?

What I advise is that everybody shouldkeep a record. You should know your weight,height, body mass index, blood pressure,and all. You should know how frequently youdo your exercises, you should know yourdiet, you should know if you’re obese or not,etc. We’re talking about preventionnowadays, so, everybody should know allthese. What screening test have you done?When last did you check your cholesterollevel? When last did you have your papsmear done? How often have you done it?Do you know your blood glucose level?When last did you screen for HIV? If you’rea man over 50, when last did you have yourprostrate screened? It is only when you havea jotter or book to record of all these thatyou can observe when there is a deviationfrom the normal in your health status. If you’rea woman, when last did you have yourbreasts screened? As a parent, have youvaccinated your teenage daughter againstthe Human Papilloma Virus? You need toknow about yourself! You don’t like yourselfif you do not know anything about yourself!

Why is it so important for us to beknowledgeable about out health?

It is important because if you have a de-viation from the normal, you could correct itearly. That’s what we mean when we sayprevention is better than cure. It is betterthan waiting until when things have gonehaywire before you start running around.

But our public healthcare centres have avery poor administrative system that makesthings difficult for people to visit regularly…

You know what you want to prevent andwhat screening needs to be done. There areso many places you can have healthscreening done now in Nigeria. Even if yougo to the general hospitals or privatehospitals, you can specifically tell them whatyou want and it will be done for you. So, itis up to you to find them.

As a medical expert, how would youassess our healthcare system?

Our primary healthcare system still needsa lot of intervention. It is not yet as good aswe want it to be because when you havegood healthcare system at the localgovernment level, people can go in and havetheir check-ups! There also needs to be alot of awareness creation for the populace.

People should always know where to gowhen things happen and when they are nothappy about something. But in spite of that,there are still things you can do to knowyour health status.

In general, what’s your assess-ment of healthcare delivery inNigeria?

It can be better, and I’m happythey’re working at it. We cannot

Love yourself, know about your healthstatus — Professor AkinseteBY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA compare ourselves with

the developed world. Onething we must also knowis that government cannotdo everything. When weunderstand that we our-selves need to be involved,then we will begin to seesignificant changes. One ofthe ways you could getinvolved is by finding outthings about your body sothey don’t reach a stage ofno-repair when you begin tocall for government’s inter-vention.

There seems to be ahike in cancer relateddiseases these days un-like in the past, why is itso?

What it means is thatthere is better diagnosisand greater awareness.When these two are inplace, you identify dis-eases more easily. Anycell in your body actuallyhas the potential to be-come cancerous.

Looking back to yourearly days in the medi-cal field, what haschanged about the prac-tice?

Ohh...things have im-proved. In those days, wecould only measure thingsusing body fluids like bloodand urine, but now, somany more things can bemeasured because ofthousands of scientific dis-coveries. Diagnostics aremuch better now thanwhen I qualified so manyyears ago. There are somany instruments.

Considering these develop-ments, do you agree with somepeople who still believe there is afall in the standard of practice?

I don’t think there is a fall in thestandard of practice. It depends onwhat you’re measuring, your expec-tations, outcomes and your indica-tors.

Let us deviate a little to your per-sonal life as we round up; haveyou always wanted to be a doctor?

Yes. I was very interested in biol-ogy and I’m a very curious person.I’ve always been interested in findingout about the human body and how itworks. The human body is howeververy complex that even now, we donot know everything about it. For in-stance, only very little has beenknown about the brain and how it func-tions. There are so many things yetto be discovered.

I was very interested in biology and I’m a verycurious person. I’ve always been interested infinding out about the human body and how it

works. The human body is however very com-plex that even now, we do not know everything

about it

Prof.(Mrs.)Ibironke Akinsete

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08056180152, SMS only [email protected]

YOUR column to express your loving thoughts inwords to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let itflow 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:[email protected] Please mark your envelope:“LOVE NOTES"

My LoveIf I should be given one naira in every second that

I think about you, before the end of the day I will

become a millionaire. Each time I start think-ing about you i wish it never ends, thoughtof you gives me eternal bliss, peace andunquenchable desire to love you more. baby,I cant stop thinking about you, even as youare reading this message, I'm still thinkingabout you. i love you.

Kelechi [email protected], 08032900530.

The kindestThe kindest display of humanity is when

you are trying to take away fear of someoneoff something for which you are twice as much

scared yourself.The most large-hearted exhibition of friendship is

accepting them in your boat when theirs has sunkeneven if that means yours might subside with the over-weight too.

The sweetest presentation of care is when you dothem a guard outside their hideout when they arefast-asleep. The biggest challenge of mouth is hold-ing your peace in times of toleration and anger.

The loudest outcries are those that for you insideare trumpet-like yet on the outside they produce novoice.

Chris Onunaku08032988826

GETTING engaged is supposed to be a

euphoric feeling; theman you love wants

to spend the rest of hislife with you and youcouldn’t be happier. Yourdarling mother, who’sbeen at your back to set-tle down is over the moonthat she can now instructher master weavers tostart churning out theAso Oke her friends andinvited guests will dorn.You and your friends aretalking bridemaids andthe presents you’rebound to cart home at theend of the ceremonies.So, why is it that moreand more women are get-ting the engagementrings but are not makingit to the altar? The an-swer is simple - one ofthe couple is keener thanthe other on marriage.Usually, it’s the woman.Rafatu, a seasoned tex-tile dealer was in herearly thitties when shediscovered she was preg-nant for the first time.

Naturally, she was ec-static and Kingsley, herboyfriend and a divorcedfather of two, shared herenthusiasm. Recallingthe bewildering experi-ence that followed, shesaid:

“Kingsley, said he wasglad he was the one tomake me pregnant. I hadmet him just

under a year at thePorts when I went toclear some of my goods.He was around around totake delivery of the spareparts he ordered and wasactually helpful in thespeedy clearance of mygoods. We exchangedcontact addresses andphone numbers. Withinweeks, he got in touchand we started dating.He confessed that hiswife left him, because

she thought he was achronic womanizer. Thathad nothing to do withme. Years of being disap-pointed by the antics ofvarious men I’d datedhad made me thick-skinned to all their she-nanigans. But I wanteda child badly and nowthat my prayers had beenanswered, Kingsley ’senthusiasm about mar-riage was like the icingon the cake.

“‘We had the traditionalengagement ceremonyand were planning thebig wedding when afriend of mine visited.After the usual pleasant-ries, she told me she hadsomething to tell me andcouldn’t find an easierway to do it. My Kingsleywas involved with an-other woman and she toowas heavily pregnant. Iknew he was a chronicphilanderer but to havehopped from my bedstraight to another wom-an’s bed, impregnatingthe occupants as he went,was a devastating blowfor me to bear. I felt sohumiliated but I told thefriend I didn’t mind, thatthe wedding would go onas planned. The friendshifted in her seat. Theother woman was plan-ning a big wedding tooand Kingsley was actu-ally living with her! Myfriend said she wouldn’thave bothered to tell meif she wasn’t certain oneof us girls was going tobe left at the altar.

“After she left,Kingsley’s strange be-haviour lately startedmaking sense. He wasn’tcoming as frequently ashe used to and discus-sions about preparationsfor the wedding alwaysbored him. So, a few dayslater when he showedup, I told him of the newsI heard. By this time, I’d

done a bit of home workmyself to discover that thestory was true and thathe’d been going out withthe other woman for morethan two years, long be-fore he met me. Kingsleyassured me that it was be-cause he loved me hedidn’t tell me about thisother woman in his life.That she was the one tofirst get pregnant only forme to announce my preg-nancy a few weeks after. Ishouldn’t worry, he as-sured me, it was me hewould get married to. Sowhy was he living in herflat! He said I knew he stillhad his flat and the factthat he visited the would-be-mother of his childdidn’t mean he had movedin permanently.

‘’’After we had our talk,I didn’t see him for someof the appointments weboth scheduled. A weekpassed and there was stillno word from him. I wentto his flat but he wasn’tthere - it was a few weeksto the wedding. His mo-bile was permanently onvoicemail and he wasnever in his shop. In theend, I traced him down tothe other woman’s house.She took one look at me,

obviously recognisedme and let me in.Kingsley was livid whenthe heavily pregnantwoman showed me tothe living room. We hada real shouting matchand I asked him tochoose who of us he wasgetting married to.

“He sneered he wasn’tgetting married to any-body and that we shouldboth leave him alone.When he wanted to bephysical, I quickly left.My unborn baby wasmore impoIiant than lifewith this charlatan. Myblood pressure went upand my doctor warnedme to take things easy.I was admitted a fewdays to my deliverydate. The birth was in-duced and I was givenan injection to begin la-bour. In the end, I hada caesarian operationand was the proudmother of a pretty girl.

“I sent words toKingsley about his newdaughter, but he did notshow up for the namingceremony. It wasmonths later that I sawhim - after I’d heardfrom the grapevine thatthe other woman who

He promised marriage to two women: Wouldhe get away with it?

PPPPPAGE 24 AGE 24 AGE 24 AGE 24 AGE 24 —SUNDAY—SUNDAY—SUNDAY—SUNDAY—SUNDAY VanguardVanguardVanguardVanguardVanguard, MARCH 31, MARCH 31, MARCH 31, MARCH 31, MARCH 31, 2013, 2013, 2013, 2013, 2013

also had a daughter hadkicked him out of herflat. I told him if he everdarkened my doorstepsagain, I would call thepolice. I was amusedwhen he kept on pester-ing me that I had no rightto stop him from seeinghis daughter. He obvi-ously saw her as an al-ternate meal ticket! Inthe end, I sat him downand gave him all my hos-pital bills. If he wantedaccess to his child, heshould refund all themoney I’d spent. Ihaven’t heard from himsince then.”

Is his life worth thebother? (Humour)

A woman accompaniesher husband to the doc-tor’s. After his check-up,the doctor takes her toone side and says: “Yourhusband has a very se-vere illness, combinedwith stress. If you don’tdo as I suggest, yourhusband will surely die.Each morning, be pleas-ant and make sure he’sin a good mood. Preparehim three deliciousmeals everyday anddon’t burden him withchores.

Don’t discuss your

problems with him, it’llonly make his stressworse. And most impor-tantly, make love oftenand satisfy his whim, ifyou can do this for 12months, your husbandshould recover com-pletely. On the wayhome, the husband askshis wife: “What did thedoctor say” she looks athim and says: ‘“‘You’regoing to die.”

Naija man and sex(Humour)

Spaniard: “”When I fin-ish making love to mygirlfriend, I gently ticklethe back of her knees andshe floats six inchesabove the bed in ecstasy.”

Frenchman: ‘’’That’snothing. When I fInishwith a girl, I kiss her alldown her body, then lickthe soles of her feet andshe floats 10 inches abovethe bed.

Naijahman: "When I’mfinished with my woman,I just wipe my willy onher clean sheets and shegoes through the roof!”

Should the good timestop? (Humour)

An elderly Italian mangoes to confession andsays: “Father, duringWorld War II, a beautifulwoman knocked on mydoor and asked me tohide her from the Ger-mans, so 1 hid her in myattic.” The priest replies:“”That was a brave andwonderful thing you did.You have no need to con-fess.”

‘’’But father,” says theold man, “I was weak andtold her she must repayme with her sexual fa-vours.” “God in His wis-dom and mercy will bal-ance the good and theevil and judge youkindly. You are forgiven,”answers the priest.‘“‘Thank you father,”says the old man, ‘“‘butshould I tell her the waris over?”

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CMYK

SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013—PAGE 25

By Uju Mbanusi

“Go and bring the moneyyou stole from my purse. Ifyou do not get it, I will teachyou a lesson today”. With thisthreat, 12-year-old Nofi(othernames withheld) said shebolted from her grandmoth-er’s apartment in Aiyenero,under Ajeromi local govern-ment area of Lagos State, twoweeks ago. Time was 4pm.

Unsure of where to go to getthe money, Nofi reportedlyboarded a bus , heading forher aunt’s place in Omoko-maiko.

But trouble, as gathered,started for the girl on reach-ing Okokomaiko, as she foundshe had no idea of the exactarea her aunt was living. Bythen, it was already 9pm, asshe was delayed in the un-ending gridlock along Lagos/Badagry expressway.

Sent away fromhome by grandma,I fell into the rapist’shands — Girl,12•’Assailant gave me N20transport fare after the act’

Looking confused, Nofi, whowas left without a dime, re-portedly demanded for moneyfrom passers-by, most of whomshunned her.

At that point, it became glar-ing that Nofi was in serioustrouble.

“ At that instant, I broke intotears, as negative thoughts ranthrough my mind. I stood atthe bus-stop; and not knowingwhat to do at that point, I slepton a table in front of a super-market that had closed for theday”.

While asleep, she said, some-one tapped her at about11.30pm. And when sheopened her eyes, a young man,who showed concern about herpredicament, invited her tospend the night in his house.

Apparently seeing the visitoras her messiah, Nofi followedhim home where, to her dis-may, the visitor, later identified

as Salawu Waheed, turned outto be a rapist. The victim nar-rated: “He said he would liketo see if I had hair in my pri-vate part and I pulled mypants for him. Before I knewit, he applied some lotion inmy private part and forced hisway into me and, even when Iattempted to shout, he heldmy mouth.

“By 6am, he gave me N20 fortransport and asked me to goback to where he picked me”.

But as she left Salawu’shouse, some members of a vig-ilante group in Okokomaikoaccosted her, suspecting shecould be in need of help. She

was, thereafter, taken to thetraditional ruler of Shibiriwhere she claimed her auntlived, and attempt to get thesaid aunt failed.

The community leader wassaid to have advised that shebe taken to the police stationfrom where she disclosed allthat had happened to her.

A source at the HumanRights section of IlembaHausa Division told SundayVanguard: “Immediately shewas brought here, we sawsome dry substance later dis-covered to be semen on herlaps. Even when we askedwhat it was, she said it could

be pap. But, on further inves-tigation, she told us how shewas raped. To confirm herclaim, we took her to the theBadagry General Hospitalwhere a test conducted on herconfirmed forceful penetrationand broken hymen”.

Following the confirmation,22-year-old Salawu was arrest-ed. But, in his statement, hedenied having carnal knowl-edge of Nofi, maintaining heonly offered her a place tosleep until the next day.

However, when asked abouther parents, Nofi told the po-

lice they were dead.“ She told us she

was an only childand that she ranaway from herg r a n d m o t h e r ’ shouse whom she ac-cused of maltreatingher ”, the sourcesaid.

To confirm herclaim, security oper-atives reportedlytook Nofi to herg r a n d m o t h e r ’ splace, only for themto discover she hadtold a lie concerning

the 80-year-old woman.“On sighting Nofi, the

grandmother rushed towardsher and hugged her, thank-ing God at the same time forseeing her. When we askedabout her parents, the oldwoman told us her mother wasdead but that her father, abricklayer, was alive. To con-firm her claim, we asked herto send for the father, who lat-er showed up at the station.We also discovered that Nofiwas the fourth child”.Meanwhile, Salawu, as gath-ered, could be charged tocourt.

Mistress burns maid’s buttocks for being ‘promiscuous’BY EMMA UNA,Calabar

A 14- year-old house maid, OtobongEdet John, had her buttocks searedwith hot electric iron by her mis-tress, simply identified as Ekaette, onthe suspicion that she was promis-cuous.

Narrating her ordeal, Otobong saidshe was receiving a call on herphone when the madam operating acanteen asked her who was on thephone and she said it was one of herfriends. “But madam did not believeme and started beating me. So I ranand stayed somewhere with myfriend”,she stated.

According to her, she remained inthat place until about 10p.m. when shewent to sleep in a church close to their

shop and the next morning “when I wasabout coming to the shop, a neighbour sawme discussing with a customer who wasasking me where I was coming from soearly in the morning and went to tell myaunty that I spent the night with the man”.The madam, she said, went to the policestation at nearby Atimbo Road,Calabar and reported to them that theman abducted her housemaid.

But after the police interrogated the man,they let him go and this infuriated Ekaettefollowing which she allegedly draggedOtobong to the shop, plugged the electriciron and when it was red hot, she usedthe scorched parts to sear the maid’sbody including her buttocks and right arm.Not done yet, she allegedly put a basin ofbanana on the girl’s head, asking her to goto town and sell even as her arm and but-tocks were bleeding. “It was a customerwho wanted to buy banana that saw that

my arm was bleeding and asked me whathappened and, when I showed him my but-tocks, he shouted and took me to the po-lice”, she said. The mistress, while beinginterrogated by the police at Akim PoliceDivision for causing bodily harm to aminor, justified her action by saying that Otobong was a rude and waywardgirl. “When she told me it was Mary thatcalled her, I called back that number andit was a male voice that answered and shethen changed the story that she did notknow what the man wanted after she haddiscussed with the man for over two minutes”,Ekaette said.

She said there were instances when thegirl had gone from home to stay withmen even as she had repeatedly cautionedher to change her ways. “That girl you areseeing is a very wayward girl and, if I tellyou her story, you would marvel”, shesaid.

Above; Nofi.. rapedBelow: Suspect

Otobong... attackedwith hot electric iron

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PAGE 26—SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013

This is bizarre but true.A two-month -old girlwas arrested and pa-

raded in lieu of her father whowas suspected to be a dare-devil robber. The mother wastaken into custody along thetoddler identified as Oyinkan-sola. It happened in OgunState.

Policemen stormed the resi-dence of the alleged armedrobber, Ismail Adeosun, atAgo-Ika in Abeokuta Northlocal government area and,because they could not findthe suspect, they arrested ev-ery Adeosun available.Oyinkansola was celebrated with wide media coverage, butin a grotesque manner.

Tongues are wagging overthe propriety of the actionof the police. Many are ask-ing what offence the babycommitted to warrant thetreatment. .Little Oyinkansola wasamong six suspects paradedby the Ogun State Police Com-mand at its headquarters inEleweran, Abeokuta, the statecapital, in connection with al-leged armed robbery and mur-der cases which have claimedthe lives of no fewer than sixpeople.

Justifying the action, the po-lice said Oyinkansola’s fa-ther, Ismail, 26, who was atlarge, was identified as thering leader of an armed rob-bery team.

The mother,Fausat, 19 , wassaid to be the armourer ofthe team, Oyinkasola’s uncleand aunt, Tobi Adeosun, 15,and Iyabode Adeosun respec-tively, were also not spared asthe whole family were cool-ing their feet in police custo-

Father is dare-devil robber; themother, gangarmourer—Police

ARRESTED TWO-MONTH-OLD

BY DAUDOLATUNJI,Abeokuta

dy. When challenged on theallegation leveled against herby the police, Oyinkansola’smother denied the knowl-edge of her husband’s robberybusiness but said that he (Is-mail) operated a film housein Igbo-Ora area of Oyo State.She told Sunday Vanguardthat when she noticed that agun was brought to the house,her husband threatened to killher if she informed anybody about it. “On Sunday, he came

wo Muse, were arrested by thepolice when, according to thestate police commissioner,Ikemefuna Okoye, the policestormed the residence of thesuspects where locally madeguns and other ammunitionwere recovered.

Okoye explained that his men acted on information pro-vided by a member of thegang who had earlier been ar-rested and stormed the resi-dence of the suspects where

allegedly arrestedwith some ammu-nition in hispossession,wassaidtohave confessedto the police thatit was Ismail’s wife that had been keeping thegun for her hus-band, adding thathe was onlybrought to thescene to relocatethe arms when thepolice invaded thehouse. “It was hiswife who hasbeen helping him to watchover his guns. That day whenthe police came, his wife,Fausat,called me to hide thegun behind a block beside thehouse, it was wrapped insidea cloth and, when the policecame, I told them everythingand even took them to wherethe gun was hidden,”he said.“At first, I lied to the police be-cause I was scared and I hadnever experienced such, I nev-er knew my brother was a thiefuntil that day.”

One of the twosuspected members of thegang in police net, Danladi,confessed his involvementin some robbery cases, whilehe further narrated that nofewer than five people losttheir lives during the opera-tions.

When asked how he wascaught by the police, the sus-pect said it was in the processof stealing a car in Sango areaof Ogun State. He said hewas introduced into the busi-ness about a year ago.“I am here because I stole aGolf car at Sango area of thestate, I am an armed robber, afriend introduced me to thework in January last year”,he

said “I have mistakenly killedsomeone in the process of mywork, it wasn’t my intention tokill the person but he wasdragging ammunition with meand i mistakenly fired the shot.It was the same person whointroduced me to the work thatgave me the ammunition. Hisname is Ismail but he is atlarge.

“I didn’t know the person Ikilled but he was dragging theammunition with me, probablyhe thought the gun was emp-ty. We were in the same car inNovember last year when theincident happened. I have sto-len about five cars and thedriver of our gang by nameAbati was the one in charge ofthe cars. I don’t know wherethe cars are now but Abati hasalso escaped.”

The other member of thegang who was also nabbed bythe police, Taiwo, confessedthat no fewer than five peoplehad been killed during the op-erations in which he partici-pated. He said that all hiseffort was because of N30, 000promised by the alleged gangleader, Ismail, that made himto join the group.

to me and I asked him wheth-er he had removed his gunfrom my house because wedon’t live together but he saidhe and his friend, Danladi,were around to pick the gun,I never knew he was a thiefuntil he brought the gun to myhouse”,she said.

“He asked me whether I hadtold anybody and even threat-ened to kill me if I had in-formed anybody and that hewill run away and leave meto suffer on his behalf, but Itold him I never informed any-one.

“Unfortunately, the policecame on Monday and askedme about the gun but I toldthem his brother had taken thegun away. That was how I wasarrested,” she said.Sunday Vanguard gatheredthat two other members of thegang, Danladi Musa and Tai-

Oyinkansola and others werearrested.

The commissioner saidinvestigation was on and thatthe suspects would be chargedto court upon completion of theinvestigation. “This womanhas been keeping gun for herhusband and his 15- year- oldbrother is also the armourer ofthe gang,” he said.

Speaking with SundayVanguard, Ismail’s young-er brother, Tobi, narrated thatit was his brother who the po-lice were looking for beforethey arrested all the familymembers including the twomonths old baby. But the po-lice commissioner insisted thatTobi is the armourer of thegang while Ismail’s wife hasalso been keeping her hus-band’s arms and ammunitionbefore luck ran out on them.

Tobi, who was

Above: Suspected robber’s sister and broth-er. Below: Baby Oyinkansola carried by hermum.

,

,Little Oyinkansola was among sixsuspects paraded by the Ogun StatePolice Command at its headquarters

in Eleweran, Abeokuta, the statecapital, in connection with allegedarmed robbery and murder caseswhich have claimed the lives of no

fewer than six people

CMYK

Page 27: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013, PAGE 27

Smart card technology,the world over, is precisely 38 years old. It

has been deployed by severalgovernments for specific pur-poses. Have you ever imag-ined, however, a multi-pur-pose smart card powered bythe social democratic mantraof democratizing access to allthe good things of life, throughwhich citizens can access andenjoy dividends of democracy,a card that makes it impossi-ble for the people to be cheat-ed? Welcome to Kaadi Igbe Ayo(KIA), Ondo State’s latest indigitalised service delivery.KIA is deployed to facilitatestrategic planning and devel-opment, efficient record keep-ing, human resource monitor-ing in the public sector, anti-corruption drive and solutions,while enabling a higher levelof qualitative/quantitative ser-vice delivery in the health,education, transport and agro-allied sectors.

Unique, isn’t it? But wait.Actually, KIA does far muchmore: it facilitates the system-atic development of databasefor efficient security and sur-veillance purposes, the cate-gorisation of citizens for em-ployment, taxation and finan-cial palliatives, the use/man-agement of public facilities(public transport, subsidizedconsumer products, even fer-tilizer). You can even adver-tise your goods at the back ofthe card, That is why the re-nown man of the arts, JimiSolanke, had no patience withthose spreading rumour aboutthe KAI project: “Kini won wi?Kini won so? Awon olote!”(What did they say, whatwords did they speak?

At last, digitalised service delivery for Ondo residents

Rebels). The occasion was thelaunching of Kaadi Igbe Ayoat the Gani Fawehinmi Ar-cade, Akure, on Tuesday.Solanke’s charge to Mimiko:Continue your work. Ignorethe wilfully blind.

The Ondo State CulturalTroupe added more colour to

Ondo State House of Assem-bly, Hon Samuel Adesina andmembers of the assembly; thestate Chief Judge, JusticeOlaseinde Kumuyi; the Presi-dent, Customary Court, Jus-tice Folasade Aguda-Taiwo; DrOlu Agunloye, members of theimmediate past cabinet; mar-ket women, the many pregnantwomen clad in T-shirts, the ar-tisans and members of theNational Union of Road Trans-port Workers (NURTW),among others .

In his welcome address,Chief of Staff to the governor,Dr Kola Ademujimi, observedthat the card was for good gov-ernance in the state. On hispart, Tunde Yadeka, Chairmanof the Ondo State InformationTechnology Agency (SITA),took a global inventory of smartcard technology, saying theresidency card would serve asan interface in all transactions

between the government andresidents, allow all residentsequal access to government’ssocial and welfare servicesand allow government tomonitor the distribution ofsuch services even to the re-motest parts of the state at ev-ery point.

Maku easily electrified thegathering. Describing Mimi-ko as a pace setter in gover-nance in the country and anunparalleled disciple of thesage, Chief Obafemi Awolowowho had, through revolution-ary programmes in health, ed-ucation, urban development,job creation, agriculture andcommerce, among others, tack-led poverty and improved thewellbeing of the majority of thepeople.

In her goodwill messageat the occasion, the Minister of Communication

and Technology, Mrs. Omobo-la Johnson, who was repre-sented by Dr Ola Ogunneye,said her Ministry would sup-port the project through theprovision of infrastructure.

Mimiko, in his speech, alter-nated between English andYoruba. The Kaadi Igbe Ayoinitiative, he said, was in ful-filment of his 2009 inaugura-tion promise to provide effi-cient service delivery to thepeople. To him, the continuedsuccess of the government’sprogrammes in different sec-tors meant that it was essen-tial to better manage, expand,and improve on the planningand execution of the pro-grammes. “As a concept, KaadiIgbe Ayo is a project to facili-

tate sustainable governmentservice delivery to citizens ofthe state. The project will en-sure that integrity, account-ability, data collection and re-porting, analysis and researchwill be possible in the plan-ning and execution of bene-fits and entitlements schemesby government”, he said.

The governor detailed thewelfare-based, benefits-drivengovernance which mandatedthe prioritization of certainpeople-oriented projects inthe last four years, includingthe Mother & Child Hospitals;Abiye Maternal Care Centres;Mega-Primary Schools; over650 purpose-specific andstate-wide community projectsand countless such other ef-forts in road reconstruction,urban renewal and city beau-tification. The project hadgulped only N900 million, thecheapest in the world consid-ering the wide range of its de-ployment, he said.

Now, Mimiko told the peo-ple in Yoruba, “We want toknow our own people. If wesay a bag of rice per person,you cannot collect it withoutthat card. If you have collect-ed your own bag and you re-turn to collect another one, thatcard would tell you that youare a thief. A banker cannotremove his tie and go and col-lect fertilizer meant for farm-ers. If you don’t pay your tax,the card will show us that andwe will ask your children to goback home when they come toattend the mega schools. Whatwill facilitate good living is forus all to do the things that weare supposed to do.”

All set for Fayemi’s return to the classroom

Plans by Ekiti State Governor, Dr KayodeFayemi, to return to the classroom as anacademic appear to be at the final stage as

the Vice Chancellor of Ekiti State University (EKSU),Prof Dipo Aina, presented to the governor docu-ments on the establishment of the Institute of Gov-ernance as passed by the Varsity Council.

Fayemi is billed to lecture at the institute whenit takes off next session, thus becoming the firstsitting governor in the country to serve as a uni-versity teacher.

The Governor, who had severally expressed in-terest in impacting knowledge in the students ofpeace and conflict studies in the state-owned Uni-versity was presented with the documents at the opening session of the 7th international annualconference of Society for Peace Studies and Prac-tice held at the EKSU Campus in Ado Ekiti.

Fayemi, who holds a doctoraste degree in warstudies from King’s College, London, said the insti-

tute will help to analyse the situation of thenation’s democracy; even as he stated thatit is the duty of all to guarantee peace inthe society.

He stressed that peace cannot be guaran-teed in the absence of justice and devel-opment. He then called on Nigerians towork towards peaceful co-existence amongall interest groups in the country.

“Peace”, he stated, is a “necessary ingre-dient in nation building and development”.“We should move from empty sloganeer-ing to concerted efforts at restoring peaceto the society. And the university systemcan play a significant role through teach-ings and research in peace and conflictstudies.”. While speaking on the nation’sdemocratic experience, the governor assert-ed that alternation of power is the surestway to consolidate democracy; adding that

Nigeria has not witnessed any transition since itis still the same regime that is in power.

Dr. Fayemi, while citing Ghana which has heldfive general elections since 1992 with the rul-ing and opposition parties alternating power, stat-ed that Nigeria only has democracy in form butnot in content, stressing that so many factors that characterise democracy are still lacking inNigeria.

He however ex-pressed optimism thatthe conference willhelp to augment the“quality and texture” ofdemocracy in Nigeriaeven as the term is al-ready abused.

The Speaker of theHouse of Representa-tives, Alhaji AminuTambuwal, also at the

GovernorFayemi

BY ROTIMI MATINS

the occasion attendedby the Deji of Akure,Oba Adebiyi Adesida;the Osemawe ofOndo, Oba VictorKiladejo; the Zaki ofArigidi, Oba Yisa Ola-nipekun, and manyother royal fathersfrom across the state;Information Minister,Labaran Maku; thestate deputy gover-nor, Alhaji Ali Olanu-si and his wife, Be-jide; Governor Oluse-gun Mimiko and hiswife, Oluwakemi; aformer governor ofOndo State, Evange-list Bamidele Olumi-lua; the speaker of the

*Why we initiated Kaadi Igbe Ayo —Mimiko

,,Gov Mimiko

We want to knowour own people. If wesay a bag of rice perperson, you cannotcollect it without thatcard. If you have col-lected your own bagand you return to col-lect another one, thatcard would tell youthat you are a thief

CMYK

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IN the mid 1950s, just as hewas completing hismedical studies, fate played

a cruel trick on ProfessorJacques Grosset, the worldrenowned tuberculosisresearcher. He was just 25 whenhe was struck by thedeadly tubercle pathogen whichcauses tuberculosis (TB). Theoccurrence was ironical becausethe young scientist was infectedright in the same hospital wherehe was undergoing his clinicaltraining.

It was a drug-resistant strainof TB, and there were fewantibiotics at the time, so theinfected parts of his lungs had tobe removed.That incident decisively markedthe end of his dream to becomea surgeon. Ever since, he hasnursed a grudge against TB.To extract his pound of flesh,Grosset dedicated his life tofighting TB to the finish. Today,at 82, the famed scientistrelentlessly pursues his ambitionto eliminate TB permanently bykilling the tubercle bacteria.

For several years, he was atJohn Hopkins University,Baltimore, USA. Currently, he isScientist in Residence at theKwazulu-Natal ResearchInstitute for Tuberculosis andHIV (K-RITH), Durban, SouthAfrica, where he is developingand testing new drug candidatesto help shorten TB treatment andfind new medicines to confrontdrug-resistant TB. Grosset isalso aiming to break the unholyalliance between TB and HIV.

In this encounter, the legendaryTB researcher tells SundayVanguard about his personalvendetta against TB. Excerpts:

Personal EnemyI got tuberculosis when I wasyoung and, since that time, Ihave had a personal enemy. Youshould not know me because youmay not like mebecause I am a killer. I kill theTB bacteria. My fight against TBis personal. People who do notlike me call me ‘Jack the Ripper’.So you should not know me. Iwas infected with TB in the veryhospital where I trained. It wasa drug-resistant strain of TB and

War in the labI am fighting in the laboratory.

In the laboratory, we culture thebacteria and see if it is drugresistant and all that. We havefacilities for rearing mice, thenwe infect and test the new drugson them. I was at John HopkinsUniversity in Baltimore, usingmice to test new drugs fortuberculosis. Now I’m here at K-RITH, and I still work with miceto find better drugs to treat TB.There are two main reasons forfinding new TB drugs - to shortentreatment and to find ways totreat drug resistant TB. TB is acurable disease now, and is more

there were fewer antibiotics atthe time — the mid-1950s— andthe infected parts of my lungshad to be removed. I was 25 andhad been planning to become asurgeon, but I changed my mind.I am from France, so I went towork at the Institut Pasteur inParis, to take revenge on thebacteria that causestuberculosis.

opportunistic than it isintelligent. It takes advantage ofour poor defenses and so itremains difficult to treat.ChallengeThe challenge of the

opportunistic effect of TB is verysignificant. One person coughsand others get the bacillus. Thatwas the way I got TB in thehospital. I was a medical student.The bacteria wants tosurvive and the only way to do that

focused on improving thetreatment of mycobacterialinfections, mainly tuberculosisbut also leprosy, Buruliulcer, and MAC(Mycobacterium aviumcomplex) infections in theimmune competent and immunedeficient host. I am currentlyinvolved in the development andtesting of new drugs and newdrug regimens active againstboth fully drug susceptible anddrug resistant Mycobacteriumtuberculosis andMycobacterium ulcerans.

ObjectiveScientifically, my main

objectives are to test the potentialof new drugs and new drugregimens for shortening theduration of the current six-month drug regimen for drug-susceptible disease; offering ashorter alternative to the longtreatment duration for multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB, and discovering the drug regimensthat would be able to successfullytreat patients with extremelydrug resistant(XDR) tuberculosis. The greatchallenge of this endeavour is toidentify the right in vitro and invivo experimental models thatwill allow us to know that ourresults are accurate predictors ofa trueclinical response.

HIV/TB allianceThe co-infection of HIV and TBrequires that we understand howto deliver treatment and how toavoid drug resistance inimmune-deficient patients. Thisexplains why my lab is testingthe value of mice with differentimmune backgrounds,including the athymic nu/numice. Similarly, I aim tocompare the response of strainsof different lineages of M.tuberculosis, as well as specificd r u g - r e s i s t a n c emutant strains, to differenttreatment regimens. For thesestrains, we are not onlydetermining the naturalprevalence of drug resistantmutants but also their geneticb a c k g r o u n d .

ResearchMy research on drug activity

against TB has led to theidentification of the strongsynergistic effect of rifampin andpyrazinamide, the potentbactericidal activity ofmoxifloxacin and dailyr i f a p e n t i n e ,the antituberculosis activity ofPA824. It is noteworthy that wedemonstrated the synergisticactivity of combination PA824with pyrazinamide andmoxifloxacin. This combinationhas the potential tobe used for the treatment ofMDR-TB patients because itcontains no rifampin and noisoniazid, the two first line drugsfor which resistance is mostc o m m o n .I want to emphasize thetranslational nature of my work.My lab will not limit its activityto in vitro work and work withmice. It will be directly involvedin the testing of new drugregimens in patients,particularly by conducting earlybactericidal activity (EBA)studies and investigations ofdrug resistance.

Infection marked a turningpoint in my life – Prof Grosset(Expert on the cure of tuberculosis)

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

is to jump from one person toanother. However I do not wantthe bacteria to survive. I want tokill it.Mentorship

I am from France and I worked atthe Pasteur Institute. I had a verybright mentor - George Canetti. Itwas 50 years ago, and we wereabsolutely convinced that with thenew drugs, we were going to wint h ewar against TB. I remember a friendof my mentor who warned us notto win theoretically, but winpractically. But we were so sure ofvictory. If my mentor, who died longago, was alive today, he would bevery sad that with all the weaponswe have, we have not been totallysuccessful against TB. It issurprising because TB is curableand can be eliminated. Howeverthe problem of organization ism o n u m e n t a l .Implementation can be better. It isa worldwide phenomenon, not justhere in South Africa. It iseverywhere. Every patient can getTB drugs free of charge, but that isnot the problem. There is lack ofstrong political statement againstTB infection without which successwill bedifficult. Organisation is key todefeating TB.

TB curable, but…Years ago, we had already won

the fight against TB. Comparedto what it was before theantibiotics came, we did win. Wesucceeded in Western Europeand North America because, atthe time when theantibiotics came, there wereplenty of sanatoriums and it waseasy for the patients to take theirmedicines, but the problem isnow to organise the DirectlyObserved Treatment (DOT),which has nothing to do with thepeople coming or not.

ExcusesIt is like this, when people havecold, they take drugs and, aftera few days they feel well, theystop taking the drugs. Becausepeople are the same, people withTB begin to take their drugs and,after one month of treatment orso, stop taking the drugs becausethey feel well. This is just part ofthe problem. There are plenty ofother reasons and excuses.Human beings are humanbeings, and what is right for TBis right for HIV and diabetes, itis difficult for these peopleto comply with their drugr e g i m e n s .

Treatment problem

M u l t i p l e - d r u g - r e s i s t a n ttuberculosis is a major problem.The length of treatment is also aproblem. Today, treatment fornon-resistant tuberculosis lastssix months. When I got infected,treatment took upto two years. Now, even at sixmonths, treatment is still aburden. The biggest problem iswith compliance. Many patientsstop taking their drugs beforethey ’ve completed the fulltreatment course, which putsthem at risk of a relapse—often,with a drug-resistant strain.Many people are infected withTB and HIV in Durban, whereK-RITH is located, than anyother place in Africa.

ResearchSince the beginning of my

career under the mentorship ofGeorge Canetti, my research has

Professor Jacques Grosset.... Many patients stop taking their drugs before they’ve completed the fulltreatment course

,

,M u l t i p l e - d r u g - r e s i s t a n ttuberculosis is a major problem.The length of treatment is alsoa problem. Today, treatment fornon-resistant tuberculosis lastssix months

SCOURGE OF TUBERCULOSIS

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SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013 — 29

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Continues on page 31

Last week, Sunday Vanguardpublished documented evidence asobtained from Nigeria’s Election Man-agement Body, EMB, the IndependentNational Electoral Commission, INEC,that Registration Area Officers, ROAs,would be expected to manually andcomprehensively register voters fromhouse to house. In this report, youwill read details of the type of PER-MANENT VOTER’S CARD that INEChas decided to use for the 2015 elec-tions, a card that cannot satisfy theyearnings of Nigerians for a free andfair election. Yet, Professor AttahiruJega, Chairman of INEC, is goingabout his job with messianic alacritywhich suggests an agenda that is atonce unclear to other national elec-toral commissioners, Resident Elector-al Commissioners, RECs, as well assome very senior officials of the Com-mission. This report merely attemptsto clear the fog of misinformation thata permanent voter’s card, especiallythe one INEC has awarded its con-tract, would solve Nigeria’s age-oldproblem of election rigging. The prog-noses are very dangerous.

Like President Mohammed Morsi,

the Islamist Muslim Brother, who hastaken Egypt by storm, Professor Atta-hiru Jega, is also taking INEC bystorm. This is by way of Morsi’s de-cree which vested him with immunityfrom judicial oversight and his order-ing of the country’s assembly to drawup a constitution within a day, a workthat would have taken all of 30 days,with a view to producing a draft ready

for referendum. Mind you, Morsi has,in an attempt to court the military, haspromised that the portfolio of defenceministry is its.

For Nigeria, the much vaunted per-manent voter’s card that Jega’s INECis proposing to use for the 2015 gen-eral elections may not put a stop toNigeria’s romance with election rig-ging for two reasons. The first is the

nature of the card itself. The secondis the nature of the procurement.

THE IMPERMANENCEOF A PERMANENTVOTER’S CARDINEC’s permanent voter’s card does

not have the potentials to put a stopto Nigeria’s rigging problems becauseit is merely card-reader enabled.

Very senior sources at the Commis-sion confided in Sunday Vanguardthat a card-reader enabled voter’s cardwould not in any way do much to puta stop to the sophisticated riggingschemes of Nigerian politicians.

What the card would simply do, ac-cording to the sources, is that “on vot-ing day, the card would make it easyfor the official on election duty to iden-tify the card holder as the owner ofthe voter’s card. When the prospec-tive voter goes for accreditation on theday of election and presents the card,the card would be inserted into themachine and it would be certified asan authentic voter’s card bearing thename of the card holder”.

Except last minute modificationshave been made to the earlier specifi-cation for the production of the vot-er’s card, Sunday Vanguard has beenmade to understand that the cardwould not have added feature of pho-tograph identification.

“As has been proposed, the cardreader would not display the photo-graph when the card is inserted; butthis is just a minor flaw because thecard identifies the holder as the own-er of the card.

“Now, when the card is inserted intothe PSO machine which would readit and register it as having been usedfor voting, it would not display thephotograph as contained in the reg-ister. In Ghana, that was not the case.The card displayed the photographand the card was polling unit specif-ic.

“That brings us to the real flawwhich is that the card holder can pro-ceed from that point to another votingcentre and re-use the card for thesame election because the card is notpolling unit specific – that is, a voter’scard that can only be used at onepolling unit and one polling unitalone.

“What this means”, the very seniorINEC source continued, “is that werethe card polling unit specific, it wouldonly have the capability to be used atonly one of the 119, 973 polling unitsscattered across the country”.

The contract for the card has alreadybeen awarded.

The experience of Ghana and, late-ly, Kenya, where such cards wereused is that in those two countries, thecards were polling unit specific – thecards were only enabled for use inonly one polling unit in each of thosecountries.

Now, the only aspect where the cardsuggests a capability to ward off rig-ging is the requirement of a paper trailhaving been used. What this meansis that there must be evidence that thevoter ’s card has gone through thecard reader because of the need forserial registration to register the num-ber of cards that have been able topass through the machine.

As was earlier stated, it would nottake divination to see through it thatthe “visit (to) voters and prospectivevoters in their homes” for the purposeof “MANUALLY REGISTERINGTHOSE WHO REACH THE AGE OF18, SIX MONTH BEFORE ANY GEN-

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INEC’s PermanentVoter’s Card OrRigging Card?

2015 ELECTIONS ENDANGERED (2)

EXCLUSIVE

By Jide Ajani

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ERAL ELECTION” as well as “TOCOMPILE COMPREHENSIVE VOT-ERS LIST WITH A VIEW TO CAP-TURE THEIR BIOMETRIC DATA ATTHE APPROPRIATE TIME, ATLEAST TWICE A YEAR” constitute arecipe for electoral fraud. Just as therecruitment exercise that INEC is look-ing to see through, as well as the al-leged skewed promotion exercise thathas just been concluded, along witha voter’s card that is not polling unitspecific, all suggest a pattern – intend-ed or not.

WHY OPT FOR SUCHA CARDJust as bad, Sunday Vanguard was

informed, that an Information andCommunications Technology, ICT,delegation was sent from INEC head-quarters to China

Their mission was to go and learnabout and prepare for the eventual useof the type of permanent voter’s cardthat the EMB has opted for.

Curiously, there was a disagreementamong members of the delegation.

The source of the disagreement wasand remained that this card readertype of permanent voter’s card is notthe best for Nigeria within the contextof the sophisticated rigging regimethat politicians are wont to enthrone.

The questions to ask are:Are the authorities aware that there

was a disagreement even among mem-bers of the delegation sent to Chinafrom INEC?

If the authorities are aware of sucha disagreement, have efforts beenmade to uncover the source of the dis-agreement?

If they are not aware of the second,have moves been made to find out?

The disagreement majorly hinged onthe fact that “not being polling unitspecific, the card would still be opento compromise”.

What some members of the delega-tion preferred was a card that wouldbe customized in such a way that itcan only be used for voting in onlyone of the 119, 973 polling units scat-tered across the country.

The practice in Nigeria is that whenyou register in a place, that is whereyou go and vote.

It was the self-same INEC that foist-ed this on Nigerians during the lastexercise and it was with a view to elim-inating rigging and mass migrationpreparatory to rigging.

Once a voter’s card is customizedto a polling unit, it cannot be usedelsewhere.

Now, the contract INEC has award-ed, because of the plethora of the un-der-aged people in the voters’ regis-ter that are yet to be cleaned out, is

cians and National Assembly membersnominating people into the exercise.

In fact, some national commission-ers and RECs are calling for an out-right cancellation of the recruitmentexercise because they claimed it was“shoddily carried out”, alleging sec-tional favouritism.

What this would engender is a fur-ther bastardization of the voting pro-cess because if INEC is complainingabout NYSC members who were usedas ad-hoc staff and could not be 100%trusted, how can the Commission thathas recruited nominees from politi-cians and politicians or ex-this and ex-that as and who would become per-manent staff hope to trust politicianswhen entrusted with overseeing elec-tions?

But some officials who appear tohave the ears of Jega INEC said“there is already a budget for the re-cruitment of staff and, therefore, thehoopla about needless recruitment ismisplaced”.

The use of a voter’s card that is notpolling unit specific can be compro-mised by political parties with accessto the card reader. All that a politi-cian intent on rigging needs to do is

of office as a new Commission in July2010, having regard to the fact thatneither the Constitution nor the Elec-toral Act defined the role of the Sec-retary to the Commission as the Ac-counting Officer, I have consideredmyself as such, relying upon provi-sions of the Procurement Act, particu-larly Sections 18, 19 and 20 of the Actand Regulations issued by the Bureauof Public Procurement to the effect thatin an MDA/Corporate procuring en-tity, the Chief Executive is the Ac-counting Officer.

“I have also done this, given theweighty personal liability which theProcurement Act places on the shoul-ders of the Accounting Officer. Thetradition in INEC had been that a Per-manent Secretary was posted as theSecretary, until 2008, when INEC,having regard to the provisions of theConstitution and Electoral Act ap-pointed its Secretary. The functions/roles of the Secretary as specified didnot say or imply that he is the Account-ing Officer”.

The INEC boss told Adoke that theclarification was necessary in the lightof the restructuring and reorganisa-tion going on in the Commission as it

prepares for what he described as “bet-ter, effective and efficient service de-livery towards 2015 and beyond”.

He insisted that it was “pertinent toseek this clarification for the avoidanceof doubt and in order to put lingeringmatters to rest.”

The “lingering matters” Jega spokeabout, it was learnt, might not be un-connected with what a source de-scribed as the frosty relationship be-tween the Chairman and other com-missioners over the Chairman’s pow-ers.

YOU CAN NOT RUN AONE-MAN SHOW,ADOKE TELLS JEGAIn a July 26 reply to Jega’s reply,

Adoke declared categorically that theChairman is not the accounting offic-er of INEC.

Adoke said: “I have examined rele-vant provisions of the law particular-ly, the Constitution of the Federal Re-public of Nigeria, 1999, the ElectoralAct, the Public Procurement Act andextant Financial Regulations in orderto determine whether the law has ex-pressly provided for the position ofeither the ‘Chief Executive Officer ’ or‘Accounting Officer ’ of the Indepen-dent National Electoral Commission(INEC). “Regrettably, it would appearthat no such terminology was used inthe statutes examined. Item 14(1)(a)of Part 1 to the Third Schedule of theConstitution only provides that the Chairman shall be the Chief Elec-toral Commissioner. The provisiondoes not state that the ‘Chief Elector-al Commissioner ’ is the ‘Chief Exec-utive Officer.

“I have similarly examined the func-tions and powers of the Commissionas provided for in item 15 of Part 1 ofthe Third Schedule to the Constitu-tion and sections 2, 3, 4 and 5 of theElectoral Act and wish to observe thatthese are functions and powers thatcan only be exercised by the Commis-sion and not by the Chairman or anyindividual Commissioner except asmay be delegated by the Commissionunder Section 152 of the Electoral Actor item 15(h) of Part 1 to the ThirdSchedule to the Constitution. “Con-sequently, in the absence of any cleardonation of the powers of a Chief Ex-ecutive Officer or Accounting Officerby the relevant statutes, and in theabsence of any evidence to indicatethat these functions and powers of theCommission have been delegated tothe Chairman, I am unable to come tothe reasoned conclusion that the lawcontemplates that the Chairman ofINEC shall be the Chief Executive Of-ficer or Accounting Officer of the Com-mission.”

The Attorney General added that theElectoral Act confers on the Secretaryenormous administrative powers akinto those of Directors-General, who are“statutorily the Accounting Officersand Chief Executive Officers of theirvarious Commissions”.

He pointed out that this is what ob-tains in similar Commissions, such asPolice Service Commission, NationalPopulation Commission and FederalJudicial Service Commission.

But the dissenting views in INECare being waved off as mere rants. Theelectoral body, as presently operatedunder its incumbent Chairman, deci-sions are taken by him, in consulta-tion with his Chief of Staff, one Dr.Dr. Mahmud Magaji (he’s alleged tohave usurped the powers of some na-tional commissioners).In an earlierconversation with Mr. Kayode Idowu,Press Secretary to Jega, he said “someof the things being published by somepeople in that regard are laughablebecause the decisions taken at theCommission reflect a collective,hinged on consensus”.

The use of a voter’s card that isnot polling-unit-specific can becompromised by political partieswith access to the card reader

,

,

2015 ELECTIONS ENDANGERED (2)

like preparing more grounds for rig-ging.

CONNECTING THE DOTSThe nexus between the needless re-

cruitment of staff by INEC, a recruit-ment which a consulting firm haspooh-poohed (INEC is in fact said tobe perhaps the only EMB with thelargest number of needless staff be-cause of non-utilisation of capacity) onthe one hand, the manual comprehen-sive compilation of voters register fromhouse to house with a view to captur-ing biometrics later and the use of avoter card that is not polling unit spe-cific.

It was Donald Duke, former gover-nor of Cross River State, who said thaton the day of election, the adhoc staffthat are used at polling units are sup-plied by politicians and, therefore,eliminating rigging may not comeeasy. Sunday Vanguard gatheredfrom sources within the Commissionthat the recruitment drive by INEC en-joyed the unpleasant benefit of politi-

The use of committee to take veryimportant decisions of the Commis-sion to the exclusion of national com-missioners would not help, just as theissues of determination of who goesfor monitoring of elections, determi-nation of the posting of RECs or whoparticipates in elections – which areall concentrated and vested in thechairman today – should be jettisoned.

But how did INEC come to this?

JEGA’S QUEST FORMORE POWERSIt all started when the Commission’s

Chairman decided to launch a pow-er-grabbing voyage. To get the legalbacking for this acquisition of powers,Jega wote a letter, dated June 19, tothe Minister of Justice and AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, Moham-med Adoke, SAN, asking for clarifi-cation on who should be the account-ing officer of the EMB.

Jega noted: “Since our assumption

Continued from page 30

Adoke...Chairman not INEC’s Accounting Officer, there can be no one-man show

CMYK

to store up voter ’scards illegally – as canbe made possible bythe proposed manualc o m p r e h e n s i v ecompilation beingproposed by INEC –hijack and confiscate avoter ’s registerbooklet and run asmany cards as possiblethrough the machine.

That way, with cardsin hand and a registerto boot, the paper trailneeded would begenerated, just as thecards can be used asmany times as possibleand votes counted andrecorded for the partyof choice.

If INEC is seriousabout safeguarding the2015 general elections,the entire nationalcommissioners must beseen to be equal andmust operate on acollegiate basis -decisions must becollectively taken.

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WILL the drone beused in the Sahel?Put differently, will

the United States order dronestrikes on terrorist cells inWest African states? That isthe big question that confrontsstates and non-state actors inthe on-going war against Al-Qaeda and its local affiliatesin the Maghreb and Sahelregions.

But the reputation of thedrone for causing collateraldamage when in actionremains a concern about theusefulness or otherwise of theunmanned aircraft especiallyin fighting the invisibleenemy.

Yet there are other uses ofthe drone that recommends itto nations and organisationsfor crime fighting.

When news filtered in thatthe United States had reachedagreement with the Republicof Niger to set up a drone basein the West African state,there were concerns about thelocation of this war machine,especially the possibility ofviolating Nigeria’s territorialintegrity and internal security.Nigeria and Niger Republicshare borders and essentialdemographic features,particularly in northern partsof Nigeria. The moveespecially unsettles thesecurity and intelligencecommunities in Nigeria aboutthe implications of havingsuch equipment that cangather sensitive informationabout the country, but Prof.Fred Aja Agwu, a seniorResearch Fellow at the

Nigerian Institute ofInternational Affairs, toldSunday Vanguard thatNigeria has been weakenedby its own internal crisis, thatit could not utter a word onsuch brazen act the couldcompromise its intenalsecurity. Agwu said theactivities of Boko Haram andother terrorists groups showthat insurgency in region hasbeen internationalised.

According to him, the localinsurgents have beeninfiltrated and the “Nigeriansecurity and intelligencecommunities have provedincapable of coping with thesituation”, so they needexternal help.

The activities of Boko Haram

of defending its territorialintegrity and upholding thesecurity of its citizens.

Drone TechnologyThe drone is an unmanned

aerial vehicle that is used forsurveillance and targetedattacks on suspected terroristsand they have been used bythe United States whichdeveloped the technology.The drone is remotelycontrolled and has visualsensors that allow thoseoperating it to focus onintended targets. It carriesdifferent types of weapons.For instance, the MQ-9drones can employ four lasserguided Hellfire missiles andtime sensitive targets.

primarily for hunting andkiller mission. It also has thecapacity for intelligencegathering. It is designed tofind, fix, track, get, examineand assess against high value,fleeting and time sensitivetargets.

Former CIA DirectorGeneral Leon Panettadescribed the drone as “veryeffective” as it “has achievedhigh level of precision attackson targets. Military expertsbelieve that the US drone haschanged the nature of modernwarfare because it issurgically precise and higheffective.”

Drone in War fareUntil 2008, drones were used

for intelligence gathering inPakistan. But, in that year, theUS fired the first missile froma drone at a terrorist target inWaziristan. The US used thestealthy UAV RQ-17 drones tofly over Osama Bin Ladencompound in Pakistan, tomonitor the compound beforethe advance of the Navy Sealsthat killed him on May 2,2011.

The US secret dronecampaign against Al Qaeda;and its affiliates has changedthe face and nature of modernwarfare. It has become a keyweapon in US arsenal againstsuspected terrorists and theprospects of using it in theSahel cannot be ruled out asAl Qaeda in Islamic Maghrebcontinues to grow in strengthand presence in the region.Only US, UK and Israel havelaunched drone strikesagainst their enemies.

According to reports fromPentagon, the US has about8,000 drones and it has

and Ansaru show that Nigeriais an area of interest for dronesurveillance, whether inNiger or in Nigeria.

Prof. Ogbabe Oche, echoingAgwu, said the presence ofdrones in Niger Republic mayserve as a deterrence toterrorists but its implicationsfor national security cannot beoverlooked. He explained thatthe drone option has becomenecessary because Nigeria isnot showing that it is capable

Former US PresidentGeorge W. Bush was the firstto order drone strikes in 2008in Pakistan during his lastdays in office. There arevarious types of dronesnamely the MQ-IB predatorwhich is used for mediumaltitude long endurancemission. It performsintelligence gathering andhas what the military callmunition capabilities. Thesecond type is the MQ-9reaper which is used

carried out about 349 dronestrikes in Pakistan, 61 inYemen while it is estimatedthat between 1,500 to 2,500persons may have died fromthis modern form of warfare.The casualty rate is believedto be high among non-combatants and non-terroristsbut many people also arguethat this is the propaganda ofterrorists who want to drawsympathy to themselves andincrease the criticisms againstthe use of drones to huntthem.

Global Drones RaceIsrael has, over the years,

led the world in developingunmanned aerial vehiclesystem (UAS). According toAmerica Aerospace Study(2011), there are about 680 ofUAS. And about 70 countriesincluding China, UK,Australia, Russia are known tohave such technology. EvenIran, which claimed that it itbrought down one US drone,has acquired the technology.China revealed in 2010 thatit has 25 drone models. Today,there are more countrieslining up to acquire thetechnology and usage ofdrones either for domestic ormilitary purposes. In the US,the police use drones for lawenforcement duties,especially to gatherintelligence.

The Obama administration,which has been secretiveabout the use of drones, isknown to have ordered moredrone strikes againstsuspected terrorists outsidethe shores of the US than itspredecessor. Theadministration is now facedwith the responsibility ofmobilising a global consensuson the use of drones. In theUS, there have been debateswithin government andCongress on legaljustification for the use ofdrones especially targettingUS citizens on American soilor abroad if they are found tobe involved in acts ofterrorism. There is increasingpublic demand for informationon how the drones are used.

Apart from the issue ofregularising the droneprogramme, it has becomenecessary to draw aguideline. There is,therefore, the need “to ensurethat the future use of dronesconforms with existinginternational andhumanitarian laws”.

Under the international law,terrorists are consideredcivilians and killing them isonly legal if they are caughtin the act of committing anattack. Some experts arguethat drones create moreterrorists than they kill them.

Apart from military uses,drones have been used forsearch and rescue operations,tracking of weather disasters,especially after storms,hurricanes, earth quakes, etc.

The Ol Pejeta conservancyin Kenya wants to use dronesto monitor wild life to deterpoachers. This is anexperience that could beuseful to Nigeria in trackingincidence of pipelinevandalism.

NIGERIA AND THE DRONE IN THE SAHEL:

By Hugo Odiogor, ForeignAffairs Editor

,

,

The good, the bad and the bizarre

The local insurgents have beeninfiltrated and the “Nigerian securityand intelligence communities haveproved incapable of coping with thesituation”, so they need external help

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Page 35: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

Whether the group was pos-turing or not, what is knownis that Okah was opposed tothe idea of the amnesty offeredby the Federal Government tomilitants willing to lay downtheir arms, in a bid to end at-tacks on oil companies andtheir installations.

MEND emerged in 2006with the goal to attack the in-terests and operations of for-eign oil in the Niger Delta.The establishment of MENDredefined the nature andcharacter of the struggle inthe Niger Delta, as the mili-tant group mounted a sophis-ticated media campaign tosupport its rebellion. It em-barked on acts of sabotage,and kidnapping of foreign oilworkers. On several occa-sions, it claimed responsibili-ty for attacks on oil companieswhom it accused of exploitingthe local populace. The attackson oil infrastructure reducedNigeria’s daily production toabout one quarter of the nor-mal production.

The travails of Henry OkahOkah, first arrested in An-

gola and deported to Nigeriain February 2008, andcharged with 62 counts oftreason, terrorism, illegal pos-session of firearms and armstrafficking, faced the deathpenalty. But on July 13, 2009,Judge Mohammed Liman de-clared him a free man. Limandeclared: “Having reviewedwhat the attorney generalsaid, you have become a freeman at this moment.” The tri-al, which began in April 2008,was held in private, because

the late President Umau Yar’Adua argued that open trialwould “jeopardize national

O K A HBetween politicsand justice

By Hugo Odiogor, Foreign Affairs Editor

At 46, Henry Okah, a visible face in the struggle inthe Niger Delta for equality and social justice, isto spend 24 years in jail in South Africa. Unlessthere is an intervention that favours him at the ap-

pellate court, what this means is that he will become a freeman in his 60s.

To the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta(MEND) which Okah leads, this is a hard blow to their moraleand the display of good faith in their acceptance of the amnes-ty programme of the Federal Government. And to the relativesof those that lost their lives and the injured at Eagle Squareon October 1, 2010, the event in South Africa means that jus-tice has been served to the leader of the militant group.

The worst came for Okah on March 26 when Judge NelsClaassen convicted him of 13 charges of terrorism, includingthe bombing that killed 12 people in Abuja on October 1, 2010.In reaching his decision, Claassen said, “I have come to theconclusion that the state proved beyond reasonable doubt theguilt of the accused, who claimed that he knew nothing of anyof these bombings, especially in Warri and Abuja”.

Nigeria’s golden jubilee celebration was disrupted by theattack within the vicinity of Eagle Square, which MENDSclaimed responsibility for. The group had earlier claimed thatit disrupted the March 2010 Post-Amnesty Dialogue Confer-ence organized by Vanguard Newspapers in Warri, Delta State.

,

,

The Okah familyhad hoped theirmember would beacquitted in SouthAfrica as againstNigeria where theFederal Govern-ment seemed de-termined to makescapegoat of peo-ple considered tohave challengedthe authorities

security.”His wife, Azuka, who hails

from Enugu State and marriedthe MEND leader in 1999, ob-tained a degree in education(finance) from the Universityof Benin, Benin City. Shelived with him in Jo’ Borg,South Africa. She believedthat the trial of her husbandwas political and he was be-ing sacrificed to appeasesome powerful individualsand corporate interests in Ni-geria. Two Lagos lawyers,Femi Falana,(SAN), and Mr.Festus Keyamo, as well asMEND have denounced thejailing of Okah in South Afri-ca, believing that it was moreof a political trial than legallyjustifiable.

In Nigeria, there has notbeen any conviction of keysuspects in the series of ter-rorist attacks. There has alsonot been any headway in thehigh profile murder cases.Former Information Minister,Professor Walter Ofonagoro,believes that the handling ofsecurity issues in Nigeria hasbeen tainted with tardiness,indolence and corruption, ascan be seen in the handlingof the prime suspect of theMadallah Christmas daybombing, Mr. Kabiru Sokoto,who was arrested and es-caped the first time and whenhe was re-arrested, the pros-ecutors appear to be tardy in

preparing chargesagainst him. He saidin the same way, theprosecutors of thesuspects in the mur-der of Engr FunshoWilliams, a Lagospolitician, had beenunserious in theway they handledthe case in the pastsix years, yet thecountry seems to begiving the impres-sion that it is seri-ous about fightingterrorism. DirectorGeneral of NIIA,Prof. BolaAkintrinwa,on hispart, is of the viewthat it is ridicu-lous for some peo-ple to think of am-nesty for terroristsin Nigeria, espe-cially those whohave been appre-hended for thecrime, whileOkah has beenjailed in SouthAfrica.

Okah...an activist and a controversial trial

SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013, PAGE 35

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2020202020111115: PDP’s f5: PDP’s f5: PDP’s f5: PDP’s f5: PDP’s fear of defear of defear of defear of defear of defeat is realeat is realeat is realeat is realeat is real —Tom Ikimi

Alliance (APGA) decided to merge toform a mega party in Nigeria, toprovide a viable alternative politicalplatform in the country seems to havecreated a major stir in the Nigerianpolitical firmament. The successfulmerger of such large opposition partieswould instantly transform the countryinto a two- major party state as is thecase in other major successfuldemocracies in the world. Thisprospect, which serves notice of theend of tenure to the PDP, has shakenthe very foundation of the PDP which,over the past several years, hasoperated across the country withreckless impunity. The option of astrong alternative party has beenoverwhelmingly welcomed by thegenerality of our people.

Intellectual Property We are reliably informed of the

roles of some highly placed personsin the establishment currentlyfinancing willing political jobbers andagents provocateurs whose assign-ment is to cause mischief, precipitatechaos, mess up the democratic spacein a manner reminiscent of theAssociation for Better Nigeria, ABN,which, in 1993, succeeded toirredeemably truncate the IBBtransition program.

Since 6 February, 2013, when weaddressed a world press conferenceannouncing the decision of our parties

to merge and adopted the name AllProgressive Congress (APC), thename and acronym not only becameour intellectual property but has sincereceived very wide publicity in the printand electronic media. TheIndependent National ElectoralCommission (INEC) hasacknowledged this through herspokesperson several times in thepress, received our correspondenceson the matter long before some spon-sored busy bodies approached them on28 February, some twenty two daysafter we announced our name, to seekthe registration of the so- called AfricanPeoples Congress. I watched theshameful television display, onThursday,14 March, of a hired crowd,clearly recruited from nearby markets,streets and bushes, assembled in a firstfloor flat in a building in Apo Village -Abuja, hurriedly provided by theirhandlers, purporting to be the

,

,promoters of this charade. Nigeria, inmy view, has moved away from this kindof disgraceful gimmicks well known tobe associated with some of the expiredbarons of PDP now surviving on emer-gency heavy doses of Abuja oxygen.The revelations of the past couple ofdays provide irrefutable evidence thatthe series of fake APC is a PDP officialproject. I certainly hope that ProfessorJega’s INEC would steer clear from thisobvious mine field. I understand thatProfessor Jega was away in far awayChina when these developments weretaking place and hope that he hasreceived accurate briefing upon hisreturn.

The process of merger is quitedifferent from the procedure ofregistration of new parties. Mergingparties, being already registeredpolitical parties, do not need to obtainand fill any forms! We are, therefore,diligently proceeding with the merger

process. I understand that the younglawyer, one Nwokorie SamuelChinedu, who reportedly made theapplication to INEC now bitterlyregrets his role in the plot.

The so- called African PeoplesCongress has not scaled the first basichurdle for registration as a politicalparty and has no place in theprevailing political atmosphere whenmore serious groups are being deregistered. The show of shame theyput up that Thursdaybrandishing questionable INECdocuments is serious enough for our security agencies to descend on themand save our country from furthercorruption of the democratic process.

But why would be the PDP be afraid

of a party that is yet to take off? Since 1999 when the departing

military government installed GeneralObasanjo and the PDP, OBJ, who wasthe beneficiary, proceeded to decimatethe opposition with the sole purposeof establishing the PDP as the rulingparty in a one- party state over whichhe was to preside as life president. Ihappened to have been a foundingmember of the APP and one of the mainreasons I left that party was because Icould not understand how and why,after the bitterly fought generalelections in 1999, our national

Continues on page 37

The so- called African Peoples Con-gress has not scaled the first basic hur-dle for registration as a political partyand has no place in the prevailing polit-ical atmosphere when more seriousgroups are being deregistered

Says rival APC is ruling party’s official projectReveals how Abacha chased IMF, World Bank

out of AbujaOn Boko Haram: What Jonathan regime can

learn from history

Chief Tom Ikimi is a former Foreign Affairs Minister andone of the leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)in the forefront of the formation of the All Progressive Con-gress (APC). In this interview, he speaks on the controver-sy the issue of registration of the new party has generated.He also speaks on the government of President GoodluckJonathan. Ikimi notes the criticisms against the late Gen-eral Sani Abacha under whom he served as minister,sayingthe former military leader did his best in the upliftment ofthe economy of the nation contrary to what Nigerians areexperiencing today. Excerpts:

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

There seems to be some confusion as regards the registration of theAPC by the INEC.Would you say it is part of the PDP - ledgovernment’s plan to frustrate the take- off of your new party?

The emergence of the APC on 6 February, 2013 when the ActionCongress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), the Congressfor Progressive Change (CPC) and a major section of the All Progressive Grand

Page 37: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

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chairman, the late Mahmoud Waziri,would abandon his party with ninestate governors to take office as politicaladviser in the government of aparty that defeated him. OBJ, whosuccessfully lured him in order toweaken the APP, went further toorganize the registration of over sixtyother parties to be in the oppositionmost of them not worth more than theirregistration certificates. A good numberof them were, for a small fee, alwayswilling to play one role or the otherfor the PDP against the opposition.

Perpuation in Power The role they played was always

crucial in ensuring the perpetuationin power of the PDP.

For the past several years, desperateefforts have been made by concernedmembers of the opposition to unify theopposition parties in order, not only toprovide an alternative viable platformfor Nigerians but also to make the PDPmore accountable. Those efforts failedfor various reasons includingpersonality interests, PDP’s successfulmanipulations, the activities of molesand bad timing. It is now, however,clear to the PDP and the establishmentthat our current effort is well calculated,being systematically well pursued innational interest and backed by theoverwhelming people support,pointing towards the inevitable changeof baton which many of them havedifficulty in contemplating. That is theirfear. The PDP has held the countryhostage and plundered it since 1999.They have ruled with impunity,established massive corruption as away of life and so the fear of steppingdown is real. One of their recentnational chairmen openly boasted thatthe PDP was to rule Nigeria for onewhole century. Those at the helm ofaffairs today believe that nonsense andso are operating recklessly. The dayfor them to account for theirstewardship is knocking at the door!

What should Nigerians expect from

the APC if, at the end of the day, yousucceed in dethroning the PDP?

In 2006, I was among twenty three

leaders who broke away from the PDPon the same day to link up with someothers from the AD to found the ACand eventually ACN. Some of mycolleagues, who left with me then,included the late Abubakar Rimi, ChiefAudu Ogbeh, Ghali Naaba, AlhajiLawal Kaita etc. I proceeded to EdoState in 2006 to link up with a numberof others to establish the ACN there. Idare say we have been successful inuprooting the PDP in Edo State, whichran that state aground. Edo Statehappens to be the home of some oftheir most boastful leaders nowroaming other parts of Nigeriadispensing havoc and instability. Wehave established in Edo State an ACNgovernment that has been highlysuccessful. The first ACN governmentin the country was that of BabatundeFashola of Lagos State whose brilliant

,

,society permitting equality of membershipof all Nigerians willing to join and whowill enjoy the full measure of internal partydemocracy. A transparent method ofcongresses and conventions will open upthe democratic space for all to aspire to anylevel of their God’s given personal ability.The enthronement of discipline in oursociety must commence from our party andso proper safeguards for discipline is beingenshrined in our new constitution with aguarantee for adequate access to justice byall members without prejudice. Confidencein politicians and the political systemneeds to be urgently restored.

A detailed and robust manifesto will soonbe published which will guide all ourgovernments from local government to theFederal Government. We will not entertainridiculous jokes of personal point agendasby any head of government at any level.

Solemn Pact

that has “captured” Nigeria for the pastfourteen years!

Monumental Corruption Unfortunately, what we have

witnessed in these past fourteen yearsis the enthronement of monumentalcorruption at the very highest level ofgovernment. Today, people of dubiousand questionable character arecelebrated with national awards whilethe few who are “mistakenly” convictedare granted state pardon. That is thepitiable level to which Nigeria hasdescended.

Critics of the APC insist that there is

nothing new in the convergence ofthose behind the party, saying that it isa conclave of desperate people hustlingfor power. How right are they?

Nothing can be farther from the truth.

I already drew your attention tothe sterling qualities of thegovernors of the states controlledby the opposition parties; I havealso given an insight into thepainstaking processes that havegone into the production of theparty constitution and manifesto.What we offer Nigerians is ablueprint that is borne out of aclear vision with the will to drivethe process by the enthronementof a focused and well groundedgovernment as against theclueless and visionless apologynow offered by the PDP.

Frankly, the situation in ourcountry must not be allowed toget worse than it is today.National infrastructures havesuffered the calamity of a colossaldecay which include thedisastrous condition of the roads,a demise of the railway system,virtually non- existent powersupply; the health care systemhas so deteriorated that planeloads of helpless Nigeriansdepart every day to far away Indiaand other similar destinations toseek basic healthcare. The issueof insecurity has viciouslygripped the country and thrown155 million citizens into perpetualfear, while unbridled corruptionhas brought the nation to itsknees. The once pleasantenvironment enjoyed just beforeand after independence hasvanished! Millions of Nigerianyouths are jobless while theeducation system where availableis receding into Stone Age levelsforcing those who could afford itto send their children to Ghanaand other neighboring countriesor elsewhere to seek higherquality education.

Anxiety for Change The anxiety for change across

the country is palpable to such anextent that everywhere one turnstoday there is an overwhelmingyearning for a rescue mission.There has never been a politicalparty merger in any form in ourcountry’s history. This is the firstof its kind and, apart from thefour parties earlier advertised,several other parties as well asgroups, civil societyorganizations and individualshave freely approached us to jointhe merger. We are definitely onan urgent rescue mission. So far,I have heard not a whisper fromany individual in the mergerarrangement suggesting anypersonal interest for one positionor the other. I am convinced thatit will not be business as usual

Boko Haram is a faceless

group. Would you say the call tonegotiate with the group ismisplaced? As a former ForeignAffairs Minister, do you thinkgovernment should negotiatewith the group? There have alsobeen calls for the granting ofamnesty?

The activities of Boko Haramhave turned out to be one of themost serious security problems inthe country today andresponsible for the loss ofhundreds of innocent lives in

performance has been a benchmark in thecountry. His colleagues in the ACN refer tohim as their class prefect.

Change of Baton In summary, the present governors of the

opposition are progressive governors whoare leading progressive governments withclearly distinctive achievements. A changeof baton in the centre and the enthronementof a liberal democracy with crystal clearvision would ensure the positive refocusingof our nation state.

The APC will be a totally new party. Thefirst draft of the constitution and manifestohave just been presented for our discussionand vetting. Among other things, theconstitution will establish an acceptable levelof party supremacy, will ensure the creationof a broad- based political party whosemembership will cut across all strata of our

They must all faithfully execute theparty manifesto which constitutes thesolemn pact that we make with ourpeople who vote us into power.Consequently, the party will subjectits various executives from the localgovernment to the Presidency toregular periodic open conferences todiscuss their performance andcompliance with our manifesto. In thisregard, our core commitments toeducation, eradication of corruption,uninterrupted power supply, full andgainful employment, eradication ofpoverty, affordable local fuel price,sound healthcare delivery, abundantfood supply, sustained industrialgrowth, efficient mass transit system,and an elaborate housing program,etc,will be watched closely by the party.This process does not exist in the PDP

`Rival APC isruling party’sofficial project’

* Ikimi ... Anxiety for change is palpable

A change of baton in the centreand the enthronement of a liber-al democracy with crystal clear vi-sion would ensure the positiverefocusing of our nation state

Continues on page 38

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How Abacha chased IMF, WorldBank out of Abuja, by Ikimi

parts of the country including theFederal Capital, Abuja and environs. One of my saddest days was theChristmas day bombing of a CatholicChurch near Abuja. Apart from makingsome states in the NorthparticularlyKano,Borno and Yobe tobecome virtually no- go areas, the BokoHaram insurgency has portrayed ourcountry to the world to be an unsafedestination for tourists and businesspeople. Anyone therefore so fortunate tobe the ultimate leader in the countrymust see it as a priority to find a lastingsolution to this security situation. I haveheard of the existence of some ratherreckless individuals lurking in thecorridors of power peddling carelesscomments to the effect that Boko Haramis a northern problem which should beleft to the northerners to solve. But thisproblem has not only advanced to theFederal Capital but is also creepingsouthwards with vigor. Even if not,is theNorth not part of Nigeria ? It was indeeda welcome development that thepresident decided to pay a visit to Yobeand Borno after the progressivegovernors visited Borno. His visit was thefirst he has made since 2009 when theproblem began. Yes, I am aware ofseveral examples of such insurgencyproblem that occurred in other parts ofthe world from which those who adviseMr President can draw useful lessons.

The Sultan on Boko Haram I recall the RUF, Revolution United

Front, that unleashed terror in SierraLeone during my time as ForeignMinister. Its leader FodaySankor tookrefuge with his faceless terrorists in thedeep jungle of Sierra Leone. Weapproached the resolution of the menaceby a method of the carrot and stick.Eventually we persuaded Foday Sankorto come out from the forest and webrought him to Abuja. Negotiationsbecame more effective. I believe theForeign Ministry has good records.

The Sultan of Sokoto’s call for amnestyfor Boko Haram should not bedisregarded or taken lightly. The Sultan’shigh standing in the country, particularlyin northern Nigeria and in Islam, supportsthis view. He must be in custody ofinformation that could be helpful in thedirection of his suggestion. Securityagencies have in their possessionseveral individuals they have arrestedover time as the sect members. Ampleopportunity has been so presented toobtain useful briefing on the menace.OBJ visited Borno State sometime backand had discussions with personsreported to be leaders of the sect. Thepress has published photographs ofvarious individuals named as BokoHaram leaders. The immediate pastgovernor of Borno State is well knownto have had some long and sustainedinteractions with the sect during histenure. I am therefore a bit concernedwith the president’s unfortunatestatement during his recent visit in BornoState to the effect that he was notprepared to engage “ghosts”. As it waspossible to send high level contacts tothe creeks in the Niger Delta to engagethe militants there, I believe similarengagement with Boko Haram ispossible and necessary.

How to engage sect No option must be discounted in the

search for peace and security.As I make this response, the shocking

news has arrived of the gruesome

,

,The highest amount received per

barrel for crude oil duringAbacha’s regime was $8 but ourcurrency retained a strong valuethroughout the period

Continued from page 37

To be concluded next week

* Ikimi ... Abacha faced difficulties

suicide bomb attack in a Kano motorpark claiming dozens of innocent livesand setting ablaze several luxuriousbuses preparing to ferry passengersdown South. Newspapers carried reportsthat northerners in Awka, Onitsha andenvirons are now escaping in fear ofreprisal attacks. It should be recalledthat the convoy of the revered monarch,the Emir of Kano, was recently attackedand suffered unfortunate fatalities. Thepeople’s confidence in the government

to handle this obviously escalating crisisis now badly shaken.

The kolanut, cattle and other usuallyflourishing trade between the SouthWest, South East and the North has inrecent times suffered a terrible set back.These developments make it imperativefor the government to urgently engageBoko Haram one way or the other.

What do you make of the statement

by the former head of state, GeneralIbrahim Babangida, to the effect thatObasanjo’s 1999 presidency savedNigeria from break - up, given thefact that he was the architect of theannulment of the 1993 presidentialelection which snowballed into anational crisis?

It is not unusual for leaders to sit downfrom time to time and in their quiet

moments, reflect and look at matterswith hindsight. Sometimes they maybeat their chest with a satisfying smileof satisfaction for their past actions, butit is not unusual for them to habor someregrets. It is a well known fact thatGeneral Ibrahim Babangida was one ofthe authors of Obasanjo’s 1999candidacy and ascendancy to thePresidency. Only IBB can testify todaywhether or not his decision was the rightone. It is also a fact that the poor

handling of the events leading to theJune 12, 1993 presidential election aswell as its aftermath are issues thatshould engage IBB’s reflection for a longtime to come. There are many things Idare say he should have done differently.The reaction of South West Nigeria tothose events in the aftermath of June12, particularly their various politicalwings, including the very powerfulNADECO, needed an appropriateresponse. Following divine intervention,IBB,, aided by a handful of others,seized the moment and chose a formermilitary colleague from the South West.Nigeria would not have broken up as theSouth West leaders know the history of“Biafra”, but Nigeria would have been incontinuous political stress. AlthoughGeneral Obasanjo was not a SouthWest choice, having lost his ward in the

election, being a Yoruba man, thegeneral temperature in that region wassubstantially brought down with hisascendancy to the Presidency. That hightemperature, for similar reasons, hasnow shifted to another region!

But are you not scared that the

country may still be heading towardsa break up with what is happeningtoday?

IBB and most of the core individualswho plotted and executed the coronationof OBJ lost control of the man almostas soon as he ascended the Presidencyin1999. The PDP became more or lessOBJ’s private property and he wasresponsible for initiating the aberrationthat the president was the leader of theparty. The independence of the politicalparty has, therefore, since beencompromised. OBJ, having failed tosecure a third term Presidency, andbeing the anointed head of the rulingparty, he proceeded to interfere with theinternal party democratic process forselecting his successor which led to theemergence of the late President UmaruYar ‘Adua and eventually PresidentGoodluck Jonathan. Needless to say,the outcome of all that is the unbearableheat pervading the nation today. All thatmight have taken a back burner if thegovernment now in power wasperforming well. But that is clearly notthe case. Consequently, we are now ina situation in which the agitation forchange has become nationwide. ThePDP has displayed a total lack ofconsistency in its affairs and seem tohave no qualms in moving the goal postleft, right and centre all the time whenserious decisions are to be taken. Therevelation by the governor of Niger Statewhich he holds tenaciously to,that anagreement exists between the PDPgovernors and President Jonathan to endhis Presidency in 2015 is a case inpoint. That seems to reinforce thenorthern claim to the next Presidencyin the PDP.

How would you compare theleadership under the late head ofstate, General SaniAbacha, andthose that followed?

I am not an apostle of militarygovernments but General Gowon,perhaps the longest serving militaryruler, is very well regarded in the countrytoday. One can safely say that theregime of military rulers pervaded Africain the 70s 80s and early 90s. Nigeriahad its fair share. Military rule is nolonger elegant or fashionable and thatmay be one good reason Nigeria is stillenjoying civil government no matter itscondition. The entry of General SaniAbacha immediately after June 12 andthe shaky regime of Chief Shonekan wasbound to face unprecedented difficulties. While I am not discussing the Abacharegime in this response, I must statethat the man was a courageous leaderwho addressed the nation’s problemsastutely. Unfortunately the man is notaround now like some others to speakfor himself. There are many who haveparaded themselves as democrats andheld juicy positions over the past 14years of PDP rule but were very muchinside the engine room of Abachaadministration.

The highest amount received per barrelfor crude oil during Abacha’s regime was$8 but our currency retained a strongvalue throughout the period. A lot ofprojects were executed around thecountry.

Page 39: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

,We don’t feel the impact of SURE-P, Labour tells FG*‘Further fuel subsidy removal is uncalled for’ ,

,

BY UDEME CLEMENT

Tokunbo Korodo

Government istalking about Vision20:2020, when thepower sector is notgeneratingsufficient capacityto meet the demandof electricityconsumers in theindustrial sectorand for domesticuse

THE pronouncement byPresident Goodluck Jonathan ona new strategy by the FederalGovernment to remove fuel subsidyhas sparked another round ofcontroversy. While somestakeholders say the moneyallocated for fuel subsidy in thebudget must be channelled intoagriculture, housing and othersectors to reposition the economyfor rapid growth and development,others warn government againstthe removal. The Western ZonalChairman, National Union ofPetroleum and Natural GasWorkers (NUPENG), AlhajiTokunbo Korodo, speaks on theneed for government to avoid anyissue that may further worsen thesecurity situation in the country,which, according to him, anyattempt to remove the remainingsubsidy on petrol portends.

THE president recentlydeclared thatgovernment will not

continue to waste resourcesmeant for the Nigerian peopleto pay fuel subsidy, which,government says, benefits theaffluent and the middle classmore than the masses. What isyour position?

To start with, governmentshould not be talking about fuelsubsidy now, when the economyis dwindling due to perennialsecurity crisis and increasing rateof poverty in the country. The issueof fuel subsidy now is notencouraging, because it canfurther provoke the people.Government should focus oneconomic transformation in theareas of providing security to stopincessant killings of innocentcitizens, creation of jobs to tacklethe alarming rate ofunemployment in the country,especially among the youths, andinfrastructural development. Thisis what Nigerians want to hear.

Government should avoidanything that will pave the wayfor a strike action because thatmay even worsen the securitysituation in the country.

Have you also considered theexplanation from governmentthat subsidy money goes into thehands of few individuals to thedetriment of the masses that youare trying to protect?

Well, the leakages in the systemin terms of corruption,misappropriation of public fundsand subsidy money going into thehands of few influentialindividuals in the country must beblamed on the inefficiency on thepart of government to check theexcesses in the economy. So,government should not blame itsinefficiency on the people. Forinstance, government has beenadvocating the SubsidyReinvestment and EmpowermentProgramme (SURE-P) which,they said, is designed to enhanceimmediate socio-economic statusof our economy with resourcesrealised from the partial removalof subsidy in January 2012, yet,we cannot feel the impact. Wecould recall that by January 1,2012, government took everyoneby surprise, when they removedthe subsidy without dueconsultation with the people andrepresentatives of labour unions.They increased the pump price of

fuel from N65 per litre to N141but the week-long mass protestscompelled government to shiftground by reducing the price toN97 per litre, which is still toohigh for some people to purchase.Government should be able to tellthe people how they utilised themoney that was removed from thesubsidy to improve the economyfor better productivity. What Imean here is the partial removalof the subsidy money.

Millions of Nigerians remainunemployed. We are stillwitnessing infrastructure decayand epileptic supply of electricity.Even few companies that areabsorbing the work force now areusing casual workers. We have asituation in this country wheremany Nigerians are employed ascasual workers without anybenefit. Also, our roads are soterrible. The state of the roads isposing a serious challenge todistribution of petroleumproducts across the country. Forexample, many of our membershave lost their lives in fatalaccidents due to bad roads.

Instead of subsidy removal tofurther impoverish the people,government should turn attentionto power failure, which has alsobecome a major issue in thecountry. The lingering powercrisis is not good for a developingeconomy like Nigeria . We maynot achieve tangible economicgrowth and development witherratic power supply that isalmost crippling every sector ofthe economy. Even the operatorsof Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) in the country needconstant electricity to remain inbusiness. Now, government istalking about Vision 20:2020,when the power sector is notgenerating sufficient capacity tomeet the demand of electricityconsumers in the industrial sectorand for domestic use. Forgovernment to achieve its Vision,it must tackle power failurepragmatically and holistically

within a stipulated period. Thesecurity situation must also begiven attention, if we must moveforward.

The report on fuel subsidyscam revealed that over $6bnwas looted from subsidy fundsin the past two years. Why isgovernment not proactive aboutprosecuting individuals behindthis fraud?

Well, they say the matter is incourt already but let us see whatwill be the outcome. We havesimilar cases of peopledefrauding government and, atthe end, nothing tangible cameout of it. I hope the subsidy casewill not go the same way. We arewatching to see what will be theoutcome.

At present, the official pumpprice of fuel remains N97 perlitre. Why are some serviceoutlets selling at N100 andabove?

The reality is that our economyis not stable. As such, the prices of

goods and services are not alsostable. For instance, the pumpprice is N97 per litre, but thescarcity in the system makes ifdifficult for people to get theproduct at uniform price. Asidethat, you know Nigerians withtheir attitude. When a product isscarce in the market, it must bemade to attract increase in price.This is exactly what is happening.This is the more reason we do notwant to hear anything aboutsubsidy removal now. This isbecause such a pronouncementcan even trigger artificialscarcity and panic buying. Somepeople immediately they hearfuel subsidy removal can begin tostore petrol in their houses.Beyond that, some of the peopleselling above the official pumpprice may also be getting theirproduct through the black marketrate. For instance, if some arebuying between N97 and N100per litre, what do you expect themto do? In business, people mustmake profit at least to improvetheir margin in order to stayafloat. So, you cannot also blame.What we are saying is thatgovernment should create anenabling environment for pricestability and availability ofproduct at all times as well asputting measures in place to findlasting solution to insecurity inthe country, instead of subsidyremoval.

Do you think that theDepartment of PetroleumResource (DPR) is doing enoughto check the problem of under-dispensing of product by theservice outlets?

The DPR is doing its best at themoment, but the approach ofsealing the filling stations acrossthe country is not the solution tothe problem. Rather, it mayfurther aggravate the situationand increase the rate of scarcityin the system. This implies thatthe level of scarcity may increaseand people can resort topatronising Jerry-can blackmarketers.

Sapele revels in centenary celebrations of Nigeria’s oldest club*Mark, Uduaghan, others to grace eventBY CHARLES KUMOLU

PERHAPS when colonialexpatriates were settingup the European Club

Sapele, in 1913, primarily forrecreation, they didn’t know thata historical monument was alsobeing established.

But 100 years down the line,what started as a centre forexpatriate workers of the thenmultinational companies andcolonial administrative officershas become a historical legacy.

Though originally known asThe European Club Sapele, theend of colonialism and birth ofNigeria’s independence wasresponsible for its present name,Sapele Athletic Club ,SAC.

Ever since, the club has literallybecome a melting pot for allmanners of professionals, whichcut across race and colour.

It is in recognition of thehistorical essence of SAC that its

members have concluded plansto celebrate its centenary.

The one-week event, tagged:Age is Beautiful, is expected toattract top governmentfunctionaries, captains ofindustry and other stakeholders.

Speaking to Sunday Vanguardon plans ahead of thecelebrations, the Chairman,Anniversary Committee, ChiefFaith Gbagi, noted that being thefirst club in the country, its 100-year anniversary was worth

celebrating.‘’The club is the oldest in the

country. It was founded around1905 and 1906, but the officialrecord we have says it wasofficially launched in 1913. The

The European Club, because itwas mainly an expatriate affairthen. But, on June 28, 1919 afterthe First World War, another golftournament was played there,’’ henoted.

In addition, Gbagi said, ‘’Theactivities lined up are enormous.It is starting on November 3,2013. We are going to haveinterdenominational service andalso prayers for Muslims. We willalso have symposium andanniversary lectures to bedeliverd by someone of greatrepute. ‘’

Accordingly, the club chairmansaid, ‘’we will also launch a bookby our committee on our historyand documentary. We will havefootball and golf tournaments inaddition to other sportingactivities. We have taken theopportunity of the centenary tofind ways of facelifting thestructures in the club. Thefacilities that the white people leftare aged, we actually startedadmitting people afterindependence.’’

He however disclosed that thehighpoint of the event is a publiclecture and dinner, adding thatthe Senate President, DavidMark, is among those expected.

‘’The highpoint of thecelebration is going to be thepublic lecture and dinner. We arethinking that the golf tournamentwill hold for two days, while theceremony will be closed with agala night, ‘’ Gbagi said.

‘’We are making arrangementsto get the Senate President, SenDavid Mark, who is a golfer, tocome and declare the golftournament open. Thetournament is going to involveprofessionals and armatures. Weare using the opportunity todevelop most of the facilities inthe club. Clubs cannot start goingbegging, but we are using theopportunity to invite people topartner with us. We are talking toGovernor Emmanuel Uduaghanand also made a presentation toour grand patron, the Orodje ofOkpe. So, a lot of companies willbe involved.’’

club came into existence beforethe amalgamation of Nigeria in1914. It was known as the SapiloGolf Club. It was later christened

,Chief Faith Gbagi

100 years down theline, what started asa centre forexpatriate workersof the thenmultinationalcompanies andcolonialadministrativeofficers has becomea historical legacy

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 31, 2013, PAGE 39

Page 40: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

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EASTER: Clerics sue for peaceBy SAM EYOBOKA, WOLE

MOSADOMI, CALEBANYANSINA & OLAYINKA

LATONA

PAGE 40 — SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013

CHRISTIAN leaders across Nigeria have urgedChristians andnon-Christians

in the country to reflect on so-cial injustice this Easter, es-pecially persons killed or dis-placed by sectarian violence inparts of the country, those liv-ing in poverty on our streetsor struggling with one disa-bility or the other.

The leaders including theNational President of CAN,Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Prelate,Methodist Church Nigeria,Most Rev. Sunday Ola Ma-kinde, Catholic Archbishop ofLagos, Most Rev. Alfred Ade-wale Martin, his Anglican coun-terpart, Most Rev. Ephraim Ade-bola Ademowo, have all admon-ish-ed Nigerians to imbibe thevirtues of love and peace with allmen.

Pastor Oritsejafor, in a state-ment in Abuja urged Christianfaithful to use the Easter celebra-tion “to reflect on their lives andmake the most of the resurrec-tion of the Jesus Christ”.

A statement signed by his Me-dia Assistant, Kenny Ashaka,urged Nigerians, saying; “re-membering how He died for oursin is a call to rededicate our-selves to the reason why he diedfor us”.

He urged all Christians in Ni-geria to be calm and to watchand pray for God’s intercessionin the face of all challenges.

In his own message, Makindesaid the sacrifice exhibited byJesus Christ was to lessen theburden and suffering of the poorby bringing hope to the hopeless.

"But today, the hopelessness ofthe hopeless is deepening and thegap between the rich and the pooris widening more-and-more. Suf-fice to say that Jesus Christ inspite of his own pain and anguishwhile on the cross heard the cryof the penitent thief that hung byhis side when the latter cried outfor forgiveness, but our leaderstoday are not moved by the cries,agony and grief of the hurtingmasses whom they claim to beserving.

"That is why thousands contin-ue to die on bad roads and pre-ventable diseases because of lackof drugs in our hospitals, parentsand their wards die of bad waterand poverty because of lack ofgood food.

"No doubting the fact that if welove ourselves the way JesusChrist did which was the funda-mental reason why he laid downhis life to save us from perishing;we would not be embezzling andmismanaging our collective re-sources which were given for usby God to make life meaningfuland abundant for all.

"It is pertinent to ask if we docare for our neighbours as our-selves. How does one explain re-ligious intolerance in some partsof the country which is taking analarming dimension and poses a

dangerous threat to our peacefulco-existence as a people if it con-tinues unabated. I still believethat Mr. President should notgrant amnesty by proxy. Thosewho are killing, maiming, anddestroying properties shouldshow their faces and tell the na-tion their problems, dialogue, anddrop their weapons before am-nesty is contemplated," he stat-ed.

The Catholic Archbishop ofLagos described Easter as the fo-cal point of the Christian faith,adding that it is the fulfillmentof prophecies made in the OldTestament and the promises Je-sus made.

"The recent presidential pardongranted some Nigerians whowere indicted for one form of of-fence or the other has createdsome passionate argument," the

past few weeks, particularly thespate of insecurity in the land,leaves much to be desired. "Weare all witnesses to the renewsurge of violence being perpetu-ated by those who claim to bemembers of the Boko Haram sectagainst some of our brothers andsisters, particularly in the north-ern part of the country.

"Every day we wake up in fearand trepidation, wonderingwhose turn it would be to beblown into bits by the messengersof death who have come to steal,kill and destroy. How long arewe going to continue to endurethis near state of anarchywhereby human life has come tomean little? Enough is enough.

"We cannot continue to fold ourhands and recoil in the comfortof our air-conditioned offices andhomes and pretend that all is

He also called the attention tothe army of unemployed youthroaming the streets across thecountry, a situation he noted con-tribute to the crime wave in oursociety.

According to him, “unemploy-ment is a keg of gunpowder thatcan send this country in the di-rection that we never imagine. Itrequires urgent and immediateattention. To address the prob-lem, it is important for the gov-ernment to have a second look atour educational programme. In-stead of the prevalent white col-lar jobs that our graduates areprepared for, a second lookshould be given to inculcatingvocational training into ourschool curriculum, and thisshould start from secondaryschool education.”

Presiding Bishop of TREM, Dr.Mike Okonkwo called on Nige-rians to remain hopeful andgrateful to God because the mes-

*ORITSEJAFOR *MAKINDE *MARTIN

archbishop said, "while it is notout of place for the President toexercise his prerogative of mercyas entrenched in the nation’s con-stitution, it is only right that heshould be guided by some moraldictates in deciding those who aretruly deserving of such pardon.

"The legal propriety is notenough, the government need toalso consider the moral implica-tion of its decision to exercise theprerogative. We hope that gov-ernment will be more careful andprincipled in granting pardon,"he said.

To the electoral body, Martinsaid the journey to the 2015 elec-tion has already commencedwith our politicians already jos-tling for attention, aligning andre-aligning. This is the hall markof democracy.

He appealed to INEC to beproactive and alive to its activi-ties by ensuring that all possiblelegal/constitutional impedi-ments to the conduct of a free andfair election are resolved in theshortest possible time.

According to him, events of the

well. As we commend the secu-rity operation that led to the dis-covery of the lethal bomb-mak-ing materials and ammunition inLagos, we appeal to all our peo-ple to be vigilant and pay atten-tion to people events and activi-ties around them. Landlordsshould pay attention to those theyhire out their properties and eve-ryone should be security con-scious," he added.

In a similar vein, the SpiritualFather of Cherubim and Sera-phim Movement Church, World-wide Ayo Ni O, Most Rev. SamuelAbidoye called on the FederalGovernment to be more respon-sive to the security of the countryand take a decisive step over theconstant loss of lives and prop-erty of innocent Nigeriansthrough the Boko Haram insur-gencies especially in the north-ern part of the country.

In his Easter message, Abidoyenoted that where over 3,000 liveshave been lost to various insur-gencies by the Boko Haram sectespecially in the North call formore attention of government.

No date has been fixed forObadare's burial

sage of Easter is all about ‘Hopeto humanity’.

"I specially call on every Nige-rian to continually pray for thepeace of our nation because nomeaningful development cantake place in an atmosphere ofviolence and insecurity. We mustall join hands together as stake-holders to ensure that we dwelltogether as one people in spite ofour political, tribal and religiousdifferences.

"To the nation, let me assureeveryone that in spite of the seem-ingly difficult challenges thatstares us in the face as a na-tion, we must hold on, becauseGod will turn it around for ourown good. Nigeria will againtake her place in the commit-tee of Nations. Let us remainhopeful as the change wehave always dreamt of is be-coming a reality," he assured.

THE family of the worldrenowned televangelistof the Christ Apostolic

Church (CAC) worldwide andfounder of the World SoulWinning Evangelistic Mini-stry (WOSEM), Apostle Tim-othy Obadare who died onMarch 21, 2013, said no datehas been fixed for his burial.

However, a memorial fundraising committee had beenset up to enable people andorganisations that want tocontribute to the burial ofObadare do so.

Addressing newsmen inAkure, the first son of thedeceased, Dr. Paul Obadaredenied that a particular datehas been fixed for the burialof their father, noting that thefamily and the church wouldmeet to decide on the date ofthe burial as well as the placewhere Obadare would be laidto rest.

Dr. Obadare said: “As for theburial arrangements, pleasebe calm. When all details arefinalised, we will pass theinformation. As you know,Apostle Obadare was an inter-national figure, thus, the

preparation will be all inclusi-ve. Please be patient”.

He equally said that theirfather was committed to theunity of the Christ ApostolicChurch (CAC) contrary tospeculations in some quarters.

Speaking on behalf of thefamily, Dr. Obadare said“there was the need for thefamily to let the whole worldknow that Obadare wascommitted to the unity of thechurch while he was alive.”

According to him “our familywas ready to support and co-operate with any move aimedat bringing back unity into theCAC.

“We use this medium to callfor the unity of CAC world-wide in the tradition of ourmotto, one fold, one shepherd.Let this medium start themovement of solidarity to theoneness of this great mission.

“This is what our father livedand worked for, he has alwaysbeen in the fore front of themoves to ensure unity in theCAC, he wrote letters to theauthorities on the need tobring the church under oneauthority”.

Every day we wake up in fear andtrepidation, wondering whose turn itwould be to be blown into bits by themessengers of death who have cometo steal, kill and destroy. How longare we going to continue to endurethis?

Page 41: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

AT university, Iwas a studentof Philosophy. You had

to be, if you studied Po-litical Science. I there-fore find it highly amus-ing that, in a discussionabout the existence ofGod, Douglas Aneletries to dazzle me by dropping thenames of philosophers like DavidHume, Immanuel Kant, and BertrandRussell. But I need no such shenani-gans in order to confound Douglas’atheism. I will only present here a to-ken of my relationship with the GodDouglas foolishly says is non-existent.

“Non-existent”meeting

I was standing in the parking lot ofthe building where I lived in Lagos,talking to Bimbo Dada, now Directorof Library, Nigerian Institute of Inter-national Affairs, when a man walkedthrough the gate and came to talk tome. He said he worked for an oil-com-pany but had recently been posted outof town. There was a lunch-hour fel-lowship meeting every week in hishouse and he was at a loss what to doabout it now he was leaving. So he hadbeen asking the God Douglas saysdoes not exist for guidance.

On that particular day, the “non-ex-istent” God told him to stop praying.He told him to go out of the house andwalk down the road. When he got toour gate, the “non-existent” God toldhim to go in. Then he said to him: “Youare to hand over the lunch-hour fel-lowship to that man talking to the ladyover there.” So the man said to me:“The Lord says I should hand over thelunch-hour fellowship meeting in myhouse to you.” After getting the con-firmation I required from the God “whodoes not exist,” I agreed to take overthe fellowship. That was how I inher-ited a 20-man lunch-hour fellowshipin 1994.

Soon, I rented a flat in Victoria Is-land for the fellowship from Chief OlisaMetuh, now PDP National PublicitySecretary. Two years later, the God“who does not exist” told me he hasgiven me an entire building. I jumpedto the conclusion he had given meOlisa Metuh’s building. As a Chris-tian then schooled naively in the sac-rificial system, I concluded God wouldsacrifice the landlord’s interests for mysake.

I got a prayer group to surround thebuilding and quickly claimed it in thename of Jesus, according to the prin-ciples of Joshua: wherever the soles ofmy feet tread, I take possession.(Joshua 1:3). I don’t know if someonequickly alerted Olisa Metuh he wasin danger of losing his building to adetermined prayer-warrior. Or perhapshe received a warning about me in avision or a dream. But shortly after Iembarked on these ungodly prayer-sessions, the landlord gave me sum-mary quit notice and I had to move out.

Hand ofGod

When I started looking for alternati-ve accommodation, my estate agents,Diya Fatimilehin, first took me to a bigdilapidated building in the same Vic-toria Island. I did not like it and re-jected it out of hand. But later thatevening, the “non-existent” God toldme the building I despised was the onehe had given me. Therefore, I wentback the next day to take a second look.I discovered my “Promised Land” wasformerly occupied by the PalestinianEmbassy and, significantly, it hasquite a number of fruit trees.

I moved into the building in 1997and spent a small fortune renovating it, confident it belonged to

me. In 1999, at the expiration of mylease, the landlady, EniolaVanderpuye, offered to sell the build-ing to me through her lawyers, AbiolaMorgan & Associates; even though Inever asked to buy it. I later discov-ered she had never even seen it be-fore. It had been willed to her by herlate father. But she lives in Chicagowith her American husband and hasno desire to return to Nigeria.

The realtor she hired to value thebuilding turned out to be Pastor SeindeAdegbonmire of RCCG, a good friendof mine. He asked me how much Icould afford. We finally agreed on aprice convenient to both the landladyand me. Moreover, I was allowed topay unconventionally; in instalmentsover four years. Nevertheless, afterfour years, I was still unable to com-plete the payment for the building.

God’sbailout

One day, Mrs. Nike Shonibare, awoman I had never met before cameto see me. She was then Head of Com-mercial and Community Banking atMBC International Bank. She told meher bank would like to encourage meto buy a new car. I would deposit one-third of the cost in their bank and theywould finance the rest. She told me togo to Coscharis Nigeria Limited tochoose any car I liked.

I went there and chose a LandRover Freelander. But while thedeal was still being negotiated by

my lawyer, Pastor Tokun Pedro ofRCCG, the “non-existent” God told mehe did not send Mrs. Shonibare so Icould buy a car. He told me he senther so I could secure a loan to pay offmy outstanding debt to EniolaVanderpuye.

Accordingly, I borrowed N10 millionfrom MBCI (now First Bank) to payoff my former landlady. I serviced thedebt and brought it down to N5 mil-

lion. But then I fell onhard times and it grewback to N10 million.Then the “non-existent”God appeared to me in adream and promised tosend me money “fromCanada.” Within eightdays, I received miracu-lously a number of unso-licited gifts totalling N11million. One friend I hadnot seen for years,walked into my officeand said: “The Lord saysI should give this to you.”He placed a cheque onmy table face-down.When I turned it over, itwas for N6,300,000.

I asked for a meetingwith MBCI and insistedthey should knock N2.5million off my debt sinceI was prepared to clearit outright. They agreedto knock off N2.1 million.Thus, I completed thepayment for the build-ing, while still leavingme with a generous bal-ance of nearly N3 mil-lion.

Foolishatheists

In effect, the “non-ex-istent” God gave me alunch-hour fellowship.He then gave me a bigbuilding at 12 BabatundeJose Street, Victoria Is-land, a prime location inLagos, in which to havethe fellowship. He thenarranged a loan for meto finance the paymentfor the building. Then,he arranged for gifts toenable me clear mydebts. Today, barely nineyears later, the value ofthe building given to meby the God who is “non-existent” is now over 15times the purchase price.

You can now see why Ifeel very sorry for peoplelike Douglas Anele.They use Philosophy tonegate the existence ofGod. People like Doug-las are victims of theirown conceit. Since theydon’t know God, theyconclude he does notexist instead of humblingthemselves in prayer andasking God to revealhimself to them.

Jesus says: “I thankyou, Father, Lord ofheaven and earth, thatyou have hidden thesethings from the wise andprudent and have re-vealed them to babes.Even so, Father, for so itseemed good in yoursight.” (Matthew 11:25-26).

I feel very sorry forpeople like DouglasAnele who maintainGod does not exist

THE GOD WHO DOES NOT EXIST

SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013, PAGE 41

AS part of the desire to have 171,000 childrenwithin the Redeemed Christian Church ofGod (RCCG) for his 71st birthday, the

General Overseer of the church plans to hold aspecial prayer session for pregnant women andthose waiting for the fruit of the womb; reportsOLAYINKA LATONA.

Speaking at a media briefing, Pastor GokeAniyeloye, an assistant pastor-in-charge of SocialResponsibility, said the special prayer session wouldbe an opportunity for God to sustain His blessingsfor the country.

Pastor Aniyeloye said the event is scheduled forSunday, April 7 at the national headquarters ofRCCG in Ebute Metta, Lagos. Time: 8:00 a.m.

According to him, “the programme is amanifestation of God’s great vision for the country.One of the major challenges in marriage today islack of fruitfulness which is also called bareness.

"In Africa, we place high premium on marriageand procreation, and we need God-fearing offspringsto succeed us, people we can leave our inheritanceto," he added.

Continuing, he said: “Medical reports have writtencertain off, but there is nothing too difficult for Godto do and through prayers every reproach will betaken away and through this programme God willopen every barren womb.”

Aniyeloye noted that prayers should be includedin ante-natal cares for safe delivery of pregnantwomen.

Recalling barren women whose prayers were heardin the Bible, the man of God said such cases areabout to be replicated during the programme.

“Our pregnant women should deliver safely likethe Hebrew women of old, who gave birth beforethe attendants or midwives came. Waiting mothersalso have to be prayed for, so that God will opentheir wombs. No man or woman is permitted to bebarren," he noted.

The cleric said Nigeria would certainly experiencea turnaround in her fortunes, stressing that prayerwas the only means of attaining a breakthrough.

Adeboye intercedesfor pregnant women

BRIEFLY...

NOSCEF faults Nasarawa govover creation of emirates inChristian areas

THE Christian Elders Forum of Northern States,NOSCEF, has reacted to recent creation ofchiefdoms in Nasarawa State, saying that in-

justice cries to high heaven as the state governor, AlhajiUmaru Tanko Al-Makura has created emirates in pre-dominantly Christian areas.

Chairman, Northern States Christian Elders' Forum(NOSCEF), Evang. Matthew Owojaiye in a statementsaid Christian communities like Akwanga, Nukun andNgha by the new creation are now emirates.

“Since only Muslims can be made emirs, how doesthe governor intend to subjugate Christians in theirown land?” Owojaiye asked, calling on the FederalGovernment to call the governor to order in what hedescribed as “this provocation.”

He also used the occasion to commiserate with theAkwa Ibom State government and the people of SouthSouth in general for the boat mishap that led to theloss of about 168 lives. “May the Almighty God com-fort and provide for the families,” he prayed, whilealso expressing “our outrage over the bombing in Kanoand other parts of the North. We know the Kano Stategovernor is working hard on security. Some peopleare bent on dragging Nigeria into a civil war.

“We hereby send our condolence to our Igbo breth-ren who are mostly affected. The Igbos have sufferedwith the Northern Christians in our afflictions. Noth-ing can separate the Northern Christians from theirIgbo brethren. May God comfort and provide for thebereaved families,” Owojaiye stated.

By SAM EYOBOKA

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MOST times andi n a d v e r t e n t l y ,people tend to be

distant from the fact that banksare brands in a defined market,much as the individual brandsin the alcoholic beveragemarket, for instance, as inother markets. As brands,banks are challenged in everyrespect, to generate, grow andsustain a positive image forcompetitive advantages. Thisis an indirect consequence ofthe larger-than-life image ofbank brands in under-developed and poorlydeveloping economies.

In Nigeria, for instance,banks posture as “the sourceof money” not as a statementof fact, but as a derivation frominstitutional role, occasionedby statutory backing based ontraditional pattern. Just like wenow see being rejuvenated inthe insurance industry, thoseat the bottom of the pyramidare compelled to use thebanks. Research studies haveshown that the banks do nothave any attraction for thosein the low income bracket (inunder-developed economiessuch as ours). So, becausebank-brands are rathercompelled, as of essence, over85% of their customers areforced to depend on them forsurvival – instead of the banksdepending on their customersfor market survival.

That brings us to the issueof business systems.

From the perspective ofbrands management,fundamentally, businesssystem is a procedure,process, method or cause bywhich certain operation isconducted for specific result.In relating the abovedefinition to structuredbusiness, a system is anaggregate of the essentials orbasic elements imperative forany given business to operatesuccessfully. A businesssystem will consider elementssuch as attributes, design,people, operation theory/philosophy, ethical and/orprofessional standard, qualitycontrol, and financial policy,etc. business systems arebased on structural andprocedural framework withinwhich a given business runs.As of nature, they differ fromindustry to industry.

If we place these elementsof a business system withinthe context of a product orservice development and offer,they clearly capture thoseproperties underlying marketand marketing – concept andpractice. Suffice, therefore,that business system, forbrands, is instrumental inbrand building and branddevelopment/management.So, what advertising andmarketing communicationstrategists call brand-worldpeculiarities are otherwise,business systems defined byindustry related peculiarities.These peculiarities are thedistinguishing factors among

systems. Functionally, theyimpact on the brands operativewithin their related industries/market segment,fundamentally.

So, while brands in traveland tour will be very careful atstructuring brand messagesthat must of essence help thembuild profitable customer base,Bank-Brands can only begenerous to drive brandmanagement for customer basegrowth. The degree ofcompetitiveness varies alongthe line of industrypeculiarities and differences.

For the purpose of this paper,we shall concern ourselveswith the commercial banks inour local market, as weconsider brand building,management and re-branding,in the banking industry.Considering BUSINESSSYSTEM as fundamentals ofbrand building andmanagement for competitiveadvantage, in direct relation toBank-Brands, it is instructiveto play up some of thosecomponent parts of brandmanagement, especiallybrand-target marketrelationship management.

As noted earlier, it is notcharacteristic of banks’business system to be trulycompetitive for competitivemarketing advantage in thismarket. We also did state thatbank brands have assumed alarger-than-life image becausetheir essence and offer asbusinesses and brands aremade essential and mandatoryfor those at the market place.Consequently, they do not, asa matter of fact, take deliberatestep towards customerrelationship management.Evidently lacking among thebanks is innovativeness,strategic marketing

they offer are essential andcompelling for their customers,consequent upon which is thesize of patronage andcustomer base. In some ofthese banks, they call theirsales activities “deposit basedrive marketing”, when inactual fact, they are trying tobe relevant as brandmanagers.

B r a n d s / c u s t o m e rrelationship is built on contact.Ultimately, the relationshipbetween a brand and its targetmarket is a direct consequenceof the “initial contact”. So, ina truly competitive market,therefore, brands invest timeand resources to prepare forthis initial contact for aprofitable after-effect.Generally, the contacts,

,communication andcompelling brandmanagement thrust.

In addition to the statutorysupport upon which theiroperation and survival rest,bank-brands’ predominantoffer is commission-basedservice delivery. Sometime inthe early 1990s, some of themattempted what they saw asproduct development in formof money transfer, but in realsense, those offers were mererepackaging of commission-based offer, with an infusionof marginal technologicaladvancement. The services

BANK-BRANDS: Brand building & re-branding

opportunities open to brandsinclude (but not limited to)product package, logo, shelfpresence, price, promise,positioning, quality ofrepresentative persons (salesteam, for example) and shelfpresence (place in market). Apurposeful consideration of allof these elements forces theengagement of experts inbrands management,marketing and marketingcommunication, fromconception through everypoint of the Product Life Cycle.Marketing and brandsmanagement is a deliberate

and consistent investment forbrand’s success.

Of the contact opportunitiesopen to a brand as listedabove, the only one the bank-brands concern themselveswith in this market is identitybuilding - name and logodevelopment and application.In their ignorance, most ofthese bank-brands pridethemselves in spend hundredsof millions creating theirbrand logo. The craze amongthem at the introduction ofbank mergers, wascommissioning logodevelopers from South-Africa.The annoying thing is thatthose expensive logos areactually empty in brand-specific concept. Those hugeinvestment in logo generation,were without concern for thetask of marketing andcustomer connect andrelationship building, and thebrand’s over-all competitiveadvantage.

The recent re-branding ofDIAMOND BANK Plc. hasthrown up a lot of reactionfrom members of the public,drawn concern fromprofessional brand managersand stirred some level ofconfusion from a cross-sectionof its customers. Anaggregation of the variousreactions establishes thequestion WHY? 75% ofrespondents to our researchon this development do notknow what the change of logoand total image of the bankmean. Of this figure, one outevery three respondent isgainfully employed. The studycovered Lagos Island/Ikoyi/Victoria Island, Ikeja, Suru-lere and Ikorodu. The studywas designed to help us trackthe general public’s reactionto the new image of DiamondBank Plc., and how the newimage impact on theirperception of the bank.

From the perspective of amarketing communication/brand management

practitioner, what happened toDiamond Bank brand is RE-BRANDING. Therefrom, onetends to not hurry intojudgment. At some point inthe life of every brand, therecomes a need for review andover-haul. Depending on theextent of brand personalityreview, a given brand couldundergo REBRANDING!

It seems DIAMOMONDBANK went through theprocess of re-branding: newlogo design, new brand icon,new personality, and newimage and by implication, newpositioning. In reaction, themarket is broadly divided inreaction to the new DiamondBank, along the followingquestion lines:

1. Why did the brandowners tamper with the brandat-all?

2. What could be therationale for this change

3. Is the new image a truerepresentation of the naturaldiamond

4. What does the DiamondBank brand stand for, as it isnow?

Our concern here is not asmuch as it relates to thecontroversy as much as thelearning. We know ourreaders will like to know moreabout this change, especiallyfrom the owners of the brand,as such will open new ideasfor the future, good or bad. So,we at MC&A DIGEST havewritten to the relevantauthority on the client’s sidefor an interview session. Weshall publish the conversationon this page, if and when ithappens, for the interest of thebrand and our readersincluding students andadvertising practitioners. Butuntil that happens, we like theowners and managers ofDiamond Bank brand to notethe following as immediatefall-out of their re-brandingexercise:

1. The old Diamond Banklogo is stronger and moreimpressive than the new.

2. The old image elicitedbelief, trust and friendlinessfrom the target audience/customer, the new one doesnot

3. The old image builtseriousness, sincerity,strength of personality andfocus around the brand, thenew one took all that awayfrom the brand.

Above all, the ordinary manand woman on the streetknows that the diamond in itsnatural form is colorless,reflective of the color of lightthat falls on it; diamond doesnot come in the colors of thenew Diamond Bank. But we atMC&A DIGEST knows thosebehind this change shouldhave a rationale for all thathappened to the DiamondBank brand, and we hope toget that enlightenmentthrough to our readers aftermeeting with thecommunication experts andthe brand’s owners/managers.

In a truly competitivemarket, therefore, brandsinvest time and resourcesto prepare for this initialcontact for a profitableafter-effect.

Page 43: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013, PAGE 43

Oil blocs: Why Jonathan must step on toes– Ayemi-Botu, N-Delta monarch

PARAMOUNT ruler ofSiembiri Kingdom in DeltaState, Pere Charles Ayemi-Botu, aka Lion of the Niger, isone-time national chairman ofthe Traditional Rulers of OilMineral ProducingCommunities of Nigeria,TROMPCON. Hehad once called on PresidentGoodluck Jonathan to reviewthe allocation of oil blocs inthe country. In this interview,he reiterates why Jonathanmust urgently heed the call,saying Niger-Deltans and,indeed, Nigerians, would notforgive him if he failed to actdecisively. He also argues thatnorthern leaders are not doingenough to stamp out BokoHaram and challenges formerheads of state from the Northand leaders to end theinsurgency by the sect.

OVER the years, youhave championed thecall for the

revocation of oil blocs by theFederal Government on thegrounds that the allocation islopsided. It was acontentious matter recentlyin the National Assembly.What do you say?

Under the aegis of theTraditional Rulers of OilMineral Producing States ofNiger-Delta, TROMPCON,and one-time nationalexecutive chairman, we had alot of problems coming from oilproduction in these areas andwe noticed that in spite of allthe problems, we were able tocontain the percentage of oilbeing produced. However, itwas discovered that for all theoil that is being produced, asection of the country isbenefiting most, especially asoil now seems to be bloodmoney. They do themanipulation mostly at thepolitical level whereeverybody wants to become ahead of state or presidentbecause when you are there,you control the economy.Therefore, from the past years,we found out that North hasruled for close to 40 years and,during the period, the headsof state or presidents thatcame had the prerogative toissue out oil blocs and theywere not dispassionate - there was disequilibrium andthey were giving them totheir own kith and kin. Wenoticed that an oil bloc owneris having not less than N4billion monthly and thatmoney goes to a private purseand, in Nigeria, we have whatis known as federal character. Whatever that is done, we doit with equity, the issue ofequity, fairness and justice isnot applied in terms of theallocation of oil blocs becausemost of the leaders came from

the North and it was given tothem.

I can remember March 23,last year, when Vanguard in-terviewed me, I remindedPresident Goodluck Jonathanthat the allocation of oil blocsis the prerogative of the pres-ident or head of state, and sohe had to look into it unemo-tionally and ensure that thelopsidedness in the allocationthat had bedeviled the oil in-dustry is corrected. Nevertheless, since the timeI made the call, nothing hasbeen done, and wheneverthere is the issue of 13 per-cent derivation or PIB, as wesaw now, it is the North thatwill come and cry wolf, where-as they are the people whohave been benefiting. Un-fortunately, the principle ofderivation has to do with apercentage going to wherethe oil comes from and I amsaying, with every sense ofreasoning, that PresidentJonathan should not spare amoment to address the anom-aly as regards the allocationof oil blocs. That is, 83 percentof oil blocs are owned bynortherners, their namesshould be published and heshould revoke them and en-sure that, as we have six geo-political zones, 50 per centshould come to the South-south based on derivative.The rest has to be distributedto the other five geo-politicalzones. It is only then we willknow that federalism is beingtruly practised in our federalsystem. I have said it often,

,

and sundry have seen it thathis predecessors allocatedthese oil blocs to their own kin-dred irrespective of the fact weare operating a federal char-acter system and that what isgood for the goose is good forthe gander. If they have donewhat is seen to be foul, whymust he not correct it if wewant Nigeria to remain as oneentity? In the time of cocoa,groundnut and all that, theSouth- south was not benefit-ing; some sections owned itall, the North and West usedit to develop their areas andnobody complained. Now, itis the time of petrol- dollar,and we have acid rain, eco-logical problems and we, in

Nigeria should realize that allthe problems we are havingtoday is because of oil andblood money; whether it isBoko Haram, whether it isfrom the Niger-Delta, it is allabout oil. As Jonathan is doingeverything possible in thepower sector to see that thereis uninterrupted powersupply, he must go the extramile to redress the imbalance.Take for example, the NigeriaPetroleum Development Fundis in the North, like we havePetroleum Training Institute inEffurun, Delta State, the onefor the senior cadre is in theNorth, how are you carryingall these institutions to a placethat does not produce oil? Arewe now going to createhuman capital developmentfor a people who do not haveoil? You are clearly askingthem to come and lord it overus? A northerner was apetroleum minister for almostthree or four consecutive timesand, today, he is an oil blocowner and he does not knowthe adverse effect ofexploration and exploitationon the people from where thisoil is taken. However, he istaking away all these billionsand he is living in affluenceand opulence in far-awayAustria.

The president refused togrant Boko Haram membersamnesty on the grounds thatthey are ghosts, but thenortherners have stronglychallenged his stand. What isyour take?

Iit is an irony of fate that thegovernor of Borno State; Dr.Junaid Mohammed and allthese other people are makingsuch comments. Let us call aspade a spade. While Icondemn the call by theSultan, he is my personalfriend, for saying that weshould grant amnesty to BokoHaram, it is because what hesaid sounded verydisheartening. Boko Haram is not ready for peace, these are

people who kill school chil-dren, bomb school buildingswhile children are in class,bomb churches, bombmosques and they say they donot want western education .Moreover, just recently, theleader of Boko Haram, AbuShekerau, not up 72 hoursafter a faction called fordialogue and amnesty, cameout to say that they neverasked for dialogue or amnesty;that they did not even ask fordialogue and it is a fight tothe finish. Now, three dayslater, his eminence came outto say that government shouldgrant Boko Haram amnesty. Iknow the Sultan would nothave made such a call, manypeople could have mountedpressure on him, but it soundslike a story told by an idiot, fullof sound and fury. Unlike thestruggle of the Niger-Deltayouths that had focus, that ofBoko Haram is purposeless.We have come to know BokoHaram as a faceless groupwith link to Al-Qaida andother terrorist groups, whichabhor western education.Their agitation has no moralbasis and should not becompared to the Niger-Deltastruggle in which the youthstook up arms for equity in thedistribution of wealth from oilexplored in their domain. Thefocused struggle by the youthsof N-Delta affected oilproduction and government,having noted the point of theiragitation, opted to grant themamnesty. The reason was verysuccinct but that of BokoHaram is vague and they arefaceless. You can see the BokoHaram has continued theirbombings and killing morepeople in Kano. What kind ofgroup is that and these are thepeople that they are sayingamnesty should be granted to.

Can you really say it is afaceless group when you justmentioned its leader whocame out to reject amnesty?

Where did you see him, onthe pages of newspapers, onthe television or on the streets? Do you know him as youknow Tompolo and others? Itis what we read in thenewspapers or told theinternational media, which theNigerian media quote. Let meask the Sultan, who has heidentified as members andsponsors of Boko Haram thathe wants Federal Governmentto grant amnesty? I fgovernment concedes to suchbogus request, will he be ableto name those that will begranted amnesty?

Alternatively, is amnesty tobe granted to masqueradesand Islamic fundamentalistsfrom Mali, Algeria and Al-Qaida? Who is governmentgoing to dialogue with? What

times, President Jonathanshould be courageous - heshould step on toes, he shouldnot be seen as being unableto redress what his predeces-sors - Babangida, Abacha,Abdulsalami , Obasanjo,Yar ’Adua- had donewrong. Posterity andthe people of Niger-Delta willnot forgive President Jonathanif he does not take up thismatter with all the seriousnessit deserves to ensure revoca-tion and re-allocation of oilblocs.

You said he should step ontoes. Do you not think thetoes may consume him?

No. It is an anomaly and all

turn, do not have a commen-surate amount realized fromall the sufferings and the mon-ey is going to those who donot bear the hazards. Howcan you say it is fair and, markyou, the North that is cryingto rule this country, bycrook or hook, it is all be-cause of oil and the oil econo-my is lopsided because, whenthey came as presidents, theygave to their people.

Therefore, it has become avicious circle, but once whatis equitable and fair is done,nobody will see oil blocs as thereason to battle to becomepresident. That is whyJonathan should step on toes.

His Royal Majesty, Charles Ayemi-Botu, Pere of Seimbiri king-dom in Delta State.

Continues on page 44

Nigeria should realize that all theproblems we are having today isbecause of oil and blood money;whether it is Boko Haram, whetherit is from the Niger-Delta, it is allabout oil

By EMMA AMAIZE

Page 44: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

concrete efforts have the Sultan andother leaders of the North made to stemthe violence by Boko Haram beforecalling for amnesty for the terrorists,who abhor western education, butspeak and send emails in Englishlanguage?

As I said, I read that the leader ofBoko Haram, Abu Shekarau, said it isa fight to the finish. So, from whoseauthority or where did the Sultanbecome the mouthpiece of a facelessgroup? Boko Haram wants to IslamizeNigeria and scrap western education.Therefore, it is premature to call forany well-meaning Nigerian to call foramnesty for the group. On thecontrary, Nigeria should declare a waragainst Boko Haram, as France did toMalian insurgents. The FederalGovernment should address its ownproblem before sending troops toMali.

Northern leaders are unhappy that

Jonathan asked them to fish out BokoHaram members which, to them, islike he (president) abdicating hisduty?

Do you not know that the presidentasking for this moratorium was himself given 60 days from August to October,2009 to end the Niger-Delta revolt? Letme ask you, when Tompolo, Ateke Tom,Boyloaf and others were doing battle in Niger-Delta, was it Yar ’Adua orObasanjo that fished them out? Thesepeople, if they are really fighting ajust cause, why are they faceless? Themonarchs from the South- south,religious leaders, etc, and himself, allstepped into the matter. Ourgovernors and leaders like ChiefEdwin Clark moved into the creeks. A meeting of the leaders of themilitant groups was convened, all ofthem, including Tompolo, Dokubo-Asari, Ateke Tom, were there to agreeon the way forward. On our part, theroyal fathers resolved that they shouldbe a ceasefire and they should givepeace a chance. What are the effortsof the governor of Borno State andleaders to prevail on Boko Haram tostop the carnage? What havethe northern leaders discussed withthe Boko Haram people and what isthe way forward from their discussion?

This is how elders and leaders

should act in a situation like this. Dothey want Jonathan to come to theNorth and commend them for nottalking to their boys and arriving atthe way forward? They should fishthem out, we saw when formerPresident Olusegun Obasanjo went tothe North on his own volition with aview to appeasing them to drop arms.I have not heard that the Sultan didsuch a thing and you know this BokoHaram started immediately whenPresident Jonathan contested for the2011 election and the likes ofMuhammadu Buhari came up to saythat he would make Nigeriaungovernable if Jonathan wins. Voteswere still being counted when someplaces started catching fire in the Northand, right from that time till date, these things are happening.Remember that before then, somenorthern leaders declared Aso Villaa no- go area for Jonathan;so, to anextent, Boko Haram has a politicaldimension, it is all with a view tomaking Nigeria ungovernable forPresident Jonathan.

The Federal Government asked

Boko Haram people to come out fordialogue; nobody came out, so why arepeople blaming Jonathan for sayingthat they are faceless. Why

have people like Alhaji ShehuShagari, General Buhari, Babangida,Abdulsalami not gone to the BokoHaram members, wherever theirheadquarters is, to meet with theirleaders and tell them to sheathe theirsword? The Sultan is the head of theMuslim body in Nigeria, he is thesupreme head and Boko Haram saysthey want to Islamize Nigeria from theNorth to the West. Are the Boko Harammembers not living with them? I thinkwhat the North wants to do with BokoHaram is to chase away Jonathan sothat they will come back and continuewith their perpetuation of the oilwealth. Those who are sponsoringBoko Haram do not mean well andJonathan said the home truth that theyare lackadaisical in tackling it because,they feel Jonathan will be run out ofAso Villa with the violence. If this crisisescalates the more, they are calling fordisintegration of Nigeria, I have saidit before, we are likely going to havean Oduduwa Republic, Republic ofBiafra, Ijaw Republic and all that. Toavoid that, the federal governmentshould declare a full-scale war onBoko Haram, appoint militaryadministrators in the affected statesand let soldiers go house to house andfish out the Boko Haram memberssince they do not want to point themout.

You are concentrating energy on the

sharing of oil blocs, but the North issaying that South- south governorsare squandering the 13 per centderivation that is already coming toyou people?

It is another story that sounds sofunny, It is not the responsibility of northerners to be crying wolf that themoney is not being well spent justbecause they want to stop the PIB. Inthe late fifties and early sixties, theprinciple of derivation was 50 per centto the producing area, 50 per cent tothe Federal Government and that wasagro economy. Did anybody from theSouth cast any aspersion against theNorth or South-west on how they usedtheir money to develop their respectiveregion?.It is not their business, it isnot their duty. During the time of agroeconomy, we were benefitting only fromthe 50 per cent that got to the FederalGovernment, the 13 per centderivation we are talking about now is a tip of the ice berg. I was in thegroup that met with the late GeneralSani Abacha and discussed that thehitherto 3 per cent oil derivation bejerked up to 50 per cent. The generalof blessed memory said he was goingto give us not less than 13 per cent asat that 1994 and there was a provisothat 25 per cent will be given insubsequent times, until we make the50 per cent because what is good forthe goose is good for the gander.

If at any time in the history of this

country, a people or certain sectionswere benefiting from the principle ofderivation vis a vis agro economy andnow, God has turned the table roundfor oil to be the mainstay of theeconomy, we should also benefit. 13per cent compared to 50 per centcannot be said to be up to 33 per centof that 50 percent. So, frankly, theNorth has no say about how the Southis spending the money because theinherent problems we face here, suchas water and airborne diseases, are notborne by them. 13 per cent is notenough to cushion the effects of theproblems the people face here, that iswhy we are asking for 50 per cent and10 per cent in the present PIB ofwhatever accruable should be givento the actual oil-bearing communities.

‘Why Jonathan must step on toes’Continued from page 43

PAGE 44, SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013

Page 45: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

Fear rules here. The signsare everywhere. Anyvehicle that comes aroundto drop passengers intend-

ing to catch a bus out of Abuja islooked at with suspicion. And unlikethe former practice, touts here nolonger run after approaching vehi-cles as they scout for passengers.They allow the vehicles to stop andthe passengers out before meetingthem. Indeed the fear of suicidebomber operating in a vehicle hasbecome the beginning of wisdom fortouts at the Jabi Motor Park, Utako,Abuja since the bombing at theSabon Gari Motor Park, Kano whichclaimed scores of lives. The Kanobomber reportedly drove a Golf car.Many touts were said to have beenvictims of the attack as the bomberdetonated his device while the toutsran after his vehicle. The Kanoincident only signifies the level towhich motor parks in the majortowns and cities are prone to terrorattack. The operators of the JabiMotor Park, one of the major facili-ties from which people travel out ofthe Federal Capital to other parts ofthe country, now carry out theiractivities with that mindset.

An operator told Sunday Vanguard

that the Kano park bombing prompt-ed them to remove abandonedvehicles from the vicinity of the JabiPark. This makes sense as experi-ence shows that terrorists oftenexplode bombs in abandoned vehi-cles. The personnel employed by thepark operators use metal detectors tofrisk passengers for weapons beforeallowing them to board vehicles toproceed on their journeys. Thispractical predates the Kano bombing.But the other side to the securitysituation in the park is the chargeagainst the management of AbujaMunicipal Area Council (AMAC),which oversees the park, that it haddone nothing to uplift the park sinceit was established not to talk ofsecuring the users. Instead, amember of the National Associationof Road Transport Owners (NAR-TO), said AMAC had been creatingmushroom parks to make money.

The NARTO member, who spoke inPidgin English, said, “Oga, make Itell you the truth; security is a bigchallenge to us here. AMAC doesnot do anything to make this parkfunction properly. They providedoffice but no police to check whocomes and wetin they carry. We haveno protection here, na God deyprotect us

“This park is dirty, smelling,people are urinating every where,people carry any kind of thing here,anybody can bring in bomb here. The

last ThisDay bombing affected thebuildings here. When the park wasfunctioning, there was police here,but now nobody searches anybodybefore entering the park. This placeis supposed to have fire service andpolice but nothing. We have com-plained to AMAC many times butnothing was done,” he said.

But officials of the National Unionfor Road Transport Workers, NURTW,at the park, who said it was estab-lished over 20 years ago by AMAC,disclosed that the union had put inplace measures to monitor themovement of people and vehicles inthe area. They added that since theKano bombing, there had beenpresence of members of the Depart-ment of Security Service, DSS. Theunion, however, was mute on thekind of security put in place toprotect the park users against attack.

At the Luxurious Bus Section of thepark, the Administrative Manager,Mr. Emmanuel Okoli, said they hadin place a security network and thatthe police come to monitor move-ments especially between 7pm and11 pm when activities at the park areat the peak because the luxuriousbuses mostly operate night journeys.

Okoli said, “After the Kano inci-dent, we sanitized the park byremoving abandoned vehicles. Whenbuses are loading in the night, wedon’t allow any vehicle to come intothe park. We are trying to put irongate so that in the evening, whoever

is coming will be searched. We havethree metal detectors which thesecurity operatives use here to checkif any one is carrying a weapon”, hestated.

The manager also disclosed thatthe management of the park recruit-ed 15 persons to mount surveillanceday and night, saying, however, thateverything done was through themoney donated by members.

Efforts made to talk to the authori-ties of AMAC did not yield anyresult as the staff said it was onlythe chairman that was competent totalk on the security situation in theparks, while the AMAC chairmanhimself was not available whenSunday Vanguard visited his office.However, the Divisional PoliceOfficer, DPO, in charge of the JabiPark, Usman Umar, a Chief Superin-tendent of Police, CSP, said thatbefore the Kano incident the policewere not resting on their oars.

Umar said, “We have been partner-ing with members of the publicwithin the district so as to monitorthem effectively through the PPRC,the Police Public Relations Commit-tee. And following the attack thathappened in Kano, the commission-er of police invited the leadership ofthe various unions within the park ,we sat down with them and brain-stormed on how to effectively policethe various motor parks within Utakowith particular emphasis on the JabiMotor Park which is the major motorpark in the FCT.

“The operators need to partner withus because they are the ones usingthe park. It is their investment; therole of the police is to protect livesand properties, but they are the onesoperating there, therefore we wantthem to partner with us. And theyshould be extra vigilant knowingpeople that are coming in.

“On the part of the police, we havedeployed men, some carrying metaldetectors to frisk people coming inwith emphasis on people driving inso as not to carry anything. We havesensitized them, and asked them tobe more proactive by asking peoplethat have no business being there toleave. “Vehicles that are abandonedshould be taken away because youwill agree with me that bombers canuse such vehicles”.

The DPO added, “If you check thevarious gates at the park, police menare there and what is expected is forthem to cooperate with passengersand the leadership of the variousunions within the park to alsocooperate”.

Umar further explained thatemphasis was on people driving asthe police are not oblivious of thefact that suicide bombers for exampledon’t mind dying along with others.

“We are talking about peoplecarrying IED, now we emphasis onpeople coming, we screen them butthat does not mean that luggagescannot be screened; vehicles goingout will also be screened.”

To ensure that there is no untowardactivity during the Easter period, theDPO said the call for partnershipbetween the police and the parkoperators had become necessary.

But despite the statements of theDPO, there was virtually no presenceof the police at the Jabi Park and theother motor parks in Utako whenSunday Vanguard visited.

New security rules atAbuja Motor Parks

ECHOES OF KANO PARK BOMBING•Abuja Park

SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013, PAGE 45

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAK-WURU & ALICE FESTUS

Page 46: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

CMYK

By Taye Obateru

Hostility amongsome communities in PlateauState in the last

two weeks spreading acrossabout four local governmentshas again thrown up the is-sue of the effectiveness of thecurrent security arrangementin the country . Many arewondering why the gale of vi-olence has continued to esca-late rather than abate.

At the last count, renewedviolence in different parts ofPlateau State has claimedclose to 100 lives. From Riy-om and Barkin-Ladi local gov-ernment areas, which havebeen trouble spots for sometime, the violence has spreadto Wase LGA and lately Bok-kos LGA.

The genesis of the skirmish-es appear similar in many re-spects even though with pe-culiar circumstances - A dis-agreement between a localand (more often than not) aFulani herdsman or othertagged ‘settlers’ degeneratesinto a sectarian dispute result-ing in a cycle of violence. Theside initially at the receivingend mobilizes for reprisals,then counter- reprisals, and soit continues. The commonpeace message - “violencebegets violence - is thus hav-ing a free expression.

Expectedly too, the protract-ed violence, which hasspanned over a decade,would seem to have increasedthe propensity towards vio-lence. Supposedly in thequest for self-protection andthe seeming failure of the se-curity arrangement to safe-guard them, many communi-ties and individuals are be-lieved to have acquired weap-ons which they deploy at theslightest opportunity. The sit-

uation is compounded by thegrowing army of ethnic mili-tias which, buoyed by increas-ing youth unemployment, pro-vide easy recruits for the pros-ecution of violence.As in many parts of the coun-try, the Fulani herdsmen, whoare famed, rightly or wrongly,not to allow any aggressionagainst them un-revenged nomatter how long it takes, hadsettled in many parts of Pla-teau State for almost a centu-ry in some cases. However,the antagonism between themand the indigenous groups ap-pears to be worsening. Vari-ous reasons have been ad-duced from different quarters,

on governors of states in theNorth to come together anddiscuss ways to end the grow-ing violence. The group in astatement signed by its presi-dent Melvin Ejeh said thishad become imperative be-cause of the socio-economicand other toll the situation isexerting on the region.

Despite repeated attacks oncommunities in Riyom localgovernment area for someyears now, a part known as theGanawuri area inhabited bythe Aten ethnic group seemsto have enjoyed relativepeace. It has become a refer-ence point of peaceful co-ex-istence until violence spread

values and traditions that dis-courage violence. We don’tallow the shedding of innocentblood on our land, we don’ttake booty during war, wedon’t kill women or childrenor even the aged. Workingwith a body known as Com-munity Action for Popular Par-ticipation (CAPP), our royalfather, the Atar Aten, orga-nized a series of peace activi-ties five years ago to consoli-date the peace using roadshows, rallies and dialogue.

We also establishedpeace committeesto report any ten-

sion, rumour or threats to thepeace. We are blessed with atraditional leader who believesin peace and dialogue andwho has responded to everythreat of violence by activelysupporting dialogue.

”This has worked very welltill last Thursday March 21,2013, when some people im-ported violence from FadanAtakar in Kaduna State intoGanawuri. When they burntFulani houses that sad Thurs-day, the Atar Aten invited theSTF, the local government

chairman, the Atakar and Fu-lani to help get to the root ofthe violence and find a peace-ful way of ending the violence.Yet the very next day, the vio-lence escalated. Presently, weare hosting both the Atakarand Fulani internally dis-placed persons (IDPs_, feed-ing and caring for them.

”What is very worrisome tothe Aten people is the amountof arms displayed during thisviolence by both sides. Eventhe STF took some time beforethey could approach the the-atre of this senseless war. Thequestion we are asking is ,were these arms meant to wipeout the Aten people or what?The world must know that theAten people have been undertremendous pressures fromtheir neighbors to join the vi-olence, which we havestaunchly refused because wetruly believe that this violenceis avoidable and will not helpanyone. We are serious farm-ers and have no influence ingovernment. Because of oursmall population, it has beeneasy to ignore us, so we takeour farming very serious andwe know as a fact that vio-lence will not serve our inter-est.

”The Aten people have re-solved to remain neutral inthis conflict. First because wedo not know the source or thejustification for this violence,second, both the Atakar andFulani have begged us to stayneutral. So who do those urg-ing us to plunge into thissenseless violence representand whose interest are theyserving? Must the entire Pla-teau State collapse into vio-lence? We thought Ganawuriwas showing the way to makethe peace and return prosper-ity to the state, so why thegang up, why the scheming toflood the Ganawuri peace val-ley with the blood of the peaceloving people of Aten?”

.... CRIME AND NATIONAL SECURITY

PAGE 46—SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013

Death toll hits 100PLATEAU

As displaced ‘enemies’ take refugeunder same roofs in Ganawuri

,

,not least is the mutual suspi-cion and hatred generated byprevious crisis.

Several peace advocacy pro-grammes by government, tra-ditional rulers, non-govern-mental organizations, reli-gious bodies and even theSpecial Task Force (STF) de-ployed to maintain peace inthe state have not done themagic. Rather, the problem ap-pears to be spreading to areashitherto seen as peaceful.

Concerned by the situation,a youth group, Northern Ad-vancement of Peace , Harmo-ny and Development, called

to the area recently. Ironical-ly, those displaced by the cri-sis from both sides are now liv-ing together in the samehomes among the Aten peo-ple! Sunday Vanguard spoketo the President of the AtenDevelopment Association, Mr.Chom Bagu, on what wentwrong. His perspective pro-vides another insight into theproblem.

His words: “Ganawuri hasbeen spared the violence thathas been part of Plateau Statesince September 7, 2001. Thiswas not by accident as theGanawuri people have certain

Several peace advocacy pro-grammes by government, tra-

ditional rulers, non-govern-mental organizations, religiousbodies and even the Special

Task Force (STF) deployed tomaintain peace in the statehave not done the magic

Mr. Chom Bagu

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OYERINDE’S MURDER:

size gun belonging to the gang.Video capture of the scene

reconstruction that revealed the roleeach suspect played at the scene.

Confessions of the suspects thathave been attested to bySuperior Police Officers in line withthe law and practice.

Uncovering of other crimes namely Murder of Alhaji Ismaila AliyuAttempted Murder of Alhaji

Badamasi Saleh and his Deputy. Involvement of Moses Asamah

Okoro in the raiding of AgenebodePolice Station in late 2010

Recovering of telephone handsetof High Chief (Dr) Vincent Ifada inthe house of Garba UsmanMaisamari.

Recovery of over 20 telephonehandsets from Girei in Adamawastolen from Benin City.

Recovery of 23 SIM cards fromGarba Usman Maisamari’s house.

Recovery of six wrist watches fromGarba Usman Maisamari’s house.

Additional information to Policeintelligence bank about sources ofarms/ammunition to this elaborategang and identities of other gangmembers.

ARRAIGNMENT OF SUSPECTSArising from this painstaking

investigation and based on thequantum of evidence, the suspectswere arraigned before an OredoMagistrate Court, Benin City on 31st

August, 2012. (See Document 9 inAppendix 3 for charge sheets)

Three charge sheets werepresented to the court namely=

Charge No. MOR/326c/2012Charge No. MOR/327c/2012Charge No. MOR/328c/2012LEGAL ADVICEThe Police forwarded Duplicate

casefiles with respect to the abovecharges to the Federal Director ofPublic Prosecutions for vetting andadvice on the 11th of September, 2012in our letter No. CR: 3100/X/LEG/FGQ/ABJ/VOL.3/123

Surprisingly on the 9th November,2012, the Edo State DPP renderedadvice in a paid advertorialpublished in the Nation Newspaper

claiming it received the duplicatecasefile from Oredo MagistrateCourt Benin City on the 5th ofSeptember, 2012 (See Document No.10 in Appendix 3)

The controversy in this matter wasgenerated by the unsolicited adviceof the Edo State DPP. Even at that,the Edo State DPP posited that six ofthe ten suspects have cases toanswer, he expressed doubts abouttwo suspects based on misplacedfacts and discharged two suspectsfor want of corroborative evidence.The Police had responded to theAdvice of the DPP on 19th November,2012 (See Document No. 11 inAppendix 3)

In response to our letter to theFederal DPP, legal advice wasrendered on the 21st of January, 2013(See Document 12 in Appendix 3)

CASE OF SEVEN SUSPECTSTRANSFERRED BY THEDEPARTMENT OF STATESERVICES ABUJA ACCUSED OFINVOLVEMENT IN THE MURDER

BACKGROUND:On or about the 1st of August, 2012,

the Department of State Servicesparaded six suspects in a televised pressconference. The SERVICE announcedthat they arrested the suspects for themurder of Comrade Olaitan Oyerindeand stealing from his house.

Similarly, the DG SSS followed upwith a letter dated 1st August, 2012 tothe Inspector-General of Police andrequested the Police to take over the sixsuspects for prosecution. (See Document13 in Appendix 3)

On the 23rd of August, 2012, theDepartment of State Servicestransferred seven suspects which nowincluded LAWAL Abubakar (SeeDocument 14 in Appendix 3).

The Department of State Services didnot transfer ANY CASEFILE be itOriginal or Duplicate to the Police.

The Department of State Services didnot transfer any Investigation Report-beit interim, preliminary or final report tothe Police.

The Department of State Services didnot handover any complainant, witnessor suspect’s statements; enablingdocuments like search warrants orattestation by investigating officers tothe Police.

None of the exhibits transferred by theDepartment of State Services to thePolice related to any of the items stolenfrom late Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde’shouse. One of the victims AdeyinkaOletubo has confirmed this positionafter viewing the items.

The Police wrote to the Department ofState Services requesting forinformation/interface which may leadto successful investigation but noresponse. (See Document 15 ofAppendix 3)

Police had no choice than toperform its statutory responsibility ofCriminal investigation hence a fullinvestigation.

,

Our story,by policeThis is the concluding part of the police

report on the investigation into the murderof Mr Olaitan Oyerinde, principal secretaryto Governor Adams Oshiomhole of EdoState, presented at the public hearing of theHouse of Representatives Committee onPublic Petitions

STRENGHT OF THIS INVESTIGATIONRecovery of Deceased telephone handset

through Forensic information.Systematic reconstruction from scene to

suspects that led to the arrest of all the suspects.Recovery of face cap of Auta Umaru Ali

identified by himself and gang members.Identification of three suspects out of the four

that raided late Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde’shouse by Mrs Funke Oyerinde.

Recovery of a single barrel locally made cut to•IGP Abubakar

,

Mohammed IbrahimAbdullahi, Raymond

Origbo Chikezie admit-ted knowledge of

Saidu Yakubu aliasIMAM as a receiver ofstolen property at RingRoad Benin City. Ray-mond Origbo admitted

knowledge of SaniAbdullahi Abubakar as

a receiver of stolenproperty especially

telephones.

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY VanguardVanguardVanguardVanguardVanguard, , , , , MARCH 31, 2013, PAGE 47 PAGE 47 PAGE 47 PAGE 47 PAGE 47

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POLICE INVESTIGATION:The three suspects identified by

the Department of State Services asthe suspects who murdered lateComrade Olaitan Oyerinde namelyMohammed Ibrahim Abdullahi,Raymond Onajite Origbo and EdehChikezie were variouslyinterrogated.

They admitted being armedrobbers who usually operated as agang of six made up of themselves,one Sani, one Ali alias Smally andone Ishiaka –all at large.

They also admitted to variousarmed robbery escapades in BeninCity promising to take the Police tothe locations but denied anyinvolvement in the armed robbery of4th May, 2012 at No. 65, 2nd Ugborroad, GRA Benin City at the houseof late Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde.

§ They also admitted that in theiroperations they were usually armedwith three cut to size single barrelguns provided by Ishiaka- a Fulaninomad who is a member of thegang.

Mohammed IbrahimAbdullahi posited thatwhen his house was

searched, only one hammer, onematchet and two kitchen kniveswere recovered by Department ofState Services operatives anddenied knowledge of 1 No EuropaMagnum Pump Action gun and2Nos Russian Double Barrel gunssaid to have been recovered fromhim.

§ The suspects claimed that theywere never taken to the scene ofcrime and that the late ComradeOlaitan’s house was shown to themfrom a Black Berry telephone by theirinterrogators.

§ Mohammed Ibrahim Abdullahi,Raymond Origbo Chikezie admittedknowledge of Saidu Yakubu aliasIMAM as a Receiver of stolen propertyat Ring Road Benin City. RaymondOrigbo admitted knowledge of SaniAbdullahi Abubakar as a receiver ofstolen property especially telephones.

§ Hassan Bashiru admitted being areceiver of stolen property and alsoadmitted knowledge of Sani Abubakarand Lawal Abubakar.

§ Hassan Bashiru admitted that hebought telephone handsets and laptopfrom one Garba Usman Maisamari andhe sold one of the telephone handsets toLawal Abubakar. Bashiru Hassan alsoadmitted that he had sold severaltelephone handsets to Hassan BabeteAliyu in the past.

Continues on page 48

MOVEMENT TO BENIN CITYThe suspects were taken to Benin City

on identification of crime locations andchecking the credibility of theirstatements.

ARRAIGNMENTBased on the preponderance of

evidence adduced in the course of thisinvestigation, the suspects werearraigned in Court at Oredo MagistrateCourt 1 on the 1st of November, 2012.They were all remanded in Prisoncustody. The Duplicate casefiles havebeen remitted to the Federal Director ofPublic Prosecutions for vetting andadvice. (See Document 16 inAppendix 3)

SPECIFIC RESPONSES TO THEALLEGATIONS

(i) The petitioners had arguedthat two of the suspects arrested bythe Police in the course ofinvestigation were in Police Custodywhen Comrade Olaitan Oyerindewas murdered. THIS IS NOT TRUE.Suspects Danjuma Musa ‘m’ andMuritala Usman ‘m’ were arrestedon the 24th of May, 2012 and not 24th

of April, 2012. The duo of DanjumaMusa and Muritala Usman werearrested by good Nigerians on the

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OYERINDE MURDER: OUR STORY - POLICEContinued from page 47

•Ita Ekpenyong, DSS DG

24th of May, 2012 and handed overto the Divisional Police Officer, ObaMarket Police Station Benin Citywho in turn handed them over to theSpecial Anti Robbery Squad, Edo StatePolice Command on the same day foran offence of unlawful possession ofcartridges. In the course of diligentinvestigation in the late ComradeOlaitan Oyerinde’s murder theoperatives of the Force CID Abujatook over the suspects on the 27th ofJune, 2012. The statements made bythe two suspects and witnesses whowere present during the arrestelucidated this fact. The letter wewrote to the Edo State DPP on 19th

November, 2012 stated the date oftheir arrest clearly and for purposes ofemphasis is partly reproduced below:-

W e wish to unequivocallystate that the duo ofDanjuma Musa and

Muritala Usman were arrested on the24th of May, 2012,”REPEAT 24th ofMay, 2012 AND NOT 24th of April,2012”. The respective statements theymade to the Police contained in theDuplicate case file which the learnedDPP vetted contained this fact inpages B5a, B6d and B6f. Furthermore,the statements of eye witnesses to thearrest contained in pages A14 and A15of the same casefile elucidated thisfact. The Police investigation reportclearly stated the date of arrest as 24th

of May, 2012 in the followingparagraphs and pages:-

(i) Paragraph 3.9, page 7(ii) Paragraph 3.10.9 (x) page 23(iii)Paragraph 3.10.9 (xi) page 24(iv)Paragraph 3.10.9 (xxv) page 41(v)Paragraph 3.10.9 (xxvi) page 45(vi)Paragraph 4 xxix page 85We admit a printer ’s error in the

investigation report where 24/04/12was typed in page 78 paragraph 4(viii), line four instead of 24/05/12. Wealso posit that in no other part of thatreport did such an error or such ameaning was conveyed. Similarly, weordinarily thought that the learnedDPP was actually vetting the duplicatecasefile which included theinvestigation report and not theinvestigation report alone and wouldhave taken into consideration thestatements made by the suspects,witnesses and all other circumstances/ramifications of the matter before theopinion”.

From the foregoing, it is very clearand obvious that the date of arrest ofDanjuma Musa and Muritala Usmanwas 24th of May, 2012. Any otherinsinuation to the contrary is not onlymischievous but frivolous and aimedat diverting attention from the realissues.

(ii)The petitioners also posited thatthe gun used for the murder ofComrade Olaitan Oyerinde wasearlier used for armed robbery andrecovered by the Police. And that byPolice record this gun was already inPolice custody when the murder tookplace. Again this is just simplistic andmisleading. The four suspects whorobbed and murdered ComradeOlaitan Oyerinde namely DanjumaMusa ‘m’, Muritala Usman ‘m’, AutaUmaru ‘m’, Moses Asamah Okoro ‘m’used three guns for the operation andtook away one Double barrel gunfrom the Deceased’s residence. In thecourse of investigation DanjumaMusa ‘m’ told investigation that heusually custodied one locally madecut to size single barrel gun belongingto the gang. He equally stated that

,

,

Our job as police In-vestigators is to bringthe facts disclosed by

investigation to the fore.Our duties cannot in-clude to falsify, alter,change or even forge

facts for whatever rea-sons. We are satisfiedthat this gun was recov-

ered through the se-quential narration ofDanjuma Musa and

formed part of the arse-nal of this gang.

this gun was one of the guns they usedfor the armed robbery operation inComrade Olaitan’s house. Accordingto him this gun was recovered by hisland lady and handed over to EsigiePolice Station Benin City after thelandlady’s children stumbled on thegun in the course of their play wherehe Danjuma Musa hid it. Followingthe revelations of Danjuma Musa, thesaid landlady was contacted and sheadmitted the incidence but positedthat she called a Police Corporal wholived nearby and it was the Policemanwho recovered the gun to the PoliceStation. Investigation was extended toEsigie Police Station Benin City wherethe gun was finally recovered by theinvestigating team. The documentationin the crime diary at the Police Stationshowed that the gun was received on the24th of April 2012. Our job as PoliceInvestigators is to bring the factsdisclosed by investigation to the fore.Our duties cannot include to falsify,alter, change or even forge facts forwhatever reasons. We are satisfied thatthis gun was recovered through thesequential narration of Danjuma Musaand formed part of the arsenal of this

gang. Meanwhile the said gun has beenforwarded to the Forensic Laboratoryfor Ballistic examination.

iii We wish to state for purposes ofclarity and public records that theassertion by the Edo State DPP in hisLegal Advice attached to the CivilSociety Organization petition underreference “that he is aware that thecasefile of some persons who reportedlymade confessional statements havebeen handed over to the Police by theSSS is false in its entirety”. Wechallenge him to show proof. Apartfrom the documents referred to asDocuments 13 and 14 in Appendix 3,the Police did not receive any otherdocument from the Department ofState Services.

(iv) We also wish to point out that inthe same Legal Advice underreference, the DPP had opined that aprima facie case of Conspiracy tocommit armed robbery, armedrobbery and murder is made outagainst Usman Adamu amongstothers. We do not know Usman Adamuand he was never investigated by thePolice.

CONCLUSION:(a)In conclusion, we wish to state

that the unfortunate incident of 4th

May, 2012 which resulted in the deathof Comrade Olaitan Oyerindereceived an unprecedented attentionfrom the Inspector-General of PoliceIGP Mohammed AbubakarCFR,FCE,FCPA,FCAI,NPM,mni whois satisfied that the Deputy Inspector-General of Police ‘D’ Department(FCID) and his investigatorsdischarged their responsibilitiesdiligently and with utmost sense ofintegrity. The Investigating teamdisplayed quality leadership and gavethe assignment their best shots. If thepetitioners “believe strongly that thereare elements pulling weight to coverthe real killers of Comrade Oyerinde”as alleged, they should name themwithout further delay. Since thepetitioners believe that the real killersof Comrade Oyerinde have not beenarrested, they should name them. Hewho asserts, proves same.

(b)In the wake of this avoidablecontroversy, the Police as anOrganization has been disparaged,her Senior Officers maligned,humiliated and embarrassed for

carrying out a statutory assignment.This case is not about the Police orthe Civil Society Organization. Thiscase is about ensuring that the killersof Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde arebrought to justice. The Criminaljustice system requires robust synergyfrom all stakeholders and all handsmust be on deck to ensure that justiceis done for both the victims of crime,the State and the suspects.

(c) In the conduct of thisinvestigation, the Police has carriedthe complainants along at every stageviz Mrs. Funke Oyerinde and Mr.Adeyinka Oletubo. It is therefore verysurprising that the restlessnessassociated with this matter is comingfrom Quarters other than the personswho reported this matter. Who iscrying more than the bereaved!

(d) The scope of this investigationso far was very extensive; the conductrequired diligence and commitment,the approach needed integrity; theanalysis/documentation requiredpainstaking humility and dedication;the Investigating team displayed thesequalities. We must learn in thisCountry to appreciate what we have –our own-and continuously encouragethem. We did not need to be calledcriminals, we did not need to bedismissed for doing a job that both theEdo State DPP and the Federal DPPhave already said has tremendousmerit. As mortals, we felt pain but inGod we shall always trust.

( e ) We also wish to point out thatall the Security Agencies in thisCountry are doing a commendable jobtowards crime reduction as there is noknown crime free society. TheDepartment of State Services by theirarrest of seven suspects contributedimmeasurably in the fight againstcrime and criminality. These suspectsare by their confessions and follow upinvestigations carried out by thePolice habitual criminals who haveterrorized Benin City Metropolis.Police investigation has been able tolink them to specific acts ofcriminality with the locations andvictims positively identified. We aresatisfied that the evidence disclosed byour investigation will sustain thecharges for which they have beenarraigned.

(f) The petitioners must alwaysavoid by their comments, utterances,inferences and opinions to put injeopardy a case that its prosecution inCourt is yet to begin. To do so wouldamount to making themInvestigators, Prosecutors andJudges in this matter. By theunnecessary controversy generated inthis matter, witnesses are continuouslybeing tampered with throughintimidation and inducements, theJudges who will try this matter arereading the controversies in the mediaand as human beings may formpreliminary opinions before trialcommences. Legal Advisers to theprosecution are already playingvisible roles as Defence Attorneyswhile Defence Attorneys just listenand laugh. This can only lead us to anunfortunate exercise of Recyclingcriminals through the intentional orinadvertent conspiracy of the Elite.

(g) Finally, we have by ourtransparency compromised theidentity of most of our witnesses,victims, investigators and othercharacters in this investigationincluding classified documents.THIS IS IN REALIZATION OF THEFACT THAT PARLIAMENT ALLOVER THE WORLD HOLD THE KEYTO QUALITY OVERSIGHT THATREVEALS TRUTH AND MAKETRUTH SACRED. It is our plea Mr.Chairman that these victims,witnesses and investigators beprotected within the privilegesinherent in your powers.

CONCLUDED

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SUNDAY, Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013, PAGE 51

From right: Alhaja Ramat Bola Ajibola, Prince Bola Ajibola, Dr. ObaOtudeko, and Justice Ibrahim Tako Mohammed.

From right; Prince BolaAjibola, Justice IbrahimTako Mohammed, Mr KolaAwodein [SAN] and ProfYemi Osibajo, [SAN]

R-L: Hajia Fausat Bakare, Chief (Mrs)Marlies Allan, Chief Mrs Bola Latinwo, andMrs Hairat Balogun,.

From left; Chief Demola Seriki, representing AsiwajuBola Tinubu, Prof Lawal Pedro [SAN] and Mr OpeGasa

From right (front row): Cordelia Barber,President, Funlola BuraimohAdemuyewo, National President,NonmaJackson Steele,Past NationalPresident,Anne Efeyini, Past Secretary,S.I Eko , Treasurer , S.I Eko,Lady OloladeJ. Oki and Doyin Akin-Bankole with othermembers of the club.

The couple: Mr and Mrs Sadiq Adeoye Olowu

L-R: The bride’s parents: Mr and Mrs WakiluOlowu, with groom’s parents; Prince and MrsOyebanjo Oyelaran

L-R: Dr Ekwe, Princess Egbo, Cordelia Barber andDoyin Akin-Bankole

L-R: Anne Efeyini, Shade Disu and DoyinAkin-Bankole

L-R: Mr Richard Okotie of Vanguard with thebride’s father, Mr Wakilu Olowu

Prince Bola Ajibola @ 79Prince Bola Ajibola @ 79Prince Bola Ajibola @ 79Prince Bola Ajibola @ 79Prince Bola Ajibola @ 79Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola,

was the cynosure of all eyes,penultimate Saturday, at the CivicCentre, Victoria Island, when he marked his 79th birthday with public

presentation of a book titled, ‘’ The Attorney General ; Chronicles andPerspectives’’ by, Law Pavilion. Entrepreneur extraordinaire , Dr. Oba Otudeko,took charge as the Chief Launcher while Ajibola’s old friend, and Justice ofthe Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tako Mohammed was theChairman of the occasion. Photos by Kehinde Gbadamosi

SorSorSorSorSoroptimist Intoptimist Intoptimist Intoptimist Intoptimist International holds ‘Fernational holds ‘Fernational holds ‘Fernational holds ‘Fernational holds ‘Friendship Evriendship Evriendship Evriendship Evriendship Eveningeningeningeningening’’’’’

Soroptimist International, Lagos StateChapter, penultimate Friday hostedmembers of the international Body from

across the federation at Ikeja, GRA, Lagos. The‘Friendship Evening’ as it was tagged takes placethree times a year before the Annual GeneralMeeting of the organisation.Soroptimist International is a worldwideorganisation for women in management and theprofessions and is a global voice for womenthrough awareness, advocacy, partnerships andglobal networking. Photos by Akeem Salau

Mariam and SidiqMariam and SidiqMariam and SidiqMariam and SidiqMariam and Sidiq

Nikai marriage ceremony of Mariam Ibidun,daughter of Mr and Mrs Wakilu Olowu, andSidiq Adeoye, son of Prince and Mrs

Oyebanjo Oyelaran, took place at Anglican PrimarySchool, Isawu Agric, Ikorodu, on Saturday March23rd. The occasion was graced by family and friends.Photos by Shola Oyelese

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PDP: Claims of govs’ looming defectionamid a challenging reconciliation*Anenih’s BoT to the rescue

BY HENRY UMORU

WHEN the NationalChairman of thePeoples Democratic

Party, PDP, Alhaji BamangaTukur, came on board onMarch 24, 2012 alongside thepresent members of theNational WorkingCommittee,NWC, but with twogone before the NWC markedone year in office, it was veryclear that what the partyrequired was reconciliation.

The self- acclaimed largestparty in Africa really neededthat trouble shootingespecially against thebackdrop of the irreconcilabledifferences that emanatedfrom the congresses, primariesand even the NationalConvention held at EagleSquare, Abuja, venue of theemergence of Tukur and histeam. The story of how theycame in, the story of how manyaspirants were forced to stepdown, the story of how theaspirants did that reluctantlyand how tears almost rolleddown the faces of old men whohad to withdraw from the raceagainst their personalconviction, all is now history.

Realising the enormity of theproblems on ground whichsaw aggrieved membersdumping the party and othersadopting a siddon-lookapproach without makingsignificant inputs to thedevelopment of the party, itbecame imperative that ifTukur must succeed, totalreconciliation, even if it meanscrawling and begging, wasthe way forward.

For this reason, the PDP bossstarted with the promise ofcarrying out totalreconciliation.

He came up with an agendaof Triple R, codenamedReconciliation withoutvengeance, Reformationwithout revenge andRebuilding on the basis ofequity and justice, to bringmembers of the party together.

According to him, the TripleR agenda was intended totransform the party into avehicle for nationaldevelopment in consonancewith President GoodluckJonathan’s transformationagenda.

However, achieving thisintention seemed a bigchallenge because of thedeep-seated animosity in theparty.

And to make matters worse,the marriage of AllProgressive Grand Alliance,APGA, Action Congress ofNigeria, ACN, All NigeriaPeoples Party, ANPP, andCongress for ProgressChange, CPC, which gave

birth to the yet to beregistered, All ProgressiveCongress, APC, signified thatthe ruling party must put itshouse in order if it mustcontinue in power beyond2015. Added to this is theclaim that some of theaggrieved PDP governors maydump the party and join forceswith the APC ahead of the2015 polls.

Even within the NWC, thereare crises which have alreadyconsumed some members.

The members include thesacked National Secretaryand former governor of OgunState, Prince OlagunsoyeOyinlola; the former NationalAuditor, Chief BodeMustapha and the NationalVice Chairman, South West,Engr. Segun Oni, all believedto be loyal to former Presidentand past Chairman, Board ofTrustees, BoT, ChiefOlusegun Obasanjo..

Tukur, for one week,embarked on what wasdescribed as a ‘nationalreconciliation andconsolidation tour,’ across thesix geo-political zones of thecountry,culminating in thegrand finale in Abuja.

Topping the issues were lackof internal democracy,m a r g i n a l i z a t i o n ,discrimination on the basis ofgender, lack of patronage toparty members andsomething close to used anddumped after election, just asmany members said there wasneed for peace and unity inthe party as that was the onlyway PDP could maintain itsposition not only as the rulingparty, but also to attractgreater development toNigeria.

But the question on the lips

zones. In the South-West,some major players likeObasanjo; Chief RichardAkinjide; former Ogun Stategovernor, Chief GbengaDaniel; Chief Bode George;Chief Ebenezer Babatope;Minister of State, FCT,Olajumoke Akinjide; formerSpeaker, Dimeji Bankole;former Oyo State governorAlao Akala; Oyinlola; formerEkiti State governor, Engr.Segun Oni, among otherswere absent at the meeting.

In the South-East, notablepoliticians like former SenatePresident Ken Nnamani;former Vice President AlexEkwueme; Chief Chis Uba;Professor Chukwuma Soludo;Arthur Eze; Senator JimNwobodo; ChinwonkeMbadinuju; AdolphusWabara; Senator Anyim PiusAnyim; Dr. Sam Egwu;leaders of two factional

of many observers was, wouldthe tour achieve the purposeor will it be a smoke screen toshield public attention fromthe real issues in the party?

The question came upfollowing the absence of somesenior stakeholders in the

Continues on page 54

,

,

Bamanga Tukur: Sobriety dawns on NWC

while Governor Theodore Orjiof Abia State was representedby his deputy. Also inattendance were ChiefEmmanuel Iwuanyanwu; Dr.Okwesilieze Nwodo; andProfessor Chinedu Nebo.

In the South-South, it wasthe same story as notable PDPmembers were also not therewhile in the North-East, partyleaders like former VicePresident Atiku Abubakar;former Minister of Education,Professor Jubril Aminu;among others, were absentand it was the same situationin North-Central and North-West where the governorswere absent.

To top it all was the grandfinale which took place inAbuja and that was the anti-climax of the event and alsoan opportunity for the NWCto celebrate its one year inoffice. The event, which took

place at the InternationalConference Centre, Abuja,witnessed a low turn out ofgovernors with only twogovernors-Idris Wada of Kogiand Godswill Akpabio of AkwaIbom- in attendance as wellas the deputy governors ofRivers, Katsina, Niger andGombe.

President Jonathan wasrepresented by Vice PresidentNamadi Sambo; while theSecretary, BoT, Senator WalidJubrin, stood in for hischairman, Chief Tony Anenih.Senate President DavidMark; Speaker AminuTambuwal; Deputy SenatePresident Ike Ekweremadu;Deputy Speaker EmekaIhedioha; and ministers werealso not at the event.

The absence of these majorkey players from the zonesand that of Abuja may havesuggested that all is not welland the leadership of theparty must take a second lookat the reconciliation move.

But, in his defence a dayafter the Abuja event, Tukurexplained that majority of thegovernors were outside thecountry when it held andthat, that explained why theywere not at the Abuja grandfinale of the reconciliationtour.

According to him, thereconciliation meetings acrossthe zones and Abuja weredesigned for members, mostespecially those who wereestranged, and notnecessarily for state governorswho, he said, had playedtheir parts meaningfully inthe reconciliation agenda atthe zonal level.

Tukur however boasted thatthe PDP would never succumbto blackmail coming fromthose he described as virulentopponents, particularly ontheir desire to paint a pictureof a PDP being at war withitself.

He stressed that the PDPhad always been in accordwith its governors, as evidentin the encouraging outcomeof the reconciliation toursacross the federation, even ashe described thereconciliation initiative acrossthe zones and Abuja as a hugesuccess.

The PDP leader, however,appealed to the media to showdeep understanding of theparty ’s efforts to promotedemocracy, inclusiveness anda sense of harmony amongmembers, as, according tohim, the party remained thebest political instrument fordeepening democracy inNigeria.

“This is the first time in thehistory of democracy inNigeria that the NWC of aparty would embark on anationwide tour onreconciliation drive. This isthe first time that theleadership of the party wentout of comfort to have a feelof what has been happeningto our members at thegrassroots. This is the firsttime that we are makingconscious efforts to return the

groups from Anambra State,Prince Ken Emeakayi andChief Oguebego; amongothers, stayed away from themeeting. Governor of EbonyiState, Chief Martins Elechi;Govertnor Sullivan Chime ofEnugu; however attended

Chief Anthony Anenih: On a rescue mission

The marriage of APGA, ACN, ANPP,and CPC, which gave birth to the yetto be registered All ProgressiveCongress, APC, signified that theruling party must put its house inorder if it must continue in powerbeyond 2015

SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013, PAGE 53

Page 54: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

PDP many of whom were notaware that the event wasgoing on. I knew that if thegovernors were not there,Nigerians will think theyboycotted the meeting. It wasmore or less a slightly rushedaffair. It was not well

From Tukur ’s andAkpabio’s statements, it willappear there is acommunication gap in thePDP family.

Also at his residence onWednesday while speakingwith journalists, the PDPNational Chairmandismissed the speculationthat there was a rift betweenhim and the governorselected on the platform of theparty, adding that hisrelationship with thegovernors was 100 percentcordial.

He said, ‘’’There is no riftbetween me and ourgovernors. The governors arethe commanders of our partyin their respective statesworking along with theChairmen for the progress ofthe party; there is nocompetition between me andthem, our common goal is towin the next generalelections.”

Anenih’s troubleshooting mission

Sensing the implication ofthe low turnout of governorsand stakeholders at the zonalmeetings and that of Abujaand the coming on board ofAPC, the BoT Chairman,Chief Tony Anenih, astrategist and one who knows

when to strike politically aswell as penetrate, has beguna trouble shooting mission toJigawa and Kano states wherehe met with the governors,Sule Lamido and Rabiu MusaKwankwaso respectively.

Anenih’s team had to meetwith them to plead that theystay back in the PDP. On theteam are Ken Nnamani; ChiefEbenezer Babatope; WalidJubrin; former PDP NationalChairmen; Dr. Ahmadu Ali,Senator Barnabas Gemadeand Dr. Bello HaliruMohammed.

Also on Wednesday, Tukurdisclosed that the NWC willsoon commence a tour of thestates having concluded thatof the zones. The visits mayhave afforded the NWC theopportunity to know that all isnot well in the zones andAbuja; they may also havegiven Tukur and his men theopportunity to appreciate thelogjam and to know that theproblems vary and wouldrequire different formula tosolve them.

However, the NWC needsto move fast to prevent theopposition from takingadvantage of what is presentlyon ground to upstage the PDPfrom the Presidency in 2015.

The leadership must use thefindings from the tour to plan,strategise and forge ahead.

party to the owners; theordinary members,’’ hestated.

“Who should appreciatethese efforts if not you peoplein the media? If we aremaking efforts to promotepeace in national interest, noright thinking person orgroup of persons should makeattempts to promote hate andcause disharmony. I think themedia should not join thepseudo-democrats, thedemagogues and thetreacherous fellows whoalways love to reap from chaosand crises. This is why werequire the media support inour desire to re-invent politicsand recreate Nigeria”.

According to him, duringthe tours, the PDP realisedthat imposition of candidatesduring elections had been theroot cause ofmisunderstanding within theparty, adding that it wasagainst this backdrop that theparty had been fashioning outagenda to promote internaldemocracy and transparencyin future elections as a meansof earning the confidence ofmembers.

Tukur said the need totransform PDP into anagenda-setting and issue-based party more from

election winning alone hadbeen the reason it entered intobilateral relationship with theAfrican National Congress(ANC) in South-Africa, theruling parties in Ghana,Sierra Leone and otherAfrican countries.

But Akpabio, whiledefending the governorsabsence at the Abuja event,noted that the state chiefexecutives were not dulyinformed of the programme,adding that even him as theChairman of the PDPGovernors’ Forum got a lateinvitation.

The Akwa Ibom governor,who was one of the twogovernors who attended theevent, said, “The PDP launchwas not well publicised. I hada meeting with the PDPPublicity Secretary, OlisaMetuh. Many governors werenot aware of the ceremony.Metuh mentioned to me if Iwill be at the InternationalConference Centre and I saidfor what? And he said for thegrand finale of the zonalmeeting of the NationalChairman and I told him I wasnot aware of it. And somehow,I was receiving the SuperEagles in my state.

“I still said let me struggleto get to the InternationalConference Centre torepresent the governors of the

publicized, so you cannotblame any governor that wasnot there. I was evensurprised that the governor ofKogi State heard about thefunction that morning and hemanaged to be there.”

Continued from page 53

There is no riftbetween me andour governors. Thegovernors are thecommanders of ourparty in theirrespective statesworking along withthe Chairmen forthe progress of theparty

,

,

Anenih’s BoT to the rescue

I have no problem with PDP govs – Tukur*‘My findings on the multiple crises in ruling party’

BY HENRY UMORU

Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is theNational Chairman of thePeoples Democratic Party,PDP. He was GeneralManager, Nigeria PortsAuthority. In 1983, he waselected governor of oldGongola State, nowAdamawa and Taraba States;in 1992, he was a presidentialaspirant of the NationalRepublican Convention, NRC;and also a former Minister ofIndustries and President,Africa Business Roundtable.

In this interview, Tukurbares his mind on theinsecurity in the country, hisreconciliation agenda for thePDP, and relationship with thePDP governors. Excerpts:

How far will you say youhave gone in yourreconciliation efforts in thePDP?

Unity, stability, peace,oneness can co-exist throughinformation. You all know weare in a difficult situation andthat is the reason I will appealto you, the media, to really beobjective in the way we

present issues to the nation.I was very much disturbed

when I went to my village inGanye and I saw the damagedone through evil. Today, inthis nation, we witness peoplebombing churches, bombingmosques, bombing UnitedNations, bombing car parks,bombing markets. To me, theyare national attacks and weknow all the reasons they aretelling us this kind ofphenomenon is taking place.

And, under my watch, thePDP is interested in filling allthe elective positions. If yousearch anywhere, mymembers are affected. So Ibecame worried.

I believe that maybe we startthinking about how to face thatevil. The good always chasesaway the evil. We are capableof doing that.

I believe all of us, what I callthe coalition of the willing, cando that.

I am obliged to give you myown understanding of whatwe have done and I amhappy; those whoaccompanied me on the tourare also here, they are NWCmembers. I was surprised.The turn out in the South Westfor example, you hardly couldsee a free hotel, it was so full.

Similarly in Enugu, PortHarcourt, Bauchi. So all the

zones we visited, the turnoutof our members was sofantastic. But the concern isthe insecurity in the country.We are worried aboutinsecurity. We are worriedabout the number of youngmen and women who are outof job. Security and economycome to play, but we cannot

peace and unity. I believe thatall manner of people,government apart, they don’tneed PDP to lead the way.ACN, CPC, Labour, we mustcome together to fight the evilof insecurity.

In my village they burnt thepolice station, killedpolicemen, burnt houses ofindividuals with no cause.They broke through theprisons and released theinmates. What kind of societyis that?

Let us settle down and lookfor the cutting edge in termsof fighting that evil.

As the Chairman of theruling party, if you are toadvise the president as far asinsecurity is concerned, whatwill you tell him?

It is not about the PDP orPresident Goodluck Jonathan;this is a matter that should beof concern to everybodyirrespective of political, ethnicor religious affiliation: theopposition, the labourmovement, religious leaders,traditional rulers. We all haveto come to fight the evil that isnow manifesting every wherein our land; thoseperpetuating this evil arewithin us in the society, it is

run the economy unlesssecurity is on ground.

It is one of the cardinalprinciples of our party. Weneed to develop through

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Bamanga Tukur.... We need to develop through peace and unity

It is not about thePDP or PresidentGoodluckJonathan; this is amatter that shouldbe of concern toeverybodyirrespective ofpolitical, ethnic orreligious affiliation

Continues on page 55

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not a matter of Mr Presidentor the PDP-led FederalGovernment alone.

It is not a kind of thing thatwe go and target somebody.My advice is, all of us, allNigerians, all hands must beon deck to fight the evil.

The PDP NWC just clockedone year in office. Whatwould you identify as yourmajor land mark?

When I came in, we had atemplate which is our 12-pointagenda. After one year, I wentround the states, the peopleout on a mission forreconciliation, reformationand rebuilding. I spoke aboutthe Triple E which is,Environment Sustainability,Education, Energy andSecurity. The third is Triple Dwhich is, Defence, Dialogueand Diplomacy. And theremaining three is theconsequences if we do whatwe pledge to do and acceptedby our people.

If we reconcile, we getpeace; you get peace to getsecurity. You get security, youget investment. It is a circle,they all work together. Ifound out that our people arestill on the ground, with theirparty. As far as I know, theyare patient, they understoodwhat happened and theyvoiced it out.

They voiced out security,they voiced out economy, etcbecause the idea of havingthe 3 Ds, if you educate yourpeople, they take care of theelements of the environment.The environment ofsustainability Iam talkingabout, I am also talking aboutthree things: land, water andpeople. That is God-given toevery nation. But if you givethem education, they will takecare of these elements. Theywill turn water to hydro-energy, they can turn it to getenergy, they can cut woodand boil water and get energy.You have to educate them. Ifyou do that, all these will beready.

During your reconciliationtour, most stakeholders andgovernors did not attend andyour statements alsoconflicted with what thechairman of the PDPGovernors’ Forum said.What really happened?

The notice given togovernors to attend the Abujagrand finale was very short.It is not true that they did notcome because they don’tbelieve in reconciliation. Theywere ready for reconciliationand attending the Abuja eventbecause if you met somebodyin Bauchi, why should thatperson came to the finale inAbuja? But if you don’t comereally, we don’t believe it isbecause it is a repetition ofwhat took place in your state.So I can categorically tell youthat no governor of the PDPis at variance with thereconciliation.

One of the major agenda of

your administration isreconciliation. You’ve beenembarking on such across thegeo-political zones. But youjust marked one anniversaryin office and we know thatsome of the people thatcontested with you for thenational chairmanship of PDPwere not actually happy withthe process. Have you tried toreconcile with thesecontestants?

I believe if you come to ourmeetings, you will see them.They are there. It was acontest. But there is no ill-feeling with those whocontested with me. And weare working together. Weconsult each other. I talk tothem, they talk to me. If I callthem, they come. So what elsecan one ask for?

Having heard from thepeople during the tour andhaving ruminated on whatyou have seen and heard withmembers of NWC, what isthe next line of action?

First of all, you cannot solvea problem unless you knowthat the problem exists. Thefact that we work up to 1 a.mtoday says it all. I am happybecause all my NWCmembers were there. Theyare my team. We are lookingat what our members in the

“Our own is to process whatyou believe is your ownchoice, then we can work.What I intend to do now is togive us all a clear indicationagain to all to really have ourprogramme of action in termsof solutions”.

Having been in office forone year now, what would yousay are your majorchallenges? And you said theother time that the NECmeeting will hold after theelection of the BoTChairman. Now that, that hasbeen done, when are weexpecting the NEC meeting?

NEC is the overall body ofthe party. It is like the supremebody. You don’t go to NEC likethat. You go to NEC also bygiving them all theinformation so that you canask them what you believethey should do.

When I came in, I gavethem the 12-point agenda.Now I am going to call theNEC and tell them this iswhat I want and suggest tothem the solution and ask fortheir approval.

Ahead of the 2015 elections,what plans does your partyhave for women to ensurethat more women are actuallyencouraged and given theopportunity to fill elective

positions?PDP is gender sensitive. And

PDP under my watch is fair toeveryone because, yes, Godhas given us two hands whichmeans we should worktogether, men and women. Inthe PDP, it is our agenda toencourage women, that is thereason we say we exemptthem from payment for forms.But you can take a horse tothe water, you cannot makeit drink. It is an opportunitygiven to them. There is noimposition. They should go

couldn’t get justice orwhatever you feel within the“family”. So it is all theseareas that I said work is inprogress.

Some ministers are notalways on ground in theirstates especially states wherePDP does not control thegovernment and you willneed them to complete yourreconciliation move to be intouch with the people. Whatis the party doing in thisregard?

We are a party and a partyshould give what we callpatronage. That is what it isactually; we are a family.People who work in that familyshould be looked after. But ithas happened to that extentand it is one of thosecomplaints made and we arelooking into it.

What is your relationshipwith the governors of thePDP?

I am 100% with mygovernors. They call me.There is no place we went,that the governors did notcome out to say specificallythat they are in support of meand my NWC. Thegovernors, all of them, respectme. They came out. What thepapers mentioned, they triedto correct it. I can rememberin Port Harcourt, Amaechitook a decision and they sayoh, which is not true. We workvery cordially.

They are our commanders.The state chairman has hisown governor as hiscommander. The only thingthe chairman has to do is tostrengthen his followership inhis state to support thegovernor so that in the nextelections, the PDP wins. Thereis no dissention. How can wehave any dissention anyway?A PDP governor and a PDPchairman, are we competingon anything? No! We arecomplementary to oneanother.

There is no competitionbetween the chairman and thegovernor and, therefore, thereis no element of dissention; itis just an imagination.

zones told us tofind the commondenominator andtry to find asolution.

Secondly, we wilgo to the states.After Easter, we aregoing to embark onindividual statevisits and I hopethat you will alsohave theopportunity tocome with us to seewhat we need todo. And you knowthat anywhere wewent, we told them“the party is yours.We are bringing itback to you. Noimposition. Send tous yourrepresentatives.

and fightfor election. Butwhat we can say is that if youwant to be our member,elective post, don’t pay.

I think women, to a certainextent, also like to followmen. Which is a normal thingto do. The aggressive onesare Prime Ministers,Presidents, but others are stillcooking for their husbands.

What is the party doing tocheck some of the excesses bysome members, especiallywith their remarks on themove to address the problemof indiscipline?

We don’t tolerateindiscipline. It’s work inprogress. A party is a “family”actually. Why should you goout and tell a stranger you

Continued from page 54

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SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013, PAGE 55

‘My findings on the multiple crises in ruling party’

Yero’s 100 days: Self-kudos amid knocksBY LUKA BINNIYAT

A motley crowd oflargely unruly youthscarrying screaming

banners hailing GovernorMukhtar Ramallan Yero ofKaduna State took over theMurtata Sqaure, Kaduna, onTuesday, at a ceremonymarking Yero’s 100 dayssince becoming governor of astate equally shared by theMuslim North and theChristian South.

Kaduna State is perhapswhere religion and ethnicitycount very much in allspheres of governance.

Yero, ensconced by top gunsof his government, watched

and listened to drummers,dancers, praise singers andbeggars all blaring differentsongs from their megaphones at the same time, to create

what looked like a perfectstate of cacophony.

But the most colourful of thegroups were those thatlooked like the officialscumbags of the governor, or“Yero Boys”.

They wore fine adire flowinggowns with a hue of green,over which a huge goodlooking face of the governorstared out. Their trouserswere white, with green andred long strips from the waistto the edge. But the trademark of Yero was the greenvelvety skull cap which theywore.

And, indeed, that seemedto be the governor’s political

signature headwear – thegreen cap. All hiscommissioners, localgovernment chairmen, evenmembers of the state Houseof Assembly and importantguests wore the green caps,except Yero, and his deputy,Ambassador Nuhu Bajoga.

Once a while, a VIP, happywith the outing of the the“Yero Boys”, would throw awad of cash to the crowd. Theywould momentarily suspendtheir performance and dive atthe cash, rolling and tearingat themselves amidst profanelanguages in Hausa from the

Mukhtar Ramallan Yero

Continues on page 60

I am 100% with mygovernors. Theycall me. There is noplace we went, thatthe governors didnot come out tosay specificallythat they are insupport of me andmy NWC

Bamanga Tukur

Page 56: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

PAGE 56—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 31,, 2013

[email protected] 08056180157

AcAcAcAcAchebe’s language sellshebe’s language sellshebe’s language sellshebe’s language sellshebe’s language sellshis shis shis shis shis stttttories tories tories tories tories to So So So So Stttttage…age…age…age…age…Adaji, Artistic Director

Can you talk about Achebeand the dramatic and

theatrical resources forwhich his imaginative writingprovided for the stage,theatre and the movie? As a young boy growing upin the village, my firstencounter with literaturebegan with the works ofChinua Achebe, especiallyThings Fall Apart. My Dad ,who passed on in Januarythis year, was an ardent loverof Achebe’s books and talkedabout Things Fall Apart sopassionately that even at thatyoung age in primary schoolI had to read the book.

And unknown to me,reading the book then lookedto me as though he wasspeaking my language.Achebe had this craft ofmanipulating the word. If hewas speaking English usingthe English language youwould think he was speakingIgbo to you. You would beginto think about what he said inyour own language. He spokeEnglish with the fluidity ofthe Igbo language.

Take for instance when hemakes a statement like : “proverb is oil with whichwords are eaten.” It doesn’tregister in the English sensebecause words are not eatenin the English sense. But ifyou translate that expressionfrom the colloquial sense inwhich it made, it brings outthe aesthetic nuances of thepersonality of Achebe.

It is therefore that kind ofcraftiness, and that pitch oftranslation that makes Achebeand his books profound andhas equally made it possiblefor him to be translated to overfifty languages.

Things Fall Apart is one ofthe most translated works inrecent memory. And becauseof the relevance of early

In this short conversation, Artistic Director of the National Troupeof Nigeria, Martin Adaji takes a look at the dramatic and theatrical

potentials of Achebe’s works and concludes that the master storyteller’s deft and creative use of language accounts for the successfuladaptations of his two of seminal works: Things Fall Apart and Arrowof God. He spoke to McPhilips Nwachukwu.

missionary activities with theAfrican continent, not just inIgbo land, the narrativetherefore becomes a symbol ofwhat everybody experienced.

And if you are living a livedexperience with those similarto other people’s experiences,it captures all the experiencesthat you have gone throughyourself in your ownenvironment and community.

So, when you look at theworks of Achebe, specifically,with reference to Things FallApart, the effect of colonialismin West Africa, the translatorof Ichoku, a televisioncharacter drawn from thatnarrative become alltranslations that come outfrom the book.

Achebe was profound as anartist and the fact that he cutsacross made him becomemore popular that many of hispeers.

He spoke a language thatmany people understood. Hewas not speaking to selectaudience. Unlike his counterpart, Wole Soyinka, who wrotein the form of verse, poetryand grandly rooted in thetraditional backing. Soyinkaspoke the language of ifa andall the Yoruba gods. And youcan’t even blame him for thatbecause the language of thegods is not plain languages.

How do all of these nuanceshelp in the theatrical anddramatic interpretation ofAchebe’s works ?

When you look at theatre,language is a very importantsegment of theatre practice.After all, the aim of theatre isnot only to entertain , but moreimportantly to communicate.If the language of a play iswildly known, it endears itmore to the viewers. If onedecides for instance to go intopidgin performance, one will

Emeka’s own. Butattention can also go toA Man of the People,Ant Hill of theSavannah, No LongerAt Ease or even Chikeand The River.

Given Achebe’simmense contributionto the development ofliterature and theatre,don’t you think, theTroupe as an agency ofgovernment can usethe opportunity of hisdeath to stage ThingsFall Apart as a kind offare well play in hismemory?

One thing is clear.Achebe is not just anational hero. He is infact, a pan Africanist.

have more followers thanwhen one decides to go forQueens English performance.Achebe’s language was downto earth and was easy for thecommon man to understand.He also spoke in proverb forthe elders to understand. Andfundamentally, hecommunicated about eventsthat outlived human memory.

If by your account , thisexperiences are peculiar to

the home reader, do youthink that his narrative willdraw the same sense ofdramatic appeal from theforeign reader ?

Oh, definitely. Because youcan actually think about theaesthetic of Achebe in yourown tongue and actualise it.Look at what late BasseyEffiong did when he

Following the sudden exit of ChinuaAchebe, doyen of African literature,

founding editor of the African WritersSeries and one of the founders of theAssociation of Nigerian Authors, theNational Executive Council of theAssociation of Nigerian Authors isorganizing a cross-country Tribute by allits chapters of the federation in honourof her departed grand trustee.

Each chapter is hereby directed by theNational EXCO to organize sessions of

tribute to Chinua Achebe between the 1st

and 15th of April, 2013 where writers whohave encountered the novelist inacademic, communal, literary or othercontexts would render or submit tributesto the memory of the departed Icon ofAfrican literature in English.

The tributes would subsequently befeatured in a national publication by theNational EXCO of the Association ofNigerian Authors.

Chinua Achebe: Call for Paper

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translated Things Fall Apart.It was so profound that youwould think you were readingthe novel while watching theadaptation. That novel can beanything. A good film scriptwriter will break down the

story and do a film script outof that novel.

Which other of Achebe’sworks do you think shouldbe turned to into a movie?

Arrow of God is there.

Yes, Prof. Emeka Nwabueze

He may not have beenfulfilled in one respectbecause he did not getthe kind of dream hewanted Nigeria to be.

Every artist has hisown goal and definitely,and if he did notsucceed in that…yesterday, I was readingabout his village, Ogidi,and I read about howbad one of his Uncle’sfelt because he couldnot get the kind ofleadership he wanted inhis community.

That kind of feeling isfrustration in the life ofan artist. But I can tellyou that as far as theNational Troupe isconcerned, we are goingto give a thought to thatkind of thing. If we cannot do it now definitelyin future during hisanniversary. We have alot to celebrate aboutthat man Achebe.

of the University of Nigeria,Nsukka did something aboutthat with his production ofstage adaptation titled, Whenthe Arrow Rebounds duringAchebe’s 60th birthday?

Ok, I don’t know about

Achebe was profound as anartist and the fact that hecuts across made himbecome more popular thanmany of his peers

•Martin Adaji

•Achebe

Page 57: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 31,, 2013, PAGE 57

\

THE memories and life oflate Afrobeat music legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti

came alive last week when friends, family members and followers ofthe revolutionary social crusadergathered at Nigeria Institute ofInternational Affairs, Victoria Is-land for the public presentationof a new book about him entitledKalakuta Diaries written by afriend and former personal aid toFela, Uwa Erhabor.

The launch of the book whichcan be described as a personalnarrative of events and charactersthat propelled and defined anAfrican social-political setting inthe heart of Lagos, Nigeria wasgraced by many notable Nigeri-ans among whom were; ChiefRasheed Gbadamosi who chairedthe occasion, Fela’s long stand-ing lawyer, Femi Falana, HumanRights Activists,Yinka Odumakin,Keith Richards, MD of Cowbell,Mrs Bose Kuti and Fela’s sonsKunle and Seun.

In his opening remarks, ChiefRasheed Gbadamosi who de-scribed himself as Fela’s earliestmusical soul mate said that hecounts himself extremely hon-oured to chair the event. He re-counted his long standing rela-tionship with Fela which datesback to the secondary school daysdown to when they leftd for aca-demic studies in London.

He narrated the series of en-counters he had with Fela dur-ing their secondary school daysand pointed out that it was im-possible to have lived in the 50s,

Abami Eda’sPortrait fromKalakutaDiaries

60s and 70s without being infected byFelaism. “The life as a school boy thenwithout Fela was not complete” He said.Continuing, the famous art patron also toldthe audience how Fela entertained themwith his Koola Labito band at PancreasHall, recounting that he used to play as aJazz trumpter at Maharani hall, but thatit was his mother who challenged him toplay his own music instead instead ofplaying the Oyibo music.

He also narrated how Fela foughtmany battles till the time he fell illand later died and described the lateAfrobeat King as an important indi-vidual that one can not do away with.

According to him, “Fela was agreat mind, a wonderful human

being, who made great impact on allwho know him. We must thank theauthor for doing a great job that will

help us to remember Fela today.”Falana, who was Fela’s lawyer in

his characteristic way bemoaned thecurrent political realities in Nigeriawhere corruption is highly celebratedand argued said that these are aremost of these things that Fela spokeagainst when he was alive. He men-tioned one of Fela’s song AuthorityStealing recorded in 1988 which cap-tures the essence of the current stateof corruption in the land. Accordingto him, Fela was talking about thecelebrated pen robbers that stole mil-lions then as against the armed rob-bers that stole hundreds.

Voice from beyond

He described Fela as a prophet, and stated that evenfrom the grave Fela’s voice still ech-oes to impact on current issues. Fi-nally, he praised the author for bring-ing the tangible book on Fela at thistime, adding that Fela was a big do-nation from the Kuti family to theAfrican project.

Yinka Odumakin on his partpraised the Kuti’s family for being avaluable asset to the country. Re-counting how he saw Seun performFela’s Sorrow, tears and blood verywell at age six and how he has beendoing now, he said, “Fela has donehis duty for generation’s yet unborn.”

Keith Richards, the Managing Di-rector of Cowbell who was the Chieflauncher described the late Afro beatking as the real role model for peo-ple. Richards who pointed out thatFela was one of the three peoples heregretted not meeting during their lifetime. “I never met Fela for one day, Ilived in Nigeria for years but I re-gret not having met him when he wasalive.” He added.

•Late Fela Anikulapo KutiLate Afrobeat King Fela Anikulapo Kuti

BY JAPHET ALAKAMPRESENTPRESENTPRESENTPRESENTPRESENTAAAAATIONTIONTIONTIONTION

Chinua AcChinua AcChinua AcChinua AcChinua Achebe: hebe: hebe: hebe: hebe: From Story to Set

When the Babangindaa d m i n i s t r a t i o n

appointed Dr WalterOfonagoro the DirectorGeneral of NigerianTelevision Authourity NTA,little was it known that, thatsimple policy decision by thenew helmsman was going toinaugurate a revolutionarytrend both on stage, movieand in the entire literary

appreciation of onethe greatest prosenarratives of the last

century, Things Fall Apart.Ofonogaro’s decision to

commission the televisionshooting of Chinua Achebe’sThings Fall Apartsurprisingly turned out to beone of the finest and mosteffective business decisionsthat transformed the entireentertainment turf.

And this decision was drivenby one factor. The existence

of a good story. The story ofone man, a genius. That manwas Chinua Achebe, who inan attempt to tell the story ofclash of culture andcivilization succeeded intelling a universal story thatresonates with truth andemotion.

Achebe’s novel, written fromthe hindsight of historychallenges the prevailingDarwinist theory ofsuperiority imposed onAfricans by Eurocentric writersand anthropologists.

Writing from the convictionsuch much espoused in hisessay, The Novelist as aTeacher, he tells a verybeautiful story that capturesthe beautiful soul andmannerism of the black world.

Through his own engagingnarrative power-domesticated Englishlanguage that carries thesyntax and rhythm of thenative language- Achebe tellsthe story of a generation in away that it can longer beignored even by the realowners of the Englishlanguage.

Achebe, Martin Adaji,Artistic Director of theNational Troupe of Nigeria

observes, “had this craft ofspeaking and writing theEnglish language. If he spokeEnglish, using Englishlanguage, you would thinkthat he was speaking Igbo toyou. You would begin to thinkabout what he spoke to youin your own native language.He spoke the Englishlanguage with the fluidity ofIgbo language.”

It is perhaps the depth ofAchebe’s use of language, thesimplicity of his prose and thecommunicative power of hisproverbs that attractedtheatrical and stage interestson the entire gamut of hiscreative oeuvre.

Therefore, the NigerianBroadcasting Corporationstarted off the journey in 1961with a radio/ television dramacalled Okonkwo which wassaid to have featured Nobellaureate Wole Soyinka.

Also in 1987, the book wasmade into a very successfulminiseries directed by DavidOrere and broadcast onNigerian television by theNigerian Television Authority.It starred several establishedfilm actors, including PeteEdochie, Nkem Owoh andSam Loco.

Interestingly, It is some ofthese early cast of televisionset of Achebe’s famed ThingsFall Apart; Nkem Owok, lateSam Loco and indefectiblePete Edochie that becamesome of the pioneer andposter faces of Nigeria’scommanding movie industry.

The successful adaptation ofthe novel by NigerianTelevision Authority alsoencouraged some otherNigerian scholars and theatrepractitioners to look atAchebe’s others works.

In this regard, theUniversity of Nigeria, Nsukkaprofessor of Theatre andDramatic Arts, EmekaNwabueze as part of Achebe’s60th year birth dayanniversary in 1990 adaptedArrow of God. It titled, Whenthe Arrow Rebounds.

Besides, Nigerian TelevisionAuthority’s shooting of ThingsFall Apart, Nigerian born andBritish based scholar, BiyiBandele Thomas alsoadapted Things Fall Apart forthe stage.

The stage attempt atinterpreting Achebe’snarrative of the colonialencounter has not onlyhelped to deepen thepostcolonial discourse, butmore fundamentally, aided inthe popularization of both theauthour and the text.

BY MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU

•A scene from Biyi Bandele’s adapation of Things Fall Apart

Page 58: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

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VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

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Misdirected anger over Alamieyeseigha

CRITICS of PresidentGoodluck Jonathanand the National

Council of State over the par-don granted former BayelsaState Governor, Chief Diepr-eye Alamieyeseigha, arestanding on a rickety tripod fortheir vituperations: one legsays it is immoral for the Pres-ident to officially forgive a manthat had been found guilty ofcorruptly enriching himselfwith state funds and jailed af-ter being removed from office.The other leg insists thatJonathan displayed crass in-sensitivity to the mood of anation that has accepted cor-ruption as its arch-enemy.Thirdly, are those who see thepardon as part of a grand planto return the President to pow-er in 2015 and make way for aSenate landing for Alamieye-seigha.

Without doubt, the naysay-ers of the action agree that MrPresident did not contravenethe provision of the Constitu-

tion he swore to protect butaver that in observing and ex-ercising his powers, he “mustat all times be (on) the side ofnatural justice, equity andgood conscience.”

The moral school criticstherefore argue that the issueis beyond a constitutional mat-ter. It is chiefly a moral affair.Even at that, we still cannotfault what the President andthe NCS did as it is morallywrong to refuse clemency to aremorseful person after yearsof his transgression. The HolyWrit, which the moralists sub-scribe to, does not permit thatyou hang a judgment of ever-lasting guilt on somebody thathas been punished and whohas atoned for his errant deed.

If the President and the re-spected National Council ofState, in their wisdom, areclear in their mind and deci-sion that truly the former gov-ernor has since his prison termbeen rehabilitated to the pointthat he has been helping tostabilize the hitherto troubledNiger Delta region, it wouldbe mischievous to questionthem and continue to seeAlamieyeseigha in his oldgarb. Of course, this is not tosuggest that crime pays orshould not be punished. But

only cynical citizens wouldread evil in the President’smove.

The second leg of the tripodof the critics is also wobbly inthe face of the argument thatcorruption, in the wider sense,is only symptomatic of somemore malignant malaise. Wecannot therefore charge Mr.

idency as U.S. presidents do.But why wait for that long toperform a patriotic service?Why deny the nation what isprofitable to it now?

The third leg the pardon op-ponents are standing on is themost fragile and laughable:the link of Alamieyeseigha’spardon to the fortunes of

ness to sink your hope in oneperson during a poll.

One can similarly dismiss asirrational the view that thepardon was granted to preparethe ex-governor for a Senateseat in 2015. It is also prepos-terous to assume he did it soAlamieyeseigha can get avice-presidential take if thePresident is not considered asthe Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) candidate in 2015. Whatriotous imagination! Rightthinking people would con-demn this position the sameway Nigerians should riseagainst the interference of theUnited States of America inthe pardon affair. They haveno right to meddle in Niger-ia’s internal affairs.

Also condemnable is the callfor the impeachment of thePresident over the matterwhen the fact remains that dueprocess was followed in grant-ing the pardon to Alamieye-seigha and the seven others.

Let critics of the action notcreate the impression that theyare giving the President a badname in order to hang him.Clearly, that is the way it ap-pears.

· Alabrah is Head of Mediaand Communications, Presi-dential Amnesty Office, Abu-ja.

President with ‘crass grasp’ ofthe issue of corruption ingranting pardon to a man thathad been convicted of graft.

His critics also say the tim-ing of his action is wrong.Pray, is a good deed a perish-able commodity? Of coursenot!

Some of the critics have sug-gested that Jonathan shouldhave pardoned the ex-gover-nor at the tail end of his pres-

Pardon for ex-governor ofBayelsa on a tripod

Jonathan for re-election in2015 (if he chooses to seeknomination). The President,as we all know, needs thevotes of the majority of Nige-rians and not the endorsementor vote of one man. You maytalk of the influence a promi-nent person exerts on politics.But in the long run it is theballot that determines the can-didate’s fate. So it wouldamount to electoral reckless-

BY DANIEL ALABRAH

PAGE 58 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 31, 2013

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Erediauwa: A nonagenerian on the Benin throne

AS a young prince andheir apparent, ObaErediauwa was known

as PrinceSolomon Aiseokhuoba, Ig-binoghodua Akenzua,crowned on March 23, 1979 asOmo N’ Oba Erediauwa, Obaof Benin at the age of 56, isabout 90 years old.

He had the throne as his cra-dle. Apart from the usual tra-ditional palace tutorials whichbegin at birth, he went to Gov-ernment School, Benin afterwhich he proceeded to Gov-ernment College, Ibadan in1939 and obtained in flyingcolours – his London Matric-ulations which qualified himto gain admission into YabaCollege in 1945. After thecourse at Yaba, he was admit-ted into King’s College, Cam-bridge to study law and ad-ministration. He returned toNigeria to join the EasternNigeria Civil Service as a Dis-trict Officer (D.O.) in 1952. Hetransferred his services to theFederal Civil Service and rose

to the position of PermanentSecretary. He retired fromservice in 1973 and becamethe regional representative ofGulf Oil Company. He was ap-pointed Commissioner for Fi-nance in the military adminis-tration of Major-General Innihin 1975.His early retirement from theservice was to have time toexpose him fully to the intri-cacies of the administrativechallenges that would confronthim in the performance of hisduties as Oba of Benin.His father, Akenzua II, also inhis time, was Secretary to Ewe-ka I, his father. This made himto have a first hand knowledgeof traditional issues that arosefrom the Native Administra-tion. The political

turbulence that confrontedAkenzua II due to the expo-sure of the new elites to rep-resentative Native Administra-tion in the 40s and the intro-duction of party politics in the50’s could only have beensurmounted by a ruler ofAkenzua’s experience, pa-tience, courage and subtle di-plomacy.

In his time, traditional rul-

ers could be members of po-litical parties.Akenzua II was in the fore-front of the creation of theMidwest State.He formed a political party forthis purpose – Benin-DeltaPeoples Party in 1953. Otu-Edo was formed to defend hisperson against the politicalonslaught of the Ogboni/Ac-tion Group under the leader-ship of

Eguobase Gaius Obaseki, theninth child of AghoObaseki.Nevertheless, Eredi-auwa N’ Oba has used his of-fice to influence the welfare ofhis people. He is an unmov-ing pivot around which thelives of his subjects revolve.Over the years, he dischargedhis responsibilities with muchworldly wisdom and withdauntless courage.

for the celebration of their val-ues. They celebrate the insti-tution which was once in tra-vails. On occasion like thisthey also recall the unfortu-nate and unpleasant events of1897: The era of the interreg-num, the embattled 1914 res-toration of the monarchy andthe enthronement of Eweka II;then of course, the triumph ofthe monarchy during the glo-rious reign of Akenzua II1933-1978. In essence both fa-ther Akenzua II and son Ere-diauwa were products of co-lonial Nigeria’s transforma-tional growth of renewal orrebirth of a new nation.The age of an Oba does notmatter to the Edos as you can-not separate the Oba from histhrone or his subjects. That iswhy their usual prayer is thatthe Oba should reign and livelong (Oba ghato okpere),if possible live for ever. Whilethey celebrate their Oba intheir various rituals they areindirectly celebrating continu-ity, survival and stability of aninstitution which for about1,000years remainsundaunted. Uku AkpolokpoloOmo N’ Oba N’ Edo Eredi-auwa is only 90 years old thisyear.

Oba Ghato Okpere. Ise* Osawe, is a journalist, his-

torian, former member of theHouse of Representatives

TRIBTRIBTRIBTRIBTRIBUTEUTEUTEUTEUTE

TRIBUTE IN BRIEF

Celebrating the Omo N’Oba

BY AMBROSE OSAWE

Oba Erediauwa

Since his ascension to the an-cient throne, he has given ef-fective leadership to his sub-jects. On his coronation day,he pledged to unite all Edospeaking people includingthose in diaspora. His mainfocus was to establish thegreat Edo culture and tradi-tion in line with acceptablenorms of a modern society.

For the Binis or the Edos,there is always a great need

Since his ascensionto the ancient throne,he has giveneffective leadershipto his subjects

We still cannot fault whatthe President and the NCSdid as it is morally wrongto refuse clemency to aremorseful person afteryears of his transgression

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SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 31, 2013, PAGE 59

THE continued outpouring of media

attacks on GovernorGodswill Akpabio ofAkwa Ibom State for hiskind gesture aimed atthe symbolic uplifting ofdeserving Nigerianstars, specifically Mr. In-nocent (Tuface) Idibia,may soon find its wayinto Guinness Book ofRecords. The sustainedmomentum of the at-tacks, obviously effectu-ated by series of exas-perated desperationtraceable to the unfold-ing ‘do or die’ politics of2015 elections being un-abashedly fermented, issomething else for thehistory books. It is be-tween the latitudes ofthe desperate bids for2015 elections and puremischief to destroy thepatent goodwill by Akpa-bio that the orchestratedmedia attacks can be bestsituated.

With little recourse to

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genuine civility and in-tegrity, it is unfortunatethat these hired mediahatchet-men have con-tinued a chain of avari-cious fibrous-rooted ar-guments against Akpa-bio’s marriage gift to thebest internationallyknown and recognizedmusic icon in Nigeria

press.It is even more puz-

zling that only Akpabio’sdonations are being lam-pooned in this regard. InNovember last year, gov-ernors from the MuslimNigeria and other emi-nent Nigerians includ-ing the Governor of theCentral Bank, openlydonated generously to-wards the building of themosque in OlusegunObasanjo InternationalLibrary that against theN350 million beingsought for the buildingof the mosque, morethan N370 million wasrealized in a single day,and none of the mediado-gooders and ‘publicwatchdogs’ remember totalk or write about it.

Not too long ago, themost respected Highlifeliving legend, Dr. VictorAbimbola Olaiya, washonoured with the latestmodel of Toyota Avensiscar by Governor Fayemiof Ekiti State to mark his80th birthday. This ges-ture was applauded bythe same media crucify-ing Akpabio for the sameworthy and historicmove. Recently too, apolitical leader of thesouthwest extraction cel-ebrated another phase ofhis birthday milestoneand five state governors

cial management of thepeople’s resources to anobscene level… and adisplay of profligate cul-ture. “In the same edito-rial feature, it is statedthat “Akpabio, who oncegave a cash gift of N10million to the nationalUnder-17 football team –the Golden Eaglets-for

Akpabio and the veiled media attacks

BY EDWARDEKPENYONG

VIEWPOINTVIEWPOINTVIEWPOINTVIEWPOINTVIEWPOINT

In defence of a gover-nor’s donations.

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

today. In a pitiable or-chestrated format, selectpersonal and editorialcolumns are being dedi-cated to an unbridleddissipation of time andmedia space to demeana very noble cause quiteworthy of emulation byright-thinking membersof the society, especiallymedia opinion leaders.

In one of the obviouslysponsored media mis-siles being unjustlyhurled on the governor,he was said to have en-gaged in “taking finan-

There is no denying the fact thatAkpabio is being intentionallymarked for mudslinging by hismedia attackers and theirsponsors. In this regard, the

DELTANS havebeen urged tosupport the

Ijaw nation to producethe next governor of thestate.

Making the appeal inPort Harcourt, Coordina-tor, Delta Youths, basedin Port Harcourt, MrBussa Fullpower, saidother ethnic groups inthe state should back theIjaw to have the slot thistime, stressing that theIjaw had not held theposition of governor ordeputy since the crea-tion of the state over adecade ago.

According to Full-power, the Urhobo pro-duced the first executivecivilian governor of thestate, in the person ofOlorogun Felix Ibru andthe second Chief JamesIbori, stating that thepeople of Anioma hadalso produced deputy

Deltans urged to supportijaw for governor

from the region and Edowere alleged to havedonated generously to-wards the success of theevent and no media col-umnist or a newspapercriticized the donationsjust as the N54 milliondonated by GovernorBabatunde Raji Fasholaof Lagos never attractedany media odium.

There is no denying thefact that Akpabio is be-ing intentionally markedfor mudslinging by hismedia attackers andtheir sponsors. In thisregard, the attackershave unprofessionallyconstituted themselvesto the accusers, defend-ants, judges at the sametime in attacking thegestures that are purelyhumanitarian, and in thereal sense, are out of theorbit of the series of thehundreds of unreportedoutlandish ‘Naira Rain’in celebration of vague-ness like birthdays, fu-nerals and other socialengagements with nopositive import on thenation’s socio-economicadvancement by manynotable political leadersin Nigeria generally.

Returning to the vexedissues of N50 millionendowment funds he in-stituted to honour talent-ed or exceptional actors

and actress in Nolly-wood; his gift to TufaceIdibia and others, whatthe media missile-shoot-ers probably did notknow is that the expend-iture of the governor iscaptured in the AkwaIbom State Budget 2013Under Section 467 Sub-section 169 (Other Activ-ities of the Governor -Hospitality and Dona-tions.). This, in effect, iswhere Akpabio deriveshis constitutional powerfor the humanitariangestures being mischie-vously attacked.

It is bewildering thatany right-thinking Nige-rian should pray thatTuface Idibia should be-come a victim of the cal-lous culture of honour-ing our stars only whenthere are in the valley ofshadow of death by Ni-gerian leaders. It is amost embarrassing thingto note that the token oflove by Akpabio, whichis nothing much for themusician to personallyacquire giving his stu-pendous wealth, couldbecome a very ridiculousmedia issue.

*Dr. Ekpenyong is aUS-based medical prac-titioner and public ana-lyst.

beating Mali in a firstleg African Under-17Championship qualifierin Calabar went aheadthe same weekend tohand out a cash of N6million to the six South-South PDP at the party’sreconciliation meeting inCalabar.” But, apartfrom the fact that thesedonations are not out ofplace constitutionally, itis puzzling why they arebeing blown out of com-monsensical proportionby a section of the mostrespected Southwest

governors, EvangelistSimeon Ebonka, ChiefBenjamin Elue and alsohost the capital city of thestate.

He said in this repub-lic, the sitting governor,Emmanuel Uduaghan isof the Itsekiri stock whilehis deputy, Prof AmosUtuama is from Isoko,appealing to Deltans tosupport Senator JamesManager, who theyouths would want to bethe candidate of the Ijawnation in the election.

He further recalledthat Senator Managerwhen he was Commis-sioner for Works in thestate made sure that allsections of the state feltthe impact of govern-ance. According to him,he constructed roads,bridges and opened vil-lages to modern civilisa-tion in the entire states.

Demolition of N240m property: Real estate firmreports FCT minister to Jonathan

FOLLOWING the demolition of property

worth over N240 million,a real estate firm, FaplinNigeria Limited, hascalled on President Good-luck Jonathan to sack theFCT Minister, SenatorBala Mohammed, who itaccused of disobedience toa court order to demolishthe housing estate.

The Project Manager ofthe firm, Geoffrey On-wubuya, who made the callin Abuja,however, threatened to filecontempt proceedingsagainst Mohammed fordemolishing three struc-tures in his estate.

Onwubuya alleged thatthe FCT Administrationdemolished part of its es-tate at Dakwo District Ca-dastral Zone, Abuja, onTuesday, in violation of anorder by Justice O. A Musaof the FCT High Court,dated January 23, 2013.

Onwubuya, who put thevalued of the estate atN240 million, includingthe fence, while showingthe court order, explained

By Chris Ochayi that the minister and thedirector, department of de-velopment control and oth-er FCT agencies in chargeof land matters were par-ties to the suit.

According to him, the

certificate of judgementwas also obtained andserved on the respondentswho he said ignored theorder and went ahead topull down part of the estate.

The manager stated that

his firm got the allocationfor the land through theappropriate channels, add-ing that the property hadno encumbrance and it wasduly approved by the min-ister.

Anambra guber: Why we back Obiogbolu – Stakeholders

By LEKAN BILESANMI

AS the next governorship election in

Anambra State hots up,some stakeholders haveendorsed Dr Alex Obiog-bolu. Obiogbolu is theonly Peoples DemocraticParty, PDP, member tohave publicly declare torun for the election. A stakeholder in Anao-cha local governmentarea, Dr. Enendu, whilepromising the support ofthe people of the area forthe aspirant, said thepeople are now poised tocorrect the mistakes ofthe past whereby multi-millionaires are giventhe mantle of leadership

only for them to turnaround and trade awaythe soul of the state byseeing everything interms of Naira and Koboand total disrespect forthe welfare of the Anam-bra people. He ex-pressed the local gov-ernment’s preparednessto see that the aspirationof Obiogbolu becomes areality so as turn thestate around for the bet-ter.

In his own contribu-tion, Hon. Chibuzor Olideclared that the stake-holders had realizedthat Obiogbolu is a goodproduct who can easilybe sold to all the senato-rial zones in the state.

Chief Emma Oguaju

pleaded for unity amongthe PDP members andstated that there wasneed to back up the as-piration of Obiogbolu.The story was the sameat Njikoka local govern-ment area where thestakeholders who at-tended a meeting tried tooutdo one another in ex-tolling the qualities ofthe aspirant.Obiogbolu, while thank-ing the stakeholders forthe confidence reposedin him, said that he isthe answer to GovernorPeter Obi’s prayers thatwhoever that will takeover the mantle of gov-erning Anambra afterhim must be a selflessperson.

Page 60: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

losers.Street urchins or Alamajiris, as

they are known here, also had a good fill as they becameemergency PDP boys.

That kind of spectacle wasuncommon under the lateGovernor Ibrahim Yakowa, whomanaged to rule without abattery of hoodlums, andscreaming faithful disruptingpublic functions as was theculture with his twopredecessors, Senator AhmedMakarfi and Arc NamadiSambo.

Yero was an accountant in theNalado Enterprise, owned bySambo. When Sambo becamegovernor in 2007, he brough inYero to be his Commissioner forFinance. Yero became deputygovernor after Sambo waselevated to Vice President in2009, rising to be governor afterthe demise of Yakowa lastDecember.

“If there is anything that youmust give to Yero”, said areporter with a foreign basedbroadcast company who doesnot want his name mentioned, “itis that he has returned the unrulyPDP boys to their jobs.”

But, Yero and his team saidthere was indeed a good reasonto celebrate the governor ’s oneyear in office.

And it was evident that day.Spread under the scotching

sun, about 500 metres from thestand of the VIP behind the

excited rowdy crowd, were N869million worth of goodies forthe poor on loan: 15 luxurybuses, 35 mini buses, 40 taxis and700 tricycles all under theSubsidy ReinvestmentProgramme (SURE-P)purchased by the late Yakowa,who died before sharing themout.

And that was not all.According to the DirectorGeneral, Media and Publicity tothe Governor, Alh. AhmedMaiyaki, “the governor has metwith both Christian and Muslimleaders including traditionalleaders seeking sustained peacein Kaduna State.

“He has also concluded plansto empower 6,000 unemployedwomen in the 23 localgovernment areas of the state.The governor has improved thehealth care system in the state.In the 2013 budget, there is aprovision to construct 30 newhealth facilities in the state, inaddition to genuine commitmenttowards the eradication of polioand measles.

“The governor has also kept hisword to run an all exclusivegovernment”.

To the last one, however, theSouthern Kaduna ProgressiveYouth Movement, led by MrCaleb Samuel Abbott, felt verydifferently.

At a press conference, Abbottalleged that there was nota single Christian in KadunaState Government House thatheld any viable responsibility,accusing Yero of transferring or

Chief Detail, Aide de Camp(ADC), Police Orderly, SSSOrderly, and Private PrincipalSecretary (PPS).

Others include the Chief ofStaff, Deputy Chief of Staff,Secretary to Kaduna StateGovernment, Director General,Media, Director, Finance/Accounts, Government House,

Senour Special Assistant,Media, Senior Special AssistantPublic Affairs.

The rest are: Director Admin/Supply, Transport Officer, ChiefDriver, Government HouseCashier, and Director of Works.

“We have it on authority thateven long serving domestic andstaff in Government House whoare not Muslims were relived ofthe jobs and replaced byMuslims”, the group said.

But Maiyaki defended Yero,this saying, ”It is the tradition atall levels of government. Theappointment made so far wasdone without malice. HisExcellency has repeated this overand over again. He does nothave any problem with thepeople of Southern Kaduna andhe has promised to carry allcitizens in the state along”.

He said that the accusers of thegovernment forgot to includethat the Protocol Officer to theGovernor, Mr. Ibrahim Kure, isa Christian, even though theDirector of Protocol is a Muslim.

“Even the Head of Service, Mr.Nathaniel Hayab, appointedunder Yakowa is a Christian. Ifthe governor wanted, he couldhave removed him. But he did notdo that because he believes infairness”, he added.

The governor got anotherdamming assessment from anexpected quarter - the ActionCongress of Nigeria (ACN).

On Yero’s 100 days in office,the state Chairman of the ACN,Mohammed Sani Soba, in apress statement on Tuesday,

said: “As the administration ofGovernor Mukhtar RamalanYero marks its 100 days in office,the Kaduna State Chapter of theACN wishes to make thefollowing observations:

“Yero administration has notrecorded any meaningfulprogress in its 100 days in officelargely due to the absence of aclearly defined direction andpoor information managementmechanism which keeps thepeople of Kaduna State insuspense.

“The administration came witha lot of goodwill and sympathyconsidering the circumstancessurrounding the tragic death ofthe former Governor Sir PatrickIbrahim Yakowa. However, inthe last 100 days, the Yeroadministration has not doneenough to convince the populacethat it is indeed a continuationof the Yakowa administration.

“Instead, the Yeroadministration has so far provedto be an off-shoot of the NamadiAdministration that was wellknown for its exclusivism,suspicious implementation ofprojects that have no directbearing on the lives of thecitizens of Kaduna State such asthe new Governor’s Office thatgulped over N10 billion (andstill not utilized) and award offictitious contracts like theprovision of uniforms forPrimary School pupils which arestill being paid for, years afterthe departure of the NamadiAdministration even though noone could see the uniforms.

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PAGE 60—SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013

sacking all Christians heinherited.

According to the group, onlyMuslims serving under Yakowasurvived the alleged purge tomake present occupants of theseoffices all Muslims: ChiefSecurity Officer to the Governor,

Delta govt needs support of the people todeliver on promises – Tebite

BY FESTUS AHONBY FESTUS AHONBY FESTUS AHONBY FESTUS AHONBY FESTUS AHON

OLOROGUN Taleb Tebite is amember of Delta State House ofAssembly representing UghelliSouth constituency.

In this interview, he speaks onthe administration of GovernorEmmanuel Uduaghan and otherissues.

Excerpts:How will you rate the

performance of GovernorEmmanuel Uduaghan as amember of the Delta StateHouse of Assembly?

Speaking as a Deltan that I am,Governor Emmanuel EwetaUduaghan is one governor tobeat in the Nigeria of today. Heis one governor that hascoordinated projects in allaspects of human endeavour.Since he assumed office in May2007, he has kept faith with histhree-point agenda.

In the area of infrastructure,Uduaghan is doing well; in thearea of health, Uduaghan isdoing well; in education andagriculture, he is doingexceedingly well. You are veryconversant with the state; take adrive across Delta, and what yousee is massive construction oftownship roads completed andon-going in Asaba, Agbor,Sapele, Jeremi and other majortowns in the state.

And I want to commend thestate commissioner for works,

Yero’s 100 days: Self-kudos amid knocks

Mr Solomon Funkekeme, for thequality of roads and drainagesbeing constructed. I alsocommend the effort of the statecommissioner for special duties(infrastructures), Mrs OreziEsievo.

In the area of education, ninetypercent of our primary andsecondary schools areundergoing reconstruction. Aswe speak, our schools have beengiven a major facelift. Schoolsare being renovated withmodern facilities. Besides,government is paying enrolmentfees for our JSS 3 and SSS 3students. Let me use this mediumto commend our commissionerfor basic and secondaryeducation, Prof PatrickMuoboghare, andcommissioner for highereducation, Prof Hope Eghagha,for bringing their wealth ofexperience in education to bearin the discharge of their duties.

Our children in tertiaryinstitutions are also being paidbursary and scholarships. Thestate government has severalscholarship schemes. There is ascheme for those doing firstdegree, second degree and Ph.D.There is another one for firstclass students to proceed on theirmaster ’s programmes inuniversities of their choice in theworld.

Our rural communities are

being connected to the nationalgrid. Transformers are beinginstalled. The commissioner forpower and energy, Mr CharlesEmetulu, also needs to becommended for the work he isdoing particularly in our ruralcommunities; even our riverinecommunities are being linked.

How will you describe therelationship between theexecutive and the legislativearms of government in thestate?

We have a very cordial workingrelationship. The House, underthe leadership of Mr VictorOchei, is vibrant and focused. Wehave passed several bills thathave direct bearing ongovernance. This year ’sappropriation bill is a bill forrapid development of the state;

every part of the State hasprojects in the appropriationbill. Better days await the peopleand I wish to appeal to them

developing towards that direc-tion now. The airport is a verybusy one and you can imaginehow it will be when it commenc-es international flights withcargo planes landing there. An-ambra people come here to catchflights to Abuja and Lagos. Soyou can see that the economicbenefits of the airport areenormous; government needsthe support of all Deltans todeliver on its promises.

How do you rate theadministration of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan?

President Goodluck Jonathanhas shown to Nigerians that thepeople from the minority groupscan govern well if given theopportunity to rule this country.This is the first time somebodyfrom the minority ethnic groupis governing this country aselected president and he hasmade us proud.

I want to thank GovernorUduaghan for the support he isgiving President GoodluckJonathan. He has every reasonto support Jonathan and I wantto urge all Niger Deltans tosupport Mr President to succeed.

Your constituency wasravaged by the last flood, whichwreaked havoc in the country.What is your assessment of thefederal and state governmentsintervention in that regard?

We thank God for the life ofGovernor Uduaghan who God isusing to bless us in this criticaltime in the history of our dearstate. Governor Uduaghan wasdriven by love; he took personalinterest in those affected by thefloods.

Taleb Tebite

never to relent in their supportfor Governor EmmanuelUduaghan. Uduaghan holds thedevelopment of the state close tohis heart and is determined toaccomplish his vision for Deltabefore the expiration of histenure in 2015.

Let us look at the AsabaInternational Airport; how hasit affected the economy of Deltasince it commenced flights lastyear?

The airport, apart from itseconomic gains, has givenAsaba, the state capital a facelift.People are now building aroundthe airport; the capital city is

Continued from page 55

In the last 100 days,the Yeroadministration hasnot done enoughto convince thepopulace that it isindeed acontinuation of theYakowaadministration

,

,Better days await thepeople and I wish toappeal to them neverto relent in theirsupport for GovernorEmmanuel Uduaghan

Page 61: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013, PAGE 61

BY BASHIR ADEFAKA

Bosun Oladele, PrincipalPartner/Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Oladele &

Oladele Solicitors, Lagos, wasGovernor Abiola Ajimobi’sfirst Commissioner forInformation and Orientationin Oyo State. He wasrelieved of his appointmenton the 6th of November, 2012along with two other membersof the cabinet. But whilemany received his sack newsas a rude shock, Oladeledescribed it as a routineevent that must happen in thelife of man.

Hard-work and service. These, according to Oladele,are his stepping stones tosuccess. He is not onlycomfortable today as aprofessional, he isalso relevant in politics.Inthe politics of OyoState, Oladele is on ground. He was a die-hard memberof the Alliance for Democracy(AD) such that while othersfled the party for fear ofthe unknown in the eightyears that the PDP held swayin the state, Oladele remaineda consistent youth leader andsaw the party through itstransformation from AD toAction Congress (AC)and later Action Congress ofNigeria (ACN).

He says the road to successwas rough. The fourth in afamily of five explainsthat but for the grace of Godand the disciplinarianattitude of his parents whotaught him and his siblingsthe virtues of good characterand hard-work, it was hard tobelieve that the beginning ofhis success could come at thetime it came. No surprise hetook the hard-working attitudeto office as commissioner.

“I would say that if not forGod, everything about me

and, having been trained asteacher, I, ordinarily, shouldgo to the classroom and startteaching. But by the virtue ofmy own nature and the kindof things that our parentstaught us never to say die orquit, I always struggled to putin my best; aspiring, hopingand working towards it”,hestarted off as we sat down forthis interview.

“I attended St. AgnesCollege of Education, Oyo. I was supposed to go touniversity to complete my

me, I would say I wasprobably one of the oldest inthat class regarding the factthat I had had experience ina tertiary institution beforethen as an undergraduate.

“And graduating from OAUand through the Nigerian LawSchool, I wanted to learn, Iwanted to be a practisinglawyer and I wanted to be agood one. So, I decided toteam up with a law firm of,then, a young man that wasbusy and also amiable to me.I undertook my Youth Servicethere and I’m talking of Ade,Adeyeye & Co in Lagoshere.

Barrister Adeyeye would tellme that he’ is a lawyer, aprofessional like you and thatthere is no way a lawyer canadequately pay a lawyer ’sremuneration but that the bestthing is to learn to be able tomake this money yourself ’ . And I was doing that withoutgetting salary but if briefcame, I would work on it andget a fraction of it.

“So, that encouraged me tolearn harder because Ibelieved then that it was sweetand it could be sweetermaking your own money andhaving a chance over yourmoney and how you want tospend it or how you want tomanage it.”

Just for the aim of attainingafter-school knowledge of the

practice,Olad ele spent 15years in the law firm withoutearning salary but, throughthe knowledge of making self-money taught him by theowner of the chamber, hebegan to ride a brand new carbefore leaving to set up hisown law firm.

“By the time I was leavinghim to set up my own law firm,I had already started riding abrand new car, bought out ofmy own sweat. I had alreadybecome a partner in the lawfirm and head of chamber. Iwas able to handle things onmy own and I left to formOladele & Oladele Solicitorsin 2008.

“Meanwhile I believe thatnone of the stretch was easy. As a lawyer, you want to stayin a place in the name oflearning and spend ten years,talk less of fifteen years? ButI have no regrets that, today,if I have to do it again, I willdo it all over. Because, itwasn’t just a commitment; itwasn’t the desire to learn; itwasn’t the aspiration to beable to hold my own but it wasa virtue that I developed overtime: patience andsteadiness. Staying withsomebody in his own law firmfor 15 years before you haveyour own, everybody wouldsay that was rather late. But,to me, that’s the way it wasdestined to be.”

today would not havebeen possible becauseeverything I have achievedcame to me at that stage thathuman beings would say it’srather becoming late. Starting out from tertiaryinstitution, I was trained as ateacher in the first instance

studies so that I could have adegree in education. Alongthe line, I also put in forJAMB, took the examinationto become a preliminarystudent, that is, year one inObafemi Awolowo University,Ile-Ife. And at the point Imatriculated to read law, to

If not for God, everything aboutme today would not have

been possible because everythingI have achieved came to me at that

stage that human beings wouldsay it’s rather becoming late

,

,

CMYK

Page 62: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 31, 2013 --PAGE 62

By HARRY IWUALA

It didn’t come as muchsurprise the surreptitiousattempts by some group to

engineer confusion and derailthe planned reform of theNigeria Professional FootballLeague which only recentlyemerged from years of theworst kind of self-inflicteddisruption. As one who hasextensive knowledge of the in-fighting that ruined themanagement of the leaguethese past four years, theappointment of the 13-memberInterim ManagementCommittee was an insightfulstep towards resolving theleague crisis. I found myselfagreeing with the HonourableSports Minister and droppedmy suspicion of his earliermotives for insisting on thesacking of the Chief VictorRumson Baribote-led Board ofthe now defunct NigeriaPremier League (NPL) or is itNigeria Football League (NFL)Limited Board.

While the membership of thecommittee seems unwieldy, thequality and pedigree of thepersons can hardly be faulted.The significance of theirresource capacity can begleaned in the reportpublished recently detailingtheir destination and roadmap.For the first time since theinception of what has beentagged Premier League in thecountry, a direct attempt atadministering football as acommercial venture has beenpresented. But it is natural toresist change especially by afew who has held the systemhostage and feeding filthy faton the sweat of youngNigerians.

Let us examine the issuesthat seem to have beencontentious starting with thealarm raised over theincorporation of the LeagueManagement Company(LMC). What emerges frommost of the submissions madeon social media is the questionof ‘who granted the promotersof LMC the mandate to holdshares in trust for the clubs’?The second that has beenraised is about the ownershipof the LMC.

The recent clarification madethrough the release of adetailed report of their ‘reasond’être’ and activities so far byMr. Ndukar Irabor, exposed ahuge gap in knowledge by

League Reformsversus CorruptStrongholds

most of those who have beencommenting on the structure ofLMC and their approach tomanaging the league. Butsome are also strictly out ofmischief aimed at retaining thestatus quo.

Some persons have alsocontended that the clubs ought

led to the judgment to unwindthe NFL. You can only becomean active shareholder ordirector by making equitycontributions in cash, serviceor machinery to thecapitalization of a business.What most of those crying wolfhave missed is that the leaguehas turned a phase to operateas a business and not the usualmulti-purpose come-grabaffair. As seen in the ruling bythe respected Justice D. O.Okorowo of the Abuja HighCourt in the case brought byDr. Sam Sam Jaja against theNFF, NFL and some otherindividuals, “that theincorporation of the 1stDefendant as a company withthe 1st and 2nd Defendant asthe only subscribers to itsMemorandum and Articles of

Association is tantamount toincorporation by one personand thus illegal and void in sofar as the 1st Defendant wasnot a legal person at the timeof the subscription to theMemorandum and Articles ofAssociation.”

Perhaps those who areworried about the stake of theclubs in LMC have failed torealize that the company hasonly been 25% capitalizedgoing from the documentrecently circulated. Whathappens to the remaining75%? Isn’t it obvious that thisis the time to properlydimension football ownershipand open the space forbusinesses to own stakes infootball management throughprivate placements andsubscription. The clubs and

individuals are free to buy upthe remaining 75% and thenwe will hold the LMCPromoters accountable forreturns on the investment overan agreed period of time.

Change is usually hard toabsorb especially in a climewhere people have gottenused to doing things in aparticular wrong but selfishway. Why would anyone resistthe withdrawal of the leaguefranchise from an organizationwhich has been declared as notknown to law? At this point intime, we should be analyzingthe business objectives of LMCto see how it can profitdomestic football, especiallythe players through their clubs.At this point that we seem tohave gotten the managementissues of the league on theright pedestal, the clubs can behelped by making them take aqueue from also taking theright steps towardscommercialization. We shouldbe speaking the rightlanguage of franchisepresently and not botheringour heads over whatconstitutes a league. We couldhave called it by whatevername that can be sold so far itattracts sponsors. It does notmatter if it is called the NigeriaFootball Conference or theNigeria Football ClubChallenge, etc but whatmatters is the perception wehave of it.

Harry Iwuala, a Sports andMedia Consultant, a formerSponsorship Manager atGlobacom Limited wrote fromLagos.

Nduka Irabor

“to have come together toapprove the incorporation ofLMC and this flies in the faceof the fact that it was the clubsin the first place that cametogether to dissolve theirformer executive committee. Ifrecent development in theorganization of the league hasrun counter to expectations ofthe clubs, it is incumbent onthe ‘Club Owners’ to take acommon position andchallenge the LMC.Incorporation of a companydoes not require a crowd andthe reason for given mandateto anyone is for such personsto take decisions that willfoster objectives of themandate giver. But we are yetto hear complaints from theclub, instead they have beenparticipating in the 2013season under the supervisionof the LMC.

It has been a surprise to readand hear arguments to theeffect that Mr. Irabor and histeam have hijacked thecollective property of the clubsthrough the LMC. Thisposition arose fromincorporation document thatshowed that as Chairman ofLMC, he facilitated theregistration process byassigning 20% of the paid-upcapital to hiss name. Thisobviously was an interimmeasure to secure theincorporation and more soavoid the legal challenges that

Change isusually hard toabsorb especiallyin a clime wherepeople havegotten used todoing things in aparticular wrongbut selfish way.

Heineken presents UEFA ChampionsLeague trophy tour in style

While the vast majority ofglobal audience still has

to wait till May 25 to beholdon television, the most covetedand keenly contested clubtrophy in the world, Heineken,global sponsor of the UEFAChampions League againbrings fans closer to the holygrail of football with the UEFAChampions League trophytour.

This is the seventhconsecutive year thatHeineken has undertaken theUEFA Champions LeagueTrophy Tour .In 2009, itpresented the trophy tomillions of Nigerians as ittoured various locations overa three day tour in Lagos.Over 7,000 fans were at theopen day event in VictoriaIsland before the trophy left forEgypt. The tour gave Nigerianfans a rare opportunity to bemuch closer and have a feelof the trophy.

This year Heineken and therevered UEFA ChampionsLeague trophy will be visitingBrazil, Congo and Indonesiato give fans the uniqueopportunity to interact with thefamous trophy, the ultimateprize of the world’s mostprestigious club footballtournament. Two

UCL TROPHY... Celestine Babayaro (L) and Ruud Gullit atthe unveiling of the UEFA Champions League trophy duringthe tour to Nairobi, Kenya last year.

internationally renownedfootball greats, Bebeto, whowon the FIFA World Cup withBrazil and Clarence Seedorf,a Heineken ambassador andfour-time winner of the UEFAChampions League trophywere present at the first leg ofthe tour at the Casa MirandaLagoon in Rio de Janeiro lastweekend.

Still to come are twoHeineken ambassadors,Marcel Desailly on April 6 and7 in Kinshasa, Congo,

followed by Freddie Ljungbergon April 13 in Jakarta,Indonesia.

The UEFA ChampionsLeague Trophy tour presentedis a true example of theglobalization of both Heinekenand the UEFA ChampionsLeague. “The UEFAChampions League TrophyTour is an annual eventpowered by Heineken and ittakes place in differentcontinents during theknockout phase.

Page 63: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013 — 63

By BEN EFE

Junior athlete Ese Brumewatched from the

standards of the WarriTownship stadium as theevents of the African YouthAthletics championshipsunfolded yesterday. She wasone of Nigeria’s brightesthopes for a medal, but sadlyshe was dropped at the last

*Ese

Dropped overageathlete targetsworld juniorchampionships

minute for being over the agelimit.

The University of Beninundergraduate flashed a smilewhen she was approached forher comments. For her it waslike life goes on, but sheregretted that she was droppedfrom the team.

“I don’t know why theydropped me. If it is because ofage, I am sure I am not the

only athletes in camp over theage category.

“However, I am not bother Iam out of the championshipseven as I badly wanted tocompete.

“But this is not the end of theroad for me. I will train hardfor other juniorchampionships,” said the longjumper who is eying to makeOlympics history like ChiomaAjunwa and BlessingOkagbare.

Athletics Federation ofNigeria member and campcommandant of the Nigerianteam Jide Josiah stated that theathlete was not eligible toparticipate in thechampionships.

“She came into the teambecause she was allowed toparticipate at the trials. She wasscreened out at the 2012 D.KOlukoya championships. Wehave to drop her even as somepeople wanted her in becauseshe can win gold for us.

“We do not want to win bydefault,” said Josiah addingthat all other athletes in theteam are under the agecategory.

By BEN EFE

Veteran NigerianOlympian, Sam Igun

declared that for there to beanother boom in sports incountry, all efforts should bemade to revive school sports.

Igun, a jumper was among thefirst set of Nigerian athletes thatparticipated at the 1960Olympics in Rome, Italy andthen followed up with otherappearances in Tokyo, Japan1964, Mexico 1968 andMunich, Germany in 1972. Hestated that though there wasmodern infrastructure inNigeria today, there has notbeen a commensurateperformance from Nigerianathletes compared to his dayswhen there were no tracks andother equipment for them touse.

Igun who was born and breed

Nigeria must reviveschools sports, saysOlympics veteran

in Warri, Delta hosts of themaiden African Youth Athleticschampionships said athleticsdevelopment has taken a nosedive because school sports havebeen neglected.

“From what I have seen hereat the AYAC I know that we havea lot to do, if we are to make theseboys and girls future champions.

“Grassroots development nowis different from what we havethen. It was Games masters thatbrought us to national schoolscompetitions. But now you seenational coaches coming with theathletes.

“We have to revert to the waywe use to organize school sportsin Nigeria. We have so manytalents in the country and if wedon’t give them the opportunityto express themselves, then itwill all come to a waste,” saidIgun who is in his late 70’s andstill looking agile.

By BEN EFE

Cross River athletics coach,Nelson Etung Godwin

has dismissed insinuations incertain quarters that the State’sgrassroot sports developmentprogramme was a waste.

The coach is here in Warriwith five of Cross Riverathletes who are in TeamNigeria for the Africa YouthAthletics Championships. TheAthletes include EmmanuelAgbeba, Akpo Edwin,Edidiong Offonime, StellaSunday and Phebian Edokiwho are products of the CrossRiver grassroot sportsprogramme.

Coach Godwin stated that theprogramme coordinated byBruce Ijirigho was yieldingpositive results and thosetrying to cast aspersions on theprogramme and those incharge of affairs are only doingso because they felt left out.

“It is not true that theprogramme is a waste. We aregetting positive results, peoplewho felt they ought to berunning the programme arethe ones fighting.

“What is happening is thatthere are certain older athleteswhose career is on the brink.Dr Bruce advised them to thinkof some other things to do likecoaching, going back to schoolto carve out a future outsidetrack and field.

“This is because we havejunior athletes who are comingup to take their places. Theyoung ones are the top priorityof the programme and theseathletes are being taken careof reasonably. They are paidallowances, which they use totransport themselves to school

Cross River grassroots athleticssecond to none, says coach

and training venues.“It is those who feel that the

First Bank, FirstDeepwater make cleansweep of phase one

By Eddie Akalonu

Arch rivals, First Bankand First Deepwater

basketball clubs of Lagoshave shown top form bywinning games with widemargins in the Phase oneof the women’s basketballleague in Abuja . Firs tDeepwater crushed newcomers, Coal City Queensof Enugu 197-28 in one ofa four match winningstreak that also affected GT2000 of Kaduna, white-washed Taraba Hurricanes84-10, and NigeriaCustoms to announce itsreadiness to grab a fourthstraight title. On its part,

ZENITH BANK LEAGUE:

THE manager of KwaraArsenal Kiddies FC, Mr.

Soni Omo Ahamioje, hasdedicated the team’s successat the just concluded ObaErediauwa YSFON organizedNational U-13 boys soccercompetition to God. In a chat with journalistsafter landing in Ilorin withtrophy that has eluded Kwarastate for 22years , Mr.Ahamioje thanked thegovernment and good peopleKwara state for their love andsupport for Kwara ArsenalKiddies. “I want thank God for this

First Bank posted similarwide marginal wins over theIGP Queens-70,38, and 78-34 Delta Force and NigeriaImmigration ostensibly tostate an intent ion todethrone the reigningchampions.

Firs t Bank however,sweated profusely beforesecuring an 83-63 win overDolphins also of Lagos.Although it may look a twohorse race for now,stakeholders have hailedthe standard of the leaguepointing out that some ofthe new entrants havedisplayed an attitude ofcompetitiveness over themore entrenched teams.

Arsenal kiddies thank Gov.Ahmed, seek sponsorship

victory and also the goodpeople of Kwara state for theirprayers and wonderfulsupport.. We are particularlygrateful to our hard working,dynamic and sports lovinggovernor, Alhaji AbdulfatahAhmed for his financialassistance and support for thekids. Equally, we wantappreciate the big daddy ofArsenal kiddies, hisexcellency, Senator AbubakarBukola Saraki for giving usthe first opportunity andsponsoring us to participate inthe tournament in 2010,”Ahamioje said.

THE Nigeria Society for theBlind, NSB under the

chairmanship of Mrs. AbiolaAgbaje is organizing the 18thinter-house sports billed to holdon April 4, 2013 at the Universityof Lagos sports complex, reportsOlayinka Ajayi.Speaking at a press briefingrecently held in Lagos Mrs.

NSB Host 18th Visually Impaired Inter-house sports

Agbaje stated that the essence ofthe sport is to stimulate healthybody and mind through physicalactivities and social interaction byboosting their confidence level.Among the games that will bedisplayed are March past, 50mmale and female, 3 legged race,Skittle games, shot put, Tug ofWar, among others.

money should be coming tothem that are belly aching,”said the coach.

Page 64: 2015 presidential contest: Obasanjo intensifies plot against Jonathan

SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 31, 2013

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa.Advert Dept: :01- 7924470; Hotline: 01- 4707189; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail website: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],

[email protected]. Advert:[email protected]. Internet: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: JIDE AJANI. All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

SOLUTION on page 15

CROSS WORD PUZZLE

ACROSS1.Nigerian state (4)3. Niger-Delta tribe (8)6. W. African country (5)8. Wind instrument (4)9. Vast (8)11. Meadow (3)12. Smallest part (4)13. Unemployed (4)14. Have ambition (6)16. Attachment (5)18. Spy (5)20. Hangs around (7)22. Irritate jokingly (5)24. Nigerian state (5)26. U.S. currency unit (4)29. Insects (4)30. Orb (4)31. Sailor (3)32. Hoped for (8)33. Smooth (4)34. Tox (5)35. Sun-measuring equipments (8)36. Consolidates (4)

DOWN1. Nigerian state (7)2. Middle Belt tribe (5)3. Nigerian tribe (6)4. Distending (7)5. Examine (7)7. Stockpile (5)10. Seize with teeth (4)14. Engine part (4)15. Cereal (3)17. No (Scottish) (3)18. Enquires (4)19. Pen tip (3)21. Maiden name (3)22. Businessmen (7)23. Hang (7)25. Isles (7)26. U.S. currency unit (4)27. Sportswear firm (6)28. Go in (5)30. Makes beer (5)

FIFA U-20 World Cup:

Obuh plans to overhaul‘fumbling’ F/Eagles

Medals Table

•Davidson

FLYING Eagles coach, JohnObuh has said the team

that has just sécured à ticketfor the FIFA Junior World Cup,Istanbul 2013 could stillwitness changes before thetournament. In à chat with SundayVanguard sports at the team’sEden Hotel camp of the FlyingEagles, Obuh said the teamwill resume camp for the FIFAU-20 World Cup soon. ‘’Incamp, we usually go “30 or 32players, and we are here withjust 22. So that tells you that itis not only those that are inAlgeria that will fight for shirtsfor the World Cup team,’’Obuh said. He disclosed that his WorldCup programme would soon

By JACOB AJOM,Algeria

submit his World Cupprogramme to the NFF. ‘’WhatI normally do is that I use mylast competition to prepare myprogramme. I combine theprogramme with the review ofthe competition and that is whatI am going to do as soon as wearrive home from Algeria.,’’Obuh said. The sweat merchant saidduring the pre-World Cupcamping, he would like to takehis players beyond the Africancontinent. ‘’I want us to go on aplaying tour of Europe becausewe are going to the World Cupwhere we will be meeting teamsfrom other continents. We needthe exposure,’’ he said. He called for support fromwell-meaning Nigerians. ‘’Allhands must be on deck as weneed the support of everyNigerian.’’

CELEBRATION... Nigeria’s Odiong Edidiong Ofonime (l) who won the 400m gold and JunaidAbimbola, silver medalist celebrate their victory in Warri.

NIGERIA’s latest boxingpride Davidson Emenogu

(aka King Davidson) has prom-ised to lead the fight in ensur-ing that the sport regained whathe called its lost glory in thecountry.

I want to bring back boxing’s lostglory — Davidson

BY ISAAC OLAMIKAN According to Davidson, a Com-monwealth bronze medallist,boxing which used to be theleading sport in the country haslost its place to football hence hewants it revived. “Right now boxing is dead inNigeria. So, I intend to give backto the country what I have ben-efited from it. I want to lead thefight to revive the sport. It usedto be the number one sport inthe country so Iwant it to regain its lost glorywhich it lost to soccer.“I want to do this by coming toNigeria to stage the defence ofmy crown (WBO InternationalLight-Middle Weight Worldchampion). This is to enable fel-low Nigerians see first-handwhat I have been doing over-

seas. How I have kept the coun-try’s flag flying high wherever Igo,” he told Saturday Vanguardsports.The pugilist stated that his featwas made possible as a result ofthe tough regiment his father,Christopher, a former NigerianBantam Weight champion, whois his major mentor, put himthrough while he was traininghim. Davidson disclosed that he hasmaintained the discipline oftraining twice daily, not smok-ing and drinking and keepinghis sight focused on the big pic-ture of being the best boxer inthe world. He lists Sugar Ray Le-onard, Mohammed Ali andEvander Holyfield as some ofhis role models “because they areboxers and entertainers and notfighters like Mike Tyson.” The Imo State-born pugilist haswon 12 bouts on knockout, fouron points and lost one on his wayto winning five professional beltsnamely: WBO InternationalLight Middleweight worldchampion; IBF Light MiddleWeight champion; AustralianLight Middle Weight champion;WBO Africa Light MiddleWeight champion and Pan AsianBoxing Association PABA) LightMiddle Weight champion. Hewas also voted the best boxer inAustralia in 2009.

Curtain draws on Warri 2013 as Egypt maintainlead

By BEN EFE

FOUR days of competitionat the African Youth

Athletics Championshipscomes to an end today at theWarri Township Stadium withNigeria striving to tilt themedals table to her favoureven as Egypt is looking tofinish tops.At the close of yesterdayevents, the Egyptians broughttheir medals haul to seven

leaving closest rival, Nigeriawith five gold medals. Egyptswept most of the field eventsmedals, but today thingsmight take a different shape asthe finals of the 200m and therelays will be concluded, theseevents will likely decide whichcountry will emergechampions of the maidenAfrica Youth AthleticsChampionships.Devine Oduduru and DeborahAdewale are in good frame towin the boys and girls 200m

respectively to complete asprint double. They are alsoexpected to anchor the 4x100mrelays, which practically hasthe name of Nigeria written onthe gold. The 4x400m relayswill also be swinging the wayof Nigeria.“We wait to see what the lastday of event will be. Right nowI am not very happy theEgyptians are leading themedals tables,” said a topofficial of the Athleticsfederation of Nigeria.

Sunderland 0 Man Utd 1Arsenal 4 Reading 1Man City 4 Newcastle 0S’hampton 2 Chelsea 1Swansea 1 Tottenham 2West Ham 3 West Brom 1Wigan 1 Norwich 0

1 2 3 4 5

6 7

8 9 01

11

21 31

41 51

61 71 81 91

02 12

22 32 42 52

62 72 82

92 03

13

23 33

43

53 63

G S BEgypt 7 4 0Nigeria 5 6 8Kenya 4 2 0Ethiopia 2 6 4Gambia 1 0 0

Egypt win

Egypt yesterday beat Ghana 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 drawto lift the African Youth Cham-pionship trophy

RESULTS