fg introduces austerity measures

...towards a better life for the people

N150VOL. 25: NO. 62278

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014**

Mr & Mrs

FG introducesausterity measures•Cuts oil benchmark to $73 pb•Introduces Luxury Goods Tax•Private jet, yacht, Champaign, others listed•No foreign trips by civil servants, no overseas training

Continues on Page 5

•P.46

COLUMNISTS:

•P.40

What is thedollar exchangerate?

By Emma Ujah, AbujaBureau Chief

A B U J A — T H EF e d e r a l

Government, yesterday,introduced someausterity measures andscaled down the crudeoil bench mark for the2015 budget.

In a bid to insulate the

SYNAGOGUE—Police officers escort trucks loaded with caskets containing remains of 74 South Africans killed in theSynagogue Church of All Nations building collapse, leaving the Waterkloof Air Base yesterday, in Pretoria, South Africa. A totalof 116 people, including 81 South Africans, were killed on September 12 when a multi-storey guesthouse collapsed at the Lagoschurch. Photo: AFP.

Army recaptures Chibokfrom Boko Haram 7

Again, femalesuicidebomber killsscores inAzare 7

13

Enugu govt, lawmakers in showdownover alleged illegal N7bn loan

Waziri Tambuwalfor president

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POCKET CARTOONVanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014—5

FG introduces austerity measuresContinues from page 1

TAKE HEARTBY ELLA RANDLE

LIFEWORDSBY PASTOR ITUAH

Peace with contentment is great gain. Make surethat your life ends up in an all-round profit.

“Be good and you shall always see the good ineverything and everyone and mostly in yourself”

A beautiful awareness for me is knowing thatmoment you actually are with people who smileacross the dinner table at you because you matterand accept you for who you are because yourpresence exude inner light and love, these areaware Souls who recognize these virtues of love inthemselves.

Whenever I come across situations that requiresmy patience and love, a better thing to do is give asmuch freedom and love to that person, when youlight up from within, there is a flame of loveconstantly exuding and no one can steal your joy,unless you allow it…those who love and accept youare your friends and those who do not, have a rightto choose their state of consciousness, love themanyway. It’s a beautiful way to live to walk eachstep with divine love is being constantly embracedin the protection that comes from loving divinely.

Keep your heart beautiful...no matter what isthrown at you...see the beauty in your life always.

COURTESY VISIT—Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, All Progressives Congress, APC, presidentialaspirant with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, during Atiku's courtesy visit to Obasanjo at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Friday. Photo: Wumi Akinola.

economy from fallingcrude oil prices the fed-eral government an-nounced far-reachingpolicy measures to dealwith the crashing crudeoil prices, cutting 2015 oilbenchmark from $78 to$73 per barrel. Crude oilprices dropped to $77.76per barrel, some centsbelow the $78 earlier

proposed to the NationalAssembly as bench markfor the 2015 budget.

The CoordinatingMinister for the Economyand Minister of Finance,Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealatold journalists in Abujathat the decision to cutrevenue projection waspart of measuresdesigned to maintaineconomic stability, boostnon-oil revenues further,

plug loopholes andwaste, as well as cutu n n e c e s s a r yexpenditures in order tocope with the situation.

Keeping to her earlierwarning that thegovernment will soonintroduce measures toprotect the economy shesaid: “As part of theresponse to falling oilprices, the Medium TermExpenditure Framework(MTEF) and the Budget2015 proposal to theNational Assembly havebeen revised.Government is nowproposing a benchmarkof $73 per barrel to theNational Assemblycompared to the earlierproposed benchmark of$78.

“Given the nature ofthe oil market, weneeded to see the extentand trend of the oil pricein order to take the rightmeasures. Panic is not astrategy. It’s importantthat our strategies arebased on facts and a clearunderstanding of boththe strengths of theeconomy and thechallenges posed by thedrop in oil prices whichis currently at $79 for ourpremium Bonny LightCrude.

“The drop in oil pricesis a serious challengewhich we must confrontas a country. We must be

prepared to makesacrifices wherenecessary. But we shouldalso not forget that weretain some importantadvantages such as abroad economic basedriven by the privatesector and anchored onsound policies.”

FG determined tostrengtheneconomy

Dr. Okonjo-Iwealaassured, however, thatthe federal governmentwould continue to fundinfrastructure, jobcreation, agriculture andhuman capitaldevelopment, especiallythe health and educationsectors, as part of theGoodluck Jonathana d m i n i s t r a t i o n ’ sdetermination tostrengthen the economyto positively affect thepoor.

“To show how seriousgovernment is about jobcreation, PresidentGoodluck Jonathan”, shedisclosed, “ willtomorrow, (today)November 17 launch the4th edition of YouWin tosupport another 1,500entrepreneurs along witha private equity fund forentrepreneurs.

“Our strategy is tocontinue to strengthen

the sectors that drivegrowth such asi n f r a s t r u c t u r e ,agriculture and housingwhile reducing wastewith a renewed focus onprudence.”

According to her, thepolicy was scenario-based and thatadditional measureswould be introduced ifoil prices declinedfurther.

The minister said thatthe basket of measureswith growth which hasremained above six percent, reassure investorsand keep the economy ona stable course throughthe crisis.

Curtailingwastage

According to Dr.Okonjo-Iweala, therewould be no more foreigntravels by civil servantsunless for purposes thatcould be fully defendedas absolutely necessary.

In addition, foreigntraining programmeswould be stopped and alltrainings done in-country.

The exception, shesaid, would be to secureforeign sponsorship forsuch travels and trainingabroad.

The Minister addedthat the federalgovernment would workto eliminate duplicationamong the functions ofthe Ministries,Departments andAgencies, MDAs, byworking on the SteveOronsaye Report.

She, however, observedthat since the MDAs tobe re-aligned werecreated by law theNational Assemblywould be required torepeal such laws beforeany administrative stepcould be taken.

Luxury Goods Tax

Part of the immediatesteps to cushion the fallin oil revenue, theminister said, was to

significantly increasenon-oil revenue in thecountry, as sheannounced anaggressive taxadministration in which,private jets, yachts,Champagne and a list ofothers to be announcedwould be taxed.

The minister said thatthe idea of Luxury GoodsTax was not to stopwealthy members of theNigerian public fromenjoying their wealth butto create an avenue forthem to share with thoseat the lower levels of theladder.

According to theminister, the issue ofcapital flight was nowengaging the attentionof the administration,just like many otherAfrican nations, sayingthat a study has beencommissioned todetermine the activitiesof corporate citizens andother individuals whowere evading taxes aswell as those involved incapital flight.

She added thatmonetary measuresshould also be expectedin the efforts to ensure astable Nigerian economy,despite the falling oilprices.

O k o n j o - I w e a l adismissed suggestions ofprinting Naira notes justto keep spending, asaccording to her, thatwould be the worst thatcould happen to aneconomy, especiallyamong the poor, adding,“spiral inflation is theworst enemy of the poor.

“Printing moneywithout adequaterevenue support willlead to seriousconsequences for thecountry. It will spurinflation as theexperiences of Germanyin the early part of thelast century and morerecently, Argentina andZimbabwe demonstrate.This prescription willvictimize the poor andmiddle class that it issupposedly protecting,”she said.

6 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014

How commissioner’s memo landedLG boss in prison

By Vincent Ujumadu

Man, 40arrested forimpregnating16-yr-old madgirl in Jigawa

ByTina Akannam

OPERATIVES ofJigawa State

command of NigeriaSecurity and Civil DefenceCorp, NSCDC, hasapprehended oneAbdullhamid Abbas, 40year, for impregnating amentally retarded 16-year-old girl.

The NSCDC alsodisclosed that the mentally-retarded teenager haddelivered female twins inher parents house.

Abdulhamid, who lives atMijirgan village of Migalocal government area ofJigawa State, is yet to admitcommitting the crime.

The Commandant of theagency in the state, GidadoMuhammad, toldnewsmen over theweekend that the man hadbeen arrested forimpregnating an insanewoman in Jigawa.

He further disclosed thatthe case was currentlyunder investigation,adding the accused personwould, thereafter bearraigned for prosecution.

UGHELLI–A familyof three and one

other were weekend feareddead as a Toyota car inwhich they were travellingrammed into a petrol tankeralong Ughelli axis of theEast West road in DeltaState.

The victims comprised alady and her two infantchildren and another malepassenger, while threeothers sustained seriousinjuries.

According to witnesses atthe scene of the accident,which was said to haveoccurred at about 4:15pm,the Toyota car withregistration numberSPP882XG, was headingfrom Yenagoa to Warriwhen it rammed into thepetrol tanker withregistration numberXB313ER, while it (tanker)was trying to make a U-turnalong the road.

Family of three,one other killedin Deltaroad crash

ByBrisibe Perez

AWKA—FRESH factsemerged weekend that

the real reason an AnambraHigh Court sitting at Ekwulobiahanded the chairman of Ihialalocal government area,Chogozie Awugosi, a three-month jail sentence with hardlabour last week was due to aletter written by the stateCommissioner for LocalGovernment and ChieftaincyAffairs, Mrs. Azuka Enemuo.

Enemuo wrote the letter onwhich strength the sacked localgovernment chairman returnedto his seat after his election wasnullified by the election tribunaland the high court which servedas the appeal tribunal.

Enemuo’s letter said: “I makereference to the letter No.AG/AN/S.243/T.1of 27th June, 2014from the Attorney General andCommissioner for Justice and tostate as follows:

“That the position of thelaw should be upheld. Thestatus quo should bemaintained while appeallasts; and that “You shouldcontinue to remain in office,pending the determination ofthe appeal, in order to avoida vacuum in the office.”

Her letter was based on theapplication by Awugosi at theCourt of Appeal praying for a stayof execution of the ruling of theHigh Court and the electiontribunal.

But Justice Chudi Obiora, whopresided at the High Court,Ekwulobia, said Awugosi’sapplication could stretch thepower to cover any matter beyondthe High Court.

Justice Obiora, after reviewingthe case and the defence of thecounsel to Awugosi, said he hadno doubt that the conduct of

Awugosi was contemptuous of theorders of the court.

In his judgement, JusticeObiora said: “I find the appellant/respondent, Chigozie Awugosi,guilty of contempt. I accordinglysentence him to three monthsimprisonment with hard labour.There shall be no option of fine.

“Accordinly, I hereby furtherorder the convict, ChigozieAwugosi to refund all the moniescollected and/or received by himby way of salaries and allowancesfrom the 19th June, 2014, till dateto the coffers of the Anambra Stategovernment.”

According to the judge, it is clearthat Awugosi has been in office

since after the orders of the court,which was made on June 19,2014, implying that he has beenhelping himself to public treasuryillegally.

The Judge said the court hasinherent powers under section6(6)(b) of the 1999 constitutionto make consequential orders asthe justice of the case demanded.

He directed the InspectorGeneral of Police, Anambra StateCommissioner of Police and allpolice officers and men toapprehend and arrest Awugosifor him to serve the sentenceimposed on him since he was incourt when the application wasbeing heard, but escaped.

LAGOS—THE Lagos StatePolice Command weekend,

arrested a 55 year-old herbalist inconnection with the allegedmurder of a 62-year-old woman,who was declared missing lastmonth, at Olodi Apapa area ofLagos.

Recovered from the suspectidentified as Isiaka Akanbi, whoalso claimed to be a Muslim cleric,were the deceased’s personal effectwhich were exhumed in his shrine.

The deceased, Raliatu Kareem,

reportedly visited the herbalist inhis shrine located on LawaniStreet, Olodi Apapa, on October25, 2014 before her mysteriousdisappearance. The late Kareem,who resided at 15 Ope-Ewe streetin Ijaiye Agbado area of Lagoswas said to have gone on a visit arelative who had a baby at SalubiStreet, Olodi Apapa.

However on her way back, shereportedly informed her relativethat she was going to theherbalist’s place.

But apprehension set in twodays later, after the undisclosedrelative got a call from AgbadoIjaye, demanding for thewhereabouts of Mrs Kareem.

Policemen from Tolu divisionwere contacted, consequent uponwhich the herbalist was arrested.Police sources hinted that theherbalist eventually confessedweekend, disclosing that hedumped Mrs Kareem’sremains at Marine beach.

“But when we went to wherehe claimed to have dumped thecorpse, we did not find it. Duringinterrogation, he said he did notkill his client but that she slumpedand died while in his shrinewhich he claimed doubles as ahealing home.

''He collected the deceased’spersonal effects which includedhandset, bangles and ring andburied them behind hiscompound so as not to leave anytrace. But the lid was blownbecause the relative who thedeceased went to visit was awareof the visit to the alfa’s home. We are still searching for thecorpse. Its recovery will formanother phase in ourinvestigation,” police sourceshinted.

Contacted, Lagos StatePolice Public Relations Officer,Kenneth Nwosu confirmed thearrest of Akanbi, sayinginvestigation was still on.

Police arrest herbalist over alleged murder of client in Lagos

ByEvelyn Usman

L AGOS—POLITICALthugs weekend unleashed

terror on residents of Ajegunle,a suburb of Lagos, destroyingproperties worth millions of nairaduring a political campaign.

The thugs, numbering over300, allegedly invaded Ajegunleand its environs during a politicaldeclaration campaign by apolitician (names withheld) and amember Lagos State House ofAssembly, who is angling tocontest for the fifth term.

According to reports, thepolitician, who wasaccompanied by the thugsduring the declaration, gaveout bundles of N1000 notes inappreciation of their undilutedsupport towards his politicalambition around Alao bus stopin Ojo road.

Trouble, it was learned,started when the sharingformula did not go well withsome of the thugs as those fromCampus in Adejiyan and Alabastreets took advantage of thesituation to unleash terror onresidents, using guns and axesto frighten residents.

They also looted shops anddamaged parked vehicles.

Also seen were damagedvehicles, properties andshrapnels of broken bottles andshattered car windscreenswhich littered major streets asJinadu, Apasa Safejo and Alaostreets, while most shopsremained shut.

When contacted, the LayeniDivisional Police Officer, CSPChijoke Ndu, was unavailablebut Vanguard reliably gatheredthat the division arrested andcharged to court over eight thugsallegedly caught with pistols.

Political thugs unleash terror, destroyproperties worth millions in Lagos

ByEsther Onyegbula &Micheal Ediri

SAPELE–OVER onethousand women from

Okirigwe and Amukpecommunities in Sapele LocalGovernment Area of DeltaState weekend stormedAmupke Flow station ofSEPLAT PetroleumDevelopment Company inprotest against alleged non-compliance of the companywith the Local Content Act.

The women, carryingplacards with inscriptions suchas; “SEPLAT, abide by the

MoU”, “SEPLAT staff can’t alsobe contractors”, “SEPLAT is notin compliance with the LocalContent Act”, alleged that thecompany had failed to implementthe Local Content Act and aMemorandum of Understandingit signed with the communitiesin 2010.

Speaking on behalf of thecommunities, former PresidentGeneral of Amukpe, Mr.Williams Ojo, said he personallysigned the MoU on behalf of thecommunities, stressing that tilldate, the company had failed toimplement the content of the MoU.

Protesters storm SEPLAT over non-implementation of Local Content Act

ByPerez Brisibe

.The arrested herbalist, Akanbi

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014 — 7

Army recaptures Chibok from Boko HaramBy Kingsley Omonobi & Umar

Yusuf, with Agency reports

Clinton,Saraki,others stormNew York forClean CookStovessummit

AGM: From left: Asiwaju Tunji Olutola, Secretary-General, Council of Retired FederalPermanent Secretaries; Gen Olu Bajowa (retd), member; Chief Phillip Asiodu, NationalChairman and Mrs. Yetunde Emanuel, 1st Deputy Chairman, during the 2014 Annual GeneralMeeting of Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries, held at Lagos Chamber ofCommerce and Industries, Victoria Island, Lagos. Photo by Bunmi Azeez.

THE Nigerian army saidyesterday that it had

recaptured the north-easterntown of Chibok, where BokoHaram insurgents abductedmore than 200 schoolgirls inApril, provoking a wave of globaloutrage.

An elder of Chibok community,Pogu Bitrus however told AFPthat Chibok was recaptured in ajoint operation with localvigilantes known as the CivilianJoint Task Force. He said thevigilantes fought inside Chibokwhile the soldiers “stayed outsidethe town to mop up the insurgentstrying to escape”.

Boko Haram fighters who weredislodged last week from Mubiin Adamawa by a combined teamof local hunters and the troopsfled to Chibok throughMararaba, Mubi and Uba andtook over the town when residentson seeing the terrorists fled.

The terrorists had capturedthe town last Thursday after abattle lasting several hours thatleft many victims among boththe insurgents and the localmilitias dead.

Several residents said thearmy had fled from the assault,leaving the vigilantes to fighton their own against BokoHaram.

There was no immediateinformation about anycasualties from Saturday’sbattle for the town, whichwitnesses say was virtuallyempty of residents.

A statement from ArmyHeadquarters signed byColonel Timothy Antigha,Chief of Staff, Department ofArmy Public Relations said,“The Nigerian Army troopsrecaptured Chibok at about7pm last (Saturday) night fromBoko Haram insurgents. Thetown is now secured.Exploitation and mop-upoperations are ongoing. Moredetails will follow as soon asthey are available.''

Vanguard had reported lastweek that after several days ofstrategizing, the NigerianMilitary, working incollaboration with local hunters,vigilantes and foreign militaryadvisers from Israelcommenced a major offensiveto retake Mubi, Michika andMadagali towns from BokoHaram terrorists.

Atiku condemns FG's handling of insurgentsAtiku lambasts FGMeanwhile, former vice

president, Atiku Abubakar hascondemned the FederalGovernment over its handling ofthe Boko Haram insurgents in theNorth east saying “any seriousgovernment would have reacteddecisively to the securitychallenge that has almostconsumed three states or more”

According to him, “the Federalgovernment is not ready to solvethe problem of insurgencyravaging the entire Northernstates. This is evident because for

more than five years,insurgency has persisted andthere seems no end to it.”

Atiku, who spoke tocorrespondents at the 9thannual Founder’s Day and 10thanniversary of the AmericanUniversity of Nigeria, Yolaexpressed regret that theFederal Government has noexcuse whatsoever to giveNigerians for allowinginsurgents to persist despitethe material and humanresources at its disposal.

Meanwhile, against the

backdrop of President GoodluckJonathan’s declaration to contestthe 2015 Presidential election onthe platform of the PDP,intelligence reports collated bysecurity agencies have shownthat more terrorists bombingswill be recorded in the country.

According to sources, thebombings which will targetchurches, Mosques, schools,markets and recreation centresamong others, will signal thefinal push of the terrorists withthe aim of stopping Jonathanfrom contesting the election.

THE Senatorr e p r e s e n t i n g

Kwara Central Senatorialdistrict and Chairman,Senate Committee onEnvironment andEcology, Bukola Saraki isset to join former U.S.Secretary of State, MrsHillary Rodham Clintonand other members of theClean Cook StoveAlliance LeadershipCouncil, in New York atthe Global Alliance forClean Cook StovesFuture Summit to behosted by the UnitedNations Foundation.

Holding on November20 and 21, other worldleaders expected at theevent include; U.K.Under-Secretary of State,Lynne Featherstone;Norwegian ForeignMinister, Børge Brende;Ghanaian ForeignMinister, Hanna Tetteh;and US Administrator forthe Agency ofI n t e r n a t i o n a lDevelopment, RajivShah.

The Global Alliance forClean Cookstoves is ap u b l i c - p r i v a t epartnership hosted by theUnited NationsFoundation to save lives,improve livelihoods,empower women, andprotect the environmentby creating a thrivingglobal market for cleanand efficient householdcooking solutions.

The Alliance’s 100 by2020 goals calls for 100million households toadopt clean and efficientcook stoves and fuels by2020. The Alliance isworking with its public,private and non-profitpartners to help overcomethe market barriers thatcurrently impede theproduction, deployment,and use of clean cookstoves and fuels indeveloping countries.

Saraki, who will begiving an assessment ofthe use and effect of cleancook stoves in Nigeria atthe Summit will again beadvocating fervently for asafe cookingenvironment in Nigeriaand other developingcountries to minimizehealth challenges thatoriginate from poorcooking facilities andenvironment.

A female suicide bomber blew herself up yesterday

at a mobile phone market inAzare, Bauchi State, killingseveral people, witnesses said.

Residents said a man who hadbeen seen with the woman at themarket was killed by a mob.

A witness said; “A suicidebomber came into the market asit was closing and blew herselfup in the middle of all themerchants and their customers”.

Another witness, Alyu Habib,

who spoke with AFP said, “Isaw at least eight dead.Several other people wereinjured. She came in thecompany of two men and shedetonated the explosivesconcealed under her dress.The two men tried to flee butthey were pursued andapprehended. One of themwas lynched to death whereasthe other is now in custody,”Habib added.

A third witness confirmed

that one of the two men spottedentering the market with thewoman “ was killed by theangry mob”.

He said the “explosion setthe shops on fire” andfirefighters were working todouse the inferno.

The incident triggered a wildprotest by the youths, whomarched round the streets holdingthe severed head of the femalesuicide bomber whose body hadbeen blown off by the blast

The attack nearAzare’s stadium isthe third bombing inthe town in recentweeks.

Last week, a bombconcealed in a bagwent off near a cashdispensing machine,killing severalpeople. On October23, a bombing neara bus station killed atleast five people.

Again, female suicide bomber kills scoresin Azare Mob beats her companion to death

8 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014

VOTERS’ REGISTRATION: INEC grantstwo-day extension to six states

By Clifford Ndujihe &Joseph Erunke

AWARD: From left; Henry Egbiki, Country Leader, EY Nigeria; Wale Tinubu, Group ChiefExecutive, Oando Plc and winner of Master Entrepreneur of the Year Award; Oba Otudeko,Executive Chairman, Honeywell Group and LifeTime Achievement Award winner; Prof & Mrs.Joe Ezigbo, co-founders of Falcon Corporation Ltd and Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Awardwinners and Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, at the Gala NightAward ceremony held at Eko Hotels on Friday. The event was organized by Ernst & Young.

CALABAR—IT was anothernight of glamour and panache as

this year’s edition of the prestigiousAfrica International Film Festival,AFRIFF, came to a glittering endSaturday in Calabar, the Cross RiverState capital.

The grand finale of the festival, whichkicked off amid gaiety on Sunday,November 9, held at the Cultural Centre,Calabar, with top Nollywood stars,producers, directors and stakeholdersfrom Africa, Europe, America and otherparts of the world in attendance.

Leading Nollywood stars at the eventwere Genevieve Nnaji, and OmotolaJalade Ekeinde and they dazzled the redcarpet with everything they had toshowcase.

Others include Kate Henshaw, RitaDominic, Segun Arinze, Ramsey Nouah,Kalu Ikeagwu, Fred Amata, and Uru Eke,who was co-anchor with Gideon Okeke.

Also, in attendance at what wasarguably the most memorable event ofthe year as far as the calendar ofNollywood is concerned, were KunleAfolayan, Andy Amenechi, Emem Isong,Nobert Ajaegbu, Tunde Kelani, TecoBenson, Mahmood Ali-Balogun,Charles Novia, amongst others.Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River Stateand his wife, Obioma, were among thedignitaries that graced the event.

Chioma Ude, the founder and CEO ofwhat is now known as the biggest filmfestival in Africa, set the tune for thenight, when she presented a passionatewelcome address to the audience.

She expressed satisfactions that the

objectives of the festival was achieved thisyear as great films were screened, whileyoung and emerging talents were trained andempowered during the week-long festival.

Ude, however, commended this year’sAFRIFF ambassadors, including RitaDominic and the South African actress, XolileTshabalala, for their contributions towards thesuccess of the festival, as she invited themon stage.

Special Adviser to the President onResearch, Documentation and Strategy, Mr.Oronto Douglas, urged Nigerian and Africanfilmmakers to take up the challenge ofpromoting irresistible images of the societyon screen to show that the people’s storieswere also important and valid.

He said: “We need more biopics on theheroes whose exploits have impacted on oursocieties. We need more films focusing onpivotal episodes in our history. We need moreperiod dramas that examine the past, andmore speculative films about the future.

The high point of the event, however, wasthe special recognition of five Nollywood stars,including Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Ramsey Nouah, Kate Henshaw andRita Dominic as outstanding stars of theindustry by the organizers.

The organizers also honoured 10 students,who participated in the training scholarshipsto further their training in filmmaking in theUnited States of America.

Meanwhile, Kunle Afolayan’s newlyreleased movie, “October 1”, was the biggestwinner of the night, carting away threeawards: Best Actor, Best Screenplay and BestFeature film.

The film defeated two Nollywood biggestfilms, Lancelot Imasuen’s “Invasion 1897”and Tunde Kelani’s “Dazzling Mirage” toclinch the three awards.

Omotola, Genevieve, Ramsey Nouah,others honoured as AFRIFF ends

ByBenjamin Njoku

A B U J A — T H EIndependent National

Electoral Commission, INEC,has granted a two-dayextension of the ContinuousVoter Registration, CVR, in sixstates of the Federation.

The gesture, which thecommission said, excludedAdamawa State, covered onlystates under the third phase ofthe exercise.

The affected states, accordingto INEC, are Kano, Edo,Plateau, Ogun, Imo and Lagosstates.

A short statement by MrKayode Idowu, the Chief PressSecretary to INEC Chairman,Prof. Attahiru Jega, explainedthat the CVR whichcommenced on Wednesday,November 12, and wasscheduled to end on Monday,November 17, 2014, will nowlast until Wednesday,November 19, 2014.

“The Chairman of INEC,Professor Attahiru Jega,approved the extension tomake up for initial challengesin the exercise and to enableas many eligible persons aspossible to get registered.

“The Commission stronglyadmonishes against personsusing the CVR to engage in

multiple registration, whichis a criminal offence andculprits liable toprosecution,” the statementsaid.

Take advantage ofextension, Lagos INECurges residents

Urging affected Lagosresidents to take advantageof the extension and getlisted, the Lagos INECPublic Affairs Officer, Mr.Femi Akinbiyi, however,advised residents to shundouble or multipleregistrations.

His words: All eligiblevoters whose names were noton our electronic voters’register (EVR) should takeadvantage of this extensionto register. Multipleregistration should beavoided as this will depriveyou of your right to vote infuture elections.

Take advantage of the extension, INEC urges Lagosians

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014 —9

Stop denigrating office ofgovernor, Ekiti speaker toldAs APC accuses Fayose of reversing Ekiti's progress

By Gbenga Ariyibi & GbengaOke

ADO EKITI —THE Speakerof Ekiti State House of

Assembly, Dr Adewale Omirinhas been asked not to denigratethe office of the governor of thestate due to his alleged ambition.

Omirin was also told to seehimself as the Speaker of thestate House of Assembly and notthat of All ProgressivesCongress, APC.

Reacting to the speakerscomment that “damning reportsof alleged fraud were establishedat the hearings of the electionpetitions tribunal sitting in Abuja,and that Governor AyodeleFayose refused to appear at thetribunal to defend the certificateforgery and perjury allegationsmade against him by the APCbecause he was afraid to enterthe witness box for cross-examination,” Special Assistantto the Governor on PublicCommunications and NewMedia, Lere Olayinka said it wasirresponsible on the part of Hon.Omirin to have alluded that thegovernor was a perjurer andcertificate forger.

In a statement made availableto newsmen in Ado Ekitiyesterday, Olayinka told theSpeaker to stop nursing theambition of becoming the actinggovernor of the state.

LECTURE: From left: Prince Abimbola Olashore, CEO, Lead Capital, Sir DemolaAladekomo, Group Managing Director/CEO, Chams Plc and Professor Sola Fajana, Vice-Chancellor, Joseph Ayo Babalola University, JABU, Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State, during thesecond Oladele Olashore Memorial Lecture at the university.

Minister urges health workers to endstrike

Osunteachersdividedover strike

By Gbenga Olarinoye

O S O G B O — T H Eumbrella body of the

public primary andsecondary school teachersin Osun State has beenfactionalised into twocamps following thedecision by the NigeriaUnion of Teachers, NUT, toembark on strike to presshome its demands,including improvedcondition of service.

The division, Vanguardgathered was as a result ofthe decision by someteachers in the state toboycott the strike orderissued by the leadership ofthe state chapter of theNUT.

So, the secondary schoolteachers in the state havepulled out of NUT, theumbrella body of allteachers and formed aparallel union, theAcademic Staff Union ofSecondary SchoolsASUSS.

The state chapter of NUThad since last week beenembroiled in crisis aspublic secondary schoolteachers and some of theirprimary schoolcounterparts refused toparticipate in the sit downstrike ordered by theleadership of the union.

The Secondary schoolteachers under the platformof ASUSS have thereforecondemned the strike.

The state coordinator ofASUSS, Mr KunleObawole said in astatement yesterday thatthe strike called by NUTwas unnecessaryconsidering the dwindlingallocation of the state.

ADO EKITI—THEMinister of State for

Health, Dr KhaliruAlhassan has expressedconcern over the currentstrike action embarkedupon by the health workersin the country, urging

By Gbenga Ariyibi

The governor’s aide said it wasknown to everyone in the Statethat the Speaker was assured of

taking over from Fayemi asacting governor when his partywas running from one court to

the other,looking for acourt order tostop Fayose’sinauguration.

“It is known toeveryone inEkiti that theSpeaker evenm a d epreparations inreadiness forhis assumptionof office asacting governoron October 16,"he said.

APCaccusesFayose oftaking Ekitibackwards

Meantime, the Ekiti Statechapter of All ProgressivesCongress, APC, has accusedGovernor Ayo Fayose ofspending his first month in officeon frivolities and creation of badblood. The party in a review ofGovernor Fayose’s first month inoffice said that the governor’sfirst month in office has turnedinto gloom, anger andfrustrations for the people of thestate.

Speaking through its publicitysecretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, thestate chapter cited the closure ofthe College of Agriculture, Isan,Federal College, Isan-Ekiti, therepainting of the Governor’sOffice with the sum of N200million, the sack of 800 streetsweepers, eight permanentsecretaries, dissolution of 35development areas amongothers as instances of thereverses being wrought on thestate by the new administration.

them to suspend theiraction immediately in theinterest of the nation.

Health workers under theumbrella of Joint HealthStaff Union, JOHESU, arecurrently on nation-widestrike to press home certaindemands from thegovernment.

The minister who spokeat Ido-Ekiti, weekend,during the upgrading ofFederal Medical Centre,Ido-Ekiti to a FederalTeaching Hospital and thesigning of Memorandumof Understanding betweenthe Federal Governmentand Afe BabalolaUniversity, Ado Ekiti.

The memorandumfollowed the building ofa N2 billion ClinicalComplex by ABUADowner , Chief Afe Babalola,in the hospital as part of therequirements by Medicaland Dental Council ofNigeria and NationalUniversities Commission,NUC, for the running ofMedicine and Surgery.

10— Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014

Fashola calls for more private sectorinvestments

Lagosprosecutes200 taxdefaulters

By Naomi Uzor & FunmiAmodu

As Lagos International Trade Fair ends

By Monsur Olowoopejo

LAGOS—LAGOS State,yesterday, said for it to

achieve its dreams ofbecoming Africa’s modelmegacity, there is need to attractmore private sectorinvestments to the State.

Governor BabatundeFashola, spoke through thePermanent Secretary, Ministryof Commerce and Industry,Mr. Wale Raji, at the closingceremony of the 2014 LagosInternational Trade Fair.

“Our developmentimperative as a state places onus the responsibility ofdeveloping strategies that willhelp to harness public andprivate investments with aview to having a dynamic andexpanding economy that isfunctional and visuallyattractive.

"As such, we have predicatedour development plans onpillars that take into accountthe need for economicdevelopment, infrastructuredevelopment, socialdevelopment and security aswell as sustainableenvironment,” he said.

According to him, the

development challenges of agrowing megacity like LagosState, requires that they targetinvestment in key areas that willaddress these challenges.

He said the state is poised tobroaden the prevalent economicstructure through diversificationto promote potential growthindustries and sectors such as

agri-business, power,transportation and housing.

He noted that the stategovernment shall continue toaddress the issue of improvedbusiness environment.

His words: ‘’It is for this reasonthat the Lagos CorporateAssembly was institutionalizedto create a platform for regular

interaction between the stategovernment and members of theorganized private sector and toencourage policy input by theprivate sector, thereby enrichingand improving the process ofgovernance towards the creationof a congenial atmospheresupportive of businessendeavors.’’

GOV PRIMARIES: PDP members ask court todisqualify Obanikoro

LAGOS—A Lagos HighCourt has been urged

to stop the PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP,governorship aspirant,Sen. Musiliu Obanikorofrom participating in theparty’s forthcomingprimaries in Lagos State onthe ground that he hadallegedly presented forgeddocument to theIndependent NationalElectoral Commission,INEC.

In an originatingsummons filed before thecourt by three members ofthe PDP in the state-Micheal Babatunde Ogun,Suleiman Olayinka Saheedand Wasiu AdeniyiOdusan, they are askingthe court to declare thatbased on the provision ofParagraph 4 (a) of Part iv ofthe Electoral Guidelines forPrimary Elections, 2014, ofthe INEC, Obanikoro wasnot eligible to participate inthe gubernatorial primaryelection of the PDPscheduled for December 8,2014 in Lagos State.

Joined in the suit are theIndependent NationalElectoral Commission andthe Peoples DemocraticParty, PDP.

Apart from this, they were

LAGOS—LAGOS StateG o v e r n m e n t

yesterday said over 200tax defaulters have beenprosecuted in the lastone year, even as theysteps up campaign toensure compliance fromresidents and companiesin the state.

Chairman of LagosState Internal RevenueService, LIRS, Mr. TundeFowler, who disclosedthis in Ikeja, added thatanother 50 companieshave been taken tocourts for evading tax inthe state.

According to him; “Wehave other 50 companiesthat would beprosecuted. What isdelaying us was that wewere yet to get courtorder. If it was before, we wouldhave acted. But now, we mustget court order before we canshut any company. “

Fowler explained that the stategovernment has won all thecases and has ensured accurateremittance of the moneyexpected.

Abdulwahab Abdulah asking the court to grantthem an order of perpetualinjunction restrainingObanikoro fromparticipating in the saidprimaries as well as anorder restraining the PDPfrom nominating him to theINEC for the purpose ofcontesting the 2015governorship election inthe state.

The applicants whoexhibited severaldocuments, including anapplication form bearingOnikoro MusiliuBabatunde in support of

their motion, argued thatby fielding Obanikoro bytheir party, they and theparty stand to sufferimmeasurably during acontest with other politicalparties in the state.

They averred that unlessthe court accedes to theirrequest by granting aperpetual injunctionagainst Obanikoro, theirinterest as stakeholdersand overriding interest ofthe party will bejeopardise.

No date has been fixedfor the hearing of themotion.

Stakeholders tasked on 100%voluntary blood donation

By Gabriel Olawale

L G O S —

STAKEHOLDERS in thehealth sector have beenurged to ensure that 100 percent of all blood fortransfusion should be fromvoluntary blood donors aspart of strategies inresponding to the WorldHealth Organisation,WHO, position that quite anumber of deaths arerelated to loss of blood.

Making this call duringthe year 2014 annual freepublic health screening andawareness programme

organized by the MuslimCongress of Mushin LocalGovernment, theChairman, Lagos StateBlood TransfusionCommittee, LSBTC, Dr.Adetoun Agbe-Daviessaid that therecommendation WHO,that by 2020, all blood fortransfusion should be fromvoluntary blood donorswill go a long way inaddressing issues oftouting for blood donation as wellas the demand for familyreplacement of blood throughfamily donation for mothers atante natal booking.

EMPOWERMENT: Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa (3rd left), a beneficiary, Mr. Yusuf Muftau(3rd right), the sponsor, Senator Gbenga Ashafa (2nd righ), Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Bashorun(right), and others, during the empowerment programme of Senator Ashafa for IkoroduAPC members, at Ikorodu Town hall, Ikorodu, Lagos.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014—11

Extend voter registration in Edo, APC, PDPbeg INEC

By Simon Ebegbulem &Gabriel Enogholase

Why some elected leaders disregard constituents, by Wike

EPZ: Postponement of groundbreaking ceremony uncalledfor —ITSEKIRI GRADUATES

Bayelsayouths attackAgip pipeline,oil well

By SamuelOyadongha BENIN—THE two leading

political parties in EdoState, All Progressives Congress,APC, and its Peoples DemocraticParty, PDP, counterpart, weekendcalled on the IndependentNational Electoral Commission,INEC, to extend the ongoingvoter registration by one week,to avoid disenfranchising eligiblevoters.

The state governor, ComradeAdams Oshiomhole, hadSaturday called for the extensionof the exercise, saying INEC wasnot ready to conduct the exercisein the state.

Vanguard observed thatthousands of Edo people whothronged the centres for theexercise could not register due tolack of computers and wherecomputers were provided, theelectricity generating sets werefaulty.

APC, in a statement, lamentedthat thousands of residents of thestate had not registered due to theinability of INEC to provideregistration materials indesignated centers.

The party, in a statement by itsPublicity Secretary, Mr. GodwinErhahon, said: “APC believes thatonly such reasonable extensioncan make up for the time wasteddue to INEC’s shoddyarrangement for the exercisewhich led to violent protests atmost centres. Failure to extend theperiod will disenfranchisehundreds of thousands of voterswho INEC has failed to registerso far, even after they spent days

at the registration centres."APC believes the number of

intending voters INEC had failedto register were more than thoseregistered so far.

“INEC should therefore extendthe period and provide morecompetent hands and functionalequipment, otherwise it will belending credence to the rumourthat it is acting a PDP script todisenfranchise intending votersin Edo State,” he added.

On its part, PDP statechairman, Chief Dan Orbih, told

journalists that feedback receivedby his party had shown that theexercise in the state was facing alot of challenges such as shortageof Direct Data Capturing, DDC,machine, insecurity at theregistration centres, anddisruption of the exercise bythugs.

“People are finding it difficultto get to the registration centresas some of them are more than 5kilometres to their houses. Wehereby appeal for one weekextension. They should gobeyond mere extension. Every

unit should have its own DDC,”Orbih noted.

Head, Public Affairs of INEC inEdo State, Mrs. Priscilla Imoudu,described the challenges theywere facing as overwhelming,itemizing overcrowding anddisorderliness of the eligiblevoters as some of the problems.

Imoudu, who ruled out thepossibility of extending theexercise beyond tomorrowbecause it was beyond her REC,said the DDC machines weresometimes shutting down in thecourse of the registration becauseof heat.

By Daniel Gumm

WARRI—AS the Itsekiricontinue to decry

President Goodluck Jonathan’sdecision to abort last Friday'sgroundbreaking ceremony of theExport Processing Zone, EPZ, atOgidigben, the leadership ofNational Association of ItsekiriGraduates, NAIG, weekend saidthe postponement was uncalledfor.

In a statement in Warri,President of NAIG, Alero NaomiTenumah, averred that membersof the association, as other Itsekiri,were shocked to receive the newsof the postponement after “hugeanticipation and preparations.”

According to her, the fact thatsome individuals will takeadvantage of “the reality that theyare of the same ethnic nationalityas the President to issue threatsto the entire country for a projectintended to better the lot of notjust the Itsekiri alone, but also all

Nigerians, clearly shows why theBoko Haram insurgency isthriving and the level of ethnicismwhich is embedded in the FederalGovernment.”

Tenumah noted that the reasonsadduced by the Minister ofPetroleum, Mrs. Deizani Alison-Madueke, that there were

communal issues that needed tobe resolved before thegroundbreaking ceremony of theproject would take place, “isunconvincing and cheapgovernment diplomacy to coverthe Presidency's bias.”

She called on the federalgovernment to ignore the threats

by his kinsmen and fix a freshdate for the ceremonyimmediately “to convince theItsekiri people that it is not biased.Ugborodo community, where theproject is situated, is very peacefuland ready to partner the federalgovernment to ensure therealisation of the legacy project.”

PEOPLES DemocraticParty, PDP, governorship

aspirant in Rivers State, Mr.Nyesom Wike, has said thereason some leaders disregardtheir constituents was the factthat they had no contract withthe people during theelectioneering process.

He noted that aspirants whowere not campaigning weretaking the people and PDPdelegates for granted byerroneously thinking they

would emerge throughexternal endorsements.

Wike, who spoke at AhoadaWest during his meet the PDPdelegates tour of the area,weekend, advised the peoplenot to waste their votes onaspirants who lacked thecapacity and had not madethemselves available fordiscussion and developmentalnegotiation.

He said: “Those who aremaking noise are just coming,

they know nothing about thefeelings of the people andwhat they have passedthrough. They have notengaged in any politicalengagement. If you arepopular, come and standelection. Nobody will donategovernorship to any person. Iwill run the primary and winand I will run the generalelection. Anyone who isthreatening violence does notlove the President."

Chief Mowetapasses on at84

OGBUEFI S.P.O.Moweta, father of

Henri Oloweta, curatorand director of ArtCentre, Anthony Village,Lagos, has died at theage of 84.

Funeral service beginsNovember 20, at hisUmuezei Quarters,Asaba, Delta State.

Lying-in-state followsand interment at 10 amat St. John BoscoCatholic Church, Asaba,with traditional burialrites in his compound onSaturday November 22,2014.

Late Ogbuefi Moweta

U NIDENTIFIEDyouths, weekend,

launched multiple attackson a pipeline and oil wellbelonging to NigerianAgip Oil Company, atOkoroma, Nembe LocalGovernment Area ofBayelsa State, over adisputed securitysurveillance contract inthe area.

According to communitysources, the youths wholaunched the attack weremasked and armed withexplosives suspected to bedynamites.

The affected facilities, itwas learned, include OilWell 7 and Obama OilField pipeline connectingBrass area of the NigerianAgip Oil Company,NAOC.

The attacks were carriedout late night onWednesday andThursday.

The indigenes andelders of the community,according to sources,have launched ani n d e p e n d e n tinvestigation into theincident.

MEETING: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (left), with Chief Edwin Uzor,PDP State Acting Chairman, during the PDP Executive Council meeting, in Asaba, weekend.

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014

Cross River, Jonathan’s stronghold —ImokeGOVERNOR Liyel Imoke

of Cross River State,weekend, said the stateremained a stronghold forPresident Goodluck Jonathanin the 2015 presidentialelection.

Imoke, who spoke withjournalists at Margaret EkpoInternational Airport, Calabar,

on arrival from Abuja, said thegovernment and people of thestate were solidly behind thepresident’s second termambition.

The governor was thechairman of the eventcommittee for the president’sdeclaration last Tuesday.

Dismissing claims that he

was set to dump PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP, for AllProgressives Congress, APC,he said nothing would makehim quit a party in which hewas a founding member.

“There is nothingconceivable that will make mequit PDP, a party that I am notonly a founding member of,

but also brought the flag to thestate. I will rather leave politicsthan quit PDP, “ he stressed.

He said since he was notseeking any elective office, hispreoccupation now was to playhis part and ensure that thepresident was re-elected in2015.

Cross River State, he said,would continue to supportPresident Jonathan evenbeyond the 2015 presidentialelection because the peoplebelieved in his transformationagenda.

Shell accepts responsibility for Bodo spillBy Sebastine Obasi,with

Agency report

SHELL PetroleumDevelopment Company,

SPDC, has said it acceptedresponsibility for the twooperational spills in Bodo,Gokana Local GovernmentArea of Rivers State, and thatit wants to compensate fairlyand quickly, those who havebeen genuinely affected by theoil spill.

This came on the heels ofBritish-based AmnestyInternational’s accusation thatthe company under-reportedthe size of two 2008 oil spillsin the Niger Delta.

Amnesty International alsosaid in a statement released onThursday in the UnitedKingdom, that Shell hadknown for years that “itspipelines in the Niger Deltawere old and faulty.”

Media Relations Manager of

SPDC, Mr. PreciousOkolobo, said in astatement in Lagos thatfollowing the 2008 spills,a team, includingrelevant governmentagencies, SPDC andrepresentatives of theBodo community, visitedthe spill sites andcompleted a JointInvestigation Visit reportand that the estimatedtotal volume of oil spilledwas in the region of4,144 barrels.

“As part of the litigationprocess, we askedsatellite remote sensingexperts, hydrologists andspecialists in mangroveecology to assess howthe Bodo waterways andmangroves wereimpacted and other

relevant informationaddressing the question of thevolume of these spills and theextent of the damage.

“Having reviewed theirfindings, we accept that thetotal volume of oil released asa result of the two operationalspills is likely to haveexceeded the JointInvestigation Visit estimates.

“While naturally, thefindings in relation to the BodoJoint Investigation Visit andthe volume of oil from thesespills are of concern to us, it isnot the key issue for thepurpose of determining theappropriate level ofcompensation.

“SPDC is prepared tocompensate all members ofBodo community who havebeen genuinely affected by thespills, taking account of theentire area which has been

impacted,” it said.The statement explained that

SPDC had been workingtogether with the NationalCoalition on Gas Flaring andOil Spills in the Niger Deltato improve the quality of JointInvestigation Visits at SPDCfacilities in the Niger Delta.

The statement by AmnestyInternational said a courtdocument revealed Shell hadrepeatedly made false claimsabout the size and impact oftwo major oil spills at Bodo inNigeria, in an attempt tominimise its compensation

payments and that thepotential repercussions arethat hundreds of thousands ofpeople may have been deniedor underpaid compensationbased on similarunderestimates of otherspills.”

According to AudreyGaughran, Director for globalissues at AmnestyInternational.

“Shell has admitted that itunderestimated the volume ofoil spilled in both spills andthe impact of both, which is avery significant issue, because

they’ve denied that for years.People have given themevidence that they wereunderestimating theirdamages repeatedly. Thesecond thing that emerged inthese court documents is thatShell has known for years thatthe pipes going through theOgoniland area were pasttheir reasonable use-by dates,were old, leaky and in thewords of the document ‘ahazard’. And this has comefrom internal Shell documentsthat show they knew how badthe pipes were.”


CMYK


Enugu govt, House head for showdownover alleged illegal N7bn loan

By Francis Igata

ENUGU — THERE werestrong indications, weekend,

that Enugu State Governmentand the State House of Assemblywere heading for a showdownover alleged refusal of the houseto give a retroactive approval toa N7 billion loan allegedlyobtained illegally by GovernorSullivan Chime from commercialbanks. This is different from the N11billion loan the House approvedfor the Chime-led administrationlast Thursday, during its secretmeeting. Vanguard gathered that theHouse was uncomfortable withthe idea of approving N18 billionloan for an outgoingadministration. The refusal of the House toapprove the said N7billlion loanis already causing tension evenas All Progressives Congress,APC, in the state has described the approval of the N11billlionloan as outrageous. APC State Publicity Secretary,Kate Ofor, while condemning theprocess of the loan, wondered why the State Assembly that wason recess, till December 4;hurriedly went into secret sittingat the hallowed chambers afterbarring the press from the arena. According to APC, “It is ourcandid view that the loan is meantto rig the 2015 general elections,and alleged retirement benefit forGovernor Chime. The budgetproposal at our disposal has it thatN500million is earmarked fordisbursement to each localgovernment few weeks before theelections. This amounts toN8.5billion in what they taggedelection materials and N2.5billion for sundries. We stand to

be contradicted with factualevidence’. “All facts available indicate thatthe loan is a fraud. We thereforecall on the Central Bank ofNigeria and Economic andFinancial Crimes Commission,EFCC, to stop the governmentfrom accessing the loan facility. "The loan is unacceptable and

sheer wickedness by agovernment that has little regardfor civil servants and generalwelfare of the indigenes. "Accordingly, we challengeGovernor Chime to open theaccount books of Enugu State andabsolve himself of the unbridledcorruption under his watch. Forwe know that the work he has

done is not commensurate to thehuge federal allocations accruingto our state and local governmentcouncils in the past seven years. "On this, we challenge theissuing banks to halt thefraudulent loan transaction. Itbeats our imagination thatGovernor Chime, a seniorcounsel, who is at the twilight of

Mother of the Publisher Leadership Newspapers, Mama Eunice NdaIsaiah supported by the children, and other family members.

Publisher, Leadership Newspapers, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah and a cross section ofsympathisers during the interment of Pa Clement Ndanusa Isaiah, at the GeneralCemetery, Minna, Niger State. Photos: Abayomi Adeshida

Leadership publisher buries fatherhis administration,should deviate fromdue process and ruleof law, by requestingfor N11 billion loan,in less thantransparent manner.” Recall that theHouse members hadduring a meetingheld at the hallowedchambers last Thurs-day, approved N11billion loan re-quested by the gov-ernor, to enable hisadministration com-plete ongoingprojects and alsooffset previous loanfacility obtained froma new generationbank, which interestrate was jerked upastronomically. The House had insitting passed aresolution that “thishonorable House doresolve to authorizethe state governmentto obtain loans of onebillion naira and tenbillion nairarespectively fromUBA Plc to re-financefacility from GTB andfund infrastructuralprojects in the state.”

Etsako councillors adopt Alimikhena for Senate

NAFDAC arrests 10 over forgery, fake drugsBy Chioma Obinna

NATIONAL AGENCY forFood Drugs

Administration and Control,NAFDAC, has arrested 10suspects for varying offences

Oleh NBA inaugurates new exco

THE OLEH chapter of TheNigerian Bar Association,

NBA, weekend, inaugurated newexecutive to pilot the association’sactivities for the next two years.The new executive which hadrenowned Lawyer, Emebuno D.E

senior lawyer, Mr. Prosper Ezo,Esq., charged the new executiveto work tirelessly to take thechapter to new heights, addingthat its prime focus should besurpassing the giant strides of theoutgoing excos.

NEPC partnersministryagainst illegalmining

EFFORTS TO tackle theactivities of illegal solid

minerals miners will soonyield result as the NigerianExport Promotion Council,NEPC, and the Ministry ofSolid Minerals haveagreed to constitute atechnical group that willaddress the incidences ofillegal mining for export. Executive Director/ChiefExecutive Officer, of NEPC,Mr. Olusgeun Awolowo,said this while on a courtesyvisit to the Minister of SolidMinerals DevelopmentArc. Muhammed Sada. Awolowo noted that giventhe dwindling price of oilin the international market,there was need toreposition the non-oilexport sector as a viablealternative to sustaining thenation’s economy with aview to providing jobs andcreating wealth alongidentified value chains.

New N100notes,wasteful,ill-timed— TUC

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

TRADE UNIONCongress of Nigeria,

TUC, weekend, faulted theintroduction of new N100bank notes by the CentralBank of Nigeria, CBN, tocommemorate Nigeria’scentenary celebration,saying it was ill-timed andwasteful. In a statement by itsPresident and SecretaryGeneral, Mr. BobboiKaigama and Musa Lawalrespectively, TUC said“printing of new currencyis usually a capital-intensive venture, andraises questions as to howthe CBN hopes to grapplewith the economicimplications of redesigningand printing the new banknotes. "Even the timing of theproject is inappropriate,coming so late in the yearwhen the economic hustleand bustle associated withChristmas and New Yearare nigh. "These, together with theheightened state ofinsecurity in parts of thecountry, the frenzy ofpolitical activities andelectioneering campaignstowards the forthcoming2015 elections, and thecurrent slump in global oilprices make this the worstpossible time for suchdrastic fiscal policy."

including forgery of theagency ’s certificate,possession of counterfeitdrugs, revalidation and sale ofexpired products.Parading the suspects inLagos, Director ofInvestigations and

Enforcement, Mr. KingsleyEjiofor, who spoke on behalfof the Director-General ofNAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, saidall the suspects were arrestedbased on information fromproducers of the originalproducts,

Those arrested were Mr.Kingsley Chibueze, forimportation of fake Buscomac,Zentel and Primolut-N tablets;Mr Ayoola Segun, for forgeryof NAFDAC certificates formostly herbal practitioners foryears.

and seven others as members,was inaugurated at Oleh, IsokoSouth, Delta State, after emergingvictorious in an election held penultimate weekend. While performing the swearing-in ceremony, the chapter’s most

T H I R T Y - T W OCOUNCILLORS from the

three local government areas inEtsako of Edo North, Edo State,have adopted Chief FrancisAlimikhena, as their preferredcandidate for Senate on the

platform of the All ProgressivesCongress, APC. Alimikhena is one of the threefront runners campaigning torepresent Edo North SenatorialDistrict at the upper chamber ofthe National Assembly.

Other two major contenders areProfessor Julius Ihonvbere, whois currently the Secretary to theState Government, SSG, and theincumbent, Senator DomingoObende. Ihonvbere is fromOwan, the same axis with

Domingo, who is from Akoko Edowhile Alimikhene is from Etsako. The adoption was made,weekend, at a social gatheringhosted by Alimikhena for thecouncillors and some top partyleaders from the three Etsakocouncils. At the party venue inAgenebode, a motion for hisadoption was subsequentlymoved by the Leader of EtsakoEast Council Legislative House,Igiefameh Sunday Peter andsupported by Hon Henry Aloyeof Etsako Central LegislativeHouse.

CMYK


MISAPPLICATION OF N19.2BN: Reps sayMinistry of Works has case to answer

By Emman Ovuakporie

ABUJA — THE House ofR e p r e s e n t a t i v e s

Committee on Anti-Corruption,Ethics and Values has invitedthe Ministry of Works overalleged misapplication ofN19.2 billion released forvarious road projects across thecountry.

It was reliably gathered thatthe committee invited theministry two weeks ago, withno response received from theofficials till date.

According to a source close tothe committee, several petitionswere sent alleging that fundsallocated to the ministry almosttwo years ago were deliberatelymisapplied.

Documents made available toVanguard clearly indicated thatN18.2bn was allocated to theministry in the first quarter of2013.

Subsequently, another N1,055, 447,608.16 was allocatedto the ministry to quickly putfinishing touches to the variousprojects across Nigeria.

A breakdown of the projectsand allocations indicated N4billion for Lagos-ShagamuRoad; Enugu-PortHarcourt

expressway-N4.5bn; Ilorin-Mokwa-Tigina-Gwari-Kadunaexpressway-N4bn; Suleja-Minna road-N2bn; Abuja-LokojaRoad-N1.7bn; and Apapa-Oshodi expressway Phase, 11-N2bn.

The total amount released

amounted to N18.2 billion andthe information to this effect wascontained in a circular datedJanuary 2, 2013, with Ref No:FD/FA/14/VOLXV/285.

Also, the sum of N1, 055,447,608.16 was allocated to theministry to enable it properly

renovate and refurbish the roads.Details of payment are as

follows: Ref/FD/FA/114/Vol.XIV/DF. Release from 1.46 per centFGN Share of Derivation andEcology Fund, Transfer Sum -N1, 055, 44,608.16 to FederalMinistry of Works account No.

2015: Don’tleave PVCs withINEC, Ashafawarns residents

AS THE Independent National ElectoralCommission, INEC, transfers the

distribution of Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs,to local government councils in Lagos, SenatorGbenga Ashafa has warned residents againstnon-collection of the card.

According to him, non-collection of the cardswill disenfranchise people from voting in 2015general elections.

This came on a day Ashafa also empowered nofewer than 15, 242 youths, artisans, traders,farmers and other less privileged persons inLagos-East senatorial district in the ongoingmega empowerment programme in the district.

Ashafa, who gave the warning in Ikoroduduring the empowerment programme, said:“Those who are yet to collect the PVC should goand collect it. Refusing to collect the card is aidingINEC to disenfranchise you during next year’selections.”

He urged the residents not to allow the tacticsadopted by the electoral body to discourage themas such an action would affect electorate inmaking the right choice.

On the empowerment programme, he said, over15,242 artisans, traders, farmers and other lesspriviledged persons have benefitted from itemsdistributed.

The recipients were drawn from the five localgovernments and 11 Local Council DevelopmentAreas, LCDAs, across the senatorial district.

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

...empowers 1,500artisans, traders

Professorlamentsfallingstandard ofeducation

By BartholomewMadukwe

THE DIRECTOR ofResearch, Nigerian

Institute of AdvancedLegal Studies, NIALS,Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye,weekend, lamented thefalling standard ofeducation in the country.

He also ascribedinsurgency and terrorismravaging North Easternpart of Nigeria to long yearsof neglect of the region bythe political leadership.

Speaking at the 30thanniversary graduationreunion of University of Ife,UNIFE, law class of 1984,in Lagos, Prof. Owasanoyenoted that a number of thepleasurable privilegesenjoyed 30 years ago asstudents are no longerthere.

“Our meals cost 50 koboand on Sundays we hadice cream. Gettingeducation is no longerwhat it used to be and thestandards have simplydeclined.”

Borno youthgroupsupportsDurkwa'sHouse ofReps bid

MAIDUGURI — Agroup of All

Progressives Congress,APC, under the auspices ofHawul and Askira UbaYouth Movement,HAUYM, yesterday,drummed support andendorsed formerCommissioner forReligious Affairs in Bornostate, Usman MammanDurkwa to contest asHouse of Representative member of Hawul/Askira-Uba federal constituency in2015, citing allegedimproper representation bythe incumbent, AbdulMshelizza.

The group also said it wascompelled to obtain theAPC nomination andExpression of Interest formsfor Durkwa for theforthcoming generalelections due to his trackrecord not only to thepeople of the constituency,but also the state.

Durkwa had served ascommissioner in variousministries, such as Landand Survey, Environment,Religious Affairs.

By Ndahi Marama

BIRTHDAY: From left, Chief Jonathan Nnaji, President, National SportsCommission; Engr. Peter I.Anomneze, Supervisor, Process Engineering DeltaOperation, Chevron Nigeria Limited; HRH, Eze Cyril Osuala Ojiofor; thecelebrator, cutting his 94th birthday cake and his Ffirst wife Chief CyrinaAnomneze Ugoeze, at NIS Complex,National Stadium Surulere, Lagos. Photo:Akeem Salau

0059752524, CBNaccount No.0020054141317

The abovetransfer representsamount approvedby the President forthe reinstatement ofthe collapsedsection of Gombe -Potiskum road videletter Ref No.PRES/81/ SGF/ 2/679/738/MW/74 ofSeptember 13,2012, and CME/HMF’s approvalon memo datedOctober 21, 2012.

The source said:“You won’t believethat nothingtangible has beendone to justify thevarious amountsallocated to theministry.

CMYK

OPINION

16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014

*Mr. Udumebraye, a political analyst,wrote from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

By John Udumebraye APC: Limits of exploitative propagandaTHE leadership of the All Progressives

Congress, APC, must have celebratedwhen a suicide bomber blew himself upand killed 47 students at the assemblyground of the Government Senior ScienceSecondary School in Potiskum, Yobe State,on Monday, November 10, 2014. LaiMohammed, the National PublicitySecretary of the APC, must have beendizzy with joy on receiving news of thecatastrophe for the single reason that itwas a gift — never mind that it was adiabolical one from the pit of hell — withwhich he could accuse President GoodluckJonathan of insensitivity and callousnesswhen the latter formally declared hisintention to seek re-election the next day.Undeterred, Jonathan went ahead withhis declaration. Expectedly, LaiMohammed wasted no time in screaming“utterly insensitive and absolutelycallous.” It is a wonder that this devotee ofthe Nazi propagandist, Josef Goebbels,could not find more adjectives with whichto ostensibly criticise the President while,in actual fact, he was celebrating theunfortunate death of the Potiskumstudents. Lai Mohammed even accusedJonathan of “dancing on the graves of thestudents”, but not once did he condemn theterrorists behind the suicide bomb attack.In the past, the APC has been accused ofeither funding or at least supporting thenefarious Boko Haram group that has beenwaging an insurgency against theNigerian state in order to establish anIslamic caliphate in its stead. Some of us

publicly averred that such accusations werea case of dirty politics taken too far. How,we asked, could the APC be in cahoots withthose who seek to destroy the Nigerian state?If the insurgents were to succeed, of whatbenefit would that be to the APC or itsmembers? Regrettably, one has been forcedto have a rethink today.To be clear, the resurgent state of bombblasts that culminated in the Potiskumattack is just too much for even the mostnaive Nigerian to accept as merecoincidence. In recent times, APCpresidential aspirants, ranging fromformer Vice President Atiku Abubakar,through former military dictator GeneralMuhammadu Buhari, to Kano StateGovernor Rabiu Kwankwaso andpublisher-turned-politician Sam Nda-Isaiah, have all held events to declare theirintention to vie for the presidency. Nobomb blasts were recorded. But as soon asJonathan announced the date of his formaldeclaration, the bombs started going off.Fellow Nigerians, who is fooling whom?We can run from pillar to post, or we canface up to what is self-evident to everydiscerning Nigerian: there is a clearconnection between terrorist attackswhenever the President is scheduled tohold or attend a political event and thereadiness of the APC propaganda machineto issue exploitative statements thatcondemn the President, but never theterrorists. It is now beyond any reasonabledoubt that the APC is sympathetic to, if

not in support outright of Boko Haram.Indeed, it appears Lai Mohammed evenprepares the statement ahead of anyterrorist attack and then releases it soonafter.Interestingly, nobody should forget thatwhen former Minister of Aviation, ChiefFemi Fani-Kayode, left the APC andrejoined the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,he had some remarkable revelations to shareabout his erstwhile APC colleagues. In onestatement, Fani-Kayode told Nigerians:“The APC in the North is the political wingof Boko Haram in the northern part ofNigeria. This, I have said before and no oneamongst them was bold enough to challengeme. I will continue to say it again and again.The northern elements in the APC have toexplain to all Nigerians why some of theirleaders in the North support, encourage anddefend Boko Haram members.”Fani-Kayode went on to add: “No memberof the APC has been bold enough tocontrovert what I said about theirrelationship with the Boko Harammembers in the North. I stand to bechallenged if any of them has a contraryview.”Moreover, it is a matter of public recordthat Lai Mohammed not only opposed theUnited States of America classifying BokoHaram as a terrorist organisation, moreimportantly, he also actively protested theproscription of Boko Haram by the FederalGovernment of Nigeria in June 2013. Inview of how much pleasure he takes in

glorifying the dastardly acts of thedespicable terrorist group, the reason forLai Mohammed’s protestations is crystalclear.Now, if an ordinary Nigerian like thiswriter can so easily deduce that some seniormembers of the APC are Boko Haramsupporters and sympathisers, the questionthen arises: Why has the government notarrested them and prosecuted themaccording to the law? Could it be that thegovernment of President Jonathan does notwant to be accused of stifling the opposition,especially in the run-up to a general election?Whatever the case may be, the facts are plainfor Nigerians to see. Lai Mohammed andhis APC colleagues are always prepared withexploitative propaganda condemningPresident Jonathan whenever terroristsstrike.However, they typically never condemnthe terrorists. This reveals clearly who isdancing on the graves of slain Nigerians.Despite their well-crafted propagandadesigns, Nigerians have a duty to theirnation to reject Boko Haram, theirfunders, supporters and sympathisers atthe 2015 polls.

IS it possible that the Minister of Finance,Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is supposedto have commanding stands on theeconomy, as other appendages to her titlesuggest, is the last person to know thatthe Nigerian economy is in dire straits?She has spent the better part of this year

denying that anything could be amiss withthe economy. As oil prices fall, with theUnited States using other oils, evenordinary people noted that lower oil saleswould affect the economy. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said nothing of the sort wouldhappen. The economy was on a soundfooting, she added. Anyone who doubtedher was cast in the mould of the opposition.There is the politics of the economy, atrend where any suggestion aboutimproving the economy is equated withtaking a stand against the administration.Last April’s rebasing of the economy that

pushed Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Productto $509 billion, ahead of South Africa’s$350 billion, was 24 years late. Nigeriahad been working with a 1990 base. Whilethe exercise saw GDP jump 89 per centfrom N42.3 trillion (2013) to N80.3 trillion,the economy’s acknowledgement of sectors

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like telecommunications, music andNollywood should mark more efforts atharnessing the potentials the sectors hold.Nigeria’s huge population does not feel

the impact of the growth. Governments’interests are in statistics that supporteconomic growth.If without electricity Nigeria raked up 12

places to become the 24th largest economyin the world, sharing the spot with Polandand Belgium; ahead of Argentina, Austriaand Iran, we can imagine what could beachieved with better infrastructure and lesscorruption.The long job queues remain, as more

people are joining them. Millions arebecoming poorer; the growth in theeconomy excludes their own realities.Rampant corruption denies the economyresources and disrupts systems.Only last week, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala

admitted that the economy was in a shapethat would challenge all soon. Oil priceswere tumbling, she said, as if that was new.Or that managers of the economy had notrepetitively sang about the importance ofdiversifying the economy? What was herprescription for surviving the coming hardtimes? She wants us to apply austeritymeasures. The prescription is obviously notfor governments.It is a shame that those entrusted with

managing our affairs, either complain, likemost Nigerians, or threaten us with woes.The economy, doubtlessly, is in a bad

shape. Its unique growth cannot createjobs, improve the situation of people ordirect them to opportunities. OrdinaryNigerians understand an economy withoutoil better than managers of the economy –they practise it; they do not need to preachit.

CMYK


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VANGUARD, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014 —43

Burkina Faso signs transitiondeal, reinstates constitutionBURKINA Faso took

a significant step to-ward the return of civil-ian rule at the weekendas the military an-nounced the reinstate-ment of the country’sconstitution which hadbeen suspended with thepresident’s ouster.

At the same time thesigning of an agreementfor a transitional civiliangovernment has beenpushed back by a day for“technical” reasons, amilitary source said.

Lieutenant Colonel Is-sac Zida, the army-in-stalled leader after theOctober 31 resignation ofpresident Blaise Com-paore, issued a statementsaying the suspension ofthe constitution “has beenlifted... to allow for the ci-vilian transition processnow under way”, and toprepare the return to nor-mal constitutional rule.

The move will also allowBurkina’s constitutionalcourt to examine the tran-sition charter which is tobe officially signed onSunday.

The transition agree-ment lays out the steps toa one-year transfer ofpower from the military,which took over after massprotests late last monththat forced Compaore toquit after 27 years in pow-er.

The signing ceremonyby the country’s army,political parties and civilgroups had been expect-ed on Saturday but waspostponed because thebuilding where it was tobe held was still being re-paired after damage fromthe demonstrations.

Also traditional leadersfrom the regions invited tothe ceremony neededmore time to travel to the

capital, the source said oncondition of anonymity.

“The signing of thecharter has thus beenpushed back to Sunday”at 4:00 pm (1600 GMT),the source said. “We wantto brief our traditionalleaders on our discus-sions.”

The transition charter,akin to an interim consti-tution, lays out a one-yeartransition to civilian rulethat includes appointinga temporary president andcalls for elections by No-vember 2015.

Under the deal, an in-terim civilian presidentwill be chosen by a spe-cial electoral college.

The president will inturn appoint a prime min-ister, either a civilian or amilitary figure, who willhead a 25-member transi-tional government.

Sanctions: Putin warns Western nations

RUSSIAN President,Vladimir Putin has

warned that Westernsanctions against hiscountry could backfire.

Speaking in an inter-view with German ARDtelevision broadcast atthe weekend as he wasattending the Group of20 summit in Brisbane,Australia, Putin said thatcutting Russian access tocapital markets wouldhurt Western exports.

“If the resources of ourfinancial institutions arecut off, they can extendfewer loans to the Rus-sian companies thatwork with German part-ners,” he said. “Sooneror later, it will begin toaffect you as much asus.”

He also said the sanc-

tions could hurt someRussian banks, leadingthem to demand repay-ment of multibillion loansthey have given toUkraine, damaging itseconomy. Putin citedRussia’s state-controlled

Gazprombank, which hesaid issued loans worth$3.2 billion to Ukrainebefore being hurt byWestern sanctions thatbarred it from borrowingin capital markets.

Armed clashes rock Tripoli, airport shutdown

ARMED clashesbroke out in Libya’s

capital Tripoli closingdown the city ’s mainworking airport, localresidents and an officialsaid yesterday.

Tripoli has been mostlycalm since the LibyaDawn force, an armedfaction allied to the cityof Misrata, took over thecapital in the summerand set up its owngovernment in rivalry to

Prime Minister Abdullahal-Thinni.

It was not immediatelyclear who was involvedin Sunday’s fighting,and there was noconfirmation from healthauthorities of anycasualties.

A spokesman for thecivil aviation authoritysaid Mitiga airport hadbeen closed because ofthe security situation.Mitiga has operated as

the capital’s main airportsince fighting in thesummer damaged andshut Tripoliinternational airport.

T h i n n i ’ si n t e r n a t i o n a l l y -recognised governmentand the elected House ofRepresentatives areholed up in the easterncity of Tobruk, and thetwo factions are nowvying for control overLibya and its oilresources.

Australian PM, Tony Abbot, US President, BarackObama and British PM, David Cameron at the G20summit in Brisbane yesterday.


Continues on page 49

Governors havebecome a problemto our democracy— Etiebet

DO you share theopinion of the AllP r o g r e s s i v e s

Congress, (APC) thatPresident Jonathan wasinsensitive to have made hisdeclaration for a second terma day after 48 school childrenwere killed in a bombexplosion in Yobe State?

Within the context of thesecurity situation in the countrywhich APC is referring to, theinsurgency and all that, if thePresident does not declare, itmeans that he is giving upbecause of the insurgency. Sowe are happy that he hasdeclared and we need to knowthat when there is war, life goeson and just like he said in hisdeclaration that he is going todo everything possible andtake immediate steps to curb,contain and eventually defeat

CHIEF Donald Etiebet, erstwhile minister ofpetroleum, a member of the Board of Trustees of thePeoples Democratic Party, PDP is one of the leadingpolitical lights in the country.A major political force in his native Akwa IbomState, Etiebet in this interview reviews recentdevelopments in the country and posits thatgovernors have become a danger to the democraticprocess.

the insurgency and to bringother things into place. Wetrust he will do that.

Why is your party insisting

on pushing PresidentJonathan as a sole candidatefor the election?

That is the prerogative of theparty to decide on what it hasto do or not. If you read the PDPconstitution, it specifically saysthat it is the party that at theend of day will put up acandidate and campaign forthat candidate to win theelections and that is what theNigerian constitution also says.If the party thereforerecognises the attributes of thesitting president, recognisesthe performance of the sittingpresident, recognises what hecan do, the party has the rightto say for your second term,there is not going to be

competition. That is theposition the party has takenand that is the position ofdifferent organs of the partyright from the GovernorsForum, to the caucus, Board ofTrustees and finally theNational Working Committee ofthe party. This decision wasreached because the partybelieves that he is competentenough, that he has performedenough and that he hasqualities enough that he canuse in selling his candidature.

Given the mutterings in theparty, especially over theinsistence of governors andfederal legislators gettingautomatic tickets, is your partynot in trouble ahead of theelection?

You will remember that beforeAlhaji Mua’zu came in as thenational chairman of the party,there were factions within thePDP, we existed in groups ofdifferent opinions and that wasnot good for the party. WhenAdamu Mua’zu became thenational chairman he promisedto bring everybody back to themainstream of the party, hepromised a level playing fieldfor all party members to haveopportunity to aspire towhatever they will like to contest

known for andimmediately hestarted doingthat and inappreciation hewas given anaccolade called,“the gamechanger”.

So the partystarted comingtogether againwith the hopethat this levelplaying field willbe put in placefor everyone tocompete in anatmosphere ofi n t e r n a ldemocracy, butsuddenly, theo u t g o i n ggovernors cameout and tried tosell themselvesto the party thatthey were theonly ones whocould win

elections in their different statesand also win election for thepresidency. That is the problemtoday and that problem is inevery state where there areoutgoing governors and theoutgoing governors in additionto that turned around and saidthey want to pick their ownsuccessors and also to be givenan automatic ticket to go to theSenate.

But it seems the outgoinggovernors are holding the partyby the jugular and everythingwe elders say to the partyseems to be falling on deaf earsand I keep repeating, that isthe problem. This problem is allover the PDP controlled statesespecially the South-south, thebedrock of the president’ssupport base and that shouldnot be allowed to happenbecause if there is disparity,there is dissension,disagreement and disharmonybetween the outgoinggovernors and the other elderswho want a level playing field,then that will go on to affect thefortunes of the party in thegeneral elections.

T h eu n f o r t u n a t ething is if this ishappening inthe zone that issupposed to givemaximum 100percent votes toMr. President ishaving all theseissues, thenthere is cause forworry. I am usingthis opportunityto appeal to theleadership of theparty to look verydeeply into theseproblems ofbelieving it isonly thegovernors thatcan deliver theirstates to theparty.

But thisproblem is notnew as it was

for.He promised that all party

leaders who had been standingby the side or who had left theparty that he would doeverything to bring them backto the family for which PDP is

•Etiebet

By Gbenga OkeWhat it

portends forthe countryis that theo u t g o i n ggover norswant tocontinue tohold theirv a r i o u sstates toransom, theywant tocontinue torule theirstate fromoutside

*Akpabio alone cannot determine his successor

CMYK

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014—45

Continues from page 48

We will stop Akpabio– Etiebet

there during the Obasanjoadministration. What does thisoverbearing influence ofgovernors portend for thecountry?

Honestly, what it portends forthe country is that the outgoinggovernors want to continue tohold their various states toransom, they want to continueto rule their state from outsideand this is not good fordemocracy and this is not goodfor the states because they tendto want to turn the states totheir personal properties, turntheir states into dynasties sothat at every turn, it will betheir system, at every turn, itwill be their group that willselect their successors, selecttheir National Assemblymembers, therefore they willperpetually have a hold on thestate, that is not good fordemocracy and the action mustbe stopped this year.

I was running for thepresidency in 1999, Ekwuemeand myself, were the front-runners, then suddenly theybrought out Obasanjo fromprison and made him thepresidential candidate, he didnot have the support of theparty before he came out, it wasafter he came out that he startedmobilizing people who wereworking for us but at the end,he became the president butwithout party support and itwas in this case that he tookAtiku Abubakar who was aparty man to be his vice-president, it was Atiku whostarted mobilizing thegovernors and in order to havea hold on the party inpreparation for second term, heand Atiku worked together tomobilize the governors andthat was how party structureswere given to the governors intheir various states. I personallyfought the party in my state fortwo years that it cannot happenand when the structures waseventually given to VictorAttah, then I left the party andit was only when Obasanjo wasgoing that I came back into theparty by 2006.

Also, when Victor Attahwanted to impose his son inlaw on the party, I kickedagainst it and took all measuresto stop him and that was howGodswill Akpabio came aboutand from then on, the governorsstarted with the GovernorsForum and they took steps andbecause they have votingrights at the National ExecutiveCommittee of the party andsince they control the party inthe states, they always have achunk of the voting rights atNEC and as a result, we cannotchange some of the actions theybrought about.

So this is the war that iswaging right now and we hopethat the national leadership ofthe party would see the dangerof wanting the outgoinggovernors to have theirsuccession plans because this

will eventually make them turntheir states to their dynastiesand themselves into monarchs.They will all move to the Senateand having a lot of resources,they will go there and makelaws that will make them evenbe the ones to pick presidentialcandidates. So the party shouldsee this dangerahead.

What is yourreaction to thedefection ofS p e a k e rTambuwal tothe APC?

Ta m b u w a lhas not been afaithful memberof the party, Ican tell youthat. He is myfriend and wewere togetherin the ANPPwith hisg o v e r n o r ,Wammako, weall wrestledand got thecontrol of thestate from thef o r m e rG o v e r n o r ,Bafarawa, so Iknow all aboutthem. Rightfrom thebeginning, hes h o w e dtendencies of

not obeying the party. You knowthat in this country, we stillhave to equalize theadministration to reflect thedifference ethnic and zonalinterests. The speaker of theHouse of Representatives waszoned to South-West butthrough some machinations in

the House,Tambuwal andI h e d i o h aemerged whichwas not pleasingto the South-westand it was notpleasing toObasanjo himselfwho at that timewas theChairman of theBoard of Trusteesand I can tell youthat if Obasanjois annoyed andhas not beenworking for theparty as heshould havedone, it isbecause theSouthwest is notrepresented inthe top sixpositions in thiscountry, thePresident, thevice-president,S e n a t ePresident, theSpeaker and then a t i o n a lchairman of the

party. So, if you look at hisactions right from time, from allintents and purposes, hisactions do not make him a partyman because he has beenworking against the interest ofthe PDP in the House, so if hehas not been a good party, youjust have to go out but whenyou go out, you don’t go outwith the booty and that is theproblem. He should bedemocratic enough to knowthat he became the speaker onthe platform of PDP and if hewanted to leave, he should alsoleave the speakership.

The constitution says whenthere is a division in a party,then you can leave, but thereis no division in the PDP, noteven in Sokoto. Even if therewas a division in Sokoto PDP,there is no division at thenational level of the party.

So he cannot eat his cake andhave it same time, so I wouldhave expected that now that hisassociates have picked up apresidential form for him, heshould have just said thankyou PDP, I am now in APC andtherefore, I will vacate myposition.

Why are many elders of the

PDP in Akwa Ibom State stillagainst the congresses thatwere held?

Honestly, I cannot hide myfeelings and I have alreadyexpressed that at many fora.Immediately after theNovember 1 date, I told

everyone that there was nocongress in Akwa-Ibom Stateaccording to the guidelines ofthe party. The party hasguidelines and issuedguidelines as to how to conductcongress on an A4 basis, thisdid not take place in any ward.If the congress took placeanywhere, that is thegovernor ’s ward which heshowed to everyone.

The electoral committee thatwas sent to the state did not doany good to the party, in factwhen they came, and made astatement that they didn’t cometo conduct a congress but tomonitor the congress. So Iasked, if you are monitoring,who is conducting? Manyelders tried to see him,(chairman of panel) he refusedseeing them and he distributedmaterials and we asked to seethe materials, he refused.When they opened thematerials, they were allphotocopies and before yourealize it, the reports werealready in Abuja of what hedid. I am telling you on myhonour that there was nocongress in Akwa-Ibom Stateand with all our complaints tothe national leadership of theparty, they will not attempt touse the results produced byIbrahim Abdul-Aziz.

I mean at my age, 70 years,why do I want to come and tella lie that there was a congresswhen there was no congress.

Zoning of governorship in

Akwa-IbomAfter the national chairman of

the party had stated that therewill be a level playing groundfor all the aspirants, theyturned around and issued astatement that they have zonedthe governorship to onesenatorial district. Does it meanit is only in one senatorial zonethat we can have a candidatethat can win elections for PDPin Akwa-Ibom State? Or arethey talking about fairness andequity? Why did they not alsosay that the senatorial slot forIkot Ekpene should go to Abakfederal constituency which iswhat is due? Abak has neverproduced a senator in Ikot-Ekpene district and thegovernor’s federal constituencyhas produced a senatorincluding a member of his ownfamily. Abak has not producedand everybody is saying thistime, the senatorial seatbelongs to Abak federalconstituency. But he says no, ithas to come from Ikot-Ekpenefederal constituency. Where isthe justice that he is preaching?Where is the equity that he ispreaching? Is what is good forthe goose not good for thegander? These are thequestions we the elders areasking that these things are notdone in good faith and that thenational leadership of the partyshould come to our rescue tomake sure that proper action istaken to forestall peace.

•Etiebet

Where isthe justicethat he ispreaching?Where isthe equitythat he ispreaching?Is what isgood forthe goosenot goodfor thegander?


OPINIONBy Alex Akpodiete Growing desire for Senate seat

WITH the primaries of the major political partiesaround the corner, there continues to be serious

trading and speculations about who will get automatictickets and who may not.

The current political climate is saturated with out-goinggovernors who want to become Senators. So, far it is only ahandful of governors that do not want to enter the hallowedred (upper) chambers of the National Assembly, Even thosewho do not want to go, want to select who goes. In fact, it isonly one governor who has come out to say that as a formergovernor, it will be a step-down for him to go for the Senatebecause a governor has been a Chief Executive of an entirestate, handling budgets beyond the capacity of any sittingsenator. For that ambitious ex-governor, the only optionwill be to vie for the Presidency.

In fact, political scientists argue that ex-governors makebetter presidents, as we have seen with Yar’Adua and ourcurrent President, in consonant with what has beenhappening in America with Reagan, Clinton andBush(senior and junior). Obama is the only currentaberration in that American perpetuated theory. Anyway,there seems to be no vacancy in Aso Rock at least formembers of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, until2019.

Therefore, while the taste of Abuja seems to be palatableto several out-going governors, it is only as far as thehallowed red chambers is concerned.

The dilemma of a few of these governors is that they willhave to contend with incumbent senators who are apparently

recalcitrant and refuse to be politically “settled”, whateverthat means. Some of the governors interested in becomingsenators in 2015 include Sullivan Chime (Enugu); GabrielSuswan (Benue); Liyel Imoke Cross River); EmmanuelUduaghan (Delta) and Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom).

Some are actually interested in continuous service to theirconstituents and not because they want to stay relevant inthe corridors of power, as some detractors say. Some harshercritics even point out that some of the out-going governorsdon’t have any real professions or that those with a professioncannot make anywhere near the same money in theirprevious profession as they do in politics.

Another compelling reason could be that unlike thegovernorship position which is constitutionally limitedto two-terms of four years, there is no limit to the number oftimes a sitting senator can be re-elected, meaning one couldbe there for a life time like the American Senator JamesKennedy, from Massachusetts.

Some governors are further faced with either choosingwho succeeds them as governor or vying for the Senatein their respective senatorial zone. News filteringthrough is that the PDP, after a meeting with PresidentGoodluck Jonathan, may have decided to offer automatictickets to some of their returning senators.

Some months back, I wrote a piece titled: “The Incredulityof automatic Tickets.” It is still my belief that this isantithetical to democracy.

This is also on the backdrop of the opposition AllProgressives Party, APC. possibly offering automatic ticketto their incumbent House of Representatives members tomake sure they protect Speaker Aminu Tambuwal fromimpeachment.

Where is our democracy heading? Part of the rationale foroffering automatic tickets to some senators is because ourdemocracy will supposedly be enriched, at least thelegislative arm, if we tap into their experience. TheSenate President David Mark, who has been in the Senatesince 1999, is one of the protagonists of this argument.However, the counter-argument is that it is an affrontto democracy to deny the out-going governors theirconstitutional right to contest for a seat to represent theirrespective senatorial zone. These governors are eminentlyqualified under Section 65 of the 1999 Constitution of theFederal Republic of Nigeria, as they have a schoolcertificate, are at least 35 years of age and are expected tobe sponsored by their political party. This is exactly identicalto the qualifications to be a governor under Section 177 ofthe same constitution.

*Prof Akpodiete, a public affairs analyst, wrotefrom Warri, Delta State.

Waziri Tambuwal for president

YOU must have noticed the newestpolitical speculation in town. It must havebeen invented in the ongoing politicaltransition period because I don’t seem tohave noticed it before. It is the act of buy-ing nomination forms for candidates forhigh office. President Goodluck Jonathanwas favoured with this uncommon be-nevolence by thousands of groups drawnfrom across the polity. The latest benefi-ciary of this magnanimous outburst of loveand support from admirers is the embat-tled Speaker of the House of Representa-tives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.Members of his All Progressives Con-gress, APC, in the House of Representa-tives, sensing his interest in the presi-dential race, rushed to purchase hisnomination form for him. How touching.

I am wondering why Major GeneralMuhammadu Buhari and Alhaji AtikuAbubakar had to purchase their ownforms. Does it mean nobody loves them?Even with his 21-year pedigree as a presi-dential contender and leader of the oth-erwise “powerful” Peoples DemocraticMovement PDM? I am shocked. I am alsodevastated by the fact that our incorrupt-ible Buhari could not get his millions ofadmirers to contribute money to buy hisnomination form valued at N27.5 million.

He was left with no other choice than toborrow from a bank! At least, so he toldus. What a poor man! Hope it was anIslamic bank, so that it would be interest-free.Perhaps he will have to borrow evenmore to bring delegates to Abuja for theprimaries? Who will repay all these debts,since, as an elected president (if), he willdepend only on his salary? Well, let’sleave Buhari to wear his own headacheof borrowing to buy when others are get-ting theirs free from beloved friends andassociates.

Now, the decision of Waziri Tambuwalto go for president rather than governormakes the APC presidential contest trulyinteresting. The APC presidential race isthe race to watch. It is the box office. ThePDP has since foreclosed a contest, withPresident Jonathan as the sole candidate,so the less said about it the better.

How I detest those words: sole candi-date. It was a creative piece of politicalsycophancy spawned under General SaniAbacha, whereby the five political par-ties formed by the dictator’s busybodypolitical contractors came together andadopted him as their sole candidate.

Abacha would become a civilian presi-dent without an election.

It was also in those days that the sameset of busybody political contractorsstaged rallies round the country, beggingAbacha to run.They held a grand rally inAbuja under the auspices of the YouthEarnestly Ask for Abacha, YEAA, with MrDaniel Kanu as the main contractor. Thatwas where the Transformation Ambassa-dors of Nigeria, TAN, picked up theirproject idea and used it to water theground for President Jonathan. Every-body condemned the activities of YEAA,but that did not stop TAN from adoptingit. We all know where these outrageousdemonstrations of love in the marketplace are expected tolead.Let’s leave politiciansand their “love for sale”antics and address themore interesting matter ofHon Waziri Tambuwal inthe presidential race.

One of the reasons someof us have viewed the APCwith some skepticism is thenegative motives that rulethe mentalities of some ofits founders. It is a well-known fact that a secondpolitical party that is strongenough to weigh, pound-for-pound, against the rul-ing PDP, is good for thesurvival and developmentof democracy in Nigeria. Iam a fervent supporter ofa dominant two-party sys-tem with some other minorparties performing the bal-ancing act between them.For instance, if the APCsurvives the 2015 transi-tional politics and emerges

as the truly second dominant party alongwith the PDP, while others, such as theAll Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA,in the East; Labour Party, LP; the emer-gent Social Democratic Party, SDP, in theWest and perhaps a couple of others per-form the balancing act to avoid the tyr-anny of a ruling party or the rabidity of afierce opposition, I will rate our democ-racy as having arrived.

But the idea of the Arewa North, withtheir contrived “majority” populationcoming together with the West with theirequally over-bloated population figuresto forcefully “snatch” power from a Mi-nority President Goodluck Jonathan, isthe greatest insult and affront to Nigeria

that a politician or group of poli-ticians can dream of. Every pa-triotic Nigerian, every truly pro-gressive citizen, must put theirhands on deck to ensure thatthose who are promoting thisdastardly politics fail woefully.Such a gang-up is pregnantwith so many negatives.

It will entrench the domi-nance of Muslims over Chris-tians. It will sideline the Igboand the various Minoritygroups, which are majorstakeholders in the economic,social and political common-wealth of Nigeria. It will be avictory for those who believethey are born to rule, while oth-ers are born to collect thecrumbs from their table. It willrestore a Northern dominancethat has always bred rebellionsaround the country, includingthe civil war, June 12 struggle,the hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwaand other leaders and devas-tation of Ogoniland, the despo-

liation of the oil wealth of the Niger Deltaand subsequent militant struggle for self-determination, the internal suppressionand oppression of the Northern Minori-ties and the continued trampling of theNorthern Talakawa. No good can evercome of such a gang-up.

That is what I see in the candidature ofBuhari, Atiku and Rabiu Kwankwaso,with active support of their confederatesfrom the South West. These individualshave, in the past five years, engaged instrenuous and desperate efforts to “snatchpower back” from President Jonathan tothe North, and in the process, their ac-tivities led to the destruction of lives andproperty in the North, with non-North-erners, Christians and Minority groupsalways targeted. They have held publicoffices and shown their inability to thinkbeyond the North and their religion. Andthey are unrepentant and unapologeticabout it.

But the entry of Tambuwal is a differentkettle of fish. I have my reservations aboutthe ignoble role he played in his formerparty, the PDP. But I have noted withdelight Tambuwal’s excellent perform-ance as Speaker, House of Reps. He isnot a “born-to-ruler”. He is not one ofthose who love the North first before Ni-geria. If he is, he has not shown it pub-licly. We do not mind a Northerner win-ning the presidential race, but we Nige-rians will not allow any “born-to-rule”extremistto take over.

Tambuwal looks like many Sokoto-bornpoliticians, who have come to impress mewith their urbanity. Apart from the lateSardauna Ahmadu Bello, who introducedrabid Arewaism into Nigerian politics,Sokoto has bred a remarkable number ofgenuine nationalists. These includeAlhaji Umaru Altine, the great Zikist whobecame the first (and only) Lord Mayorof Enugu in 1952, former PresidentShehu Shagari and the incumbent Sul-tan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’adAbubakar III.

Tambuwal will go very far if he extendshis electoral appeal beyond the North andWest and give other Nigerians reason tofeel their interests will be fully protectedby an APC Federal Government underhim. He will do well to avoid a Muslim-Muslim ticket like the plague that it is.He has charisma. But does he have vi-sion for Nigeria? Let him show us.

Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is wel-come to the presidential race. Game on.

Tambuwallooks like manySokoto-bornpoliticians, whohave come toimpress mewith theirurbanity

Restating the obvious: giving automatic tickets deniespeople choices. Furthermore, it forecloses competition.More importantly, it is a clear violation of Section 87 of the2010 Electoral Act.

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014—————4747474747

CMYK

By Bamidele Odubela

•Mr. Odubela, a public affarsanalyst, wrote from Lagos.

*Mr. Omoarelojie, a public affairscommentator, wrote Benin City, Edo State.

By Ernest Omoarelojie

Polling units: How Jega may rob South WestpermanentlyRECENTLY Governor

Babatunde Fashola of Lagosstate decried the sudden non-appearance of the names of overone million voters in Lagos Statefrom the Independent NationalElectoral Commission, INEC'svoters register. But responding tothe discrepancy noticeable in thenew voters register vis-a-vis thatof 2011, the Resident ElectoralCommissioner, REC, for LagosState ascribed it to changesbetween the 2011 Post-AFIS voterregister and the extant votersregister after the Post-Business rulevoter register criterion is applied.This is strange because theChairman of INEC, ProfessorAttahiru Jega, in trying to rob theSouth to pay the North withelectoral advantage, defended therecent allocation of new pollingunits, by legitimating the Post-AFIS register of 2011 and refutingthe Post-Business rule register. Butthe anxiety of Governor Fasholais just the beginning of the evidenceof how the South West will berobbed electorally by Jega’sregional elements in INEC.

It is shocking how the presentpolitical elite of the South Westhave kept mute over the recentlopsided allocation of pollingunits by INEC using conjecturesand arbitrary constructs thatallotted to the North West 7,906;the North East 5,291 and theNorth Central 6,318, while itallotted to the South West 4,160;South-South 3,087 and South East1,167 and the FCT 1,120. Manygeo-political allocations such aslocal government areas and wardswere similarly constructed fromarbitrary allotments by persons

ON November 12, 2008, Adams EricAliyu Oshiomhole, was sworn in as

Governor of Edo State. It was a specialmoment for the state and its people forseveral reasons. Remarkably, it was theculmination of the resilience of thepeople, who voted and stood by himwhen anti-democratic forces tried to robhim of the mandate they gave willinglyto him, and the judiciary that resistedmachinations of the powers-that-be togive a verdict in favour of a popularchoice.

The nation became better for it as thejudiciary stood resolute on the side ofthe people. In addition, it was a turningpoint for the entire state as it markedthe beginning of what is now popularlyreferred to as the 'new narrative'.

While making the solemn pledge toturn the state around like never before,he underscored his desire to be apeople's governor by seeking theirconsent to be referred to as "Comrade-Governor."

Uniquely, his pledge was anunambiguous desire to give the state afresh breath in terms of people-oriented, physically verifiabledevelopment projects that will standthe test of time. The pledge becamenecessary because the supposedlydemocratic administrations before himruined and wrecked the state economywithout any attempt to upgrade basicpublic infrastructure on the pretextthat the state had no money.

A few years into his administration,Oshiomhole eroded the 'no-money' mythby proving to be a man of his words.Decades after the historic performanceleft by Dr Samuel OsaigbovoOgbemudia, who, as militaryadministrator of old Bendel State, left atelling record of infrastructuraldevelopment, Oshiomhole recreated thatlong gone era as structures, after hope-rising structures began to fill availablespaces in all the nooks and crannies of

Oshiomhole: Six years afterthe state. It was not a surprise that thepeople decided to give a unanimoussecond term endorsement in all 18 localgovernment areas despite subterraneansabotage by those put to shame by hisperformance.

Importantly, Oshiomhole was notgiven an unassailable second termapproval by the people on flimsygrounds. Between his inauguration andthe end of his first term, they witnessedan unprecedented, self-evident andwidespread development projectsspread across every sector, includingeconomy, education, works, health,

capital, there are too many to bementioned here. In addition, theadministration embarked on a deliberaterenovation and reconstruction of publicschools, public health institutions andstreets, designed and completed withcovered drains, walkways, street lights,etc, also in all the 18 local governmentareas. The health sector witnessed thesame level of turn around.

Remarkably, the administration keptthe momentum despite dwindlingreturns from federation allocations andinternally generated revenue.

With the accruing monthly allocations

roofs and every other facility necessaryfor conducive environment for learning.The new structures are found in all the192 wards of the state. Education is notonly free for both primary and secondaryschools, the administration also madetransportation free for all uniformedchildren both in private or public schoolsriding on the Comrade buses.

Definitely, Edo State ranks as one ofthe state with the best network of roads.However, they were hardly motorableuntil the current administration tookeffect. Since then, things changed forthe better as roads from the capital downto the local governments have become abeauty to behold in terms of their lookand functionality.

Oshiomhole has taken upon himselfsome ambitiously near impossible tasksand turned them around. The Azura/EdoIndependent Power Project and EdoWater Storm project are obviousexamples. The former is a $100 millionproject and the first Nigerian powerproject to benefit from the World Bank’srisk guarantee status, covered by theglobal bank's Partial Risk Guaranteestructure for developing needs ofemerging global markets. It is verycredible evidence that the state is aviable centre for global investment hob.

The latter is a vast labyrinth of hugedrainage system under construction toserve as a permanent solution of theendemic drainage challenge in the statecapital.

It is designed to empty the waterdeluge from all over the city to eitherthe Ogba or Ikpoba River.

For all his efforts, the Benin crownprince, Eheneden Erediauwa, describedOshiomhole's performance in thefollowing words. "I don't know of anygovernor that has developed Edo statein terms of infrastructure asOshiomhole."

environment/public utilities,etc, in every senatorialzone, every localgovernment area and everytown. With him, the peoplebecame convinced that thestate had truly become avery positive new narrative.

Before the coming of hisadministration, Edo Stateeconomy was in ruins.Though oil revenue washigh, the greater part ofwhatever accrued from itfound its way into thepockets of those elected bythe people. It didn't matterto them that the peoplethey represented suffered.For instance, roads andpublic schools became sowrecked that an urgentsurgical revival wasneeded to avert totalcollapse. Midway into theadministration, roads inthe city centre, includingAkpakpava, Five Junction,Mission, Airport, Sapeleroads, etc, became self-evident proofs that theadministration meantbusiness. Further from the

from the federation on thedecline, from N3.8 billion to N2.8billion, the administration tookto the internally generatedrevenue option which moved upfrom its less-than-N300 millionrevenue before the advent of theadministration to its presentstatus of between N1.4 billionto N1.5 billion. Yet, Benin City,the state capital is about thecleanest compared to some of itsneighbours with over N10billion monthly federationaccount allocation.

In the education sector, thenew narrative is known as thered roof revolution. Publicschools in the state onlycompared with poultry farmsbefore the advent of theOshiomhole administration. Atbest, most of them had no roofs,making teaching and learningnear impossible tasks duringrainy seasons.

All that has changed as theadministration went on adeliberate education rebirthpolicy that resulted in therehabilitation of old andconstruction of new schoolbuildings, complete with red

who found themselves in privileged positions,without any reference to credible and reliableprocedures, yet they have remained theauthoritative reference points for constituencydelimitation for a long time to come. To give avery graphic illustration, the estimatedpopulation of Ibadan city is 3,565,108 andOgbomosho, another big city in Oyo State, is1.1 million; in comparison, one of the biggestcities in Yobe State is Potiskum. In peace timesits population was 86,002, but in creating newpolling units, Yobe state got 790 new pollingunits while Oyo got 580 new polling units , evenwhen on the paper which INEC used as referencepoint the total number of eligible voters in OyoState is 2,487,132, while the totalnumber of eligible voters in Yobe Stateis 1,203,324. But to worsen matters,states in the North which have equal orless number of eligible voters like Oyo,such as Niger State which has 2,427,081got over 1000 new polling units. Forinstance, Niger State got 1,683 newpolling units, about three times thenumber of new polling units allotted toOyo. The reaction of political leaders inthe South West to this anomalousdisparity belies the politicalsophistication for which the South Westis renowned, given the historicalelectoral consequences of suchdeliberate distortion of electoral systems.

The recent quietude by South Westpolitical leaders may be explained bytheir recent political alliances withpolitical networks in the Northernoligarch. Such quiet can only bedescribed as implied collusion, inwhich case they believe that electoralvictory from this alliance will meangreater empowerment. But it issurprising that despite such alliances,they do not find it curious that even inseeking victory through electoral system

manipulation, their Northern allies could not trusttheir South West allies with as much electoralleverage as they have allocated to themselves. Thetruth of this matter is that they, unlike their SouthWest political allies, are not fooled by such temporaryalliances of convenience. They recognise that, whilealliances may be facile, electoral constituencies canbe very difficult to change once embedded in thebody politics. That is why a state like Osun with1,318,120 eligible voters was allotted 121 newpolling units whereas states with less number ofeligible voters like Gombe with 1,208,927 voters gotthree times more, with 403 new polling units allocatedto them compared to Osun’s 121.

So why would someone in Jega’s decision-makingstructure rob the South West of two pollingunits for every one it allocates to theirelectoral peers in the North, which translatedmeans that they are creating on paper 1500voters in the North for every 500 potentialvoters in the South West?

Why is this manipulation of the electoralsystem necessary? To answer this question,we need to understand electoral systems andhow systemic electoral frauds are fomentedinstitutionally. Electoral systems describethe proportional representation ofconstituencies in governance legislatures.In parliamentary systems, it is the lifeblood of political victories; in presidentialsystems it dictates who gets what, whenand how through legislative policymaking and oversight. By using arbitrarycriteria cooked up by the chairman ofoperations Nuru Yakubu in INEC and hisregional devotees instead of internationalbenchmarks, starting with scientificdelimitation of constituencies, INEC istrying to foist polling unit configurationsthat will make small constituencies in theNorth look like gigantic constituencies, andbig constituencies in the South West look likecomparative electoral dwarfs.

Since democracy is still takingroot in Nigeria many stakeholdersdo not take important landmarkevents such as districting orconstituency delimitation, whichhas consequences for the locationand spread of polling units asseriously as they should. Hencethey often pay scant attention whenelectoral bodies or politicalauthorities take actions that mayalter political constituencies,electoral maps and consequentlypolling units. The importance ofsuch actions for the outcome ofelections only become obviouswhen election results are releasedand voters come to find out thatthe game may have been actuallyprogrammed to be won evenbefore the ballots are cast.

The question, therefore, shouldnot only be to find out how the onemillion voters disappeared fromthe roll in Lagos, but a wholesomereview of how INEC hasconducted such cleaning orediting of the voters roll. This willalso include a line by lineexamination of the scientific andpolitical rigor by which INECarrived at its current polling unitsallocation without any record of adelimitation exercise in which itnotified and consulted withstakeholders from the bottom tothe top. If such vigilance is notrevived. Jega and his regionaldevotees will be smiling five yearsfrom now when they watch theSouth West bemoaning its largepopulation towns squeezingthemselves through narrowcompartmentalised electoralcorridors created at INEC.

Why wouldsomeone inJega’sdecision-makingstructure robthe SouthWest of twopolling unitsfor every oneit allocates totheir electoralpeers in theNorth?

It was not asurprise thatthe peopledecided togive aunanimoussecond termendorsementdespitesubterraneansabotage bythose put toshame by hisperformance


CMYK


WITH 10 teams already qualified

for next year ’s AfricaCup of Nations in Equa-torial Guinea, six placeswill now be decided onWednesday.

Equatorial Guineahave qualified automat-ically for the tournamentto be played betweenJanuary 17 and Febru-ary 8 after they replacedMorocco as the hostcountry.

Nine other countrieshave booked their pas-sage to Equatorial Guin-ea after five rounds ofqualifying matches atthe weekend.

They are Algeria,Burkina Faso, Cam-eroon, Cape Verde Is-lands, Gabon, Senegal,South Africa, Tunisiaand Zambia

Nigeria and Congoare locked in Group A forthe remaining ticket asthey have seven pointsapiece, but enjoy theadvantage of havingwhipped out a 3-2 lossthey suffered at thehands of the Red Devilsthree months ago cour-tesy of the 2-0 win theyrecorded in Pointe-Noire at the weekend.

A home win of whatev-er shade at the brand-new Akwa Ibom Interna-tional Stadium in Uyofor Nigeria againstgroup winners SouthAfrica will guaranteethem an 18th appear-ance at the final tourna-ment. This is notwith-standing what Congomanage in Sudan alsoon Wednesday.

Mali, Malawi andEthiopia will jostle foranother ticket in GroupB, which has alreadybeen won by on-formAlgeria.

Mali are second withsix points and welcomeAlgeria to Bamako inmidweek, while Malawi,who also have six pointsand an inferior goals dif-ference, square upagainst bottom teamEthiopia, who are threepoints.

Bottom team Ethiopiacould still qualify if theybeat Malawi by at leasttwo clear goals and Malilose at home to Algeria.

Malawi are also in con-tention should they beatEthiopia by a big scoreafter they defeated them3-2 at home in Septem-ber.

They will go up to ninepoints and have can-celled out Mali on the

Who grabs 6 remaining 2015AFCON qualifying tickets?

head-to-head after theyreversed a 2-0 loss inBamako three monthsago by also beating theWest Africans 2-0 inMalawi. Mali have onlyto beat Algeria to sealqualification.

It is a straight fightbetween the Ivory Coastand DR Congo for aplace in the finals.

The Elephants are sec-ond in the standings onnine points and need adraw at home againsttheir conquerors Cam-eroon to qualify at theexpense of DRC, whowill be expected to beatbottom team Sierra Leo-ne at home.

Group E is very muchwide open and any fourteams – Ghana, Ugan-

da, Guinea and Togo –could still clinch the twotickets still up for grabs.

After their sensational4-1 win in Togo, Guineaalso now lead the third-best slot with sevenpoints.

They now have to beatUganda in Morocco bya better score than 2-0loss they suffered whenboth teams clashed inKampala in September.

Seven-time winnersEgypt with six points areclose on their heels onsix points, but face atougher task when theyvisit Tunisia on Wednes-day.

The draw for the bien-nial competition will bestaged in Malabo onDecember 3.

Contendersfor other sixplaces at aglance

Group A (1 place):Nigeria, Congo Braz-zaville

Group B (1 place):Mali, Malawi, Ethio-pia

Group D (1 place):Cote d’Ivoire, DRCCongo

Group E (2 places):Ghana, Uganda,Guinea, Togo

Best third-placeteam: Guinea leadwith one match dayleft on Wednes, No-vember 19 •Ayew •Toure

Super Eagles players celebrating victory at the 2013 finals in South Africa. Will they be in Equatorial Guinea 2015?


CAF picks Mauritian refereeson Monday evening.

Although the SouthAfrica Football Associa-tion does not have thepermit to land their char-tered aircraft at the IbomInternational Airport,the Nigeria Football Fed-eration is working roundthe clock to ensure per-mit is granted for theirplane before it departsJohannesburg at 1pm onMonday.

The delegation will becomposed of 26 playersand 15 officials.

Vivian Vally as Assist-ant Referee 2 and Par-mendra Nunkoo as Re-serve Referee. To under-score the importance ofthe match, CAF has ap-pointed CameroonianAbel Mbengue as Secu-rity Officer, to assist theMatch Commissioner,Laryea Louis from Gha-na.

Meanwhile, the dele-gation of the BafanaBafana to Wednesday’smatch will arrive in Uyo

Continues from Back Page

going to put out our bestteam. It is more thanthree points at stakewhen we go to Nigeria.

“It’s going to be anoth-er tough game like theone we played today,which many thought wasgoing to be easy. Thanksto all the supporters,their presence helped usconquer.”

South Africa have stillnever beaten Nigeria ina competitive men’s sen-ior international match,a record Mashaba is nodoubt keen to throw out.

With one eye on nextyear’s Afcon, Mashabaknows the hard workmust continue and re-vealed his mission forthe tournament.

Bafana Bafanavow to stopEagles

Shooting


day. Elated Oyo Statecommissioner for youthand sports, Umar FaroukArisekola Alao, salutedthe victorious ShootingStars.

He said, “I’m so hap-py today with the per-formance of the team andthey really made thestate proud because thisis the first time the teamwill be promoted in-stantly after 35 years.

This is a new beginningand we are going to pre-pare well for the Niger-ia Premier League Foot-ball.” Experienced de-fender Sylvanus Ebiakugave 3SC an early leadin the fifth minute fromthe penalty spot afterOkiki Afolabi was fouledinside the box.

Overall, it was a fittingfinal match between 3SCand Akwa Starlets, whogave a very good ac-count of themselves inthe first half.


NIGERIA made a remarkable be-

ginning to the 6th Com-monwealth TaekwondoChampionships in Scot-land, winning four goldand two bronze medalson the opening day.

The medals were wonby Jamilu Mohammed(gold), Sola Olowookere(gold), Adamu Isah(gold) and Esuku Jose-phine (gold).

Others include AsigbeAdaeze(bronze) and

Nigeria start with 4gold medals•Elegbeleye hails team

6th C’wealth Taekwondo Championships:

Blessing Nwakama(bronze)

According to the NTFPresident, GeorgeAshiru, this is Nigeria’sbest ever performance ininternational champion-ships, surpassing the 3Golds, 1 Silver and 1Bronze won at the 1987All Africa Games. Theteam’s preparation andselection methodologypaid off with superb per-formances with 6 medalsfrom 10 athletes who

competed in the first dayof tournament.

The Senate President,David Mark, The Hon-ourable Minister ofSports, the Director Gen-eral of NSC, GbengaElegbeleye and Directorof FEAD at the NSChave already sent incongratulations for thegreat opening day per-formance of the Team atthe tournament whichfeatures 550 competitorsacross the Common-wealth member nations.

Speaking to SportsVanguard, Elegbeleyepoured plaudits on theathletes for their dog-gedness and discipline.

Ndanusa, Gumel go for each other’s jugular*NOC Election in Asaba

Akpabio congratulates Eagles...Uyo people eager to see players —Umanah

THE Governor ofAkwa Ibom State,

Godswill Akpabio, hascongratulated the SuperEagles for their impres-sive 2-0 victory overCongo at the weekend.

Nigeria defeated Con-go in Pointe Noire to beback on track for a placein the Africa NationsCup finals scheduled tohold between January17 and February 8 inEquatorial Guinea.

Akpabio, speakingthrough the state com-missioner for informa-tion, Aniekan Umanah,said that the Eagles dis-played guts and deter-mination to get the de-sired result in the en-counter.

“We prayed for the vic-tory because anythingshort of that could havemade the match comingup against South Africa

on Wednesday irrele-vant,” he said.

Umanah said the Gov-ernor was so elated andhas promised to host theEagles after completingthe qualification taskagainst the Bafana Bafa-na on Wednesday.

“Governor Akpabio ex-pects a resounding vic-tory on Wednesday afterwhich there will be an“uncommon” receptionfor the members of thenational team at the gov-ernment house in Uyo,”he added.

ORCHID Hotels & Events Centre in

Asaba, Delta State willcome alive on Wednes-day and Thursday, No-vember 19 - 20 when ithosts the NOC AnnualGeneral Meeting andthe Elections into theExecutive Committee.

Two heavyweights, in-cumbent President En-gineer Sani M. Ndanu-sa and former Presidentand IOC member HabuGumel are set to re- ig-nite their rivalry at thepolls yet again. The twoEngineers battled forthe soul of the Olympicbody but it was Ndanu-sa that laughed last andguided the NOC to new

heights in the last fouryears he was in charge.

The Screening Com-mittee made up of AlhajiIbrahim Galadima,Chief(Mrs Kofo Nwoke-di and Major Gen. Ada-mu Dyeri approved 16contestants to contest forthe eight Executive po-sitions of the NOC.

The battle for the Sec-retary General is notdifferent from that of thePresidency.

Incumbent scribe HonTunde Popoola andformer scribe OlabanjiOladapo will go head tohead for the heart of thesecretariat. AthleticsFederation of NigeriaPresident, Evangelist

Solomon Ogba is sure ofbecoming first Vice Pres-ident as he would beelected unopposed. Soalso is the position ofsecond Vice Presidentwhich is sure to be filledby Mr Babatunde FatayiWilliams.

Basketball FederationPresident, Tijani Umarand Olayinka Badarewill fight for the thirdVice President’s slot.

Four candidates, Ma-jor General JohnnyHamakin(incumbent),Enefiok Udo-Obong(former Olympicsgold medallist), GeorgeAshiru(Taekwondo), andDans Adokiye are sureto breathe down on eachother for the position ofDeputy Secretary Gen-eral. Hon. BappaAliyu(Incumbent) andProf Olatunde Makanju

will square off for theTreasurer position.

The Public Relationsposition will be a straightfight between TonyUbani(Incumbent) andMrs Comfort Nwankwo.

Pillars pocket N15mNIGERIA champi

ons Kano Pillarswill receive a cash prizeof 15 million Naira (less

than $100,000) for win-ning the 2013/2014 Ni-geria Professional Foot-ball League (NPFL).

This is a 50% increasefrom the 10 million Nairathey earned last seasonas champions.

The League Manage-ment Company (LMC)announced on its officialwebsite of 50% increasein Premier League an-nual Merit DistributionAward.

This means the 20clubs who featured inthe Nigeria top flightleague this season willshare 75 million Nairaas against 50 millionNaira they shared lastterm from the FinancialMerit award.

The merit award rep-resents cash earningsshared to the 20 clubs inthe Nigeria Profession-al Football League(NPFL) sponsored byGlobacom Limited in ac-cordance with their plac-ing on the final leaguetable ratified by theleague body.

*Ndanusa *Gumel

From Left: Kunle Oyegade; Strategy Partner Adidas;Wahid Enitan Oshodireceived an award on behalf of Governor Fashola, while Sewedo OluseyiWhenu, Permanet Secretary Ministry of Sports looks on at the Nigeria SportsAward 2014 held in Lagos. PHOTO BY AKEEM SALAU

CMYK


CMYK

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How to Play Sudoku

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line canhave two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (alsonine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within abold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1through 9. This means that no number can appear twicein any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, divisionor multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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

VANGUARD, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014

QUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORD

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

Across4 Compact (5)7 Tally (6)9 Fitting (3)10 Stray (3)12 Forward (5)13 Tight (4)15 Kind (5)17 Sullen (6)19 Speed (4)20 Boat (5)22 Cushion (3)24 Prised (7)27 Resin (3)28 Paled (5)31 Sheep (4)33 Figurine (6)35 Subsequently (5)37 Ray (4)38 Last (5)39 Obscure (3)41 Cunning (3)42 Proper (6)43 Trivial (5)

Down1 Feverish (6)2 Season (6)3 Consumed (3)4 Box (4)5 Alternative (5)6 Idle (8)8 Therefore (4)11 Revered (9)14 Implement (4)16 Close (4)18 Stagger (4)21 Irritating (8)23 Adroit (4)25 Huge (4)26 Plaster (4)29 Considered (6)39 Relegate (6)32 Explosion (32)34 Parched (4)36 Friend (4)40 Males (3)

Across: 1, Stop 4, Rip 6, Star 9, Aim 10,Uncouple 11, Bear 14, Ore 16, Refer 19,Departed 21, Beret 23, Divorced 24, Dress27, Eat 31, Dupe 33, Abundant 34, Son35, Kept 36, Dud 37, Erne.

Down: 2, Tune 3, Poor 4, Reported 5, Peer 6,Sabre 7, Tie 8, Amaze 12, Added 13, Spite 14,Orb 15, Eerie 17, Fancy 18, Ready 20, Devalue22, Tot 25, Rouse 26, Spent 28, Hard 29, Edge30, Anon.

Bafana Bafana vow tostop Eagles*Rule out easy match

were relegated to lowerdivision last season, fin-ished top of NNL Divi-sion B with 50 pointsfrom 30 matches.

Gabros also gainedpromotion from DivisionB after they won 2-0 atEkiti United on Satur

SHOOTING Stars have returned to

the elite league in Ni-geria after they pippedclosest rivals Akwa Star-lets 1-0 at Lekan Sala-mi Stadium, Adamas-ingba, Ibadan on Satur-day.

Shooting Stars, who

ShootingStars returnto premierleague

Continues on Page 53

Champions Pillars pocket N15m —P.53

*BATTLE OF WITS: Super Eagles midfielder, Ogeny Onazi outwits BafanaBafana opponent, Andile Jali during the first leg of the 2015 Afcon qualifierin Cape Town. The match ended 0-0.

BAFANA Bafana coach Shakes

Mashaba has quicklydismissed any thoughtsof taking it easy againstNigeria in their finalgroup qualifier onWednesday.

South Africa bookedtheir place in Equatori-al Guinea for the 2015African Nations Cup af-ter a 2-1 win over Sudanat Moses Mabhida Sta-dium on Saturday.

Bafana are guaranteedtop spot in Group A –meaning the resultagainst the Super Ea-gles is of no conse-quence for Mashaba’sside – but the coach hasruled out any thoughtsof losing competitive fo-

CAF picks Mauritian referees*As Bafana fly in on Monday

THE Confederationof African Football

has picked Rajindrapar-sad Seechurn of Mauri-tius as Referee forWednesday’s 2015 Afri-ca Cup of Nations qual-ifier between Nigeriaand South Africa in Uyo.

Seechurn will be as-sisted by fellow country-men, Balkrishna Bootunas Assistant Referee 1,

cus and says there ismore at stake.

“I would like to saycongratulations to theplayers, [but] we are still

left with one game,against Nigeria,”Mashaba said.

“I know people willthink it is going to be awalkover; no, we are

Continues on Page 53

Continues on Page 53*Seechurn

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