PDP crises: Jonathan slams Tukur, Nyako

L-R: Former head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar; Governor of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu; Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam and Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, during the first graduation ceremony of the Abdulsalami Abubakar Institute for Peace and Sustainable Development Studies, in Minna, yesterday.

State of the states: The unfi nished tasks

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Says selfi sh interest responsible for nations problemAbdulsalami, Suswam tell FG to dialogue with Boko Haram

...Forbids chairman, governors sons from contesting 2016 governorshipAdamawa politicians call for resignation of 10 PDP NWC members

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Lagos, South-West fuel supply threatenedVandals responsible for explosion PoliceMedical doctor arrested at scene of blast

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Trouble brews in Ohanaeze over election of new leaders

Amaechi condemns ruling class

Sunday, January 13, 20132 Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC PRODUCT PRICINGOur attention has been drawn to the campaign against Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc that we have reduced Sugar prices to a level where it makes it difficult for competition to survive.

THE FACTS

Nigeria is not a sugar producing nation, hence all Raw Sugar that are refined locally are imported fromSouth America

Raw Sugar is traded openly on the International Commodities Market with the prices available for all to verify

All existing sugar refineries in Nigeria import their Raw Sugar from the same country in South America.When prices of sugar shot up internationally, we increased our prices and charged consumers as much as N9,600 per bag

In the last one year the International Prices of Raw Sugar have dropped from about $0.26cents to thecurrent price of about $0.19cents per pound. Therefore, in line with DSR Plcs strategy of passing thebenefits of price reduction to our customers we reduced the prices of our 50kg sugar bags fromN8,900.00 to N6,600.00 (VAT inclusive) with effect from December 16, 2012

All other sugar refineries in Nigeria are enjoying five years tax holiday at the moment

With our current pricing, our budget for this business year 2013 will give even a better profit/returns toour shareholders and with a corporate tax and other miscellaneous charges of over 22 billion naira.Besides the tax benefits the price reduction will also check the proliferation of unfortified sugar, which ishazardous to the health that finds its way into the northern markets through unverifiable sources

Smuggled sugar accounts for over 30% of public consumption. Our action of reducing the sugar price hasresolved this problem

All these are verifiable facts and are available with the regulators for public scrutiny.

Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc. is not only a Pioneer sugar refinery in Nigeria; we are a quoted company with over 100,000 share holders and a leader in the Sugar Refining Sub Sector of the Nigerian Food & Beverage Industry. As a responsible corporate citizen, we are committed to the socioeconomic growth of the nations economy and state categorically that there is no need for this horrendous accusation. We are not the only player in this industry. We have about 60% dominance

Despite the new levy on raw sugar beginning January 2013, the business is still very attractive. We are working aggressively towards implementing backward integration policy and we will continue to pass any reduction in international price of sugar to our local consumers

Signed Management

In year 2012, our unaudited financials shows that we recorded a net profit of about N11billion while we paid the Federal government a total of N20.25 billion which includes: VAT N8.2 billion, income tax N5.4 billion, duty/other charges N5.8billion and withholding tax of over N800 million. In effect, the Federal governments income is almost twice our profit.

WHERE HAVE WE GONE WRONG BY PASSING SAVINGS TO NIGERIAN CONSUMERS?

DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC

IN THE NORTH, ITS FEAR OF BOKO HARAM 4 REPLACE STATES WITH THE SIX GEO-POLITICAL ZONES OYOFO 5

revenues accruing to the them both from the federation accounts and internally, have not added up, with clear evidence in governments inability to provide basic needs in the form of employment, social infrastructure and rural communities development.

Rationalising the problem with the states then, Mbam had said, Its not just the borrowing thats the problem (with the states), it is the impunity.

While deficit budgeting is tolerable within an ac-ceptable limit, its endless application has endangered and forced the state governments to resort to excessive borrowing to meet their basic expenditure demands even where they have no capacity to pay back.

The regular sharing of Excess Crude Account is an indication of the desperate financial position of the state governments to get funds to meet costs of gov-ernance. For instance, $1.5billion was shared in three equal installments from the Excess Crude Account in 2011 alone of which the states received $400.800 mil-lion, a worried Mbam disclosed.

State of the states:The unfi nished tasks

Though Sylva, Dicksons predecessor who is cur-rently standing trial on corruption charges has denied the governors claim, describing it as a white lie, stake-holders in Bayelsa are of the opinion that all is not well with the state from where President Goodluck Jonathan hails. For instance, the immediate past chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in Bay-elsa State, Comrade Sunday Frank-Oputu, in repudiat-ing Dicksons claim, said that the alleged N4, 541 was not an amount left behind by the former administration but monies rendered in a hand-over note by the former Accountant -General of the state, Mr. Francis Okokoro as the amount left in the Treasury Office steel-box.

Across the states, however, similar circumstances pervade, as the viability of the states are suspect, owing to their debt profile, inability to generate sustainable income and the bankruptcys attendant negative effects on community development.

In Kwara State for instance, the picture is grim. Wole

Nigerians were bewildered March 14, 2012, when Elias Mbam, chairman of the Revenue Mobilisa-tion, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), told the Senate joint committee on national planning, finance and appropriation, that many of the states in Nigeria were broke. Mbam, adopting the mien of an ascetic monk, explained that the cumulative external debts of the 36 states stood at $2.165 billion.

His revelation was anchored on documents from the Debt Management Office (DMO), in which the total ex-ternal debt stock of all the states stood at $2.165 billion. In the same vein, the Federal Government itself owed $3.501 billion as at December of the previous year.

Rationalising what seemed as the insolvency or sys-temic distress of the states, the RMAFC boss particu-larly lamented the huge domestic debt profile of the states, saying most of them are highly indebted to various local banks in short term borrowing and are substantially exposed to the Capital Market. Accord-ing to his summation, most of the loans were tied to Ir-revocable Standing Payment Orders (ISPOs), issued to the Accountant-General of the Federation to deduct di-rectly from their monthly allocations, thus preventing them from meeting their minimum basic obligations to the citizens.

But last week, the Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson benumbed the nation with what seemed a joke of the April Fool scenario, when he said that his prede-cessor in office, Timipre Sylva, only left behind N4, 451 in the treasury.

Dicksons revelation sounded unbelievable and reeked of a seething bite in his political dogfight with Sylva. But observers nonetheless concurred that for him to have cited a paltry N4, 451 as his administra-tions take-off inheritance, somewhat showed that Bay-elsa, one of Nigerias oil-producing states, is in a dire strait.

From Sunday Mirrors investigations, however, this appears the fate of most states in the country, where CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

In this assessment of the states by our correspondents, details emerge of how most gover-nors have been unable to cope in terms of economic stability, infrastructural development and security provision. In the report anchored by Deputy Editor, Kayode Fasua, many of the states are bogged down by indebtedness, corruption and wastage. Besides, some northern states are totally down, owing to security challenges posed by the activities of insurgents.

Dickson Mbam

Sunday Mirrorwww.nationalmirroronline.net 3

January 13, 2013

Big ReadSUNDAY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

THE

Adedeji reports that the states accounts are in red hav-ing been made so by a debt profile of about N50billion, which consists of a N30billion bond obtained by the administration of Governor Olusola Saraki, shortly be-fore he left office.

Again, it was learnt that incumbent Governor Ab-dulfatah Ahmed took another N10billion loan as soon as he assumed office. This is outside other sundry debts the state has owed all the while. For now, Kwara is said to be servicing all these debts from its monthly alloca-tions put at an average N1.9 billion every month.

But last Thursday, Governor Ahmed came up with what would looked strange to civil servants in the state, when he said he had appropriated more money for re-current than the capital expenditure in the 2013 bud-get that he presented to the House of Assembly shortly before Christmas. The governor said he wanted to see to the welfare of civil servants, this time round. That would be the first time such a statement would come from the governor of the state in 15 years.

This is because, civil servants in the state had been subjected to poor condition of service even before Kogi and part of Niger states were carved out of Kwara. Some communities were excised from Kwara State to form Kogi State and join Niger states, respectively, in 1991.

According to Sunday Mirror findings, the state then had maintained a bogus civil service with paltry salary structures with a resolve not to lay off workers as were being witnessed in other states . But the Kwara workers soon realized that their contemporary who had shifted indigeneship to Kogi and Niger respectively earn two and half times higher than they did, thus causing disaf-fections within the states civil service.

According to findings, the parlous state of the state workers condition worsened under the late Governor Mohammed Lawal and deteriorated badly under Sara-ki. Lawal, it was gathered, forced every government worker to remain on Step Three of any Grade Level. When Saraki came on board, sources said he made civil servants to write promotional examinations, following which he promoted a selected few but never attached corresponding monetary value to the promotions. The worst hit among the government workers, according sources, were the primary school teachers and those seconded to the Junior Secondary Schools. The teach-ers annual leave bonuses were subtly cancelled.

For now, there is a running battle between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in the state and the opposition. The latter sees as a misnomer to budget N51billion for recurrent expenditure and N42.6billion for capital expenditure in a state that is bereft of vi-able revenue generation outlets. The opposition par-

ties, which were mainly the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), urged that the budget should be re-packaged; else the state would tumble into the valley of total bankruptcy.

For Katsina State, our correspondent, James Danju-ma observed that a major challenge in the state is that despite governments efforts, the state has continued to lag as it leads in the poverty index.

According to information on states by the National Bureau of Statistics, released last year, the state was the second poorest in the country, after Sokoto, with 74.5 percent poverty rate.

This, stakeholders have advised, should be addressed in 2013 by the state government in order to enable the state record improvement in efforts at combating poverty.

Nevertheless, at monthly average of N5 billion in fed-eral allocation and estimated N500 million as Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, Katsina State governor, Ibra-him Shema, is confident that the state had fared well in 2012.

In the area of infrastructural development, Shema says the state government had succeeded in providing new roads, laying asphalt on some selected road net-works as well as continuing the construction of many rural feeder roads.

Information from the states works ministry reveals that the state government had been able to provide in-frastructure in some of the local government areas. Some of these infrastructure include construction of 280 housing units for civil servants, continued construc-tion of a 15.6km ring road around the state capital, du-alisation of township roads in three local government areas and the construction of feeder roads in more than a dozen community areas.

But some stakeholders in the labour union, opposi-tion parties, religious groups, among others who ex-pressed their views on the states infrastructural de-velopment in 2012 were of the opinion that more could have been done.

They called on the state government to prioritise the infrastructure to develop and ensure even distribution of such projects across the three senatorial zones.

In the area of security, Shema said the sector remains the cornerstone of the administration and that support had been given to all security agencies, traditional insti-tutions and Ulamau in maintenance of peace and order.

The state had in 2012, enjoyed relative peace except in cases of clash between farmers and herdsmen that occurred on about four occasions in council areas that share boarders with Niger Republic.

A great setback last year however was the violent ab-duction of a French national, Mr. Francis Colump, who was an engineer in charge of a wind-farm project in CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

In the North, its fear of Boko HaramRimi council area.

The incident left two people dead, another critically injured, a police station bombed with improvised explo-sives while work at the wind-farm was temporarily put to a halt.

However, as for Borno State which is the hub of Boko Haram insurgency in the country, and other states like Kaduna, Kano and Yobe States, development has been stunted in the last two years, apparently owing to a state of insecurity that pervades the state.

In Borno, Inusa Ndahi reports that in the last two years, the overriding concern has been, where the next bomb is going to explode, and not whether the state gov-ernment performs or not. The state governor, Kashim Shettima, when he could no longer stomach the trouble, had to cry out at a public function, last week. He decried the vandalism displayed by insurgents, especially those operating on the platform of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, saying they had done incalculable damage to most of the social infrastructure in the state.

In fact, in terms of revenue generation, political pun-dits and economists alike have come to terms that the states profile is nil, as people and businessmen of re-pute, especially those of the Igbo ethnic stock, have fled the state, while others are leaving in droves, on daily ba-sis. In tow, human casualty, being victims of bomb blasts and gun attacks, is in thousands and still counting.

As for the monthly pay from the federation accounts, the state has one of the least accruals, save for occasion-al bailouts through the sharing of excess crude oil fund.

Although the administration of Governor Shettima has in the last two years striven to ensure that with the limited resources accruing to the state he executes people-oriented projects, it has all appeared as an exer-cise in futility. On regular basis, social structures like schools, hospitals and markets are either bombed or set on fire at ungodly hours.

Just last week in Bama Local Government area of the state, which is alleged to be a stronghold of the op-position All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Shettima expressed dissatisfaction over the incessant destruc-tion of government projects, especially those already executed and others undergoing construction under his leadership by enemies of progress hiding under the umbrella of Boko Haram.

In Kaduna State, as it is with Borno, a gale of ill-wind whirled in the state especially last year, over the Boko Haram activities. Aza Msue reports that the sects at-tacks crippled both social and economic activities in the once booming hub of northern Nigerias economy.

Without let, bomb and gun attacks have discouraged any meaningful investment in the state.

The late governor, Patrick Yakowas tall ambition was to appreciably increase the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to help fund most of the projects in the state. But even while still alive, this dream fizzled out be-fore the governor eventually died in an helicopter crash in Bayelsa State, December 15, last year. This could be traced to the general atmosphere of insecurity in some parts of the state..

Available statistics indicate that Kaduna gets be-tween N4.5 billion and N5 billion monthly allocation from the federation accounts. Also, the states internally generated revenue stood at about N10 billion and mon-ies from the federation accounts at N61 billion for the entire year ended 2012. In terms of value added tax, the state garnered N9 billion for the year.

Reacting however, President of Civic Rights Con-gress of Nigeria (CRCN), a human rights group, Malam Shehu Sani, had said that northern governors have squandered the N8.3 trillion that accrued to them from the federation accounts in 11 years.

Sani was responding to a media report which said that the 19 northern states and their local governments had received N8.3 trillion between 1999 and 2010.

His words: Half of the money was stolen by the gov-

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Corpses of those shot dead by Boko Haram insurgents in a Kano attack

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.netSunday, January 13, 20134 The Big Read

Dickson, Ajimobi, Jang: We met a bad situation

Two-term senator, Victor Oyofor, who was in the Senate between 1999 and 2000, in his appraisal of the 36 states, believes that they are in no way viable. In what will definitely stir a hornets nest, Oyofo, in this interview with Deputy Editor, Kayode Fasua, and Senior Correspondent, Ayo Esan, wants the states substituted with the existing six geo-political zones. Excerpts:

What is your opinion as regards the claim that some of our states are not viable?

I have stated my position on this issue of states. I am looking at a country that is organised to develop its people as op-posed to a country that is conceived along sentiments. So if I want a country that is strong, where the people can realise their full potentials, I think we should be talk-ing about administrative units that will take care of their own people. We should not talk about administrative units that depend on a commodity that is produced from a section of the country being dis-tributed to so many people. Because this is the fallacy on which people craving for state creation base their argument. They think that when you deny the people and you have everybody taking their turn, they will get more; but this is not correct. It is not correct because you will lose a lot of money on administration, which is what is now happening.

So we have seen that Nigeria is going along the line of rulers or administrators putting money in their pockets, rather than developing the people. What will ulti-mately happen is disappointment and loss of hope, which will lead to disintegration of the system. So I am looking at Nigeria that is working harmoniously and develop-ing its people. Fundamentally again, there is the argument that we need to keep divid-ing the people, without knowing that the more you divide the people, the people, the more you are creating differences among

them. So if we say so, so ethnic group is being molested or is not getting its own share and you want to give the state that is adjacent to them its own state the tribe will also have another tribe who are also minority to them. Therefore, logically, if we are taking a family as a unit, then we will also be talking about each persons mother. Next year, we will be 100 years old; we should all strive to see Nigeria as a unit.

The six geo-political zones should be-come the basis of administering the coun-try; they should be the federating units. And the six geo-political zones should or-ganise themselves and create sub-units. What I am saying is that the present states have to be reorganized. If you look at Ni-geria today, what have the people gained? We have billions and billions of Naira ev-eryday but the ordinary man is still poor. Meanwhile, people in government are rid-ing big cars and blowing siren all over the roads. In another 10 or 15 years, what do you think will happen? So politics should not always be, what could I get? it should be, what is the best for us? So, all that are concerned, men and women, whether they are legislators or otherwise, should think of a greater glory.

Therefore, they should put themselves as statesmen.

It is true that our students that went to the university cant find job. No develop-ment; no industry. Why? Because too much money is going into administration. And what is also going to happen, which is now happening, is that politics is becoming the main profession. Everybody wants to be in politics because they want to be near the bread, to be near the knife and want to ap-ply the butter. So, we are putting ourselves into a very dangerous hole.

You were in the Senate for two terms. Did you bring up this matter?

As a member in the Senate, no. But it has been my political thinking in several interviews which I have granted. Not that I tabled it as a motion in the Senate. So I will rather address myself to the conscience of all Nigerians; for the people often say if

you dont know where you are going, you can at least look at where you are coming from. Look at what we have seen in the years that we have been in this dispensa-tion. I know it is not going to be easy be-cause people will not want to give up what they have been enjoying. But what is the use of enjoyment if all it is doing for you is to give you a keg of gun-powder that can explode any day? I believe politics is not about self; it is about how to organise people to achieve happiness using the tal-ents that the Lord has given them. So it is in this light that I base my comment for the average thinking Nigerian, because we have seen what is happening. So if you create 20 or more states, what are you go-ing to do with them? They are not loaves of bread that can feed you. It is like tell-ing people that I have created universities now, people have no jobs and many univer-sities even have no qualified teachers. So what Degree are they going to award? Who will value them?

A school of thought believes that the Fed-eral Government is always afraid of seces-sion that could arise if we revert to regional

structures, drawing from the 1966-70 Biafra war experience. Do you think such can recur in this era?

Those people who are saying that dont know what they are talking about. For example, how can you expect that South-East will want to secede from Nigeria? It is a different thing today. How do you think South-South will like to secede from Nige-ria? Where are they going? Or you think North-West would secede from Nigeria? No. You know what would lead people not to want to be part of a group is when they are not happy in the union. What we have today has cultivated a dependency attitude, a dependency culture. People dont want to work; they dont exercise their talents, they are not creative. Everybody is milling around the government because they want money. So, a dependency culture has aris-en, which is self-destructive, as a result of policies that we are pursuing. So if you are not working and you are milling around the government to carry money, that is what causes corruption. And I believe that when you violate the rule, if you disobey the law of God, you have disobeyed God and you must suffer for it.

a lot with its N6 billion monthly federal allocations and N1.8 billion monthly IGR. Out of its N7.8 billion cummulaive income, the government spends N2.9 bil-

lion monthly to pay workers salaries. Many may consider it harsh assess-

ment or doomsday prophesy but the real-ity is that Plateau States economy is in

Replace states with the six geo-political zones Oyofo

Oyofo

Jang

ernors, 30 percent of it was shared to tra-ditional rulers, religious clerics and mar-abouts, political cronies and sycophants. Only 20 percent of it was used for the common people.

The resources allocated to the states are not commensurate with the level of development on the ground. The scandal-ous looting of the states is a product of thieving by venal governors and compli-ant and placid state assemblies.

If such sum of money were used for the development of the north, we could have been on our way to the status of Malaysia or Indonesia. But we are now a region in the league of Western Pakistan and Eastern Congo.

Augustine Madu-West reports from Kano State that though the state was be-set with Boko Haram security challenges last year, the government of Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso was a ble to execute

tatters, James Abraham reports.It will be recalled that sometime in

July last year, a report by the Nation-al Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the RMAFC that many of the states are in distress classified Plateau as one of the 16 states under critical condition.

There are indications that since then, the fortunes of the state have not changed significantly as government, the private sector and the residents are increasingly faced with harsh economic realities.

Currently, the state has not been able to implement the N18,000 minimum wage at the local government level ow-ing to what government attributed to paucity of fund.

The government is also complaining that the problem is worsened by the secu-rity challenge facing the state resulting in increased demand on the states purse.

It is the general belief that the state

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

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Sunday Mirrorwww.nationalmirroronline.net Sunday, January 13, 2013 5The Big Read

cannot survive without the monthly fed-eral allocation which fluctuates between N2 billion and N3 billion.

On the whole, more than 70 percent of the allocations is said to go to the pay-ment of salaries, allowances of workers and governments running cost, leaving the state with virtually nothing to spend on infrastructural development.

In the dwindling economy, the private sector is also not left out as trade and in-vestment remain largely unattractive to operators.

Worst hit are the ordinary people who are increasingly finding it difficult to eke out a living, especially with the un-derhand hike in petrol prices which had resulted in significant increases in pric-es of goods and services across the state.

It is feared that the situation may de-generate in 2013, if urgent measures are not taken to reverse the trend. But Gover-nor Jonah Jang, since he assumed office on May 29, 2007, has never hidden his in-tention to improve on the living condition of the people. Even the opposition would acknowledge that he has performed well in the management of states resources through road construction ,human capi-tal development and other infrastructure

But government appears to under-stand that it must find other ways of im-proving its economy apart from relying on the monthly federal allocation if it must achieve its transformation agenda on the Plateau. As part of measures to-wards this, it had gone ahead to carry out several measures aimed at cutting down on government expenses

The state government has equally gone ahead to set up a Special Task Force on revenue with a view to improving the monthly IGR put at N600m.

Chairman of Plateau State Board of Internal Revenue, Mrs. Rauta Jat, in an interview said the state had the capacity to generate N1 billion monthly. All we need is the sincerity and commitment of the people in paying their taxes and col-lection of new number plates and licenc-es, she said.

But the state chairman of the Nigeri-

an Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ji-brin Bancir, who described the situation as unfortunate, said unless deliberate ef-forts were made to develop other sectors of the economy like mining, tourism and agriculture, not much progress would be witnessed in the state in 2013.

Coming down South, Oyo presents an-other spectre of a state that has for years, been gasping for salvation. Kemi Olaitan reports that over 20 years after its cre-ation, it has been tales of woes in a state that is regarded as the political capital of the entire Southwest. In the area of education, analysts are of the view that this sector rather than moving forward, has more or less retrogressed. Also, scat-tered all over the state are dilapidated structures with the students buying their own desks in both the primary and sec-ondary schools. While most of the ad-ministrations in the state often mouthed free education, this has not reflected in the education sector with the state slid-ing down on the ladder of states in the country. Also, in the area of health sec-tor, nothing significant could be said to have been achieved with health officials being on strike day-in, day-out, while the populace often resort to self-medication to take care of their health challenges.

The near hopelessness of the situa-tion with virtually every sector grounded, made the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, at his inauguration on May 29, 2011, reel out his mission to salvage the state with an assurance that a new dawn has come. While painting a grim picture of what has befallen the state for many years, he revealed that his administration would turn things around to make life more meaningful for the people of the state.

But with huge billions of naira ac-cruing to the state from both the federa-tion account and IGR, the opposition in state is of the belief that not much has been achieved. A chieftain of the PDP in Ibadan North-West Local Government, Prince Bimbo Makanjuola, who insisted that governance has been bastardised, accused the Ajimobi administration of facing irrelevance at the expense of ad-dressing the basic needs of the people. He

Lagos: Commitment to infrastructural renewalsSOME STATES AND THEIR DEBTS, AS AT 2012

Lagos $491.847 million

Kaduna $182.261 million

Cross River $107.532 million

Ogun $94.573 million

Oyo $78.085 million

Katsina $74.138 million

Delta $15.404 million

Taraba $20.396 million

Akwa Ibom $62.648 million.

Borno $12.957 million.

Source: RMAFC

said rather than concentrating on deliv-ering the dividends of democracy to the people, the government has concerned it-self with beautification projects. To him, a sincere government that has the inter-est of the people at heart should set a goal to positively touch the lives of the people and pursue it.

He said, There is no doubt that the present government in the state has failed the people, I am very sorry over the dilemma the people of the state would have to endure till 2015. What it means is that the governor did not prepare himself for the position; rather, he finds himself in the office and is now using trial and er-ror to govern the state.

But countering Makanjuola, an ana-lyst, Mr. Lekan Adeyanju, said it would be too hasty to blame the present gov-ernment in the state given the magnitude of the problems that were put on its way by the former administrations in the state, explaining that what is important is for the administration to have focus and ensure that it is not derailed.

The Special Adviser to the governor on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, also said the Ajimobi administration has succeeded in utilising the states resources to turn things around with virtually every sector touched. According to him, the state is an example of where things work and the people the essence of governance with ev-ery kobo accounted for, whether in terms of IGR or the federation account.

He said, The Oyo State Government has, in the last 18 months, constructed and/or rehabilitated a total of 215 roads across the state. This is aside the recent award of contracts for the dualisation of the Toll Gate Interchange-Challenge-New Garage-Toll Gate and Dugbe-Jericho-Eleiyele-Onireke-Dugbe Roads, as well as the ongoing dualisation of entry roads into such towns as Oyo, Iseyin and Ogbo-moso. The first fly-over bridge to be con-structed by any civilian administration since the creation of Oyo State at the Mo-kola Roundabout is also at the completion stage and will be ready for inauguration any moment from now.

Government has also rehabilitated a total of 1,500 blocks of classrooms in both public primary and secondary schools across the state, while the newly-estab-lished Technical University of Oyo State will admit its new set of students in Sep-

tember 2013, he added.

As for Lagos State, Muritala Ayinla reports that the aspiration of the coun-trys commercial nerve-centre is to sur-vive without federal allocations.

According to the Lagos State House of Assemblys 2013 approved omnibus, the states federal allocation is put at N59 bil-lion per annum, which means that state would get N 4.9 billion monthly

Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is also put at N23 billion monthly.

With this, the state government has demonstrated commitment to infrastruc-tural renewal in all a nook and cranny of the state, a development which is fast turning the state to Africas mega city.

Unlike in other states where the labour unions have to engage the government before their salaries and other arrears are paid, civil servants in the state are paid promptly.

In Metropolitan Lagos there are 20,000 people per square kilometer while au-thorities estimate that some 3,000 people from other states of the federation mi-grate into the state every day without plan of leaving.

The state has also launched a regulated bus rapid-transit system and has begun work to develop a reliable and affordable urban rail system as part of efforts to sort out its legendary snail-paced traffic. The first section of the Lite rail system is ex-pected to take-off by June this year, the governor, Babatunde Fashola, promised.

Charles Okeke in his reports, states that Anambra State, as at December 2012 had recorded impressive performance in many respects, especially in the areas of mainte-nance of fiscal discipline, provision of se-curity and development of infrastructure.

Since 2006 when the Governor Peter Obi administration came into office, Anambra has maintained some bal-anced budgets, whose figures range be-tween N67.786 billion in 2010 to N66.676 in 2011. In 2012, the budgeted sum rose to N83.200 billion, and by 2013, it has risen to the sum of N110.890 billion, made up of N70.895 for capital expenditure and N39.995 for recurrent expenditures. The projected revenue profile for the 2013 fis-cal year stands at N66.500 billion, with IGR yielding N12.500 billion and N54 bil-lion derivable from states share of fed-eration account.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

Kwankwaso

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.netSunday, January 13, 20136 The Big ReadThe Big Read

How Shugaba, Borno lawmaker, was deported

KAYODE FASUA

His full name is Abdurrahman Shugaba Darman, an Alhaji and a grassroots politician from Maidu-guri, Borno State. He was born in 1920. However, folks in his native home simply called him by his mid-dle name, Shugaba. This politician, who cut his politi-cal teeth in the 1950s, was a contemporary of the late Sir Ahmadu Bello. When the military returned power to the civilians in 1979, after a 13-year stint, Shugaba simply allied with Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim, the leader of Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP) and was thus a founding member of the party. On the platform of the party, he was elected as a member of the Borno State House of Assembly in 1979, where he also became the House Majority Leader. But while in the House, Shugaba proved a thorn in the flesh of the President Shehu Shagari-led National Party of Nigeria (NPN) which ruled at the centre. He was regarded as a threat by the ruling party, especially as he was a charismatic politician who attracted large crowds at political ral-lies. The crowds, usually stirred by his speeches, were said to be fond of chanting political war songs or songs that fanned his adulation, which to the rival NPN, was turning Waziri, his party leader, and himself to a folk heroes, to the detriment of the NPNs aspiration to dis-lodge the GNPP from Borno, a northern state consid-ered strategic.

DeportationAnd on January 24, 1980, Immigration officials, in

the wee hours of the day, stormed Shugabas Maiduguri home and arrested him. They brought with them a de-portation order signed by the Minister of Internal Af-fairs, Alhaji Bello Maitama. The deportation order en-titled, Shugaba Abdurrahman Darmans Deportation Order 1980, stated among other things that ...Shugaba Abdurrahman Darman at present in Nigeria ought to be classified as a prohibited immigrant and also that Shugaba Abdurrahman be deported from Nigeria by the first available means....

Shugaba was as such deported to a village in Chad. The government claimed that his father was a Chadian, hence he was from Chad. During the subsequent court case he filed to challenge the deportation order, the government brought a Chadian woman who claimed that Shugaba was her biological son whom she wanted back. While making this claim, this woman was weep-ing profusely. Shugaba denied knowing the woman and claimed that his mother was alive and well known in Maiduguri, even though her sight was now poor.

The media angleThe deportation elicited public outcries, especially

in the media, as it was widely alleged that the man is a victim of political vendetta. And in response to the public outcry against the deportation, the government instituted a one-man tribunal of inquiry presided over by Justice P.C Okpanbo. The NPN government and President Shehu Shagari in particular, on the surface, displayed that they were concerned about the negative publicity the issue was generating and also about at-tempts in the media to mock governments sincerity in setting up a one-man tribunal and to give the tribunal the mandate to sit in any place of its choice.

Shagari reactsAn autobiography, Shehu Shagari: My Vision of Ni-

geria, recalls the Shugaba episode, thusAn important constitutional issue which arose early

in 1980 concerned the deportation to Chad, his alleged birthplace of Alhaji Abdurrahman Shugaba Darman, majority leader in the Borno State legislature, which CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

JANUARY, 13, 2013

SHAPING THE FUTURE WITH THE PAST

Dateline 7Sunday Mirrorwww.nationalmirroronline.net

Shugaba

is controlled by the GNPP, one of the parties which oppose the Presidents NPN. There had been some po-litical disorder in the state. The deported politician de-nied the claim that he was a foreigner. The President appointed a tribunal to examine the matter. But the High Court of Borno State found that Alhaji Shugaba was a Nigerian citizen and awarded him heavy dam-ages against the Federal Government.

The book also records a speech made by Shagari, while inaugurating the one-man tribunal to look into the Shugaba case:

The deportation of Alhaji Abdurrahman Shugaba Darman from Nigeria has generated public interest and in response to the representations made to me on this matter, I have decided, in accordance with the powers conferred upon me by Section 1 of the Tribu-nal of Inquiry Decree of 1966, to appoint this Tribunal of Inquiry to ascertain the true nationality of Alhaji Abdurrahman Shugaba.

In order to ensure the proper dispensation of jus-tice and fair play, I have selected a responsible member of the Judiciary in the person of Justice P.C. Okpanbo to be the sole member of the tribunal. The tribunal

is vested with full powers and authority to hold pub-lic hearings at Maiduguri or any place that it consid-ers suitable for the efficient discharge of its functions and is expected to submit its report to me not later than three weeks from the date of its first sitting. I take this opportunity to appeal to the general public to give max-imum cooperation to the tribunal and not to do any-thing that will hamper its smooth operation.

I observe with dissatisfaction some press comments which tend to pre-judge the findings of the tribunal be-fore it even commences its assignment. I therefore ap-peal to the mass media to exercise restraint in its com-ment and news reporting so as to enable the tribunal discharge its functions effectively and in the best inter-est of the nation.

I have every confidence that this tribunal will con-duct its business without fear or favour, and will put the interest of the nation above all other considerations in the discharge of its responsibilities. I assure the na-tion that my administration will, on its part, continue to uphold the rule of law and ensure the supremacy of justice to all Nigerians.

Shugaba gets justiceWrenched over his deportation, Shugaba headed for

court and a Borno High Court sitting in Maiduguri ruled in his favour in the case of Shugaba Darman vs. Federal Minister of Internal Affairs and Others. It revoked the deportation order and awarded damages to the tune of N350, 000 to Shugaba. The Federal Gov-ernment appealed the verdict at the Appeal Court in Kaduna and lost. The case then shifted to the Supreme Court and that court also ruled in Shugabas favour in a unanimous judgement by four justices led by Justice Coker. The case was overtaken by the subsequent mili-tary coup and no compensation was paid by the civil-ians. Nevertheless, Shugaba later said he had forgiven the Shagari-led government for his deportation.

Shugabas personal account of ordealWhen he later in life became a chieftain of the Peo-

ples Democratic Party (PDP), Shugaba, in a media chat, recalled his deportation saga thus:

I was born in this very house here in Maiduguri in 1933. I joined politics in 1953, with NEPU (Northern Ele-ments Progressive Union). I spent one year before mov-ing to NPC (Northern Peoples Congress). I was elected the youth leader of the party where I was referred to as Shugaba Darmai. This name came as a result of my political prowess which made many people understand the ideology of our party then; NPC. I was then called Shuga Darman before the ruling party then concocted falsehood and deported me to Chad Republic.

During the time of GNPP (Great Nigeria Peoples Party), I was persuaded to decamp to NPN but I reject-ed all offers made to me by the NPN. As a result of that, they planned this evil against me. In 1978, we started the Nigerians Peoples Party (NPP). From there, we changed to GNPP. It was at that time that they contin-ued to pressurise me to leave GNPP to join NPN, but I still refused. When we started political campaign in Borno, We won election and formed the government at the state level. We also won the seats of Senate, House of Representatives, State House of Assembly with full majority. As a result of opposition party in the state then, NPN was not happy with the rejection of their overtures. During the campaign, I lectured our party faithful and they accepted my lectures. The NPN then felt that I was too vocal for their liking and I was seen as a very strong pillar behind the GNPP. They said that I was from Chad and that I would be deported to Chad. But they were so myopic to have forgotten that I was born in Maiduguri and my mother is from Konduga Local Government, 28 km from Maiduguri. The then ruling party, NPN used their federal might to deport me to Chad. They alleged that I was a Chadian and a

security threat to Nigeria. They carried out their plans without the knowledge of the then President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari. The then Interior Minister, Alkali Bello Maitama brought a letter on January 25, 1980. Some im-migration officials came around 6.00 a.m. and took me to Chad.

Shortly before I was deported, my mother and my brother sued the Federal Government over their action. The court nullified the deportation order and asked me to come back. I came back, the Federal Government had a lawyer and I also had a lawyer. We went on with the case and God gave me victory. I won the case on May 25, 1980. The court said that Federal Government was wrong and ordered that I should be paid the sum of N350, 000 as compensation. Rather than pay, the Federal Government proceeded to the Federal Court of Appeal in Kaduna. I also won the appeal but the court reduced the compensation to N59, 000. I was paid the compensa-tion during the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida regime.

I felt very happy when some prominent Nigerians visited me after my court victory, because at that time, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and all the nine progressive governors came to this very house to visit. In fact, it made me more popular.

His assessment of Shagari government Shugaba, also in the media chat, recalled the politics

of the Shagari era with nostalgia:

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

Goni AwolowoShagari

It is a fact that there have been tremendous chang-es; so many changes. It is part of human life. But the system we are operating now is not suitable for the country. In 1979, the military brought changes to the system. They brought American Presidential System which is too expensive. You spend a lot of money; the parliamentary system is the best system for the coun-try. Nigerians are suffering and we have embarked on amending the constitution several times, but we still have problems. We seem not to have an alternative. As a majority leader in the then Borno State House of Assembly, I was able to contribute my quota to the de-velopment of my state and party. But quality debates are no longer in place as lawmakers have become mere rubber stamps.

At that time, we had the majority and as such, the peoples confidence. We campaigned for the GNPP and people accepted the party and we formed government. It is a known fact that the old Borno State, which con-sisted of the present Borno and Yobe States, witnessed immense developmental programmes; both military and civilian governments built on our foundation, and up till now, they have not exhausted our plans. There is no local government area in the present Borno and Yobe States that we had not built a secondary school. But now we are operating a wrong system.

Why former Governor Mohammed Goni and I then left the GNPP to join the UPN then was that during our progressive alliance, we agreed to join the nine progressive parties. It was based on our conscien-tious desire that we joined the group. But along the way, the ruling party, NPN was not happy with our alli-ance. They did a lot of propaganda and convinced the late Waziri Ibrahim who came to Maiduguri and told Mohammed Goni and Governor of Gongola State to leave the progressive alliance because NPN was not happy. We told him no! Because we had entered into agreement with the alliance, we were not leaving the progressive alliance. That was what brought misun-derstanding between Waziri Ibrahim and Governor Goni. We then left GNPP to join UPN. The Gongola fac-tion of the party joined NPP while Waziri Ibrahim re-mained in the GNPP. We would have won the election if there was a free and fair election, but NPN rigged the election and brought autocracy. That was why we lost the election in 1983.

DeathShugaba died on Wednesday April 20, 2010 at the age

of 80. He was survived by three wives and 29 children. Shugaba had been a founding member of the Shehu Musa YarAdua-led Social Democratic Party (SDP), and later became a founding member of the Peoples Demo-cratic Party (PDP) in which he was active as a party elder till he died. Babangida, whose tenure fi ne was paid

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net8 Sunday, January 13, 2013Dateline

Shugabas deportation by Shagaris NPN government

Opposition merger: Gadi, Al-Makura, David-West to lead CPC team

SEC budget: Senate, Reps on collision course over Oteh TORDUE SALEMABUJA

The House of Represen-tatives may be pitted against the Senate over 2013 appropriation for the Secu-rities and Exchange Com-mission (SEC).

Though both chambers passed a clause in the Appro-priation Bill to give legal teeth to their earlier resolutions not to allocate money to the Com-mission until its Director-General, Ms. Arunma Oteh, is sacked for incompetence, the Senate through its Chair-

man of the Business and Rules Committee , Senator Ita Enang (PDP-Akwa Ibom) made a U-turn, promising that the National Assembly would re-consider the bud-get of the Commission.

But the deputy spokesman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene (AP-GA-Anambra) said the Senate would stand alone on its deci-sion to re-consider a budget for SEC or worst still, risk breaching budgetary resolu-tion they were a part of.

Our resolution on the

Securities and Exchange Commission still stands as it were. If the Senate is say-ing the National Assembly would consider the budget, well, we have made our deci-sion and it stands that way; until whoever is the head of SEC is removed.

Ogene said the House at no time harmonised views with the Senate that the SEC budget issue should be given a second look.

As you know, there is a clause in the 2013 Budget that backs our decision on SEC and was passed by both

Chambers of the National Assembly, so I dont know where the Senator is com-ing from on that. But I dont know of any harmonisation with the Senate on the con-sideration of the SEC bud-get, he submitted.

Recall that the House of Representatives had in third second quarter of last year passed a resolution request-ing for the removal of Ms. Oteh for salleged undry mal-practices at the capital mar-ket that led to its collapse and loss of huge investments by investors.

OBIORA IFOH, ABUJA

The ongoing merger talk by leading opposition politi-cal parties in Nigeria has re-ceived a major boost with the release of names of promi-nent Nigerians who have been pencilled down to lead the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) team.

In a statement by the CPC National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fashakin, the team will be led by Alhaji Garba Gadi. Other members of the CPC team include Nasarawa state governor, Umaru Tanko Al -Makura, as well as Professor Tam David-West.

The list also contains the names of Alhaji Sabo Nanono, Senator Hadi Sirika, Chief Okoi Obono Obla, Owelle Os-car Udoji, Engr. Ife Oyedele, Mr Osita Okechukwu and Chief Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba. Others are Mrs. Lucy Ajayi, Air Cdre Bernard Banfa (rtd), Engr. B. D. Lawal, Dr Haruna Yerima, Mr James Ocholi , SAN, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, Professor Buba Bajoga and Dr. Osagi Ehanire

The partys National Leader, General Muhammadu Buhari

, is expected to charge the ap-pointees on the partys expecta-tion at the inauguration which will hold on Wednesday at the partys national secretariat in Abuja.

Other parties which are part of the alliance/merger talk in-clude the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP and the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.

Both the ANPP and ACN have already inaugurated their own teams of negotiators and it is expected that the alliance or merger will take effect as early as March this year.

An ANPP source told Sun-day Mirror that the merger would be test-run by March this year and that it is expected that every paper work would have been done with, both at the par-ties level and at the INEC.

Leading the ANPP team in-clude former presidential aspi-rant of the party in the last gen-eral election, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, while ACN leader, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, will lead the partys team.

The groups which pride themselves as progressives will seek to adopt a common name while also putting together, a new constitution, and resolv-ing on sharing of positions.

L-R: Former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida; Governor of Rivers State, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and former Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, during the first graduation ceremony of the Abdulsalami Abubakar Institute For Peace and Sustainable Development Studies, In Minna, yesterday.

OBIORA IFOH, ABUJA

The crises in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)took a new dimension at the weekend with Presi-dent Goodluck Jonathan wielding the big stick. In the aftermath of the power tussle between the National Chairman of the PDP, Al-haji Bamanga Tukur and Adamawa State governor, Murtala Nyako, President Goodluck has now forbidden their sons, Awwal Tukur and Abdul-Aziz Nyako from con-testing the 2016 governor-ship election in the state.

Visibly angry President Jonathan at the meeting with the leaders of the party dur-

ing the week at the Presiden-tial Villa had expressed dis-pleasure at the ongoing power tussle and had reportedly banged on the table and swore that as long as he remains the President of Nigeria both men would not be cleared to contest the election.

Both Tukur and Nyako were present at the meeting. Present also were other mem-bers of the National Working Committe of the PDP, some state governors and other ma-jor party stakeholders.

According to the source, President Jonathan had said that the inordinate ambition of both leaders to secure the governorship seat for their sons has been the cause of the crisis in the state and the only way to end the crisis was by making it difficult for both

men to stand for the gover-norship election in the state.

The President was angry that succession agenda was the crux of the crisis in Ad-amawa PDP and has reasoned that the only way to achieve peace was to stop both aspi-rants from the election.

The President also warned that he will not take kindly with anyone who flouts the recommendation of the reconciliation committee set up. He also warned that 2016 should be set aside and that development of the state should be uppermost in the mind of the governor.

Awwal, eldest son of the PDP chairman, had contested for the PDP governorship ticket in Adamawa State with Governor Nyako, in early 2007. The outcome of the

primaries, which was mired in controversies, led the for-mer member of the House of Representatives (1999-2003) to withdraw temporarily from politics.

The latest report about Aw-wal is that he may throw his hat into the ring once again in 2016 and vie for the PDP gov-ernorship ticket.

Sunday Mirror gathered that late last year, Abdul-Aziz, the eldest son of the governor undertook a tour of the state with the full protocol of a gov-ernor. Opponents of Nyako said his son went to the ex-tent of making promises of what the government would and would not do. But with the presidents directives, the dreams of the duo seem to have been aborted.

It would be recalled that

President Jonathan had pen-ultimate week constituted the (Sule) Lamido committee to work out truce between the warring factions in the state and ensure that peace reigns again in the state chapter in the party.

Part of the recommenda-tion was to harmonise the positions of the different parties in the state, make the state suitable for the conduct of fresh congresses as well as elect the new state exco.

Meanwhile, Governor Nyako has called on party faithful to support the exec-utive reconciliation commit-tee set up by the President.

The Governor made the call on Saturday while ad-dressing party supporters at a solidarity rally in Yola, the Adamawa State Capital.

The Governor said there was hope that things would be better for the party follow-ing recent positive changes while promising to support the party leadership.

The Governor commend-ed PDP stakeholders within and outside the state for their concern over the crisis and congratulated members of the new executive com-mittee of the party, led by Alhaji Umaru Kugama.

Also speaking, Kugama, leader of the executive com-mittee commended mem-bers of the party for their support and corporation to him during the party con-gress.

The Peoples Democratic Party supporters from the 21 local government areas of the state attended the rally.

PDP crises: Jonathan slams Tukur, NyakoForbids chairman, governors sons from contesting 2016 governorship

Sunday Mirrorwww.nationalmirroronline.net 9SundayJanuary 13, 2013 News

NIGERIA IN BRIEFGhanaian president pledges support for Imo education policy

Ghanaian President, Mr John Mahama, has pledged to support the education policy of the Imo State government. The Imo Commissioner for Informa-tion and Strategy, Mr Chinedu Offor, said this while briefing journalists in Owerri.

Offor, who travelled to Ghana with Governor Rochas Okoro-cha, said that Mahama made the promise when he received the Imo governor in Accra.

According to the commission-er, Mahama urged Okorocha to continue providing effective leadership to Imo people and commended him for his phi-lanthropy, through the Rochas Foundation Colleges. President Mahama said his sisters mother came from the Balogun family in Offa, Kwara. He, therefore, pledged the commitment of his administration toward improved ties with Nigeria.

The President said he had Nigerian roots and that it is in the mutual interest of both countries to ensure a vibrant economic and cultural coop-eration for maximum benefits, the commissioner stated.

Offor said that former Gha-naian President John Kuffour, also received Okorocha and urged him to work hard toward greater cooperation between Nigeria and Ghana.

National Chairman of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Chief Sam Nkire, has congratulated President Jacob Zuma of South Africa on the oc-casion of the 101th anniversary of his party, the African National Congress, ANC.

In a congratulatory message, Chief Nkire said as leader and national chairman of ANC, President Zuma had steered the party to the envy of many democracies in Africa and the

world. The PPA chieftain noted

that the recent ANC national convention during which Zuma was challenged by his deputy showed that many African countries, including Nigeria still had a democratic lesson to learn from South Africa.

Nkire said in most African countries, no one in the same party, dared to challenge a sitting president in any form of election whatsoever, but

that Zuma took it in his strides and did nothing to undermine democracy in South Africa.

He urged the ANC to not only speak out but do more as a leading voice, to correct some of the bad democratic practices in many African countries.

The PPA boss also informed President Zuma that the leader-ship of the PPA would soon, once again, visit South Africa on a familiarisation tour of the ANC headquarters.

ANCs 101st anniversary: PPA chairman lauds Zuma

DENNIS AGBOENUGU

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yes-terday elected new set of offi-cers amid protests by a splin-ter group of the body which claimed that the election was slated for January 19.

The exercise, in which over 200 delegates partici-pated, produced Chief Gary Igariwey (unopposed) from Ebonyi State as the new President-General with Dr. Joe Nworgu as the Secretary-General.

A splinter group of the or-ganisation led by the Secre-tary of the Election Commit-tee, Chief Richard Ozobu, however, said the purported election was a nullity, claim-ing that the committee was not ready for the ballot yes-

terday more so when the Ime-Obi (council of elders) had slated the poll for January 19.

The elected President-General, Igariwey, described the election as credible, promising to run the office with the consultation.

He denied knowledge of any opposing group, say-ing that the secretary of the election committee could have been removed if he was found wanting in the assign-ment.

Those that attended the event included MASSOB leader, Chief Ralph Uwazur-uike, outgoing President-General, Ralph Uwaechue, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezife and Chairman of South-East Traditional Rulers, Eze Cle-tus Ilomuanya.

Others are Igwe Gibson Nwosu, Justice Eze Ozobu, Senator Uche Chukwumeri-

je, Dr. ABC Nwosu, Col Joe Achuzia, Amb. Eddy Onuoha and Commodore Alison Ma-dueke, among others.

One of the protesting members and leader of Pro-Biafra group, Ndubisi Igwekani, popularly called Agu Biafra, described some of those that emerged in the election as enemies of Ndigbo who ab initio were not qualified to represent the Igbo nation.

Contestant for Publicity Secretary of the organisa-tion, Chief Emma Okocha, said that on January 19 pro-posed date for the election, the Anioma people stand.

He alleged that the Ralph Uwaechue-led leadership hurried into the election yes-terday to impose cronies that would cover their corrupt practice in the past four years.

Okocha alleged that the

Uwaechue leadership was very corrupt to the extent that they allegedly have over N8 billion unaccounted for.

Chief Richard Ozobu said that the due process of elec-tion was not followed which was the problem he had with his colleagues in the elector-al committee that made them keep him on check.

Chairman of the electoral committee, Chris Asoluka, said that as far as he was concerned, the creme de la creme of Ndigbo partici-pated in the election and ad-judged it credible.

Top Igbo leaders that were conspicuously absent at the election venue included All the Governors of the zone, former President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Dozie Ikedife and Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, among others.

Trouble brews in Ohanaeze over election of new leaders AUGUSTINE MADU-WEST, KANO

Veteran politician and prominent northern leader, Alhaji Othman Tofa, has identified syco-phantic tendencies among President Goodluck Jona-thans aides and escalating corruption in the country as the bane of his admin-istration.

Alhaji Tofa, who spoke with Sunday Mirror, said the major defect of the President is the people around him, masquerading as his aides.

According him, what-ever is the defect of Jona-thans government, the most disturbing one is the people he appointed as his aides, most of whom are incompetent, dishonest, in-capable of doing anything right and lacking national-istic ideals.

To him, this remains the shortcoming of the Presi-dent as he does not have the right kind of team needed by his office to move the country forward.

The Kano politician and immediate past Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), added that what the President needed to do to redeem the situ-ation was to ensure that wide consultations took place, outside his kitchen cabinet, that most of his ministers and advisers only confronted him with those things they believed he would want to hear, while their primary inter-est in government was to pursue their personal eco-nomic interest.

The former presidential candidate on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) in the controversial June 12, 1993 presidential election, believes strongly that there are capable Ni-gerians outside the govern-ment who can be trusted and have the capabilities of moving this country to greater heights.

He added, From what I have seen, the people around him today are ter-

rible and are source of his weakness, which he needs to get rid of because any-body in position, no mat-ter how intelligent, if he doesnt have the right team to work with, he is obvious-ly bound to fail.

On the issue of corrup-tion, he cautioned leaders against tampering with public funds, saying the moment a leader tampered with public money: If its one kobo, you have not only derailed but lost your gut to sanction your subordinates when they commit similar offence.

Tofa maintained that whoever would emerge Ni-gerias president should be such a person with no in-terest in public money.

On the issue of merger among some opposition parties, he stated that the success would depend largely on the ability and courage of the leaders to dump their personal ambi-tion.

They should not over-lord people with their am-bition; there must be sacri-fices by the parties involved and see the issue as one embarked upon to ensure the survival of democracy, rather than opportunity to climb to power, otherwise the party to be so merged will be bedevilled with fac-tions that will take them back to square one.

The political bigwig, who said he was on sab-batical from the ANPP, ac-cused the party leaders of insincerity, which he said caused them some of their stronghold.

In Kano, we in the ANPP lost to the PDP in the governorship election be-cause of internal sabotage.

We have a lot of hypo-crites who are members of the party only within; once in Abuja or some-where else, they are PDP members; they work relent-lessly for the party which employed them to sabotage their own party and they are doing so because of their interest in federal ap-pointments or some kind of favour from the PDP,, he regrettted.

Jonathan surrounds self with sycophants as aides Tofa

INUSA NDAHIDAMATURU

Tonnes of illicit drugs, including marijuana al-legedly used by gunmen suspected to be terrorists in their recent attacks and kill-ings in Yobe State, were at the weekend intercepted and destroyed by the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Damaturu.

The illicit drugs, accord-ing to JTF sources, were re-covered in its various raids of their hideouts and dur-ing the cordon and search operations by security task force in Damaturu, Potis-kum and Gashua, 185 ki-lometres northwest of the state capital.

Briefing newsmen and representatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on the torching and destruction of drugs in Damaturu, Spokesman of JTF, Lt. Laza-rus Eli, said the destruction of these drugs was inevi-table; to discourage youths from illicit acts of drug traf-ficking and addictions.

He disclosed that during the recoveries of the drugs in JTFs operations and raids,

JTF destroys massive drugs owned by gunmen in Yobe

most of the arrested sus-pects and other criminals, however, operated under the influence of drugs.

Lt. Eli listed the destroyed drugs to include cannabis sativa, locally known as In-dian hemp, codeine, tramol, tutolin, among other drugs recovered during the JTF op-erations and raids.

He, therefore, appealed to parents and guardians to ensure that they monitored the activities of their chil-

dren and wards and should endeavour to know their as-sociates as measures of pre-venting them from joining the bad peers.

Meanwhile, the security task force has embarked on a sensitisation campaign on creating public awareness on security issues and the need for members of the public to contribute towards fighting crimes and terrorism in the state and the country.

In the pamphlets being

distributed to motorists and residents in the capital city, the JTF called for full cooper-ation with security agents in ensuring peace in the state.

It added that residents could also call the follow-ing telephone numbers- 08065320525, 08183601361 and 08039271822- in contacting JTF for prompt intervention and action against terrorism and other criminal acts that had claimed many lives and property.

Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda (left), and Emir of Dukku, Alhaji Abdulkadir Haruna, during the governors visit to the emirs palace in Gombe State on Friday. PHOTO: NAN

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net10 Sunday January 13, 2013

NIGERIA IN BRIEFIAA gets new board of directors Yakowas brother dies at 60

Barely a month after the death of his older brother and former Kaduna State governor, Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, his ailing younger brother, has also died.

According to an online publication, SaharaReporters, Mr. Adamu Yakowa passed on yesterday afternoon in Ka-duna. He was 60 years old.

It claimed that a credible

source in Fadan Kagoma area of Kaduna State had told SaharaReporters that his ailing younger brother Mr. Adamu Yakowa passed on this afternoon at 60 in their hometown.

Adamu, according to our source, had been battling with an undisclosed illness even before late Governor Yakowas death in a naval

helicopter crash in Bayelsa State on December 15, 2012.

The source who is a member of the Yakowa fam-ily, also added that the in-formation had been passed to the wife and children of the late governor, who are currently mourning Yakowa at the late governors pri-vate home in Kaduna.

Investment and Allied as-surance Plc (IAA) has been given a new board of direc-tors to run the company for the next four years.

Following approval by shareholders during its last annual general meeting, the new board is constituted as follows: Alhaji Aminu Baba Nabegu, Mr. AbayomiRufai, Mr. Wilfred Erhahon and

Mr. Remi Olaofe. Others are Mr. Sabur Shogbamu, Mr.Babatunde Bello and Hajiya Nafisatu Adamu.

The board is expected to restructure and recapitalise the company.

Consequently, Messrs Matthew Sadoh and com-pany were appointed its new auditors.

IAA Managing Director, Mr.

Abayomi Rufai, said there were good prospects for investors in the company.

The national Insurance Commission has impacted positively on the company and additional capital being pumped into it would be contributing immensely to prosperity of the company and Nigeria as a whole, he said.

NewsSunday Mirrorwww.nationalmirroronline.net Sunday, January 13, 2013 11

30 killed as explosion rocks pipelineFEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

No fewer than 30 sus-pected vandals of a pipeline belonging to Nigerian National Petro-leum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday lost their lives in a fire explosion at Arepo village in Obafemi-Owode Local Government area of Ogun State.

Several others also sus-tained varying degrees of burns in the pipeline explo-sion that lasted for hours and caused panic in com-

munities close to the scene.The affected pipeline, it

was gathered, is the con-duit for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, from Atlas Cove Jetty in Lagos to other South-Western states.

Sunday Mirror gathered that the vandals who were in the regular habit of scooping fuel from vandal-ised pipelines in the jungle, had previously engaged officials of the Nigeria Se-curity and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in a gun duel, less than 24 hours be-

fore the incident.Sources in the NNPC

also yesterday informed that the fire incident was result in another major fuel scarcity in the entire South-West, as the burnt pipeline was the only reli-able channel for supplying the product to the entire region.

Reacting, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of the Spe-cial Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism, Mr. Friday Ibadin, confirmed the incident to newsmen in

Trouble brews in NSCDC over wage disparitiesAZA MSUEKADUNA

T rouble is brewing in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, as officers with Higher National Diploma, HND, have sent a distress call to President Goodluck Jonathan over disparity in their remuneration.

They petitioned the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro and Commandant General NSCDC, Professor Ade Abolurin, over their failure to correct what they see as abnormality and un-fair treatment.

According to the ag-grieved officers, the civil defence authorities had created disparity within as the officers with HND in accounting and engineer-ing were placed on grade level 8 while their degree counterparts and other HND holders in other dis-ciplines were placed on grade level 7 together with the National Certificate in Education, NCE holders, without any reason given to them.

Most of the affected HND officers who spoke with Sunday Mirror with evidence to justify their claims, said they all got appointment in 2010 but proper replacement was done in 2011 during which the shoddy manipulations against others were car-ried.

Some of the affected officers who pleaded ano-nymity for fear of being

sacked, narrated how it all happened: We were all recruited in 2010 but proper ranks replacement was done in 2011. To our shock, the same HND offi-cers who studied account-ing and engineering were given grade 08; that is one star together with degree officers while the rest HND officers in other dis-ciplines were given grade level 07 the, same rank with NCE holders.

They are worried that while they were doing the same job, employed on the same date, some are placed on higher ranks than oth-ers, adding that some HND officers made distinctions in their qualifications.

They appealed to Presi-dent Goodluck Jonathan to call the minister and commandant general to order before things get out of hand.

However, in a tele-phone interview with Sunday Mirror, NSCDC Corps Public Education Officer and Head of Pub-lic Relations, Mr Emman-uel Okeh said, the board or head of service of the federation should be con-tacted for that because they handle anything re-lated to the cadre in the civil defence.

Recruitment, ranks placement are being han-dled by the board and head of service of the federa-tion. They have documents on both public and civil ser-vants of the level you are talking about, he said.

ECOWAS approves deployment of troops in MaliE conomic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has decided to authorise the immedi-ate deployment of troops to Mali, a statement said in Abuja yesterday.

The statement by the Chairman, ECOWAS Au-thority of Heads of State, President Alassane Ouat-tara, said measures would be taken to imple-ment the decision to as-sist the Malian Army to

defend the nations terri-torial integrity.

It said the chairman took the decision in con-sultation with his peers and in conformity to Resolution 2085 of the UN Security Council. The statement said the deployment was ``within the AFISMA framework and added that ECOWAS was committed to sup-port the Malian Govern-ment to tackle its securi-

ty crisis. ``The authority recalls its previous deci-sions on Mali and reaf-firms its commitment to support the Malian Gov-ernment in overcoming the security crisis.

It shall hold respon-sible any individual or group threatening na-tional cohesion and the decisions of ECOWAS and the African Union, the statement said.

ECOWAS called on

the transitional author-ity to expedite action on the establishment of an agency responsible for political dialogue with rebel groups that re-nounced terrorism and violence in Mali. It ex-pressed gratitude to the African Union, UN, part-ner countries and the in-ternational community for their efforts aimed at stabilising the situation in Mali.

L-R: Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye; Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola and Chairman, House Committee on Legal Matters, Hon. Sanai Oyediran Agunbiade, during the valedictory session in honour of the late Justice Wasilat Abisoye Esther Ayo at the High Court Foyer in Igbosere, Lagos, on Friday.

Former governor of Edo State, Lucky Ig-binedion may no longer enter the US, having been barred by the authorities, a web news service, Sa-haraReporters said yes-terday, quoting sources in Washington, DC.

According to Sahara-Reporters, the American consular authorities had written to Igbinedion to

tell him that he was no longer welcome in the US.

Another source in-dicated that the former governor, who has been convicted for corrupt practices shortly after his governorship term, had multiple entry visas to the US. However, he has received a letter revoking his visa, said one source.

Mr. Igbinedion was a two-term governor in Edo State, and was accused of looting the states trea-sury by the EFCC.

In 2008, a year after leaving office, a Federal High Court in Enugu had convicted Igbenedion over false declaration of assets and was fined N3.5 million, under a plea bar-gain trial.

Sources further re-vealed to SaharaReport-ers in Washington, DC that the US government was reviewing the files of some of Nigerias cur-rent and former govern-ment officials and would deny them visas once they are deemed undesir-able on account of their engagement in corrup-tion.

Igbinedion barred from entering US, as authorities revoke visa

Fuel scarcity looms in South-West Lagos. Recalling how it oc-curred, Ibadin said an ex-plosion was heard at about 2 a.m. and shortly after, a team of policemen led by the sector commander, La-gos, Onaghise Osayande, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area.

He said the fire was caused by suspected van-dals, who were in the habit of siphoning petroleum products from a ruptured NNPC pipeline and ferry-ing them across the creeks.

``Our preliminary in-vestigation reveals that

the fire was sparked off by vandals, who were argu-ing over who was eligible to fetch from the ruptured pipeline. It was in the heat of the argument that one of them accidentally released a bullet that led to several explosions. However, op-eratives of the Inspector General of Police Special Task Force on Anti-Pipe-line Vandalism Unit, Force Headquarters Annex, La-gos, who were on patrol, rushed to the scene to avert further disaster, he said.

The police boss added: It was in the process that they arrested a medical doctor and one of the sur-vivors on their way to the hospital in a jeep. The doc-tor was alleged to be smug-gling one of the survivors, who happens to be a van-dal, to his private clinic for treatment. In the course of

interrogation, we discov-ered that the survivor was one of those who allegedly participated in the killing of three NNPC officials in 2012 in the same area.

The ACP said fire-fight-ers were still trying to con-tain the fire. He gave an assurance that the police would provide adequate security in the area, noting that security agencies were on the trail of other ``van-dal survivors, who fled the scene of the incident.

According to him, one of the suspects arrested told the police that many of his mates were killed in the explosion, while others injured might still be alive and `` dying in the creeks.

On the number of per-sons involved in the inci-dent, a suspect told the po-lice that there were more than 50 men and women.

12 Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.netSunday January 13, 2013News/North

OBIORA IFOHABUJA

Chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State have called for immediate resig-nation of the 10 members of the partys working com-mittee over their roles in the aborted coup against the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Bamanga Tukur.

The Adamawa PDP lead-ers also accused the NWC members led by the deputy National Chairman Dr. Sam Sam Jaja of deliberate mis-management of party deci-sion and abuse of privilege.

The party chieftains also hailed the ouster of the na-tional secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola describing it as a good rid-dance to bad rubbish adding that the other members of the NWC should be subject-ed to probes to ascertain the reasons why they sabotaged the National Chairman by upturning the collective de-cision of the party.

Speaking to Sunday Mir-ror on the current crisis rocking the ruling party, for-mer gubernatorial aspirant in the 2011 election, Dr Umar Ardo who is the spokesper-son of the Adamawa PDP stakeholders blamed Oyin-lola for the crisis rocking the Adamawa chapter of the party, saying his actions and inactions are responsible for the current crisis.

Ardo who kicked against the disbandment of the partys NWC, said what the

stakeholders would love to see is each member judged according to his or her ac-tion and those found want-ing especially against the backdrop of abusing due process be axed from the partys leadership.

Starting from October 5, 2012 when the party an-nounced the purported dissolution of the Kugama exco and everything that has transpired till this week-end was with the authorisa-tion of the present NWC.

Based on where we are and the situation we have found ourselves in, we the Adamawa PDP stakeholders that have always clamored for due process, call for a probe of the PDP NWC members. Let us treat them as individu-als. Those who are culpable especially with Oyinlola who signed the controversial Oc-tober 12, 2012 letter endorsing the illegality that now snow-balled into the present crisis, should be handled without hindrance, Ardo said.

He particularly frowned at the action of the 10 mem-bers who rescinded the deci-sion to dissolve the Mijinya-wa Kugama - led state exco saying while they quoted the article of the PDP to jus-tify their action in dissolv-ing the Kugama committee, they were silent on any pro-vision of the PDP that gave them the powers to rescind their decision as it related to disbanding the caretaker committee and recognising the congress conducted by the Kugama - led committee.

Drama as couple disagree over childs name

Adamawa: Stakeholders call for resignation of 10 PDP NWC members

PRISCILLA CAMPBELLWITH AGENCY REPORT

For meaningful progress to occur in Nigeria, there should be a shift in the dominance of elite in the affairs of the country.

This was the assertion of Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi in Minna, the Niger State capital, yesterday.

Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Gover-nors forum was speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Abdulsalami Abuba-kar Institute for Peace and Sustainable Development (AAIPSDS) in Minna.

Amaechi accused the elite of being responsible for the imbalances in the system for their selfish interest say-ing they are not contented with what they get and there-by create problems in gover-nance for the nation.

Their attitude has cre-ated a lot of conflicts and crisis due to the series of demands they make on the nation, leading to imbalanc-es in the system, he said.

A shift of dominance of the elite in governance will correct the imbalance

because the imbalance has created problems and crisis for this nation.

He also recalled that the creation of states in the nation before was not as a result of the need to spread governance to the grass root areas of the country, but to further the elites individual interests. Also speaking at the occasion, former Head of State, Gen-eral Abdulsalami Abuba-kar, called on the Federal Government to engage in dialogue with the Boko Ha-ram sect to end the insecu-rity in the North.

Abdusalami lamented: ``Today, the cycle of blood-letting, the brutal termina-tion of lives of innocent and defenseless Nigerians should not be tolerated.

He stated that dialogue between the Federal Gov-ernment and Boko Haram was the only way to tackle the current security chal-lenges in the North.

``It is a collective respon-sibility of all to dispassion-ately understand the root causes of the problems and urgently search for lasting solutions. The path of dia-

logue is the most appropri-ate strategy in addressing security challenges; we must, therefore, cooperate and address our problems. The government at all lev-els, the people within the crisis zones, security per-sonnel, sympathisers of the aggrieved parties and the aggrieved must, for the sake of our future and that of our children, dialogue.

``This approach will yield huge dividends and this will eventually lead to the restoration of peace, se-curity and development in our nation,`` he said.

Speaking further, Abubakar said the institu-tion, which was affiliated to University of Jos, would promote African conflict transformation, develop-ment methodologies and equip students with the intellectual and practical skills to prevent conflict.

`` It will remain focused on its mission and mandate in the coming years to play its vital role that will continu-ously be a platform for trans-forming conflicts for human security and sustainable de-velopment,` `he said.

The former head of state, who is the chairman, Gov-erning Council of the insti-tution, congratulated the graduands and urged them to strive and excel in ensur-ing transparency and ac-countability toward sustain-able peace and development.

Benue State Governor, Dr. Gabriel Suswam, who was the chairman of the lecture, in his speech, cautioned lead-ers in the country to watch their utterances in order not to overheat the polity.

According to him, by guarding their statements, leaders would be able to sustain peace in the coun-try. While speaking further, he lamented that the state-ments of some leaders hin-der peace and cause tension in the country thereby ag-gravating the tension and security challenges.

He also called on the me-dia not to promote inflam-matory statements of peo-ple, stressing that the media are partners in helping to install peace in the country.

The governor pointed out that the insecurity challenge bedevilling the country is the problem of everyone and not

Amaechi condemns elite over nations woes

District head of Gombe, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abubakar (left) presenting a gift on behalf of Gombe State University Muslum Ummah to outgoing pio-neer Registrar, Dr. Aliyu Kamara for his years of service, in Gombe State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

A mild drama took place over the weekend at an Omu-Aran Area Court in Kwara State as a couple en-gaged in an argument over the name of their first child.

The argument occurred during conclusion of hear-ing in a divorce suit filed by Mrs Esther Gbadeyan of the Oro town in Kwara whose marriage to Yinka was even-tually dissolved. Esther, a court clerk, had filed the suit on December 24, saying that she was no longer in her marriage to Yinka and that she was already in another relationship.

She had accused Yinka of irresponsibility, battery and lack of care. At the re-sumed hearing in the case, Esther submitted that the marriage contracted in 2003 was blessed with a boy and a girl whose names she gave as Odunayo, aged nine years and Praise, seven.

In his r