Monday, march 31, 2014

L-R: Former PDP Legal Adviser and Ondo State governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke; Group Managing Director, Energy Group, Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim, OFR; National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh and National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, after the party leaders' meeting in Igbotako yesterday, in preparation for the Ilaje Ese-Odo by-election in Ondo State.

Vol. 4 N0. 819 Monday, March 31, 2014 N150

I've forgiven Atiku, others, says Obasanjo

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OLUFEMI ADEOSUNABUJA

Again, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has opposed the Federal Governments plans to privatise the Ni-gerian Television Author-ity, NTA, the Federal Ra-dio Corporation, FRCN, the News Agency of Ni-

geria, NAN, the Nigeria Films Corporation, the Commodities Exchange Commission and the Sky-power Catering and Ho-

NLC kicks against privatisation of NTA, FRCN, NAN, others

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>Omar

Free inside

Manufacturingindustries culpable ofenergy theft IKEDC

NAICOM to restructurecompulsory insurance

BUSINESSTHE SECTION

ree iinsiiinsideddedede

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June 12 lawyer, G.O.K. Ajayi, dies at 82

Confab: Fear of walkout grips delegates

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21 killed as terrorists attack DSS hqtrs

Marwa gets supporters' nod to go back

APC crisis deepens, G-5 govs plan return to PDP

OMEIZA AJAYI, ROTIMI FADEYI AND UBONG UKPONG

Twenty one persons have been confirmed dead as a combined team of operatives of the Department of State Ser-vice, DSS, and men of the Guards Brigade, Nigerian Army, yesterday foiled an attack on the DSS Head-quarters.

The office is a few me-tres away from one of the

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...Jailbreak foiled by security forcesJonathan safe, well, says Abati

OBIORA IFOH AND LIVINUS MENEDI

The festering crisis within the leader-ship of the All Pro-gressives Congress, APC, may have taken a new dimension as the G-5 gov-ernors' who defected from the Peoples Democratic Part, PDP, last year are re-portedly considering a pos-

sible return to their former party.

A cold war is currently rocking the APC over the composition of its National Executive Council and the 2015 presidential election.

This was just as the for-mer military administra-tor of Borno and Lagos states, Gen. Buba Marwa, had got his supporters nod, after a town hall meet-ing inYola, Adamawa State,

yesterday to dump the APC for the ruling PDP.

This may have put an end to speculations over the disenchantment of the retired general with the APC since Governor Mur-tala Nyako was handed the control of the APC in the state.

A party source at the weekend told National Mir-ror that if the leadership crisis in the APC persisted

for too long, some of the G-5 governors had been mull-ing the idea to open discus-sions with the leadership of the PDP to return before preparations for the 2015 elections kick off fully.

The G-5 governors - Roti-mi Amaechi (Rivers), Mur-tala Nyako (Adamawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Abdulfattah Ahmed (Kwara) had in No-

vember last year defected to the APC over irreconcil-able differences with the leadership of the PDP and the Presidency.

But the source, a mem-ber of the National Execu-tive Committee, NEC, of the APC, who spoke with journalists, said the party was on the verge of losing its new allies.

He said: We cannot say all is well because some persons are trying to run the APC the way they ran their former parties and this will not augur well for us because if we continue this way, our desire to get power from the PDP will only be a pipe dream.

At least, we cannot say that the party has not ben-efitted anything from the governors who defected from the PDP; but as it is now, some of these gover-nors, we learnt, are begin-ning to express disappoint-ment about the state of affairs, especially the issue of national officers of the party.

We even gathered that moves are on for some of them to re-trace their steps to the PDP; that will be di-sastrous for us in the APC because their return will

only confirm that our cri-sis is irredeemable.

It is our belief and hope that we are able to manage the seeming crisis of confi-dence and suspicion among our leaders, but a few of the leaders only want their wishes to be obeyed and nothing else; that will only kill the party.

Asked whether the pur-ported move by the gover-nors was as a result of the issue of national chair-manship, the source said he was sure that it could be a reason, stressing that some other reasons might also be responsible.

The issue of national chairmanship is the main issue that has almost torn the party apart, so they might be sensitive to same, but you should also know that in politics, there are interests to be protected.

National Mirror gath-ered that one of the APC governors in the South-South did not support the move by some leaders of the party to dash the zone the office of national chair-man.

According to findings, the governor prefers the South-East to produce the



CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1



L-R: Sub-Committee Chair, Senator Christopher Coons; Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu and Sub-Committee Ranking Member, Senator Jeff Flake, at Elumelu's testimony on African private sector before the United States Senate Foreign Relations Sub-committee in Washington, United States, recently.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net2 Monday, March 31, 2014News

gates of the Presidential Villa in the Three Arms Zone, Abuja.

It was the second time terrorists would make a brazen incursion into the zone which houses Nige-rias three arms of govern-ment, the Presidential Vil-la, the National Assembly and the Supreme Court.

Terrorists had on Oc-tober 1, 2010 detonated bombs close to the Eagle Square, where President Goodluck Jonathan and other dignitaries, includ-ing foreign heads of state, were commemorating Ni-geria's golden jubilee cel-ebration.

DSS spokeswoman, Marilyn Ogar, said the 18 people were killed during the crossfire between oper-atives and terror suspects, who attempted to escape from its detention facility.

She dismissed fears of an external attack, say-ing some of the suspects had tried to escape having attacked one of its opera-

tives.She said that two service

personnel also sustained serious injuries, adding that three other detainees who sustained gunshot in-juries during the incident had also died.

Ogar said that investiga-tion was still ongoing to as-certain the immediate and remote causes.

She said that all roads leading to the DSS office had been cordoned-off to prevent possible assistance from external collabora-tors.

Ogar said: At about 7:15am, the suspects han-dler went to the detention facility within the head-quarters to feed the sus-pects.

One of the suspects at-tempted to disarm him by hitting him at the back of his head with his hand-cuff.

According to her, the suspects attempt to escape drew the attention of other guards at the facility who fired some shots to warn

and deter others.Ogar added that the gun

shots attracted the atten-tion of the military, which the DSS had an under-standing of mutual assis-tance in the event of any threat.

She explained that the gun shots from outside were those of soldiers who were trying to ward off any possible external col-laborators.

The Army immediate-ly deployed a team to rein-force our perimeter guards to forestall any external collaborators.

During this period, the precinct of the office and adjoining neighbourhood were thoroughly searched. The situation has since been brought under con-trol, the spokesperson said.

She restated DSS com-mitment to the safety of Nigerians and the nation at large.

Ogar, however, did not immediately disclose the identity of those who at-

tempted to escape from detention, but security sources said some of them had been recently arrested and were yet to be charged to court.

There have been intel-ligence reports and predic-tions of a possible terror attack on the Federal Capi-tal Territory, Abuja.

National Mirror learnt that guards within the Presidential Villa also fired some shots from the gates, while a helicopter gunship hovered over the Aso Drive, which is part of the zone.

The area was immedi-ately locked down while traffic was diverted by some soldiers who had sta-tioned several Armoured Personnel Carriers in stra-tegic locations.

When National. Mirror visited the Presidential Villa, security had been beefed up at the rear en-trance gate close to the Fire Service Station near the Force Headquarters as access was not allowed

thorough the gate.Security operatives

directed those driving into the Villa to access it through the entrance gate at the Federal Secretariat close to the Supreme Court complex.

Security was also beefed up at the other entrance gate close to the DSS head-quarters, though it had remained locked shortly after the bomb blast inci-dent during the 50th inde-pendence anniversary on October 1, 2010.

The office of the Nation-al Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), and the Office of the Secre-tary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Sena-tor Anyim Pius Anyim, and the Millennium Park are located within the vi-cinity.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Aba-ti, said: "What happened at the SSS Headquarters this morning (yesterday) was an attempted jailbreak

which had been effectively foiled. There is no cause for alarm."

In another tweet later, Abati said: "What hap-pened at the SSS Head-quarters has nothing to do with the Villa. President Jonathan is safe and well. Thank you for your con-cern and support."

The Presidential Villa was calm and there was no indica-tion that there was any threat to the seat of power.

However, at the Asokoro entrance to the Headquar-ters of the DSS, a military pick-up van with armed soldiers were seen parked a few metres to Aso Drive, which is the clearance point into the gate of the DSS building.

Also, at the gate leading to the Presidential Villa from the DSS headquar-ters, another pick-up van with soldiers were seen keeping vigil on the en-trance to the Villa.

Security was also beefed up at the Police Head-

3Monday, March 31, 2014National Mirrorwww.nationalmirroronline.net

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net4 Monday, March 31, 2014Photo News

FRANCIS FAMOROTI, KAYODE KETEFE AND WALE IGBINTADE

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief God-win Olusegun Kola-wole Ajayi, popularly known as G.O.K. Ajayi, is dead.

Although details of his passage were sketchy as at press time, National Mirror gathered that the news of his demise was announced by the Ajayi family on Sunday, at the age of 83.

Born on May 29, 1931, G.O.K., whose legal practice was replete with landmark cases of public interest, had succumbed to an ailment attributable to old age in re-cent years.

This made him to with-draw from public glare, un-til the announcement of his death. It was gathered that his health deteriorated in recent times when certain symptoms of age were said to have aggravated.

Notable among the sensa-tional cases he handled was the Shugaba vs. Minister of Internal Affairs, where a Sec-ond Republic Majority Leader of the Borno State House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdurra-ham Darma Shugaba, was de-ported to the Republic of Chad in 1980 by the President Shehu Shagari administration.

Ajayi won the case for the deported Shugaba as the Supreme Court held that the decision of the Nigerian government was wrong and illegal. The apex court also awarded the damages of N350,000 to Shugaba.

He was also the lead counsel in FRN vs. Zamani Lekwot, the famous Zangon-Kataf trial of Lekwot and some of his kinsmen for murder.

Ajayi was also the lead attorney in the treason case initiated against the ac-claimed winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, by the gov-

ernment of the late former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.

Meanwhile, tributes have continued to pour on the de-parted legal icon as top lawyers spoke glowingly of his life and times, especially his exploits in the legal profession.

A prominent lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay SAN, described his death as a great loss.

He said: Chief G.O.K. Ajayis death is colossal waste to Nigeria. He was very knowledgeable in every area of the law. I remembered when he was a lecturer in Ni-gerian Law School in 1960s, he was an authority and the students enjoyed him greatly, especially in constitutional law. When he came to prac-tice, he was one of the great-est. His cases had featured in many of our law reports. He was a colossus. His death is like an earthquake in the le-gal landscape!

Another lawyer, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, said Chief Ajayis legacy in the

legal profession was monu-mental.

This is one great loss to the legal profession in Nige-ria. The history of the legal profession cannot be written without mentioning him. He was most noted for court-room advocacy. He was one of the pillars of the profession.

He was in the same cat-egory with Chief F.R.A. Wil-liams, the late Kehinde Sofola and H. Lardner. He was com-mitted to the rule of law and ethics of the profession. May God grant his family the forti-tude to bear the loss. We that remain shall continue to up-hold the integrity of the pro-fession like he did, he said

Mr. Dele Adesina, SAN, in his own reaction expressed shock over the death.

He said: My first reac-tion is that I am in a state of shock. I must confess that I have lost one of the people that have impacted on me in the legal profession.

Although I never passed through his chamber as pupil

counsel, I consciously admire his candour and decorum in the legal profession. He was a very decent man, his appear-ance was impeccable and his presentation was always backed up with demonstrat-ing the knowledge of law and facts on the matter but they were always carefully and logically presented.

Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN said Chief Ajayi han-dled some cases that changed the profession for the better.

He said: The passage of Chief G.O.K Ajayi signifies a mighty Iroko falling. GO.K was one of the standing legal icons and titans of his own generation comprising the likes of the late Chief F.R.A. Williams, Gani Fawehinmi, Alao Aka-Bashorun, and others.

G.O.K. Ajayis contribu-tions to law are unquantifi-able, having regard to some of his defining cases that changed the legal and judi-cial firmament of the coun-try. One of such cases was

the Shugabas case in the Second Republic.

Chief Ajayi was af-fable, extremely humble, reticent and unassuming. His magisterial carriage, combined with his sartorial inclination, were qualities that stood him out from the crowd, apart from his prodi-gious intellectual capacity that saw him pitch his oppo-nents to the cleaners.

Also reacting, Dr. Joseph Nwobike, SAN, said Chief Ajayi was a colossus in the legal profession. This is sad news to the Bar and the Bench. The late Chief Ajayi, SAN, was a colossus in the legal profes-sion for over 40 years.

He argued a substantial number of the cases that shaped the Nigerian com-mon law. He was as distin-guished as the era that wit-nessed his prime. No doubt, his generation is witnessing its twilight. May God bless his soul and comfort those that he left behind, he add-ed.

L-R: National Mirror Daily Editor, Mr. Seyi Fasugba; MD/CEO, Mrs. Kafilat Ogbara and Deputy MD/CEO, Mr. Bankole Makinde, during a retreat for State Correspondents at the Mirror Headquarters, in Lagos at weekend. PHOTO:ADEMOLA AKINLABI

L-R: Vice-Chancellor, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Prof. Barineme Fakae; Governor and Visitor to the university, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi and the Pro-Chancellor, Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte (rtd), during the convocation ceremony of the institution in Port Harcourt on Saturday.

L-R: Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga; Country Director, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, Dr. Patrick Kormawa; Director-General, UNIDO, Mr. Li Yong and President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Chief Kola Jamodu, during Lis visit to Nigeria in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

L-R:Chief Executive Officer, MainOne, Ms. Funke Opeke; Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson and Chairman, OpenMedia Group, Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, during the International Forum on Accelerating Nationwide Broadband Access in Nigeria, in Lagos at the weekend.

National News

Sagay, Ozekhome, Ayorinde, Adesina pay tribute June 12 lawyer, G.O.K. Ajayi, dies at 82

National Mirrorwww.nationalmirroronline.net 5Monday, March 31, 2014 News

tels Services.It insisted that the action

would not be in the interest of Nigeria.

The NLC, which called on the National Assembly to institute a probe into the previous sales of govern-ment properties in order to retrieve them, also kicked against partial privatisa-tion of Bank of Agriculture and the Bank of Industries.

This was contained in a statement signed by the NLC President, Abdulwa-hed Omar, following a state-ment credited to the Direc-tor-General of the Bureau

of Public Enterprises, BPE, Mr. Benjamin Dikki, that plans had been concluded for the privatisation of some key Federal Govern-ment assets.

Expressing its opposi-tion to the planned sales, privatisation and com-mercialisation, the union stated that the haste with which government was de-termined to sell off public properties to members of the ruling class and their cronies under the guise of making them more effi-cient was alarming.

The statement reads in part: There is the need for

caution because these prop-erties belong to the Nigeri-ans as a collective wealth and the people have never been consulted and their interests considered before the sales.

It is scandalous that the same government that had always promised to use the gains from petroleum price increases, which it has re-ceived over the years, to reactivate existing refin-eries and build additional ones can turn around to an-nounce the privatisation of refineries.

This is clearly unac-ceptable, and the public

has strongly opposed this attempt several times in the past, even on the floor of the National Assembly.

There is no evidence that previous privatisation exercises have succeeded. The major privatisation ex-ercise that was implement-ed against public interest recently is electricity and ever since that exercise, electricity supply has wors-ened, while consumers pay higher even as the lights have gone off under ex-cuses that questions the competence of the new electricity companies.

Government should

not abdicate its social re-sponsibilities by selling off everything that deliv-ers services to the people. This is unwarranted, especially in a country where poverty and un-employment has become endemic coupled with the collapse of industries.

What we need in Nige-ria is not a blind adoption of neo-liberal policies that mortgage the inter-ests and future of our people.

Our national economy depends largely on the oil industry and if we allow the industry to be handed over to private individu-als, it would then mean the entire economy would be-

come private property run by private individuals, mostly cronies of those in government, against our collective interests.

We therefore advise the BPE to stop the pro-posed sales, while we call on the National Assembly to probe all previous sales and retrieve public prop-erties that may have been sold to private interests. We must not allow the continu-ation of the robbery of our collective interests.

Private individuals can build their refineries, but government must reacti-vate, maintain and take full charge of existing public refineries and also build new ones.




NLC kicks against privatisation of NTA, FRCN, NAN, others



Soldiers take position while foiling a jailbreak at the DSS headquarters at the Three Arms Zone in Abuja, yesterday.

national chairman with the desire that he would be picked as running mate to the presidential candidate of the party.

For another governor from the North-West, his disappointment stems from the fact that he has been told to forget his 2015 presidential ambition for which he has commenced consultations soon after he joined the APC.

For over two weeks now, a cold war had been brew-ing among the APC lead-ership over the May 2014 national convention of the party.

While former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu prefers to re-tain Chief Bisi Akande as national chairman, others, led by Senator Ali Modu Sherif, are rooting for Tom Ikimi.

The Northern caucus of the party has already de-cided that the slot be zoned to the South-South. This

may have been responsible for the alleged face-off be-tween Tinubu and Sheriff at one of the partys NEC meetings.

Marwa had convened a town hall meeting of his supporters where over 1000 delegates from Adamawa State concluded that "We don't want APC."

The former military administrator had asked his supporters at the meet-ing whether they should return to the PDP, a ques-tion to which the majority shouted ayes.

Marwa had told the gathering that the meeting would put paid to the lies, deceit and lack of justice within the APC, berating the party for its sudden lack of integrity and char-acter.

Tracing the problem of the party to the national leadership foisting Nyako on the party, Marwa re-gretted that the house they helped built had been taken over by political maraud-

ers.He wondered why state

legislators and National Assembly members in the state were yet to follow Nyako into his new party.

A former member of the House of Representatives, Saad Tahir, noted many ir-regularities, which he said made the APC an aberra-tion and bound for an im-minent collapse.

Tahir said: A house built on a shaky founda-tion will not stand," adding that the PDP had already formed government in Adamawa State with the movement of Marwa into its fold.

State treasurer of the party, Musa Bubakari Ka-male, put the blame of the crisis rocking the APC in the state on the doorsteps of the national leadership of the party.

He said the leadership of the APC committed a national blunder by foist-ing defecting PDP gover-nors on the party as party

leaders.Marwas spokesman,

Kamale, added that part-ing ways with the APC was an attempt to protest the flagrant disregard of dem-ocratic ethos by the lame-duck leadership foisted on the party by Nyako, whom he said was pursuing paro-chial agenda.

Listing the many sins of the APC in the state, Ka-male cited the continued existence of a task force team allegedly controlled by Nyako's son, Command-er Abdulaaziz Nyako, which he said was an aberration.

According to him, going by party rules, upon inau-guration of the state interim management committee, all other organs of the party prior to the merger stood dis-solved but "that was not the case in Adamawa," he said.

Meanwhile, Marwa said that he would be meeting with the leadership of the PDP to finalise all protocols necessary to rejoin his for-mer party.

quarters located close to the Presidential Vila as armoured vehicle blocked the entrance into the Louis Edet House building of the Police Headquarters.

Only two lanes of the four-lane road in front of the police headquarters building were opened to motorist, while the other two lanes for oncoming ve-hicles were blocked.

Staff and visitors to the police headquarters could only gain access to the building after their ve-hicles had been thoroughly screened and cleared.

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters, DHQ, said it had successfully handled the security threat at the DSS Headquarters.

Speaking to National Mirror in Abuja, the Direc-tor of Defence Information, DDI, and Coordinator of the Joint Security Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, also said that the mas-sive deployment of troops strategically on Saturday along the Musa YarAdua Way leading to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Air-port had nothing to do with the development at the DSS.

There was an unusual deployment of troops along that axis of the territory on Saturday.

Although National Mir-ror learnt that the deploy-ment might have been due to President Goodluck Jon-athans return to the city, military sources, however, said that there was more

to it as the deployment was quite unusual.

Whenever President Jonathan was going out or returning, security opera-tives, mostly police, always line up along the road to di-rect vehicular movements and keep security along the road up to the Villa gate, with police vans deployed for such operation.

However, during Satur-days deployment, heav-ily armed combat ready sol-diers took over the road and kept eagle eyes on the bush-es and hilltops with others in addition to the presence of police operatives.

Two trucks with other smaller ones suspected to be conveying weapons were parked on the middle of the cordoned off road, and guarded on every side by heavily armed soldiers.

Military sources told National Mirror that there was security information of possible attempts to attack the territory, adding that se-curity had been greatly im-proved throughout Abuja.

The operation was said to have been helpful in abort-ing the attack on the DSS headquarters but Olukolade, who did not clarify on the op-eration, insisted that it was a coincidence and had nothing to do with yesterdays devel-opment at the DSS.

He urged citizens to be calm and go about their lawful duties while supply-ing useful information to security agencies to help in the fight against terrorism in the country.

OLUSEGUN KOIKI

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Author-ity (NCAA) says it is ready for the reas-sessment of the nations airports by the United States, the Federal Avia-tion Administration (FAA) Category One sta-tus.

The reassessment be-gins today.

NCAA said the four-man team from the US FAA would be in the country for the next five days to assess its compliance with appli-cable sections of ICAO standards contained in Annexes 1,6 and 8 as a result of the eight criti-cal elements of a state safety oversight as de-scribed in the ICAO doc-ument 9734 A.

A statement signed by the NCAA Acting Direc-tor-General, Mr. Bene-dict Adeyileka, claimed that the team would use the current Inter-national Aviation Safe-ty Assessment (IASA) checklist and the Inter-national Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidance material dur-ing the assessment.

Adeyileka said that the eight critical ele-ments to be looked into are primary aviation legislation, specific op-erating regulations, state civil aviation sys-tem and safety oversight functions and technical personnel qualification and training.

Other critical ele-ments include techni-cal guidance and tools, licensing and certifica-tion obligations, sur-veillance obligations and resolution of safety concerns.

Adeyileka said in preparation for the vis-it, NCAA had provided responses to the check-list and forwarded it to the FAA team leader.

He added that the team would also visit Arik Air and its facili-ties as the airline cur-rently operates directly into and out of the con-tinental USA, which was used for their ini-tial IASA category one assessment in 2010.

We are ready for FAA CAT audit NCAA OMEZA AJAYI AND WOLE OLADIMEJI

The National Confer-ence will today re-sume amid fear of a possible crisis due to threats by some Northern delegates to stage a walk-out.

The Conference Chair-man, Justice Idris Kutigi, had last week selected 50 delegates to confer with them on the need to adopt a common ground as to what voting pattern should be

adopted.The selected delegates

were expected to also per-suade others s from their zone on the need to adopt the agreed voting pattern.

While the Northern dele-gates want a 75 per cent ma-jority voting pattern, their Southern counterparts have continued to canvass a two-third or simple ma-jority voting procedure.

The delegates will today hear and debate the report of the 50 men and as well adopt the vote of proceed-

ings of March 24, 25 and 26 for deliberation.

Delegates could not de-bate some of the previous votes and proceedings as they could not be circulated to delegates due the illness of the Assistant Secretary on Conference Proceed-ings.

Top on the list of issues expected by all delegates and observers would be a report of the outcome of the consultative meeting between the Principal Offi-cers of the Conference and

L-R: Financial Controller, Stanbic IBTC, Tosin Odutayo; Director, Stanbic IBTC, Mrs. Ifeoma Esiri; Head Teacher, GRA Primary School, Ikeja, Mrs. Bridget Osayande; Chief Architect, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, Mr. Olabodunrin Oki and Education Sec-retary, Local Government Education Authority, Ikeja, Alhaja Risikat Shittu, during the commissioning of a library donated to the school recently.

selected delegates.It will be recalled that

the Justice Kutigi, based on a collective decision of the delegates, had last Wednes-day appointed 50 represen-tatives of the 492 delegates for crucial meeting on how to resolve the vexed issue of voting pattern.

Continuation of the adoption of the National Conference Rules of Proce-dure earlier suspended last week also forms part of the issues slated for delibera-tion today.

Although debates on the standing orders had almost been completed last week, delegates had insisted on sighting the clean copy of the rules before formally adopting it for the regula-tion of the affairs of the Conference.

The Conference will also, beginning from today, discuss and adopt its Work Plan, proposed committee structure and group clas-sification. As part of this, delegates will be expected to identify committees they want to serve in.

The spokesman, James Akpandem, said the confer-ence would call for submis-sion of papers on thematic issues highlighted under the various committees to be announced.

The papers are to be sub-mitted before close of busi-ness on Thursday.

According to him, del-egates are also expected to commence debate on the speech presented by Presi-dent Goodluck Jonathan on March 17, 2014 when he formally inaugurated the Conference.

On the issue of voting, it was gathered that efforts are being made to get the intervention of the man-agement of the National Assembly.

TORDUE SALEMABUJA

The House of Repre-sentatives Commit-tee on Environment has mandated its ad-hoc committee to investigate an alleged oil spill recorded in October 2012 in 25 com-munities in Ndokwa East Local Government of Delta State and recommend how the affected villages could be compensated.

The ad-hoc committee is made up of three members from the House Commit-tee on Environment, one member from the National Oil Spill Detection and Re-sponse Agency (NOSDRA), two representatives from the 11 communities that filed a claim of N1 billion, one person from Depart-ment of Petroleum Re-sources (DPR) and two Ni-gerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) workers.

While 11 of the affected communities are claim-ing N1 billion as damages, the oil company said it had

compensated majority of them.

The committee, dur-ing an investigative at the weekend, expressed its dis-appointment with the oil company for foot dragging and employing legal tricks to deprave the affected com-munities of compensation.

Chairman of the com-mittee, Hon. Uche Ekwun-ife, said accused the oil company of deliberately hampering investigation.

Ekwunife said: This is a deliberate attempt and this is what Agip has been doing for the past one year, you destroy their land and communities and frustrate them from getting justice.

She also accused DPR of conspiring with oil firms to cheat on the communities.

The lawmaker said: That is what we are say-ing; DPR should not be part of the government, this responsibility must be put on private hands. Now you are colluding with the In-ternational Oil Companies (IOCs)

But the DPR, represent-ed by Dorothy Bassey, Head, Health Safety and Environ-ment, said it was not aware of the petition by the affect-ed communities and only got to know of it through the committees summons.

The department rec-ommended that details of petitions from oil and gas host communities should be forwarded to the DPR to facilitate prompt and thor-ough investigation.

According to the submis-sion of NOSDRA before the committee, the spill which occurred due to the rup-ture of the NAOCs Kwale/ Akiri 10 pipeline affected 25 communities.

Idris Musa, Director Oil Field Assessment, while making NOSDRA presen-tation before the commit-tee said over 589 barrels of crude oil was spilled and 180 recovered.

He agreed with the com-mittee chairmans observa-tion that the oil company used legal trick to delay compensation, adding that

even when oil companies were willing to compensate communities adequately, their legal departments al-ways kicked against it.

Victor Enoyinje, who represented the 11 commu-nities that brought the peti-tion before the House, said the communities rejected a sum of N500, 000 from Agip.

Enoyinje alleged that the pipeline that burst is 40 years and had lost its integ-rity and that NAOC did not consult with the communi-ties before offering them the N500, 000 compensation.

According to him, the spill caused considerable damage to fish ponds, creeks, fishing channels/ fence, waterways, juju shrines, cash crops, Eco-nomic trees, forestry and others.

He said the 11 communi-ties were insisting on the N1 billion claims under sub- heads that include: cost of appeasing / deacti-vation of shrines, polluted seasonal swamps, water-ways, streams, creeks etc,

loss of fishing and farming rights, injurious affection/ loss of income and general damages/ disturbances.

Agip, which was rep-resented by Chidozie Okafor, Deputy Division Manager, District Legal Services, agreed that there was a spill, but blamed it on the 2012 flooding which damaged the companys equipment.

The oil company said it had compensated a number of communities but that some are still wrangling amongst themselves, not-ing that this has made total compensation impossible.

It welcomed the opportu-nity given by the committee to meet the affected com-munities again. We are grateful to have this forum to look at the issues again and resolve it, Okafor said.

Ekwunife expressed re-gret that NOSDRA was not applying the authority it had over IOCs, adding that this had led to the negligent attitude of oil companies to their host communities.

National News Monday, March 31, 2014

Reps probe Agip oil spill, want affected communities compensated

Fear of walk-out imminent as confab resumes todayNational Mirror

www.nationalmirroronline.net6

National Mirrorwww.nationalmirroronline.net 7Monday, March 31, 2014

L-R: Former Head of State and National Leader, All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Mohammed Buhari (rtd); Chairman of the occasion, Most Rev. Ephraim Ademowo; National Leader, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola and Governor Babatunde Fashola, during the 6th Annual Bola Tinubu Colloquium in Lagos on Saturday.

I have forgiven Atiku, others Obasanjo

Weve begun internal cleansing of our members ASUU

FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo said on Sunday in Abeokuta that he had forgiven his former vice-president, Alhaji Abuba-kar Atiku, as well as other persons believed to have offended him.

Obasanjo spoke while addressing the Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) who paid him a visit after their two-day meeting held in Abeoku-ta.

The former President said as a leader and father, he bore no grudge against anybody.

It will be recalled that the relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku turned sore in 2006 over what many people be-lieved was Atikus role in scuttling the third-term agenda of his boss.

But addressing the NYLF on Sunday, the for-mer President said: On the request that you made yesterday, I do not have any grudge against any-body. And if there is any,

I have forgiven all as a fa-ther.

Obasanjo appreciated the group for coming to Abeo-kuta to make case for a way forward for the country.

Earlier in his address, NLYF National Chair-man, Mr. Elliot Afiyo, said the forum was in Abeoku-ta to visit Obasanjo and to identify with his vision for our great country, Ni-geria.

In a paper submitted earlier on Saturday, Afiyo said: We have come to you as a father indeed, el-der statesman for sure, an

advanced citizen per excel-lence, an honest and forth-right leader, courageous and bold democrat, a lov-ing and compassionate.

He stressed that with such attributes, Obasanjo has no option or than to chastise and later forgive and embrace both the good and bad characters.

Afiyo said: In view of this, we humbly request that you forgive your former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, of whatever political sin or offence he might have committed against you.

KEMI OLAITANIBADAN

Towards making the nations universi-ties rank among the best in the world, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has assured that it would not shield any of its members who failed to discharge his or her responsibilities accordingly.

ASUU National Presi-dent, Dr. Nasir Fagge, who spoke at the week-end during the Ibadan Zonal Leadership Train-ing Workshop organised for the leadership of the union, said ASUU had em-barked on internal cleans-ing of its members.

He said for ASUU to achieve its ultimate goal of building Nigeria and safeguarding the educa-tion sector, members must rededicate themselves to positive leadership val-ues.

Fagge said: Given the context of the rapacious encroachment of the In-ternational Monetary Fund and the World Bank into the education sector, we have no choice but to strengthen our commit-ment and faith in ASUU

as our bastion of resis-tance.

The ASUU boss said as a union of integrity and intellects, it would ensure that lecturers are exemplary role models to the students as well as defend the principles of the teaching profession, saying: As we continue to deepen our struggle to reposition our universi-ties to be internationally competitive, we must con-tinue to focus search light on ourselves.

Fagge, who added that the Nigerian nation is facing generalised crisis, singled out crisis of di-lapidated infrastructure, under-stocked libraries, poorly equipped laborato-ries, corruption, adminis-trative insensitivity and declining morale among staff and students as the bane of tertiary educa-tion in the country.

While stressing that ASUU was receiving con-stant attacks from those he described as the ruling elite of the corrupt and decadent post-colonial Nigerian state, he how-ever vowed that the union would continue to fight for the restoration of order in the Nigerian universities.

The World Bank has promised to assist Nigerian universi-ties in the area of electron-ic learning in order to align with prevailing global stan-dard.

A director with the World Bank, Dr. Tunde Ad-ekola, stated this while ad-dressing participants at the just concluded Information and Communication Tech-nology (ICT) conference held in Lagos.

Dr Adekola said that the consistent support of the World Bank and other international development partners with necessary support from the public and organised private sec-tors would raise the stan-dard of education in Nige-ria and equally align it with the global standard on ICT applications in schools.

He stated that the position of the bank was to support the universities by using ICT

to leverage and improve the quality of learning in the nations universities so that they could be relevant and competitive globally.

Adekola pointed out that Nigerian universities were receptive of the e-learning technology, adding that all the vice-chancellors of the 12 newly established federal universities identified with the theme of the ICT confer-ence, hence their attendance.

He stressed the cost ef-fectiveness of e-learning process and the concomitant multiplier effects such as e-research and e-library, a de-velopment he said created job opportunities for graduates.

The conference, which was specially organised for the 12 new federal universi-ties, was designed to educate the management of the insti-tutions on the need to engage a business model of ICT in-frastructure for learning in their various schools.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net8 Monday, March 31, 2014 South West

World Bank to assist Nigeria on e-learning

HAKEEM GBADAMOSIAKURE

The Peoples Demo-cratic Party (PDP) on Sunday warned its members against con-spiring with the opposi-tion against the interest of the party in the forth-coming Ilaje/Eseodo by-election in Ondo State.

The PDP National Pub-licity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, who gave the warning during a rally at Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of the state, assured that the party would win the April 5 by-election.

Metuh said there must not be conspiracy against the candidate of the PDP for the by-election, Chief Emola

Adewale Kukute, saying the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and the Presidency were tired of allegation of conspiring with the ruling Labour Party(LP) against the interest of the party.

Stressing that the NWC members were in Ondo State on the in-struction of President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP National Chair-man, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, Metuh said the forthcoming by-election must be taken with all se-riousness by the partys stakeholders.

He said: Anybody that claims to love Presi-dent Goodluck Jonathan should join the PDP and

not sit on the fence or work again the interest of the party.

The gap between op-position and the ruling party is closing day by day and the PDP would see any National Assem-bly election as a means of widening the gap.

The PDP Publicity Sec-retary said any leader of the party that collects money from the opposi-tion and work against the interest of the party would not live to enjoy the money.

He asked the party leaders to mobilise the people to vote for the par-ty and make sure that the votes count.

Metuh, who claimed that PDP would not fold

its arms and allow rigging as witnessed in the past, added that the party would resist the collation of the election results outside the local government where the elections were held.

PDP chieftains, in-cluding governorship candidate of the party in the last governorship election, Chief Olusola Oke; Group Manag-ing Director of Energy Group, Barrister Jimoh Ibrhim; Special Adviser to President on Amnesty, Mr. Kingsley Kuku; PDP Chairman in Ondo State, Hon. Ebenezer Alabi; and the only member of the party in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Akpoebi Lubi; attended the rally.

Ondo by-election: PDP warns supporters against conspiracy

L-R: Son of the deceased and Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Rahman Bello; Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun and Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Suraj Ishola Adekunbi, during the final Fidau prayer in honour of Bellos mother, Alhaja Fatima Bello at Ibooro in Ogun State, at the weekend.

Ekiti doctors threaten strike

Osun blames poor allocation, debt for pensioners protest

ABIODUN NEJOADO EKITI

Doctors in public and private health fa-cilities in Ekiti State have threatened to embark on industrial action effec-tive from April 7, if the state government fails to reverse the outrageous tax imposed on its members, as well meet their other de-mands.

The doctors, under the aegis of the Nigerian Medi-cal Association, NMA, also demanded immediate res-toration of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, to their mem-bers at the local govern-ment level.

NMA State Chairman, Dr. Obitade Obimakinde, said the grouse of the doc-tors, which the state gov-ernment should address to avert the strike, included

implementation of special-ist allowance to consultants working at the Hospital Management Board, com-putation of retirement benefits for doctors using CONMESS template and immediate release of run-ning grants to general and specialist hospitals.

The NMA boss, who said the decision to embark on the strike which would be-gin with a three-day warn-ing strike effective from April 7, was arrived at dur-ing their Ordinary Gen-eral Meeting of Thursday, March 27, after the govern-ment failed to meet their demands despite several meetings with Governor Kayode Fayemi on the lin-gering crises bedeviling the sector.

Obimakinde, who said the high tax being paid by the doc-tors had been affecting their wellbeing, added that their

members in the public sec-tor would participate in the warning strike, since they too were being affected by the outrageous tax regime.

He regretted that the non-release of running grants to the state general hospitals had paralysed health services in that cad-re, which he described as inimical to the well-being of the Ekiti populace.

The NMA chair traced the daily high patronage of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, ESUTH, for cases that ought to be handled by the general hospitals to poor management of the sector.

But the State Commission-er for Health, Prof. Olusola Fasuba, said actions were being taken on the doctors demands, following series of meeting, many of which Gov-ernor Fayemi was involved.

Fasuba, who said the governor had instructed

that all medical doctors serving in state establish-ments should be given uni-form tax rates, added that the Local Government Ser-vice Commission had also been instructed to restore CONMESS to the doctors at local government level.

He said the issue of run-ning grants had also been ad-dressed as hospitals were be-ing given concession on this.

However, he expressed dismay with the doctors for threatening to embark on sundry issues, saying: Im not impressed by the actions of these doctors. This is not the way they were trained. We need to embrace dia-logue, we need to be patient.

We know the activi-ties of many of them; they hardly stay at their duty posts. They cannot black-mail me, they should do their home work properly, he said.

BOLADALE BAMIGBOLAOSOGBO

The Osun State Gov-ernment has blamed inability to meet some of its obligations to retirees on the dwindling monthly revenue accru-ing from the federation ac-count.

It would be recalled that the retired civil servants in the state protested twice in the last seven weeks over non-payment of their entitle-ments by the government

But the Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Plan-ning, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro, while speaking with jour-nalists over the weekend in

Osogbo, absolved the state government of any blame concerning the development.

Bolorunduro said most states in the country have been finding it hard to cope with their mandatory and critical expenditures such as salaries and overhead costs due to dwin-dling monthly allocations.

He also expressed resent-ment at the delay in receipt of monthly allocation from the federation account in the face of inherited huge pension liabilities and unusual esca-lation in the states pension arising from the mass retire-ment of employees who left service because of the con-tributory pension scheme.

The commissioner said

though dwindling resources from the federation account is making the state to spend less on its capital projects, Governor Rauf Aregbesola would not shirk in its re-sponsibilities to the people. It should be noted that the states ability to keep up with its various obligations to the citizens is borne out of stra-tegic financial management.

The state has since been tactically managing finan-cial challenges associated with usual delay in receipt of monthly allocation from account, Bolorunduro said.

He added that the initial 142 per cent pension liabili-ties the current administra-tion inherited from the previ-

ous government amounted to N4 billion, and had been reduced by N1.2 billion.

Also the impact of the mass retirement of employees late 2012, given their unwilling-ness to join the contributory pension scheme in the state, compounded the situation.

The previous administra-tion that approved the force-ful resignation of the retirees did not consider the cash flow implication when granting the approval of the force-ful exit. For avoidance of doubts, over 5,000 employees of the state joined the exist-ing over 9,000 retirees in the state, while the local govern-ment retires schedule also increased by about 3,500.

Ajimobi meets with Security Council over evil forestKEMI OLAITANIBADAN

Governor Abiola Aji-mobi of Oyo State is convening a Se-curity Council meeting to deliberate on the tragic dis-covery of a kidnappers den in Soka, Ibadan, the state capital.

A release issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, said the governor was convening the meeting to review the secu-rity status of the state.

It said the meeting, which will take place on Tuesday, will review the incidents that have trailed discovery and assess the preparedness of the security agencies to prevent a recurrence.

The statement said that the state government was bothered about the inci-dences of summary ap-prehension of mentally challenged persons and re-course to jungle justice on them.

It would be recalled that, following the discovery on the notorious den, mentally challenged persons roam-ing the streets have been at the mercies of a lynching mob which accused them of perpetrating ritual killings.

Indeed, the state capital is

now said to have be bereft of lunatics who, in the wave of mob attacks, have taken cov-er for fear of being lynched.

The lunatics are accused of feigning mental illness. They have been assaulted, and in some cases, summar-ily lynched by mobs which believe that they are the per-fect avenues for kidnapping people.

Indeed, some of them have been lynched in Ibadan over accusations of being found with human parts.

A particular case was that of a mentally-chal-lenged man on Ring Road who was assaulted by a mob which claimed he was in possession of human tongues.

The government state-ment said that the Security Council meeting would discuss insinuations that some politicians were be-hind the upsurge of vio-lence in the state capital, aftermath of the discovery of the kidnappers den, in a bid to stoke violence and anarchy.

Members of the Security Council are the heads of the police, State Security Service, SSS, the military, immigra-tion, prisons, customs, civil defence and other security agencies resident in the state.

Governor Kayode Fay-emi has reiterated the commitment of his administration to mak-ing the Ekiti State Universi-ty, EKSU, a world-class insti-tution by providing logistics and infrastructure to make the institution achieve ex-cellence.

The governor disclosed this at the weekend at the 19th Convocation of the in-stitution.

He said the huge invest-ment of government in the university was aimed at ensuring that the products compare favourably with their counterparts globally.

Fayemi, who is set to join the newly established Institute of Peace and Se-curity Studies at the varsity as a lecturer, inaugurated the College of Medicine Li-brary, which is reputed as one of the best in Nigeria.

He also flagged off the construction of two roads in the institution.

The governor opined that the library would not only help fast track the full ac-creditation of the college, but also make the medical students the best.

While assuring that the state government would not leave any stone unturned to ensure that the university becomes a reference point, the Fayemi recalled that the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Universities Com-mission, NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie, had described EKSU as a model for states which have more than one univer-sity and are incapable of fi-nancing them.

He said the merger of the three universities in the state had enabled the new composite one get attention for functionality.

National Mirrorwww.nationalmirroronline.net 9South WestMonday, March 31, 2014

Fayemi vows to make EKSU world class

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net10 South East Monday, March 31, 2014

ALIUNA GODWINEBONYI

A group, Raising Af-rican Youths for Excellent Initia-tive (RAYI Foundation), has advised politicians to refrain from using youths as thugs, especially in the forthcoming 2015 general election.

It stated this in a com-muniqu issued and made available to National Mir-ror over the weekend in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

The group also said it

was prepared to wage a war against tribal discrim-ination and use of youths to perpetrate electoral fraud in 2015.

It lamented that most elections in Nigeria are being marred by violence through ill-will by politi-cians to take over power at all costs.

RAYI also urged that po-litical parties to stop pre-senting candidates crimi-nally minded.

The communiqu signed by National Presi-dent, Mr. Obaji Abraham,

read: The use of youths as thugs to achieve politi-cal power should be con-demned.

Equal opportunity should be given to youths and women, both in elec-tive and appointive posi-tions.

The group, however, called for adequate col-laboration of all interest groups and Non-Govern-mental Organisation, NGOs, in Nigeria to unite and assist in ensuring that the 2015 general election is hitch-free, non-violent and

devoid of fraud.Political parties are

hereby advised to uphold internal democracy for the emergence of credible candidates at all levels and should ensure that equal opportunity is given to all candidates, no matter the tribal or cultural differ-ences, it said.

According to RAYI, the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable. It called on politicians to stop any ac-tion or activity that would threaten the peace of the country.

L-R: Director-General, Metallurgical Training Institute, Mr. Joseph Ajamolaya; Hon. Tobi Okechukwu and Deputy Speaker, House of Rep-resentatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, during the first graduation ceremony of 2013 FGN Zonal Intervention/Constituency Project on skill acquisition training for youths, at Obosi Onisha, at the weekend.

The Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, over the weekend said it would join the rest of the world to celebrate the 50th anni-versary of the late Chinua Achebes novel, Arrow of God.

National Vice President of the association, Danja Abdullahi, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that the event would come up on April 3 in Abuja.

He said ANA resolved

to celebrate the anniver-sary ``because Chinua Achebe was a hero in the literary world, besides be-ing a worthy son of Nige-ria.

According to Abdul-lahi, This year marks the golden anniversary of the publication of the novel, Arrow of God, by Chinua Achebe, his third novel af-ter Things Fall Apart and No Longer at Ease.

These three books are sometimes called The

African Trilogy, as they share similar settings and themes.

He added that the as-sociation would mark the anniversary with an eight-city transnational event and some activities such as symposia, childrens carnival and quiz compe-titions.

The ANA boss said oth-er programmes slated for the anniversary include an excursion by school children to landmark ar-

ANA celebrates Achebes Arrow of God at 50

Stop using youths as thugs, group tells politicians

eas connected to Chinua Achebe in Ogidi, Anam-bra State.

Others, he said, are stage presentations of various adaptations of the book, literary events, a grand finale of a night of tributes in Ibadan, Otuoke, Abuja, Lagos, Awka and Ogidi.

He added that over 70 countries around the world would mark the event with various activi-ties.

WALE IGBINTADE

A Lagos High Court judge, Justice Iyabo Kasali has restrained GT Homes Lim-ited and Primewaterview Limited from conspiring

to sell two separate apart-ments located at Safecourt Estate, Ikate in Eti-Osa Lo-cal Government area of Lagos State.

Justice Kasali, in her ruling, ordered parties to maintain status quo pend-ing the determination of a

suit filed by a customer of Primewaterview claiming ownership of the apart-ments.

The court also directed lawyers in the suit to edu-cate their clients on the consequences of disobedi-ence of court order.

The customer, Olanre-waju Falade, had dragged GT Homes and Primewa-terview to court alleging fraudulent conspiracy to deny him ownership of two apartments in the es-tate which he had duly paid for.

AZA MSUEKADUNA

The Nigerian Army over the weekend arrested 18 suspect-ed Fulani herdsmen with sophisticated weapons in Kachia Local Government Area of Southern part of Kaduna State in a, attack planned to be bloody.

National Mirror gath-ered that the incident hap-pened in Laduga Fulani settlement in Kachia in the early hours of Sunday.

It was further learnt that the military also averted what would have been a bloody clash in the troubled Southern Kadu-na.

Troops from the 1 Di-vision of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, acting on a security tip, successfully nabbed the suspects and recovered arms.

The army said it car-ried out the operation to avoid a planned reprisal move, following alleged at-tack of some Fulani herds-men recently in Southern

Kaduna. The spokesman, 1 Divi-

sion, Nigerian Army, Ka-duna, Col. Usman Abdul, who spoke on telephone, said the military carried out the action in good faith and for public good.

His words: We got re-ports that there is possibil-ity of reprisal attacks fol-lowing the killing of seven Fulani herdsmen after the killings in Manchok.

It was this that influ-enced this foiled attack; hence we moved into ac-tion, if not, we would have been talking a different thing now.

We do not leave any-thing to chance; rather we went into the area around 4am and sealed the area. We recovered arms and ar-rested about 18 persons.

He denied that the mili-tary molested people in the community, saying, We did not molest anyone, our operation was brief and nothing more than that happened. My plea is people should continue to cooperate with

A lawmaker, Dr Rafiu Ibrahim, says the presence of ``too many old people at the National Confer-ence may be a negation of President Goodluck Jona-thans good intention of convening it.

Ibrahim, who said this in Ilorin, Kwara State over the weekend, told newsmen the conference was a laud-able event, but which has too many old people as del-egates.

The lawmaker, who was inaugurated as Honorary President of Mess Com-mittee of the Nigeria Navy School of Health Sciences in Offa, Kwara State, said the timeliness of the confer-ence was apt.

The member of the House of Representatives said: ``the preponderance of the old generation may negate the conferences out-come.

My major reservation is that the confab is skewed to the old age. They are too many. Spent forces cannot decide on how our tomor-row will be.

Thats the only problem with it. Im not against the intention. That (the inten-tion) would be judged by the outcome.

Now, we have so many old people at the confab. But, I hope that they will allow the young ones there to say something concrete, he said.

Ibrahim, who represents Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Fed-eral Constituency, urged the Federal Government to correct the anomaly in or-der to tackle the countrys multifaceted problems.

He pointed out that in-adequate representation and leadership inequality had been partly responsible for the under-development being experienced in all spheres of the nations life.

The lawmaker, who is a member of the House Committees on Navy and Appropriation, said he was determined to initiate pro-grammes which would im-prove the lot of the people.

He then called for more support from the people to enable him achieve his lofty dreams.

Army nabs 18 herdsmen with weapons in Southern Kaduna...bloody clash averted

DENNIS NAKU PORT HARCOURT

The Rivers State Po-lice Command has vowed to tackle pipeline vandalism in the state, saying no suspect would be treated as a sa-cred cow.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Tunde Ogunsa-kin, stated this when he vis-ited the state regional office of the Pipeline and Prod-uct Marketing Company (PPMC) in Port Harcourt.

Ogunsakin said his men were working closely with the special taskforce on pipeline vandalism set up by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to check the ac-tivities of pipeline vandals,

warning those indulging in such act of economic sabo-tage to desist forthwith or be ready to face the law.

He said the police, like other security agencies, were concerned over the rising cases of pipeline vandalism in view of its negative impact on Nigeria s economy.

Ogunsakin said: The era of turning blind eyes to the activities of pipeline vandals in Rivers State is over. It is no longer news that such wicked activities are already having negative impact on the nations econ-omy and all security agen-cies are working together to end the trend.

Let me use this oppor-tunity to warn all unscru-

pulous members of the society who indulge in this act of economic sabotage to desist forthwith or be ready to face the full wrath of the law.

Mr. Ogunsakin reiter-ated that the command was determined to ensure the protection of human lives as well as the resources of the state, adding that no suspect would be treated as a sacred cow.

The police boss said: Whoever is arrested in connection with any act of economic sabotage, especially in the area of pipeline vandalism, will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

Speaking, the PPMC Re-gional Manager, Mr. Bassey

Emmanuel, decried the ac-tivities of vandals in Rivers State and other parts of the Niger Delta, pointing out that acts of pipeline vandal-ism had affected petroleum supply in the region.

Emmanuel said that PPMC had spent huge amount of money on re-pairs due to the activities of pipeline vandals in all the depots across the region, even as he condemned the series of attacks suffered by officials of the company from armed hoodlums.

While promising that the PPMC would support the police with logistics, he claimed that vandals had constituted a major chal-lenge to the petroleum in-dustry in Nigeria.

L-R: Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Konbowei Benson; Governor Seriake Dickson; his deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd) and Chairman, State Directorate of Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Chief Walter Feghabo Amain, during the commission-ing of newly dualised Diete-Spiff Road in Yenagoa, at the weekend.

Governor Adams Os-hiomhole of Edo State has charged the State Traffic Manage-ment Agency (ESTMA) per-sonnel to stop and arrest him or the deputy governor if their vehicles beat the red light rule, saying no one is too big to contravene the laws.

Speaking weekend dur-ing a meeting with officers and men of the agency at the Government House in Benin, Oshiomhole asked them to be firm but civil while carrying out their du-ties, adding that they must not treat big men with levity because of their sta-

tus. He said: You must not

extort, you must not crimi-nalise innocent people, you must not let offenders go after extortion, if anybody beats the red light, you must arrest the person no matter his status.

If it is the governor or deputy governor, you must block him and interrogate him. The only person ex-empted from the red light rule is the President or Vice-President when they visit, in which case the road will be blocked for their easy passage.

So, if you can stop and interrogate the governor

for beating the red light rule, no other person is bigger in the state that you cant stop. Anybody that contravenes the red light rule, stop him and detain him for at least two hours. Very many innocent people have been crushed because someone wanted to contra-vene the red light rule. This must stop.

I speak the minds of Edo people when I say very many people have been vic-tims of your very crude and harsh traffic management methods.

When you misbehave as some of you do, people in anger dismiss you as

Oshiomholes police. I have no police. In fact, I am one of the very few who have spoken out against state police. I am commended for so many things but not so many people have com-mended me for this par-ticular intervention, even as you have come into ex-istence to help control traf-fic, he said.

I have to remind you that you are agents of a civil authority so your lan-guage must be civil. You are agents of a civilian govern-ment. You are not agents of a military government. Your language should not be with immediate effect.

DENNIS NAKU PORT HARCOURT

The Non-indigenes Political Forum (NIPF), an arm of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Con-gress (APC), has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of wooing its members.

The forum said no amount of overtures would make its members jump ship.

The forums coordinator and APC chieftain, Chief Uchenna Okokoba, raised the accusation on Sunday during a meeting at the partys Secretariat in Port Harcourt.

Okokoba said he had been inundated with re-ports from the forums members that PDP leaders had been making overtures to them.

He said: We have re-ceived reports from our members that leaders of the PDP have been making overtures to them with a view to making them dump APC.

The NIPF has warned

the opposition PDP in the State to desist from luring its members.

The PDP leadership in Rivers State has ap-proached some of us, re-questing us to dump our great party and switch camp to them, promising us that we would be given huge amount of money if we switched camp.

What they forget is that we are not in this project for money, but to ensure that Rivers State is blessed with good leadership under an APC government. We are committed and ready to ensure that our goals, vi-sion and mission for Rivers State are actualised no mat-ter the odds.

The NIPF coordinator alleged that following the rejection of the overtures by its members, PDP, in its desperate effort to make appreciable presence in Rivers, had contacted one Dr. Peter Okoye residing in Nnewi, Anambra State, to help it establish a sis-ter body of non-indigenes to be named PDP Rivers State Non-Indigenes Move-ment.

Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi has said that his ad-ministration will approve a medical school for the State University of Science and Technology.

Amaechi stated this at the universitys 26th con-vocation ceremony held in Port Harcourt at the week-end.

He said: Let me an-nounce that few hours ago, I did request that you put up an application for a medical school at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology.

The governor commend-ed the universitys Vice-Chancellor, Prof. B.B. Fakae, for his numerous achieve-ments, saying that the VCs performance justified his re-appointment.

Amaechi said: Let me announce to you that the government is satisfied with the performance of the Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, that was the reason for which he was appointed and the reason for which the government insisted on his reappoint-ment.

He assured to provide more funding for the state-owned university which is being relocated to the Great-er Port Harcourt City.

The governor disclosed that his administration had approved funds for the con-struction of the new uni-versity, saying that the con-struction work which would begin in earnest soon would be completed in over a year.

He congratulated the graduating students for dis-tinguishing themselves and wished them well.

Earlier, VC commended the governor for his support to the university.

He equally described the convocation ceremony as celebration of excellence.

Fakae said achievements were made in research and e-learning, student schol-arship, infrastructure, ac-creditation of programmes, quality assurance in aca-demics, social corporate re-sponsibility and others.

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Coun-cil, Hon. Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte (rtd), also congratulated the graduat-ing students on their noble achievements.

Oshiomhole tasks traffi c agency on performance

Group to PDP: You cant woo our members with overture

Amaechi promises state varsity medical school

Police vow to end pipeline vandalism in Rivers

National Mirrorwww.nationalmirroronline.net 11Monday, March 31, 2014 South South

EZEKIEL TITUS BAUCHI

Apparently dis-turbed by the per-sistent killings and other violent activi-ties perpetrated by the Hoko Haram sect in the North-East, President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the Ministry of Interior to relocate the Bauchi prison currently located near the Emirs palace.

Jonathan, who spoke when he visited the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu, said the measure was to ensure ad-

equate security in the area.The President said that

the security challenges would not guarantee the safety of the Emirate Coun-cil if the prison was not re-located.

He said: Bauchi is among the peaceful states in the North-East and the state is known for accom-modating millions of peo-ple irrespective of their backgrounds.

Jonathan, however, said that his administra-tion had been prioritising efforts aimed at curbing the security challenges in the North and other parts of the country.

He added that the Fed-eral Government would continue to intensify efforts aimed at protecting life and property.

Jonathan noted that traditional institution had been playing major roles towards the unity and prog-ress of the country.

He urged traditional in-stitutions across the coun-try to always assist the gov-ernment in advising restive youths against violence and crimes.

Speaking earlier, the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu, expressed satisfaction over the Presidents visit and

describe it as a milestone towards a nation-building.

The royal father con-demned the persistent killings and other violent activities especially in the North and challenged the President to step up actions to bring the menace under control.

According to the mon-arch, the killings had ad-versely affected economic, political, religious and cul-tural development of the entire Northern part of the country.

The royal father assured Jonathan of the Emirate Councils support for his administration.

AZA MSUE KADUNA

Former Chairman of Petroleum and Natural Gas Se-nior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGAS-SAN), Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Com-pany (KRPC) chapter, Mr. Mohammed Kailani, has called on President Good-luck Jonathan to sack Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Ma-dueke, for allegedly mar-ginalising the North in the promotion exercise recently carried out by the

Nigeria National Petro-leum Corporation (NNPC) promotions exercise.

Kailani, who made the call while addressing journalists at the weekend in Kaduna, claimed that Alison-Madueke had been indicted by many investi-gative panels over issues relating to abuse of office, yet she has remained the minister.

According to him, the sentiments and politics ex-hibited by the Petroleum Minister were enough grounds to sack her with immediate effect.

Kailani said Nigerians

deserved explanation on why out of the 74 promo-tions and redeployment, the entire North got 25 slots and the South-South geo-political zone alone got 20 slots.

According to him, de-tails of the promotions showed that the North-Central got seven slots; North-West got 13, North-East got six, South-West got 13 and South-East got 14 slots.

He said: Investigation revealed that South-South zone where the Minister of Petroleum comes from was highly favoured to the

detriment of the North and other regions of the country.

This is more so be-cause officers who were not due for promotion were actually promoted over qualified and over-due Northern manage-ment staff.

Northerners are say-ing that the exercise smacks of intent to mar-ginalise the North in the administrative structure of the NNPC.

Kailani, however, called for the review of the pro-motions to reflect federal character.

Jonathan orders relocation of prison in Bauchi

Peaceful co-existence key to insecurity Sultan

Aspirant cautions NASIEC over pending LG poll results

PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

The Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman, National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Saad Abubakar, has identified peaceful co-exis-tence as the major solution to the lingering security problem confronting some parts of the North.

The Sultan, who spoke at the weekend in Minna dur-ing the three-day workshop organised for Imams of 19 Northern states of Nigeria with the theme: Muslims yesterday, today and tomor-row: Challenges to Muslims unity, said peaceful co-exis-tence would guarantee secu-rity of lives and property.

The Sultan noted that the current security challenges faced by the people of the North were as a result of turning against Islam and God by Muslims.

He said: The words of Is-lam is the word of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and living in peace with all men is the only answer to Nige-rias lingering crisis espe-cially the security problem bedeviling the Northern parts of the country.

I urge you Imams to see yourselves as leaders of Islam and the need to take good message to the faith-ful that is devoid of violence and always preach peace at

all times.The Sultan, who was

represented by the Emir of Jiwa of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Idris Musa, decried what he de-scribed as the lackadaisical attitude of Imams towards themselves.

In his remarks the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Mua-zu Babangida Aliyu, told the Imams to use their vast knowledge of Islam and their highly revered posi-tions among Muslims to im-pact positively in the society and on those they lead.

He urged them to con-centrate on preaching peace and unity, saying Islam was built on peace and it was the message Prophet Muham-mad propagated in his life time.

In an interview, the Sec-retary of the Niger State Jumaat Mosques Forum, Alhaji Umar Faruk Abdul-lahi, told journalists that the major reason of organ-ising the workshop was to address the insecurity con-fronting the North as well as offer good leadership to Muslims in the nation.

He said lack of unity among Muslims and poli-ticians in the North must be looked into, adding that over 700 Imams of the 19 Northern states attended the workshop with between 30 and 50 delegates from each state.

IGBAWASE UKUMBALAFIA

A g o v e r n o r s h i p aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Par-ty (PDP) in Nasarawa State, Dr. Yusuf Agabi, has cautioned the State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC) over the pending local government election re-sults in the state.

Agabi spoke in Lafia, the state capital, while re-acting to the outcome of the exercise.

He told journalists that NASIEC Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Modibbos recent statement in the state House of Assembly where he admitted that the commission erred in dab-bling into results already declared by respective re-turning officers had com-

pounded issues and cre-ated doubt in the integrity of the electoral body.

NASIEC had recently conducted election into the 13 local government areas of the state, but released results in 10 of the local councils.

The electoral body at-tributed the delay in the release of the results in the remaining three local gov-ernments to irregularities.

Agabi said: The admit-tance by the chairman has further compounded the issue and created doubt in the integrity of the com-missions officials who where hitherto adjudged to be impartial and patri-otic Nigerians.

He, however, cautioned the electoral body to avoid double standard in its ac-tivities towards resolving the outcome of pending results.

NNPC promotion: Ex-PENGASSAN boss alleges marginalisation

L-R:President Goodluck Jonathan; Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Riliwan Sulaiman and Vice-President Namadi Sambo, during a visit to the Emirs palace in Bauchi, on Saturday. PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net12 Monday, March 31, 2014North


Conflicting reasons emerged in Osogbo yesterday over why one of the five governor-ship aspirants on the plat-form of Peoples Demo-cratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Lateef Bakare, may have opted out of the governor-ship race.

Bakare, who declared his intention to participate in the April 5 governorship primary through his politi-cal associate, Yomi Adegoke recently, was the only aspi-rants out of five, that did not participate in the national screening held at the nation-

al secretariat of the party last week in Abuja.

National Mirror exclu-sively learnt yesterday that Bakare may have dropped his ambition after pres-sures from some promi-nent Ijesa indigenes.

Presently, Bakare is the only aspirant that comes from Ilesa Township, apart from the incumbent gover-nor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola that showed interest. He is very se-rious about it, but there have been pressures from some prominent indigenes of Ilesa town on him not to contest now, that an Ijesa man is the governor, an associate of Ba-kare, who does not want his name in print had said.

TOYEEB OLAYINKA

Ahead of the 2015 general elections, indications have emerged that the ruling All Progressive Party, APC, may be in trouble in Osun West Senatorial District, especially in Iwo - a stronghold of the party, and the development may not be unconnected with the alleged senatorial am-bition of the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Alhaji Moshood Ad-eoti.

Adeoti, who is from Iwo and former state chair-man of the party until his

PDP aspirant fails to participate in national screening

2015: Osun SSGs senatorial ambition may tear APC apart in Iwo

Omisore rejects calls for postponement of primary

However, reacting dur-ing an exclusive chat with National Mirror yesterday, spokesperson for the group working for the emergence of Bakare as governor, Mr Yomi Adegoke, debunked the insinuations that Bakare was pressurised into quit-ting the governorship race by some Ilesa indigenes.

Adegoke said the plan by the political camp of Bakare was to obtain PDP form of intent in Abuja on Thurs-day last week, but added that, the idea was shelved af-ter consultations with some leaders of the party.

We are still in the race but Alhaji Bakare did not participate in the national

screening because we were advised not to be part of crisis that the PDP primary is causing already. Bakare is the solution to the PDP crisis in Osun, so he was advised not to join in over-heating the already heated up situation in Osun PDP over governorship primary.

He has not dropped his ambition. No one can pres-surise him to drop his am-bition, but we are working with some elders, who pre-fer a consensus candidate for our party. The thinking is beyond PDP primary. We are looking at the August 9 polls and how we can post a good outing as a party, Ad-egoke concluded.

appointment as the SSG in 2011, was reportedly nursing the fear that he may not be returned as the SSG, even if Governor Rauf Aregbesola wins his re-election bid, and was therefore busy strategis-ing, covertly to contest the osun West senatorial ticket with the incumbent, Senator Mudahir Hussein, who hails from Ejigbo, the headquarters of Ejigbo Local Government Area of the state.

But National Mirror investigations revealed that party members in Ad-eotis hometown are not

L-R: Senator representing Plateau North, Senator Gyang Pwajok; Delta State governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan and Senator repre-senting Delta North, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, during the Empowerment Programme of Okowa in Asaba, at the weekend.

satisfied with the perfor-mance of their kinsmen elected on the platform of the party to the states House of Assembly and the House of Represen-tatives, Ezekiel Adey-emi and Gafar Akintayo Amere respectively, who they claim were imposed on them by Adeoti in the first place.

The people of Iwo be-lieved that the two men representing them at the two legislative arms, both being the least qualified amongst their peers in their respective parlia-ments; have failed to give

them adequate represen-tation.

In a press statement issued by some party members from Iwo Local Government under the auspices of Concerned Iwo Patriots, and signed by one Babatunde On-ileola, Iwo people pledged their continued and unal-loyed support to Aregbe-solas re-election bid, but advised the governor to avoid any form of imposi-tion in the party.

They also alleged that Adeoti was already plot-ting to single-handedly zone the slot for the


The political organ-isation of Sena-tor Iyiola Omisore yesterday rejected call for postponement of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primary scheduled for Saturday, April 5.

The group, in a state-ment issued in Osogbo late yesterday evening and signed by its director of media, Prince Diran Odeyemi, alleged that a sponsored protest was be-ing planned for today at the Wadata plaza head-quarters of the PDP to seek postponement of the state congress of the party slated for April 5.

The statement reads:We reject this move in its entirety as there is no justification for any postponement. We learnt reliably that an aspirant, who joined the race recently, is behind

the planned protest.We are tempted to af-

firm that only those who are afraid of defeat at the congress would be seek-ing postponement of this well programmed state congress. Our considered position is that our great party and its prepared aspirants cannot and should not be thwarted by an aspirant who jumped into the race unprepared under suspicious circum-stances.

It is our conviction as a responsible political organisation that the na-tional leadership of our great party, the PDP, has demonstrated good faith and genuine spirit of in-ternal democracy in the implementation of time-table for the primary.

The leadership has done the needful in pre-paring its Osun State chapter for the August 9 contest. Nothing on ground can warrant tin-kering with the schedule and no unprepared aspi-rant should be allowed to hold the party to ransom and constitute a cog in the wheel of progress.

The group counselled other aspirants in the race for the governorship tick-et to submit most loyally to the will of the delegates and accept party suprema-cy as loyal party men.

House of Representa-tives for the Ola-Oluwa/Iwo/Ayedire federal con-stituency, currently be-ing occupied by an Iwo indigene to Ayedire, ap-parently to pave way for his ambition; even when the people of Aiyedire have stated categorically that they are not pre-pared for the post in the next dispensation given the subsisting zoning ar-rangement in the federal constituency.

Another source who craved anonymity said: We need to let people know that APC is different

from other parties and we are not ready to condone any form of imposition again. People are built around parties, and we dont want a party where certain individuals will think they can take far-reaching decisions from their rooms, except the party is ready for strong divisions.

Meanwhile, efforts to confirm the development from Adeoti yielded no fruit as his mobile lines were not available as at the time of filing this re-port.

PoliticsNational Mirror

www.nationalmirroronline.net 13Monday, March 31, 2014

14

Nigerians must freely elect their leaders Soetan

Your organisation has launched the campaign of one man, one woman, one vote. What are you set to achieve with the campaign?

Democracy Vanguard, DV, was formed to promote democracy, democratic values and democratic culture. The central point of this is to ensure the sanctity of elec-tions and the supremacy of voters to freely choose their leaders in a free and fair elec-tion. That was the central focus of the or-ganisation immediately it was founded.

But we have seen that there is a relation-ship between governance and the process of electing leadership. If leaders are elect-ed by the people genuinely and fairly, there will be some commitment on the part of the leaders. The leaders will feel that some people elected them. But where you have leaders coming to power on the basis of all is well in war, on the basis of undermining the sanctity of electoral processes, under-mining the legitimacy of voters to elect their leaders, undermining the sovereign-ty of the people, such leaders and such gov-ernments will never meet the aspiration of the people. It is like it is even worse than armed robbers. Armed robbers come to you to take your diamond or take your gold or your money but when you have leaders who came to power on the basis of election fraud, he is taking away your future and the future of your children. So they have no allegiance, no commitment and that is what is happening in Nigeria wherein the

Nigerians must freely elect their leaders Soetan

Soetan

THE LEADERS DONT SEE POLITICS AS PROMOTION OF COMMON GOODS BUT THEY SEE IT AS TOTAL

BUSINESS VENTURE WHEREIN YOU PUT YOUR MONEY AND IT MUST YIELD THE HIGHEST PROFIT OR

DIVIDENDS

Comrade Adeola Soetan is the National Coordinator of Democracy Vanguard, DV, an organisation that is poised to ensure that the principle of one man, one vote is established in the country. In this interview with AYO ESAN, Soetan explains the organisations campaign to ensure supremacy of voters in elections, as 2015 draws nearer. Excerpts:

only industry, growing industry is politics. May be it is followed by oil theft.

Are you saying our leaders are not?Leaders dont see politics as promotion of

common goods but they see it as total busi-ness venture wherein you put your money and it must yield the highest profit or divi-dends. Politics has therefore becomes a war situation in Nigeria and this has also chased away credible people, people who have integ-rity, people who want to determine the fate of the nation genuinely.

This is why we feel concerned that look, the little we can do is to try as much as pos-sible

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Monday, march 31, 2014