150 SHOPS RAZED IN LAGOS

...towards a better life for the people

N150VOL. 25: NO. 61900

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013**

Mr & Mrs

US gives Nigeria90-day ultimatum

COLUMNISTS:

•P. 46

OCHEREOMENNANNA

Continues on page 5•Threatens to stop shipping services to Nigeria

PAUL BASSEY•P.52

•P.17

LES LEBA

•P.34

DELESOBOWALE

•P.40

PORTS SECURITY:BY GODWIN

ORITSE

L A G O S — T H EUnited States Gov-

ernment, through its Em-bassy in Lagos, has cau-tioned the Federal Gov-ernment to improve onits ports security systemwithin 90 days or facethe stoppage of sail ofvessels to Nigeria.

The Embassy, Van-guard gathered, got anaudit report from the of-ficials of the UnitedStates Coast Guards who

UBA AGM: From left:Chairman, United Bankfor Africa(UBA) Plc,Chief Israel Ogbue;Group Managing Direc-tor/CEO,Mr. PhillipsOduoza; Vice Chair-man, Amb Joe Keshi;and Deputy ManagingDirector, Mr. KennedyUzoka; at the 51st An-nual General Meeting,AGM, of UBA Plc heldin Abuja on Friday.

Doctor nabbedover mutilationof baby's corpse

FIRE—No fewer than 150 shops were razed, yesterday, at the Trinity Spare Parts Market in Ajegunle area of Lagos. Above:The raging fire and rescue operation at the scene. See story on Page 10.

•Tongues, eyes, other vital parts ofa year-old baby removed

•P.6

Wahab Dosunmu dies in United States @ 74 —P.9

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POCKET CARTOON

TAKE HEARTBY ELLA RANDLE

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013 — 5

LIFEWORDSBY PASTOR ITUAH

Continues from page 1

PORTS SECURITY: US givesNigeria 90-day ultimatum

The truth is, we can do great things after we pray,but we cannot do great things until we pray. So theword for you today is, keep on praying.

BRIEFING—Mr Gbenga Oyebode, Chairman Business Law section with Mr Asue Ighodalo, Vice-Chairman Business Law and Mrs Funmi Robert, Council member at the media briefing by the NigerianBar Association (NBA) Section on Business Law in Ikoyi, Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau.

You’re going to come across people in your lifewho will say all the right words at all the righttimes. But in the end, it’s always their actions youshould judge them by. It’s actions, not words thatmatter – Nicholas Spark

EVERY moment is awareness and the privilegeto choose the next thought is very profound,

but it is going beyond, to living from the heart thatmakes it an awesome experience for me.

When you think about it, this ability is within ourreach. The choice to feel beautiful, to express lov-ing thoughts and to exhale joy and laughter! Thistransformation is ever expanding and it comes withit, a most exhilarating feeling of love.A sweet thing is easy to admire, sweet words areeasy to come by, but a sweet friend is rare and whenwe find special friendship, we nurture and natu-rally care a lot.

This much I know, a friend is like a lovely song,always endearing and meaningful, but the greaterillumination is the choice to love and the freedomto do so without a tinge ...this is beautiful affectionand devotion, a better expression of love.

were in Nigeria about amonth ago, to inspectthe security at Nigerianports.

Based on the report,the embassy sent a dip-lomatic note to the For-eign Affairs Ministry inNigeria, which in turncontacted the NigerianPorts Authority (NPA)and other relevant agen-cies.

Confirming the devel-opment, General Man-ager in charge of secu-rity at the Nigerian PortsAuthority (NPA), ColJamil Tahir (Rtd) toldVanguard that a Diplo-matic Note was issued tothe foreign affairs min-istry to protest the poorstate of security at theports, particularly theTin-Can Island Port.

Tahir stated that the

ports authority hasswung into action, fol-lowing a stakeholders'meeting called by NPAto sensitise everybodyon the need to be pro-active on the securitychallenges currently fac-ing the ports.

He said that the au-thority has already se-cured an approval to in-stal counter terrorism

equipment in strategicareas in and around theport premises.

The 90-day ultimatum,according to Tahir,started last month andwill expire at the end ofAugust.

He said that the USthreatened to stop ship-ping services to Nigeriaand to also mobilize itsallied countries to do thesame if the port securitysituation was not im-

proved upon.At a Port Facility Secu-

rity Officers (PFSO) Fo-rum meeting in Lagoslast week, a member ofthe group who preferredto remain anonymoussaid that the situation atthe ports after the visitof the U.S coast guardshas not changed as thepeople still hibernateunder disused vehiclesaround the ports.

It was also said thatthe Tin-Can Island Portin particular is like aregular market placewhere all kinds of peo-ple have unrestrictedaccess while brokendown vehicles liter theport's access roads.

Besides the measuresbeing put in place to se-cure the nation’s portsby the NPA, the Nige-rian Maritime Adminis-tration and SafetyAgency (NIMASA)called for a stakeholders'meeting today (Mon-day) to intimate

stakeholders of thetransfer of DesignatedAuthority (D/A) respon-sible for the implemen-tation of the Interna-tional Ship and Port Fa-cility Security (ISPS)code.

The ISPS code is theInternational MaritimeOrganisation (IMO)convention to secure andsafeguard ships and portfacilities around theworld following the re-newed global terrorism.

It will be recalled thatthe Executive Director incharge of NIMASA’sShipping development,Captain Bala Agaba hadsaid that the ISPS codehas not been properlyimplemented in Ni-geria, adding that withthe transfer of Desig-nated Authority toNIMASA, the industrywill begin to see im-proved ship and portsecurity in the Nigerianports.

IBADAN PIPELINE EXPLOSION:We've resumed pumping of petroleumproducts — NNPC

LAGOS—THE Management of the Ni-

gerian National Petro-leum Corporation,NNPC, yesterday said ithad successfullyclamped the rupturedpoint along the Mosimi–Ibadan line and re-sumed fuel supply op-eration to Ibadan and itsenvirons.

The repairs came lessthan 24 hours after mensuspected to be oilthieves ruptured theMosimi–Ibadan fuel sup-ply pipeline along thecrucial System 2B Pipe-line network, whicherupted into an infernoweekend.

The Acting Group Gen-eral Manager, GroupPublic Affairs Division,

NNPC, Ms. TuminiGreen, in a statementsaid a team of engineersand technologists fromthe NNPC and its down-stream subsidiary, thePipelines and ProductsMarketing Company,PPMC, worked assidu-ously over the weekendto restore the line to nor-mal operation.

The NNPC spokesper-son said the Corporationresponded quickly be-cause of its determina-tion to ensure that Nige-rians do not experienceany form of scarcity inpetroleum products sup-ply on account of the ac-tivities of some unpat-riotic citizens.

“At exactly 20.06 hrs onSaturday, the Mosimi–

Ibadan line was re-streamed after repairworks at the rupturedpoint. While we remaincommitted to our resolvein ensuring unimpededdistribution of petro-leum products across thecountry despite themounting odds, we callon members of the pub-lic to support the NNPCand the security agen-cies in this fight againstoil thieves and pipelinehackers,” the statementread in part.

The NNPC called onIbadan residents and theadjoining communitiesto refrain from panicbuying or hoarding ofpetroleum products inanticipation of scarcity.

Litany ofvandalism

Efforts by the NNPC toensure unimpeded dis-tribution of productsthrough its vast artery ofpipelines have comeunder serious threatsdue to the activities of oilthieves especially alongthe System 2B Pipelinenetwork, which accountsfor a third of productssupply in the country.

The Corporation saidthere have been over 774ruptured points betweenAugust and October,2012 along the System2B line, adding that it iscurrently working withthe Engineering Corpsof the Nigerian Army toclear the pipeline rightof way from the AtlasCove in Lagos to theIlorin Depot in KwaraState.

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013

Police killsuspectedrobber, 3othersescaped

BY IFEANYI OKOLIE

LAGOS — A MEMBERof a notorious robbery

gang that has been terror-izing Ikeja, Agege andOgba areas of Lagos State,was, yesterday, killed bythe police during a shootoutalong Oba -Akran Road,Ikeja.

The deceased suspect,whose identity is unknown,with four others, was saidto have attacked a petrolstation along Oba AkranRoad.

Vanguard gathered thatthe bandits who stormed thefuel station around mid-day, came in a sedan car.The bandits dispossessedthe fuel attendants andtheir customers of valu-ables.

KILLING OFUNIBEN STUDENT

Family faultspolice oncasefile

BY SIMONEBEGBULEM

BENIN CITY— COUNSEL to the family of

Ibrahim Momodu, who wasshot dead by the police atOgida, Benin City, Edo State,Mr Jefferson Uwoghiren, hasfaulted the decision by theEdo State Police Command tohand over the casefile to theDirector of Public Prosecution,DPP. He said it was an attemptto shield the officer that killedthe young man from prosecu-tion.

The family demanded thatDivisional Police Officer, DPO,of Ogida Police Station, MrsCarol Afegbai, and other mem-bers of her patrol team, fin-gered in the murder, shouldbe charged to court for mur-der and robbery. They said thefamily would resist any at-tempt to exonerate the DPOand sacrifice her orderly.

However, the state PoliceCommissioner, Mr FolunshoAdebanjo, who vowed that thecommand would not shieldany officer involved in extrajudicial killing, explained thatthe case file was sent to theDPP, who will advise partiesand not to shield the officer.

He said: “We are deter-mined to get to the root of thematter. I appeal that we allremain calm and put heads to-gether to find the truth. Thatis why we have redeployedthe DPO and her orderly, tohave a smooth investigation.”

Doctor nabbed for mutilation of baby's corpseBY UJU MBANUSI

LAGOS — THE Ogun StatePolice Command, yesterday,

said it has arrested one Dr.Babawale Joshua who ownedAjike Medical Centre at 11,Adeyemi Street, Saka, SangoOta, for suspected ritual activi-ties and disrespect to the corpseof a 13-month-old baby who diedin his hospital, Saturday.

According the Police PublicRelations Officer, PPRO, for thestate, Mr Muyiwa Ogunjobi, thepolice discovered that the boy’scorpse was mutilated. He toldVanguard that the eyes, tongue,two lips, two ears, private part,nails and the left hand and veinswere cut off at the hospital.

Father's account

In his account of what hap-pened, the child’s father, identi-fied as Obinna Oleh, a 35-year-old auto spare part dealer atLadipo market, from Umunzevillage in Anambra State, said:“On Friday the 7th of June, mychild took ill, my wife joined meto rush him to the hospital.

“The next day, being Saturday,I came to see them at the hospi-tal in the morning before goingto my shop while the child wasactually getting better then.

“It was with this hope that I leftfor my shop thinking that at leastbefore the end of the day, thechild would have recovered fully.

“But in the afternoon, my wifecalled to inform me that the ba-by’s health had deteriorated, thatI should rush home. When I gothere, I met my child in a verycritical condition.

“I asked if any medication hadbeen administered on him andmy wife told me that the doctorgave him an injection that after-noon and that the child’s stom-ach swelled after the injection.

“The baby was practically aban-doned by the hospital manage-

ment in this condition untilaround 8p.m when he finallydied.

"As we attempted to carry thecorpse, the nurse in charge saidwe had to clear our bills beforewe could take the body away. Shealso said she needed to call theMedical Director for the fullamount we were to balance be-fore they could release the corpseto us.

"Mind you, we were not owingthem before the baby died. Wemade some initial deposit priorto the baby’s admission and treat-ment. So when the nurse cameup with the balance payment is-sue, I was not in the mood to ar-gue that with them. I took my wife

and we left, with the intention ofreturning yesterday morning toclear what ever bill there was,and take our child for burial.

“Also our pastor advised us toget a death certificate first beforetaking the corpse away for burial,so that we don’t encounter anyproblems with the police.

“We also needed to inform ourkinsmen here about what hap-pened. These were the reasonswhy we left the body of our babyat the hospital till the followingmorning.

“But yesterday morning, I washaving a meeting with my broth-ers on how to get a doctor’s re-port on my child’s death whenthe nurse called me to come over

to the hospital, that it’s like theyused a spiritual arrow to kill mychild. I asked her what she meantby that. And at same time, fol-lowed her to the room where thebody was.

“I was shocked to the bones tofind my child’s body in a gorystate. His ears were cut off, hisprivate part, his tongue, his lips,and his eyes were plucked out. Iam yet to recover from the shockof that sight.The police was in-formed and they came and tookthe body away.”

Meantime, when Vanguardvisited the hospital, yesterday, itwas under lock and key, havingbeen shut by the police who con-firmed the development.

How he was rescued —Police

The hospital

Hoodlums defecate in Oba's palace afterbeating him —Panel

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

ABEOKUTA — CHAIRMANof the Judicial Commission

of Inquiry into the crisis in Ado-

Odo-Ota Local Government Areaof Ogun State, JusticeOluwatosin Osinuga, has saidthe hoodlums who attacked theOlofin of Ado-Odo, Oba AbdulLateef Adeniran recently also def-ecated in his palace beforethey burnt it.

A statement by the Media Of-ficer of the commission, AyokunleEwuoso, said the chairman of thecommission who expressedshock over what she saw duringan on-the-spot assessment tourof the area, weekend, vowed toensure that all perpetrators arepunished.

Oba Adeniran was attacked byyet-to-be identified people onApril 14, 2013 before they burnthis palace.

The development prompted thestate governor, Senator IbikunleAmosun, to inaugurate a Judi-cial Commission of Inquiryinto the crisis on May 8, 2013.

Justice Osinuga said after theassessment: “I am short of wordsto describe what was done in thisplace, for the institution of anOba to be treated this way. I can-not find words to describe thisaction. You would notice that itappears that they even def-

ecated in the palace. So I don’tknow how to describe it. It's toomuch. The damage, the carnageis too much.”

While assuring that those in-volved in the dastardly act wouldbe brought to book, Osinugasaid: “The commission will rec-ommend appropriate punish-ment to whoever is found to beinvolved because nobody isabove the law.”

How he was rescued—Police

Meanwhile, the Divisional Po-lice Officer in Ado-Odo PoliceStation, Olukayode Ayilara, hassaid the prompt intervention of his men during an attack onthe monarch saved his life.

The Police officer stated thiswhile briefing members of thecommission during a tour to thearea, weekend, adding that thePolice got hint of the attackthrough his driver.

He said but for the quick inter-vention of the police, the situa-tion would have been worse asthe hoodlums had already beaten the traditional ruler be-fore they arrived the scene.

46 Area Boys get 50-hourcommunity service

BY MONSUROLOWOOPEJO

LAGOS — NO fewer than 46members of National Union

of Road Transport Workers,NURTW, and Area Boys arrestedby the Lagos State governmentwere, weekend, sentenced to a50-hour community serviceacross the state.

The NURTW officials and thetouts were earlier arrested by of-ficials of the state Taskforce onEnvironment and Special Of-fences Unit, on Ikorodu Roadwhile allegedly misbehavingand subsequently arraigned be-fore a magistrate court.

They were arrested while har-assing commercial vehicles op-erators popularly called Danfo,outside the motor parks in an at-tempt to collect union dues.

It would be recalled that the La-

gos State Road Traffic Law 2012prohibits collection of dues by un-ions and others outside their mo-tor parks.

According to the chairman ofthe taskforce unit, Mr. BayoSulaimon, a Chief Superintend-ent of Police, CSP, the unit wasacting on the directive of the stateMinistry of Justice, CommunityService Unit.

Sulaimon explained that afterthe arrest, they were charged tothe Special Offences Court,Alausa, Ikeja by the state gov-ernment and judgment was de-livered by Magistrate JadesolaAdeyemi.

Acting on a judgment, theTaskforce Unit led the 46 miscre-ants convicted for constituting anenvironmental menace onIkorodu road to carry out a 50-hour community service as apunishment their act.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013—7

ECOWAS: From left— Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Dr. SamuelOrtom, Minister of State for Trade & Investment, and Mr. Adekunle Oyinloye, ManagingDirector, Infrastructure Bank, at the 3rd ECOWAS Investment Forum in Lagos.

APC sets up 9-man Interim MgtC'ttee

BY ABDULSALAMMUHAMMAD

KANO—NATIONAL leadership of the yet-to-be regis-

tered All Progressives Con-gress, APC, has approved theappointment of a nine-man In-terim Management Committeeof the mega party, comprisingthree principal national officerseach from the merging parties.

Briefing reporters in Kanoyesterday, Secretary of the Cen-tral merging Committee of AllProgressive Party, MallamIbrahim Shekarau, explainedthat the measure was adoptedto facilitate the registration ex-ercise of the mega party.

Shekarau said: “The nationalleadership of APC has agreedunanimously that the nationalprincipal officers of ACN, CPCand ANPP, which include thenational Chairman, nationalSecretary, and Treasurer, re-spectively, should form the in-terim management committee ofAPC for the purpose of regis-tration of the mega party withIndependent National ElectoralCommission, INEC, only.”

Stakeholders meetHe disclosed that leaders of

the merging parties are ex-pected to meet this week to ap-point chairman and other offic-ers to run the party, stressingthat “their assignment will lasttill we secure our registration.”

Shekarau, who is also theChairman of ANPP mergerCommittee, said that principalofficers of APGA and DPP wereleft out of the Interim Manage-ment Committee because the

Central Merging Committeerelates with it as a group inthe emerging party.

He said: “We in the Cen-tral Merging Committee re-late with APGA and DPP asa group and we have accom-modated them administra-tively. They are not with usas a party but as a largergroup within the mergingmega party.”

Shekarau added that the

central merging committeewas winding up its duties inline with the dictates of theirmandate, stressing that “allcommittees set up for thepurpose of merger will ceaseto exist as soon as the interimmanagement assumed itsleadership role.

‘INEC has 30 days’“INEC has 30 days to re-

spond to our application and

we shall be counting ourdays right from the day wesubmit same to them and Iam optimistic we would scalethrough the hurdle.”

The former Governor ofKano, who expressed opti-mism that the new party willsecure INEC’s registration,noted that under INEC’sguidelines, the commissionhas 30 days to convey ap-proval or otherwise.

War of justices: Ogunbiyi tackles Okeke

OrderproscribingBoko Haram,Ansaruwrong,says ACN

ACTION Congress ofNi-geria, ACN, has

said that the recent pro-scription order againstBoko Haram and Ansaru,desirable as it may be intackling the terrorist or-ganisations, violates theConstitution of the FederalRepublic of Nigeria by sti-fling the press and tamper-ing with the fundamentalhuman rights of Nigerians.

A statement in Ila-Orangun, yesterday, byACN's National PublicitySecretary, Alhaji Lai Mo-hammed, said the orderalso makes it easy for an in-creasingly intolerant gov-ernment to clamp down onthe opposition, which itssees more as an irritant .

In the alternative, ACNcalled on the Federal Gov-ernment to clarify the knottyand vague areas of theopen-ended order, thatmay end up punishingjournalists and infringingon the civil liberties of thecitizens more than it will cur-tail activities of the sects.

BY IKECHUKWU NNO-CHIRI

ABUJA—SEQUEL to theallegation that she attempted

to compromise justice in a case in-volving her daughter, a SupremeCourt Justice, Clara Ogunbiyi, hasaccused a retired Justice of the Fed-eral High Court, OkechukwuOkeke, of being economical withthe truth.

Ogunbiyi, in an explanatory noteshe sent to the Chief Justice of Ni-geria, CJN, Justice AlomaMukhtar, accused Okeke of ma-ligning her image during a val-edictory court session that held inLagos, recently.

Okeke had, at the said occasion,which was held to commemoratehis formal exit from active judicialservice, maintained that owing tohis refusal to vacate an ex-parteorder he made in a matter involv-ing one Funke Amadi (neeOgunbiyi) and convicted ex-Managing Director of the de-

funct Oceanic Bank, MrsCecila Ibru, Funke’s mother,Clara, resorted to using theNational Judicial Council, NJC,to witch-hunt him.

It will be recalled that NJChad on the day it recommencedthe compulsory sack of two HighCourt Judges, issued a sternwarning to Okeke, who it saidwas spared owing to the fact thathis retirement was in view.

However, in his speech at thevaledictory court session onMay 27, Okeke insisted thatcontrary to the impression cre-ated by NJC, it was JusticeOgunbiyi who tried to influenceher orders in a case before him.

Okeke said his travails startedon March 1, when he issued anorder empowering Assets Man-agement Corporation of Ni-geria, AMCON, to take posses-sion of some property forfeitedto the Federal Government byCecilia Ibru.

However, while refuting her

alleged involvement, JusticeOgunbiyi, in her letter to theCJN, said she did not atanytime contact retired JusticeOkeke, either directly or indi-rectly on any matter.

She said: “It is extremely ri-diculous, absurd and maliciousfor Justice Okeke to insinuatethat it is the forgoing circum-stances that formed the basis forthe warning letter given to himon three petitions deliberatedupon by NJC, which I knownothing about.

“The alleged petition by allthe residents of 5A GeorgeStreet, Ikoyi, to NJC has noth-ing to do with me.”

Justice Ogunbiyi maintainedthat she did not ask her daugh-ter to see Justice Okeke and thatshe did not try to influence Jus-tice Okeke on any matter.

She said, however: “In viewof the grey areas surroundingthe case, I therefore contactedJustice Ibrahim Auta, the Chief

Judge of the Federal HighCourt and narrated my daugh-ter’s ordeal and therefore en-quired about the laws govern-ing AMCON case.

“On the allegation of the en-counter between JusticeOkeke and my daughter,Funke, in his chambers, I wishto state categorically that I neverinstructed her to see JusticeOkeke for any reason whatso-ever.

“If she had done so in com-pany of the evicted residents ofall the flats, she acted on herown volition. She is an adult, amarried woman with a family,and she has a right to protectthe interest of her family.

“I wish to emphasise furtherthat I was reliably informed thatmy daughter was not on herown while in Justice Okeke’schambers, but in company of theother residents, their lawyer,and also the lawyer to one ofthe parties.”

Stakeholdersworry overnewaviation law

STAKEHOLDERS inthe aviation sector have

again expressed concernover the new aviation law,which has generated con-troversies in the country inrecent times.

The law, as it concernedprivate owners, stipulated,among others, that suchaircraft must not carryfriends and business asso-ciates of owners unless theaircraft was registered as acommercial plane and mustcarry the necessary insur-ance covers.

It stipulated further thathenceforth, every aircraftflying the nation’s airspacemust file a flight plan thatmust also contain the mani-fest of passengers on board.

Experts' current positionon the issue was againbrought to the front burner,following the grounding ofthe chopper which was totake Governor AdamsOshiomhole of Edo State toAwka, Anambra State, forthe burial of wife of Sena-tor Ben Obi.

8 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013

WEDDING: From left— Justice Mary Odili and Dr. Peter Odili, parents of the bride; President Goodluck Jonathan;his wife, Dame Patience; Hajiya Amina Sambo, wife of Vice-President Namadi Sambo; Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme andChief Uzoma Nwosu-Iheme, parents of the bridegroom, at the wedding of the daughter of Dr. Odili, former governor ofRivers State, in Abuja, Saturday. STATE HOUSE PHOTO.

6-year single tenure:Reps disagree with Senate

ABUJA—THERE were indications, yesterday, that

members of the House ofRepresentatives were againstthe proposition by the Sen-ate for a six-year single ten-ure for the president andgovernors in their constitu-tion amendment being fine-tuned for adoption by the Na-tional Assembly.

A senior leader of theHouse of Representativestold Vanguard in an exclu-sive interview that the mem-bers would not support theSenate to replace the twoterms of four-year tenure withsix-year single tenure.

The lawmaker, who is aPeoples’ Democratic Party,PDP, member, made it clearthat the proposal by the Sen-ate would not serve the bestinterest of the nation and wascapable of causing ripples inthe country if not well han-dled.

The lawmaker said: “We, inthe House of Representa-tives, are not going to sup-port what the Senate has pro-posed because we know thatsuch a proposal can bringabout a serious problem inthe polity.

“We are waiting to see howtheir proposal will sailthrough given the contro-versy that is already trailingit.

“We have made our positionon the various issues de-bated upon by Nigerians,during our constituency en-gagement, very clear andthere is no going back onthem. But if the Senate in-sists on going ahead with asingle tenure of six years for

president and governors,then we can put it to vote andsee who will carry the day.

“Our position remains thatit is in the best interest of thenation for the provision oftwo terms of four years to beretained in the constitution.”

Peterside’s opinionAdding his voice to the is-

sue, a member of the Houseof Representatives from Riv-ers State, Mr. DakukuPeterside, said that theHouse of Representatives gotan overwhelming endorse-ment from members to retainthe two terms of four yearsand that the members werenot in support of anythingdifferent from that.

Peterside pointed out thatdoing the opposite of whattheir constituents voted for,during the period of the ex-ercise, would amount toshort-changing their peopleand could cause them theirmandate.

The lawmaker represent-ing Opopo Federal Constitu-ency said: “Our decision tostick to two terms of fouryears was arrived at after anexhaustive consultation withour respective constituenciesand we cannot come back tochange what they did not askus to change.

“I can tell you without anyfear of contradiction that wearrived at that decisionbased on our constituencyengagement. Most of theopinions were in favour oftwo terms of four years andnot six years.”

Ekweremadu speaksDeputy Senate President,

Ike Ekweremadu, while pre-

senting his report on the con-stitution review, maintainedthat if adopted, the six-yearsingle tenure for presidentand governors in Nigeria,would effectively deny thoseaspiring for second term oftheir mandate.

Ekweremadu, therefore,appealed to the presidentand 13 governors likely to beaffected by the constitutionalchange to make sacrifice inthe interest of the nation.

The Deputy Senate Presi-dent said: “For us, it wouldhave been easy to say let’sput it six years and let who-ever wants, including thosewho are available now, letthem benefit, so long as itwill keep overheating thesystem away.

“But we don’t want Nigeri-ans to say that we have col-luded with the executive togive tenure elongation to thepresident and certain gover-nors. That means somebody,instead of staying for eightyears, will now be staying for10 years.

“I think it will be easier forsomeone to deal with the is-sue of making a sacrifice thanfor someone to have the pe-riod for 10 years. I am notsure what our colleagues willsay.

“If they say that those whoare there now should benefit,that is fine. Those who arecurrently serving should beable to excuse themselvesand say we make this sacri-fice on behalf of the system.”

‘Jonathanmisunderstood’

Ekweremadu recalled thatthe President was one of the

persons that called for a sin-gle tenure of six or sevenyears.

He said: “He (Jonathan)was grossly misunderstood.They were saying he wantedto get a third term. That hewanted to elongate his tenureand all kinds of things weresaid.

“Since we did not providefor any particular date, itmeans that as soon as theConstitution is passed, itstarts. That is the implication.

“Unless you are suggestingthat we put the time framewhen it will start. But in thelast amendment to the Con-stitution, we did not put anytime frame for its take off. Wealso did not put in this one.”

Fears, affected statesAnalysts fear that if passed

into law, President GoodluckJonathan and 13 governorsseeking re-election in the2015 general elections mightbe technically barred fromparticipation in the next elec-tion in 2015.

According to Ekweremadu,the law, once passed, will notrequire presidential assent tobecome effective as otherlegislations.

That position, it was alsolearnt yesterday, was alreadyagitating the minds of liti-gants, who fear that the movecould stop Jonathan from go-ing for a second term and givehis position to a northern can-didate.

The plan could also stop thegovernors of Bayelsa,Nasarawa, Kwara, Osun,Ogun, Ekiti, Oyo, Zamfara,Gombe, Imo, Borno, Kadunaand Kogi states from going fora second term.

BY SONI DANIEL,Regional Editor, North

2015: INECordersarrest ofcampaigners

BY LEVINUSNWABUGHIOGU

ABUJA—FOLLOW-ING campaign post-

ers pasted in strategicplaces in Abuja andother states, Independ-ent National ElectoralCommission, INEC, yes-terday, ordered securityagents to apprehend anypolitical party or politi-cians who are seen cam-paigning and pastingposters towards 2015general elections.

In a statement by theChief Press Secretary toINEC Chairman, Mr.Kayode Idowu, the com-mission said it had ob-served that electioneer-ing broadcasts were be-ing aired outside thestatutory provision forcampaigning towardselections into variouselective offices in 2015.

He stressed that suchtrend was unhealthy andconstituted a threat to thenation’s democracy.

The statement said: “TheCommission, hereby, re-minds all players of theprovision of Section 99(1)of the Electoral Act 2010(As Amended), whichstates as follows: 'For thepurpose of this Act, theperiod of campaigning inpublic by every politicalparty shall commence 90days before polling dayand end 24 hours prior tothat day'.”

INEC said that the pol-ity must not be heated upbefore the elections pe-riod, adding that all po-litical parties must notethat campaigning outsidethis provision is a viola-tion of the law.

It warned that the Com-mission will not hesitateto apply appropriatesanctions against cul-prits as provided by rel-evant sections of the law.

The statement added,“INEC has observed thatsome politicians and reg-istered political partieshave begun unbridledcampaigns towards theforthcoming generalelection, thereby heatingup the polity.

“It is observed that cam-paign posters are beingindiscriminately dis-played, while election-eering broadcasts arebeing aired outside thestatutory provision forcampaigning towardselections into variouselective offices."

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013 — 9

Strike: NLC threatens showdown withOgun govt

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

ABEOKUTA — THE Ni-geria Labour Congress

in Ogun State has threateneda showdown with the stategovernment if it fails to ad-dress the demands of the Ni-geria Union of Teachers within the seven days.

Chairman of the NLC,Akeem Ambali during a pro-test organised by teachers in the state, weekend, dis-closed that, the NLC in thestate was ready to act as anintermediary between thegovernment and the NigeriaUnion of Teachers.

The state chapter of the NUT has joined other eightstates in the ongoing indefi-nite strike to press for the im-plementation of the 27.5 percent Teachers’ Peculiar Allow-ance, TPA, vowing not to callits members to return to class-rooms unless all its demandswere met.

Addressing the members ofthe NUT in the state duringthe rally, Ambali said, “wewant to appeal to the govern-ment, we want to negotiatewith the government for thenext seven days, I know some-thing positive will come out.But if that fails, we will nothesitate to continuously offera purposeful leadership to theNigeria Union of Teachers.

“Teachers are not well fed.Our meagre allowance can nottake us home. We are open tonegotiation, we don’t haveclosed minds. The govern-ment must be able to come upto know the recognised andlegalised union of teachers.

“Negotiation must be welldocumented. We are not syco-phants; we are not beingsponsored by government.

“What are we fighting for?What is our government do-ing as regards democratic

… as teachers protest non-payment of 27.5 per cent TPA

dividend?“The government has been

seized by sycophants, that isthe truth.

“Governor Amosun is fromus; he is one of us, no matterwhat happened in Oke-Mosan, he got to that throughLabour.

“When he lost the first elec-tion, we sympathised with him,we prayed to God Almighty;with the efforts of the down-trodden masses and Labour heis now at Oke-Mosan.

“Now, let us remind His Ex-cellency that at a point in time

he should remember his oathwith the Labour. He told usthat his government is goingto be a worker driven govern-ment; where is our welfarethat he promised? Is 27.5 percent not part of our welfare?Let us pray that God Almightywill touch the heart of the gov-ernor and the government topay the money immediately.

Meanwhile, teachers num-bering about 500 led by stateNUT Chairman, ComradeDare Ilekoya, protested thealleged failure of the stategovernment to respond to the

teachers’ agitations andgrievances.

The protesting teachers car-ried placards with various in-scriptions such as: ‘N4 billionplus Federal allocation isenough to pay,’ ‘Teachers aremoulders, they deserve a lotof respect,’ ‘ASSUS is a gov-ernment sponsored anti-teachers progress,’ ‘Ogunteachers deserve Ogun stand-ard’ and ‘No 27.5 per cent toteachers, no resumption,’among others.

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi (right),welcoming Swiss Am-bassador to Nigeria, Chad and Niger, Mr. Hans-Rudolf Hodel and theMigration Advisor, Embassy of Switzerland, Mr. Andreas Broger, to hisresidence, in Ado-Ekiti.

Doctors in Ekiti threaten strike overstoppage of special allowance

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

ADO EKITI — FOR allegedly stoppingpayment of special allowances, otherwise

known as Consolidated Medical Salary Scale tomedical workers in all the 16 councils of EkitiState,the parent body of doctors has issued a 21-

ernment levelThe association

equally warned the state government tostop imposition ofwhat it describedas undue taxation ofits members acrossthe state.

The doctors saidthey are not satis-fied with the heavytaxation on their callduty and other pro-f e s s i o n a lallowances.

This warningcame barely a weekthe teachers in thestate joined theircounterparts in a na-tionwide strike overunpaid 27.5 percent TPA

Ekiti PDP urges party leaders to caution Tambuwalfor praising Aregbesola

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

OSOGBO — THE OsunState chapter of the Peoples

Democratic Party, PDP, has asked thenational chairman of the party, Al-haji Bamanga Tukur and othernational leaders of the party to callthe Speaker, House of Representa-tives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal toorder over his alleged recentutterances on the political situationsin the state.

Also, the party described the re-cent statement credited to the stateChapter of the Action Congress ofNigeria (ACN) that the party shouldlook for a credible candidate ahead

of the 2014 governorship poll as care-less statement, saying that the par-ty’s aspirants are all competent indi-viduals with good educational back-ground to lead the state.

The call was as a result of the re-cent visits by Hon. Tambuwal toGovernor Rauf Aregbesola of OsunState where he was said to have com-mended the governo for his laudableachievements.

Tambuwal alongside other promi-nent members of the PDP includingformer Vice President, Atiku Abubakarwere in the state recently for theofficial launch of “Opon Imo,” aninitiative of the Aregbesola’s govern-ment and both of them hailed Areg-besola’s achievements.

The latest visit of Tambuwal wasthe second time he would be visit-ing Governor Aregbesola this year,a development which the statechapter of the PDP considered asincredible, especially considering hiscommendation of Aregbesola’sprogrammes.

But the PDP in a statement by itsChairman, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwaat the weekend said it was unbecom-ing of a national leader of the partylike Tambuwal to praise-sing Areg-besola each time he was in the state.

Olaoluwa, who condemned the vis-its and utterances of Tambuwa, askedwhether the Speaker, Tambuwal is amember of the PDP or a supporter ofGovernor Aregbesola.

day ultimatum to the state government to effect thepayment or get ready for industrial action.

Operating under the umbrella of Nigeria Medi-cal Association, NMA, the body at a press briefingin Ado Ekiti, weekend, condemned the state gov-ernment for its alleged refusal to pay the allow-ance to their colleagues working at the local gov-

Court ordersman’sdetentionoverabduction,rape of 15 yrold girl

BY GBENGA OLARI-NOYE

OSOGBO — A 22year old man,

Moyinoluwa Tosin hasbeen ordered by anOsogbo Magistrate court tobe remanded in Ileshaprison for allegedlyabducting and raping a 15year old girl, Tope Adeniyi.

The Police prosecutor,Mr. Solomon Oladele, anInspector told the courtpresided over byMagistrate Olusola Alukothat the accused personand others who now atlarge, conspired to abductthe 15-year-old girl, whileMoyinoluwa allegedlydefiled her at Egbatedoarea of Osogbo.

He said the offencesallegedly committed by theaccused person werecontrary to and punishableunder sections 516, 362,221 and 360 of the CriminalCode, Cap 34 Vol. 11 lawsof Osun State of Nigeria,2003.

The accused told thecourt that the victim oftenslept in his house, addingthat there was no way hecould have raped his girlfriend who had on manyoccasions slept with him.He therefore pleaded notguilty to all the charges.

Counsel to the accusedperson, Mr. Daniel Agbaraprayed the court to grantthe accused person bail, butthe court declined the pleaand asked him to make aformal application.

The case was adjournedtill 20th June, 2013.

Dosunmu, former NADECOchieftain dies in US

FORMER CHIEFTAIN of the National Democratic

Coalition, NADECO, andSecond Republic Minister,Dr Wahab Dounmu, isdead.

He died at a UnitedStates of America hospitallast night after a brief ill-ness. Details of his deathwere sketchy at press time.

The late politician wasone of those who fought forthe actualization of theJune 12, 1993 presidentialmandate of late ChiefM.K.O Abiola throughNADECO.

In 1999, he aspired togovern Lagos but lost the

ticket to Asiwaju BolaTinubu. He won electioninto the Senate on the ban-ner of the Alliance for De-mocracy, AD, and later de-fected to the PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP, be-fore the end of his term in2003.

Contacted on theDosunmu’s demise, formerLagos State Chairman ofthe PDP, Alhaji MurtalaAshorobi, confirmed thepolitician’s death.

. “That is shocking to me.I was at the club (Eko club)between 6 and 7 p.m, yes-terday but I did not hearany news until I madecome calls this night. hedied three months after his74 th birtday,” he said.

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013

Infrastructure Bank to fund $2bn railproject from Alagbado to Lagos

Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN, First Republic parliamentarian and former Minister of Justice(middle); Eric James, Delta State media consultant (left) and Ufuoma Omologe, of DeltaBroadcasting Service, Lagos Office, at the presentation of Akinjide's Lecture Series, in Lagos.

Politicians, parties destroying democracy in Nigeria — Prof. Momoh

LAGOS — DEAN of theFaculty of Social Science,

Lagos State University, Profes-sor Abubakar Momoh, has saidthe only way democracy willyield dividends in Nigeria isfor politicians to stop playingdestructive politics, lamentingthat the problem of democracyin Nigeria is politicians andpolitical parties.

He spoke as a guest speakerat the 2ndLegislative/Civil So-

ciety Parley of the Lagos StateHouse of Assembly.

Speaking on the theme,“Good Governance at theGrassroots in Lagos State”, hesaid, “Democracy is about rep-resentation, participation andinclusion but submitted that notall the three factors werepresent in practice of democ-racy in Nigeria.”

Momoh argued that whatthe country had in the last 14years was not democracy but

cused, then the issue regard-ing bureaucracy will be athing of the past. There arestructural and behavioural is-sues that are wrong with ourpolitics.”

“Chairmen of local govern-ment are like hand-bags, theyare not independent in termsof finance, among others. Partof the challenges of grass-roots governance includescorruption, constitutional am-biguity of tenure and powersof LGs, among others.”

THE INFRASTRUCTUREBank Plc is to provide

funds for the proposed $2 bil-lion dollars Lagos Red LineRail Project that will commutetwo million passengers dailyfrom Alagbado to Marina.

Mr. Hakeem Olopade, thebank’s Executive Director(Projects), announced this inLagos at the 3rd EconomicCommission of West AfricaStates, ECOWAS, InvestmentForum.

The bank is the chief pro-moter and financier of the railproject.

The fund will be sourced fromthe local and internationalmarkets.

Olopade said the project hadbeen in conception since five

years ago and would be im-plemented by Marina Ex-press Consortium to easetransportation in populatedareas of Lagos.

According to him, the RedLine Rail project wouldstretch 37 kilometres with 36pedestrian walk-over bridgesto end at the Marina.

Olopade said the Red Lineand the ongoing Blue LineRail projects would convergeon a “signature bridge” to linkthe mainland to the Marina.

He saithe bridge would cost200 million dollars.

Olopade said the Red LineRail project might be ex-tended to Ogun State in thefuture and said the Red LineRail project would be a two-

type infrastructure whichwould cost one billion dollarseach.

The bank executive identi-fied skill and training as para-mount to the project and saidthe bank was assembling aglobal team to implement the

project, saying, “we also wantto make sure that as we pro-vide training and skill serv-ices, there is a clear system oftransfer programme to ensurethat within a short time, therail would be run by Nigeri-ans for Nigerians.”

Orhii,Fagbohungbe,Oloruntoba,others forNAJUCseminar

All is now set for the2013 annual workshop ofthe Lagos branch of Na-tional Association of Ju-dicial Correspondents(NAJUC).

A statement issued,weekend, by the CentralPlanning Committee forthe workshop, explainedthat the two-day eventwould commence today,June 10, 2013 with a freehealth check up for allNAJUC members at thePress Centre of LagosHigh Court, Igbosere.

According to the state-ment, Director Generalof the National Agencyfor Food and Drug Ad-ministration and Con-trol, NAFDAC, Dr. PaulOrhii, would educatethe judicial correspond-ents on laws guiding theoperations of NAFDAC.

Director of Prosecutionand Legal Services of theNational Drug Law En-forcement Agency(NDLEA), Mr. FemiOloruntoba will facilitate anumber of topics on theoperational laws and trea-ties guiding the operationsof the NDLEA

All the sessions will bechaired by a Senior Advo-cate of Nigeria, SAN, ChiefFelix Faghohungbe.

Falana seeks 50% reduction ofelectricity tariff — Falana

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAHI

despotism, saying most poli-ticians were not representingthe interest of the masseseven though they were sup-posedly elected by the samemasses.

Explaining the rationale be-hind government at the grass-roots, he said the way the Lo-cal Government Council Ar-eas, LDCAs, were createdwas highly political.

He noted: “If they are com-munity and development fo-

LAGOS — LAGOS Lawyer and human rights ac-

tivist, Femi Falana, has calledfor a 50 per cent reduction inthe electricity tariff currentlybeing paid by Nigerians, ar-guing that the current tariff is

not justifiable since Nigerianshave practically been in dark-ness as admitted by govern-ment in the mid-term report.

Falana in a statement calledon the FederalGovernment to urgently de-centralise the generation anddistribution of electricity with-out any further delay.

He said state and local gov-ernments should play a domi-nant role in the on-going pri-vatisation of the Power Hold-ing Company of Nigeria,PHCN.

According to him, “In a mid-term report lavishly launchedbarely a week ago, theGoodluck Jonathan Adminis-tration claimed to have per-formed excellently well.

“In particular, itscored itself pass mark in thearea of electricity supply. Butas soon as the official cel-ebration of deception wasover, the country was totallyenveloped in darkness.

“The disgracefuldevelopment was confirmedby the Federal Governmentwhich admitted that 120 mil-lion Nigerians had no accessto electricity. Two dayslater, the remaining 47millionNigerians who are said tohave access to electricity weresubjected to system collapseto the extent that electricitysupply fell below 2,000 mega-watts from 4,000 megawatts.

“The situation became soembarrassing that PresidentJonathan has set up a panelto investigate the remote andimmediate causes of the sys-tem collapse in the energysector.”

Fire razes 150 shops at Trinity spare parts marketBY IFEANYI OKOLIE &

MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

LAGOS — NO fewer than150 shops and goods

worth millions of Naira wereyesterday razed by fire at theTrinity spare parts market inOlodi Apapa area of LagosState.

Vanguard gathered that thefire which started around 3:24p.m., might have been causedby an electrical power surge inone of the shops on ‘B’ line ofthe plaza.

Eyewitnesses who spoke toVanguard confirmed that at firsta thick smoke was spotted bellow-ing from one shop in ‘B’ line asPower Holding Company of Ni-geria, PHCN, restored power inthe afternoon before finally de-generating into an inferno that en-gulfed the entire Speed WellPlaza.

The plaza is said to house over200 shops dealing on motor spareparts. An eyewitness and a resi-dent in the area who identifiedhimself as Amechi, told Vanguardthat “this whole incident started

when PHCN restored power herearound 1.00p.m.

Not long after that, I saw a thicksmoke coming from one of theshops on B line but I didn’t knowthe fire was going to be this bigand spread to other parts of theplaza. Now the destruction iswanton.”

Meanwhile, some of the af-fected traders who could talk toVanguard, expressed shock atthe sudden inferno, lamentingthat with the level of destruction,it would only take quick govern-ment intervention to help them

get back to business again.For instance, one of the affected

traders, Mr. Izuchukwu Agwu,lamented: “I am finished. As youare seeing me here, I have losteverything I have to this fire in-cident.

“Unless something is done, Iam heading back to the villageand you know what it means -suicide. I sleep in my shop and Ihave no other business here.”

“I was lucky not to have beenin there when the fire started;who knows, I might have gotburnt. Now, what else do I have,

I am heading back to the villagetonight.” .

Meanwhile, policemen fromTrinity Police Station were seenaround the plaza providing se-curity, while fire fighters from theLagos State fire Service and thosefrom Julius Berger Plc werestruggling to put the fire out.

However, Director of the LagosState Fire Service, Mr. RasakFadipe, saidthe fire which oc-curred at 3:24 p.m. was fuelledby the inflammables materialsstored in the over 95 shops inthe complex.

BY EBUN SESSOU

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013 —11

Jonathan not S-South messiah —ActivistBY EMMA AMAIZE

PDP vs APGA:Oyigbocouncillorshiptussle returnsto court

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

My election ‘ll promote democratic dividends—Obi

BY FESTUS AHON

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

Godfather, PDP crisis distractedIgbinedion —Ize-Iyamu

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

Oshiomhole threatens illegal loggers

U G H E L L I —FORMER acting gover-

nor of Delta State and member ofthe state House of Assembly,Prince Sam Obi, has said thathis election as governor come

PORT HARCOURT— THE People’s

Democratic Party, PDP, inRivers State has draggedAll Progressives GrandAlliance, APGA, to courtagain over a disputedcouncil election that hadleft the Ward 8 council-lorship seat vacant forthree years at OyigboLocal Government Areaof the state.

Since the council’selection in 2011, APGA’scandidate, Mr. SunnyWilliams, who has wonthree repeated electionsfor Oyigbo Ward 8, hasbeen denied occupationof the office by his PDPopponent, Mr. ChijokeAzu, through court suitsto his successive victo-ries.

Following the last rerunelection victory in whichthe Rivers State Inde-pendent Electoral Com-mission, RSIEC, issued theAPGA winner a return cer-tificate, an upset Williamstold Vanguard that thePDP’s determination to per-petually deny his mandatehad assumed a criminal di-mension.

He said: “For the thirdtime in April this year since2011, the Oyigbo 8 Wardvoters insisted through theirvotes that I am the man torepresent them. In depar-ture from the first two elec-tions, RSIEC, the electionumpire affirmed the resultsby issuing me a Certificateof return. I can’t imaginewhy I am still not sworn inyet.”

BENIN—EDO State governor, Mr. Adams

Oshiomhole, weekend, warned

illegal loggers in the state thatthe state government will dealruthlessly with those who con-travene the laws of the state.

The governor, at this year’s“Tree Peace Planting Exercise”at the Ehor Forest Reserve inUhunmwonde Local Govern-ment Area of the state, said gov-ernment would adopt pro-activemeasures on tree planting, en-vironmental cleanness, erosionand flood control in the state.

He said, “I am using this oc-casion to warn that governmentwill be more firm in dealing withall those involved in illegal fall-ing of trees. We must use thecarrot and stick apprach. If youare caught falling trees reck-lessly that have not been author-ised and in clear violation of ourlaws and our commitment to pro-tect the forests, government will

WARRI—A resource con-trol campaigner in the

Niger Delta, AlhajiMumakai-Unagha, week-end, said President GoodluckJonathan has the right to re-contest for President in 2015,but was not a messiah to theSouth-South people.

Alhaji Mumakai Unagha,in Warri, Delta State, said if

DELTA State branch of As-sociation of Community

Newspaper Publishers of Nigeria,ACNPN, yesterday, denied re-ports that its executive led byFelida Essi had been dissolvedand replaced by a caretaker com-mittee.

Public Relation Officer ofACNPN Delta State Council, MrAnthony Ebule in a statement,said there was no such thing, add-ing that the purported meetingwhere the new caretaker commit-tee was appointed was illegal andall the decisions taken at the meet-ing were null and void.

Ebule said Article 10 section D(i) of ACNPN’s constitution saysthe secretary lacks the power tosummon a meeting or dissolveexisting executive without the ap-proval of the chairman.

Continuing, he contends thatPrince Charles Umejei of the Na-tional Trumpet, was serving sus-pension for insubordination anddisrespect to the association.

not only step in, but ensure youare severely punished.”

Flagging off the 2013 tree plant-ing campaign, supported by theNetherlands Ambassador to Ni-geria, Mr. Bert Ronhaar, the gov-ernor said: “it is important to be-gin not only to talk tough but acteven tougher. We must recognisethat it does not make sense to fell10 trees and then plant two to re-place them.

“I urge all genuinestakeholders not to see the forestas a place to be devastated. Thegovernment and the people mustwork together to protect the for-est.

“In recognition of the role theforest plays in the environment,government recently revoked109,000 hectares of de-reservedlands with the singular view toregenerating them.”

“President Jonathan cannotaddress the problem of theregion and from availableindications, the South-Southwill be worse at the end ofhis administration.

“The living standard of thepeople has not changed forthe better and the haplesspeople have simply surren-dered their faith to God. Thisis the simple truth and I

ACNPN deniesexco dissolutionreport

BY SAM EYOBOKA

BENIN CITY—SOUTHSouth Vice-Chairman of

Action Congress of Nigeria,ACN, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu,weekend, spoke on the adminis-tration of Governor LuckyIgbinedion, saying that a godfa-ther, who saw himself as a minigod and the factional crisis thatengulfed the Peoples DemocraticParty, PDP, then, distracted theadministration.

It will be recalled that the crisisbetween Governor Igbinedionand Chief Tony Anenih,factionalised the PDP in the statethen, which eventually led to thedefeat of PDP at the general elec-tions that brought in GovernorAdams Oshiomhole of ACN.

He explained that contrary toinsinuations that he was part ofthose that ruined the administra-tion of Governor Igbinedion, “Iwas not the most powerful in gov-ernment then, I was the Chief ofStaff and later Secretary to theState Government and I don’taward contracts or was I inchargeof any ministry, but people mis-construed my simplifying the of-fices of the COS and SSG to alevel that created industrial har-mony in the state and goodwillfor government to mean that I wasvery influential.”

Ize-Iyamu who bared his mindin a lecture entitled “Political Gov-

ernance in Edo State: 1999 TillDate,” organised by Edo Politi-cal Forum, noted, however, thatit would be wrong to describethe administration of his formerboss, Governor Igbinedion as atotal failure, due to some re-markable achievements the ad-ministration made in the areasof health, war against humantrafficking, payment of N500million debt inherited during

the military, insisting that the PDPleadership then distracted theadministration as regardsinfrastructural development.

“The PDP that produced thegovernor of the state between1999-2007 had no manifesto, blueprint or plan for governance andEdo State was actually personi-fied by one lead character that wasliterally worshipped as the ownerand giver of political power. The

pressure and subtle threat fromthe god father and his support-ers was excessive and distractivein the process of project planningand execution as well as man-agement of resources of thestate.”

He said that unlike the incum-bent Oshiomhole, who willquickly bare his mind on issues,Lucky Igbinedion “has alwaysbeen a man of few words but si-lence is not always golden. In theworld we live in, silence can eas-ily be misconstrued.”

2015 will lead to more democraticdividends to the people of thestate.

Obi, while inaugurating PDPElite for Sam Obi 2015, a politi-cal pressure group in Oleh, IsokoSouth Local Government Area ofthe state, told Deltans to remainfocused and steadfast in their

support for his governorship am-bition.

Represented by the DirectorGeneral of his campaign organi-sation, Mr Pius Erabor, he said:“I am overwhelmed by thegroup’s concern and actions ofnot just picking me as the onlycandidate divinely qualified tocontest Delta gubernatorial seatcome 2015 but also promising tosupport me until victory comes.

“The PDP Elite for Sam Obi willnot regret their action of support-ing me if I emerged by the Graceof God as governor of Delta State come2015. My wealth of experience as aformer Speaker of Delta Assembly andacting governor will be brought to bearinmy running the state.”

Earlier in his address, National Chair-man of the group, Mr Ureigho Enirurue,said “we are committed to ensuring thatour dear Delta State get the best of gov-ernance in this country. “

challenge the President to adebate on what achievementshe has brought to the lives ofpeople of zone in terms of so-cial political and economic de-velopment.

“I can tell you that the Presi-dent will not get the full sup-port of the zone in 2015 un-like in 2011, when every NigerDelta took it as a challenged.”

WEDDING: From left: Prof Wole Soyinka with his in-laws, Chief Lucky Ayomanor Omoro-fokpe of Okpe Kingdom and London based Chief Alfred Ayomanor, during the marriage offormer Miss Damilola Seun and Mr. Rotimi A. Doherty in Kaduna.

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013

Politiciansurged toemulate Mutu

We’ve more illegal filling stations in Bayelsa —DPRBY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Kidnapping: Witnesses now testifywillingly in Delta —AG

BYAUSTIN OGWUDA

BIRTHDAY: Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Lady Valerie Ebe (2nd right); flankedfrom right by Head of the state Civil Service, Mrs. Cecilia Udoessien; Chief Whip of the stateHouse of Assembly, Mrs. Alice Ekpenyong and Chairman, Okobo Local Government Area,Mrs. Felicia Bassey, after a visit to orphanages in the three Senatorial Districts of the state aspart of activities to mark the 42nd Birthday Anniversary of Governor Godswill Akpabio’swife, Mrs. Unoma Akpabio.

BY DAPO AKINREFON

Group warnsagainstoverheatingpolity

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

Community decries violationof Local Content Act

JEREMI—WORRIED bycontinuous flouting of the Lo-

cal Content Act by oil companiesoperating in their community, thepeople of Iwhrekan in UghelliSouth Local Government Area ofDelta State, have tasked the Stateand Federal Governments to in-tervene as they vow to fight theperceived injustice by all meansnecessary.

President General of the com-munity, Mr. Judge Dukpan,speaking at the swearing in of thenewly elected executive of thecommunity, at Iwhrenkan, saidthat several youths of Iwhrekan,particularly graduates, who areeminently qualified to work in theoil companies operating on theirland are denied jobs at the Otoro-gun Gas Plant located in their com-munity.

WARRI—WOMENof Bomadi\ Patani

federal constituencyhave described House ofRepresentatives mem-ber, Mr Nicholas Mutuas a good and develop-ment oriented leader.

The Wise Women As-sociation, Bomadi , Bo-madi Local GovernmentArea, Delta State, madeup of Agbedi Oda-ere,Wiki Betty and Oshon-wah Oyas, who com-mended Mutu, said hehas contributed im-mensely to the cause ofwomen and others in theconstituent.

They described Mutuas a unique politicalleader, who though doesnot believe in noise mak-ing, has translated hisrepresentation to mean-ingful development,which can be seen invarious communities ofthe constituency.

The women said Mutuhad use his position to in-fluence relevant ministriesand agencies to constructinternal roads, concrete jet-ties, classrooms for schools,solar lights, drains andscholarships for studentsin need.

YENAGOA——Departmentof Petroleum Resources,

DPR, weekend, said its audit ofpetrol stations in Bayelsa State,revealed that illegal petrol stationsout numbered legal stations in thestate.

According to DPR, officials of

the Department have been em-powered with new technologyto detect fake filling stations andthose engaged in under pricing.

The Operations Controller ofDPR in Bayelsa, B. Nkanga ata stakeholders’ meeting withmembers of the IndependentMarketers Association of Niger-ia, IPMAN, said the discovery

had led to warning of the petrolstation owners in Bayelsa Stateover petroleum products diversionand under dispensing.

Nkanga said: “Bayelsans havecontinued to complain over theprice regime and under dispens-ing by petrol stations in Yenagoametropolis. Henceforth, any petrolstation found diverting petroleumproducts, engaging in under dis-pensing and illegal price regimewould face the sanctions from DPR.

“DPR has uncovered illegal pet-rol stations in Bayelsa State, whichhave been reported to law enforce-ment agencies. DPR called themeeting to put IPMAN on notice,that it is now well equipped to de-tect adulterated petroleum. Any

petrol station caught engagingin wholesome practices would besealed off without delay.

“After this meeting, all sanc-tions due to offending petrol sta-tions would be meted out. Prod-uct diversion carries severe pen-alty. We had observed that prod-ucts sent to Bayelsa State are notdischarged at the designated sta-tions. The quantity sent to Bayel-sa is not much, so how on earthcan some people still divert thelittle one sent to the state. Petrolstations under dispense in Bayel-sa. This is not proper; this is badand tantamount to cheating.DPR will no longer tolerate un-der- dispensing in Bayelsa.”

UNITED Niger Del-ta Energy Develop-

ment Security Strategy,UNDEDSS, has expressedits displeasure over the ut-terances of some elderstatesmen in the country,urging security agencies tocheck the dangerous trendbefore the political leadersheat up the polity.

Rising from a meeting inWarri, Delta State, the lead-ers of the group also took aswipe at the National As-sembly for its continuousdelay in the passage of thePetroleum Industry Bill,PIB, saying that the legis-lature is “perpetuating ar-tificial dichotomy of ethnic-ity that militate against pol-icies and programmes thatare intended to fast-tracknational economic devel-opment.”

In a statement by UND-EDSS Secretary-General,Mr. Tony Uranta, hewarned that unless the PIBbecomes law within thenext three months, the Fed-eral Government and oth-er oil and gas exploiterswill be denied access to theNiger Delta natural re-sources.

He said since Shell PetroleumDevelopment Company, hand-ed over operations of the plantto Nigerian Petroleum Develop-ment Company, NPDC, lastyear, no graduate of the com-munity had been employed asa staff in the mass recruitmentexercise conducted by the com-pany. He appealed to the DeltaState Government to wade intothe matter and ensure that whatwas due the host communitygets to them.

He said: “Since 1989 creationof this gas plant in our commu-nity, no indigene graduate hadbeen employed. When the plantwas being commissioned byGeneral Ibrahim Babangida, heassured that we will get directelectricity supply from the gasplant. Up till this moment thatalso has not been done.”

ASABA—DELTA State At-torney-General and Com-

missioner for Justice, Mr.Charles Ajuyah, SAN, has saidthat witnesses have startedchanging their perception andare now coming out willinglyto testify, especially in kidnapand other criminal cases, fol-lowing the measures put inplace, which includes provi-sion of adequate security inand around the court premis-es.

Ajuyah in an interview withVanguard in Asaba, said: “Asmuch as possible, we havetried to provide security for wit-nesses and the courts becausepeople have started to haveconfidence in the courts andthey come out to, either as wit-nesses or to see the peoplewho are involved becausethese are not spirits.

“They are neighbours andsometimes they (suspects) usepseudo or false names, whenthey are arrested by the police.They say their name is JohnJames for example, John Peterand so when people now go tocourt to see them arraigned,they realise that it was theirneighbours that are involvedin these cases.

“So, the ministry decidednot to hide anybody but toshow those people that haveviolated the law and now,people have confidence inthe system.

“That is one of the reasonswhy in Delta State, we havesucceeded more than in any

other state in the prosecution ofthese criminals, be them kid-nappers, robbers, murders,name it. That was the strategywe adopted, we provide securi-ty for the witnesses, courts andanybody who comes to the courtor make any attempt on the wit-nesses, of course, the person

will be dealt with according-ly.

“Our warning is that yousteer clear, if you want to visitthe courts, to witness the pro-ceedings, you are entitled todo so, but don’t go there tothreaten anybody because youwill be certainly dealt with inaccordance with the law.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013—13

From left: Mr Oscar Onyema, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange; EmekaEmuwa, Group Managing Director, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc; and Mrs Oyinkan Adewale,Executive Director Finance/Chief Finance Officer, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, at the bank's'Fact Behind The Figures' at the Nigeria Stock Exchange in Lagos. Photo: Joe Akintola;Photo Editor.

Food poisoning: Only surviving son begs forassistance to bury family

Digitaltransmissionlaunched in Imo

Incitingstatement:Clerics call forBuhari's arrest

Nigercem: EbonyiAssembly probescrisis

BY TONY EDIKE

Tenant kills neighbour overelectricity bill

ENUGU — THE Police inEnugu State have arrested a

tenant identified as UzodinmaEneh for allegedly stabbing hisco-tenant, Prince Uzor, to deathat their Aguabor residence inTrans Ekulu area of Enugu.

Vanguard gathered that Uzorwas allegedly stabbed with a knifeby the suspect following a hot ar-gument that ensued betweenthem over sharing of electricitybill incurred by the tenants.

The victim was said to havebeen rushed to the Parklane Spe-cialist Hospital, Enugu by sym-

pathizers but he gave up theghost shortly after arriving thehospital.

The state Police Public RelationsOfficer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, whoconfirmed the incident, said thesuspect was already helping thepolice in their investigation.

The police spokesman also saidoperatives of the Igboeze NorthPolice Division had nabbed tworobbery suspects who allegedlyattacked a manager of a petrolstation along Igogoro road inIgbo Eze North Local Govern-ment Area and carted awayN250,000.

The suspects identified as Sun-day Ayogu of Ufodu, EnuguEzike and Kenneth Kingsley of

Umuodo Aji, Enugu Ezikearmed with a gun allegedlybroke into the residence of theirvictim on June 5, 2013 and stolethe money.

Amaraizu said luck ran againstthem as the victim raised analarm which attracted membersof the Neighbourhood Watch inthe village to the scene. Thegroup quickly intervened anddrew the attention of the policewho helped to cordon the entirearea off and successfully arrestedthe two.

He said five handsets believedto have been stolen, one longmachete, N197,000 and a danegun cut to size were recoveredfrom the suspects.

BY PETER OKUTU

ABAKALIKI—EBONYI StateHouse of Assembly ad hoc

committee investigating the im-passe in NIGERCEM factory,Nkalagu, between the state gov-ernment and core-investor, IbetoGroup, weekend, invited leadersof the host communities whocalled on the House to intervenein the face-off.

In a letter dated May 30, 2013,with reference number EBHA/LAD/ADHOC/0.1/VOL.1 andsigned by the Secretary of the adhoc panel, Nwogbaga Chinyere;the committee invited the 12 sig-natories to the petition to a meet-ing with the members, urgingthem to treat the matter with ut-most importance.

Ebonyi State government andIbeto Group have been having arunning battle over ownership ofthe foremost cement manufactur-ing company at Nkalagu, whichculminated in the sacking of fourtraditional rulers from the four au-tonomous host communities ofNIGERCEM.

The setting up of the ad hoc com-mittee followed a petition ad-dressed to the speaker of theHouse, Chukwuma Nwazunku,by the leaders of the four autono-mous communities, asking the As-sembly to intervene in the im-passe.

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

OWERRI—AN appeal hasgone to Imo State Govern-

ment and all good spirited indi-viduals to assist in burying thewidow, Madam Gladys Nwosuand her six children that mysteri-ously died after consuming anevening meal.

The gory incident, which tookplace recently at Umuezeukwu,Egbelu-Nguru, Ngor Okpala lo-cal council area of Imo State, hassince attracted widespread com-mentary.

The only surviving son of thefamily, Mr. Maxwell Nwosu, whomade the appeal while speakingto newsmen, however expressedworry that as an applicant, he didnot have the financial muscle toweather the storm.

Nwosu said: “I am the only sonof the family. I am an applicantand the burden of burying mymother and six sisters is emotion-ally and financially too much forme to bear.”

The traumatized Nwosu said heprobably would have also been avictim of the meal that turned sourif he had been at home.

“I have been in Onitsha, An-ambra State, for a while andpainstakingly looking for a gain-ful employment that has remaineda mirage. I would have been avictim of the family’s last supperif I had been at home,” Nwosulamented.

Already, the Deputy Speaker,House of Representatives, ChiefEmeka Ihedioha, has visited thecommunity to commiserate with

them over the death of their lovedones in suspicious circumstanc-es.

Ihedioha lamented the way anentire family was nearly wipedout after consuming a local deli-cacy, stressing that he would givehis support, as well as make surethat the cause of death was as-certained.

Responding, the community’sPresident General, Mr. LinusEke, described the incident as“the worst incident in known his-tory that has befallen the commu-nity”.

Meanwhile, some leaders ofCherubim and Seraphim Church,where three members of the fam-ily died, had reportedly been ar-rested by the state police com-mand.

THE Forum of Niger DeltaBishops, weekend, called

for the arrest of MuhammaduBuhari for questioning the spe-cial treatment given to the Ni-ger Delta militants and con-demning President GoodluckJonathan in a radio programmein Kaduna over the state ofemergency declared in Ad-amawa, Yobe and Bornu states.

The Bishops, speakingthrough their Chairman, Arch-bishop GoddoWell Avwomakpa,who is also the Chairman ofCAN, South South zone notedthat only recently the posters ofBuhari flooded stategic areas inthe Federal Capital Territorywith the inscription” Herecomes the only saviour for Ni-geria”.

According to Avwomakpa, "no-body stops Buhari fromcontesting but he must conducthimself as an elder statesman,a general in the Nigerian Armyand a former leader of this coun-try and not make comments thatare capable of inciting a sectionof the people when the peopleare in dire need of the spirit oftogetherness, love, peace andprogress as well as how to caterfor many displaced persons inthe north owing to activities ofBoko Haram".

The group therefore called onthe Federal government to tameBuhari’ s inflammatory remarksby arresting him, saying thatthis is a deliberate plot to over-heat the polity.

Insecurity: Imogovt debunks USreport

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

OWERRI—IMO State government has dismissed the U.S.

government’s alert which listed thestate as one to be avoided by Amer-icans due to problems of insecuri-ty.

Governor Rochas Okorocha, ina statement by Commissioner forInformation, Strategy, Culture andTourism, Mr. Chinedu Offor,weekend, described the report as“false”.

According to him, the state gov-ernment’s dismissal of the reportis based on the fact that hundredsof foreigners are residing and do-ing businesses in different partsof the state.

The governor stated: “The re-port issued by the United StatesGovernment is false. The UnitedStates government did not takecognizance of the fact that hun-dreds of foreigners are residingand doing their business in differ-ent parts of the 27 local govern-ment areas in the state and earn-ing their living unhindered”, gov-ernment stated.

“There has been prevailingpeace, safety and harmony in thestate” and urged everybody, in-cluding Imo people, who read thereport to ignore it".

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

OWERRI—TELEVISIONbroadcasting took a posi-

tive stride weekend in ImoState, following the launchingof Digital Terrestrial Transmis-sion, DTT, in Owerri by the man-agement of GOtv.

Speaking at the event, Gen-eral Manager of the establish-ment, Mrs. Elizabeth Amkpa,said terrestrial broadcasting inmost African countries was inanalogue format.

She said: “Most countries arein the process of planning andimplementing the migrationfrom analogue to digital televi-sion”.

She explained that GOtv wasdeploying the most advancedDigital Video Broadcast, DVB,technology in Owerri, stressingthat the company’s investmentin the latest technology under-lined its vision and commitmentto deliver family entertainmentto Africa.

CMYK

14 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013

VISIT—From left: Managing Director, Kaduna Distribution Company, Alhaji MohammedIdris; Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris and Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Neboduring a courtesy visit to the Emir's palace in Zaria, Kaduna State, weekend.

Suspension of govs to instilldiscipline — PDP

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

BY HENRY UMORU

N700mscam: EFCCconfiscatessuspects' 44houses

Imminent shake up in House Committees

BY SONI DANIEL,REGIONAL EDITOR,

NORTH

NCC seizesN6bn worth ofpirated items

ABUJA—NATIONAL leadership of Peoples Democrat-

ic Party, PDP, yesterday, said sus-pension of some governors onthe platform of the party was toinstill discipline among mem-bers, irrespective of position.

The PDP was, however, quickto say that all issues would beresolved in a brotherly manner.

It would be recalled that theparty a few weeks ago, suspend-ed Rivers State governor,Chibuike Amaechi, in the wakeof the crisis in the Nigeria Gov-ernors’ Forum, NGF, after hewon the Forum’s election, whichthrew up another faction, led byPlateau State governor, JonahJang.

Soon after Amaechi’s suspen-sion, the party last Wednesdayissued another statement sus-pending Governor Aliyu Wa-

makko of Sokoto State, with in-sinuations that other governorsfrom the North will be affectedsoon.

In a statement by PDP Na-tional Publicity Secretary, ChiefOlisa Metuh, the party said:"We assure that all the issueswould be looked into and re-solved amicably, in line with thespirit of brotherliness and guid-ing principles ofour party.

"The National Working Com-mittee of Peoples DemocraticParty, PDP, hereby assures allmembers that the happeningsin the party in the last fewweeks are part of the processesof instilling discipline within theparty and not to witch-hunt anymember whatsoever.

"The party is not unmindfulof the feelings of members,hence the need for this clarifi-cation. We assure that all the is-sues would be looked into and

resolved amicably, in line withthe spirit of brotherliness andguiding principles of our party.

"The PDP remains a strong,united and democratic familyguided by the principles of eq-uity, justice, rule of law and lovefor one another and will at theend of the day definitely comeout stronger than ever before.

"We, therefore, urge all mem-bers to close ranks and disre-gard suggestions that some in-dividuals or groups are beingtargeted for certain reasons.

"We assure all members thatthe PDP remains the only na-tional party committed to thewelfare of the people for whichit will continue to win electionsacross board.

“It will continue to exist as theparty with structures in allwards, local governments andstates in the federation whereall are free to air their views andcanvass their opinions.”

ABUJA—THE Nigerian Copyright Commission, NCC,

has so far seized pirated itemsworth over N6 billion in the last18 months, its Director General,Afam Ezekude, said weekend.

Ezekude, who announced thiswhile speaking with newsmen atthe commission’s sensitizationworkshop organised for studentsof British Nigerian Academy, saidthe agency was hoping to seizepirated items worth over N10 bil-lion by the end of the year.

He said: “We are vigorouslypursuing our enforcement plan,we have carried out over 120 anti-piracy enforcement in the last twoyears which has resulted to nu-merous arrests and about 35 con-victions secured in the last 18months.

“The commission is committedto its anti-piracy drive enlighten-ment and prosecution because wewant Nigerians to respect otherpeople’s copyrights.

“Pirated items worth over N6billion have been sized in the last18 months. We are hoping toseized pirated items worth overN10 billion by the end of the year.”

BY HENRY UMORU

ABUJA—NATIONAL Chairman of the Peoples Democrat-

ic Party, PDP, Alhaji BamangaTukur, yesterday, said Nigeria’sdesire to be a member of the Unit-ed Nations Security Councilwould be determined to a great-er extent by successes recordedin the fight against terrorism.

Tukur, who also stressed thatpolitical stability in the nation’spolity would also be a determin-ing factor in realising the set tar-get, gave assurance that the am-bition would be realised due tothe support from top rated coun-tries in the world body.

He noted that plans by othercountries to assist Nigeria to getthe position would be judged byefforts made at home to put thecountry in order, stressing thatthe rest of the world, especiallyfriends of Nigeria, had been ea-ger to see the country surmountits security challenges and solid-ify its economy with political sta-bility.

Tukur said: ‘’For Nigeria to getthe ticket to be a member of theWorld Security Council dependson the success it would make outfrom its current war against ter-rorism".

How Nigeria canattainmembership ofUN SecurityCouncil— Tukur

BY EMMAN OVUAKPO-RIE

He further stressed that at thecommencement of its journey,the 7th House of Representativesfashioned for itself a LegislativeAgenda to guide its processes,programmes and operations.

Tambuwal said: “This agendais consistent with the constitu-tional mandate of the legislatureto wit: Legislation, Representa-tion and Oversight.

"The legislative function ofmaking laws for the peace orderand good government of Niger-ia appears reasonably well ap-preciated now by the generalpublic, so is the function of over-sight of the implementation ofthe laws so made pursuant to thelaw making function.

CMYK

ABUJA—APPARENTLYdisturbed by the perceived

poor performance of some Houseof Representatives committeechairmen in the past two years,the leadership may finally dropnon-performing chairmen andreplace them with more capablehands.

Speaker of the House, AminuTambuwal, who made this dis-closure at the ceremony held tomark his two years in office, not-ed that it was obvious that somecommittee chairmen performedcreditably well, while others per-formed below expectations, add-

ing that those who fell withinthe category would be sanc-tioned.

Tambuwal had explained fur-ther that given the improve-ments in some House process-es, aimed at reducing legisla-tive red tape, it must be admit-ted that the times reportage byHouse Committees on bills andother matters referred to themfor action, had been far froms a t i s f a c t o r y .He stated further that this hadimpacted negatively on the ac-complishment of targets.

"Henceforth, Committees willbe sited for such breaches andsanctioned appropriately,” thespeaker warned.

ABUJA—A Federal HighCourt sitting in Umuahia

has granted a forfeiture orderto the Economic and FinancialCrimes Commission, EFCC, toseize 44 houses belonging toeight persons who defraudedUnion Bank of Nigeria Plc tothe tune of N700 million.

The order, which was givenby Justice F. A. Olubanjo, af-fects the property of ChikezieNeoma Agbara, Amarachi Iro-ha, Lucy Nwosu and Glo Chiz-zy International Limited.

Others are Nneamaka Rap-hael Iheabuchi, Nnamdi Nwo-su, Ikechukwu Nwosu, Chuk-wu Chikezie and Oliver Og-bujie.

The accused were arraignedin two separate charges overcriminal conspiracy, stealing byfraudulent conversion, moneylaundering and fraud.

The EFCC had on January4, 2013, sought the leave of thecourt to seize their assets in linewith sections 28 and 34 of theEFCC (Establishment Act)2004 and Section 13(1) of theFederal High Court Act, 2004.

Section 28 reads: “Where aperson is arrested for an of-fence under this Act, the Com-mission shall immediately traceand attach the assets and prop-erty of the person acquired asa result of such economic or fi-nancial crime and shall there-after cause to be obtained aninterim attachment order fromthe Court.”

Justice Olubanjo in grantingthe interim forfeiture requestordered as follows, “That allassets as listed in schedule 1to 5 of the ex-parte originatingsummons being proceeds ofeconomic and financial crimesheld directly by or for the ben-efit of or on behalf of the per-sons named in schedule 1 to 5of this ex-parte originatingsummons be temporarily at-tached pending the conclusionof trial in charge Nos. FHC/UM/CR/30/2012-FRN VS.Chikezie Neoma Agbara and3 Others; and FHC/UM/CR/77/2012-FRN VS. ChikezieNeoma Agbara and 6 Others”

A breakdown of theassets affected by this order isas follows: A four bedroomapartment at World Bank Hos-ing Estate, Umuahia; twin twobedroom apartment at Amaka-ma, Umuahia; one storey build-ing of four flats at Umudike,Umuahia; an undeveloped plotof land at Government Stationlayout, Umuahia; and numer-ous others.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013—15

From left: Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State; Governor Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and former Head ofState, General Abdulsalami Abubakar at the wedding of Badriyya, daughter of former Governor of Bauchi State, AlhajiAhmadu Adamu Mu'azu and Mohammed, son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Bauchi, Saturday.

Democracy has come to stay despiteimperfections —Abdulsalami

BY TAYE OBATERU

JOS — FORMER Head ofState, General Abdulsalami

Abubakar, has said democracyhas come to stay in Nigeria de-spite imperfections still beingexperienced.

He, therefore, urged Nigeriansto be patient as the nation wadesthrough the learning process.

Abubakar who transited Ni-geria into the current democraticdispensation in 1999 told jour-nalists in Jos, weekend, that de-mocracy was still on track despitevarious challenges which heviewed as part of the learningprocess.

He spoke after a courtesy callon Governor Jonah Jang of Pla-teau State during which hecommended the gradual peacebeing experienced in the state.

He regretted the crisis thatrocked the once peaceful state inthe past and called for collectiveeffort to sustain the peace, add-ing: “May this evil never visit usagain.”

The former military leader whowas on his way to Bauchi,commended Jang for the trans-

formation the state had witnessedin recent times, noting how hedid not recognise Rayfield,where he once served during hismilitary career, because of thenew road network.

He urged the governor to con-tinue to deliver the dividends ofdemocracy to the people and

enjoined the people to cooper-ate with government to sustainpeace.

Jang praised Abubakar for be-ing the midwife of the currentdemocracy in the country, add-ing that without his patriotismand personal sacrifice, democ-racy might have remained elu-sive.

Gbong Gwom Jos blames crises in Northon disrespect for other’s values

BY TAYE OBATERU &HOPE OFOBIKE

JOS — THE Gbong Gwom Jos,Da Jacob Gyang Buba, has

blamed the recurring crisis inNorthern part of the country onlack of respect for each other’sreligion, culture and tradition

and said the situation mustchange if the region would knowpeace.

The traditional ruler who spokewhile receiving the PresidentialCommittee on Dialogue andPeaceful Resolution in the North,in Jos, said disrespect for eachother’s values would remain asource of conflict.

He said: “We are a multiculturalsociety, therefore, we must re-spect the culture of one anotherand ensure we do our best not tocross each other’s path. A lot ofcriminality has been brought intoreligion. We have allowed senti-ment to take over our religionand discipline can’t be meted outto reckless religious leaders. Ifpeace must return to the northwe must take away criminalityfrom religion.

“There are indigenous tribesthat make up the state, but forsome people who are settlers,they wish to take over the affairsof the state, but people are usingtheir religious blanket to covertheir ulterior motives of makingtroubles in the state.”

The Gbong Gwom called on thecommittee to review the securityadministration in the states andbring up conclusions from agenuine perspective.

Senator representing PlateauNorth, Mr. Gyang Pwajok, saidthe situation in Plateau had got

to an extent where the perpetra-tors of crimes are now victims andvictims are now perpetrators.

He called on the Federal Gov-ernment to compensate victimsof the violence, adding: “Victimsof this violence have never beencompensated by the Federal Gov-ernment. Destructions in thisland are in billions of naira.”

The leader of the Hausa com-munity, Mallam Sani Muazusaid there were a lot of allega-tions against the Hausa in Jos,some of which include plannedJihad by the Hausa communityand to take over the throne of thetraditional ruler which he saidwere false.

Sani said the problem in Josreflected the true position of Ni-geria, adding that empowermentmust go beyond the Federal Gov-ernment.

Also speaking, the representa-tive of the Berom community, DaStephen Tizam, said the Beromshad been affected by the crisisand hundreds of people live intears on a daily basis.

Earlier, Chairman of the Presi-dential Committee who is alsothe Minister of Special Duties,Alhaji Kabiru Turaki, had said thepresident constituted the commit-tee with the aim of bringing allforms of violence in the northernpart of the country to a drasticend.

NYCN to ACN: Don’t drag ourname into politics

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

ILORIN — NATIONAL YouthsCouncil of Nigeria, NYCN, an

umbrella body of the youths inthe country, has cautioned theAction Congress of Nigeria,ACN, against dragging its nameinto politics, noting that its claimthat its newly elected president,Comrade Yakubu Shendam wasan aide to the National Chair-man of ruling Peoples DemocraticParty, PDP, Alhaji BamangaTukur, was not true.

According to a statement by theNYCN in Ilorin, the Kwara Statecapital, signed by its NationalPublicity Secretary, Mr.Abdulrahman Agboola, thecouncil said the organisation isa non-political, non-religious andnon-tribal organisation that had

been working for the growth ofthe nation’s youths.

It described the recent state-ment by the ACN signed by itsNational Publicity Secretary,Alhaji Lai Muhammed, aboutthe newly elected president ofthe organisation as very unfor-tunate.

According to the group, “thePresident of the NYCN, Com-rade Yakubu Shendam is aformer President of the NationalAssociation of Polytechnic Stu-dents and currently a youthrights advocate and has nevermet the PDP National Chairmanin any official capacity. This alle-gation is not only unfounded butequally indicates the clandestinemotive of ACN to use NYCN asa front to attack the Presidencyand PDP.”

UNIABUJAcrisis, acase ofsystemfailure—FG

BY HENRY UMORU

ABUJA— THE FederalGovernment has de-

scribed the crisis in the Uni-versity of Abuja as a systemfailure which has been therefor several years.

Disclosing this, weekend,during a presentation of herministry’s scorecard to theNational Chairman of the Peo-ples Democratic Party, PDP,and other members of the Na-tional Working Committee,NWC, Minister of Education,Professor Ruqqayatu AhmedAlkali, noted that it would bedifficult to resolve the problemovernight, adding that it wasa problem the present admin-istration inherited.

According to her, the min-istry’s target was to attain 60per cent pass by students inpublic examinations by 2015,even as she said that a four-year strategic plan had al-ready been developed toachieve the target whichwould ensure passes in rel-evant subjects like EnglishLanguage and Mathematics.

The minister also said theproblems being faced by medi-cal students would be resolvedin the next two weeks, whilestudents in other facultieswould be transferred to otherinstitutions where the pro-grammes have been accred-ited.

She said: “Remember wehad a Visitation Panel in theuniversity because we have somany problems there. Theuniversity is decaying so weraised a high powered Visita-tion Panel; the highest levelso far, over 40 members withso many committees headedby a renowned SAN.

“They came up with a verygood report, detailing all theissues and we have submit-ted the White Paper on that. Ihave said this over and overthat University of Abuja is aclear system failure. If a sys-tem has failed for severalyears, then it will be difficultto say you will resolve it over-night. We have a problem weinherited.

“NUC is working withCOREN and Medical andDental Council. The studentsare on the streets because wecannot graduate engineeringstudents from the Universityof Abuja based on what is onground. However, we havehope that in two weeks or so,we may have accreditation forMedicine in the university.”

CMYK

OPINION

16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013

Mr. Ezukanma, a commentator onnational issues, wrote from Lagos.

BY TOCHUKWU EZUKANMA Fashola: Rein-in these agenciesPETER Viereck once defined barbarism

as “blindness to the standards ofconduct which civilization has overimposed on human nature”. Civilizationis less about scientific inventions andtechnological advancement and theirconcomitant enhancement of the quality oflife for the generality of humanity. It is moreabout what the ancient Greek writers call,“taming of the savageness of man andmaking gentle the life of this world”. Thesavageness of man is tamed by moral andethical restraints found on the concept ofjustice, individual worth and personalequality. Any behaviour not restrained bythese ideals is barbarism.

So, barbarism does not mean lack ofknowledge, wealth or material efficiency.It is psychological, ethical and moral.Therefore, it is possible to strut around inWestern tailored designer suit or expensive,exquisitely, tailored agbada and spout theQueen’s English, and still, be a barbarian.One can have academic degrees andprofessional honours and prance aroundthe corridors of power and the hallowedchambers of law making, and remain abarbarian. Some travel in planes, ownpersonal jets (like some Nigeriangovernors), and actually, pilot the jetthemselves but are barbarians. One canstand behind the pulpit of a sprawlingchurch and enthrall thousands withinsightful oration on the Gospel of JesusChrist and still be a barbarian.

In Lagos State, officials of the Kick

Against Indiscipline (KAI) Brigade and theLagos State Traffic Management Authority(LASTMA) posture as rovingdisciplinarians and experts in trafficcontrol, respectively. Yet, despite theircolourful uniforms and pretensions, theirranks are filled with the uncultured.

To go about the city of Lagos trying to“enforce discipline” is a pointless act. Andto brutalise innocent and haplessindividuals in the name of enforcingdiscipline is criminal. Without knowing it,the masses behave like their role models -the leaders. By their own behaviour, thepower elite dictate the behaviour of themasses. Nigerians are generally lawless,corrupt and greedy because our leaders arelawless, corrupt and greedy. To ignore thelawlessness and indiscipline of the LagosState power elite (elected and appointedgovernment officials and those in the highestechelon of the state bureaucracy) and then,unleash KAI officials to impose disciplineon the masses is unvarnished hypocrisy. Intheir barbarism: cruelty, brutality, andviciousness, KAI officials behave as thoughthey are yet to come to terms with the factthat the era of slavery is over.

LASTMA officials, like the officials ofother government agencies, abuse theirpowers. They accuse motorists falsely,intimidate them and extort money fromthem. In addition, they have, shownlamentable disdain for human lives. Theyhave, on a number of occasions, killedmotorists for minor traffic offenses.

For example, on the 24 of December2012, two LATSMA officials allegedly beatup a 54 year old commercial bus driver,Isaac Popoola, to death. The two officialsstopped Popoola’s bus, and ordered him tocome down from his bus. He refused,demanding to know his offense. Theyrefused to tell him his offense. And, evidently,incensed by his refusal to obey their orderto step down from the bus, they “startedbeating him on the head with the iron of theseat belt and hitting his head against thesteering and the door frame till he gave upthe ghost”.

Again, at Motorways bus stop, alongLagos-Ibadan expressway, a bus

conductor, popularly known as “Ilorin”allegedly lost his life to LATSMA officials'uncultured behaviour. The bus conductorwas hanging on the door of the bus. In anattempt to stop the bus driver, a LASTMAofficial threw a metal object (wrench) atthe bus. Unfortunately, the object missedthe bus and hit the conductor, knocking himoff the bus. As he fell off the bus to the road,a LASTMA pick-up van, which was trailingthe commercial bus very closely, crushedhim. The conductor died on the spot.

There have been other such instances ofmotorists losing their lives as a result ofsuch recklessness by these officials. Extrajudicial killing is deplorable under anycircumstance. It may be excusable in verydangerous situations where lawenforcement agents, in combating armed

and dangerous criminals, are confrontedwith making on the spot decisions in defenseof their own lives. But for an unarmedmotorist to lose his life for reasons as seenabove is unpardonable. It is an egregiouscase of contempt for the human life – anunparalleled act of barbarism.

Please, Governor Fashola rein-in theseofficilas. KAI officials should be remindedthat the era of slavery is over. And as such,Nigerian citizens, though, poor, powerlessand voiceless are not slaves and should,therefore, not be treated as such. They shouldknow that assault is a criminal offense andthat, as they go about beating up people,they are breaking the law. They should betaught to enforce the law without punchingpeople in the face and kicking them in thestomach and groin and destroying theirwares and stealing their money and goods.In other words, that, in their “enforcementof the law”, they should endeavour to treatNigerians with respect and decency.

LASTMA officials should be taught torespect the sacrosanctity of the human life.It is thoughtlessness bordering ondementedness for a LATSMA official tothink that due to his uniform, insignia andgovernment assigned roles in traffic controlthat he can trifle with human lives. Theyshould learn that no one life is superior toanother.

BASIC as electricity is to modern living;there is a basic misunderstanding aboutreflecting this importance in the lives ofNigerians. The people are unimpressedabout government trumpeted gains inmanaging the challenges of electricity supply.Last week, government admitted that only

40 million Nigerians, about a quarter of thepopulation, have access to electricity supply.It was meant to be an indication of progress.Nigerians wonder who the 40 million are andregularity of supplies.Many have electricity that is useless, even

for ordinary lighting, as the supplyilluminates below the level of a candle flame,what is technically called a brown-out. In theNigerian experience, a brown-out is worsethan a black-out, as the sufferers arereckoned among the supplied. Many partsof Abuja are currently under this burden.Government offices are not left out. Somehave resorted to generators, or rationalisedtheir activities to save valuable equipmentfrom ruination.Since the statistics were about people, did

they include heavy users like industries,whose consumption in days could be what asizeable community would require for

Elevating ElectricityElevating ElectricityElevating ElectricityElevating ElectricityElevating ElectricityTTTTTo Enigmao Enigmao Enigmao Enigmao Enigma

months.Are rural Nigerians among the 40 million?We acknowledge that concrete steps are

being taken to ameliorate the deplorablepower situation. However, governmentmust understand that Nigerians are notinterested in titillating statistics that stillleave them in darkness. Their understandingof improved electricity supply is light inevery bulb and equipment they switch on,longer presence of electricity and in aquality that serves their needs. With thebillions they are spending in generatingtheir own electricity, Nigerians can find themeans to pay a little more for betterelectricity supply.A chunk of the stupendous revenues of

fuel marketing firms can be adduced to the

power situation as virtually everyone buyspetrol or diesel to generate power, generatenoise, and increase the level of carbon inthe environment. High levels of carbon harmthe environment.Concerns for damages to the environment

and the clearly stated prospects stableelectricity supply holds for Nigeria areenough for government to target practicalresults in electricity projects.More challenges lie on the long road to

improved electricity. More stable powersupply will increase demand as many whorun on private power would patronise publicelectricity. Has this been factored into thedemand for electricity?Nigerians find no comfort in celebrating

statistics and approximating them to action.The number of distribution companies, thelength of transmission lines or themegawatts of electricity generated are mereefforts. Nigerians have spent decadeslistening to these lines. They understandimproved electricity to mean uninterruptedpower supply.If government has similar understanding,

it would be more sober in assessing itsefforts.

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46 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013

OPINIONBY RAY OCHE

*Mr. Oche, a commentator on national issues, wrotefrom Abuja.

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OVER the years, public officials in Nigeria have unwittingly become endangered species, usually the

target of slanderers and extortionists, for reasons that areless than altruistic. The most unfortunate aspect of this sadsaga is that journalists have often allowed themselves to besucked into the vortex of this disturbing trend.

This issue reared its ugly head recently when the AbujaChapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, alerted thegeneral public of the shameful activities of these turn-coatsin the journalism profession, citing the case of a Kaduna-based magazine which claimed to have written a bookrunning into hundreds of pages chronicling alleged rotwithin the FCT Administration under the leadership ofSenator Bala Mohammed, with a view to extorting hugesums of money from him as ‘settlement’.

The NUJ leader, Chuks Ehirim, stressed that in a glaringunprofessional manner, the said magazine went to the extentof publishing advertisement soliciting for negative articlesfrom the general public through telephone, email andFacebook to rubbish the image of the FCTA and the Minister.Too sad! At the same time, the publisher of the controversialmagazine was allegedly putting pressure on the Ministerthrough his aides to pay a staggering N15million into hisaccount with a first generation bank and also allocate achoice plot of land to him in Abuja as a condition for him tosuspend the publication of the book. But the corruptpublisher met a stubborn man in the Minister who sworenever to bribe anybody to kill report or allocate land to anyperson under duress. His aides promptly reported the

attempted extortion to the NUJ and the security agenciesdetailing the account number sent by the rogue publisherto a media aide of the Minister. In life, there are differenttypes of human beings. Out of these, however, two stand outmost prominently. In the first class are those who appreciatethe goodness in others. These individuals look at othersthrough the prism of objectivity, celebrating them whenoccasion demands and criticizing where there is the needto do so. Their criticism is usually informed and unbiased.

Conversely, at the other side of the coin are human beingsthat hardly see anything good in others. To this group ofindividuals, the world begins and ends within their tiny andnarrow horizon. Often shallow-minded in their perceptionof events, there is the tendency for them to find fault evenwhere none exists.

This ugly phenomenon is known in local parlance as PHD.Do not be deceived. The three letter initials do not stand foracademic title, Doctor of Philosophy. Far from it! It simplymeans Pull Him Down, a cruel disposition targeted atcelebrated achievers. This class of men are simplyunprincipled, seeking out to distract hard working menand women from their noble goals.

Sadly, a member of this group, the publisher of thisKaduna-based magazine almost found a safe haven inFederal Capital Territory to ply his trade. The prime targetis Senator Mohammed. Ordinarily, there would not havebeen any need to join issues with this journalist-turned-extortionist, who is desperately trying to survive willy-nilly.

However, in these strange times, when falsehood if leftovertime, assumes the position of truth, there is the urgentneed to put the records straight.

For this publisher to even contemplate zeroing in on theFCT Minister to ply his trade is saddening to say the leastbecause the Minister has demonstrated an unprecedentedheroism, coupled with inspiring bravery in transparentlytackling the problems of the FCT in the last three years thathe has presided over the affairs of the territory.

Secondly, his conceptualization of governance is one thatespouses the lofty ideals of leadership being synonymouswith moral authority as the one way to beat followershipinto line. Because he has insisted that all transactions beconducted in strict compliance with the FederalGovernment’s due process regime, Senator Mohammedhas kindled the ire of some people, including this publisher,and as such deserves to be crucified. For daring to stand outof the motley crowd of those who see public office as anavenue to plunder the common patrimony at will, he mustbe barbecued. Spoilsports like this publisher-cum-‘journalist’, no doubt has found the Minster’s style ofadministration which is premised on a determination tofree the FCTA from the vice grip of marauders that haveplundered its resources with abominable perfidy,objectionable.

FCT Minister's battle against extortion

WE all have our faults and virtues.General Muhammadu Buhari is a

man whose virtues and vices are wellknown. Most Nigerians know him as a manof integrity. He is one of the few formerleaders not widely associated withcorruption and self-enrichment eventhough he has held juicy portfolios suchas Minister of Petroleum and NaturalResources, Executive Chairman of thePetroleum Trust Fund (PTF) and Head ofState. Nigerians also know him as adisciplined leader.

In addition, most Nigerians believe thatBuhari can easily arrest the securitychallenges plaguing the nation, includingthe Islamic insurgency in northern Nigeria.His devotees believe Nigeria needs a manlike that at this period to rein in a countryset adrift by ineffective leadership.

Buhari’s greatest vice or drawback is hisextreme provincialism. His worldview isheavily coloured – even circumscribed –by his Fulani, Muslim Arewa roots. Hisbest effort towards growing out of thiscocoon has been to extend a hand offellowship to Western Nigeria.

Recipe fordisaster

In his calculations, Arewa/Muslim +O’odua = Nigeria. And Arewa/Muslimmust be the Head with O’odua (preferablyalso a Muslim) the Deputy. He was thefirst to create a Muslim/Muslim ticket atthe Presidency when he paired withGeneral Tunde Idiagbon who was aYoruba/Fulani from Ilorin, to run Nigeriabetween January 1984 and August 1985.For him, the South East, South/South,Middle Belt and Christians do not count,if indeed they actually exist.

Some people often say it does not matter.Yes indeed, it should not matter, so longas Nigerians will also accept it with thesame equanimity if a Christian from theSouth pairs with another Christian fromthe Middle Belt or North to rule Nigeria.We all know that will be a recipe fordisaster. The Jihadists will simply goberserk, and this time, they will have acredible reason. The constitution andconventional wisdom in Nigeria envisageaccommodation and balancing of theethno-religious and geopolitical scales toensure that no part is dominant over theothers. Buhari’s provincialism, therefore,is a major obstacle in his quest to be elected

Buhari’s rare romance withhypocrisy

as president of Nigeria. The problem iscompounded by the fact that he makes verylittle effort to overcome it. Those who say itdoes not matter should check Buhari’stenure as Head of State and PTFChairman, and how posts and publicamenities were distributed. The south,particularly the former Eastern Region, waspractically shut out. Even during hiscampaigns in 2011, he only made tameforays there, opting to campaign heavilyin the North and pay regular visits to theWest.

His latest utterance about PresidentGoodluck Jonathan’s handling of BokoHaram insurgents baffled even his ardentapologists. In an interview he grantedDaily Trust on Wednesday, May 22nd2013, he was quoted as saying:

“When the Niger Delta militants startedtheir activities in the South-South, theywere invited by the late President UmaruYar’Adua. An aircraft was sent to them andtheir leaders met with the late Presidentin Aso Rock and discussed issues. Theywere given money and a training scheme

was introduced for their members. Butwhen the Boko Haram emerged in thenorth members of the sect were killed".

And for that he called on the presidentto resign and “give way to (a) competent

hand to govern the country”.Buhari not only twisted the facts of recent

history (unlike the man of integrity or Maigaskiya that his followers in Arewa callhim), he also engaged in a rare romancewith hypocrisy. It is not true that when theNiger Delta militants started their armedagitation, President Yar’ Adua sent anaircraft to bring them to Aso Villa and theywere granted amnesty and given money.The nation battled them and thecommunities where they operated, withheavy arms and there were large-scalecivilian casualties. Villages were sackedand people forced to flee. They fought backand caused the nation great distress mainlyby disrupting the flow of oil. The economywas suffering.

The amnesty offer was a finalwarning; the last carrot before and all-outonslaught. If they had rejected the amnestyas Boko Haram did, your guess is as goodas mine what would have happened tothe Niger Delta. My guess is that it would

not be far from what is happening in theNorth East. But because they surrenderedand accepted amnesty it became possiblefor them to be invited to Aso Villa. Secondly,this Buhari who has turned himself into ahuman rights campaigner for Boko Haramwas once appointed by the terrorists torepresent them to negotiate terms with theFederal Government and he turned downthe appointment. If he loved them so muchwhy did he not accept a dialogue that couldhave prevented this onslaught?

Secondly, we remember very clearly,that Buhari, as the General OfficerCommanding the 3rd Armoured Brigade,Jos, played a leading role when PresidentShehu Shagari crushed the Maitatsineriots of 1980 in the Bulumkutu area ofMaiduguri. When he became the Head ofState, a rump of the Maitatsine group thatescaped to Jimeta in Yola, in 1984,exploded in another orgy of attacks on

Buhari’s greatest vice or drawback is his extremeprovincialism. His worldview is heavily coloured – evencircumscribed – by his Fulani, Muslim Arewa roots. Hisbest effort towards growing out of this cocoon has beento extend a hand of fellowship to Western Nigeria. In hiscalculations, Arewa/Muslim + O’odua = Nigeria. AndArewa/Muslim must be the Head with O’odua(preferably also a Muslim) the Deputy

Christians and moderate Muslims. Theiragenda was exactly the same as that ofBoko Haram. Buhari sent a militaryexpedition and defeated the uprising, withheavy toll on civilian targets.

Musa Makaniki, the leader of theJihadists, fled to his hometown in Gombeand Buhari pursued him there, eliminatedhim and stamped out the insurgency.

It is hypocritical and unpatriotic forBuhari, after this track record, to blame theFederal Government for finally taking theright steps to secure the North. Buhari hasjoined those using Boko Haram as a toolof blackmail against the federalgovernment; something most Nigerianshad felt was below his contempt.

Perhaps, the frustration of failing threetimes to win the presidential election,coupled with age, is exerting a heavy tollon him. Condition is forcing the crawfishto bend. Buhari has handed his opponentsanother weapon to use against him shouldhe file again to contest for president in 2015.

Gen. Muhammadu Buhari

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013 — 47

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BY MERCY OZUOBI

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*Mr. Enewaridideke, acommentator on national issues,wrote from Warri, Delta State.

*Mrs. Ozuobi , a teacher, wrote fromUmuahia, Abia State.

BY EKANPOUENEWARIDIDEKE

Chief E.K. Clark's season ofvilification

EVERY event has a season. Agerefruit, the staple fruit of birds in

Amasuomo forest in Burutu LocalGovernment Area of Delta State,has its own season of bloom andharvest. So, it is with mortals,particularly mortals who havemarked their footprints in thesands of time. It appears this is aseason of vilification for Chief E.K. Clark the lawyer, administrator,Ijaw national leader, nationalist,and leader of South-South PeoplesAssembly. A season recalcitrantsons have chosen to belittle thelabours of their father who clearedthe virgin forest for unperturbedhiking and rambling. A seasonfathers regret their labours for theirsons. A season in which someamnesia-struck political sons ofChief E. K. Clark have morphedinto born-again Christians ofderogation and arrogance insearch of relevance now on the run.

The hard-earned credentials ofthe man called Chief E. K Clarkhave just suffered derogatoryinversion in the hands of a verbalvoyager whose ideationalconfusion is announced andreinforced by the metamorphosisof the byline from Daniel Alaowei-Green to Reno Omokri in theVanguard of June 3, 2013 and theVanguard of June 4, 2013. I feelchallenged to clear the deliberateundulations injected into theportrait of Chief E. K. Clark so thatthe verbal attacks do not occupyossified space as quotablereference points in our dailypublic communication andcommentary. The story of E. K

RIGHT OF REPLY

Clark can best be told by a trueson of Ijaw, not a person whoseclaim of Ijawship is falselysuggested by obvious forcedadoption of the name Alaowei.Both in words and in actions, theIjaws demonstrate an easilyidentifiable aura anywhere theyfeature and this is an aura farbeyond simulation by anymanipulator. Clearly, Alaoweilacks this identifiable auramystically and traditionallyassociated with Ijaw people theworld over.

E. K. Clark is a scion of theBekederemo family of Kiagbodo(not of the Clark family ofKiagbodo) whose contributions tonational growth and developmentpaved the way for his appointmentfirst as Commissioner in the mid-Western days (1968-71)and later asFederal Commissioner forInformation in 1975. Theseappointments are indicative ofClark’s contributions andrelevance to national politics InNigeria. However, in a mannersuggestive of linear politicalprogression, Clark was electorallyenthroned a senator in 1979. Thereis no historical record whichtraces the senatorship of E. K. Clarkto the regime of General IbrahimBabangida. In fact, E. K. Clark’sactivism, political voyage andnational relevance began in theFirst Republic of Nigeria.

The liberation struggle of HighChief Government Ekpemupoloand other recognisable freedomfighters whose culmination pointwas the offer of the amnesty in2009 by President Musa Yar'Aduais comparatively a recentdevelopment. Clark’s nationaliststruggle, political involvement

and activism far preceded thisArmed Niger Delta struggle ablyrepresented in this present circleof history by High ChiefEkpemupolo. The Niger Deltastruggle of Tonpolo and othersmerely constituted reinforcementtools for Clark’s activism andvociferous advocacy for developedNiger Delta and United Nigeria,not as tools that lubricated hisascendancy to national politicsand relevance. Again it isnoteworthy that Clark’s moveagainst Chief James Ibori is aprincipled stand borne out of hisage-long activism and vociferousadvocacy for a more transparentlydeveloped Delta State. It issycophantic and laughable to giveClark’s move against Chief Iborithe disgusting colour ofharassment because the facts ofthis apparent titanic struggle areopen to appropriation for anyone’sanalytical engagement.

The public should know thatElder Godsday Orubebe is fromOgbobagbene, not Ogboagbene,and that Ogbobagbene is geo-graphically far from Kiagbodo inBurutu Local Government Area.However, there is nothing suicidaland sacrilegious about Clark’sposition that Elder Orubebe can-not be the governor of Delta State

in 2015 and better still, he has noteven chosen somebody in this di-rection. The vituperations and ver-bal inanities against E. K. Clarkon account of this position, whichhe is constitutionally entitled to,are baseless. Anybody uncomfort-able with Clark’s position is enti-tled to demand a discourse on whyOrubebe cannot be governor in2015 and I am sure Clark will giveyou a dissertation on this. Simi-larly, people are also entitled todemand from Orubebe a discourseon why he wants to become a gov-ernor in 2015 in Delta State. It isup to Chief E. K. Clark and ElderOrubebe to convince the peopleand win their unsolicited applauseabove identifiable political cant intheir respective discourses. Onlycongenitally untutored minds letloose acidic lethal verbal arrowson Clark on account of hisconviction concerning Orubebe’spolitical conviction. And we knowE. K. Clark; we know ElderOrubebe. The discerning ordinarypeople know where the ominouswind howls between the two.

Ethnic jingoists and chauvinistsare easily recognised anywherethey are found: Their thoughts,preoccupations, prescriptions andpublic pronouncementsdistinguish them. It is such ethnicchampions who are pathologicallymarked by streaks of hesitationwhen they want to throw stones intotheir domain with deadly accuracy.E. K. Clark is not an ethnic jingoistas he is ever ready to throw stoneseven into his domain when therealities necessitate it. On thisplane it is, therefore, sacrilegiousto derogate Clark with thedeployment of lexemes like‘chauvinist’, ‘jingoist’ etc, andskillfully but casuistically engagehesitating words to instigate ChiefAlamieyeseigha Diepreye,Mujahid Asari Dokubo, AtekeTom, Henry Orkar and Othersagainst Clark. Even Egbesu, theIjaw god of war, can bear witness

to the fact that Chief E. K. Clarkwas a dependable supportive pil-lar on the physical plane while theliberation struggle lasted. For thisdeliberate inversion of facts, maythe inverterate liar enjoy the sooth-ing supplicatory incantations ofEgbesu!

Predicated on available historical data, the likes of Chief

Harold Dapa Briye, Chief E. K.Clark, Major Jasper Isaac Boroand others variously played signif-icant roles in the Ijaw struggle andthe struggle for united Nigeria.These are personalities who couldbe correctly referred to as the ‘lead-ing lights’ of the Ijaw struggle. Itwould be a historical and seman-tic misnomer to cast Henry Orkar,John Togo, Soboma George andothers mentioned as the leadinglights of the Ijaw struggle. Theleading lights of the Ijaw struggleare the personalities who intellec-tually built the framework for thestruggle and actually played re-markable roles in the 1950s. May-be Alaowei is fired by an irratio-nal sycophantic zeal to inveigle oringratiate himself into the favourof Chief Alamieyeseigha, HenryOrkar, Ateke Tom and others, for-getting the fact that sophistry is afragile bridge to the hearts of thesepersonalities. Only the undilutedtruth helps in matters like this.

The son of E. K. Clark, Ebikeme,electorally sought to be a memberof the Delta State House ofAssembly in 2011 on the platformof DPP but he was electorallymurdered by the voters. Ebikemeand E. K. Clark are differentlydestined as both parade differentcredentials which the people drawon for their evaluative judgement.Ebikeme’s electoral failure hasnothing to do with E. K. Clark’sleadership credentials; it does noteven demean or diminish him as anational leader.

EDUCATION is obviously the mostpowerful weapon that can be use

to change the world, so says the greatfreedom fighter and legend, Dr. NelsonMandela. But how far have we as a peopleand a nation strived to promote quality andaffordable education as a means ofchanging our great country Nigeria forbetter? Before now, Nigeria's educationsystem was ranked among the best in thecontinent of Africa. Then the few public orgovernment schools lived up to expectationin the funding and promotion of good andqualitative education. The country was thebetter for it and many Nigerians benefittedfrom it.

But since the inception of privateownership of schools, proliferation hasbecome the order of the day, even thoughthese schools which are purely set up forcommercial purposes are often notaffordable and fail to offer sound education.Unfortunately, many beneficiaries of publicschools who are in positions of authoritytoday delight in looting public treasury,refuse to fund public schools and at thesame time use the looted funds to establishtheir own private schools which they handover to their stooges to run as proxies. Inthe event, the education sector has continuedto dwindle with shocking performance yearin, year out. That is where we are today as acountry.

But happily the Abia State governmenthas taken the bull by the horn in addressingthe age-long rot and challenges that have

Education as wheel of progressin Abia

bedevilled the education sector in the state.Before the present government came intooffice, the state of educationalinfrastructures, condition of service forworkers and learning environment forstudents in all the state owned schools werepathetic and appalling. The governor,Chief Theodore Orji, who is also a productand beneficiary of public school leaves noone in doubt of his government’scommitment to see that education isprioritised.

That is why on coming on board in 2007,the government increased the monthlysubvention of all the tertiary institutions inthe state. The State Scholarship Board thathas been moribund was reactivated. Withthe reactivation of the Scholarship Board,the regular bursary disbursement to indigentAbia students was resurrected andbeneficiaries have continued to enjoy it tilldate. The Board has also reactivated theOverseas Scholarship Scheme throughwhich it has granted bursaries to over 40students of Abia State origin studying in theUnited States of America, the UnitedKingdom, South Africa and Asia.

Not resting on his oars in providingeducation for the children of the state, theGovernor has instituted a privatescholarship scheme known as OchendoScholarship Scheme which took off with 25undergraduates in various disciplines withinthe country as beneficiaries. The projectwhich is strictly private has the respectedCatholic Bishop of Umuahia, Most Rev.Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji as Board Chairman.One of the beneficiaries of the scheme, Mr

Solomon Odochi Chibuzo of theDepartment of Animal and EnvironmentalBiology, Abia State University, Uturuemerged the overall best graduatingstudent of the university during her lastconvocation with CGPA 4.8. He wasrewarded with automatic employment bythe university authorities. That is how thepoor boy through the Ochendo ScholarshipScheme became empowered.

The government has also increased thefleet of buses in its Free-School-BusScheme for students in secondary andprimary schools and had also repackagedthe scheme to ensure effective and efficientservice delivery. Teachers salaries andallowances are being paid regularly. Thesame goes with their promotions andentitlements which hitherto were stunted bypast governments. That is why as teacherswere on strike in some states over the non-payment of 27.5% “teachers peculiarallowance” by their state governments,teachers in Abia State are presently doingtheir work happily and wholeheartedly.

Besides, all the state-owned tertiaryinstitutions have remained citadels ofacademic excellence with full accreditation

and excellent student performances.Similarly, approximately N2 billion hasbeen expended in massive renovationworks in primary and secondary schools toensure their suitability for learning with theproject spread across the three senatorialzones in Abia State. Recently, foundationwas laid for the construction of modernschools in three senatorial zones of thestate.

The state government had released thesum of N5.4 billion to the management ofthe state university, ABSU, to tackleinfrastructure projects in the school. Thegovernment had also restored peace andharmony between the university and its hostcommunity, completed liquidation of thearrears of six month salaries of staff whichgulped a whopping sum of N960 million.The government had also redeemed herpromise to implement the 2009 FGN/University Staff Union’s package in theuniversity from January 2011 which costthe government an additional N528million.

Before now, the University Surgery andMedicine programme was facing thethreat of de-accreditation by the Medicaland Dental Council of Nigeria. Governmentpromptly rescued the university by providingall the requirement for the full accreditationof the programme. The Governor approvedand awarded contracts for two majorprojects for the school, namely: MedicalComplex and an Auditorium for Abia StateUniversity Teaching Hospital located inAba. The projects are going on rapidly.

The interventions in the education sectorhave already started bearing fruits as canbe seen from the plethora of laurels andawards garnered by the state at variousnational and zonal competitions.

E. K. Clark isnot an ethnicjingoist as heis ever readyto throwstones eveninto hisdomain whenthe realitiesnecessitate it

The interventions inthe education sectorhave started bearingfruits as can be seenfrom the plethora ofawards garnered by thestate at various nationaland zonal competitions

48 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013

WHAT is your assessmentof the democratic

exercise in the country 14years after?

When we are doing anassessment on how thecountry has fared since 1999,I will like to categorize theassessment into tangibles andintangibles and the tangiblesare those aspects people canconstruct with any of theirsenses, either with the senseof vision or the sense oftouch, then the intangiblesare of course thoseimperceptible things youcannot see or touch.

Now for the intangibles, Ithink the most remarkable isthat this is the longestepisode of our democracy inour post-independencehistory, we have had anumber of episodes ofdemocracy in our long yearsof military rule.

Majorachievements

14 years unbroken is thelongest that we haveexperienced and for me it is amajor achievement and thatwe have achieved this long ofepisode withoutcompromising any of thefreedoms guaranteed in theconstitution is again a majorachievement. People speakfreely; people move freely therule of law largely isobserved, so it is a majorachievement.

In respect of the tangibles,yes, we could have done farbetter than we have donebecause people seedemocracy not just as anopportunity for expressing orenjoying those intangiblebenefits but also anopportunity for enjoying thetangibles, they want to seebetter roads, they want to seebetter schools, they want tosee stable power, they want tosee good healthcare and all

Why there's stabilityin leadership ofNASS— Ndoma-Egba

BY JOHNBOSCOAGBAKWURU

of that.I think we could have done

far better than we have done,but it is not something that wecan redress in a day becauseif you take the decay invirtually all the sectors thatI have mentioned, they arenot decay that happened overnight.

Within the power sector forinstance, you remember onceupon a time in this country in20 full years there was nosingle new investment in thepower sector so when youhave that kind of situation itis not the type of situation youthink you can address with amagic bullet.

Securitychallenges

Then we have of course hadsecurity challenges the worstof all being the one that weare experiencing now and myreaction to it is that what weare going through is amanifestation of certainfundamental contradictions inour polity that can benegotiated and I believe willbe negotiated through thedemocratic process.

In order words, democracyoffers us an opportunity toaddress those contradictions,but you know in many yearsof military rule, we didn’thave an opportunity todiscuss them not to talk ofnegotiating them or resolvingthem, they were held underthe jack boot but you knowwith the departure of themilitary and the return todemocracy thosecontradictions have proppedup and now they have beenpropped up we just have toface the reality and face themsquarely by addressing themthrough negotiations ordialogue.

What type of constitutionshould Nigerians expectfrom the National Assembly?

The constitution did notenvisage a monopoly of theamendment process of the

the kind of amendment thatNigerians will give tothemselves because Nigeriansare involved in the process.

The National Assembly forsome time now has witnessed

When you see a stableleadership it means that therewas minimal or no externalinterference, and you knowthis is the most stableleadership we have had in thehistory of this democracy.

For the first time, well notthe first time because Dr.Joseph Wayas was the firstSenate President to be re-elected as senate president.

But this is the first time thatwe have had a senatepresident who served out hisfirst term and in the next fewdays he will be exactlymidway into his second term,it is the first time in ourpolitical history when you arehaving a senate presidentserve out his first term with aparticular deputy senatepresident and that deputysenate president is stillserving another term with thatsenate president.

Picture ofstability

This is the first time we areseeing a deputy leader moveto the position of a leaderwhich paints a picture ofstability which means that atleast in the recent past we cansay categorically that therehas been no externalinfluence.

Has the National Assemblyratified the treaty that cededBakassi to Cameroon?

To the best of my knowledgethe treaties have not beenratified. That is not to say wedo not have a factual situationon ground that Bakassi is nowoccupied by Cameroon, thatmost Nigerians in Bakassihave relocated.

*Ndoma-Egba

CHIEF Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, is the Senateleader. He represents Cross River Central on theplatform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In thisinterview with Vanguard, he gives his assessment ofNigeria’s democracy since 1999, the reason for stabilityin the leadership of the National Assembly and otherteething challenges facing the country. Excerpts:

,

,

Senate. It is the NationalAssembly along with the stateHouses of Assembly that areinvolved in the constitutionalmechanics of the amendmentprocess.

Constitutionally, theNational Assembly is requiredto propose amendments andthose amendments areexpected to be passed by twothirds of the state Houses ofassembly.

Behind the constitutionalmechanics you have thepolitical process because theprocess of getting the twothirds is a political processthat will involve negotiations,dialogue, interfacing,advocacy and all of that so itis both a constitutionalprocess and political process.The political aspect of it is notlimited to parliament whetherat the national or the statelevel.

It is a process that everyNigerian is involved, that iswhy I had to preface myanswer to this question bysaying that the Senate doesnot have monopoly.

So, when you ask what kindof amendment Nigeriansshould expect; it should be

When you see stability in theleadership of the National Assembly itmeans that there was very little externalinfluence in how that leadershipemerged

Continues on page 49

stability in the leadershipwhat is responsible?

When you see stability in theleadership of the NationalAssembly it means that therewas very little externalinfluence in how thatleadership emerged.

When you see instability itmeans that there was moreexternal influence becausethere are usually twocontending factors: theexternal influence and thosewho canvass independence ofthe National Assembly-independence in the sensethat they should be given thelatitude to establish their ownleadership.

The issues are no longerissues surrounding theratification of the treaty, theyare mainly humanitarianissues surrounding thepeople who are affectedespecially negatively by theceding of Bakassi and then ofcourse the issue ofcompensation to Cross RiverState and the people ofBakassi.

What has happened to thecompensation of the state bythe Federal Government?

Well, you know ifgovernment acquires yourcassava farm today,government is obliged to pay

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013 — 49

NIGERIA just celebrated14 years of

uninterrupted democracy.What is your assessment ofthe country’s democracy, doyou think it is worthcelebrating?

It is a yes or no answer, andalso we thank God thatdemocracy has lasted thislong in the light of our history.I also must be bold enough tosay that we have really notachieved as expected withinthe time frame of their efforts,there are things that grieveme that we have not impactedvery positively as much asexpected in the lives of ourcountrymen.

I cannot boldly say that thereis an improvement in theirliving standards; we havesecurity challenges, we haveissues with our education,health system, power, whichhas remained a consistentdecimal and recurring issuein our country today.

Performance ofopposition parties

So invariably speaking, wecannot say we have gottenthere, but we must also begrateful to God to the extentwe have gone, but a lot is stillexpected.

Do you think theopposition parties have donewell in their job of checkingthe Peoples DemocraticParty, PDP?

If you look at theperformance of the oppositionparties we must also look atthe challenges. I have said it

How APC'll change the system — MoghaluDR. George Moghalu is a former national secretary of the All Nigeria PeoplesParty, ANPP, and presently, secretary of the party’s recently constituted NationalRebuilding and Inter-party Contact Committee. A former gubernatorialcandidate of the party in Anambra State, Chief Moghalu has remained faithful tothe party in trouble and triumphant times and he is belived to be a mobilereference on the affairs of the party. In this interview he reviews the state of thenation and how the opposition is responding to the dominance of the rulingPeoples Democratic Party, PDP. Excerpts:

BY GABRIEL EWEPU

time and time again, we arein a system and situationwhere government hasbecome the only business,which has brought about thetotal collapse of the privatesector. You and I know that itis the private sector that fundsthe opposition.

And in a situation where theprivate sector has practicallycollapsed there is no way youexpect government to fundopposition against itself,rather they will do what tostifle, frustrate and killopposition. That has been theproblem in this country. Just

is surprised. It reached apoint where all parties haveconcluded their conventions

*Moghalu

One thing I can say is thatwe are consistent andconscious of the expectationsof Nigerians, and we areworking towards our target,that is to get APC registeredand registered as quickly aspossible.

What do you envisageabout 2015 as far as thecountry ’s democracy isconcerned?

2015 will certainly throw upnew challenges because thereis a new kid on the block. By2015, APC will be there, APCwasn’t there in the lastelection. Therefore, there willbe a critical change withdynamism.

Electoralumpires

The only appeal I will makeand had always made is theappeal to the electoralumpires; the securityagencies to see themselves asthe people holding a sacredmandate, people who areexpected to do what is rightby creating the enablingenvironment for free, fare andtransparent elections.

And the moment we achievethat we are on the highway tosuccess, because all that Ibelieve as the worst form ofcorruption is electoralcorruption because inelectoral corruption you areinfringing on the fundamentalright of the electoral right ofNigerians, the ability tochoose who they want to leadthem.

like any developing polity asours, it is usually the desireof the government of the dayto kill opposition and to stiflethem.

Forgetting to realise that avibrant opposition guaranteesgood governance.

You can only do that whenthe opposition is vibrant andstrong, and rather than kill theopposition the expectation israther for the government toencourage the opposition is togrow. So looking at it fromthat perspective, theopposition has tried.

Do you think the coming of

and have endorsed theprocess, approved theworking documents;constitution, manifesto andthe logo approved by themerging parties.

The stage where we are nowis to make some necessaryconclusions, and INEC willbe written. The process is veryclear in the Electoral Act andthe Constitution of the FederalRepublic of Nigeria, and weare methodically following theprocess.

When do we expect theAPC to come on board?

Very soon APC will be onboard as a political party afterINEC has done verifications.So I cannot tell you preciselywhen it will be. There areguidelines we are followingthat have to do with INEC,and allowing the time withinthe law, and for INEC to doall their verifications.

,

,2015 will certainly throw up new

challenges because there is a new kidon the block, by 2015, APC will bethere, APC wasn’t there in the lastelection

The moment you robNigerians on that, that is theworst thing you can do toanybody, because you havedenied the person theopportunity to speak as far asI am concerned and then, youhave removed theaccountability from theprocess because it is onlywhen the electioneeringprocess is credible, free andfare that the candidate will beforced to enter intocommitment and agreementwith the electorate.

It is only when the peoples’votes count that candidatesare bound, whether they likeit or not to go to theirconstituents and plead withthe people who representthem for what they want andthe people will ask them to dowhat they want, and will alsoask for their past record if theyhave done anything.

‘Why there's stability in leadership of NASS'

Continues from page 48you compensation for your cassava farm, notto talk of when government ceases a wholeterritory.

The least you expect is that Cross Rivershould be compensated to the extent of theloss. If the loss is temporary loss, youcompensate them temporarily, if the loss isin perpetuity, then you have to alsocompensate the state in perpetuity.

Why was Cross River de-listed fromleague of oil producing states?

It’s all part of the consequential losswe are talking about, if the oil wellsbelong to Cross River when Bakassiwas part of Cross River and Bakassi isgone and the oil wells have gone as aconsequence of Bakassi going then theleast you can do for Cross River Stateis to ensure that it is not put in anaggravating situation, at least thesituation shouldn’t be worse than itwas when Bakassi was part of CrossRiver State.

the All ProgressivesCongress, APC, willdo better?

The indices are there,APC is a mega politicalplatform and is acoalition ofindividually strongplatforms comingtogether to form a megaand strong platformthat will provide both acredible and viablealternative forNigerians.

What is the journeyso far about theregistration of APCwith INEC?

In 2015, APC will bethere, and there will bea critical change, butmy appeal is to theelectoral umpiresecurity agencies to seethemselves as thepeople holding thesacred mandate, whoare expected to do whatis right by creating theenabling environmentfor free, fare andtransparent elections.

We have gone veryfar about theregistration of APCwith INEC. Initiallynobody gave APC orthe promoters thechance of comingtogether, but everybody

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Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013 — 50

Africans pray as Mandelaremains in hospital

PRAYERS have beensaid in churches across

South Africa for formerPresident NelsonMandela, who is spendinga second day in hospital fortreatment for a lung infec-tion treatment.

The presidency has so farprovided no update on hiscondition although furtherdetails are being expected. This is even as hiscondition on Saturday wasdescribed as serious butstable.

Mr Mandela, 94, hadbeen ill for some daysbefore being taken to aPretoria hospital early onSaturday.

It is the third time thisyear he has been admittedto hospital.

Hundreds of worshippersattended Mass yesterdayat Soweto’s Regina Mundi

church, famous for its rolein the anti-apartheid cam-paign. “I think it’s just anatural experience thateverybody wants to hold onto him as much as possi-ble,” acting priest FatherSebastian Rossouw said.The BBC’s Karen Allen inPretoria says there is asense of calm across South

Africa, and also a quiethope that the man who ledthe fight against apartheidmay regain his strengthonce again.

Mr Mandela’s wife,Graca Machel, cancelled ascheduled appearance inLondon to remain at herhusband’s bedside inhospital in Pretoria.

Syria opposition sticks to talks boycott

SYRIA’s oppositionhas reiterated its

decision to boycottplanned peace talks inGeneva, as rebel fightersreeled from losing astrategic city to forces ofPresident Bashar al-

Assad.George Sabra, the

interim head of the SyrianNational Coalition (SNC),however, called for urgentmilitary assistance to helprebel forces battle theSyrian army.

His statement came daysafter regime forces seizedthe key border city ofQusayr and otheradjoining areas.

“What is happening inSyria today completelycloses the doors on anydiscussions aboutinternational conferencesand political initiatives,”Sabra told a pressconference in Istanbul onSaturday.

He was referring to aninitiative headed byWashington and Moscowto bring the regime andopposition to peace talks inGeneva.

“The war declared by theregime and its allies in theregion has reached a levelwe cannot ignore,” Sabrasaid.

LIBYAN army chief ofstaff Youssef al-

Mangoush hasreportedly resigned after30 people died in clashesbetween protesters and amilitia in Benghazi.

The General NationalCongress accepted hisresignation in a sessionyesterday , sources at theassembly have said.

The clashes eruptedwhen protesters gatheredoutside the Libya ShieldBrigade premisesdemanding it disband.

Libya armychief of staffresigns

US, China agree to curb N/Korea’s nuclear pursuit

THE US and Chinahave agreed that

they cannot accept anuclear-armed NorthKorea and pledged towork closely to endPyongyang’s weaponsprogramme, a senior USnational security officialhas said.

Tom Donilon said theUS President BarackObama and ChinesePresident Xi Jinpingreached “quite a bit ofalignment’’ on thesubject of curbing North

Korea’s ambitionsduring a meeting onSaturday.

“They agreed thatNorth Korea has todenuclearise, that neithercountry will accept NorthKorea as a nuclear-armed state and that wewould work together todeepen co-operation anddialogue to achievedenuclearisation,” hesaid on Saturday, at theend of two days ofmeeting between Obamaand Xi at an estate in theCalifornia desert.

German dam breaks nearMagdeburg

A dam has broken onthe flood-swollen

River Elbe in easternGermany, forcingthousands of people toleave their homes

around the city ofMagdeburg.

Water levels inMagdeburg stood at7.44m (24ft) yesterday ,nearly four times higher

Putin’s divorce breaks taboo inRussian politics

VLADIMIR Putin’sdivorce from his

wife of nearly 30 yearshas broken a taboo for

Russian officials, whoalmost never speakpublicly about theirpersonal life let alonetheir personal problems.

•Mandela

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013 — 51

Braithwaite tackles NASS over constitution amendment•Calls for Sovereign National confab to fashion new constitution

PRESIDENTIAL candidateof defunct Nigeria Advance

Party, NAP, Dr. Tunji Braithwaitehas called on the National As-sembly to stop the ongoing con-stitution amendment, arguingthat it would not address the cur-rent imbalance, inequality, injus-tice and other problems in thecountry.

Rather, he said the FederalGovernment should set in motiona sovereign national conferenceto fashion out a new constitutionthat would meet the yearningsand aspirations of the people.

Braithwaite said: “The elector-al, judicial and administrativesystems and practices are sosteep in corruption to the extentthat, unless the people collective-ly and with singleness of pur-pose stand up squarely to de-throne corruption before any gen-eral election, there would be acatastrophic explosion.

"The ugly phenomenon of cor-ruption exacerbates conditions ofpoverty so severely and also ag-gravates problems of insecurity.The masses who feel so ag-

grieved as a result of increas-ing levels of socio-political andsocio-economic inequalities,coupled with perceived injus-tice, would protest violentlyand this can quite often leadto fatalistic proportions.’

He also argued that by nextyear, Nigeria’s amalgamationlaw of 1914 would expire andthere would be need to make a

completely new constitution togovern the country.

Speaking as chairman of theoccasion at the CMS GrammarSchool’s 154th Founder’s Day/Thanksgiving, Braithwaite, whowas an old student, gave an-other reason why he opposedthe new amendment to the con-stitution. He submitted that thepresent constitutional amend-ment being carried out by the

National Assembly was an ex-ercise in futility because anyamendment made now wouldalso expire, come 2014.

At the occasion where emi-nent Nigerians including ChiefOlu Adebanjo, a seasoned pol-itician, a top cleric, Rev. Bakoand many others attended,Braithwaite declared: “The re-ality today of that amalgam-

ation is that both in legal andpolitical contexts, it is bound toexpire in 2014 by effluxion oftime, unless the peoples con-cerned now voluntarily agreeto its terms and/or modifythem."

He added: "Let the word goforth that the simple mindedproposal of the Jonathan Ad-ministration to celebrate thecentury of Nigeria’s Amalgam-ation in 1914 by the fiat of aBritish colonial officer is pre-cisely a disgrace to the presentgeneration”.

L-R: Brigadier-General Isa Musa, representing Chief of Army Staff; Senator Paulinus Nwagwu, chairmanSenate Committee on Police Affairs; Dr. Martins Oni, Director-General Police Assistance Committee, PAC,and Air Commodore Samuel Paul at a one day workshop on information and intelligence gathering organizedby PAC in conjunction with Senate Committee on Police Affairs in Abuja

Access BankappointsAwosika,Non-ExecutiveDirector

ACCESS Bank hasannounced the

appointment of Mrs.Ajoritsedere Awosika, as itssecond non-executivedirector following theapproval of the Bank’sBoard of Directors andCentral Bank of Nigeria,CBN.

Commenting on herappointment, GbengaOyebode, Chairman,Access Bank said: “We aredelighted to have Dr.Awosika join our Board.Her impressive credentialsand vast experience will beof significant value to theBank over the years tocome.”

Analysts have describedher appointment as“commendable andi m p r e s s i v e . ”Enthusiastically, a leadingvoice in corporategovernance practicedescribed the appointmentof the experienced publicservant whose service to thenation transverse severalfederal ministries as“ensuring gender balanceon the Bank’s Board and arich harvest of integrity.”

Dr. Awosika has over 35years experience in publichealth and possessesextensive experience inpublic sector governance.She was elected the firstfemale secretary of thePharmaceutical Society ofNigeria and was a resourceperson for the World Bankand the FederalGovernment of Nigeria atvarious times in her career.

Reacting to herappointment, Awosika said“It is pleasing to serve onthe Board of Access BankPlc. I consider myappointment a greathonour and assurestakeholders that I willwork with other Boardmembers as we build aworld class financialinstitution.”

52 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013

I have heard it said and I have read again andagain how The Super Eagles are a tournament team

( ? ). The tradition of struggling against teams withinferior football cultures is still with us. Drawn in GroupF in the World Cup 2004 African Qualifiers againstKenya, Malawi and Namibia, one would have expectedthe Super Eagles of Nigeria to qualify with matches tospare, yet that is not the case here.

In Kenya last Wednesday, it was nerves galore, tensionaplenty as we stood on the verge of being knocked outof the world cup by a team that has not beaten us beforebut was anxious to create history even if further progresswas not guaranteed.

Many Nigerians do not know that this stage of thecompetition is just the preliminary round and that thereal battle lies ahead. When we get out of this group asnine other countries will, then we will go into a homeand away second round encounter that will providethe five African representatives in Brazil.

Incidentally the media has not helped to highlighthostilities in the other groups even as crucial matcheswere played last Saturday and yesterday. In Group Athere is a titanic battle between Ethiopia and SouthAfrica. After both sides won massively at away lastSaturday against Botswana and Central AfricanRepublic respectively, there is the massive clash in AddisAbaba next week end as Ethiopia host South Africawith a two point advantage. Anything less than victoryfor the Bafana Bafana means Ethiopia are into thesecond round.

In Group D, Ghana’s dream of making it to threesuccessive World Cups after Germany and South Africahangs in the balance as they trail a point behind Zambia.Last week, Ghana went to Sudan and won convincingly3-1, while Zambia replied by thumping Lesotho 4-0.This week end, Ghana is away to hapless Lesotho witha possible victory in mind, hoping that Sudan will dothem a favour and hold Zambia in Khartoum.

Another great team that is flaunting its pedigree homeand away is Cote Divoire. The Ivoriens without DidierDrogba in her line up went to Gambia and triumphed3-0 and there is no stopping them in Group C with tenpoints from four matches played.

Tunisia is also poised to come to the explosive secondround party. On Saturday, Sierra Leone was in theprocess of denting their plans but the North Africansrallied back to equalize 2 two goals apiece on the dot ofninety minutes, taking 10 points to an away gameagainst Equatorial Guinea ( 4 ) while Sierra Leone with

That match againstHarambee Stars

five points can only hope, if they win their two remainingmatches and the Tunisians flop theirs…..a tall dream. (It has pleased FIFA to appoint me Match Commissionerfor the Equatorial Guinea-Tunisia match, so I will keepyou posted ) Congo, I can confirm, will make it to thenext round. The Congolese lead Group E with 10 pointswhile Gabon with four, are their closest rivals with twomatches to go. ( Burkina Faso and Niger with threepoints each are out of the race ) When the Congolesehost Burkina Faso this week end in Point Noire, victorysong will ring out at the end of ninety minutes!

So much has been said about our victory onWednesday that will guarantee qualification, dependingon the ability of Kenya to hold the desperate Malawianswho are still licking the wounds of their goallessencounter against Namibia in Blantyre. Other greatsalso proved their mettle yesterday as Egypt went toZimbabwe to win 4-2 while Algeria beat Benin 3-1inCotonou. Nigeria cannot be an exception.

The Kasarani display was not entirely convincing. Ata point, the Eagles were playing against themselves.But for Victor Wanyanma who struggled to be relevantin midfield, the Kenyans did not display match winningstuff, not in any department of the game. Yes it is a

match we should have wrapped up even in the firstminute, yet 45 minutes crawled by with nothing to show.

In the second half, though the Eagles changed tactics,the story was not different. At a point I believed the bagof Sports Day reporter Remi Sulola contained ananalgesic so I asked for a Panadol. She said she hadnone. ( It was the Eagles Doctor who relieved myheadache, later in the team hotel )

Let the Eagles beat Namibia and spare Nigeriansthe stress, opening a window of shopping for relevantand key additions with the second round in view. TheEagles should beat Namibia and fly into Brazil for theConfederation Cup ( A tournament ) riding on a crestof belief. After all Haiti made Spain sweat on Saturday.

Mes que un club de SeguidorsWhen Taye Ige spotted me at the Oriental Hotel on

Saturday, he screamed. “ Oga what are you doing here.Don’t tell me you have ported” Laughter.

He and my other colleagues knew better. When yousupport Manchester United, the greatest football clubin the world, you die a red.

Let me commend however the public relationsmachinery of Penya Barca De Lagos Club whoseinauguration was held last Saturday. By telephone calls,mails and text messages, they made sure you werereminded about their event. The catch for me, apartfrom the honour of being invited was the phrase MesQue Un Club De Seguidors, translated to mean “ Morethan just a fan club”. It was that bit that drew me toOriental Hotel and Club President Leslie, assisted byKayode Adeleke, Ebie Loius-Domeih and Ali Baba (Yes the same Ali Baba) and all those who put the eventtogether the message was clearly spelt out. Theyemphasized that their focus and objective apart fromfootball will be other ideals and values incorporatingsportsmanship, community development, humanity andsocial integration.

For them, Youth development and grass rootsempowerment was key in contributing to the sportsenvironment in Nigeria. I pray the Arsenals andChelsea’s of our supporters can toe this line that willdiminish the cut throat and senseless “support” thatoften times lead to grievous body harm and death all inthe name of blind allegiance.

With the support Skye Bank, the Spanish Embassyin Nigeria and Unicef, I thought I had seen and heardenough, skipping dinner before I forgot where I was.

See you next week.

,

, The Eagles should beatNamibia and fly into

Brazil for theConfederation Cup (A

tournament) riding on acrest of belief.

How Kenyan media downplayed Eagles superiorityBY PAUL BASSEY

MINUTES after thefinal whistle by

referee Doue of CoteD’ivoire , the Kenyanelectronic media went onair praising theHarambee Stars for whatit called “ a fantasticdisplay against theAfrican Champions”

It is the belief of themedia that the Stars didwell to hold thechampions but for the“unfortunate goal” byAhmed Musa.

Citizen’s TV in aninteractive programmeasked viewers to phonein, tweet, or text andmajority of respondentssaid the Stars did welland that if they had hadthe services of suspendedDavid Oliech, the Eagleswould not have won.

An interestingcontribution was the callfor the change of name “since Harambee Stars isforeign and does notsignify anything positive”

The newspapersyesterday took off fromwhere the electronicmedia had stopped.Kenya’s premiernewspaper The DailyNation in a storycaptioned late Musa goalbut ends Kenya’s 2014Brazil dreams, arguedthat “ a rare blunder byOchieng gave Nigerianstriker a sniff of goal in the80th minute”

The paper continued “Stars had held ongallantly until 10 minutesfrom time when a ball thathad seemed harmless wasscooped by Musa into thenet after he overpoweredOchieng. Stars had a great

game in both halvesmatching the Eagles in alldepartments, but it wasevident the absence ofDavid Oliech was telling“ the paper wrote.

It continued. “ VictorWanyama......was solid inmidfield, cutting out allthe moves by the Eagles.So frustrated they werethat they changed theirgame plan again andagain to no avail”, thepaper concluded.

The paper also lamentedthe absence of coachAmrouche on the bench.They believed hispresence would havemade the difference.

The Star, though theheadline was “EaglesKnock out HarambeeStars”, said in the body ofthe news that VictorWanyama “ was

comfortably dealing withMikel Obi”

Another paper up forreview is The Standard.It’s headline “ Down butnot out” says a lot about amedia that refused toacknowledge the overallsuperiority of the Nigerianteam.

The Standard quotesassistant coach JamesNandwa as saying “ luckeluded us “ that the boysplayed well andaccording to instructions,but we’re unlucky not toget something from thematch.

A sub headline in thepaper says “ Fans guttedas Musa scores despiteStars gallant display” alsoarguing that “ Celtic starWanyama controlsmidfield in balancedmatch”

CONTEST ••• Nigeria’s Uwa Echiejile (R) vies withKenya’s David Ochieng (L) during their 2014 World CupQualifying match at the Kasarani football stadium inNairobi. Nigeria won 1-0 . Photo: AFP

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013 — 53

before jetting off toBrazil.

The African championsare in Group B of theFifa Confederations Cupalongside Spain,Uruguay and Tahiti.

Mikel, who is anintegral member of theNigeria team, has nowtaken the time to discussthe tactics of head coach,Stephen Keshi.

“He (Keshi) likes us tokeep the ball andexpress ourselves andthat’s why the resultshave been good for us inrecent matches,” Mikel

MikelContinues from BP told Fifa Football

Mundial.Nigeria begin their

Fifa Confederations Cupcampaign against Tahition June 17 at theEstadio Mineirao inBelo Horizonte.

Three days later, theSuper Eagles will lineup against SouthAmerican champions,Uruguay at the ArenaFonte Nova, Salvadorbefore rounding off theirpreliminary campaignagainst world andEuropean champions,Spain at the EstadioCastelao, Fortaleza onJune 23

The coach had nameda ‘ weak’ side for theToulon event, leavingout his best players. Hisexplanation was that heneeds to see the otherplayers, who he was notvery sure about.

But now, thatexperiment is over withthe World Cup teamnamed, and Obuh hasdecided to send thesurplus stars home.

Obuh

Continues from BP

watched on from thecrowd.

And the super Span-iard achieved it all witha dodgy knee, whichwas strapped upthroughout the contest.

Nadal said: “It’s one ofthe most special titles.

“I can only say thankyou very much to every-one who have been withme throughout mywhole career but espe-cially in the last yearwhen I had some lowmoments (due to inju-ry).

“All the messages werevery special to me.

“I never dreamt of thiskind of thing. But herewe are.”

On Ferrer’s perform-ance, Nadal said: “Iwant to congratulateDavid for his first finalin a Grand Slam.

“I’m sorry for today buthe’s a fighter and he andall his team deserve tobe here.”

Nadal

Continues from BP

The match was inter-rupted on two occasionsby protestors and a manwho ran onto the courtwith a flare, but securi-ty guards managed totackle the intruder be-fore he reached eitherof the players.

Nadal’s Grand Slamtitle haul now stands ata mammoth 12 — al-though the 27-year-oldis still five short of oldrival Roger Federer.

Ferrer had not lost aset throughout the tour-nament going into thefinal yet he was facinghis biggest test yetagainst the modern dayKing of Clay.

He had won justFOUR times in 23matches against Nadal,stacking the oddsagainst him.

But Ferrer made a sol-id start, winning hisfirst service game tolove, but was broken inhis second and eventu-ally lost the first set 6-3.

SUPER Eagles midfielder, Nnamdi

Oduamadi believes aperformance dominat-ed by intense effort isrequired by the Africanchampions, Nigeria ifthey are to emerge vic-torious against Na-mibia next week.

The Super Eagles willface the Brave Warriorsat the IndependenceStadium, Windhoek ina 2014 Fifa World Cupqualifying game onJune 12.

Following a crucial 1-0 win against Kenya inNairobi on Wednesday,Oduamadi insists onlya performance of a sim-ilar scale will give theSuper Eagles anothervictory in the race forBrazil 2014.

“We must put in an-other intense perform-ance because that is theonly way we can win (inWindhoek) on Wednes-day,” Oduamadi toldsupersport.com.

The Nigeria team ar-rived Namibia on Fri-day and subsequentlyset up camp at theCountry Club ResortWindhoek.

They will spend sixdays, training forWednesday’s game; awelcome change fromthe situation faced bythe squad before theirgame against Kenya.

Nigeria arrived inNairobi at 1.30am onJune 4, just over 24hours to the gameagainst Kenya in Nai-robi and the win overthe East Africans leftOduamadi in ecstaticmood.

Eagles to take no chances with Warriors

EMBATTLED SuperEagles Coach

Stephen Keshi has calledfor constructive criticismeven as he seeks to makeit to the next round of thequalifiers next week witha match to spare.Talking to journalists at theHotel Le Mada camp of theEagles after the match,Keshi said it will be verydisheartening to have jour-nalists and Nigerians justcriticizing for criticizingsake.

We cannot just start crit-icizing because we want tocriticize or because we donot like Keshi or the Pres-ident of the NFF.

Keshi calls for constructive criticism” If your criticism is pos-

itive, I will take it. After allI am not God, I am a hu-man being and I do nothave all the knowledge inthe world.” I have been told that thereare some Nigerians whoare not happy that we wontoday. That they wouldhave wanted us to lose, forwhatever reason. I do notwant to believe that, but ifit is true then it is very un-fortunate”.

He said he will want tothank all those Nigerianswho have been prayingand fasting for the team todo well and that theyshould continue praying.” If the team qualifies forthe world cup, it is not Kes-hi or Mikel Obi that hasqualified, but Nigeria and

the glory will go to all ofus” he said.On the team’s perform-ance, he said though hewould have loved to seethe boys scoring moregoals, he thanks God forthe solitary strike that wasjust enough to shoot us tothe top of the table.

BY PAUL BASSEY

•Oduamadi

THE Flying Eaglesof Nigeria are due

to arrive in Turkey onJune 17, for the 2013U20 FIFA World Cup thatwill hold in that country.

The Flying Eagles,who had just taken partin the ToulonTournament in France,departed that country onSunday morning andheaded back to theirGerman training base

The Nigerian side willplay their opening 2013U20 World Cup groupmatch four days later, onJune 21, againstPortugal in Kayseri. ThePortuguese U20defeated the FlyingEagles at the ToulonTournament.

FIFA U20 WC: Flying Eaglesland Turkey June 17

They will also take onCuba and South Korea inthe first round of thetournament.

•Oduamadi

CRS govt toprovide kits to

primary,secondary

school athletes

PRIMARY andsecondary school

athletes in Cross River Stateare to be provided withsporting canvass, jersiesand other kits in the nextedition of the Primnary andSecondary SchoolsChampionships.

The deputy governor,Efiok Cobham, said thiswhile speaking at theclosing ceremony of the2013 Primary/SecondarySchools Athletics andSwimming Championshipwhich ended in Calabar atthe weekend.

“No child in this stateshould be running on barefoot because they representthe future of this state insporting competitionsnationally andinternationally”.

The contingent fromCalabar Municipalityemerged winners(athletics) in the secondaryschools category with 11gold, six silver and ninebronze.

BY EMMA UNA,Calabar

•Imoke

WELL DONE BOYS: Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi joins his players tocelebrate a goal

CMYK

54 54 54 54 54 — — — — — VanguardVanguardVanguardVanguardVanguard,,,,, MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY, JUNE 10,JUNE 10,JUNE 10,JUNE 10,JUNE 10, 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013

VanguardVanguardVanguardVanguardVanguard,,,,, MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY, JUNE 10,JUNE 10,JUNE 10,JUNE 10,JUNE 10, 2013 — 55 2013 — 55 2013 — 55 2013 — 55 2013 — 55

CMYK

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-8944295. Advert Dept: 01-7924470;Hotline: 01-8737028; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com

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e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.ukHow to Play Sudoku THE VIGILANTE

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

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

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

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013

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

Sudoku

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

QUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORDQUICK CROSSWORD

CONFED CUP

We won't play negativefootball — Mikel

All time gr-8!All hail undisputed King ofClay Nadal

RAFAEL NADALbecame the first

player EVER to win

eight titles at the sameGrand Slam event as heblew David Ferrer awayto clinch the FrenchOpen.

The world No4, whohas only lost ONE matchat Roland Garros in hiswhole career, romped tovictory over fellowSpaniard Ferrer instraight sets.

Nadal sealed an easy6-3 6-2 6-3 win in twohours and 16 minutes asdouble Olympic goldmedallist Usain BoltContinues on Page 53

Eagles to take no chances with Warriors Page 53

Obuh sends nineplayers home

THE coach of the Nigeria U20 football team,the Flying Eagles, John Obuh has finally

sent home the nine players he has dropped fromthe team that will play at the FIFA U20 WorldCup in Turkey.

The nine players dropped from the squad areexpected to leave for their various bases onMonday morning from the team base inGermany.

The players are Sakiru Alimi, Lucky Omeruo,Sebastine Osigwe, Bright Ejike, Jamilu Collins,Hassan Abubakar, Daniel Etor, Samuel Mathiasand Oluwasemilogo Ajayi.

Obuh had kept his squad together all the wayfrom Lagos, first to Germany for a training camp,and then to Toulon for the tournament in whichthe team crashed out in the first round.

Continues on Page 53

C H E L S E Amidfieder, John

Obi Mikel has droppedthe strongest possiblehint that Africanchampions, Nigeria willnot play negativefootball at the 2013 FifaConfederations Cup inBrazil.

Nigeria, unbeatenfrom their last 16 games,will play Namibia in a2014 Fifa World Cupqualifier on June 12Continues on Page 53

SUPERSTARS: Rafael Nadal(l) is presented with the Coupe des Mousquetairesby Usain Bolt at Roland Garros

•Mikel

ACROSS3 Confess (5)9 Entertain (6)10 Gift (6)11 Go in (5)12 Bearing (4)15 Secure (4)17 Begged (7)20 Circuit (3)21 Twelve (5)23 Require (4)25 Chief (4)26 Devil (5)28 Serpent (3)30 Devastated (7)33 Island (4)35 Dandy (4)36 Dispute (5)38 Lure (6)39 Roof-beam (6)40 Principle (5)

DOWN1 Confine (5)2 Concur (5)3 Beer (3)4 Negated (6)5 Detail (4)6 Sailor (3)7 Lawful (5)8 Precipitous (5)13 Sickness (7)14 Called (5)16 Swooned (7)18 Giver (5)19 Jewel (3)22 Nymph (5)24 Lair (3)27 Character (6)28 Helped (5)29 Sheet (5)31 Zest (5)32 Disparage (5)34 Liberate (4)36 Deed (3)37 Consume (3)

ACROSS: 1, Crater 5, Flaunt 9, Vague 10,Allied 11, Mascot 12, Ripen 14, Seed 17,Old 18, Hive 20, Expel 22, Limer 23, Picador24, Troop 26, Tenor 29, Hart 30, Her 32,Dome 33, Loden 35, Untied 36, Puddle 37,Sewed 38, Harass 39, Lewdly

DOWN: 1, Course 2, Asleep 3, Ever 4, Radio5, Fumed 6, Lean 7, Urchin 8, Totter 13,Pleased 15, Extra 16, Depot 18, Hired 19,Venom 21, Lip 22, Lot 24, Though 25, Orator27, Nodded 28, Remedy 30, Hades 31, Repel33, Less 34, Nude.

CMYK