tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46303938357816836902024-03-13T03:43:01.161-07:00Wazobia DailyNigeria Portal for Current News, breaking News and Global Networking Community.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630393835781683690.post-11971563872196957292013-01-15T23:57:00.000-08:002013-01-15T23:57:00.228-08:00Zambia happy for SunzuZambia say they are happy with the opportunity for their key defender Stopilla Sunzu to go to Reading this week, even though he is a key component of their squad for the African Nations Cup finals.<br />
The centre back travelled to London at the weekend for a trial with the Premier League strugglers with the blessing of his football association, a week before his side begin their defence of the African title at the tournament in South Africa.<br />
“The Zambia national team will always be there but opportunities like this do not come around often in a player’s career so we were happy to let him go,” said Football Association of Zambia president Kalusha Bwalya, himself a former professional in Belgium, the Netherlands and Mexico.<br />
“We have agreed with Reading, his club TP Mazembe and ourselves that he takes up this chance. Reading were quite insistent on seeing him so it is a good sign,” he told Reuters on Tuesday.<br />
“Ultimately it is advantageous to our team to have players from clubs at the highest level.”<br />
Bwalya said it had been agreed that Sunzu would travel to South Africa by Friday.<br />
“He will have enough time to have recovered from the journey by the time we play our first game.”<br />
Sunzu’s long journey mirrors that of Burkina Faso winger Jonathan Pitroipa who has left his team’s Nations Cup training camp to return to France to try to help Stade Rennes reach the French League Cup final.<br />
Pitroipa is due to fly to South Africa, where Burkina Faso have been drawn in the same group as Zambia, on Thursday after Wednesday’s semifinal against Montpellier.<br />
Zambia, who have arrived at their base in Nelspruit, open the defence of their Nations Cup title against Ethiopia on Monday.<br />
The 23-year-old Sunzu played every match of Zambia’s successful run at the last finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon 12 months ago, converting the winning kick in the post-final penalty shootout that won his country their first Nations Cup title.<br />
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<a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/zambia-happy-for-sunzu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the original article here</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630393835781683690.post-62695628830524894942013-01-15T22:56:00.000-08:002013-01-15T22:56:00.361-08:00Eagles will not disappoint, says Olajire <P>Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Chief Media Officer, Ademola Olajire says the Super Eagles would not disappoint Nigerians during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in South Africa.</P><P>Olajire told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on phone from Abuja on Tuesday, that the team had done enough preparations for the tournament.<IMG class="alignnone size-full wp-image-349480" alt=eagles-afcon src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//eagles-afcon.jpg" width=412 height=250></P><P>He said Nigerians should not have fears about the team’s ability to produce good results during the event.</P><P>“The message is that, this championship, we have won it twice before, we are going for a third win.</P><P>“The team has prepared very well. They have been re-building over the past 15 months, which has been done well by the coach, which every Nigerian supported.</P><P>“They should just support and pray for the team and we will believe that the team will go all the way.”</P><P>Olajire said goalkeeper Austin Ejide, injured in the friendly game against Cape Verde, would be fit for the tournament.</P><P>He said team doctors were working on him and hopefully, he would be fully fit for the competition.</P>Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.<br /><p><a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/eagles-will-not-disappoint-says-olajire/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630393835781683690.post-56710059448473884252013-01-15T20:23:00.000-08:002013-01-15T20:23:00.626-08:00Keshi not owed a kobo – NFF <P>The Nigeria Football Federation has denied reports that head coach of the national team, Stephen Keshi is owed salaries and other financial entitlements.</P><P>Executive committee member of the NFF, Barrister Chris Green also revealed that the Federation had never owed Keshi or any of its coaches salaries.</P><IMG class="size-full wp-image-340540" alt="*Eagle's coach, Keshi" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//Keshi-412.jpg" width=412 height=250> *Eagle’s coach, Keshi</P><P>“The NFF is not owing Keshi salaries and we have never owed him in the past. We have seen reports in some sections of the media claiming we owe the coach salaries but these stories lack facts and substance,” Green told supersport.com.</P><P>The NFF chief also revealed that issues of discontent between players and the NFF which have severally threatened to rock the Super Eagles in the past will not be experienced in South Africa.</P><P>“As I speak to you, we have paid all camp allowances and other financial entitlements to all the players in Faro, Portugal. Morale has never been higher among the players and we are confident they will recompense our efforts with a good showing at the Afcon,” he said.</P>Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.<br /><p><a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/keshi-not-owed-a-kobo-nff/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630393835781683690.post-16948398883931369832013-01-15T18:47:00.000-08:002013-01-15T18:47:00.540-08:00Man kidnapped, buried alive in Imo <P>By CHIDI NKWOPARA</P><P>OWERRI—Palpable confusion and apprehension reigned supreme as the remains of a community leader at Eziali, Mgbidi, who was reportedly kidnapped by hoodlums and later buried alive, was exhumed.</P><P>Vanguard investigations revealed that the gunmen, who eventually turned out to be assassins, abducted their victim on December 27, 2012, and nobody heard from him or knew where he was kept until his lifeless and decomposing body was exhumed after the arrest of the perpetrators of the beastly act.</P><P>It was also gathered that the deceased had a land dispute with one of his kinsmen (names withheld), who eventually hired about five assassins and charged them to execute the operation.</P><P>A villager, who was at the scene of the exhumation, told Vanguard that “the five-man gang abducted their victim from his home and buried him alive at Ozara, a neighbouring village in Oru West local council area of Imo State”.</P><P>The story changed when the hoodlums asked for N30 million ransom from their victim’s family, who quickly informed the police, as well as played effectively along with the criminals and under the watchful eye of the security personnel.</P><IMG class=" wp-image-74401 " alt="Imo State Commissioner of Police, Adisa Bolanta" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//CPOyo1.jpg" width=432 height=325> Imo State Commissioner of Police, Adisa Bolanta</P><P>“The money was dropped at an agreed spot and a policeman feigned madness and was patrolling the vicinity but when one of the suspects came out to pick the money, he was shot on the leg and arrested by the supposed mad man. He confessed to the crime,” the villager recounted.</P><P>When contacted, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Baba Adisa Bolanta, confirmed that the confessional statements of the hoodlum led to the eventual arrest of other members of the gang, including their alleged sponsor.</P><P>All the villagers that spoke to Vanguard on the crime, passionately appealed to the police to ensure that justice was done in the matter, adding that it was the only thing that restored confidence in the security agencies.</P>Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.<br /><p><a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/man-kidnapped-buried-alive-in-imo/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630393835781683690.post-12848474891903836932013-01-15T17:12:00.000-08:002013-01-15T17:12:00.438-08:00Eagles trounce Farense 5-0, depart for Afcon <P>…<B>Farense Coach Tips Team For Trophy</B></P><P>The Super Eagles ended their training camp in Faro, Portugal in style on Tuesday when they trounce, Portuguese second division side, Farense 5-0, in a game described by Head Coach Stephen Keshi as dress rehearsal for the team’s opening game against Burkina Faso on January 21.</P><P>The match, which was again played at the Browns Sports and Leisure Club in Faro, where the Nigerian side stayed throughout its sojourn in Portugal, was barely five minutes old when right back, Efe Ambrose surging run into the danger area of the Portuguese was met with a vicious hacking. Centre referee Luis Costa wasted no time in pointing to the spot.</P><P>Chelsea star, John Mikel Obi, stepped in to coolly slot home the opener. But Farense made things difficult for the Eagles as Senegalese born striker, Sone Diop, Falardo and dangerman Fabio Texeira attacked sporadically in search of an equalizer that never came till the end of the first half. The Eagles on the other hand had plenty of chances to have buried the game in the first but Nosa Igiebor hit the cross bar thrice, Mikel followed suit with a fiery shot that also hit the bar and Emmanuel Emenike also missed a sitter.</P><IMG class="size-full wp-image-349480 " alt=eagles-afcon src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//eagles-afcon.jpg" width=412 height=250> Super Eagles</P><P>In the second half Head Coach Stephen Keshi made sweeping changes. Kenneth Omeruo was in for Joseph Yobo, Juwon Oshaniwa for Elderson Echejile, Ogenyi Onazi for Mikel Obi, Sunday Mba for Igiebor, Obiorah Nwankwo for Fegor Ogude, Ikechukwu Uche for Brown Ideye, Gabriel Reuben for Efe Ambrose mid-way into the half, same as Vincent Enyeama was replaced by Chigozie Agbim.</P><P>There was no immediate impact with the changes until in the 75th minute when an Emenike’s furious onslaught down the left wing of the pitch was clinically finished off by Ikechukwu Uche for one of his three goals of the evening. Goalkeeper Agbim must be credited for his quick counter-attack throw to Emenike.</P><P>Uche was to score another in the 80th minute after nice footwork by Ejike Uzoenyi left him face to face with goalie Sergio Serrar. He blasted into the roof of the net. He completed his hattrick of the evening after a fine interchange of passes between him, Onazi and Ejike.</P><P>Just as the referee was about blasting home the final whistle Ejike was to set up Emenike for the final goal on the dot of 90minutes for a comprehensive whitewash of the Farense side. The referee did not even allow for a restart after the fifth goal.</P><P>Farense Coach Antero Afonso said at the end of the encounter that his side has learnt useful lessons from the Nigerian national team and predicted that the Super Eagles will do well at the championship going by the quality of players he saw in the friendly. “You have what it takes to win the championship, but you must take each game as it comes and adopt different styles for different opposition. You have very quick players so don’t allow yourself to be under pressure at any time in the tournament. I may not know the teams that will be at the tournament but the team I saw today should be among the favourites to win the African Cup”, he said.</P><P>The Nigerian side will depart Faro by 12:30 Portuguese time for Lisbon from where the team will connect a flight to Paris, France and from there to Johannesburg, South Africa. The team is expected in Nelspruit, venue of two of its first two group games on Thursday morning.</P>Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.<br /><p><a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/eagles-trounce-farense-5-0-depart-for-afcon/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630393835781683690.post-79699725323535930922013-01-15T15:02:00.000-08:002013-01-15T15:02:00.875-08:00Between Chime and his death wishers <P>SILENCE as they say, is sometimes golden. Over the past few months, both the regular and social media had been inundated with stories rumours, conjectures, speculations and what has been proven to be false and morbid imaginings about the state of health of Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State.</P><P>In my meticulous followership of the media handling on this matter, I observed one glaring fact: The response from the Enugu State Government, particularly Governor Chime’s media team, has been mostly subdued.</P><P>Initially, I was inclined to think that either the team was out of its depths in handling the matter or that it was hiding something. But on closer inspection, it began to dawn on me that the government was adopting the far more superior strategy of restraint in its approach to the matter than most people are willing to acknowledge.</P><P>To a discerning mind, the fact that the pattern of media representation of the matter has been so lopsided and often times speculative and incoherent, yet at the same time persistent, readily suggests the presence of a smudge campaign, a death wish or something of that nature against the Governor and his government from hostile quarters.</P><P>The first time the story broke about the Governor’s alleged ill health, he was barely one week out of the country after transmitting a letter to the State House of Assembly informing it that he was proceeding on vacation and was thus handing over the reins of power to his Deputy, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi to act on his behalf until he returned.</P><P>A story had then appeared on the front page of a national daily stating that the Governor had taken the trip out of health concerns.</P><P>An attempt by the Enugu State Commissioner of Information Mr. Chuks Ugwoke to clarify the issue was greeted with a barrage of similar stories from other dailies with one of them- a highly respected one unfortunately- even venturing to declare that the Governor was undergoing treatment for a yet to be disclosed ailment in India.</P><P>From there, all hell had broken loose. As if previously primed, the full force of the Nigerian Press was unleashed against the Governor with all manner of writers, columnists getting involved.</P><P>Initially, it seemed that the reporters and writers were genuinely concerned about the Governor’s health but when almost all the writings including newspaper editorials, were concluded with calls for a declaration of incapacity and subsequent impeachment of the Governor, suspicion as to the real motives of the writers began to surface. This, coupled with the fact that despite all the hullabaloo, no single media organ, with all the resources available to them and with all the vaunted dexterity of the Nigerian Press, could pin down the ailment with which Chime is allegedly afflicted nor the hospital where he was undergoing treatment (or undergone surgery as reported), was enough to strengthen this hint of conspiracy.</P><P>Then came the death rumour. A simple, anonymous, uncredited, unconfirmed posting on the social media was taken up by the Nigerian press and trumpeted across the world with such panache as would have shamed even Count Dracula, the famed king of vampires.</P><P>At the end of the day, it turned out to be an embarrassing hoax. But this did not stop the campaign.</P><P>Attacks were directed at the Enugu House of Assembly and Enugu people for not taking steps to remove Chime and stories which turned out to be bogus were told in press about how a cabal had taken over the leadership of the state and restricting the Acting Governor to a figurehead to the extent that his approval limit has been restricted to a mere N500,000.</P><P>Yet, the writers could not however explain how if this was true, it came to be that contractors handling the various projects in the state were receiving their due payments running into millions and that civil servant have continued to receive their salaries that gulp over N800 million a month.</P><P>Many writers with real or, I believe pen names, operating on the same suspect thoroughfare, tried albeit in vain to whip up anti-Chime sentiments among Enugu citizenry urging them to take up arms against the government until they were informed of his whereabouts.</P><P>Others went to the great length of painting a false picture of tension and disquiet in Enugu over Chime’s condition.</P><P>One of the papers falsely but boldly reported that Chime’s wife and children had flown abroad to be with him on his sickbed. The consistency and spread of these stories and articles across the Nigerian media certainly lent much credence to the conspiracy theory and smacked somewhat of desperation among in the rank of their sponsors.</P><P>Some writers could barely hide their prejudice and all but gave away the fact of having been suborned to do a job. One writer, an Editor of a popular daily in his exasperation, even went to the extent of advising Chime’s media managers to“accept defeat”. Defeat in or over what? One might ask.</P><P>Indeed, it was when the press lavishly published a letter purportedly written by a group claiming to go by the name “Save Enugu Group” to the Acting Governor, giving him two weeks to address it on the whereabouts of Governor Chime or face consequences, that I began to appreciate the tactics and dexterity of the Governor’s media managers.</P><P>Chime’s men it turned out had perhaps on sensing that this was a campaign, simply used silence as a powerful weapon to goad those behind the campaign into exposing themselves.</P><P>The latter as confirmed in the postulation of the Editor mentioned above, had expected and prepared for war. Seeing none, they were then forced to reveal their identities in the so called letter to the Acting Governor.</P><P>It turned out that they were none else than the aides and associates of Chime’s old and well known political enemy with vast connections in the media. Thus, the true identities of Chime’s death wishers and impeachment campaigners were revealed by their own very hand. What a war there was!</P><P>On seeing those names, I couldn’t agree more with Chime’s media aides who had promptly dubbed them “attention seekers” because if they are not, what possibly could they be saving Enugu from?</P><P>Could it be from the remarkable and widely acclaimed transformation that Chime brought to Enugu State? Or perhaps, they wish to save Enugu from themselves ( i.e the so called savers)?</P><P>In launching this campaign, these people actually acted like the man who upon consulting a native doctor to kill someone, went to town with the news that the man was already dead or dying even before any such thing happened, consequently and unwittingly alerting that person that someone is after him.</P><P>Whatever the case may be, one should ask the people to drop it. It is now obvious that Chime is neither dead nor dying and we should have our peace and await his return. The advice proffered by Enugu traditional rulers that peace should be allowed to reign should be germane here.</P><P>As they pointed out, Governor Chime has done so well that any genuine Enugu man should support him and that it “will be bad to give any impression that there is trouble in our state because there is none, more so as we know that the governor will soon return to his desk.”</P><P>Mr. ELVIS EZEDINOBIi, a political analyst, wrote from Abuja</P>Comments are moderated. 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The Police Prosecutor, Sgt. Elisha Olusegun, told the court that the couple conspired and caused bodily harm to their 12-year old son on Jan. 2 at Okinni area of Osogbo.<br />
Olusegun said the cleric and his wife tied the hands and legs of their son with a rope and bathed him with hot charcoal.<br />
According to Olusegun, the victim was abandoned on the street where he was picked up by a good Samaritan for treatment and taken to the Central Juvenile Welfare Centre.<br />
He said the offence committed contravened Sections 516, 335 and 351 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. 11 Laws of Osun, 2003.<br />
The accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and their counsel, Mr O.O. Alabi, applied for their bail.<br />
But Chief Magistrate Adebayo Lasisi ordered the remand of the couple in prison custody and adjourned the case to Jan. 21 for bail consideration.<br />
Lasisi also ordered that the victim be brought to court on the next adjourned date to ascertain his condition. (NAN)<br />
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The ex-Ajax Amsterdam winger told MTNFootball.com that Mikel’s displays for Chelsea as well as his performances in the Eagles have shown that he will play a pivotal role for the Eagles in South Africa.<br />
<img alt="Obafemi Martins" class="size-full wp-image-128867" height="270" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//obafemi-martins.jpg" width="400" /> Obafemi Martins<br />
“With his current form and what he achieved last season as well as his recent performances for Eagles, it is very clear he is our class act,” Babangida said.<br />
Speaking generally about Stephen Keshi’s team at the 2013 AFCON and the exclusion of some established names like Obafemi Martins, Taye Taiwo and Osaze Odemwinge the former Eagles winger said, “Keshi knows better because he gave these players a chance to prove themselves, so if he makes any decision now as regards them, it could only be best for the team.<br />
“But all the same I still believe Obafemi Martins ought to be in the team because he has scored almost every weekend in Spain. We are going to miss his experience.<br />
“Even though we are looking for younger players, his current form shows he needs to be there. Don’t forget at the France 1998 World Cup the late.Rashidi Yekini was included due to his experience<br />
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The two neighbours are set to lock horns at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in what should be a crucial encounter in a tight Group D which also includes Ivory Coast and Togo.<br />
The two players were speaking after Sunday’s 4-2 loss to Ghana which was the last of their series of friendlies, including a 2-1 win over Iraq and consecutive 1-1 draws against Ethiopia and Gabon.<br />
The Carthage Eagles went into the break in the driving seat as Jemaa struck twice in the first half to hand them a 2-0 lead, however, second-half goals from John Boye, Mubarak Wakaso, Asamoah Gyan and Albert Adomah left Sami Trabelsi’s side stunned after the final whistle.<br />
“We played well in the first half, we played at a very high level,” Abdennour told Gnet. “After the break we were less organised and our defensive line was non-existent.<br />
“The result is very bad but we hope to be ready for Algeria.”<br />
Meanwhile, Jemaa also expressed his dissatisfaction after ending up on the losing side despite scoring a brace, while he also believes the team will be stronger after this defeat.<br />
“It was a disappointing loss but we have to take a lot of lessons from this game,” he said.<br />
“We started the game well but after conceding the goal and the penalty we started to be nervous.<br />
“The most important thing now is to be ready to face Algeria.”<br />
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<img alt="*Gov Rotimi Amaechi " class="size-full wp-image-159975" height="252" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//Amaechi.jpg" width="412" /> *Gov Rotimi Amaechi<br />
Sources in Port Harcourt told futaa.com that the pair of NFF chairman Aminu Maigari, and the former head of technical committee, Chris Green, were at the Rivers State House in Port Harcourt on Monday, to put the request to the governor.<br />
The sources further confirmed that the governor politely turned the request down.<br />
He was said to have told the NFF officials that he is too busy at the moment to take on such an assignment that will remove him from his desk for the duration of the Eagles stay at the tournament.<br />
He only promised to be at the first game of the Eagles, and the final, if they make it that far.<br />
The reasons for trying to appoint the Governor as Head of Delegation is not clear, given his past scathing condemnation of the way the NFF handles its finances<br />
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The former Chelsea forward won the Champions League with his final kick of the ball for the west London club, before moving to China to join Shanghai Shenhua.<br />
However, one trophy that still evades him is the African showpiece, and Gervinho says that winning the tournament is the only thing left that Drogba wants to accomplish before retiring. ”[Afcon is] the only thing left he wants to get for the Ivory Coast because he has brought us so much already,” Gervinho told Goal.com. “That’s the one last objective. ”I hope he will be successful. <br />
We will be with him. We will support him at the best of our abilities for him to be able to give this to the nation and then…maybe he will keep going but we could not ask for more from him.”<br />
The Arsenal striker also insisted that the former Chelsea man is a role model for a lot of young players in Africa, and part of footballing history on the continent. <br />
”Yes, for me and a lot of young players in Africa, he is part of football history and of Ivory Coast history,” he added. “I’m very lucky being able to be next to the likes of Thierry Henry or Didier Drogba.<br />
”I’m trying to enjoy it as much as I can. Before my first Cup of Nations in Ghana, I always wanted to play with him. I’m happy I’m able to do so… play with him, being close to him, laugh with him. <br />
Now I hope I’ll win a trophy with him. It would be the best present ever for him, for me, and for Ivory Coast.”<br />
Gervinho admits that the Ivory Coast are in a tough group alongside Algeria, Togo and Tunisia, and says that he is aiming to reach the quarter-finals. ”It’s a group where there are good teams and good players,” he continued. “All the fans want to see good games. <br />
I personally don’t see a team that we must absolutely avoid playing against.<br />”When you want to win a competition you have to play all the best teams. Whether it’s Algeria, Tunisia or Togo. <br />
For me, the most important thing is to win my games and qualify for the next round. ”We need to start well against Togo and if we get the three points out of it we will have good confidence for the rest. <br />
None of the other teams are more important than another one. My aim is to qualify for the quarter finals.”<br />
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<a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/winning-afcon-2013-is-drogbas-last-goal-gervinho/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the original article here</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630393835781683690.post-85139155720907626972013-01-15T13:10:00.000-08:002013-01-15T13:10:59.453-08:00FG sacks Uzoma, Immigration C-GBY VICTORIA OJEME<br />
ABUJA – Following allegations of skewed recruitment in favour of applicants from a certain section of the country and non-advertisement of its recruitment process, the Federal Government has asked the Comptroller General of Immigration, Mrs. Rosemary Chinyere Uzoma, to proceed on compulsory leave.<br />
A statement signed by the Director Secretary to the Minister in the Ministry of Interior, Dr. R.K Attahiru, said: “I am to further convey that you are to hand over the duties and responsibilities of your office on or before Wednesday, January 16, 2013, to the most senior Deputy Comptroller General of Immigration in the person of Rilwan Bala Musa, who will act as Comptroller General of Immigration, pending the appointment of a substantive CG of Immigration.<br />
“On behalf of the Minister of Interior and members of the board, I wish to thank you for your service to Nigeria. The board wishes you good luck in your future endeavour”.<br />
In his response, the public Relation officer to Immigration. Mr Joachem Olumba, said, “that is what we are hearing but we are yet to receive any message.”<br />
It would be recalled that the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mrs Rosemary Chinyere Uzoma, who has just three months to the expiration of her tenure, while defending the secret recruitment into the service at the insistence of the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character, said the decision was taken to stave-off recruiting terrorists into the highly sensitive organisation.<br />
Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, who said there was need for a more transparent, acceptable and effective platform to be established to enlist qualified Nigerians into the service.<br />Due to the security challenges Nigeria is facing, Moro directed the immediate cancellation of ongoing recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service two weeks ago.<br />
He directed further that all appointment letters issued and documentation carried out stood cancelled until the Civil Defence, Immigration and Prisons Service board met to consider the waiver granted the Nigeria Immigration Service to recruit men and women into the service.<br />
Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.<br />
<a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/fg-sacks-uzoma-immigration-c-g/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the original article here</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630393835781683690.post-33853896269576797932013-01-15T12:58:00.000-08:002013-01-15T12:59:01.834-08:00Nigeria will ensure self sufficiency in rice production by 2015 – Akinjide <P>Abuja – The Minister of State for FCT, Ms Olajumoke Akinjide, has assured of the commitment of the Federal Government and FCT Administration to Nigeria’s self-sufficiency in rice production by 2015.</P><P>She said that on Tuesday in Abuja when delegates from the Rice Africa, a pan-African Organisation, paid her a courtesy visit.</P><P>Akinjide said the vision would be realised in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.</P><P>Towards this end, the minister said, government would revolutionise the agriculture sector with the development of a new policy aimed at commercialising agriculture.</P><P>“The Government has introduced the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) aimed at revamping the agriculture sector, ensuring food security, diversifying the economy, and enhancing foreign exchange earnings,” she added.</P><P>Akinjide said that agriculture was one of the major pillars of the Federal Government transformation agenda to ensure that the nation could feed itself.</P><P>She stressed the need to engage the youths in agriculture, pointing out that “many of the farmers are old and need replacement.”</P><P>“There is need to replace the ageing farmers that we have with the young entrepreneurs.</P><P>“Most of our population is made up of very young and energetic people looking for profitable ventures.</P><P>“If this farming chain approach is systematically and properly addressed, it would help young people find a profitable niche in agriculture,” she said.</P><P>Akinjide said the administration was “looking at ways to make sure that every farmer in the area councils” was registered and has access to input in the next farming season”.</P><P>She said that Abaji and Kwali Area Councils had been allocated two rice mills by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to boost the production of rice.</P><P>According to her, other council areas known for their potential in rice production are Gwagwalada, Bwari and southern kuje.</P><P>Earlier in his speech, the Managing Director, Rice Africa, Dr Edwin Idu, solicited the support of the administration for the second International Conference, slated for Abuja between March 6 and March 8.</P><P>Idu explained that the conference, an annual event, was to develop the capacity of rice producers in Africa and to encourage new ideas as well evolve innovative approaches relevant to delivery of rice value chain.</P><P>According to him, participants will also discuss rice service delivery, research and development strategies that meet the changing needs of smallholder rice farmers.</P><P>“We are expecting over 600 participants from Japan and other Asian countries, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and other African countries,’’ he disclosed. (NAN)<BR>UU/DUA/MAU</P>Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.<br /><p><a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/nigeria-will-ensure-self-sufficiency-in-rice-production-by-2015-akinjide/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630393835781683690.post-36926472703895476882013-01-13T18:10:00.000-08:002013-01-13T18:10:00.483-08:00Re: Dating? Show some class <P>By Helen Ovbiagele</P><P>Our readers didn’t disappoint. We expected an influx of reactions on the piece with the above title, and this was what happened. And why not? Going on dates with members of the opposite sex is very important, because it’s an avenue to study and understand your love interest at close range.</P><P>You meet, or get introduced to, this fantastic-looking human being, who’s also a high-flier in achievements and position, who talks posh and seems the ideal person to be seen with. You’re awed and smitten as you run the person’s image through your fevered ‘love-struck’ mind.</P><P>You think you’ve struck gold. You can’t wait for that first date. You get ready with care and hope you’re looking your best. At the back of your mind, there’s an invisible score-card. First of all is punctuality. Did the person keep to time? Next comes appearance. Has the person turned out clean and tidily-dressed to your taste?</P><P>Next is demeanour. Polite and polished in the way he/she addresses you and those around, or portrays a loud-mouth<BR>ed attention-seeking person? As the afternoon or evening wears on, you’re silently scoring other things too; what he/she orders; the way he/she sits, eats or drinks, etc.</P><P>Of course we all strive to be on our best behaviour while out on a date, but it’s impossible not to slip at a point, and reveal our true nature. After several dates, you should have a fairly good idea of who you’re dealing with, if you’re heading in the same direction, and if the relationship will lead to a union.</P><P>Well, this all depends on what you want to get from the relationship. If you’re out for a good time only, and not a union, you may not bother yourself with a score-card of any sort, because you know you’re going to jump ship at a point and go for someone who meets your expectations on most fronts.</P><P>Still, it’s important for you to show some class yourself, because, male or female, one day you’ll be a parent and have the huge task of raising responsible human beings with integrity, self-respect and good character. So, the earlier we imbibe these ourselves, and look out for them while dating, the better.</P><P>Thus you would avoid those ‘nasty surprises’ which rear their heads after you’ve tied the knot, which inwardly make you go, ‘Oh! I didn’t know he/she is like this! Oh my God! What have I have got myself into? Help me somebody!’ You may then have to calm down, and accept and adjust to your ‘discovery’, if it’s bearable. Ideally, it’s best to find out what you could be in for, by ‘shining your eyes’ while dating.</P><P>Many of our readers who sent in mail on my write-up, condemned the man for saying he wouldn’t pay for the meal his date ordered when he had taken her out for drinks only. A few condemned the lady for doing so, but said her reaction to what her boyfriend told her was too drastic for a loving relationship.</P><P>“Ma, if that man knew that he didn’t have enough money on him to cover drinks and meals, he shouldn’t have taken his girlfriend out to celebrate her birthday. He should have sent her a lovely present with a nice card instead. Telling her outright that he wouldn’t pay for the meal she had ordered in his absence didn’t show he had any respect for her. How much would the fried rice she ordered have cost that he reacted like that? What a shame on his part! Thanks - Prudence, Lagos. ”</P><P>“If I were that girl, madam, I wouldn’t end the relationship there and then, especially if I love him. I would tell him to pipe down, and that I would pay for the meal I ordered while he was away from the table. I would ask him if he would like me to buy him some fried rice too. My offer would make him ashamed, and could lead to an apology, and perhaps an explanation about his offensive reaction.</P><P>Maybe he didn’t have enough money on him that day. I would continue to study him quietly. If stinginess is very much a part of his nature, and not a lack of money, I would ditch him later. Two wrongs don’t make a right, as the girl herself was wrong to have ordered the plate of food without asking politely first if she could, but the issue of food shouldn’t have ended the relationship. That seems a bit crude. - Ayomide, Ibadan.”</P><P>“A girl has no future with a man who could behave in such a mean way while out in public. That angry reaction when he was the one who invited his girlfriend out for drinks to celebrate her birthday, was rude and totally unacceptable. He should have shown more maturity and finesse. The girlfriend was right to end the relationship right there. - Pam, Lekki, Lagos.”</P><P>“Ma, I know some of your readers out there would condemn me for this my view, but that lady acted disgracefully, I must say. Even if she were really starving, she would comport herself like a lady and not order for food, especially while her host was away from the table. A well-mannered lady wouldn’t behave like that, whether she thinks the boyfriend can afford that meal or not.</P><P>She should have allowed him to return to the table, and then she would ask if she could order a meal, since she hadn’t eaten all day. It would be left to him to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Personally, if I were a lady, I wouldn’t tell my boyfriend that I’m hungry, unless he asks me. Our girls have to learn good etiquette, if they want respect from the men. – Thanks, Richard, Port Harcourt.”</P><P>“Auntie, don’t you think it’s important to include etiquette on the curriculum at all levels of educational institutions in Nigeria? I’m married and only in my late thirties, but the way my parents raised me and our siblings, if I were still single, I wouldn’t dare tell a boyfriend I’m hungry for any reason, unless he asks me while we’re on a date. And if he does, I’m most likely to decline his offer to buy me a meal, even though I may be very hungry.</P><P>Reason? Mum said we (both sons and daughters) shouldn’t behave like a glutton and accept food outside the home. It was when my husband and I had become officially engaged that we began to dine out together. He told me jokingly then that I was old-fashioned that way, but that he respected me for that discipline, and that we must raise our children that way. A lady out on a date shouldn’t order food anyhow when she isn’t paying. Her date may not have enough money on him to pay. Not all men carry wads of naira around with them. - Elfreda, Lagos. ”</P><P>“Both man and lady were at fault, ma. The lady shouldn’t have ordered food just like that, in the first place, when the man had specifically told her that he was taking her out for drinks. Maybe she wasn’t exposed enough to know the difference. All the same, she should have asked first, if she felt comfortable with the guy enough to do that.</P><P>The guy, on his part, should have hidden his ‘shock’ well, when he found that his date had included fried rice in his absence. I’m sure he didn’t have enough money on him to cover that. If that was the case, he certainly found himself in a tight corner.</P><P>I accept your suggestion that he could have politely asked her to lend him some money until the next day, to pay for the food, as he didn’t have enough on him on the spot. To tell her angrily that he wasn’t paying for that, was disrespectful, even though the lady was the one who brought on the unpleasant situation. Thanks, ma. J.O., Agege, Lagos.”</P><P>We thank all those who sent in their views.</P>Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.<br /><p><a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/re-dating-show-some-class/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630393835781683690.post-59040365716961082642013-01-13T16:06:00.000-08:002013-01-13T16:06:00.156-08:00Will posterity ever understand General Azazi’s Nigeria? <P>By Tonnie Iredia</P><P>Many years to come, Nigerians would come across many things in honour of one of their predecessors -Andrew Owoye Azazi- a citizen who served in the Nigerian Army and like some others rose to the pinnacle of his career. If Nkpogu Road in Port Harcourt ends up a dualized road and not like some of our other roads where construction works go on without end, future Nigerians would wonder how it became Azazi Road.</P><P>Some research would reveal that it was done by Rotimi Amaechi, Governor of Rivers State at the time. Along Sani Abacha Expressway in Yenogoa, they are also likely to see evidence that “Azazi the Great” was buried at the National Heroes Park near the Ijaw House.</P><P>They would also find a documentation of the life and times of Owoye Azazi by the Ijaw History Project as directed by Governor Seriaki Dickson of Bayelsa State in 2012. This would no doubt provoke some posers. First, who was Andrew Owoye Azazi?</P><IMG class="size-full wp-image-269916" alt="*General Andrew Azazi (rtd)" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//Andrew-Azazi.jpg" width=404 height=261> *General Andrew Azazi (rtd)</P><P>Born on February 01, 1952, Azazi had perhaps the fastest growing record as a military officer. He served as Director of Military Intelligence, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Staff. After retirement he was recalled to serve as the National Security Adviser.</P><P>In June 2012, he was sacked without reasons. General Azazi had a Masters degree in Strategic Studies and was also a graduate of the Command and Staff College and the National War College where he won the Commander-in-Chief’s merit award for best all round performance.</P><P>He was a recipient of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) and was married with five children. His hobbies included reading biographies, listening to Nigerian music and playing squash. He died in a plane crash on December 15, 2012.</P><P>Whereas this profile is easy to follow, future Nigerians may never get to know why someone like Azazi was at a point in our history removed from office without reasons. All that they may find i<BR>s that everyone testified at his burial that Azazi was a good man.</P><P>Second poser, was Azazi really a good man or were people being kind to the dead at his burial? Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said Azazi was a man of integrity. The Bishop of Bomadi Catholic Diocese, Vicarage Hyacinth Egbebor, also a member of the Post-Flood Committee in Bayelsa State revealed that Azazi who was chairman of the committee “cherished honesty, justice, transparency, accountability.</P><P>He said Azazi worked to ensure that all the funds at the Committee’s disposal were judiciously expended to those who were really affected by the flood”. From the laity, came the voice of one Ifeoma Ifejika a citizen who met the General some years back in a flight.</P><P>She pleaded for a chance to say that Azazi was a General, an acclaimed Catholic and Evangelist. The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison Madueke , herself a fellow Bayelsan saw Azazi as a most intelligent analyst with a sense of humility and strength of character which tallied with the testimony of General Alexander Ogomudia a former Chief of Defence Staff who said he appointed the man the Director of Military Intelligence.</P><P>The Army Chief of Staff, Lt General Azubuike Ihejirika said the late Azazi whom he always saw as a role model spearheaded the transformation of the Nigerian Army. This confirmed the argument of President Jonathan himself that Nigeria would have been a changed place if 50% of its citizens were like Azazi.</P><P>The President then sealed it all up by saying that Azazi served the nation selflessly. Yet, his burial was undertaken by the Bayelsa State government and not the federal government that he served. Indeed, no honours for Azazi were announced by the federal authorities at his burial.</P><P>Poser three- what are the criteria for holding a post in Nigeria or for keeping it or for securing the renewal of an appointment? The only factor that appears clear is ethnicity. Although the politics of ‘son of the soil’ or ‘put our man there’ philosophy forever steers the nation in the face, our top political leaders pretend by the day that ethnicity is a non-issue.</P><P>As this column opined two years back, our successive Presidents and state governors often abandon the state house to go to their ‘places’ to register and to vote during elections. While in office they site state universities in their villages and divert all ‘goodies’ homewards.</P><P>It was for the same over-all importance of ethnicity that Abia state had to disengage from its public service more than 1,800 fellow Ibo workers of Anambra State origin. It also explains why the indigene-settler imbroglio in Plateau state degenerated to the monster it became.</P><P>Oh yes, Nigeria’s political culture has continued to be premised on competitive ethnicity – a subject that the nation’s ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worked around with a new name known as zoning. Painfully, the party could not prevent its side effects of bad blood or the setting of one group against the other hence mutual distrust and deep seated animosity subsist in our polity.</P><P>Azazi as National Security Adviser ran into trouble for saying so. Those who imagined that the problem was because he said it publicly were wrong. That was not the issue. The real issue was that he spoke the truth which our political class loath irrespective of where, when and how it is said.</P><P>Therefore, in order not to incur anyone’s wrath, many Nigerians speak from both sides of the mouth. Thus, a man who was sacked from office in June was in December of the same year- a space of 6 months, publicly declared as a good man who served selflessly. Indeed, he was a patriot till death working for the nation out of office.</P><P>According to one of his friends, Governor Uduaghan of Delta State, Azazi was visibly concerned about the kidnap of Ngozi Iweala’s mother and called for prompt action to ensure the release because it could have international dimension. So, future Nigerians would have to strive hard to comprehend Azazi’s Nigeria because a nation can best understand today for constructing tomorrow after knowing yesterday.</P>Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.<br /><p><a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/will-posterity-ever-understand-general-azazis-nigeria/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630393835781683690.post-57628368307485294382013-01-13T12:30:00.000-08:002013-01-13T12:30:00.384-08:00Freedom marred my ambition to become a doctor – Bunmi Lawson, Accion MDBY FEYI BANKOLE<br />
<b>She’s the Managing Director/CEO of ACCION Microfinance Bank Limited, a bank that has evolved from a one-room office space to a leading microfinance firm with over 17 branches and 300 staff spread across major cities in Africa. All these actually happened in 5 years and in a society where microfinance banks hit the rock no sooner than they are established. For two years running, the bank has won the Lagos State Microfinance Bank of the Year. At the international level also, it got the Africa Bankers Award nomination for Best Microfinance Bank in Africa. Mrs.Olubunmi Lawson tells of how she’s living-up her dream of practicing medicine even in the world of finance. Enjoy!</b> <br />
I won’t say I made Accion what it is because no one can single-handedly achieve such. The secret has been making sure we have the best people on board, with everybody running with same vision. When you look at our board, you’ll find Citi Bank, Ecobank, International Finance Corporation-IFC, Accion Investment, and others. We just make sure we have professionals around us”, she swiftly said as I took my seat on the armchair across her table, with my eyes piercing inquisitively.<br />
<b>Parental influence</b><br />Despite the denial, a brief journey through her background reflected the possible magnitude of her efforts.<br />“I was lucky to have learnt work ethics from my parents, anyway”, Mrs.Olubunmi Lawson, a mother of two achieving young girls, finally admitted.<br />Her father was an Accountant with Shell and her mum, a nurse who trained abroad, worked with National Oil, now Conoil.<br />
“They were both career people and they taught me there were no limitations to what one could do or become so long as one was ready to work hard. That has contributed to how I work and encourage others to also work. Also, as the first born in a family of six, I always have to show example. Dad was strict and he had several rules which we adhered to. But mum was a bit more liberal. Anyway, dad’s strictness was to make sure we succeeded”, she expounded.<br />
<b>Freedom mars ambition</b><br />Her father’s decisiveness surprisingly robbed-off on her choice of career. Being a science major, her ambition was to become a medical doctor and cure people of their ailments so they could afford to live better lives, but her father wanted accounting. Fate played out, and Bunmi was admitted to the University of Ife to study Zoology, with the promise that she would be transferred to the Department of Medicine the following session. Unfortunately, it was her first experience of freedom from parents, so, she over-played and didn’t do too well that session.<br />
<b>Accountant at last!</b><br />“My GPA ended up too poor for medicine, and I could not be transferred. I didn’t want Zoology, so, I withdrew from the University of Ife and was taken to the Ogun State Polytechnic by my father where I did finally Accounting and graduated at the Yaba College of Technology. My father was however encouraging throughout the period because he had wanted Accounting for me. Amazingly, I graduated with a first class! I’ve since then studied at the Lagos Business School, Harvard and some others. Really, I’ve come to realize that God has a way of redesigning destinies. I wanted to lay a strong foundation for my career, so, I worked with KPMG in Jos. By the time I left KPMG, I had passed my ICAN. Thereafter, I went abroad where I worked as a finance officer in a firm. When I came back, I worked in an insurance company. From that company, I went into marketing and from marking, I went into Fate Foundation where I was the Executive Director, and from Fate, ACCION came on board. I knew that to succeed, it would be advantageous to have a helicopter view of different industries and different aspects of finance. That also contributed to my success at ACCION”, she said.<br />Curing poverty<br />
Bunmi Lawson seemed satisfied with the turn of things and I wondered where that dream of curing ailments and helping people live better lives had varnished to.<br />
“I am fulfilling that dream!”, she exclaimed happily.<br />
“Poverty is a disease(an ailment) that only finance could cure to help people live better lives. I think God led me to this line to fulfill that original dream. Poverty is a bad disease because people lack the basic things to live a standard life when in poverty. It’s as bad as not having a house to sleep in or getting three square meals a day. Personally, I haven’t really lived in poverty at that extreme level, but I have of course faced some financial difficulties at some point in time, and I know what it means to live in lack. Unfortunately, some people are born into poverty and see no end to it because they do not have capital to take advantage of opportunities that abound. So, hardwork alone is not what takes people out of poverty- otherwise, load-carriers in the market would have been stinking rich because of their hardwork.<br />
<img alt="Bunmi Lawson" class="size-full wp-image-348568" height="250" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//Bunmi-Lawson.jpg" width="412" /> Bunmi Lawson<br />
<b>Medicine for poverty</b><br />“That’s why Accion exists- to provide them with loans so they can take advantage of opportunities. More importantly, we teach people to save because I truly believe that saving is what takes people out of poverty. This is because if you get a loan and repay it without having savings, you’re back to square one. But if you are saving those extra incomes and building up capital, then you’re able to do something bigger like buying a land, a car, sending your children to school, etc. That’s really what takes people out of poverty because that way, they can gradually walk their way out of poverty”, she enthused.<br />
Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.<br />
<a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/freedom-marred-my-ambition-to-become-a-doctor-bunmi-lawson-accion-md/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the original article here</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4630393835781683690.post-30504025712896394242013-01-13T10:30:00.000-08:002013-01-13T10:30:01.076-08:00If an ex-convict is President Jonathan’s benefactor, we are not safe – Bola Ajibola*Says Nigeria is an unfortunate country<br />*We freely signed Bakassi to Cameroun, he discloses<br />
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<b>Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN), a former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, says President Jonathan has more challenges to contend with than having a face-off with former President Olusegun Obasanjo on his comment on the state of the nation. As a member of the panel of judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which decided the issue of Bakassi between Nigeria and Cameroun, the former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, in this interview with Sunday Vanguard at his Hilltop GRA home in Abeokuta, gives some insight into how the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroun actually occurred.</b> <br />
Excerpts:<br />
<b>Former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently said he would not stop criticizing President Goodluck Jonathan’s government. What is your understanding of the disagreement between the two leaders especially now that we are into a new year?</b><br />
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In a matter of time, Obasanjo and Jonathan will resolve the issue between the two of them. To me, it is not an issue that should generate the noise that has attended it because it was a sincere comment by a concerned Nigerian leader about the state of the nation. And so the controversy that followed that sincere comment and observation is unnecessary. What Obasanjo said, say anything you like, may be bitter but that is the truth about the situation in the country and what Jonathan should do is to sit down with that reality, ponder over it again and again and do what is needed to be done, and properly too.<br />
We have got a lot of problems to deal with in the country and all still boils down to leadership and we are running a very weak economy. Jonathan, instead of misunderstanding a good and sincere advice by a statesman of the stature of Obasanjo, should work hard to prove himself by strengthening the economy. We have also got a lot of security challenges to deal with: the Boko Haram is there, there is the Niger Delta kidnapping issue still there and people are dying on daily basis. It’s sad.<br />
There is even one thing that still bothers me so much, which President Jonathan said and I think he was misquoted.<br />
<b>And what is that?</b><br />
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He was reported to have described Alamieyeseigha as his political benefactor. I think he was misquoted because for our president to describe an ex-convict as a benefactor, I think he should say it again! Jonathan should speak on this statement because it is not safe for us as a nation and as a people that an ex-convict is the benefactor of our President. He should speak up now because any further delay may be dangerous for our national image.<br />
<b>You were not only a serving judge at The Hague when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) gave its verdict ceding Bakassi to Cameroun, but also you were the Chairman, Joint Commission on Boundaries between Nigeria and Cameroun. What really happened?</b><br />
To start with, when the controversy started over whether to appeal or not to appeal, what I said was that there is nothing like appeal in the International Court of Justice, ICJ. There is nothing like that. You see what I mean? An application can be made to review certain aspects of the judgment but not, strictly speaking, an appeal. So, an appeal does not lie in the court there. It is not as if one is in support of the alleged maltreatment the people are subjected to in the place, but I must say that all they were doing at that point calling for appeal was belated and overtaken by events. What they ought to have done was to have put their house in order before even independence and immediately after independence.<br />
<img alt="Prince Bola-Ajibola" class="size-full wp-image-316699 " height="307" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//Prince-Bola-Ajibola.jpg" width="250" /> Prince Bola-Ajibola<br />
To be frank, when the situation became virtually what it is today, the Ministry of Justice, in those years in early 60s, sought legal opinion on this matter and, going by what happened in 1913 in the Anglo-German Agreement, we have this uphill task because it was Britain that ceded the whole of the Bakassi area, well described in Article 21 and 22 of that agreement, specifically to Germany.<br />
Germany, when it suffered defeat during the Second World War, was deprived of that area and Bakassi went to France and it was France that gave independence to Cameroun and that was how Cameroun got into it.<br />
A lot of people have been saying a lot of things that are not really correct.<br />
<b>How do you mean sir?</b><br />
In most cases, we ourselves as Nigerians bastardized our position because, as far back as 1961, we had written a note to Cameroun telling Cameroun that we Nigerians are aware of the fact that they own Bakassi! Throughout 1960s and 1970s, our map of Nigeria was always indicating the excise of Bakassi out of our own land in Nigeria as part of what belongs to Cameroun. In fact, it has further been stamped by the fact that we agreed that our boundary is in Akwa Yafe as opposed to Rio del Rey. If we own Bakassi, the boundary would have been in Rio del Rey and not Akwa Yafe. We agreed to that!<br />
We, even at a time, asked Professor Valad, in Britain, to advise us on the matter and that professor told us clearly that we had an uphill task, that what we thought we owned had already been transferred to Cameroun through Germany. That is the situation.<br />But there are still questions to be answered, which had already been ignored or decided against by the ICJ and you can read a lot of that in my ‘dissenting opinion’.<br />
You see, the situation is far more than what a lot of people have been talking about. It is what has happened beyond our time, before our time. We are now raking the misfortune of yesteryears and we are now the victims of the problems that arose before now. That was at the time of our independence.<br />
<b>From what you have said, where and how did General Gowon, General Obasanjo and you come into this controversy because it has been said that Gowon started it, Obasanjo gave it out and you sat on the panel that decided the case against Nigeria?</b><br />
<br />
No.<br />
It is wrong.<br />They are not mentioning the names that they ought to mention, which really prejudiced our case before the ICJ. They ought to mention the name of our Minister of Foreign Affairs just immediately after our independence in 1961 that really in his note gave Bakassi to Cameroun. That should be mentioned.<br />
We are just victims of what had happened before our time in Nigeria. And a lot of things happened advertently and inadvertently through our regular mistakes or misfortunes.<br />
<b>Then, how in the first instance, did the matter get to the ICJ?</b><br />
Cameroun took us to ICJ. And let me say this, in fact it was during the time of this litigation at the ICJ on the application by Cameroun that we started changing our map to include Bakassi (laughs). That was obvious and the judges are human beings. They were there equipped with evidence put in by Cameroun. It’s a case of an admission that we had taken on ourselves to cede all this area to Cameroun based even upon the 1913 Anglo-German Treaty and based on what we lawyers call pacta sunt savanda.<br />
It is very, very unfortunate that a kettle is now calling a pot black. It ought not to be at all because the mistake or the problem started right from the beginning of our independence. Those who are now shouting ought to have started shouting at that time if they could get hold of all that we did.<br />
<b>But why do you think the Nigerian side appeared to be complacent over the judgment that they didn’t talk about it until now?</b><br />
<br />
Let me say something here. Bakassi is not the beginning and the end of the whole issue. What Cameroun took us to ICJ for was not only Bakassi. It had to do with the land in Lake Chad; the land boundary between the two of us, the land boundary between Nigeria and Cameroun from Lake Chad to the sea as well as Bakassi and the maritime boundary; the maritime limit that they asked for and that is asking for virtually all the sea boundary of our present Nigeria.<br />
Let me say that if they had succeeded in that, we would have been in the misfortune of having no more oil, at least the foreshore oil. We would not be so privileged any longer.<br />
But that is not the most heinous part of the action that was taken by Cameroun. Cameroun took Nigeria to court on what we call ‘state responsibility’. It’s like a criminal charge against Nigeria. If they had succeeded in that one alone, we would have been thrown into endless debt that must be payable to Cameroun.<br />
We never allowed that to happen because we counterclaimed against them on it, which saved us the internal slavery to Cameroun and being in perpetual penury in which we would have been till today and henceforth. We did not allow that to happen to us. But that wasn’t all.<br />
Those who are criticizing should go and look into the judgment again and they will find out that virtually we gained generally rather than losing. Because the entire land that Cameroun had occupied in Nigeria, and we were able to ascertain that belongs to Nigeria on the land boundary, far exceeded that which is now claimed in Bakassi. And we were able to claim it back from them.<br />
<b>Can you give a bit of the details of what we gained and what do you advise the agitators for return of Bakassi to Nigeria to do?</b><br />
<br />
In Chad area, we knew that it was the ceding of the water that forced our people out of that place and, since the water kept drying up, we got into that situation. We moved out of that, but they also moved out of the southern part of that Chad which they occupied and which belonged to Nigeria.<br />
But I think before they start doing anything, I mean those who are now talking, they should not look into Bakassi alone because Bakassi is not a be-all-and-earn-all of the whole things involved in this dispute.<br />
<b>How do you mean?</b><br />
<br />
It is the land and maritime boundary. We gained extensively considering the claim of Cameroun against us on the maritime boundary. We gained extensively in that. They must not be myopic, they must be objective and they must look into the whole judgment before passing any judgment further on what they may likely go back to the court for.<br />
Again, the whole dispute had three phases, I have to say. It started with the preliminary objection on admissibility and jurisdiction. We first of all told the court that, that action was misconceived and should not be entertained. We gave eight reasons for this, but the whole thing was turned down by the court and the court rejected those reasons all. Then the case on merit. Also, before that, there was also an application on …..on certain aspects of the case.<br />
These people should go into our archives and be well informed and be well educated on this thing and, in fact, the antecedents before litigations. And they should look again into the history of what is Southern Nigeria and Northern Nigeria and all that moved. Because Northern Nigeria moved into Nigeria while part of Southern Nigeria went to Cameroun. So, we need to look into all that. We need to check our facts before we start talking.<br />
<b>Why is it that our Constitution still reflects Bakassi as one of the 774 local governments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as public commentators claim, yet it is glaring that Bakassi has been ceded?</b><br />
<br />
Whatever may be the problem with implementing a decision of the court is the internal problem of Nigeria and that, in itself, is strictly domestic. All we need to do is to check Section 12 of our Constitution and put our house in order. The international community is not concerned about that. International judgment has been given against us with regard to Bakassi and that, they are aware of.<br />
As a matter of fact there are so many things that one needs not come out with in this matter that could have happened disastrously to what is called Nigeria. And as a matter of fact, if we had done something else, there would be no Nigeria by now and arms conflicts would have taken over and there are so many countries in this world that are so friendly with the position of Cameroun because they are of the view that Cameroun has Bakassi.<br />
<b>Meaning that even if the verdict hadn’t favoured Cameroun, it could have declared war against Nigeria believing there are so many world powers that would come to its aid?</b><br />
<br />
They could because so many powerful countries in the world are behind Cameroun on this matter. We have seen that and we have been told about that. We are aware of that and actions are already going on, on that. So, we must be very careful. And I repeat that we must be very careful. We must think again and we must look into history.<br />
Those who are talking now must first of all go into history and look at all that happened before independence and immediately after independence. And they should look into all the powers exercised by the colonial masters and all the international agreements and treaties. It is worth looking at and, perhaps, they should read my dissenting opinion.<br />
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Note: Story contains graphic photo some may find offensive.<br />
Over 50 suspected vandals were, yesterday, feared dead in an explosion that rocked the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,NNPC, pipeline at Arepo village, Owode, Ogun State.<br />
Sunday Vanguard gathered that the explosion came following a fire which was sparked off by some vandals who stormed the creeks by boat to siphon fuel from the NNPC pipeline.<br />
Arepo was the scene of the killing of three NNPC officials by vandals last year. One of the survivors of yesterday’s incident was said to have participated in the officials murder. He was arrested by the police alongside a doctor who, according to a reports, was taking him to hospital for treatment. The doctor claimed he had only responded to distress calls. There were fears, last night, that damage to the pipeline could worsen petrol scarcity as it supplies the product from Atlas Cove Jetty in Lagos to other South-West states.<br />
An eyewitness account stated that the explosion came after an argument erupted between two of the vandals who were struggling to siphon fuel from the pipeline and it resulted into a heated argument that made one of them who was armed with a rifle to shoot indiscriminately into the air.<br />
<img alt="The pipeline fire at Arepo yesterday." class="size-full wp-image-348589" height="260" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//Arekpo-fire.jpg" width="412" /> The pipeline fire at Arepo yesterday.<br />
Sunday Vanguard learnt that bullets from the rifle hit the ruptured pipeline and led to an explosion.<br />Meanwhile, operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism Unit, who have been on patrol of the area, responded to the explosion.<br />
It was in the course of the response that they made the arrests.<br />Those arrested included the survivor identified as Sunday Reuben and the doctor.<br />
The source alleged that the doctor was trying to smuggle the survivor to his private clinic for treatment. The survivor, with severe burns, told Sunday Vanguard that there were more than 50 of them stealing petrol from the ruptured pipeline when the explosion took place, pleading for the rescue of his colleagues “blown away by the force of the blast and dying in the creeks.”<br />
His claim could not be confirmed as the fire was still burning at press time thus hindering access to the place.<br />
My story-survivor<br />He narrated the story of how he came to be involved in yesterday’s incident: “I was in my house when Suleiman my friend called me that there was a job at Arepo creeks. He asked me to look for a canoe and come with as many gallons as I could carry. Shortly after I arrived I saw people fighting before I heard a gunshot.<br />
The next thing was an explosion, I was lucky that I wasn’t close to the pipeline. It was the heat of the fire that affected me. I managed to run to my boat where my mother was waiting. There were so many of us both men and women. We are more than 50 persons over there and most of us are still inside that fire. Most of them are still in the creeks dying, please help them. Iya Olabode called a doctor who was about taking me to the hospital when we were arrested by the police.”<br />
The doctor said he acted on his oath to protect life. He explained that Iya Olabode, his customer called him to attend to a patient in her house at Abule Oba, Ikorodu area of Lagos.<br />
“I am a family doctor to Iya Olabode for the past three years. So when she called me that there is an emergency, I quickly rushed to her house where I saw Reuben badly burnt. I advised her that we should take the man to my clinic for better treatment. We were on our way when the police accosted us.”<br />
He further claimed that he never remembered to ask the patient how he sustained the burns.<br />
“I forgot to ask him because I was in a hurry to save his life. I never knew that he could be a vandal because Iya Olabode is a good and respectable business woman. I am terribly sorry; I was only trying to save life.”<br />
Confirming the arrests, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Friday Ibadin, who is in charge of the Task Force, said that the explosion started at about 2am yesterday.<br />
“Shortly after the explosion, policemen led by Sector Commander, Lagos, DSP Onaghise Osayande, cordoned off the area to reduce casualties while they awaited the arrival of fire fighters to quench the fire. It was in the process that they stumbled into a jeep carrying one of the survivors and a medical doctor who was on his way to hospital. In the course of interrogation, we discovered that the survivor was one of those who participated in the killing of the NNPC officials last year.<br />
<img alt="One of the surviving vandals" class="size-full wp-image-348591" height="254" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//Arekpo-fire-victim.jpg" width="412" /> One of the surviving vandals<br />
“The taskforce arrested six suspected vandals who were alleged to have participated in the incident that led to the killing of three Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) staff at Arepo Village, Owode in Ogun State”.<br />
Looming petrol scarcity<br />Meanwhile, a source close to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ogun State, which deployed its men to the scene of pipeline explosion, hinted that the NNPC had been asked to stop further supply of petrol to the pipeline to reduce the inferno.<br />
Experts said the interruption of supply was bound to worsen fuel scarcity of petrol in the south west states.<br />Confirming the incident,the Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC in the state, Olanrewaju Kareem, in a press statement, in Abeokuta, said there was an explosion at “the NNPC pipeline on waterways at journalists Estate, Arepo in the state”.<br />
He said, “the fire was noted yesterday by our surveillance team posted to monitor the situation around the place.<br />
“The fire might have been caused by vandals activities as we received an earlier call by the same surveillance team of suspicious movement around the waterways.<br />
“Our combat team were on their way at about 8:15 am when the out-break occurred, the team was instructed to move in by commandant Aboluwoye Akinwande for possible arrests.<br />
“However, no arrest was made as the vandals made their escape through Majidun side of the water ways.<br />
The Corps Commandant, Aboluwoye Akinwande, was there early this morning to have on the spot assessment of the situation.<br />
“He immediately called on NNPC to stop supply through the route. In due course, NNPC has made us to know that the fire will come down gradually”.<br />
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Former Golden Eaglets coach, Henry Nwosu has charged the Super Eagles players to tickle Nigerians and Africans with a good performance in the Africa Nations Cup in South Africa, saying that it would serve as proof that they are the best 23 the country has at the moment.<br />
Reacting to the Afcon 2013 list released by coach Stephen Keshi, Nwosu, a veteran of a couple editions of the competition, said “the list is okay to me. It is now left for the players to prove themselves individually and collectively in each passing game in South Africa as the best we have and my message goes particularly to the local players who made the list,” he told our correspondent in Lagos.<br />
<img alt="Nigeria's players listen to their national anthem before the Nigeria vs Cape Verde friendly football match in preparation for the CAN 2013 tournament at Algarve Stadium in Faro on January 9, 2013 . AFP PHOTO / FRANCISCO LEONG" class="size-full wp-image-348078" height="250" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//Afcon-2013-eagles.jpg" width="412" /> Nigeria’s players listen to their national anthem before the Nigeria vs Cape Verde friendly football match in preparation for the CAN 2013 tournament at Algarve Stadium in Faro on January 9, 2013 . AFP PHOTO / FRANCISCO LEONG<br />
He admonished the team to work hard for success because the country earnestly yearns for a trophy after a long spell of disappointments, saying “ it is an opportunity for the players to wipe our tears away. The players have to bear in mind that result is paramount and it is defined by good performance, meaning they must constantly show the best skill, fair-play and best attitude but not forgetting to play as a team.<br />
These are elements that draw success to a team and I have no doubt in my mind that they would give a good account of themselves . I would like them to enter the competition with calm but confident attitude and with a determination that will take us far beyond the the semi final target set for this competition,” he added<br />
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Our Reporter<br />
Another breakthrough came the way of security agents in their confrontation with members of the dreaded Jamaatu Ahlil Sunna Lidawati wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram, with the arrest of one of the sect’s suspected leaders, Hassan Pagi BUKAR, in the residence of a 2003-2007 member of the House of Representatives (names withheld).<br />
The Boko Haram alleged leader was, according to sources, arrested along with the security guard of the erstwhile lawmaker.<br />
Although the one-time member of the House of Reps was said to have been briefly arrested and interrogated, he has since been a daily guest of the security agency that effected the arrest.<br />
The arrest was reportedly made in the Gwarimpa area of the Federal Capital territory, FCT, Abuja.<br />
Sunday Vanguard learnt, last night, that the arrest and interrogation of Bukar had started yielding results.<br />
For instance, the suspect reportedly disclosed, upon interrogation, that his brief as a sect member was to “carry out robbery activities by dispossessing members of the public of their cars”.<br />
The security guard in the former House of the Reps member’s residence (who was described as a mere gateman) was said to have been “employed from Sokoto”.<br />
During further interrogation of Bukar, Sunday Vanguard was made to understand that the suspect disclosed that the cars used for suicide bombings by the sect were stolen vehicles.<br />
One of the very indicting statements of Bukar, the source said, “was that he implicated the former Rep by saying that he also buys some of the cars from him (Bukar) when they are stolen”<br />
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<b>THE PLOT – THE GREAT GANG UP</b><br />
This (PLOT) became lucidly clear with the instant release of my staff who were being detained in Lagos by the EFCC as soon as I voluntarily and wisely withdrew from the (presidential) contest. There was jubilation at the EFCC office immediately the news of my withdrawal broke and all my staff were asked by EFCC to go home immediately. This was on the 15th of December. Then came the D-Day, 16th December, 2006 – the date of the convention.<br />
I was invited for morning prayers with the President at the Presidential Villa and after the prayers I had a brief chat with the then President in his private study at the residence.<br />
He acknowledged my letter of withdrawal from the race and informed me of his intention to get Umaru Yar’Adua – the now expected winner of the upcoming primaries at the Convention, to make me his running mate. I thanked him for his kind thoughts and assured him that I bore no grudge or ill-will for the turn of events and that all through my campaigns I had ended my speeches on the note let God’s will be done’. I left him on that note at about 7.30-8.00arn. The convention was to start at 10am. As at 12.30pm the venue was literally empty.<br />
I was informed that most of the delegates who were in support of my candidature were upset and unwilling to go to the venue. It took the extra-effort and persuasion of my campaign organisation leader, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, and some key Directors of my campaign to get most of the delegates out to the Eagle Square. By 3pm the venue became fairly full.<br />
I was persuaded to go and accompany Umaru to the venue. I had been informed earlier in the day that the news of my pairing with Umaru was in the air and that ‘some people’ were already ganging up to oppose the proposed pairing.<br />
<img alt="Olusegun Obasanjo " class="size-full wp-image-311386" height="250" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//obasanjo3.jpg" width="412" /> Olusegun Obasanjo<br />
It was however noteworthy that when I got to the Katsina State Lodge to join Umaru to proceed to the Eagle Square I met him downstairs in the company of some party leaders – Chief James Ibori, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Mallam Nuhu RIbadu and Nassir El-Rufai.<br />
<b>(What did Ibori, Igbinedion, Saraki, Dangote, Ribadu and El-Rufai do once they saw Odili)</b><br />
<b>HOW IT ALL STARTED</b><br />
I, Dr Peter Otunuya Odili, became the elected Governor of the new Rivers on the 29th day of May, 1999, after a well contested and won election against a strong opponent Chief Ebenezer Isokariari who was the then immediate past Secretary to the State Military Government under Gen. Sani Abacha regime.<br />
With my team of appointees, we set out on a “Restoration” agenda in fulfilment of my campaign promises – “Letter to Rivers people.” We made a success of the programme and the details of our performance are set out elsewhere in this ‘book’. The highpoints were that in 2002 a team of over 500 journalists in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information under Prof. Jerry Gana, after inspection tours of executed projects by State Governments across the country declared Rivers State the best performing State Government and Dr Peter Odili was presented with the Gold Trophy as the best performing-Governor in Nigeria.<br />
The trophy was presented by the then Vice President Atiku Abubakar on behalf of President Obasanjo. No other credible contest has taken place since then. We built 1200 low cost houses across the State in our 1st 100 days in office in 1999. We introduced ‘Free School Bussing Scheme’, free education at primary and secondary levels, and free medical treatment for under 6 years and over 60 years.<br />
But it is significant to note that at no point in the period 1999-2006 was the executive branch under my leadership investigated by the State Assembly whose constitutional responsibility it was so to do, or by any other body or organ of Government legally charged to do so.<br />
‘THE PLOT’- With the failure of the constitutional amendments which included tenure elongation, campaigns for the presidency in 2007 took off about the 3rd quarter of 2006, across the country. By October/November my campaign, led by Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, had penetrated every state in the federation and it became obvious that the Odili candidacy had attained national acceptance and had become a movement. Odili was seen as the front runner, the candidate to beat. Traditional Rulers, Emirs, Tribal leaders.<br />
Labour unions, Stakeholders, etc had embraced and were favourably disposed to Odili. For some inexplicable reason, the plot to stop him, by some people, became pathologically ‘urgent’. The PDP convention for nomination of the Presidential Candidate was slated for 16th December, 2006.<br />
(Now, on December 5, 2006, some 11 days before the PDP National Convention, Obasanjo visited Rivers State and became proud of Odili. What made the president proud is contained in the book)<br />
Exactly one week later, 12th December, a spurious and anonymous petition was posted in the internet from a questionable ‘source’ alleging CORRUPT practices against the Rivers State Government under me. These allegations were converted into a petition by the EFCC under Nuhu Ribadu’s hand, to the President same day.<br />
On the 13th of December, 2006 Mr. President directed EFCC to investigate.<br />
On the 14th day of December, 2006, EFCC submitted a so-called “interim” report to the then President who promptly minuted for rny response on the same 14th December, 2006, but forwarded to me on 15/12/06, a day to convention vide ref. PRES/44.<br />
I assembled what was left of my cabinet team, a few having been arrested and kept at the EFCC office in Lagos within these few days of urgent dramatic action.<br />
We submitted our response on the 15th day of December, 2006 by which time it had become clear what the whole exercise was about – “Get Odili out of the race for the Presidency, at all cost.”<br />
For maximum mischievous damage this contrived so-called ‘interim report’ was hurriedly uploaded into the internet, but when our response to the spurious allegations was submitted on the 15th of December 2006, it was not accorded the same treatment. Why, you may ask? Some sense of fair hearing isn’t it?<br />
<img alt="Nuhu-Ribadu" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-78483" height="272" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//Nuhu-Ribadu.jpg" width="480" /><br />
Till date the innocent uninformed still make reference to that judicially nullified and voided report.<br />
<b>BETWEEN YAR’ADUA</b><br />
AND I Umaru quickly took me upstairs and thanked me for coming and assured me of his happiness at the prospect of our working together. He called his wife Turai into the room and introduced us.<br />
We later proceeded to the Eagle Square together and were joined by other colleagues in walking round the square. Convention started after the arrival of all dignitaries and convention events proceeded peacefully.<br />
In the course of the night I was invited to the VIP Guest Room at Eagle Square and was privileged to sight the typed copy of Urnaru’s prepared acceptance speech. It was clearly stated that he had nominated Dr. Peter Odili as his running-mate for the Presidential race. This was at about midnight or so. In the course of the next few hours information started reaching me that there was strong pressure to drop me from the ticket. Since 1 did not lobby for it, I wasn’t bothered – I remained with my State delegates.<br />
<b>THE MIDNIGHT PLOT</b><br />
At about 3.30 am or so, I was again invited to the VIP Guest room at the Eagle Square and informed that there was a strong challenge to my being the running-mate based on ‘some fresh information’ just received, from Nuhu Ribadu, that would need to be sorted out later in the day. I took the information in my stride and went back to my Rivers Delegate stand and didn’t say a word about it to anyone. By the close of convention at dawn only 2 State delegates’ stands were still full – Katsina and Rivers; all others were either empty or had one or two people left. The result was announced – Umaru was the winner and he promptly read a handwritten acceptance speech that excluded my name. He announced that further consultations were being made on the matter of his running mate.<br />
End of Story!<br />
The plot had worked. This confirms what Russel Wayne Baker, an American Columnist said in 1925 in “the sayings of Par Russel”;<br />
“The dirty work of Political Conventions is almost always done in the grim hours between midnight and dawn. Hangmen and politicians work best when the human spirit is at ifs lowest ebb. *<br />
By 4pm Sunday 17th December, 2006, Dr Jonathan was announced as the running mate to Umaru Yar’Adua, By Monday 18th December I congratulated Umaru and Jonathan and urged all my supporters nationwide and Rivers people to support the ticket.<br />
Odili was out of the race and the ticket.<br />
At the general election in April, 2007, Rivers State under my Leadership returned the highest votes in the country for Yar’Adua.<br />
<b>JONATHAN TICKET FOR PRESIDENCY</b><br />
But ‘how did water enter mellon? Let’s try to find out. So many conspiracy theories emerged in the days and months that followed. Since nothing is hidden under the sun someday God will reveal the truth.<br />
What was the genesis of the fight against the possibility of an Odili Presidency? Who was threatened by that possibility and why? Whose decision and when was it made to stop Odili by all means possible? Who was the fulcrum of the execution of that decision? How come that for seven and a half years nothing was raised by EFCC or any relevant agency against Odili’s Government in Rivers State and suddenly on the ‘eve’ of the PDP Presidential Primaries all conceivable vile allegations were unleashed? When did we Nigerians acquire such meteoric and forensic expertise and competence to produce a report within 36 hours of instruction to investigate? Just in time for the date line – December 16th 2006. These are Questions yawning for answers. God’s time will tell.<br />
<b>THE EFCC ROLE</b><br />
On Sunday the 17th day of December, 2006 at about 3pm I was invited to the Villa to see the President. When I got there I met him sitting in his private study at the Residence with Chief Tony Anenih then Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party, Dr. Ahmadu All then Chairman of the party, the Late Yar’ Adua then flag-bearer of the party and Chief Bode George then Deputy National Chairman of the party. It was there and then I was informed that Nuhu Ribadu had informed the President that some ‘Foreign Missions’ in Abuja will not be happy to see me on the PDP ticket on the basis of the so-called “EFCC interim Report” which had been circulated to them. I was now formally told that I have been taken off the ticket.<br />
I thanked them, congratulated Yar’Adua, wished him well, assured him of my support and then said to President Obasanjo to please now close the EFCC chapter since it was clear the aim had been achieved. He in no uncertain terms assured me that he would ensure that was done. On that note I left the Villa.<br />
As I was driving out of the Villa gate ‘then Governor’ Goodluck Jonathan wras driving in at about 3.40pm December 17th 2006. A few moments later the announcement of Goodluck Jonathan as the running mate to Yar’Adua hit the air-waves. Mission accomplished. I got back to Port Harcourt at about mid day Monday the 18th December, 2006 and addressed the press urging and declaring support for the Yar’Adua/Jonathan ticket.<br />
At the new year 1st January, 2007 banquet at the new Government House Port Harcourt, I assured the public that the (false) and contrived allegations maliciously made against me and my administration were untrue and that ‘we shall be vindicated in due course’.<br />
This statement appeared not to have been kindly received in some quarters because a few days into the new year, January, 2007,1 was informed that EFCC operatives had invited some of my officials to Lagos for interrogation. I allowed them to go, to show that we had nothing to hide. I promptly informed the Presidency of the development and was assured that the unnecessary harassment would be stopped.<br />
The EFCC menace, rather than cease, increased with the seizure of documents from some ministries by EFCC carting them away to their offices. I again lifted no finger to stop them, just to show that we were not afraid of anything. I however decided to go and speak to the President in Abuja.<br />
In my presence Nuhu Ribadu was supposedly called on the phone and instructed to stop the contrived operation in Rivers State. The President again reassured me and I left back to Port Harcourt.<br />
I decided it was time to take care of the developing situation. I got my legal team together and we looked at the whole picture. It became clear that having concocted and contrived a spurious petition, produced a pre-determined and malicious report, achieved the goal it was meant for and now, afraid of the possible repercussions of an evil agenda, it was now imperative for the plotters to find a way to justify their action by finding ‘something’ against Odili. Logical! The only thing to do was to work backwards from the already predetermined and executed end to find ‘something’.<br />
Within a few days our papers were ready for various judicial battles. Out of a sense of patriotic commitment to a Government I was considered a friend of, in the public eye, I told my legal team to stay action. It was after a very astonishing meeting at the Presidency over the matter of my successor as Governor of Rivers State that I instructed my legal team led by the Attorney General Odein Ajumogobia SAN, to commence legal action first at the State High Court and then at the Federal High Court , Port Harcourt, against EFCC.<br />
The first case went through full trial at the High Court of Rivers State, with all parties fully and properly represented. Trial lasted several weeks and judgment was delivered on the 16th day of February, 2007.<br />
<b>(What did that judgment say? It would interest you)</b><br />
<b>Clearly I have been unfairly judged by columnists and commentators who out of intellectual laziness and based on baseless comments by EFCC (under Farida Waziri) without facts, evidence and in abject contravention of court orders had made statements that were clearly libellous.</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>THE REVEALING VINDICATIONS</b><br />
“Evil thrives when good people look away or keep quiet.”<br />
Propelled by a sense of rejection of what is wrong and in full appreciation of the fact that ‘God guides the feet of the righteous in defence of justice’, we set out to challenge the evil plot against Odili. We were vindicated in the end”Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.<br />
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Viewers will witness the legendary archbishop pass the baton of moral leadership to these emerging leaders who are drawn from across Africa.<br />
Once they pledge themselves to Tutu’s mission, the participants are put through group tasks designed to bring out their true colours – from conducting a choir to cooking under pressure.<br />
They are provoked to re-examine their opinions in debates on the most controversial ‘African’ issues – racial hierarchy, corruption, privilege, and Western democracy. This experiment also pushes them out of their comfort zones emotionally, culturally and intellectually.<br />
With exclusive access, the series follows Tutu’s class of 2012, focusing in particular detail on the lives of five very different participants, as together they are coached to become a ‘moral task force’ for Africa.<br />
The young leaders are followed in their home cities as well as during the coaching, with filming in Tunis, Cape Town, Kigali, Johannesburg, Oxford and London over a period of seven months. Tutu’s fellowship is run in conjunction with Oxford University.<br />
Al Jazeera director of programmes Paul Eedle said, “Tutu’s Children offers a rare chance to witness a turning point in the lives of those who may one day change the course of Africa’s history. The travails of our fantastic onscreen characters will entertain and will also give our viewers a strong glimpse into the big issues affecting Africa.”<br />
This series will begin on January 10th 2013, and transmit for four weeks.<br />
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I first met Dr. Remigius Onyejekwe Oriaku in the last days of December 1991. I met him at the famous Faculty of Arts quadrangle of the University of Ibadan (UI). That day, the usual hustle and bustle of Yuletide was palpable. The haze which came with the dust of December hung over the entire University landscape that was screened off by the imposing faculty building.<br />
The setting sun was gentle, so was the mild almost unfelt chill. This left a soothing and pleasant feeling on all. There was in the air a lot of optimism. Some were looking forward to Christmas and New Year celebrations. Others, especially my small group of friends and acquaintances were optimistic about gaining admission into the University that was billed to reopen in early 1992. It was the anticipation of our becoming undergraduates at UI that led us there. That was twenty-one years ago!<br />
<img alt="*Dr. Remigius Onyejekwe Oriaku" class="size-full wp-image-348494" height="250" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//Oriaku-art.jpg" width="412" /> *Dr. Remigius Onyejekwe Oriaku<br />
I ended up not attending UI. Providence led my questing feet to the University of Benin, (UNIBEN) Benin-City, which turned out to be Oriaku’s alma mater. Some of the eggheads who taught Oriaku in UNIBEN’s Department of English and Literature in the late 1970s were also my teachers in the 1990s.<br />
It was through them that I got my first concrete impression of Remy Oriaku as my UNIBEN mentors call him. Professor Romanu Egudu in particular was untiring in his praise of Oriaku’s intellectual ability, strength of character and meticulousness. He praised Oriaku’s handwriting to the extent that I saw in my mind’s eye how immaculate it must have been. He described him as one of the best essayists to have passed through his tutelage!<br />
When I started thinking of pursuing postgraduate studies I thought of going to UI and my UNIBEN teachers whom I told talked about Remy Oriaku. He easily became a beacon for me. It was therefore not fortuitous that when I visited UI to attend the ceremonies marking Professor Niyi Osundare’s 50th birthday in March 1997, Professor Austin Ofuani who was then the Head of English in UNIBEN, and who was also attending the event literally handed me over to Dr. Oriaku.<br />
When I resumed for postgraduate studies at UI in May 1998, the phenomenon of brain drain had taken a severe toll on the university. The marauding dictatorial regime of Sani Abacha had subjugated the once idyllic ivory tower. The entire nation had been ravaged. Gloom enveloped Nigeria and tension was in the air. It was in that aura of dread and despair that I began postgraduate studies at UI.<br />
It was in the foregoing ambience that we began postgraduate studies at UI. Dr. Lekan Oyeleye (now professor) was the Head of Department, but Dr. Oriaku directed matters that pertained to literature. In spite of the paucity of academic staff Dr. Oriaku and his other colleagues threw themselves into the task of teaching us with a missionary zeal.<br />
They did their best to ensure that we had the best of postgraduate scholarship available in that circumstance. There were times we had lectures till dusk, because they had to also teach the undergraduate students in addition to my class as well as doctoral students to attend to.<br />
Our first lecture was with Dr. Oriaku and it turned out to be a timely agenda setting encounter. In the course of that lecture he assumed the role of the concerned teacher, an earnest counselor, an elder brother all put together. He told us what to do and what to avoid if we were to have a successful outing at the end of the session.<br />
As the semester and session progressed he gave us books to read and allowed us unfettered access to his house. His wife, Chika, who now holds a doctorate, was always untiring in playing the genial host. The number of plates of rice, eba plus egusi soup with stock-fish many of us ate in their then Amina Way residence is unquantifiable!<br />
Dr. Oriaku’s contributions to literary scholarship at Ibadan and beyond cannot be quantified. He has since 1983 when he joined the English department remained a most committed teacher of teachers. He has mentored many generations of students across the three degrees, BA, MA and PhD, awarded by the department where he is now the longest serving academic staff.<br />
Many of his students are now well established scholars in numerous tertiary institutions across the world teaching others what he taught them. Apart from being a dedicated teacher, Oriaku is also forthright and highly disciplined. I am convinced that he left something life changing with every student that read English at Ibadan.<br />
He has also intervened to rescue many students whose academic careers would have been amputated, especially at the doctoral level. Together with another committed teacher and indefatigable encourager, Prof. Ademola Omobewaji Dasylva, Dr. Oriaku revived my doctoral research when my supervisor, Professor Sam Asein passed on in 2002<br />
. Many other instances of Oriaku’s redemptive gesture abound.<br />
Dr. Awhefeada teaches literature at the Delta State University, Abraka.<br />
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The New Year,2013, has finally arrived with the usual challenges, hopes and expectations that characterise such occasions. Those of us that traveled to our different villages saw firsthand clear evidence that government is on holidays, so to speak.<br />
In other words there was negligible improvement in most rural communities in Nigeria throughout 2012, despite the cumulative budgets of the three tiers of government for that year. Before we discuss particular examples of arrested development in our localities, it is important to say one or two things about the raison d’étre of civil society.<br />
Ever since human beings began reflecting on the nature of political power and its relation to members of the society, there have been interminable disagreements among philosophers and political theorists with respect to the question: what is the ultimate justification for the formation of civil society and the state? The answers given to that question can be grouped into two broad categories.<br />
On one side, some philosophers (we may call them collectivists) submit that the claims of individuals must be subordinated to those of the community “as a whole.” Prominent collectivist philosophers include Plato, G.W.F. Hegel and ultra-orthodox Marxists.<br />
But a sizeable number of political thinkers (individualists) posit that social groupings exist for the benefit of its individual members. J.S. Mill, Bertrand Russell and Karl Popper, for example, insist that the degree to which the fundamental human rights of each person are actualised is decisive in evaluating human societies.<br />
Of course, human beings need well organised society in order to create institutions that will ameliorate serious defects of living in what the British philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, called “the state of nature.” Now, in a democratic society, representatives of the people, usually selected through elections, exercise executive and legislative powers on behalf of the general public.<br />
Thus, democracy presupposes a social contract between leaders and the led, because the former exercise power on behalf of the latter. In this connection, in a mature democratic set up, political office holders mobilise both human and material resources for the wellbeing of the electorate, due to the fundamental utilitarian character of genuine democratic society.<br />
Specifically, in policy formulation and implementation, political office holders are expected to give priority to the welfare of members of the society, particularly the less privileged ones. Unfortunately, in Nigeria the utilitarian principle in democratic governance is completely ignored by the ruling cabals, while gross indiscipline, corruption and philistine disregard for the welfare of the poor and the downtrodden have become rampant among political office holders.<br />
A recent trip to my village, Ishi Owerre in Nkwerre local government area of Imo State, has opened my eyes once more to the near complete absence of good governance in rural areas throughout the country, as if some evil genius had pressed the stop button on development in the countryside.<br />
One of the purported reasons for devolution of government down to local councils is to bring development to the grassroots. However, after about fourteen years of democracy there is little on ground to justify the huge expenditure of running our distorted presidential system.<br />
In my hometown, government at the federal, state and local government levels is almost nonexistent. Aside from poverty and rural-urban migration by the youth, there is chronic lack of basic infrastructure in our local communities. Because pipe borne water is unavailable, villagers still get water for domestic use from streams and water vendors.<br />
<img alt="President Goodluck Jonathan" class="size-full wp-image-274637" height="250" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//electricity-in-nigeria.jpg" width="412" /> President Goodluck Jonathan<br />
Electricity supply is very epileptic. To give you a sense of the terrible state of electricity in a typical rural area, consider the fact that throughout my stay in the village for the last Christmas which lasted about nine days, cumulatively we did not enjoy power up to ten hours for the entire period. And most times the voltage supplied could not even power a refrigerator efficiently. I must say without mincing words that the quality of representation of my local government at both the state and federal levels is mediocre.<br />
Since May 29, 1999, the legislators that have represented (and those still representing) my area in Imo State House of Assembly and Federal House of Representatives merely used the golden opportunity to take care of themselves, their families and cronies. For example Jones Onyerere (I am not quite sure about his surname), member representing Nkwerre federal constituency in the House of Representatives has his priorities as a legislator upside down.<br />
At the moment an allegation exists that he is building for himself a cluster of mansions in his village. Yet the road that leads from Ukwu Egbu to Umudi road through which he would drive his exotic cars to his mansions has been in a deplorable condition for more than a decade.<br />
He is now a nouveau riche with enough money to buy expensive generating sets to power his expansive country home, while most of his neighbours will be in darkness. From a wider perspective, after about two years in office, the senator representing Orlu senatorial zone in the Senate, Hope Uzodinma, has not attracted a single project to my local government, Nkwerre.<br />
Therefore for politicians from my constituency democracy dividends are solely for themselves; they are not interested in working for the people that elected them. It must be remarked that Nigerian politics at all levels is overwhelmingly dominated by greedy, myopic, selfish and morally bankrupt individuals totally lacking in noble thoughts and deeds, people without a social conscience and compassion for the suffering masses.<br />
Concerning Rochas Okorocha’s performance since he was elected Governor of Imo State, I should say that his record is ambivalent. There are several road construction and expansion projects in different parts of Imo State.<br />
But the problem is the quality of the jobs done by contractors handling the projects. For instance the road expansion programme in Orlu town is laudable. However the quality of the work done thus far is unsatisfactory.<br />
The free education policy in Imo State, at first sight, appears populist and well intentioned. Still the dismal condition of teaching and learning infrastructure in public schools in the state, such as classrooms, libraries and laboratories is a matter for serious concern. Many secondary schools, I am told, do not have up to ten teachers, not to talk of having well-equipped laboratories and libraries.<br />
To be concluded.<br />
Of what use is free education when the quality of teaching and learning is severely compromised by poor funding and haphazard planning? The tempo of industrial development under Okorocha is low. I do not know if he has a blueprint or roadmap for developing Imo State. But one thing is clear though: at the pace Okorocha is working right now, he cannot attain the level of governance achieved by late Chief Sam Mbakwe.<br />
That said, I implore the governor to reach into himself and come up with pragmatic and imaginative transformational agenda for the state. In order to achieve concrete results, he should avoid sycophants whose stock-in-trade is deception for selfish reasons.<br />
The long suffering people of Imo State are yearning for good governance. If Rochas Okorocha is serious and determined to serve the people, he can make a lot of difference before his term of office expires in 2015. I believe that the best strategy is for him to identify a few critical areas for concentrated attention and maximum impact.<br />
The problems of Imo State are deep and hydra-headed – no human being can solve them in four years. Consequently, Okorocha should tackle headlong those ones that have optimum positive impact on the welfare of Imo people. To be concluded.<br />
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Timipre Sylva,former governor of Bayelsa state has denied ever owning forty-eight houses; property which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has linked to him, and for which he faces criminal prosecution. In a statement issued at the behest of the former Bayelsa state governor by his lawyer Mr. Benson Ibezim, Sylva claims that the entire charge against him by the EFCC was no more than hocus-pocus – a great sham aimed at witch-hunt.<br />
In their statement of defense in anticipation of arraignment, Timipre Sylva insists that the houses listed as belonging to him by the Crime Commission did not in fact belong to him.<br />
According to his lawyers, Mr. Sylva does not own forty-eight houses anywhere in the world. The former governor accounts for only three houses which he claims to have duly declared prior to his assumption of office. In other words, Mr. Sylva is accusing the federal government agency of manufacturing evidence against him to satisfy those hell-bent at dismantling him, in this case, the president of Nigeria with whom he is in a long term feud.<br />
This is serious allegation by Timipre Sylva against the EFCC, and if it is to be true, undermines the validity and further erodes the credibility of EFCC as a serious institution for fighting particularly while collar crimes in Nigeria. I am of course very leery about Mr. Timipre Sylva’s claim of a witch-hunt. But it is equally important to adduce on his behalf the very clear rules of equity.<br />
<img alt="EFCC21" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165880" height="250" src="http://www.chopknuckles.com/sotonyej//EFCC21.jpg" width="412" /><br />
In this particular instance, I think it obligatory to refer to two critical maxims of equity: “Equity delights to do justice and not by halves” and of course, “Equity will not allow statute to be used as a cloak for fraud.” There is a simple solution in my view to Mr. Sylva’s disavowal of ownership of the property in Abuja.<br />
I assume of course that there is a registrar of property in Abuja, even if for tax purposes. If that were so, there must have been annual property tax paid for the forty-eight houses which Timipre Sylva denies. We must follow the money. Its trail leads ultimately to the truth.<br />
This is a simple way of saying, whoever pays or fails to pay taxes on those property owns them. Whoever collects rent on those property owns them. If the EFCC has done these rudimentary tests and come up with the clear evidence that all these can be linked back to Timipre Sylva or his agents, then they’d have established enough grounds to nail him as a liar and a fraud.<br />
Otherwise, Mr. Sylva’s claim of a witch-hunt and a frame-up might stand. Betterstill, if Timipre Sylva continues to deny ownership of the forty-eight buildings, and nothing in the deeds indicate that either he or anyone connected to him owns the property, the EFCC has an obligation to find their rightful owners who must step up with proof of ownership.<br />
Where none steps forward, the property might be considered to rightfully thereafter belong to a ghost; and therefore to the City of Abuja, who may dispose of them as they see fit by public auction, since no owner claims it.<br />
It might well be that the EFCC may have excavated property by absent landlords or such as may have died interstate. Whatever may be the case, Timipre Sylva must be given fair hearing. Fair hearing compels the courts established to try him to bring all clearly untainted evidence to bear to prove his corruption in Bayelsa state.<br />
There was corruption in Bayelsa state, and misuse of public fund. What is necessary is to prove it with clear evidence. It seems to me that the EFCC has always failed in this regard, and has in many instances, either out of incompetence or disregard been unable to put a case conclusively about official corruption in Nigeria to close.<br />
A week ago, the EFCC arrested the Accountant-General of Imo state, Mr. George Eche Ezenna and the Commissioner for Finance Mr. John Chike Okafor over what it claims to be a N47 billion transaction with Zenith bank. The details of these arrests are still hazy, but here, for me is the catcher: white collar crime in Nigeria will continue for as long as we have complicity within the Civil service.<br />
No political officer can embezzle government funds without the complicity of the top civil servants in the system. It is true therefore that Nigerians are looking in possibly the wrong directions. Until Nigeria rebuilds its Civil service and restores its internal regulatory systems through the Civil Service Commission, politicians will continue to assert extraordinary threat and power, and manipulate officers of the service to divert public resources.<br />
An example is the recent news that Governor Adam Oshiomole “sacked” a Permanent Secretary in the Edo Civil Service. I do not know if governors, as political officers, have that kind of power to sack tenured career of the rank of Permanent secretaries.<br />
In the past all disciplinary actions against such officers are taken by the Civil service Commission which has never been under the political direction of the political head of the state. It is always independent. But strange things happen these days in Nigeria where strange powers have been established to undermine the strategic control that checks and balances institutions of power.<br />
This, in sum, is the basis of corruption in Nigeria. As for the EFCC, it must strengthen its research and investigation arm, as well as its legal team. They often are blindsided by intricacies that suggest either incompetence, lack of technical ability, or in fact a lack of direction. Nigerians have frequently noted that the EFCC has not nailed any major fish or reptile since it was established to fight and prosecute corruption.<br />
It was given extraordinary powers and made independent of the police to shield it presumably from the institutional decay and corruption within the national Police system itself. Yet, it also is a remarkably weak institution because it is tied almost inexorably to the strings of the executive office – notably the office of the president.<br />
The law establishing this agency must in fact be reviewed. The EFCC must be placed under the independent office of the Solicitor-General in the ministry of Justice to start with, with six zonal offices under six Zonal Deputy Solicitors-General who will investigate, prosecute, and publicly account for their work through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, an office that must also be fully and clearly strengthened for the course of fair and credible justice in Nigeria.<br />
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