You can reduce your risk of breast cancer

October has been designated as the Pink Month in a global effort to draw attention to issues relating to breast cancer. The ultimate goal is to educate everyone about the disease and, consequently, reduce to the barest minimum the incident of breast cancer.

Oncologists say breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, representing 16 per cent of all female cancers. Again, scientific studies have found that women have a 12 per cent lifetime risk of developing breast cancer, though individual risks may be higher or lower than that. “Individual risk is affected by many different factors, such as family history, reproductive history, lifestyle, environment, and others,” researchers say.

For instance, in terms of unhealthy lifestyle, research has shown that taking two alcoholic drinks a day could increase breast cancer risk by 21 percent. However, most people who develop breast cancer may be teetotalers.

The World Health Organisation Global Burden of Disease estimates that 519,000 women died in 2004 alone due to breast cancer, with the majority (69 per cent) of all breast cancer deaths occurring in developing countries such as Nigeria.

Why cancer kills

Ordinarily, experts say, being diagnosed with breast cancer does not necessarily mean that you’ve been handed a death sentence. But that only means your symptoms are diagnosed at the earliest stage and tackled headlong.

Experts say though the developed world has achieved great strides in reducing the incident of breast cancer and the associated death rates, less developed countries such ours have continued to record low survival rates — a situation that can be attributed mainly to the lack of early detection programmes.

According to the Head of Oncology Unit, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Prof. Remi Ajekigbe, Nigeria records high death rate from breast cancer mainly because a high proportion of women present with late-stage disease.

Until recently, most tertiary centres in Nigeria lack adequate diagnosis and treatment facilities, a situation that also contributed hugely to the mortality rate among women with the disease.

Symptoms

The online portal, breastcancer.org, notes that, initially, breast cancer may not cause any symptoms. It states that you may not even feel or notice a small lump; or, where it is present, the lump may be too small to cause any unusual changes that you can notice on your own.

Usually, physicians say, it’s only when you do a mammogram (X-ray of the breast) that the machine picks an abnormal area, following which the doctor will recommend further testing.

The American Cancer Society proffers that in some cases, the first sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass in the breast that you or your doctor can feel.

“A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more likely to be cancer,” Ajekigbe warns. He adds, “But sometimes, cancers can be tender, soft, and rounded. So it’s important to have anything unusual checked by your doctor.”

The oncologist advises all women to have a clinical breast exam at least every three years; and annual exams and mammograms starting at age 40. “Women with a family history of breast cancer should begin screening 10 years prior to the family member’s age of diagnosis,” Ajekigbe adds.

The American Cancer Society says any of the following unusual changes in the breast can be a symptom of breast cancer:

•         Swelling of all or part of the breast

•         Skin irritation or dimpling

•         Breast pain

•         Nipple pain or the nipple turning inward

•         Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or                        breast skin

•         A nipple discharge other than breast milk

•         A lump in the underarm area

Of course, physicians say, these changes can also be signs of less serious conditions that are not cancerous, such as an infection or a cyst. But, in order to be sure, it’s important to get any breast changes checked out promptly by a doctor, experts advise.

Improving survival rate

At the launch of a new set of cancer diagnosing machines — Ventana Benchmark GX — donated by Roche Pharma, Nigeria, to LUTH last week, the Country Manager, Mr. Charles Forjour, says using the Benchmark GX will help physicians to differentiate the type of breast cancer an individual has, as well as enabling oncologists to determine the best medication a particular patient will benefit from.

The Head of Department of Pathology Unit of LUTH, Prof. Abdulkareem Fatimah, said, “With this machine, you eliminate trial and error, as well as the long period of waiting for manual test. “As for the patients, it saves them the stress of paying for ticket, hotel bills, visa fees and the high cost of seeing a foreign oncologist or oncology surgeon.”

The hospital’s Medical Director, Prof. Akin Osibogun, noted that when the machine becomes operational, breast cancer diagnosis and treatment will be based on clinical evidence, which will ultimately lead to increased survival among patients.

“It will improve the quality of test and immunohistochemistry report by the pathologist; and at the same time, enhance local research in cancers, which will ultimately help in gathering local data for clinical and policy decisions,” Osibogun said.

Army denies arresting Lt.-Col. over Boko Harm attack

Abuja – The Nigerian Army has denied a newspaper report that one of its former officer a retired Lieutenant Colonel was arrested in Yobe in an encounter with members of the Boko Haram in the state.

The denial is contained in a statement issued by Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, the spokesman of the army on Monday in Abuja.

“Contrary to the newspaper report, no retired Lieutenant Colonel was ever arrested in any encounter with the Boko Haram insurgents anywhere.

“The Nigerian Army wishes to state categorically that the report was a figment of imagination concocted by some fifth columnists within the media that are desperate to malign the army,’’ it said.

The statement said that the denial was borne out of the fact that the report had the tendency to mislead well meaning Nigerians and the public.

It recalled that the report claimed the Boko Haram attack took place on Oct. 24 and that it was led by the retired officer. 

Blatter’s comments on Ronaldo ‘lack of respect’ - Ancelotti

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has labelled FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s comments on Cristiano Ronaldo’s demeanour on the field as disrespectful.

The 77-year-old described the Portuguese as being “like a commander on the pitch” and joked he spent more money on his hairstyle than Barcelona rival Lionel Messi in an audience with Oxford University students last week.

Those comments have been met with fury in Madrid as Ronaldo aims to topple Messi to win the Balon d’Or for the first time in five years after both men were nominated in the 23-man shortlist for the award on Tuesday.

And Ancelotti confirmed that Real president Florentino Perez has sent a letter to FIFA asking them to rectify Blatter’s comments.

“It seems to me like a lack of respect,” Ancelotti said on Tuesday.

“I haven’t spoken with Cristiano about it. Today he trained very well as he always does.

“He shows every day that he is great player. He is serious, professional and respects everyone.

“I know that our president has sent a letter to FIFA.”

On the field, Real have been boosted by the return of Xabi Alonso, who could make his first appearance of the season against Sevilla on Wednesday as Los Blancos look to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat to Barcelona at the weekend.

The Spanish international hasn’t played since the Copa del Rey final in May as he was first sidelined by a groin problem and then a broken bone in his foot.

Alonso’s presence was badly missed at the Camp Nou as Ancelotti resorted to playing central defender Sergio Ramos in the heart of his midfield, and the Italian recognises the importance that the former Liverpool man’s return should have on the team.

“He is available. Tomorrow he could start on the bench and I will try to give him some minutes.

“Xabi has all the quality to be able to help the team play better. He has experience and quality in his passing. Moreover, he has a very good attitude defensively.”

Gareth Bale is also likely to make his first start at the Bernabeu after starting for just the second time in a Madrid shirt against Barcelona.

The Welshman was largely anonymous during his 60 minutes on the field as he flitted between a central position and his more accustomed role on the wing.

And Ancelotti reaffirmed that he sees Bale as playing on the right side of Madrid’s attack.

“Against Barcelona he could change his position with (Angel) Di Maria. I think his natural position is on the right and when he plays I think it will be there.”

Alonso’s return means that Ancelotti has his full squad available for the first time since arriving in June.

However, with Madrid midway through a run of seven games in 21 days, he admitted he will make a number of changes from the side that started against Barcelona.

Karim Benzema will return up front, whilst Spanish midfield duo Isco and Asier Illarramendi should also start after being surprisingly left on the bench at the weekend.

Top suicide bomb-maker killed in drone strike

A top suicide bomb-maker for Somalia’s Shebab rebels has been killed in a drone strike, government officials said Tuesday after the latest attack by US forces against the Al-Qaeda-linked group.

Residents near the site of the strike in southern Somalia reported at least three people were in the charred vehicle, which burst into flames shortly after the sound of an aircraft was heard overheard.

Somali Interior Minister Abdikarin Hussein Guled told government radio that his intelligence services had been tracking Ibrahim Ali Abdi, also known as Anta-Anta, for some time before the strike took place on Monday.

“The operation in which this man has been killed was very important for the government. This man had a major role in the death of many innocent civilians and his death will help in bringing back peace,” Guled told Radio Mogadishu.

The strike came weeks after an audacious attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi claimed by Shebab in which at least 67 people were killed.

The minister did not say who carried out the drone attack, but an official in Washington said the US military was responsible.

Officials from Somalia’s internationally-backed government have described the dead militant as being well-known for making suicide bomber vests and preparing car bombs used regularly by the rebels to attack government-held areas.

“He was Al-Shebab’s chief suicide bomb-maker, he was responsible for numerous bomb attacks which claimed the lives of many Somalis,” said Ridwan Haji Abdiweli, the prime minister’s spokesman, adding that the government welcomed the strike.

“It is a victory for the Somali people that such dangerous individuals should be taken out.”

There has been no comment from the Islamists.

The missile strike also follows a raid by US Navy SEALS on the southern port of Barawe in early October that failed to hit its alleged target: a senior Shebab militant leader and Kenyan of Somali origin called Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulkadir, also known as Ikrima.

Barawe is a key Shebab training centre specialising in preparing suicide attack squads, according to a United Nations monitoring report earlier this year.

An American official, speaking on condition of anonymity in Washington, said Monday that the latest missile attack was a drone strike conducted by the US army. The source did not specify where the drone was launched, but the US army operates the devices from bases in Djibouti and Arba Minch in southern Ethiopia.

The Shebab have been driven out of Somalia’s major towns, including the capital Mogadishu and the key southern port of Kismayo, by a UN-mandated African Union force that now numbers 17,700 men.

However the group still controls large swathes of southern Somalia and has over the past few months stepped up the scale of its suicide attacks, including storming a UN compound in Mogadishu in June.

The AU force has requested its size be boosted by a quarter to 23,000 troops.

UN Monitoring Group reports earlier this year estimated the Shebab are still some 5,000 strong, and remain the “principal threat to peace and security to Somalia”.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon earlier this month warned that “military gains against Al-Shebab that have been achieved in recent years are at serious risk of being reversed”.

4 burnt to death in Jigawa auto crash

Hadejia (Jigawa) – Four persons were burnt to death in a ghastly motor accident on Tuesday in Malammadori Local Government Area of Jigawa.

Eight other persons sustained injuries in the accident which occurred along Hadejia-Gumel road.

Mr Muhammad Gidado, the state Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), confirmed the accident on telephone.

Gidado said the accident occurred when a bus with registration number XB 846 AGB collided with a lorry.

He said that the lorry was conveying goats from Gashua in Yobe while the passenger bus was travelling from Gumel to Hadejia.

Gidado explained that the two vehicles burst into flames as a result of which the four persons were burnt to death.

“We could not ascertain the cause of the accident and the lorry driver was burnt to ashes.

“Our men and a team of fire fighters have conducted rescue operation, three corpses have been deposited at the General Hospital, Gumel,” he said.

Gidado further stated that eight other wounded passengers were currently receiving treatment at the hospital. (NAN)

Mark, Oshiomhole mourn Akhigbe

Senate President, David Mark and Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has described the death of Vice Admiral Mike Okhai Akhigbe, one-time Chief of General Staff and Vice President of Nigeria, as a great loss to the state and country.

The Governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria said “it is with a sad heart that I mourn the death of Vice Admiral Akhigbe, an elder statesman, a pan-Nigeria nationalist, a man of uncommon qualities and an illustrious son of Edo State.

“Vice Admiral Akhigbe’s track records as former military Governor of Lagos and old Ondo states, as Chief of Naval Staff and Chief of General Staff are indelible. He no doubt discharged his duties creditably and left huge imprints in the sands of time.

“Indeed, we owe him a great debt of gratitude for his invaluable contributions which led to the nascent democracy being enjoyed in the nation today.

In Edo State, Admiral Akhigbe was a pillar of support as he had cause to disagree with his political party at several times while championing a good cause for the state.

Vice Admiral Akhigbe, no doubt, had lived his life to the fullest and made indelible mark both as a disciplined military officer and as an administrator. “His death has no doubt robbed Edo state and Nigeria of one of her brightest minds.

“We feel even more pained that death robbed us of Vice Admiral Akhigbe at this time while we still mourn the passage of another illustrious son of the state, Prof Omo Omoruyi. However, as we mourn, we take solace that he contributed his best and gave his all to the state and the country; for these, the people and Government of Edo State are grateful and proud.

I pray God to grant the soul of the departed Vice Admiral peaceful eternal rest in His bosom and grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss

The Senate President, David Mark, on Tuesday described the death of retired Vice Admiral Mike Akhigbe, as a loss of a brother, confidant, friend and comrade-at-arms.

A statement signed by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Mark recalled their days at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), noting that “Mike was fearless and very diligent in our course.”

“He took these attributes to all the formations where he was privileged to have been posted either in his core military postings or political offices,” he said.

The statement also said the late Akhigbe’s death was a huge personal loss to Mark, the members of Course 3, the Armed Forces, Edo and the nation.

“But we cannot question God. He alone gives life and takes it when he so desires. We are bound by His decision to take our brother and friend at this time.”

Mark, who is the Chairman of Course 3 Alumni of the NDA, said: “We are consoled that while Mike was with us, he lived his life in the service of God and mankind.”

He prayed that God would grant the family the fortitude to bear the very painful departure.

Kanye West brings Jesus lookalike on stage during concert opener

Kanye West kicked off his 'Yeezus' tour in Seattle, yesterday Saturday October 19th and before his performance of his College Dropout hit song, Jesus Walks, a man dressed as Jesus walked on stage and Kanye jokingly asked "White Jesus, is that you?… Oh, shit!,". Later, Kanye and his female back-up dancers bowed to the Jesus look-alike as he stood on the mountain top.

Kendrick Lamar was Kanye's opening act. He performed a nine-song set which included songs off his "good kid, m.a.a.d. city" album. Watch the video of Jesus Walks performance after the cut...

Who approved Oduah’s N225m bulletproof car purchase?

Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah

The controversy surrounding the purchase of two armoured BMW 760 Li cars for N225m for the use of the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, deepened on Sunday, with conflicting information on who gave approval for the transaction.

While some sources alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan might have approved the purchase of the vehicles for the minister by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, our correspondents could not get an independent confirmation from the Presidency as the officials chose to

It was gathered that neither the minister nor the NCAA could have singlehandedly approved the transaction without recourse to other approving authorities.

A highly placed source said the Ministerial Tenders’ Board might have given approval for the contract, instead of the Bureau of Public Procurement, which is responsible for scrutinising and verifying the cost of public procurement contracts.

Usually, the BPP monitors the prices of tendered items and keep a national database of standard prices.

However, a top official of BPP, who spoke to one of our correspondents on the condition of anonymity, said the purchase did not need to pass through the BPP process because the amount involved was not up to the N250m benchmark, except the Aviation ministry elected to subject it to the process.

The source said, “It is not all procurement that comes to the BPP. They don’t have to go through BPP at that level to purchase the vehicles except they so elected. That level of purchase can be handled by the Ministerial Tenders’ Board.

“What the BPP can do on procurements that do not pass through it is to audit them. However, I don’t think that this particular procurement needs to be subjected to an audit process.”

The Director-General, BPP, Mr. Emeka Eze, was, however, evasive when the issue was raised with him on Sunday, saying that he could not confirm whether the purchase of the vehicles was subjected to the agency’s due process.

“I am not in the office and I don’t have information on it with me. You know that we have over 500 agencies that we oversee. So, on a Sunday like this, I will not have all the information except I am in the office,” he said.

An online news agency, Eagelonline.com, quoted the Chief Executive Officer, Armouring LLC, Mr. Dave Simmons, as saying that the price of both cars, including the cost of purchase, armouring and delivery to Nigeria, could not have been more than N76m.

An online news medium, SaharaReporters, had last week reported that the minister forced one of the parastatals under her, the NCAA, to buy two bulletproof cars for her use.

It was reported that the armoured BMW cars, valued at about N127m each, were delivered to the minister in August.

Documents obtained by the medium showed that the transaction for the purchase of the vehicles started in June.

After initial denials, the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Joe Obi, who confirmed the development exclusively to our correspondent on Wednesday, said the vehicles were purchased to protect the minister from some external threats.

He said, “Yes, it is true that some security vehicles were procured for the use of the office of the honourable minister in response to the clear and imminent threat to her personal security and life following the bold steps she took to reposition the sector.

“When she came on board as the minister, she inherited a lot of baggage in terms of the concession and lease agreements in the sector, which were clearly not in the interest of the government and people of Nigeria.

“And so, she took bold steps and some of these agreements were reviewed and some were terminated, and these moves disturbed some entrenched interests in the sector, and within this period, she began to receive some imminent threats to her life; therefore, the need for the vehicles.

“It should be noted that these vehicles are not personal vehicles and were not procured in the name of the honourable minister; they are utility vehicles and are for the office of the minister, and if she leaves the office, she will not be taking the vehicles along with her.”

However, on Friday, the Director-General, NCAA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, said the cars would be used to convey international dignitaries who came to the country on official visits.

He said aviation was a global industry and the NCAA, as the regulator of the industry in the country, very often played host to dignitaries from international civil aviation bodies.

He said it was customary to convey the minister and the visiting foreign dignitaries in security vehicles whenever they were in Nigeria.

 “It must be noted that during such visitations, the security of members of the delegation is the sole responsibility of the host country. The vehicles are, therefore, in the pool of the NCAA for these special assignments and are available at the NCAA office and can be shown to you,” Akinkuotu said.

He announced on Friday that the agency was searching for the person who allegedly leaked the information concerning the purchase of the vehicles to the media, because the Federal Government was concerned about how the information got to the public domain, noting that whoever leaked it had committed a criminal offence.

Policeman brutalises eight-year-old daughter over witchcraft

Goodness

A police sergeant from Ibiaku community, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Ita Ayamba, has allegedly brutalised and abandoned his eight-year-old daughter, Goodness Ayamba over her refusal to confess to witchcraft.

Ita was said to have paraded the little girl along the village streets naked, declaring that Goodness was responsible for his retrogression in the Police Force.

A source and relative of Ita, told our correspondent in Eket on Saturday, on the condition of anonymity,

that the police sergeant tortured his daughter for several hours in an attempt to extract a confession of being a witch from her.

He said, “When he discovered that Goodness had passed out, Ita abandoned her, having hit her chest with the butt of his AK 47 Rifle.

“None of us could go close to Ita to rescue Goodness as he had threatened to shoot anyone that dared.

“I don’t see how a child of that age could become a clog in the wheel of her father’s progress in the Police Force. We need to tell each other the truth. Progress in one’s career depends on the efforts one has made academically.”

PUNCH Metro gathered that Ita had divorced Goodness’ mother some years back.  He was said to have remarried almost immediately, leaving three children including Goodness with their grandmother.

A resident of the area, Okon Ekong, said that on July 28, 2013 when the children were on holiday, Ita had requested  custody of them. He was said to be at his new station in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the time.

Ita’s former wife, Mrs. Anietie Ayamba, allegedly heeded his request and took the children to him. Ekong said that the children’s stepmother made life miserable for them.

He said, “It was during their stay in Port Hracourt, that their stepmother took the children to a Pentecostal church. Goodness was accused of witchcraft at the church. Her stepmother was told that Goodness was the person responsible for their father’s non-rising profile in the force.

“The father who was also in the church began to beat and kick Goodness in  a bid to extract a confession about her witchcraft.”

When PUNCH Metro visited Immanuel Hospital, Eket, Eket LGA, on Saturday, where Goodness was taken to for medical attention, it was gathered that she had been admitted at the intensive care unit of the children’s ward.

Nurses at the hospital said Goodness’ condition was stable but that her bones and chest cavity had been badly damaged.

A group of women lawyers under the aegis of Federation of International Women Lawyers have said that they would do everything within their power to ensure that Ita was brought to justice.

The state director of the organisation, Mrs. Mary Udonsek, stated that the women would not continue to sit back and allow men maltreat their children on the guise of labelling them witches.

Ita, said to be working at Trans Amadi Police Station, Port Harcourt, Rivers State had allegedly not been to Ibiaku, Mkpat Enin LGA since the incident.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Etim Dickson, said the Rivers State Police Command would be contacted about the matter.

He said, “Messages have been sent across to police area commands in Oron and Ikot Ekpene so that Ita will not have any place to hide once he is in the state.”

Amaechi, Oshiomhole, Okorocha shun govs meeting

Three Governors – Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, Rochas Okorocha of Imo and Rotimi Amechi of Rivers – did not attend the South-East/South-South governors meeting held on Sunday in Enugu.

The meeting was attended by eight of the 11 governors in the two geo-political zones.

Governors who attended the meeting include Theodore Orji of Abia; Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom; Liyel Imoke of Cross River; and Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta.

Governors Sullivan Chime of Enugu and Peter Obi of Anambra also attended the meeting.

Though, governors Martin Elechi of Ebonyi and Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa were physically absent, they were represented by their deputies: Dave Umahi and John Gboribiogha, respectively.

Imoke, who is the Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum, said the meeting focused on how to promote unity in the zones among other issues.

He said the governors were not against the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said, “Governors of the South-East and South- South met again today. We deliberated extensively on the same issues that we discussed previously in our last meeting.

“Those deliberations are that we will continue to ensure that we focus on economic cooperation and unity and of course, focusing on our collective interest.”

Oduah and the triumph of corruption

Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah

BEYOND the howls of outrage at the illegal purchase (with public funds) of bulletproof cars for Stella Oduah, the Minister of Aviation, Nigerians need to come to terms with the reality that the government has lost the war on corruption. The scandal partly explains why our airspace is dangerous; why billions of naira poured into the sector have not revived the industry and why officials charged with managing air transport are obsessed with their own comfort. Indeed, Oduahgate, if not properly handled, will have shattering implications for the Jonathan government.

While calls for the sacking of the manifestly incompetent minister have rightly gathered momentum, the Nigerian government must resolve to cleanse the aviation sector, initiate widespread reforms and flush out the obsequious and irredeemably corrupt bureaucrats that have held it hostage. Most importantly, we have to deal with the twin evils of pervasive corruption and the monumental waste represented by a bloated and over-pampered public service.

The task is daunting. President Goodluck Jonathan has, in three years in office, failed to demonstrate purposeful leadership and only pays lip service to fighting corruption and prudent financial management. It is dismaying enough that Oduah apparently sees nothing inappropriate in her actions and public anger over the $1.6 million (about N250 million) purchase, but it is even more troubling that the President has not deemed it fit to fire her. The National Assembly that should protect the public interest and exercise oversight on the executive is equally greedy and uncaring. A passive electorate and weak civil institutions have also fostered a culture of impunity and lack of accountability in those occupying public office.

The frightening case illustrates just how. According to news reports, the minister requested that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority purchase bulletproof cars for her. The officials obliged, spending $1.6 million of the agency’s funds to buy two BMW SUVs to massage Oduah’s vanity. Here is an organisation that complains of underfunding and lacks many of the essential up-to-date equipment that is standard everywhere else. This is shocking, but unsurprising. It is not yet known just how many similar expenses have been borne by other agencies being supervised by the Aviation Ministry. But it is known that the parastatals were asked, on “instructions from above,” to raise money for unexplained “activities” relating to the opening of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, in August, for which the cash-strapped Nigerian College of Aviation Technology alone raised N5.03 million.

In justifying the purchase, Oduah, through her aide, said she requested the cars due to “threats to her life.” That is troubling enough. This is certainly in line with her disdain for the public. Responding to criticism over the crash of an Associated Airlines plane that killed 14 persons recently, she had bizarrely attributed it to “an act of God,” and, to rub it in, added that plane crashes are “inevitable.” Even the most fair-minded person must be baffled and shocked by these actions and statements.

Since the minister and legislators are routinely maintained in circumstances described by a former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, as “obscene luxury,” it is not surprising that bureaucrats not only routinely fail to discharge their duties, but also luxuriate at public expense. It has since emerged that the NCAA has purchased 34 new cars (13 Toyota Prado SUVs and 21 Corolla saloons) for its top managers despite a subsisting policy on monetisation of fringe benefits. The Director-General of the NCAA, Fola Akinkuotu, and the entire management and board should be immediately investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and prosecuted and sacked if they are found to have broken the law. We sorely need upright, courageous officials that can say, “No,” to the unlawful demands of politicians in temporary tenancy of public office.

The probe should extend to all agencies supervised by the ministry whose shortcomings are all too obvious to the public. The Dana Airline crash of last year that claimed 151 lives and this month’s crash exposed how corruption, incompetence and blatant compromising of regulations and standards have made air travel a risky venture in Nigeria. The industry needs a massive shake-up to enable it to recover, just as it has rebounded in most other parts of the world after the slump that followed the September 2001 terror attacks on the United States.

Mind-boggling cases like this are bound to catch the attention of those who have been dehumanised and debased by an insensitive government. At an exchange rate of N155 to $1, Oduah’s vanity would establish eight cottage clinics of N30 million each, or fund the sinking of 50 boreholes in a country where only 17 per cent of its 160 million people have access to pipe-borne water, according to a UNDP report. Most ministers also enjoy the extra-budgetary perks Oduah got. The steep damage of this era to public finance will not be wiped out so easily.

The Jonathan government’s chronic lack of transparency makes the odious cars purchase possible.  In a decent world, Oduah would not be defending the scurrilous affair but answering questions from anti-fraud agencies. The President should fire this minister immediately. Failing to do so suggests a lack of modicum of integrity in government. The President should search for an honest, passionate professional that understands aviation to succeed Oduah, the latest in a long line of ministers who lack knowledge of the industry.

Jonathan should take the war against corruption more seriously, while the National Assembly should adopt a more vigorous and effective stance on its oversight responsibility. Nigerians should not be complacent but continue to demand accountability from public officials.

TWO ESCAPE DEATH AS ANOTHER BUILDING COLLAPSES IN ABUJA

Two persons yesterday escaped death when the part of an uncompleted building in which they reside collapsed at Mafemi Crescent in Utako District, Abuja.

One of the occupants sustained minor injuries on his head and appeared dazed, while the other walked out of the place unhurt.
Our reporters learnt from sources that the structure belongs to a top Nigerian diplomat and was marked ‘danger’ as well as earmarked for demolition on July 25, 2012.
Commenting on the incident, Mr. Ishaya Isah Chonoko, coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Abuja, said no lives were lost. He said only one person sustained minor injuries and was being treated inside NEMA’s ambulance.
Chonoko was heard on phone telling his superior that some occupants of the collapsed building were parking out of the place and there was the need for the development control unit to demolish the place quickly so that they do not pack back to the place.
A family consisting of a man, baby, woman and two teenagers were seen packing out their belongings from a section of the building.
Our reporters learnt that majority of those that live in the place are roadside car washers and some lamented over the sufferings they face daily.
While responding to questions from rescue officials on why they live in such a place, one stated thus; “If we had better options we wouldn’t be in such a place. We have a government that is so insensitive to the plight of the ordinary man in the country and do not care to provide low income houses for people like us,” he added.
Another occupant said they have been living in the place for over four years, adding that most times, people chase them away but they return after a while.
Some women spoken to said they also go out to work but don’t make enough to look after their family. “Whatever we make at the end of the day cannot get us a decent house and provide all the necessities for our family. So we had no option than to live here in order to manage and pay a token amount to someone who acts as an agent here,” a lady said.
A woman with some under aged children appeared worried and wondered where next her family would move to.
Later in the day, the building was demolished and leveled to the ground. Previous occupants were seen scampering for parts of the building which they said meant more than their belongings buried in the rubble.
One of them said, “This is very good roofing sheet. If I sell it I can make enough money and extra to replace the few items I’ve lost here.”
As some fought over who first picked rods, some others tried looked for other materials they could cart away.
According to another former occupant of the building: “It was as if God didn’t want us to die because as early as 5am many of us had begun leaving the building. This is unlike the 7am at which we normally set out. I guess this is what saved us.”

Traditional healer, DELSU staff nabbed for holding ‘mad’ woman hostage

ASABA—A traditional healer based at Ogwashi-Uku in DeltaState has been arrested for allegedly holding a 17-year-old girl hostage, on account of alleged insanity.

Also arrested was a staff of DeltaStateUniversity, DELSU, Abraka, believed to be a relation of the ‘mad’ lady, who took her to the healing home.

Police spokesman, Mr. Lucky Uyabame, paraded the suspects at the state police headquarters in Asaba, weekend.

Also paraded were six suspected cultists, who were arrested in a bush within Umutu axis during an initiation ceremony.

The suspects, according to the police spokesman, “are predominantly students of Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro.”

Boko Haram insurgents kill 20, injure 10 in Borno

MAIDUGURI— No fewer than 20 persons were killed yesterday, while 10 others were injured when gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram insurgency group launched an attack on Logomani village in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State.

Dikwa is about 65 kilometres away from Maiduguri, where series of terrorists’ attacks and killings had occurred in recent times. Soldiers were said to have later pursued the insurgents into the forest around Ngamboru Ngala.

Bukar Alhaji Gana, a native of Logomani, said that about a week before the attack, there was a rumour that some members of the sect were seen heading towards Marte area, where a terrorist camp was located before it was destroyed by the Joint Task Force, JTF.

He said: “We were told that some of the Boko Haram sect members came around and warned some people, but left almost immediately towards Marte, close to Lake Chad Basin.”

It was learnt that the attackers, dressed in military uniforms, also left with some of the women and also collected money from some of the truck drivers in the area.

A passenger who narrowly escaped death, told newsmen that the attackers shot three passengers and slaughtered 14 people before someone alerted them that soldiers were coming. They fled on their motorcycles into the bush.
At press time, there was no report from the military authorities on the issue as the acting spokesman of the 7 Division Nigerian Army, Captain Aliyu Danja, could not be reached for comments.

Bad roads: FG, contractors at war over debts sum

LAGOS —THE Federal Government and local contractors are currently at war over  debt owed by the government for the construction of major road projects across the country.

While the local contractors claim that they are being owed N500 billion, the Federal Government insisted that it owed the contractors only N30 billion.

It was gathered that the failure of the government to fulfil its financial obligations to the contractors has stalled the repair works on the major road projects awarded by the government such as Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Findings by Vanguard revealed that the contractors who were awarded major highways and bridges contracts spread across the country were being owed as much as N30 billion arising from liabilities for the 2013 year, thereby exposing them to operational challenges.

Lagos – Ibadan Expressway

The firms were said to have been awarded the strategic road projects by the Federal Government in the hope that N141 billion approved for the Federal Ministry of Works would be released as and when due by the Finance Ministry.

However, findings revealed that of the budgeted N141 billion, only N63.76 billion has so far been released to the ministry for its road projects, leaving an outstanding balance of N76.24 billion.

Some of the local contractors lamented that their operations had been virtually grounded by non-payment for jobs already executed for the Federal Government. Others complained that heavy bank charges on loans extended to them had made it impossible for them to raise more money to continue with the jobs at hand.

“It is very difficult for us to continue to work without being paid by the government,” one of the construction firms’ official told one of our correspondents.

Although the Minister of Works, Arc. Mike Onolememen, could not be reached for a reaction to the development, a competent source close to the ministry confirmed the debt being owed the local contractors, saying that it was not deliberate.

The source admitted: “It is true we have liabilities amounting to N30 billion to our contractors but this is regrettable because we have not deliberately decided to owe them. The truth of the matter is that the money approved in this year’s budget for us has not been released in full to the Ministry by the relevant agency of government.

Finance ministry cashbacked N63bn out of N141bn

“There is no way we can pay contractors what has not been given to us. Of the N141 billion budgetted for us this year, the Ministry of Finance has only cash-backed N63.76 billion. It is not our desire to owe any contractors because we know that once they mobilise to site they come under pressure from the government, the community and the banks.”

Hopes of early payment to the contractors may not materialise because of claims by the Finance Ministry that there has been sustained dwindling revenue from oil arising from theft and pipeline vandalisation in the Niger Delta.

Angered by the slow pace of work arising from debts being owed the contractors, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Works, Mr. Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, has asked the Finance Minister, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to immediately release the outstanding N81billion to the Works Ministry.

Ozomgbachi, who spoke to Vanguard on telephone, lamented that the huge amount being owed the contractor was disturbing and capable of frustrating the construction and rehabilitation of major roads in the country.

He said, “You will recall that before now, the roads were in a deplorable state and impacted negatively on the social and economic well being of the people. So, I will enjoin the Minister of Finance to release the approved funds to the Federal Ministry of Works to enable it sustain the momentum of work on roads in the overall interest of Nigerians.

The Appropriation Act is a subsisting law of the country and the Ministry of Finance is bound to comply with the provision of that law. There should be no selective implementation of any law, inclusive of the Appropriation Act.

“As we get close to the dry season, the release of 100 percent of the Ministry of Works’ allocation is very essential because the existence of good roads in the near absence of waterways and a rail system is central to the country and will have a multiplier effect on other sectors of our economy.”

Efforts to speak with the Finance Minister on the non-release of funds to the Works Ministry proved abortive as none of her officials was available to speak to our correspondents. But the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation said that declining oil revenues was responsible for the shortfall in revenue, insisting that the government has been recording declining oil revenues since January this year.

The office maintains that apart from the surplus the government recorded in the month of July, it has been witnessing a deficit for the rest of the months. The office stated, “The Federal Government had projected a monthly earning of N702.54bn in the 2013 budget, but it only surpassed that target once during the first seven months of this year, earning N651.26bn in January, N571.7bn in February and N595.71bn in March. In the months of April, May, June and July, the revenue earned by the country was N621.07bn, N590.77bn, N863.02bn and N497.98bn respectively.”

Governors have been at loggerheads with the Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, accusing her of not telling the truth about the economy, which they claim is dwindling.

At the height of their face-off, the state governors called on the Finance Minister to resign but the minister rebuffed them, saying: “I dey kampe.” The major road projects that have been badly affected by the non release of funds to the contractors include the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Lagos-Benin Expressway and the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway. It was gathered that no activity is happening on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway because the contractor has not been adequately mobilised to undertake the repair work.

Julius Berger, other contractors not paid

Meanwhile, reacting to the alleged N500 billion being owed local contractors by the Federal Ministry of Works, Mr. Clement Iloba, Head of Corporate Affairs Unit of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc said “in road construction projects, clients are bound to owe contractors since payments for jobs are not made in advance before commencement of contracts. However, I am not in a position to know the exact amount Julius Berger Nigeria Plc is being owed, just as I cannot say if other contractors are being owed and how much they (contractors) are being owed”.

Immediate past president of the Federation of Construction Industry, FOCI, the umbrella organisation for 125 indigenous and indigenised contracting firms in Nigeria, Mr. Mobolaji Williams, an engineer, explained that about two years ago, when he was still the President of FOCI, the Federal Government was owing its members more than N100 billion for jobs already done. Although Mr. Williams who works for MOS Engineering Services Limited, could not give the actual amount being owed contractors, he noted that the figure must have risen by now.

Williams had alleged that between 2010 and 2011, more than 60,000 workers in FOCI member-companies were sent home due to closure of sites following government’s failure to meet its financial obligations to contractors. According to him, “while the contractors are being owed more than N100 billion for jobs already done, more debts are piling up as the contractors try to get the projects to a reasonable landmark before closing their sites to await payment.”

The former FOCI president directed Vanguard to speak with the current president of  the organisation, Mr. Solomon Ogunbusola, a builder and CEO of S & M Nigeria Limited, because he would be in a position to give the actual figure of  the amount owed contractors. Efforts to speak with him failed as he was not picking his calls.

But a dependable source at the Federal Ministry of Works, Abuja, would neither confirm nor deny the fact that local contractors were being owed to the tune of N500 billion. He however, agreed that the Ministry was having problems funding its ongoing road projects, adding that most contractors would not move to site until they are paid.

Contractors not mobilised financially to work on Lagos Ibadan expressway

Unconfirmed reports alleged that work on the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway which was awarded to Messrs Julius Berger Nigeria Plc following the termination of the concession agreement with Messrs Bi-Courtney Nigeria Limited, was yet to commence because the new contractors have not been mobilised financially, despite the flag-off by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Nigeria has a total  road network of 200,000 km owned by the federal, state and local governments. Only about 65,000 kilometres are paved mostly with bitumen. Out of this figure, the Federal Government owns about 35,000km, representing 54 per cent of the bituminous road network in Nigeria.

The balance is shared between the 36 states and the 774 Local Government Areas. Currently, most of the goods and passengers transportation in the country are done by road, which is about 80 per cent of the national vehicular traffic. 35,000 kilometres of federal roads were constructed as at1983. In 1983, only about 150,000 vehicles were plying Nigerian roads. In 2000, about 1.3million vehicles were moving on Nigerian roads. In 2012, the number of vehicles on Nigerian roads rose to nine million. Yet, the total kilometre of bituminous roads in the country did not witness any appreciable increase to meet the demand. This has led to increased pressure on our roads, coupled with the non availlability of rail transportation of  haulage in the 20 years.

Leveraging on the major structural/management changes of 2011, the FMW set out to achieve the following-the mandate of planning, design, construction, maintenance of federal roads network.

4 dead, 14 injured in Ondo road crash

AKURE— FOUR persons died in an auto crash that occurred at Igbara-Oke in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, weekend.

Fourteen others sustained injuries, following a head-on collision of an 18-passenger Mazda bus, number plate Lagos KSF 706 XF, and a Honda Accord saloon, AA 239 GBH.

The officer in charge of Field Operation of the Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, in the state, Mr. Joseph Ojerinde, told Vanguard that the accident occurred at 6.30pm on Saturday.

Ojerinde attributed the crash to the reckless driving. He said the Honda car made a dangerous overtake and collided with the bus, which was coming from the opposite direction.

Ojerinde said: “Immediately we were informed about the accident, our men moved to the scene, we were told that the Honda Accord car, dangerously overtook a vehicle and had a head-on collision with the Mazda bus coming from the other side.”

He said 22 persons were in both cars: 14 males, four females and four under-aged children, adding that the dead were adult males.

Their corpses have been deposited at the mortuary of the StateSpecialistHospital, Akure, while those injured were taken to the General Hospitals in Igbara-Oke and Ilara-Mokin for treatment.

”Return to classrooms”, Jonathan appeals to ASUU

Ado-Ekiti – President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday in Ado-Ekiti appealed to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to return to the classrooms in the interest of their students.

He made the appeal at the inauguration of the College of Engineering Complex at the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Ekiti State.

The three-storey college complex was also named after the President.

Jonathan urged ASUU members to heed his appeal saying that whatever their grievances might be, keeping students out of school for four months was unpatriotic.

“I once again appeal to the entire membership of ASUU to pause and ponder on the adverse effect of their action on the future of the vibrant youths of this great nation.

“The collective destiny of tens of thousands of tomorrow’s leaders should not be held hostage to vagaries of labour disputes.

“As long as we are humans, as long as we are a developing society, this labour dispute must come up.

“I always say that even in the developed societies we hear about labour dispute; and there is no society, even the most developed, that has provided the facilities for every worker