2014 WASSCE: Ghana Clinches First Position, Nigerian Students Not Among Best Two In 5yrs

It was rather worrisome when the WAEC International Excellence Award
Winners for May/June 2014 WASSCE was announced and no Nigerian student
was among the best three as Ghana clinched first, second and third in
the international prestigious awards.

When the winners were announced recently in Ikeja, Lagos, in the
presence of WAEC representatives in West Africa, it was disclosed that
Master Hasan Mickail, Master Kenyah Blaykyi and Master Archibald Henry
all from Ghana got the first, second and third positions at the
International Excellence Award prizes respectively.

Hasan Mickail 18, who attended Ghana Secondary Technical School,
Takoradi during May/June, 2014 WASSCE made eight A1 in Mathematics
(core), Mathematics (elective), Biology, Chemistry, Physics,
Integrated Science, Social Studies and English Language with a total
score of 682.0933. Following Hasan closely was Kenyah Blaykyi 19, who
attended St. Augustine's College, Cape Coast scored eight A1 in eight
subjects including English Language and Mathematics with total score
of 680.4287.

Third prize which went to Archibald Henry 18, from Mfantsipim School,
Cape Coast, had A1 in eight subjects including English Language and
Mathematics. His total score was 676.9348. It is note worthy that the
three International Excellence Award winners as announced this year
are all males from Ghana. Incidentally, in 2013 Ghanian students also
won the three prestigious International Excellence Awards, where two
females, Miss Ivy Ama Mannoh and Miss Rhoda Adu-Boafo emerged first
and second respectively. Followed by Master Mwinmaarong Lucio Dery all
from Ghana who emerged third.

Also, Ghanian students have registered themselves as best candidates
in West Africa, by repeating the same feat in 2012, when they clinched
the first, second and third positions. Record shows that in 2012
WASSCE, Miss Yvette Yeboah-Kordieh, Master Josbert Ayambire and Master
Bright Seyram Tsevi all of Ghana emerged first, second and third
respectively.

It will interest you to note that in 2011 WASSCE, Ghanaian students
also emerged first and second beating Miss Adeloye Ope from Nigeria
who emerged third. In 2010, no winner emerged. However, in 2008 and
2009, Ghanian students took the first, second and third positions in
the West African examination. It will be right to assert that for
Ghanian students to have won this prestigious international award for
five consecutive years, its secondary school education system must be
superb and worthy of emulation.

The last time Nigerian students won was in 2007, when its students
came first consistently from 2002 to 2007. What has happened to
Nigeria's secondary school educational system from 2008 to 2013 that
no Nigerian students has emerged first or second in WASSCE? Speaking
at the WAEC 63rd Annual Council Meeting held in Lagos last week, its
registrar, Dr. Iyi Uwadiae said: "The three candidates were selected
from a total of 2,018,497 candidates who sat for the examination in
the Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.''

He noted that in addition to the first prize, the Augustus Bandele
Oyediran Award for the Best candidate in West Africa will be presented
to Master Mickail Hasan, the overall best student. In the breakdown,
he said: ''A total of 2,450,626 candidates sat the West African Senior
School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in all the member countries in
2014. Out of this total figure, 2,018,497 candidates sat the May/June
WASSCE conducted for school candidates while 432,129 candidates sat
the November/December WASSCE as private candidates."

According to him, the 2014 candidature showed a decrease of 140,161
candidates which was about 5.41 per cent below the 2013 figure of
2,590,787 and a decrease of 97,604 candidates which was 3.85 per cent
below the 2012 figure of 2,548,230. The Registrar who lauded WAEC for
efficient conduct of the examination, noted that leakages of question
papers did not occur in any office of WAEC in 2014. He, however
lamented that other forms of malpractice featured in the conduct of
the Council's examinations in all the member countries.

Member countries

''The fight against examination malpractice is rigorous and the
weapons are expensive,'' he said. According to him, the National
offices have intensified their efforts at eradicating the malaise
through various strategies, such as extensive group briefings or
meetings. Other media including stakeholders' dialogue, prime space
media advertorials and the use of metal detectors among others.

--PUNCH
t.co/mze5FqJDzU

Not Yet Time To Celebrate Buhari --NLC cautions

The Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress has congratulated
Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) on his victory at the presidential
election but the labour union warns that the time for celebration is
not now.

The Chairman of the Oyo NLC chapter, Bashir Olanrewaju, who spoke at
an event organised by human rights group, Amilcar Cabral Ideological
School, in Ibadan on Wednesday, said the President-elect was
surrounded by corrupt personalities.

Olanrewaju said that Buhari's personality as an upright person and
fighter of corruption, was what endeared him to the voters but that
the President-elect had around him people who acquired wealth through
corrupt means.

According to Olanrewaju said such people could erase the gains
expected from Buhari's victory.

Also, human rights crusader, Femi Aborisade, who was also at the
event, said he had studied the manifesto of Buhari's All Progressives
Congress but spotted no difference between the party and the defeated
Peoples Democratic Party.

He added that in an attempt to actualise governance in his own way,
Buhari might encounter problems with the party and some of the people
who spearheaded his campaign and emergence.

Olanrewaju reminded Nigerians that some of the challenges that Buhari
would face included a deeply-rooted corrupt system, dwindling national
income and an economy hinged on dictation from the western powers.

He said, "We congratulate Buhari on his victory at the poll but we are
not sure that there is much hope to celebrate by the masses. Buhari
told Nigerians that he had no money to buy form but have we forgotten
that those who bought his form and funded his campaign will be around
him when he begins his rule? They will demand for a return.

"Despite the dwindling oil price, there is evidence of stealing of
petroleum products. This is a system that Buhari will inherit. Did we
ask him during his campaign if he will increase civil servants' wages
or reduce the work force? Did we put ourselves in a good bargaining
position when he was canvassing for our votes? We did not ask those
questions, we only wanted change."
--PUNCH

Palestine Formally Joins ICC

Palestine has formally attained membership of the International
Criminal Court, a move that could open the door to possible war crime
indictments against Israeli officials despite uncertainty over its
wider ramifications.

The accession on Wednesday is another landmark in the Palestinian
diplomatic and legal international campaign, which gained steam in
2014.

The Palestinians moved to join The Hague-based court on January 2, in
a process that was finalised on Wednesday, setting the scene for
potential legal action.

"Palestine has and will continue to use all legitimate tools within
its means in order to defend itself against Israeli colonisation and
other violations of international law," said senior Palestinian
official Saeb Erakat.

Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull, reporting from The Hague, said despite their
membership, the Palestinians may still have to wait for the ICC to
begin investigating Israelis accused of war crimes.

"This is such a heavily politicised case, that the court will have to
think hard before taking action against the Israelis. It may be years
before we something."

Diana Chehade, a former ICC official, told Al Jazeera, preliminary
examinations could be completed by the end of this year, but the court
would not investigate cases already being looked in to by other
judicial institutions.

"Based on the principle of complimentarity, the ICC would not
investigate if an Israeli judicial institution is investigating a war
crime to ICC standards," Chehade said.

Fire Guts Lagos Airport, Balogun Market

>Photo: The affected building at MMIA

Passengers and airport users were thrown into panic on Wednesday as
fire engulfed one of the offices at the Murtala Muhammed International
Airport, Lagos.

It was learnt that the fire occurred at the E-Arrival Wing of the
terminal, disrupting flight activities and triggering panic among
passengers as they fled the international terminal.

Firefighters and aviation security officials were immediately deployed
in the wing where the incident occurred.

Some security officials also assisted in evacuating some passengers
from the terminal to avoid stampede.

Findings by our correspondents showed that the fire started in the
office of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at about 1pm.

It was said no big loss was suffered as a result of the incident.
An airport worker, Mr. Titus Nwoke, said the fire was quickly
contained by relevant authorities.

He said, "I just heard people shouting, 'fire fire', from my office.
When I came out, I found out that people were already running
helter-skelter.

"Although I cannot really say what caused the fire, I know it was from
an office in the E-wing of the terminal, most likely the NDLEA office.

"Security operatives were very cooperative and calm in evacuating
people from the affected area, and the fire was contained in no time."

The General Manager, Corporate Communications, Federal Airports
Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said it was a minor fire.

Later, in a statement, he said, "There was a minor smoke incident at
the "E" arrival wing of the International terminal of the MMIA at
about 1.13pm today (Wednesday).

"The smoke was quickly traced to some offices at the E wing on the
ground floor of the terminal by a combined team of FAAN's electrical
engineers and fire officers."

He added that Investigations had commenced to ascertain the real cause
of the fire.

Traders lose in fire
Balogun Market

A night fire in the Balogun Market on the Lagos Island has destroyed
property estimated at billions of naira.

Eight lock-up shops stored with bags, shoes and textile materials were razed.

PUNCH Metrolearnt that as the fire raged into the early hours of
Wednesday, a building beside the market, which had petrochemical
products, collapsed under the intensity of the fire.

Punch correspondent was told that the fire was caused by an electrical surge.

Firemen from the Lagos State Fire Service later arrived at the scene
around 12am and combated the inferno till 4am Wednesday.

The smokes were finally put out around 11am.

The Director of the Lagos State Fire service, Rasak Fadipe, said three
fire stations were deployed in the scene of the incident.

He said, "We were called to the scene around 12.03am, although we were
told the fire had started about an hour before we were called. We
responded with four water tankers, each with 10,000 litres of water
from the Alausa, Onikan and Sari Iganmu divisions.

"Eight lock-up shops stored with bags, textile materials and shoes
were burnt and a storey building even collapsed due to the ferocity of
the fire. The building was for commercial purpose."

Fadipe advised residents of the state to report people storing
inflammable materials in their homes.

"We discovered that there were generators everywhere, and that
contributed to the problem.

"If they had a central power system, that probably could have lessened
the effect of the fire outbreak.

"It is also important for residents to raise the alarm when they see
people storing petrochemical products in their localities.

"We should report them to the law enforcement agents because when the
effect will come, it will not be palatable to anybody," he added.
--PUNCH

North, S-West Ganged Up Against N-Delta --Asari Dokubo

THE Niger Delta People Salvation Front/Niger Delta People Volunteer
Force, NDPSF/NDPVF, led by Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, has described
General Muhammadu Buhari's victory in the presidential election as a
conspiracy by the North and South-West against the Niger Delta,
South-East and Middle Belt geo-political regions.

Similarly, a Niger Delta activist, Mr. Austin Ozobo, has said that the
just concluded presidential election was a manipulation and a scam
against President Goodluck Jonathan and people of the Niger Delta by a
section of the country.

Ozobo said in Warri, yesterday: "What happened was that they
submitted cooked up results from their bedrooms to favour their Muslim
brother, Gen. Buhari and Independent National Electoral Commission,
INEC chairman, Professor Jega was evidently biased in his assignment.

"We can no longer exist in a country full of injustice and
manipulation. We are tired of being called infidels and second-class
citizens. Every successive president in this country was given the
privilege to rule two terms but our turn was different.

"Why was that same privilege not extended to us? We have been cheated
and that is very dangerous. Since independence, Jonathan's tenure is
the first time we have produced a president in this country and he has
been barred from a second term. This is callous."

NDPSF/NDPVF in a statement by Mr Rex Anighoro, said: "It is not a
victory of the people, but a victory of regional conspiracy and
supremacy. It clearly reinforces the fact of self determination and
the truth that Nigeria remains a very divided and separated entity
whose claim to unity remains a fraud of gargantuan proportion.

"The voting pattern has clearly shown that the Hausa/Fulani North and
the Yorubas are united in the conquest of the Niger Deltans and the
Igbos of defunct Biafra with the Middle Belt now used as pawns. We
remain a people separated by our ideologies and interests. We are not
integrated or reconciled.

"The conditions that advanced the need to embrace the creeks have been
sadly re -energised. It is clear that a vicious government who may
maim and murder the voice of the so-called minorities may have just
been birthed. Indeed integration is nonexistent as regional gang ups
and supremacy are symbolic with this victory."
--Vanguard

We Will Crush Boko Haram Within Two Months --Buhari

President -Elect, Muhammadu Buhari has re-assured that his
administration will crush the Boko Haram militants within two months
of his assuming office.

General Buhari spoke yesterday evening during an interview with
Chris-tiane Amanpour on CNN, monitored in Lagos.

He said there is insecu-rity in the north-east and in the Niger Delta
regions just as he explains "we know how they started and where they
are now and we will rapidly give attention to security in the country.
And I believe we will ef-fectively deal with them in two months when
we get into office."

He said the Federal Government made some mistakes in its fight against
Boko Haram and his ad-ministration will addressed the issues. Buhari
however stressed the importance of the support and assistance of
Nigeria's neighbours: Niger, Cameroon and Chad to help checkmate the
mili-tants.

"We will be needing the cooperation of neighbour-ing countries such as
Cam-eroon, Chad and Niger. There were efforts made by the President
Goodluck Jonathan administration, but it was not good enough and it
came rather late," he said.

But where did the Jona-than administration go wrong. Buhari drew
atten-tion to the poor showing of the Nigerian military in the fight
against Boko Haram and explained thus: "We expected the Federal
Gov-ernment four years ago to sit down with these coun-tries and make
sure they do not allow the terrorists free movement across bor-ders,
training facilities and movement of weapons.

"These were only done a few months ago and we have seen how Cameroon,
Chad and Niger are fighting Boko Haram more than Ni-geria is doing
until recently. Really we have seen enough and we have enough law
enforcement to face Boko Haram squarely."

Buhari is confident that under his government, the Nigeria Army will
perform differently. He also said the performance of the military was
affected by corruption in the system.

"They will...if you re-call, the Nigerian soldiers out of all ethical
expecta-tions were granting inter-views to foreign journalists, saying
they were being sent to fight terrorists without proper weapons

"And then the National Assembly attempted to conduct a hearing to find
out how much money was approved for training and weapon in the last
three years but that hearing was scuttled by the administra-tion."

Must Read!! How The Igbos Worked For Buhari's Victory --Gov. Shettima

Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima on Wednesday described Igbos as
silent forces that played significant roles in the victory of General
Muhammadu Buhari of the APC at the just concluded presidential
elections.

Shettima said contrary to some claims that Buhari was elected by four
geopolitical zones without the southeast and the south-south, leaders
of the APC in the southeast stood very firm to stop the PDP from
coming out with outrageous votes from the southeast as the case in
2011.

The Governor said this while addressing supporters after his return
from Abuja where he went on Tuesday night to join other leaders of the
APC ahead of Buhari's declaration as President elect.

According to him, "Buhari's election was a pan-Nigerian movement. I
have heard some political analysts making some wrong conclusions that
the Igbos in the Southeast didn't contribute significantly to Buhari's
victory, but I think they are missing the point because there are two
key contributions to winning elections.

"One is to give votes and the other is to prevent opponent from
rigging and both have equal relevance.

"In the 2011 elections, the PDP got a combined figure of about 7
million votes in the southeast, some of these States recorded or so
they claimed, having almost 100 percent voter turn out.

"But in 2015, Igbos in the southeast, especially our leaders in the
APC stood very firm, some of them put their lives on the line,
resisted all kinds of humiliation and at the end, they prevented
another seven million votes from coming out.

"In Ebonyi the PDP got less than 300,000 votes, in Abia, the PDP got
less than 400,000, even in Enugu the PDP got about 600,000 votes, in
Imo also the PDP got less than 600,000 all these were against the big
numbers of 2011.

"We all saw what happened in Rivers, if that was repeated in the
southeast, it would have been a major source of concern for all
Nigerians but the Igbos did very well by resisting every step against
Buhari so they are heroes as far as I am concerned.

"This is also the case in some parts of the south-south. In Bayelsa,
the PDP could have recorded 600,000 or so votes but they got less than
400,000 because of the efforts of our men in Bayelsa who stood firm.
In Edo State, Buhari wasn't far from President Goodluck Jonathan in
terms of votes.

"And then, if one looks across religious divides, Buhari was voted by
all religious groups. He wouldn't have won Ondo if only Muslims voted
for him, he wouldn't have won Benue or get the required 25 percent in
Edo and Ekiti.

"All of these point to one thing that Buhari was voted by all
Nigerians and this is why he has promised to carry the entire country
along, he has pledged not to rule but to govern and this is the
principle of the APC.

"He is laying the foundation of the change Nigerians need and that
change is not about which party is in power, it is about the changes
in the security of lives and property, the changes in the living
standards of Nigerians" the Governor said.

Above 40? You May Have Prostate Cancer And Not Know It

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Nigeria, with
mortality rate of over 80 per cent. Nevertheless, experts say, this
mortality rate can be avoided if prostate cancer is detected and
treated early.

Statistics by the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that in Nigeria
within a period of four years, there was an increase in death rate
among men caused by prostate cancer. The statistics show that prostate
cancer kills 26 men daily, up from 14 men. However, a medical
laboratory scientist, Alabi Adebowale, has said that every man above
40 years should screen for prostate cancer, adding that regular
screening would ensure that the disease is detected early and managed
properly.

Adebowale gave the advice at the free prostate cancer screening
organised by the United Bank for Africa in Lagos. "Prostate cancer in
the curable stage has no symptoms. Men who have reached the age of 40
should begin testing for prostate cancer. It can be detected through
screening exercise when it is asymptomatic. This measures the level of
prostatespecific antigen in the blood. Prostate gland cells
manufacture this antigen, whether normal or cancerous," he said.

Corroborating his statement, Director of the International Agency for
Research on Cancer, WHO's cancer arm, Dr Christopher Wild, noted that,
"Despite exciting advances, this report shows that we cannot treat our
way out of the cancer problem. More commitment to prevention and early
detection is desperately needed in order to complement improved
treatments and address the alarming rise in cancer burden globally."

Adebowale urged men to eat fresh vegetables such as tomatoes to reduce
their chance of developing prostate cancer. "Lycopene-rich foods such
as fresh tomatoes and tomato products are potential effectors in the
prevention and therapy of prostate cancer. This provides an overview
on the efficacy of supplementation with tomatoes, tomato products and
lycopene on appropriate surrogate endpoint biomarker such as
metabolite of the insulin-like growth factor pathway in healthy
individuals and prostate cancer patients.

"Consumption of a diet rich in lycopene reduces the aggressive
potential of prostate cancer by inhibiting the neoangiogenesis (the
mechanism in cancer that permits the creation of new blood vessels to
supply cancerous tumours and ensure their growth) that occurs in
tumour development. Higher lycopene intake is associated with lower
angiogenic potential in tumours based on vessel size and shape,"
Adebowale said.

Prostate cancer is the development of cancer in the prostate, a gland
in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are
slow-growing; however, some grow relatively fast. The cancer cells may
spread from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly the
bones and lymph nodes. It may initially cause no symptoms. In later
stages it can cause difficulty urinating, blood in the urine, or pain
in the pelvis, back or when urinating.

A disease known as benign prostatic hyperplasia may produce similar
symptoms. Other late symptoms may include feeling tired due to low
levels of red blood cells. Factors that increase the risk of prostate
cancer include: old age, a family history of the disease, and race.
About 99 per cent of cases occur in those over the age of 50. Having a
first degree relative with the disease increases the risk two to three
folds, according to Wikipedia.
--

First Lady, Patience Jonathan Already Packing Out Of Aso Rock

Following the outcome of the just concluded presidential election,
Patience Jonathan has summoned her domestic staff and ordered them to
start packing her personal belongings in readiness for the change of
guard.

It was learnt that "By 6pm, a truck packing her personal belongings
had made two trips", the source reported.

It is, however, unknown where the First Lady's properties were transported to.

It would be recalled, Dame Jonathan was very visible at the
presidential rallies and made unpleasant comments about the
president-elect and his party.

Fruits With High Pesticide Residue May Affect Sperm Quality

Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston,
MA, report that men who eat fruits and vegetables with higher levels
of pesticide residues have a lower percentage of normal sperm,
compared with those who eat food with lower levels of residue.

Previous studies have reported a link between occupational and
environmental exposure to pesticides and lower semen quality. However,
data on associations between pesticide residues in food and adverse
health effects have been limited, and no previous studies have looked
at what the effect on semen quality might be.

"To our knowledge, this is the first report to link consumption of
pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables, a primary exposure route
for most people, to an adverse reproductive health outcome in humans,"
says Jorge Chavarro, assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology
and the senior author of the new study in the journal Human
Reproduction.

Using data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Pesticide Data
Program, the researchers categorised the following as fruits and
vegetables that contain high amounts of pesticide residues: peppers,
spinach, strawberries, apples and pears.
--DailyTimes

Early Treatment Shames Kidney Stones --Urologist

A consultant urological surgeon with Royal Free London NHS Foundation,
Dr Leye Ajayi, has said patients with kidney stones can make full
recovery if diagnosed and treated early enough. Dr Ajayi made this
known at the training/lecture organised by PathCare Laboratories in
Lagos on kidney stones.

In a lecture titled, Kidney Stones: Uynrecognised, Undiagnosed and
Untreated, Ajayi, a leading specialist in the management of kidney
stones using non-invasive procedures, in the UK, said kidney stone was
more common among Africans than is currently acknowledged. But,
according to him, it is poorly recognised by physicians in Nigeria
because of paucity of diagnostic equipment and the fact that it mimics
a lot of other more common conditions. According to him, severe pain
is a major symptom of kidney stones.

"Doctors need to have a high index of suspicion when patients come
with severe back pain. Patients can also present with fever or feel
unwell, which is why it is sometimes mistaken for malaria. The danger
of untreated kidney stone is that it could lead to loss of the kidney
with patients needing dialysis or transplant." The expert however said
patients can make full recovery if diagnosed and treated early enough.

"We always encourage our stone patients to be properly hydrated. In
the UK, the intake of about 2 to 3 litres of water a day is
recommended, but because of our climate in Nigeria, patients will
probably drink 4 to 5 litres to reduce the risk of forming new
stones."

Also speaking, a consultant pathologist at PathCare Laboratories, Dr.
Olawale Olusanya, said the training is a Nigerian Medical and Dental
council accredited Continuous Medical Education (CME) programme to
update doctors on the current trends in the management of various
health conditions.

He said, "PathCare, in conjunction with its partner, the Bridge
Clinic, has continued to invest in Doctors Forum programme, because we
recognise the importance of continuous training of doctors and other
medical personnel in order to build a sustainable and high quality
healthcare in Nigeria."

Speaking on Decoding the National Health Bill-What Every Physician in
Private Practice Needs To Know, Dr. Seun Akinyemi, of the Department
of Health Policy and Management, College of Medicine, University of
Ibadan, said, the passage of the bill was necessary for the
development of the sector.

Akinyemi added that some loopholes in the bill needed to be reviewed
to ensure that there was proper implementation of the bill and that
doctors in the private practice did not become victims as the current
health bill recognises the contribution of private practitioners in
Nigeria's health system.
--DailyTimes

Service Chiefs, Ministers In Aso Rock, Meet With Jonathan

Members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), service chiefs and
some presidential aides, on Wednesday, thronged the Presidential Villa
to pay solidarity visit on President Goodluck Jonathan, after losing
out in last Saturday's presidential poll.

It was observed that the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive
Council did not hold this week. Also, some female ministers came in a
group to visit the President.

The service chiefs and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo
Dasuki (retd) immediately entered into a closed door meeting with the
President.

None of the service chiefs spoke with journalists after the meeting,
which lasted for over one hour. The military chiefs stood for a while,
in discussion with the NSA at the forecourt of the president's office,
before driving out of the Presidential Villa.

Those who met with Jonathan are the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief
Marshal Alex Badeh; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah;
Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, and Chief of Air
Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu.

Ministers whom came are the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr.
Mohammed Adoke (SAN); Minister of State II, Foreign Affairs, Senator
Musiliu Obanikoro; Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro; Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, and Minister of National
Planning, Suleiman Abubakar.

Others are Minister of Women Affairs, Zainab Maina; Minister of
Communication Technology, Omobola Johnson; Minister of Water
Resources, Sarah Ochekpe; Minister of Environment, Laraba Mallam;
Minister Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Akon Eyakenyi, and
Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka.

Imo 2015: Okorocha's Macabre Dance Of Tearing Election Result Sheets And Its Implications

Ifeyinwa Nwaobi an AIT correspondent shocked thousands of viewers to
their bone marrows when on a live telecast of 2015 Presidential,
Senatorial and House of Representatives elections reported on Sunday,
March 29, 2015 that the incumbent governor of Imo State and the All
progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Chief Rochas
Okorocha tore the result sheets of the House of Representatives and
Senatorial results in Orlu Senatorial zone which favoured the
candidates of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the reporter, the governor arrived at the collation
centre in Orlu and demanded for the result sheets. Out of courtesy the
returning officer gave him the result sheets only for the Governor to
tear the sheets when he discovered that the APC candidates lost
woefully to their PDP counterparts. Let me say immediately that it was
wrong for the returning officer to have given the result sheets to the
governor or any other person for that matter. This action of the
governor has since generated a lot of dust in Imo State.

In the same vein it has raised a lot of issues concerning the
suitability or otherwise of Okorocha as a governor considering the
temperament he displayed at the collation centre. It may be recalled
that in the recent past the governor was accused of ordering a group
of thugs to beat up and disband a peaceful protest by widows in
Owerri. Equally, accusing fingers were pointed at him for the
disruption of a governorship debate organized by the Catholic Church
in Owerri a few weeks ago. Though he denied all these allegations,
many were not convinced that he was not culpable but decided to give
him a benefit of doubt. However he cannot extricate himself from this
recent incident of tearing result sheets which is to say the least
bizarre and condemnable.

It was done in the presence of electoral officers, returning officers,
party agents, journalists and security officials. One of the
implications is that it would appear that he has no respect for due
process of law. This is one of the allegations which Rt. Hon. Emeka
Ihedioha, the PDP governorship candidate leveled against him at the
unveiling of his manifesto in Owerri last week. Under the electoral
law and electoral guidelines, he had no business being at the
collation centre in Orlu where the Independent National Electoral
Commission compiled the results.

He was not a presidential candidate. He was not a Senatorial
Candidate. He was not a House of Representatives candidate. In fact to
put it clearly, he was there illegally. Further, the act of tearing
result sheets is a criminal offence for which he would still be
prosecuted after leaving office when he no longer enjoys any immunity.
Again, some people have wondered whether Okorocha would have been so
brazen to tear the result sheets if he did not enjoy immunity as
provided by the constitution. What example if any can Okorocha be said
to be showing to other citizens of the state and the country at large?
Seriously, for a governor of a state to descend so low as to tear
result sheets is demeaning of that office.

What is more, it shows a total lack of respect and disdain for the
opinion of the electorates who have the right to freely vote for
candidates of their choice. Even more worrisome is that this act of
Okorocha is coming on the heels of the arrest by the police in Imo
State of his Senior Special Adviser on Security, Mr. Okechukwu
Okorocha (not a relation) with arms and the arrest also of underaged
voters from a school run by him and known as Rochas Foundation on the
day of the election.

Compatriots, if Okorocha could tear result sheets of elections where
he is not a contestant because his party APC lost to PDP, what would
happen on April 11, 2015 if he looses the election to Emeka Ihedioha
of the PDP? Okorocha's action also throws up for review the advice of
the Inspector General of Police that people should go home after
voting to avoid crisis or violence on the day of election.

Of course, INEC had countered this advice by saying that people can
hang around the polling centres or collation centres, if they are
peaceful and can maintain a safe and reasonable distance. However, one
wonders what would have happened if PDP supporters of the candidates
who won the elections that the result sheets were torn were not
restrained and they went ahead in their thousands to attack Okorocha.
Certainly blood would have flowed.

Consequently, my advice for Okorocha is that just like he defeated an
incumbent governorm Mr. Ikedi Ohakim in 2011 and that governor went
back home peacefully without inciting violence, if on April 11, 2015
he loses the gubernatorial poll to Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP, he
should quietly vacate the seat of governorship at Douglas House in
Owerri and go home. He should know that there is life after staying in
power. He should not incite violence by his conduct nor engage in
anymore macabre dance because Imo state is bigger than any one
individual.

How Okorocha Slaps INEC Official, Intercepts Ballot Boxes, Result Sheets During Election

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State virtually went mad last Sunday
in Owerri, the Imo State capital when he slapped a female official of
the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, who was returning
from Nwangele Local Government Area of the state where she conducted
the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

According to a senior INEC official who spoke to journalists on the
condition of anonymity, the officials were returning from Amaigbo,
Nwangele LGA headquarters but their vehicle was involved in a road
accident near Akwakuma Junction and got some of them injured.

"They immediately called for another vehicle which they got and
transferred the results. It was there that the governor now saw them
while returning from Orlu Road to Owerri. His convoy stopped and he
approached the accident scene and immediately asked about the
electoral officer.

"When the governor approached her, he immediately requested for the
results. But the woman told him she had no results with her. He
started scolding the woman and accused her of working with PDP to rig
election. When the woman tried to speak, the governor in a fit of
anger slapped her and started searching the vehicles for the results",
the official said.

247ureports correspondent, who was at the INEC office, Owerri that
evening saw the woman, a staff of one of the federal institutions in
the state, kneeling down and crying to God and cursing the governor.

He also disclosed that since Sunday morning, the governor had been
trying to intercept electoral results from their officers, but had not
succeeded in snatching any of the results.

Meanwhile, More than 2000 supporters of the All Progressives Congress,
APC who came to the headquarters in Imo State to protest the alleged
diversion of ballot boxes to unknown destination were teargased by
combined team of security agecies.

The protesters who hit the street after being briefed by some state
government officials at the International Civic Centre, ICC, Owerri,
marched to the INEC office along Port Harcourt-Owerri Road to lodge
their complaints of alleged diversion of ballot boxes to the
commission.

They complained that the INEC officials instead of collating and
announcing the results at the designated ward centres insisted that
the results would be sent to INEC office in the state where it would
be announced.

According to them "it was a breached of the electoral act which
stipulated that every result must be announced at the polling booths
and that the total results must be collated at the ward centres and
then be forwarded to INEC headquarters."

They maintained that they were not allowed to register their protest,
adding that they were teargased by masks policemen.

As the protesters led by the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr.
Kenneth Emelu, advanced to the INEC office, the combined team of the
security agencies stationed about 30 metres away fro the commission's
office shot at them with tear gas to disparse them.

However, some journalists that were at the INEC office waiting
anxiously for the results were advised by the Civil Defence officers
to lay on the floor in case of stray bullets as the angry protesters
approach the place.

Femi Fani-kayode Releases Statement About The Presidential Election

Text of a press conference addressed by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode,
Director Media and Publicity Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign
Organisation on April 1, 2015. Read below...

Ladies and gentlemen of the media,

We have come here today to express our gratitude to the Nigerian
people for the overwhelming support that we received over the last few
weeks when it comes to the issue of the Presidential election.

We fought a virile, strong, aggressive and very effective campaign on
behalf of our candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan and we put the
case to the Nigerian people as to why we believe that he ought to have
been elected as President for a second term.

We are very proud of the efforts of our President and of our party and
we are also very proud of the efforts of every single one of those who
participated in the Presidential Campaign Organisation. As a
Directorate we could not have asked for anything more in terms of
support and encouragement from our colleagues and comrades within the
party and the Campaign Organisation. I am personally very proud of my
team, every single one of them; my Assistant Directors, my officers,
my advisory team and every single one of those that joined hands to
help us to state our case and to sell our candidate to the Nigerian
people.

It has however come to a point that we must tell the world and the
Nigerian people about how we feel about the outcome of the election.
What we will say here today is basically to reiterate and to reflect
the words of our leader and President, President Goodluck Jonathan. We
start by saying that we commend and we congratulate General Muammadu
Buhari for winning this election. We also wish to commend our
President, President Goodluck Jonathan, for having the courage to
concede that he has lost the election at the earliest moment and also
for being able to stand up and rise above party politics and being
able to speak like a statesman.

We therefore urge the Nigerian people and our teeming supporters to
stand firm and continue to support the democratic process and continue
to agitate for a better Nigeria. We urge them to continue to support
our party the PDP as best as they can even though we lost this
election. We ask them to co-operate with the incoming government and
to remember that we are first and foremost Nigerians before anything
else.

On the day of the election when I went to vote at Ile-Ife, I held a
press conference in which I told the people that more than anything
else that we should try our very best to keep the peace in this
country and to keep the country moving forward. I also reminded them
that in every election there will always be a winner and a loser. It
is a mark of our humanity and it is also symptomatic of the type of
people that we are and who we are that when the time comes we can say
we fought a good fight but we lost.

And having lost, it does not mean that it is the end to the world, it
just means that we need to re-group, re-organise ourselves and begin
the process all over again because another elections will come in a
few years time. And that is where we are today. We have conceded that
we have lost. We acknowledge the fact that we fought a good fight. We
do not have any fears about the future. We did the right thing during
the campaign. We have no regrets about our candidate or the way in
which we conducted our campaign and we will live to fight another day

Finally let me commend all our colleagues on the other side for also
standing up for what they believed in. There was absolutely nothing
personal as regards this Directorate or myself. I had nothing personal
against anybody. I was simply doing my job for which I have no regrets
and I wish them well and I sincerely hope that they will take Nigeria
to a level that we can all be proud of.

May God grant each and everyone of us peace. May He watch over our
nation. May He guide our President for the next two months whilst he
is still in power and thereafter and may He guide and lead the
President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, in the herculean task that
lies ahead for him. My prayer is that he brings our nation together,
heals the wounds and that he builds the bridges in terms of religion,
ethnicity and region that he needs to build in order for us to make
Nigeria a better place and to ensure that Nigeria becomes a great
country that she is destined to be.

I want to end this message by thanking our colleagues in the press for
always responding to us so quickly and for always being ready to hear
our message and for putting it out there. Also those on the social
media, both friend and foe, we thank you for your efforts. We thank
our foes because they kept us on our toes and we thank our friends
because they encouraged us and gave us hope.
--LIB