04022017

C
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2—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017 — 3

C
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4 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
Drama as Reps grill former SGF
*You’re acting childishly, ex-Minister tells C’ttee Chairman
*C’ttee Chair alleges Centenary is owned by 2 Nigerians
*You’re not qualified to chair this hearing, Anyim tells chairman
By Emman
Ovuakporie and
Johnbosco Agbakwuru
THERE was a mild drama
yesterday as Members
of the House of Representatives
Committee on Federal
Capital Territory, FCT
were grilling former Secretary
to the Government of
the Federation, SGF, Senator
Anyim Pius Anyim over
alleged irregularities in the
agreement on Centenary
City.
The drama started immediately
the Deputy Minority
Leader of the House,
Hon Chukwuka Onyeama,
PDP, Anambra representing
the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara
finished reading his
welcome address at about
10.45am at the investigative
hearing on the Centenary
City Project.
The former Senate President
then requested the
Speaker’s representative to
wait because he wanted to
make an observation before
the investigative hearings
could proceed.
At this point, chairman of
the House Committee on
FCT, Herman Hembe yielded
the floor to the former
SGF to make his presentation.
He started reading his
presentation and towards
the end of his three page
presentation said: “When
the former Managing Director
of Security and Exchange
Commission accused
you of demanding
bribe from her, you pushed
for her sack and I refused
to sack her while I was Secretary
to Government of the
Federation. I will not allow
you to use the platform of
this committee to victimize
me”.
Immediately he read that
portion, the air was rented
by ‘Point of Order, point of
Order, point of Order. No,
no, no, no, no. Hold on.
The following dialogue
then ensue:
Hembe:”The former Senate
President cannot assume
the chairman of the
committee, it’s not fair.
Anyim:Please sir, I have
the privilege to be heard.
Okay, let us not get overheated.
Mr Chairman, distinguished
Hon. members,
let me just say briefly.
Hembe:Hold on, I am
going to allow him to finish
but hold on.
Let me just say that we are
a house of free lawmakers,
we are a house of order. We
are a house of due process.
Let me just say to the former
President of the Senate and
the former SGF that in my
opening remarks, I tried to
show you courtesy. Please,
don’t interrupt, as far as this
hearing is concerned, I’m
the chairman here and I
L-R: Frank Le Bris, Managing Director, Nigerite Limited; Arc. Adebayo Dipe,
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Lagos State; Dirk Modderman,
Managing Director, Emenite Limited and Banjo Abimbola, Sales Manager,
Nigerite Limited, during the launch of KalsiClad by Nigerite at the company’s
head office in Ikeja, Lagos
would not allow you to
usurp that position. I am
here on no account of yours.
I have shown you respect.
I even made a comment in
the beginning that you
ought not to appear by saying
clearly that it was
brought to my attention by
certain quarters that we
shouldn’t have invited the
former Senate President to
a hearing like this out of
respect. It’s just respect for
the fact that he’s been Senate
President and I took note
of that and spoke to my colleague
chairman in the Senate,
Senator Dino Melaye
last night.
“I asked him to communicate
with the former Senate
President and ask if we
could excuse him today. It
doesn’t mean that if we excuse
him we won’t write to
request for such information
later. What we are doing
here bothers on his activities
as Secretary to Government
of the Federation.
“For the former Senate
President to impute bias
when he does not even
know what we are doing
here, we have not even said
a word and he’s already
inputting bias, I will like to
ask you.....
At this point, Anyim interrupted
Hembe:Do not interrupt
me, do not interrupt me, I
reject that. Let me finish. Sit
down, you cannot, let me
finish.
Hon. Members, let me
say this to the former Senate
President. Former Senate
President and SGF, hold
on. Like I said earlier, we
will allow everybody the opportunity
to speak here but
I’m a little dismayed that for
someone who was invited
for this programme and felt
he ought not to be invited,
has already delved into the
subject matter, I would allow
Senator Pius Anyim an
opportunity to go ahead
and finish his statement.
When he finishes, we will
rule and there’s no way he
or anybody can attempt to
disrupt this proceeding,
this proceeding will be concluded
today. Nothing will
change and so you can go
ahead and make your statement
and make any imputation
you want to make,
when you are done, we will
continue, I so rule.
2 dismissed soldiers, nine others nabbed
over theft of N7.2bn gas turbine, other items
*Police recover nine stolen vehicles
By Samuel
Oyadongha, Yenagoa
NO fewer than thirteen
persons including two
dismissed soldiers, attached
to Operation Doyle
battling the Boko Haram
insurgents in Borno State
were yesterday paraded
for alleged involvement in
crimes including the theft
of a gas turbine valued at
N7.2 billion owned by the
Bayelsa State Government
along the Etelebou community
of Gbarain in Yenagoa
Local Government
Area of the State
Also arrested by men of
the State Police Command
were nine persons over
their alleged involvement
in cases of kidnapping
and car theft.
The Bayelsa State Commissioner
of Police, Asuquo
Amba, who disclosed
this yesterday in Yenagoa
while parading the suspects
before newsmen,
said police operatives intercepted
a Russian Gas
Turbine Etelebu,Gbarain
area of the state.
According to him, “Seven
suspects were arrested
and five trucks recovered
with vandalised turbine.”
He said, Governor Seriake
Dickson has been informed
and has given the
go ahead for proper investigation
of those involved.
Amba Asuquo also confirmed
that the two deserters
of the Nigerian Army
who were of the rank of
Corporal, were arrested
alongside other suspects
along the Agudama Ekpetiama
area of the Bayelsa
state capital over their alleged
involvement in theft
of vehicles.
According to him, “On
the 29th of January, 2017,
the command control room
received a distress call
from one Toju Adama from
Ogborikoko in Warri Delta
State that his Hilux Van
was stolen and was tracked
to Agudama-Epie.
“Operatives from the
State Command swung
into action and arrested
the occupants of the Hilux,
one John Linus Ogah, a
dismissed soldier from 3
Division of the Nigerian
Army in Cross River State
and his cohort, one Shedrack
at the scene. A
bunch of master keys were
recovered from the suspect.”
B-R-I-E-F-S
We’re under siege of
disinformation, FG cries out
By Emmanuel Elebeke
Apparently reacting to the rumoured death of President
Muhammadu Buhari across the social media, the Federal
Government has cried out that the country was under the
siege of disinformation and fake news.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, made the observation in Abuja on Friday
when he paid a courtesy visit to the headquarters of Daar
Communications Plc. owners of the African Independent
Television (AIT) and Raypower radio station.
The Minister said it was worrisome that the media had
failed to check the dangerous which is capable of eroding
the integrity of the media and bring the country to its knees.
He then called on the media not to engage in dissemination
of false information.
Mohammed then urged the media, particularly the traditional
media to eschew disinformation of fake news and
save the country from the negative consequences.
13,000 suffer from Malnutrition
one Bauchi LGA
By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi
No fewer than 13, 000 children were said to be malnourished
in Dambam local government area of Bauchi
state.
The Nutrition officer of the local government Ahmed
idi who stated this during the weeked when he received
a delegation led by the Chairman, State Primary
Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA said
that they were admitted for treatment at Dambam community
management for acute malnutrition programme
in 2016.
‘Only 3,755 were successfully treated after receiving
supplementary feeding for a period of eight weeks.
The local government has five outpatient therapeutic
sites, but most parents are found of defaulting, that
was why the number of treated children are low”
“ Enlightenment is still ongoing to encourage care
givers on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding,
complementary feeding and personal hygiene,” he
said.
Osinbajo to chair forum on
Economic Recovery Plan
By Emmanuel Elebeke
sThe Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is to chair an
Economic Recovery Plan forum on Monday, 6 February
in Abuja.
The Plan is expected to be formally launched by President
Mohammadu Buhari within the month.
A release signed by the Media Adviser to the Minister
of Budget and National Planning, Akpandem James, explained
that the forum is part of efforts towards carrying
the critical sectors along and ensuring successful development
of the Economic Recovery Plan.
According to the Minister, Udoma Udo Udoma, the
event is being organized for representatives of the Private
Sector to actively engage their public sector counterparts
on the proposals.
He noted that the Ministry of Budget and National
Planning was in the process of finalizing Nigeria’s Economic
Recovery and Growth Plan (NERGP) 2017 – 2020
development process, stating that the forum is expected
to enrich the Plan development process.
There’s no travel ban on
Nigerians—US envoy
By Victoria Ojeme
UNITED States has said Nigerians will not be
banned from entering the country contrary to
speculations of many. Trump had signed an executive
order barring citizens from Syria, Iraq, Iran,
Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan from entering the
country for 90 days and also suspended the admission
of all refugees for 120 days. The US Ambassador
to Nigeria , Ambassador W. Stuart Symington who said
this yesterday during a press briefing in Abuja, stated
that the US holds Nigeria in high esteem and would
not ban its citizens from coming to US. He said the
connection between our two countries has been strong
and will continue to be strong tomorrow. He refuted
the claim that Nigeria visa status has been reduce to
one year. He said that nothing has really changed in
the Visa policy for Nigeria, stressing that the two years
multiple entry status is still valid for Nigerians. He
said U.S will not discriminate against any Nigeria based
on religion or tribe. He however stressed that should
there be any visa denial for any individual it should
not be constricted to discrimination.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017 — 5
STATE OF THE NATION: Tuface insists protests’ll
go on in Lagos, Abuja
*No ban on peaceful protests — Presidency
*What the law says about public protest
By Charles Kumolu
BARLEY 24 hours af
ter the Lagos State
Police Command vowed
to stop the planned protests
against bad governance
being convened
by Tuface Idibia, the famous
Afro-Pop artiste
has vowed to go on with
the exercise.
The event which was
earlier scheduled to
hold in Lagos only would
also hold in Abuja on
February 6, 2017. Tuface,
who made his insistence
known on his Instagram
account, said the events
being organised on the
platform of the 2Face
Foundation, would commence
at 8: am in Lagos
and 9: am in Abuja.
In a move indicative
that the protests tagged:
One Voice, One Nigeria
were explicitly about Nigeria,
interested participants
were asked to put
on green attires. Yesterday’s
post to the effect
that the protests would
go on, was on the heels
of a similar notice by a
civil society organisation,
Enough Is Enough, EiE.
Tuface said the protests
were meant to sensitize
the Nigerian authorities
over the increasing hardship
in the country.
The insistence by Tuface
generated so many
comments on his Instagram
account from
would-be protesters, who
maintained that the
grinding hardship in
Nigeria made the protests
inevitable.
As of the time of filing
this report, the social
media was abuzz with
comments against the
plan to stop the protest.
Instructively, those,
who questioned the reasons
adduced by the Police,
insisted that it was
the responsibility of the
law enforcement agency
to maintain law and order
during the exercise.
Even a few, who were
less sympathetic to the
protests, reminded the
Police that the right to
protest was inalienable.
While dismissing the
reasons given by the Police,
others pointed at
past protests which held
in the country without
being stopped by the
law. The State Police
Commissioner, Mr. Fatai
Owoseni had said that
Tuface lacked the capacity
to contain the kind of
crowd the protests would
attract. “We know that
Tuface does not have the
capacity to contain such
a crowd and we will not
fold our hands and watch
while things go out of
hand,” he said last
Wednesday.
Instructively, Section
39 of the 1999 Constitution
granted the freedom
of expression, including
the right to be heard and
to disseminate information.
By Ifeyinwa Obi
THE recent arrest of a
container carrying
high calibre arms by the
Nigeria Customs Service,
NCS, in Lagos, has raised
questions about the role
of security agencies and
other agencies in the
ports, who were saddled
with the responsibility of
inspecting imported
goods. It was learnt that
apart from the seven authorised
inspecting agencies
at the ports, no fewer
than 15 operate at the various
ports-a situation industry
operators said had
been instrumental to the
indiscriminate clearing of
harmful goods.
Saturday Vanguard
learnt that the authorized
agencies include Nigerian
Ports Authority, NPA,
Section 40 provides the
freedom of association
while Section 38 gave
Nigerians the right to
freedom of movement
and peaceful assembly.
Meanwhile, the Presidency,
yesterday, said it
was not against the right
of Nigerians to stage
peaceful protests. This
was made known by the
Senior Special Assistant
on Media and Publicity
to the Acting President,
Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Mr.
Laolu Akande.
Disclosing this on his
Twitter handle, he said:
“This administration will
not prevent Nigerians
from expressing themselves
in peaceful protests,
it is a fundamental
right of the people. No
government has ever
laid out the kind of Social
Investment Programme
the Buhari government
is now running
across the nation that
will touch millions.”
More stories on Pg.28
Nigeria Customs Service,
National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency,
NDLEA, Nigeria Maritime
Administration and
Safety Agency, NIMASA,
Nigeria Police, Nigeria
Immigration Service and
Port Health.
The duties of these
agencies in the process of
examining and giving
clearance to imported
goods were supposed to
complement the efforts of
the NCS, but findings
showed that most of the
agencies often compromise
professionally.
Of these agencies, it was
gathered that it was impossible
for some to be
ignorant of the content of
the 40-foot container
which was ferrying 661
Pump-Action rifles to an
unknown destination.
A source revealed that
the exit of the truck carrying
the weapons may
have been facilitated by
the agencies saddled with
the examination of the
goods in connivance with
the releasing officers.
The faulty state of the
scanners at the Port suggested
that the officer in
charge of examination
alongside other agencies
may have carried out the
inspection after which a
report which facilitated
the release by the Releasing
Officer was written.
Saturday Vanguard further
learnt that the container
could not have exited
from the port without
being opened at the gate
*Ganawuri Cultural Group from Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau
performing a dance at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC ) Orientation
Camp in Mangu on Friday. NAN
Vampire was not treated like king
— Prisons Spokesperson
By Charles Kumolu
THE Public Relations
Officer of Nigeria
Prisons Service, NPS,
Mr. Francis Enabore has
said that the kidnap
ARMS SEIZURE IN LAGOS: Why security agents
have questions to answer
for sighting.
With these suggesting
the likelihood of a coordinated
deal among the various
officials saddled with
the responsibility of ascertaining
the content of the
container, some stakeholders
noted that unraveling
those behind the
importation and release of
the goods would not be
difficult.
The Secretary General,
Association of Nigerian
Licensed Customs
Agents, ANLCA, urged
the Federal Government
to hold the Command
where the container was
released responsible.
He said: “This is not the
first time arms and ammunitions
have been passing
through the ports.
They should not fool us.
It was only when negotiation
broke down that the
FOU was alerted.
‘’These security agents
including the Customs all
saw these arms. It was a
syndicate. All the agents
have compromised. The
wanted officers could not
be the releasing officers.
The releasing officer is
always between the rank
of Deputy Comptroller or
Assistant Comptroller.
‘’There is no way these
releasing officers and the
officer in charge of the
gate could claim ignorance
of the sordid incident
because, at the gate,
containers are always reopened
after examination.
All the security
agents, including the
kingpin, Mr. Chibuzor
Henry, alias Vampire,
who escaped at the High
Court premises in Owerri,
was never given special
treatment while in
custody.
Customs are culpable.”
His views were corroborated
by the National
Coordinator, Save Nigeria
Importers and Freight
Forwarders Coalition, Mr.
Osita Okechukwu, who
described the incident as
a national embarrassment.
He said: ‘”These two officers
declared wanted
could not have ordered
the release of the container.
The releasing officers
should have been arrested.
The Officer in charge
of inspection, Officer in
charge of releasing and
Officer in charge of the
gate, who are of the rank
of Deputy Comptroller
and Assistant Comptroller,
have questions to answer.
The junior officers, who
are being hooded by the
Customs authority, are
not those to be held responsible.”
It was however gathered
that a female officer,
who authorized the release
of the container,
Rose Abetiambe, an Assistant
Comptroller of Customs,
had been in detention
at the FOU cell in Ikeja
since Monday.
Saturday Vanguard was
told that the Releasing
Officer did not deny authorizing
the release of
the container after physical
examination.
However, industry commentators
have dismissed
as untenable the excuse
being bandied by the
NCS that the Customs
examiners failed to detect
the arms in the container
due to faulty scanners.
Enabore, who said this
in an exclusive chat with
Vanguard against the
backdrop of reports to
the effect that the escaped
prisoner lived
large in detention, specifically
denied that
Vampire had no access
to mobile phones.
His words: “It is wrong
for anyone to allege that
people live like kings in
the prison. The manner
we keep prisoners is
spelled out in our rules
of engagement. To allege
that some prisoners
live like kings is wrong.
It is misinformation.
All I know is that the
issue of phones being
smuggled into the prisons
has been a challenge
to us. We have
been battling it and it is
not just a challenge in
Nigeria, it happens all
over the world. Our responsibility
is to ensure
that it does not happen.
We don’t allow it. What
is important is to ensure
that people don’t smuggle
phones into the prisons.
Whenever we find
out that it happened, we
have a structure and our
ways of handling it.
‘’Vampire is one out of
the 3000 persons in that
prison. So, it is sheer
exaggeration for someone
to say that the service
allowed him to live
like a king. Anyone, who
knows the prison, knows
that it was not built like
a palace. All the prisons
were built in the same
pattern.
What people don’t understand
is that we have
the mandate to keep people
alive. And we have
always been doing that.
For instance, an ex-governor,
who is detained,
cannot be kept in the
same cell with kidnappers
or hardened criminals.
We use our discretion
to ensure that prisoners
are separated.”
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6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
C
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Police arrest, parade killers of
Assistant Superintendent of Customs
*We were told he was carrying N4m, dollars but saw N600,000 in his bag
—Robbers.
*Added that Chelsea T-Shirt gave him out
By Kingsley
Omonobi, Abuja
THE Police at Force
Headquarters yesterday
paraded five suspected
armed robbers who shot and
killed Assistant Superintendent
of Customs (ASC)
Aliyu Dayyab, on the 22nd
of December 2016 at Tin
Can Island, Apapa.
Chief organizer of the
gang, Lanre Humphreh
Aimudo told reporters that
the informant that gave them
the job, told him that the
Customs officer was carrying
a cash amount of N4
million and undisclosed
amount of dollars and that
was why the gang went after
him.
He said that they were
able to distinguish the officer
from others after the close of
work on the day of the attack
because he was wearing
a Chelsea T-shirt.
Asked How much they
retrieved from the officer and
why they killed him, Lanre
said that contrary to the information
given them, the
bag that was taken from the
officer only contained N600,
000 which 10 of them who
were involved in the crime
shared at N50, 000 each.
He said after they robbed
the officer, they were about
leaving when they heard
gunshot and it turned out
that one of them shot the
officer.
Giving details of the arrest
of the gang, Force Public
Relations Officer, CSP
Jimoh Moshood said, “We
are parading before you, a
five member gang of vicious
armed robbers and killers of
ASC Aliyu Dayyab on 22/12/
2016 at Tin Can Area of
Lagos.
“Sequel to the report of the
incident and a coordinated
operation carried out by the
IGP’s Intelligence Response
Team (IRT) and the Technical
Intelligence Unit (TIU),
on the directive of the IGP
to fish out the killers of the
Customs Officer, the following
suspects were trailed
and arrested between December
2016, and 18th
January 2017.
“They are Lucky Williams-
Gang Leader; Akinloye
Samuel, Abraham Lot,
Bolaji Taiwo and Lanre
Humphreh Aimudo. One
GSM Infinite phone belonging
to the late Customs Officer
was recovered from
Lucky Williams.
The FPRO noted that
Humphreh organized the
gang that robbed and killed
the Customs Officer on the
said day when he closed
from duty on his way home.
“The suspects confessed to
have information that the
officer had in his possession,
four million cash and some
dollars and this prompted
the attack and killing of the
officer after they snatched
the bag containing some
money.
He said “All the suspects
volunteered confessional
statements admitting the
various criminal roles they
played in the commission of
the heinous crime.
“They will be arraigned in
court on completion of investigation
for murder, armed
robbery and conspiracy,” the
FPRO added.
Task Force on food security identifies
poor roads, multiple taxes as reasons
for high cost of staple food
By Levinus
Nwabughiogu
PRESIDENCY has
identified the poor
state of rural roads and
multiple revenue collecting
points on the highways
from traders and
transporters as major reasons
prices of goods are
sky-rocking in the markets.
Committee on Food Security
set up by the Acting
President, Yemi Osinbajo
to mitigate on the
matter came up with the
factors at its first meeting
since their inauguration
on Wednesday.
Presided over by Osinbajo,
the meeting which
held at Aguda House,
the official residence of
the Acting President added
that inadequacy of
distribution networks
and high cost of transportation
also counted.
Against this background,
the Task Force
set up technical subgroup
to draw up a draft
plan of action for further
consideration.
The Task Force would
also be coordinating various
“MDAs and working
closely with the private
sector to explore
ways and means of overcoming
some of the supply
bottlenecks in the
short term, while also reinforcing
on-going medium
and long-term solutions
including improving
supplies and providing
better storage.”
A statement from the
Office of the Acting President
however clarified
that its assignment “is
not about government
intervening directly in
the market for staple
foods either though purchases
or price fixing.”
Those wishing PMB dead,
wicked, callous—Obasanjo
Daud Olatunji, Abeokuta
FORMER President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has
described those peddling the rumuored death of
President Muhammadu Buhari as wicked, callous and
treacherous.
Obasanjo stated this in a release issued by his Media
Aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, in Abeokuta on Friday,adding
that instead of embarking on such “worrisome” wishes,
they should rather engage in marathon prayers from
him.
He said, what the President needs “are our prayers
and best wishes, which will ginger his morale to come
back more stronger and better.”
Obasanjo who cautioned against politicization of every
situation in the country, recalled that he has also
been a victim of such rumoured death while in office as
the President, declaring, “no normal human being will
wish an elderly person dead irrespective of their differences.
“If you don’t like him, wait for another election, not
going about to say he is dead. No matter his health situation,
we should pray for him to recover quick and
come back more stronger and better. For anyone wishing
him dead, such person or group of persons are callous,
wicked and treacherous.
“I was also rumoured to have died almost 12 times. I
don’t know what they derive from doing so, but, they
should seek forgiveness.”
Maj. Gen. Atewe, Akpobolokemi
re-arraigned by EFCC over N8.5b fraud
By Innocent Anaba
ECONOMIC and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday,
re-arraigned Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Atewe and three
others, over N8.5 billion fraud before a Federal High
Court sitting in Lagos.
Atewe was charged alongside Patrick Akpobolokemi,
former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime
Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA and two
other members of staff, Kime Engonzu and Josephine
Otuaga.
They are facing an amended 22 count charge of fraud.
Their re-arraignment followed the transfer of the former
trial judge, Justice Saliu Saidu from Lagos to the Port
harcourt division of the court.
The accused were re-arraigned before a new judge,
Justice A.O Faji, and their pleas taken afresh.
After their re-arraignment, defence counsel asked
the court to allow the accused to continue on the earlier
bail granted by the previous judge.
Consequently, the judge allowed them to continue
on the earlier bail granted and adjourned till February
13 and 17 for commencement of trial.
At the last adjourned date, the EFCC had examined
a prosecution witness, Mr Adamu Yusuf, who told the
court how the accused converted about N4.9 billion
into dollars.

FG to cut fuel imports, grow Forex
reserves with biofuels policy
By Michael Eboh
THE Federal Govern
ment, yesterday, said it
is set to introduce a
Biofuels Policy that would
cut Nigeria’s fuel import by
five per cent in the short
term and up to 20 per cent
in the medium, and which
would also help grow the
country’s foreign exchange
earnings.
This was disclosed by the
Acting Executive Secretary
of the Petroleum Products
Pricing Regulatory
Agency, PPPRA, Mr. Victor
Shidok, at a press conference
in Abuja to announce
the forthcoming
workshop on biofuels development
in Nigeria.
Shidok said work on the
National Biofuels Policy
and Incentive Document
was at the final stages and
the document is currently
awaiting ratification by the
Federal Executive Council,
adding that once the
approval of the council is
gotten, the policy would
become operational.
He stated that once the
policy is in place, there are
a number of individuals
who are already engaged
in the farming and production
of biofuel products,
while the policy would
help coordinate and promote
integration of their
various activities.
He maintained that the
production of biofuels and
biodiesels do not require
complex technologies, but
only require little equipment
and off-takers.
He said, “Biofuel as a
source of energy when
fully adopted would create
employment opportunities,
By Dayo
Johnson,Akure
THE 61-year-old chair
man of Ilaje local government
area of Ondo
state Agunola Omomowo
support agricultural development
and can as well be
used to generate electricity.
Other benefits of biofuels are
environmentally friendly,
less pollution, cheaper as
well as become source of foreign
exchange earner.”
He explained that biofuels
comprise bioethanol and
biodiesel, which are blends
of petroleum products and
agricultural products.
According to him,
Ondo council chairman slump, dies
after attending political meeting
yesterday slumped and
died after attending a political
meeting in Akure,
the state capital.
Party sources hinted that
after the meeting, the deceased
who walked to his
10,000 students matriculate in UNIBEN out
of 100,000 applicants—VC
By Simon Ebegbulem
THE University of Benin
(UNIBEN) yesterday
matriculated 10,000 students
out of the 100,000
Representative of the Governor and Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr.
Tunji Bello (middle), performing the foundation laying while the Acting Head of Service,
Mrs. Folasade Adesoye (2nd left); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education,
Mr. Adesina Odeyemi (left) and Sole Administrator of Bariga LCDA, Mr. Sanya Osijo
(right), watch during the foundation laying ceremony of the new model school building
at Angus Memorial High School, Somolu yesterday.
applicants that applied for
the 2016/2017 admission
into the institution.
The Vice Chancellor of
the university, Prof. Faraday
Orumwense, who disclosed
this at matriculation
ceremony of the university,
said the institution has
given the matriculating students
the opportunity to
officially pledge their allegiance
to the university
authority through the matriculation
oath.
According to him, the institution,
as results of its
academic strides, has continued
to receive large
numbers of applications for
admissions on a yearly basis.
While congratulating the
new intakes for being
among the few lucky students
who have been offered
admission, he urged
them to be law abiding students
of the university.
In his words, “I am urging
you all to obey the university
rules and regulations
as the authority has
zero tolerance for any nefarious
act and will apply
sanctions against defaulter.
I encourage you all to be
decent and shun evil vices
like exam malpractices,
drug abuse, cultism, prostitution
and immoral activities
that may mar your academic
activities in this institution,”
he said.
bioethanol E-10, for instance
is a blend of 90 per cent gasoline
and 10 per cent ethanol,
while biodiesel B-20 is
a blend of 80 per cent diesel
and 20 per cent oil jathropha,
used palm oil among others.
car reportedly slumped
when he was about unlocking
his vehicle.
He reportedly gave up
the ghost before he got to
the State specialist hospital
where he was rushed
to by sympathizers and
party members.
His Special Adviser on
Media Bode Omoyoloye
who confirmed the unfortunate
incident said that
his principal did not show
any sign of illness before
the commencement of the
meeting yesterday.
Omoyoloye described
the sudden death of his
boss as a rude shock and
that the entire oil rich community
has been thrown
into mourning.
According to him “He
was not showing any sign
of sickness before his
death because he left
Igbokoda to Akure for a
political meeting with his
vice and the Secretary.
“After the meeting, he
slept in an hotel, but he
slumped before he got to
his car and died before
getting to the hospital.
Omoyoloye said “He
was a fine gentleman,
easy going and generous
to all as he was been enjoyed
by all Ilaje indigenes
since he was sworn
in as the LGA boss.”
The deceased council
boss was elected as the executive
council. Chairman
of the oil rich areas
on April. 23 this year.
SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017 — 7
BRIEFS
45 African countries to
participate in Festac 77 @ 40
By Ebun Sessou
DIRECTOR, Centre for Black Arts and African
Civilization, CBAAC, Mr. Ferdinand Anikwe has
said that, no less than 45 African countries have indicated
interest to participate in the forthcoming celebration of
the 40 th anniversary of Festac77 that would start on
April 1 across the country.
He also noted that, the forthcoming Festac 77
anniversary would be celebrated alongside the 80th
birthday anniversary.of the former President of Nigeria,
Olusegun Obasanjo
According to him, Japan, Canada, the United States of
America, China and other developed countries outside
Africa have also shown interests in participating.
The Festac 77, also known as the Second World Black
and African Festival of Arts and Culture, was held in
Lagos from January l5, 1977 to February 12, 1977 and 59
countries participated.
“The month-long event celebrated African culture and
showcased to the world African music, fine Art,
Literature, drama, dance and religion."
Shun negative values, vices,
Ambode charges students
LAGOS State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on
Friday advised students in the State to fully embrace
the opportunities being provided by his administration
in the education sector and shun all negative values and
vices that could hinder them from realising their dreams
The Governor said his vision remained the building of
great future full of opportunities, possibilities and prosperity
for the youths through the provision of qualitative
education that is consistent with the demands of the 21st
century, and as such it was important for students to
reciprocate by showing commitment to excellence.
The Governor, who spoke at the foundation laying ceremony
of two additional Model Colleges in Yaba and
Shomolu, recalled that since his assumption of office on
May 29, 2015, conscious efforts have been made through
policies and programmes that placed high premium on
education as a vehicle for continued and future prosperity
of the State.
Governor Ambode, who had earlier on Thursday performed
the foundation laying ceremony of the New Model
School in Awori College, Ojo, said he remained committed
to the reformation and strengthening of public schools
in the State with the view to ensure that they are given
the best in terms of quality teaching and learning environment.
YOHESOR seeks improved
anti-corruption content in
curriculum
By Dayo Adesulu
ANon-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Youth
Health and Social Reforms (YOHESOR), has called
for the introduction of improved anti-corruption content
and life building skills in the nation’s school’s curriculum.
The group’s National Coordinator, Dr. Ijeoma
Arodiogbu in a statement in Abuja said that YOHESOR
was collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Education
and other stakeholders on anti-corruption campaign
in schools through The Value Project.
He said the programme would be hinged on Picture
Code, Curriculum Enrichment and Peer Education to
drive home the anti-corruption message among students.
According to Arodiogbu “though the picture code may
not cover all facets of corrupt practices and habits but it
would try to capture the very relevant ones that are quite
common among students and adults in the school environment
and public office respectively were captured.”
He noted that the advocacy on curriculum enrichment
was concerned with enhancing the basic and secondary
education sectors to impact highest level of morals and
ethics in students to bring the desired social and economic
re-engineering.
Reps Spokesman loses mother
•Dogara condoles with family
By Emman Ovuakporie and Johnbosco
THE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu
Dogara, yesterday commiserated with Chairman,
House Committee on Media and Publicity, Abdulrazak
Saad Namdas over the death of his mother Hajiya
Aishatu.
Hajiya Aishatu who died in Yola in the early hours of
Friday, at the age of 90, left behind six children and 18
grandchildren and has since been buried in Yola,
Adamawa State, according to Islamic rites.
In his condolence message to the family, signed by his
Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Turaki
Hassan, the Speaker said he was shocked to receive the
news of the demise of Hajiya Aishatu.

C
M
Y
K
8 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
National Assembly invites Fashola
over change in leadership of TCN
By Henry Umoru
THE National Assem
bly yesterday invited
the Minister of Power,
Works and Housing, Babatunde
Fashola over the sudden
change of leadership
of Transmission Company
of Nigeria, TCN, just as it
asked the company’s
leadership to remain in office
for now.
In a statement jointly
signed yesterday by the
Chairman, Senate Committee
on Power, Steel Development
and Metallurgy,
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe
and the Chairman, House
Committee on Power,
Daniel Asuquo, the National
Assembly said that the
minister and his team
shunned the meeting fixed
for yesterday.
Against this backdrop,
the joint committee has
summoned Fashola and all
other relevant officials to appear
before it next week
Monday to answer questions
relating to the change
of leadership of TCN, even
as the Committee urged all
TCN staff and relevant
stakeholders to maintain
the peace in the overall interest
of the nation.
A statement titled: “ The
TCN leadership crisis and
its effect on the power
sector,” read in full, “ The
Joint Committee on Power
of the National Assembly
acting on its oversight received
disturbing correspondences
and information
regarding the sudden
change in the leadership of
TCN, and its attendant crisis.
“Considering the urgency
of the matter, especially
due to the present economic
recession, the Joint Committee
resolved to invite the
Hon. Minister of Power,
Works and Housing to explain
the decision of the
Ministry to “ import” from
the ADB( one of the leaders
to TCN) yet another
duplication of the Manitoba
experience which had
left a negative impression
on the fortunes of TCN and
indeed, the Power Sector.
“The Joint Committee invited
the Hon. minister of
Power, Works and Housing
to appear before the Committee
with relevant officials
on the 3rd of February
which he could not appear.”
“Consequently, the Joint
Committee met and re-
*Says status-quo ante must be maintained
*Fashola out of Abuja on assignment —Aide
TCN: Our position — AfDB
...Explains $155m deal
..As FG confirms Mohammed as Atiku’s replacment
By Chris Ochayi
THE African Develop
ment Bank, AFDB,
yesterday, said it acted in
line with a request from the
Federal Government to release
its staff, Mr. Usman
Gur Mohammed to head
the Transmission Company
of Nigeria, TCN, for a
period of one year.
The AFDB in a statement
issued by its Senior Communications
Officer, Nigeria
Country Office, Fatimah
Abubakar Alkali, in
Abuja, explained the bank
approved the request to
support the government
in its power sector reforms.
According to the statement,
“the African Development
Bank, AfDB, approved
a $155 million loan
for the Economic and Power
Sector Reform Programme,
EPSERP, which
became effective on 19th
October 2012.
“The support was aimed
at improving power systems
and the business environment
and also sustaining
growth through
sound macroeconomic policies
and budget priorities.
The amount was fully disbursed
in 2 tranches on 1st
March 2013 and 21st December
2015 respectively.
“The programme will
benefit the entire population
of Nigeria in terms of
extended access to a more
reliable supply of electricity
at improved quality and
reduced cost.”
The bank further remarked
that, “The EPS-
ERP will have a major
positive impact on the private
sector through the
substantial reduction in
the cost of doing business
for all economic sectors,
particularly in the formal
and informal manufacturing
and service activities
which are seriously constrained
by the power supply
gaps.
solved as follows: that the
status quo ante in respect
of the management must
be maintained; that the
Minister should endeavour
to appear before the Committee
on Monday, 6th February,
2017 by 10am and
that all TCN staff and relevant
stakeholders should
maintain the peace in the
overall interest of the nation.”
Fashola out of town—
Aide
Reacting to the invitation,
the media aide to the Minister,
Hakeem Bello said the
Permanent Secretary in the
Ministry wrote to the Senate
informing them that the
Hon Minister who was out
of Abuja on assignment
could not honour the invitation,
adding that he would
be at the National Assembly
to meet with them.
According to him: “We
are currently on tour of the
highway projects in the
South East zone of the
country. We have been to
Imo and Abia, and now we
are heading to Eboyin,” he
said.
•Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed (middle) flanked by
the Executive Chairman of Daar Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Paul Dokpesi
and the Special Assistant to the Minister, Mr. Segun Adeyemi when the minister paid
a courtesy visit to the Media Group in Abuja yesterday.
“On 19th September
2016, the AfDB received a
request from the Federal
Government of Nigeria for
the release of one of its
staffers to serve as interim
Chief Executive for 12
months.” The bank approved
this request to support
the government in its
power sector reforms.
“The staff member has
been granted a special
leave without pay for 12
months. The African Development
Bank is committed
to assisting Nigeria
achieve the objectives of its
reforms in the power sector
in accordance with the
priorities already approved
by the authorities. It is to
be noted here, that the appointment
of the TCN
management is a prerogative
of the national authorities.”
Meanwhile, Federal
Government has confirmed
its approval of the secondment
of Usman Gur Mohammed
as the interim
Managing Director/Chief
Executive Officer of Transmission
Company of Nigeria,
TCN.
The Permanent Secretary
in the Ministry of Power,
Mr. Louis Edozien said in
a statement yesterday that
Mr. Mohammed has resumed
duty with a 12-
month non-extendable
deadline to complete his
transformational mandate.
B-R-I-E-F-S
Police confirm herdsmen
attack on Enugu farmer
By Dennis Agbo
THE Enugu State police have confirmed an al
leged herdsmen attack on a farmer at Awha
Ndiagu in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu
state, which led to the hospitalization of the farmer.
Though the farmer’s name could not be ascertained
as at press time, the state Police Public Relations
Officer, PPRO, Ebere Amaraizu, told Saturday
Vanguard that the incident occurred. “The suspects
had issues with the farmer, which led to his being
assaulted,” said Amaraizu.
Suspected herdsmen on Thursday reportedly attacked
a farmland and inflicted machete cuts on the
victims who managed to survive the incident.
An eyewitness said, the victim was rushed to a
hospital where he is presently receiving treatment.
“The victim who was in state of coma was assaulted
with matchete at his back and one of the fingers
was cut off.
APGA warns Okorocha, asks him
to join hands with Obiano to unite
S/East By Vincent Ujumadu, Awka
WORRIED by the verbal war between Governors
Willie Obiano of Anambra State and Rochas Okorocha
of Imo State, the All Progressives Grand Alliance,
APGA, yesterday called on the two governors to join hands
to unite the South East, instead of pouring venoms on
each other.
National chairman of APGA, Dr. Victor Oye said in an
interview in Awka that the zone could not afford distractions
from their two leaders, who were expected to show
good examples for others to follow.
Oye said: “Fighting each other in the media is something
that is not acceptable to APGA. Okorocha should
know that he would not have become governor if not for
APGA and I want him to be conscious of that anytime he
opens his mouth to pour out venom on the other governors
in the zone.
“APGA, as a political party, views Governor Okorocha’s
comments on the party with every seriousness because
describing APGA in such derogatory manner is not tolerable
to us as leaders of the party.
As an Igbo man, we expect Okorocha to cooperate with
his brother governors in the South East to build a homogenous
region withstand incursions from outside the zone.
“In fact, for saying that three governors in the South
East were planning to join APC showed that he intentionally
wanted to ignite the ember of hate that is capable of
setting up a conflagration that is capable of consuming
the entire South East and generating needless bad blood.
“In particular, he needs to cooperate with Obiano to
write a good history of the South East on the map of
Nigeria. We therefore call for unity between the two governors
because if they are not united, it will be a minus
for them.
“They should work together to promote cohesion, unity
and brotherhood so that they can speak with one voice
and tackle their common problems together. Division and
unnecessary suspicion among governors in the zone
should be done away with, so that the benefits of democracy
can trickle down to the grass root in the zone.”
WORLD CANCER DAY: Nigeria
records 14,000 cervical cancer
cases annually
IN a bid to ensure that Africans are properly ed
ucated on the dreaded cancer scourge, Partnership
for Eradication of Cancer in Africa (PECA), has
adopted a partnership based approach to improve
the life of people living with cancer and to reduce
the rate of cancer-related deaths.
The Chief Operations Officer for PECA, Dr. Gregoire
Williams,who spoke yesterday in Abuja ahead
of today’s World Cancer Day explained that about
14,089 new cervical cancer cases were diagnosed
annually in Nigeria.
His words: ‘’Available information confirms that
about 14,089 new cervical cancer cases are diagnosed
annually in Nigeria. On Cervical cancer the
WHO estimates ranked it as the second leading cause
of female cancer in Nigeria and most common in
women aged 15 to 44 years in Nigeria.
“HPV infections are so common that nearly all men
and women will get at least one type of HPV at some
point in their lives. Most people never know that
they have been infected and may give HPV to a sex
partner without knowing it.”
However, Williams is collaborating Cedarcrest
Hospitals in Gudu, Abuja to improve health care
service delivery in Nigeria by offering free and subsidised
screening services targeting the four major
types of cancer accounting for the highest mortality
rates in Nigeria.

Lawyers task Buhari over Onnoghen’s
confirmation as CJN
By Ikechukwu
Nnochiri &
Bartholomew
Madukwe
FOLLOWING the
retirement of
immediate past Chief Justice
of Nigeria, Justice
Mahmud Mohammed,
who clocked 70 on
November 10, 2016, some
lawyers have expressed
diverse opinions over the
refusal of President
Muhammadu Buhari to
forward the name of
Justice Nkanu Onnoghen
to the Senate as the
substantive Chief Justice
of Nigeria (CJN).
President Muhammadu
Buhari had on November
10, 2016, okayed
Onnoghen who is
presently the most senior
Justice of the Supreme
Court, to head the Nigeria
judiciary in acting
capacity. The appointment
was based on a
recommendation letter
from the National Judicial
Council, NJC.
Eminent legal practitioners
who spoke on the
matter included Mr. J. B.
Daudu SAN—former
President of the Nigerian
Bar Association,
NBA, Professor Itse
Sagay,
SAN
—Chairman, Presidential
Advisory Committee
Against Corruption,
Chief Mike Ozekhome,
SAN;Human rights advocate,
Mr. Femi
Aborisade, trade unionist
and socialist; and
Chief Morah Ekwunohhuman
rights lawyer.
Daudu said: “It ought to
be known that the
appointment of a CJN is
not the exclusive preserve
of the Executive arm of
government. It is a
tripartite arrangement,
which involves the
judiciary acting through
the NJC by way of
recommendation, the
executive through the
President by way of
appointment and the
legislature by way of
confirmation of the said
appointment.
“The question that now
arises is why the President
will refuse or omit to act
on the recommendation of
the NJC and instead
chose to appoint the NJC
nominee in an acting capacity.
“If he is not good for the
substantive office why is
he then good to act for
three months in the same
capacity? After all, it is the
same security report on
the suitability of the
candidate that is relied
upon by the NJC that the
Presidency relies on too.”
Prof. Sagay, on his part,
pointed out that the
number of Justices who
have brought ruin to the
Judiciary made it
necessary for close vetting
of candidates for Chief
Justice of Nigeria at the
Presidential level.
He said the president is
not a rubber stamp of the
National Judicial
Commission (NJC),
noting that the body has
failed to exercise due
diligence in the past when
making recommendations
to the President.
According to him, “the
lack of due diligence on
the part of the NJC allowed
at least two Justices of the
Supreme Court to slip
through the net of judicial
vetting to become the
Chief Justices of Nigeria.
And that became a permanent
embarrassment to the
Judiciary and Nigeria as
a whole.
Sagay, who is a Professor
of Law and human rights
activist, explained that the
Supreme Court was
almost abased by the stink
of corruption after the 2007
elections that brought Yar
A’dua to power, and Justice
Onnoghen was among the
three Justices at the apex
court.
Ozekhome observed that
in the last 30 years when
Justice Mohammed Bello
became the CJN, till 11th
of November, 2016, when
Justice Mahmud retired,
all the Chief Justices of
Nigeria hailed from the
northern part of beleaguered
Nigeria.
He stated: “The last
time a South-South person
smelt the exalted
seat was between 1985
–1987, over 30 years
ago, through Justice
Ayo Gabriel Irikefe. The
last time I checked, this
country belongs to us
all. It was therefore with
bated animation and
curious anxiety, that the
country waited for the
appointment of
Onnoghen.
“It is crystal clear from
the provisions of section
231 (1) and section 21
(1) to the third schedule
(part 1) of the 1999
Constitution, that once
the NJC has
recommended a name to
Mr. President for
appointment, the
President’s function at
that stage is simply
ceremonial to forward
same to the Senate for
confirmation. It is the
Senate, not the
President, that does the
screening, to determine
whether or not the
person
so
recommended by the
NJC meets the criteria
set out in section 231
(2)s which states:
“A person shall not be
qualified to hold the
office of CJN or a Justice
of the Supreme Court,
unless he is qualified to
practice as a legal
practitioner in Nigeria
and has been so
qualified for a period of
not less than 15 years.”
According to him, if
Onnoghen was found
worthy to be sworn in as
acting CJN under section
231 (4), why not simply
forward his name to the
Senate for outright
confirmation as CJN
under section 231 (2)?
Ozekhome averred that
the President lacks
absolute power to
determine who becomes
CJN, or to side-track or
circumscribe NJC’s “recommendation,”
or Senate’s
subsequent “confirmation”.
SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017 — 9
Give Obaseki a chance to
succeed, Obahiagbon tells
Edo APC leaders, lawmakers
By SIMON EBEGBULEM
IMMEDIATE Pastor, Chief of Staff to the state
Government, Mr Patrick Obahiagbon
(Igodomigodo), yesterday appealed to leaders of the
All Progressives Congress and members of the Edo
State House of Assembly to give Governor Godwin
Obaseki the desired cooperation to succeed.
He said the recent comment made by the governor
that Government House was not a place where
money is shared should not be misconstrued as the
governor was only trying to explain that the scarce
resources in his possession would be managed for
the betterment of the generality of the people of the
state.
Delta CP blames
unemployment rate on
infiltration by non indigenes
By Festus Ahon, ASABA
DELTA State Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibra
him Zanna has blamed the high rate of youths
unemployment in the state on purported infiltration
of the state by non indigenes.
Zanna who spoke when he played host to the newly
sworn-in executive of the State chapter of the
National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, led by
it’s chairman, Comrade Kenneth Okorie at the Police
Headquarters in Asaba, lamented that people
from other states claim Delta State during recruitment
exercises thereby usurping the few slots allocated
to the state.
Enugu Magistrates get
Laptops, others
By Dennis Agbo
MAGISTRATES in Enugu State judiciary,
yesterday received 76 laptops and 25 desktop
computers and 20 printers from the state government
to enhance service delivery and productivity
towards the dispensation of justice.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who made the
donations noted that the items were also procured
to replace the obsolete manual typewriters that had
been in use in the state’s magistrates' court prior to
the magnanimity of the governor.
Receiving the items at the Enugu High Court,
the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Ngozi
Emehelu, who was represented by the Chief
Registrar, Mrs. Ebele Egumgbe applauded
Governor Ugwuanyi for his vision and kind gesture
to the judiciary.
She expressed delight at the commitment of the
governor towards the welfare of the magistrates,
and other public servants in the state despite the
prevailing economic challenges in the country,
adding that the modern technological devices will
improve their productivity and service delivery.
Glo-sponsored CNN African
Voices commemorates Fregz,
Nigeria’s celebrity chef
GBUBEMI Fregene, a celebrity cook of Nige
rian descent widely known as “Chef Fregz,”
will be celebrated this week on CNN African Voices,
a programme sponsored by Globacom.
Globacom said in Lagos that the chef will be featured
on the show this weekend with two others,
South Africa’s Puppeteer,Janni Younge; and
Ugandan actress, Flavia Tusimme.
Chef Fregz is an ardent believer in the dictum
that says to create great tasty meals, one needs a
lot of love and passion. His passion for cooking has
culminated in his rise to the pinnacle of his chosen
profession within a very short time.
The chef, according to a statement by Globacom,
will excite viewers with the story of his rise to stardom
as well as how his passion for marrying “creativity
that is fresh and unbridled with elements of
the budding youth culture and the world-class training
he received at Le Cordon Bleu” helps him to
prepare meals that are described as truly unique
culinary experiences.
Chef Fregz was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

10—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
•Mike Adeniy
•Gogo Bright
•Joseph Edionwele
•Babatunde
Kolawole
•Samson
Okwu
By Emman Ovuakporie
and Johnbosco Agbakwuru
Given the high sensitivity the
All Progressives Congress,
APC-led administration
brought to bear in its war against
graft; it is not surprising that
Nigerians of all shadows would
scrutinise the actions and inactions of
the administration where issues of
corruption are alleged.
The champion of the war is
President Muhammadu Buhari, a
man who has so far endeared himself
to many across national and
international boundaries for living
above graft even when exposed to the
kind of lucre that have entrapped
fellow Nigerians.
President Buhari’s distaste for graft
is well summarised in the popular
saying that the easiest way to get him
to shut out anybody is to say that the
person is corrupt.
It is against this background that
Nigerians have now taken the
presidency to task over the president’s
dithering procrastination in dealing
with matters of alleged corruption
concerning closest members of his
administration.
While some allegations have been
allowed to pass, critical members of
the public have, however, continued to
question the presidency’s decision to
prevaricate on the report of the Senate
Ad-Hoc Committee on Humanitarian
Crisis in the Northeast which indicted the
administration’s top bureaucrat, Mr.
Babachir Lawal.
The Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, SGF was indicted by the
Senator Shehu Sani led panel in its report
presented to the Senate and adopted by
the legislative body last December.
The president in his response to the
indictment, however, chose the path of
procedure in faulting the Senate’s
adoption of a report which he claimed
was signed by only three of the eight
members.
However, investigations by Vanguard,
published last Thursday, showed that
contrary to the president’s assertion that
only three members signed the document,
the chairman of the committee and six
members signed the report. Critics were
quick to latch on to the presidency’s
attachment to procedure which they
claimed was a deviation from the
president’s well-known aversion to such
issues. The real issue of whether the man
was found wanting appeared not to
matter to the President.
Nigerians have also taken the president
Buhari’s anticorruption
war
at crossroads:
Reps speak
Is it that there is no
other person that is
qualified to do exactly
that job? He should
have been removed
to task for his decision to, on his own,
resubmit Mr. Ibrahim Magu as
chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC
despite the allegations raised against
him by the Department of State
Services, DSS which affirmed in a
report that he would be a distraction
to the president’s war against
corruption. Though the allegations
raised against Magu were alleged to
in some quarters to have been cooked,
the president’s seeming cavalier
dismissal of the allegations,
however, unsettled many.
It is against the background of
the seeming contradictions in the
fight against corruption that
members of the House of
Representatives expressed mixed
reactions to the issue.
We are not fighting
corruption — Rep Gogo
Bright (Okrika: Rivers)
This is the worst thing that has
happened to the fight against
corruption because if the entire Senate
sat on the issue after a committee of
the Senate turned in its report after
doing a thorough investigation which
indicated that the SGF who awarded
contract to his company; only for at
the end of the day somebody will sit in
the convenience of his office to clear
the person, it means then we are not
fighting corruption. On the issue of
Magu, the DSS indicted him; and it is
the same DSS on the basis of whose
report judges were harassed in this
country, and now you are saying the
DSS this time around did not do a good
work. So, my dear, there is problem
in the land.
President is encouraging
corruption
—Rep Joseph Eghoghon
Edionwele; Edo State
If the president whose major
slogan is anti -corruption would
react in this way, as Senator
Shehu Sani rightly said, that
is the end of the fight against
corruption. If not for anything the
indictment is enough to remove
the SGF and in good conscience,
even the SGF should have on his
own resigned. That his company
was mentioned is enough for him
to have resigned or enough for
the president to have removed
him. Is it that there is no other
person that is qualified to do
exactly that job? He should
have been removed. To insist that
he is cleared, cleared of what?
That his company is not the one
that was involved? Is it that he
is no longer the owner of the
company? The fact that his
company was given that contract
alone means he must have
influenced the job to himself.
For the president to say they have
cleared him is not encouraging.
What the president has done is to
encourage corruption.
SGF is morally guilty
—Mike Adeniyi Omogbehin,
Ondo State
It simply means that the anticorruption
war has been finally declared
over. I agree with Senator Sani intoto
when he says that corruption is fought
within the opposition and other arms of
government with insecticides and within
the presidency, it is fought with
deodorants. For the singular fact that the
Senate Committee was able to establish
beyond reasonable doubt that the
Secretary to the Federal Government has
interest in a particular company, that he
never resigned his directorship until after
that contract ultra vires of the
Memoranda of the Article of that
Company; he stands guilty in court of
moral justice, he stands guilty in court of
common sense and he should have
excused himself even before the hue and
cry got to this level. I am surprised that
President Buhari is taking this action.
Some of us in opposition never knew that
President Buhari was going to so soon
discard his anti-corruption war.
Only the courts can find him
guilty – Rep. Babatunde Gabriel
Kolawole; Ondo State
The issue of governance is a very
complex issue, and most of the time,
you don’t do governance with
sentiment. It is very important we look
at issues holistically and get to the
bottom of issues we are trying to push
Continues on page 11

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017—11
•Prof Biodun Ogunyemi
•Samson Ugwoke
•Yusuf Dutse
Labour leaders blast
FG over Magu, Lawal
By Victor Ahiuma-Young
& Johnbosco Agbakwuru
Reacting, President of United
Labour Congress of Nigeria,
ULC, Mr. Joe Ajaero, said: “If
the President has re-forwarded the
name of the EFCC acting chairman
for confirmation after he was rejected
by the Senate, and he has allegedly
cleared the Secretary to the
Government of the Federal, SGF, Mr.
Babachir Lawal, of corruption, he
may have his reasons.
“For the EFFC chairman, the
President is not forcing the senate
to confirm him. He probably reforwaded
his name to the senate
based on information at his disposal.
The senate has a duty to equally look
into it and take a position. If it
maintains its earlier position, the
senate should say so and make its
finding public. Members should do
their jobs with utmost patriotism,
putting the interest of the nation
above personal interest.”
Buhari should not use
double standard—ASUU
On his part, President of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities,
ASUU, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi,
told the Federal Government not to
use double standard in the fight
against corruption in the country.
According to him: “Obviously,
anybody that hears this kind of
reaction from the president will think
he is shielding public officers. We
think there should not be double
standard. Where prima facie case
has been established, it is expected
that the person should step aside.
“He said the senate didn’t give him
fair hearing but Senator Shehu Sani
said he was given opportunity to
come and defend himself. My candid
advise is that government should act
in a way that will not water down
public perception of its seriousness
on anti corruption war. Government
should not give impression that it
has double standard; one for
perceived enemies, the other one
for those in government.”
It’s wrong for Buhari to
clear SGF—SSANU
Similarly, President of the Senior
Staff Association of Nigeria
Universities, SSANU, Samson
Chijioke Ugwoke, faulted President
Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged
clearance of the Secretary to the
Government of the Federal, SGF,
over corruption allegations.
Ugwoke contended that it was
not the responsibility of the
presidency to investigate the SGF
who is directly under him, rather
the duty of the anti-corruption
agencies like the EFCC, the
Independent Corrupt Practices and
other related offence Commission,
ICPC, and other bodies to probe
the allegations.
He said: “It is wrong for Buhari
to come and say that the SGF has
been cleared. There is no smoke
without fire. He should tell us how
he was cleared. People have been
complaining that those working
with the president are spared of
the anti-corruption fight. There
have been cases of corruption
against some ministers around
him, he says nothing and went
ahead to send their names to the
senate. To me, it is improper and
it goes to show that the President
is not serious with the fight against
corruption.
“Look at what is happening in a
university where a Vice Chancellor
was accused of corruption with
evidence and he was investigated,
yet he is still in office. The
President should come out clear
and start with his own people and
not his perceived enemies or those
he feels are in the opposition
party. This is an assumption
people are having and the way he
is handling the corruption fight
shows he is not serious.
“See the case of Magu, see a very
strong DSS report which
investigated his past, life style as
Buhari’s anti-corruption war at crossroads: Reps speak
Continues from page 10
across. The president is sitting at a strategic seat, and
there are some actions he cannot take in a hurry, he
needs to consult widely, he needs to look at the legal
implications so that he doesn’t make mistakes. So for
the fact that there are allegations against the SGF, it
has to be proven beyond reasonable doubts and not
until these allegations are proven, and the SGF is
found guilty, not by the President but by a competent
court of law, the President cannot take any action. It
suggests very strongly that we don’t apply sentiments
in coming to a conclusion on issues that have a
national coverage and that has the interest of people.
Anti-Corruption war is a ruse - Rep. T.J Yusuf;
a police officer. A person living
above his earning and living a
flamboyant life, see the report of
the senate which many feel was
correct and see the position of the
President on the matter.”
Buhari should restore
confidence in his anticorruption
fight
—ASUP
Also reacting, the President of
Academic Staff a Union of
Polytechnics, ASUP, Yusuf Dutse,
said President Buhari before his
election in 2015, had promised not
to spare anybody in his fight against
corruption but the reverse appeared
to be the case.
Dutse said the President should
provide a level play ground where
reports and issues are fairly treated,
adding, “But when people are
covered, the intention will be eroded.”
He claimed the senate committee
had come up with its report that
indicted the SGF and the president
had also said that a committee was
set up to look into the allegations
and that it was proper to put the two
reports side by side to know the
veracity of the allegations.
According to him: “When President
Buhari assumed office, he said he was
not going to spare anybody. But
today, it appears the corruption fight
has been eroded. He should do
more to restore the confidence that
he is really fighting corruption.”
Kogi State
This has just exposed the fact that ab initio, the anti-corruption
crusade was a white-wash. What has happened to Gen. Tukur
Burutai, what has happened to Gen. Abdulrahman
Dambazzau’s case? What about the dollar swapping? Nobody
in his right senses will say Nigeria does not need to tackle the
issue of corruption. It must be holistic it must not be seen as
being partisan
Re-presenting Magu is an indictment on Buhari
—Rep Samson Okwu, PDP, Benue
Is he trying to say that Magu is the most genuine Nigerian
that can occupy that office? Are there no other corrupt free
Nigerians that can conveniently occupy the position?

12—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
•Professor Femi
Odekunle
Sir, you have been a member of the
presidential advisory committee on
corruption, what has been your experience so
far?
Before we talk about success it is good to
inform you about things we have done; we have
engaged virtually all those agencies involved It may not have been a
in corruption prevention and control. We
have managed to engage them in an interactive wrong doing under
session. We go to an agency and we ask, this
is the situation on ground, why have you not
Jonathan but for an
done this or why is this like this or like that? administration that
We try to assess their problems and we put in an
advisory to them because when we give an claims anti corruption
advice it is like an advisory from the Presidency,
whether it is ICPC or EFCC, whether they are
as its major mantra, the
judges, police or customs.
man should resign and
Take the EFCC for example. we have been
able to advise them on how to upgrade the state if he refuses, the
prosecution for example in liaising with the
federal ministry of justice. They now have
President should have
prosecution teams which involve federal asked him to step aside
government ministry of justice lawyers and
private sector lawyers whereby for every case
there will be a team of four.
that could be raised against plea bargaining. I
The problem it solves is that two heads are have told you that as a criminologist I am
better than one. If a member of the team travels against plea bargaining because where it
or is sick, there would be no need of originated like in the US it was met to take case
postponing the case because the prosecutor is of minor cases like traffic offences, two fighting
not available.
that used to clog the system, not for cases in
We have had workshops with judges in the
which the society has been massively defrauded.
FCT, federal high courts all over the country;
But considering the problems we are having
we did in Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Owerri, Port in processing the cases, plea bargaining can be
Harcourt, Ibadan and Lagos. we had a full day an element of processing the case. All we have
workshop with the judges to let them know the to do is now try to reduce the disadvantages
powers they have because part of the problems that can come on board and that is why we say
of dealing with corruption cases has to do with substantial amount of money must be forfeited,
senior lawyers who use their clout to delay and
the person must be punished with
frustrate cases.
imprisonment, that is the interest of the state, of
Do you think that at this point in time of our the society, of the people who have lost either
democracy it is right for people to steal money her by suffering a bad road, by not getting the
and then return few amount and then they are hospital they desire, by having collapsed school
let off the hook in the name of plea bargain? building, their interest must be taken into
Plea bargain is a legal position which is to consideration whenever you are using this
avoid the labour and the loss of a case you are bargaining system.
not able to handle. We are in a colonially
In your interaction and consultations with
inherited judicial system that is in favour of the all these agencies did you come across
bourgeois who have the money and the situations whereby agencies that are
resources and the knowledge to turn an supposed to be fighting corruption being neck
allegedly impartial system to a partial one deep in corrupt practices?
because they have the resources to do so.
Nigeria is a society and like any society it is
Now going into our history in the fight against run on a system. We know the kind of
corruption, you will realise that a lot of cases corruption that goes on in the university; there
are either dead or virtually dead because they is monetary corruption, sexual corruption,
have been there for 8-10years.Basically as a academic corruption which students are given
person, despite the argument I have just given, grades they don’t deserve because of sex or
I am against plea bargain because it is an money, people are promoted with fake
admission that the state is incapable of doing certificates, there are cases of plagiarism, there
its job. But in a committee system, you listen to are admission rackets. So similarly whether in
the arguments of your colleagues and that is EFCC or ICPC, there would be such cases.
the argument I have given which is also
As a criminologist, there is nothing wrong
understandable.
with deviance. that is part of life. But when it
But now what this plea bargain manual has becomes serious, when it is endemic,
done is to take care of objections of people like pervasive particularly in certain organisations
me and like you to say that if there is going to be that are crucial to the survival of the society as
plea bargaining, first the interest of the state an organism, then there is problem. For
must be taken into consideration, the interest of example it is not good, even if there is corruption,
the society as a victim must be taken into corruption should not be in the judiciary, and if
consideration, the money must be forfeited or it is there at all it should be minimal because of
most of it, and most importantly, there must the importance of that organ of society in the
be a term of imprisonment.
matter. If there is corruption, it should not be
In other words, there are legitimate questions among police men because they are people who
C
M
YK
I disagree with
Buhari on SGF
—Femi Odekunly, member Presidential
Advisory Committee on Corruption
Professor Femi Odekunle is a member of the presidential Advisory
committee on Corruption headed by Professor Itse Sagay. In this interview
with Ben Agande, he speaks on the anti corruption problem in the country
and other topical national issues.
are supposed to be the enforcers of the
law and it is said that when law enforcers
become law breakers the society is
doomed.
So when you ask whether or not there is
corruption in the anti corruption agency,
of course there must be.
But remember that our committee is
not an investigative one, we just go there
and say we heard this, are you doing this?
The fact that we even show up and even
mentioned it at all is enough to put some
fear into the minds of the agencies in
charge of fighting corruption.
One of the trending things in
recent times is between the President
and the National Assembly on the
suitability or otherwise of Ibrahim
Magu as the chairman of EFCC.
It is in the interest of Nigerians to give
back confidence. On the day that the
Senate said they are returning his name
back to the President, our committee
considered the case and on the basis of
our knowledge we wrote a letter to the
President that Magu has been doing a
good job, he has shown commitment and
he has also shown diligence and we
strongly advised that the name of Magu
should be re-submitted for confirmation.
In addition we said that if the Senate does
not, he should continue to appoint him as
acting chairman ad infinitum.
On a personal note, the two cases that
had to do with the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation and Magu,
I take the position that it is good for
the Senate to do its job, even if
occasionally. Secondly I am not against
thieves pointing out another thief because
it is in that situation that we the Nigerians
will get to know the truth.
In the case of the SGF, it is clear even
from the conflict of interest positions that
he has engaged in wrong doing. It may
not have been a wrong doing under
Jonathan but for an administration that
claims anti corruption as its major
mantra, the man should resign and if he
refuses, the President should have asked
him to step aside. And it is not actually
appropriate for the President to ask the
Attorney General to look at it.
But let’s give it to the President that he
must have his reasons for going that way
but the man should have been told to step
aside. You may call it step aside, you may
call it suspension but the President should
have done that. That is my position.
In fact, what is being done is denting
the work of our committee; it is denting
the image of the administration by that
man retaining his seat.
And I find the letter allegedly sent by
the President thoroughly inappropriate
to say that well your report is interim, only
three of you signed it; it appears
therefore to the population that the
President himself is appearing guilty of
what we are accusing the judiciary by
using technicalities to cover up wrong
doing because to say that only three
people signed and that is an excuse for
you to turn down the findings is wrong.
On the issue of Magu, I have pointed
out that looking at the nature of
corruption in Nigeria, the extent of
corruption in Nigeria, what they accused
Magu of does not have facts. They didn’t
say that they found money under his bed
like we did with judges; they didn’t say
that he has these other properties; they
didn’t say he has money in foreign
countries. They said at one point in
time they found files in his house.
Most chief executives must take files
home to be able to complete their work.
A good executive actually in Nigeria or
in any good organisation will only sleep
for 3 or 4hours a night because during
the office hours, you are doing meetings,
you are receiving visitors, you are
signing things and may not have the time
to study documents. Most people who
know their onions as chief executives
must take papers home. As ordinary
head of department, I used to take papers
home otherwise the work would not be
done. So that is neither here nor there.
Secondly, they said he rented a house,
they didn’t say he rented the house and
paid with his own money. it came out
that it is an FCDA property. The summary
of my position is that what they have
hung on Magu in order not to confirm
him is simply a case of calling a dog a
bad name so that you can hang it.
The problems that fuel the crisis in
the country, how do you think they can
be resolved in a situation where we
have a high rate of unemployment and
job loss?
I am not an economist but I have had
this idea commonsensical for about two
years and I have put it forward to the
highest appropriate authority that
paying N5,000 to unemployed youths
as a palliative amounts to bribery and
that even the amnesty for the south south
militants amounts to a kind of ransom
for blackmail or kidnapping because
you did it many years back and the
money has dried up, a new government
has come in, militancy has started and
then you want to continue the amnesty,
that is like blackmail. When another
government comes in the same thing is
likely.
The best way to solve our youth
unemployment problem is through
infrastructure development.
As a teacher what do you think is the
panacea for the continuous fall in the
standard of education in the country?
So far, I have listed about five or six
types of corruption but the emphasis in
Nigeria is the financial, the economic.
Going back to the university system, I
pointed out to you that the thing has
gone down out of different kinds of
corruption that I have pointed out. How
come somebody will score 260 but they
cannot enter the university but the one
who scores 180 can enter the university.
How come people who are brought in
to the lecturers, some people who have
first class or second class upper will not
be admitted in the same federal
university system but somebody with a
second class lower would be admitted
to be a graduate assistant.
How come that at the end of the day
even some professors in one university
will not be qualified to be a professor in
another university?. How come the best
man is never the Vice Chancellor (VC)?
It depends on election and other outside
manipulations before somebody
becomes a VC. And yet a VC is supposed
to be an intellectual academic and
administrative manager than just a
manager sponsored by some people
inside and outside the university.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017—13
BY EVELYN USMAN
Shaking her legs vigor
ously as she sat on a
plastic chair at the middle
of their one room apartment
at 19 Taiwo Ibrahim
street, Igando, Mrs Adeleke
gave a blank stare to everyone
around her.
Tried as she could to betray
her emotion by shedding
some tears, her tear
bags failed to drop any.
Rather, she poured out her
fury and agony by intensifying
the velocity while her
shaking legs.
Indeed , fate has played
an unkind role to Mrs
Adeleke. First, was the
death of her husband, a
death that saddled her with
the responsibility of taking
care of her children, alone.
This she struggled to
achieve by toiling day and
night selling whatever she
could lay her hands on.
Just when she was preparing to
heave a sigh of relief, news reached
her at the bus-stop where she sold food
, Monday night, that tragedy had
struck again! This time around, it involved
her only son, Olalekan
Adeleke.
Journey to death
37-year-old Adeleke, popularly
known as star boy, was allegedly
killed by a Hausa food vendor in
Igando area, during an argument
over N30 owed him. Adeleke, a commercial
bus driver visited a canteen
owned by his assailant identified as
Adamu, at college bus-stop at about
11pm.
As he requested for a pack of noodles
and two eggs to be prepared for
him, little did he envisage that would
be his last meal on earth. After eating,
he was given a bill of N230. But
he was said to have paid Adamu's son
N200. When Adamu was informed
about the payment, he reportedly engaged
the commercial bus driver in a
verbal confrontation, insisting that
the exact amount must be paid.
Explaining what transpired inside
the kiosk used as canteen, another
customer, Kehinde Ayanduro, who
was also at the canteen, said he intervened
by appealing to Adamu to allow
Adeleke go home and bring the
balance of N30.
Speaking with Crime Guard during
a visit to the scene, a visibly shocked
Ayanduro, who claimed to have also
been attacked by Adamu while trying
to intervene said : “ At about 11.05
pm that fateful night, I went to Aboki's
(Adamu) place to eat Indomie . By the
time I got there, star boy (deceased )
had finished eating and offered
aboki's son N200 but the boy said the
total money was N230. When he took
the money to his father, he (Adamu )
started shouting and brought out a
stick which had a nail on it. He chased
star boy(Adeleke) across the road but
people stopped him.
“Few minutes later, Star boy (deceased)
brought the N30 and gave it
to Aboki's son. As he handed him the
money , he asked if it was because of
just N30 that his father was embarrassing
him. Aboki heard his voice
from inside and rushed out with the
wood again. He hit Lekan on his ribs
with it. At this point, Lekan tried to
dispossess Adamu of the wood.
“When I saw that Adamu was having
an upper hand over star boy
(Adeleke), I stood up and attempted
to collect the wood from aboki, only
for him to land it on my hands and
one of my legs. I then fell down writhing
in pains.
By then, Lekan had left the shop,
placing one of his hands on the in-
WICKED!
Noddles seller
kills man over N30
•Where is my daddy’,
asks 8yr old daughter
•Please bring back my son;
bereaved mother wails
But aboki ran after him
and landed the wood on
his head. The nail on the
wood sank into Lekan’s
skull. Aboki tried to
forcefully remove it but
could not. Star boy
groaned and fell right in
the middle of the
expressway
•Widow
and child
jured rib. But aboki ran after him
and landed the wood on his head.
The nail on the wood sank into
Lekan's skull. Aboki tried to
forcefully remove it but could not.
Star boy groaned and fell right
in the middle of the expressway.
I and some customers rushed to
where Lekan was and discovered
he was motionless. We called
aboki to come and take him to
the hospital but he brought a
bowl of water and poured on
Lekan's head, yet, he remained
motionless.
When he discovered that
Lekan was not breathing
again, he took to his heels. As
we were chasing him, he
brought out a charm from his
pocket and started dangling it,
daring anyone to come close
to him.
In the process, some charms
dropped from his pockets (displaying
them). Aboki then
ran to a school in Igando and
jumped inside a drainage
where he remained until the
arrival of the Police”.
Residents said that the suspect
had always threatened
to kill anyone who crossed
his path, boasting that
nothing would happen to
him thereafter.
Youths protest
The death of the father of one
sparked off protest the following day
as some youths demanded that justice
be done. The angry youths burnt down
the suspect's kiosk. Some police vehicles
were sighted at a petrol station
close to the scene, apparently to checkmate
any
likely uproar by the angry youths.
Colleagues of late Adeleke were also
seen around. They stayed off work on
Monday to mourn the demise of one of
their own whom they described as an
easy going person.
Agony of a bereaved mother
Meanwhile, the bereaved aged
mother who was yet to come to terms
with the rude shock of the demise of
her only son, was sighted at her apartment
mourning the loss. She described
her son's death as the worst
tragedy that had befallen her in life
.The first word she muttered was “
my dependant , my hope and joy is
gone. The only son who made me to
forget the pain of being a widow is
gone”... at this point, sympathizers
who thronged her house began to
console her .
Narrating how the news reached
them, younger sister to late Lakan,
Taiwo Adeleke said “We were still at
the junction where we sold food when
someone called me on the phone , to
come to college bus-stop that something
had happened to my brother.
Immediately mama heard, she
sprang up from her seat and started
rolling on the floor crying. When I
tried to calm her down, she said she
knew all was not well with Lekan. We
all rushed to the scene, where we saw
Lekan's motionless body on the
ground . Mama wanted to go and
touch it but some people held her back
because it is a taboo in Yoruba land for
a mother to touch the corpse of her
child. She has not been herself since
then”, Taiwo said.
Premonition
It was obvious that late Adeleke
could have had premonition of
tragedy ahead, as
Crime Guard gathered
that he had
informed his
•Late
olalekan
Adeleke
•Bereaved
mother
mother two
weeks ago, of his
intention to go
to Ilorin for
Teblic ( Islamic
study )
for six
months.
He was
said to
have asked
his mother
how she
would be
able to cope
for that
long without
him.
This was because,
he always
sent
her money
weekly.
Along the
line, he
broke down in tears, saying
he would miss his mother.
She was said to have also
shed some tears, as she patted
her son at the back, unknown
to her that she was
only rehearsing his death.
Police release corpse
Adeleke's corpse was released
to his family
Wednesday for
burial, although
the family complained
that it
was not released
on time in order
to have him buried
according to
Islamic rites.
Adeleke as gathered,
was buried
in the property
he bought in Sango Otta,
Ogun state.
Where is my daddy
As preparation for his burial was on, late
Adeleke's eight -year-old daughter, Rokibat,
innocently demanded to see her daddy. This
was followed by a prolonged session of wailing
by family members. Her grandmother
snuggled her close and whispered into her
ears, that her daddy was fine.
Mother of late Adeleke's child, Fatimo
Olufemi stated that the last conversation she
had with him was a promise he made to
rally round for their daughter's school
fees.
She said : “I was at my mother's place
at Isheri Idimu when my brother called
me on phone, to inform me that the father
of my child was dead. I saw him last
on Friday, two days before he left this
wicked world. He promised he was going
to intensify effort at raising our daughter’s
school fees and instructed me to appeal to
the school authority to give him till the end
of this week to pay because the school threatened
to send away those who did not pay
their fees.
He was not a rich man but he ensured that
our daughter got the best he could afford
. His death is a big blow to me because I
do not know how to cope, particularly
regarding our child's education”, she
stated.

14—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
ALABA INTERNATIONAL MARKET UNDER SIEGE
Traders lament attacks from
armed robbers, hoodlums
•Cry out police, Lagos State Govt
BY EVELYN USMAN
The expression on the faces of anxious
traders at the popular Alaba
International market located in Ojo
area of Lagos, depicted that of despondency
and fear, as they went about their daily
sales.
The reason for the forlorn and gloomy
visage was attributed to the recent upsurge
in crimes ranging from looting of shops,
broad day robbery , intimidation and
harassment of traders and customers by
miscreants and cultists.
The traders traced the genesis of their
present predicament to an alleged attempt
by an erstwhile President of Fancy and
Furniture Dealers Association(names
withheld) to forcefully continue with
running the affairs of the market by
imposing
his loyalists on traders as executive
members.
Saturday Vanguard was reliably informed
that the incumbent chairman of the
association was nominated by a former
chairman. But things fell apart when the
incumbent was said to have refused to
dance to the tune of his godfather .
In a peaceful march to protest hoodlums’
excesses Wednesday, the traders lamented
their woes in the hands of these oppressors
who they alleged were hired by the former
chairman to cause unrest in the market.
The traders said that the action of the
miscreants was scaring customers away
from the acclaimed largest electronics
market in Nigeria.
Speaking with Saturday Vanguard, the
incumbent Chairman of Fancy and
Furniture Dealers Association and
President, Alaba Amalgamated Association
of Nigeria, Mr Emeka Mozoba, lamented
that “We are having security challenges in
Alaba market . Lives of people are in danger
as well as our goods because everyday we
have cases of robbery, snatching of phones.
A lot of atrocities are happening at he
market. People doing business are afraid,
nobody wants to talk because they don’t
want to fall victims to these hoodlums hired
by one man. The market is in disarray and
our lives are in danger”.
Petitions the Police
Mozoba stated that the association had
written several petitions to the Police but
he expressed regrets that there had been no
favourable response from the Police.
A copy of a recent letter of appeal for
police intervention made available to
•Protesting traders
People doing business
are afraid, nobody wants
to talk because they don’t
want to fall victims to
these hoodlums hired by
one man
Saturday Vanguard, was addressed to
the Deputy Commissioner of Police incharge
of the the State Criminal
Investigation and Intelligence Squad,
SCIID, dated January 20, 2017.
In the petition signed by the solicitor
to the association, Chinedu Nwosu,
members of executives of the association
recalled how miscreants allegedly
sponsored by the erstwhile chairman
threw caution to the wind two years ago,
invaded the market with dangerous
weapons and inflicted injuries on several
traders. It also stated that there were
plans by the miscreants to force the
incumbent executives out of office and
bring in loyalists to their sponsor to fill
the positions.
The statement read in part “our clients
have gathered that Azubuike Ekwerekwu
and his cohorts are bent on foisting on
the association his stooges through
which he intend to control the purse of
the association and they have resolved
among themselves to bring in touts to
the market to harass, intimidate
subjugate and quell any dissident voices
against their resolve to carry on with the
imposition of their loyalists on the
traders.
“Our clients informed us that these
people have threatened to snuff life out
of them if they make good their resolve
to resist them in the market but our
clients and genuine traders at the Fancy
and Furniture section of the market are
more than ever, resolved to put this
abrasion of one man to an end once and
for all time. And that is the very reason
for this petition”.
Chairman of the association, Mozoba
said “This man (alleged sponsor) in
question is not a real trader, he only owns
a property in Alaba . He is not the only
property owner in Alaba but he is
interested in the politics of the market.
He has sworn that if his candidate was
not the one managing the market, he
would remove the person.
His thugs intimidate and harass traders
in broad day light, wielding guns,
everybody is just afraid These thugs who
are also cultists will storm a trader’s shop,
brandishing their guns and collect
whatever they wanted.
The recent incident happened Thursday
last week, after two of the cultists invaded
my office, unknown to them that there
were policemen on surveillance from the
State Criminal Investigation and
Intelligence Department, who
subsequently arrested them. But they were
released next day by their sponsor’s
lawyer. Their sponsor had boasted that
he was untouchable and that he was
capable of killing somebody and would
get away with it”.
We have written several petitions to the
police but no action has been taken. We
sent copies of the petition to the DPO Ojo,
the Area Commander E, Festac, the Lagos
State Commissioner of Police and the
Inspector-General of Police”
.Lamentations
One of the traders, Samuel Echendo,
disclosed that he was attacked by
hoodlums right in his office last week.
According to him “I am one of those
attacked by these paid hoodlums who are
well known cultists. They stormed my
shop and ordered me to lie down, pointing
guns at me. After terrorising me, I went to
report at the union’s office. Since then,
they have been threatening me on the
phone for reporting them”.
Another victim of the hoodlums
molestation, Uchechukwu Chukwuma,
who is also a trader, said he was attacked
on December 24, 2016 and his phone
forcefully collected at gun point.
Chukwuma said “ As I was coming out
of the office at about 4pm, the hoodlums
led by Oyibo surrounded me and
collected my phone . Later, one Chidi
called me on the phone requesting for
N40,000 before the phone would be
released. I reported the matter at Ojo
division”.
One of the executive members,
Comrade Jude Osita, said that he was one
of those slammed with the sledge
hammer of the opposition camp,
following an allegation of robbery
levelled against him and eleven others.
He said “Twelve of us were wrongly
accused of being armed robbers in 2008
. But for the intervention of Justice Dada
of an Ikeja high court, who gave us
unconditional release through the DPP,
we would still be in prison for an offence
we knew nothing about. They almost
manipulated DPP into believing we were
armed robbers, all in a bid to take over
the affairs of the market.
Appeal for Police, government
intervention
Continuing, Chukwuma said : “As I
speak, we don’t have security in the
market. Last week this place was
surrounded by hoodlums. Their sponsor
paid them to come and sack the
incumbent chairman. We want
government to intervene because the
intimidation is much . Nobody is safe
any more. We generate revenue for the
state government. Billions of naira is
paid into government coffers from here.
Therefore, we deserve government’s
protection when the need arises. As an
international market , we deserve the
best security to checkmate excesses of
these paid hoodlums and cultists”.
On his part, Sir Cosmus Obi, who
claimed to be one of the founders of
Alaba International market
also called on the Police to rise up to
the present security challenge in the
market before it gets out of hand.
One of the former chairmen of the
association, Chief Ausgustine Okafor,
who frowned at the present situation in
the market, stated that if drastic
measures were not taken by security
agencies to address the present
situation, it could lead to a state of
anarchy.
He recalled that “When I was
chairman, it was peaceful. Everyone
desired to have an office in Fancy and
Furniture but at a point things changed,
as touts and hoodlums filled everywhere
in the market .
Today, I am appealing for the
intervention of security agencies to
come to our rescue by assisting us to
send these hoodlums who have their
abode inside this market packing. They
are terrorising my people and nobody
is happy any more. Sometimes, they
terrorise people with guns, machetes
and all sorts of weapons. If the Lagos
state government can’t address it, then
the federal government should rise up
to the occasion , after all the duty of
government is to defend its people”.
Reaction
Investigation by Saturday Vanguard
revealed that the alleged sponsor of the
thugs, left the market last year, when
the accusation became over bearing.
Since then, he has reportedly not been
seen around Alaba.
In a swift reaction, the man at the
centre of controversy, Ekwerekwu
described the claim by the traders as
false.
He explained rather that “there was
no election that brought in the man who
claims to be the incumbent chairman.
The former chairman was accused of
misappropriation of funds and the
stakeholders led by me, appointed the
present man.
He further explained that in less than
one month in office, some startling
discoveries were made on Mazoba
which prompted him (Ekwerekwu) to
advice his anointed candidate to step
down.
Continuing , he said “Eight members
of his executives who challenged him
on the matter were chased out and he
appointed other people to take their
positions. The issue is that he feels
threatened that we will move him out . I
am the biggest stakeholder in that
market and I own most of the shops there.
Tell me, how do I throw stones where I
have property? Besides, I am no longer
there with them, I have moved to the
Island. The police are there to investigate,
let him go to them. If I am invited, I will
make myself available”, he said.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017—15
BY EBUN SESSOU
In 2012, the Lagos State
Government passed the
traffic law banning
motorcyclists (Okada) and tricycle
(Keke Marwa) operators from
major roads in the state. This was
as a result of the alarming rate of
accidents on the roads as well as
increase in crimes as many
robbers were operating on
motorcycles.
Major highways where these
motorcyclists and tricyclists have
been banned include Lagos-
Ibadan Expressway, Apapa-
Oshodi Expressway,
Oworonshoki-Oshodi
Expressway, Lagos-Ikorodu
Expressway, Lagos-Abeokuta
Expressway and Third Mainland
Bridge. Other routes are Eti-Osa/
Lekki –Epe Expressway, Lagos –
Badagry Express-way, Funsho
Williams Avenue, Agege Motor
Road and Eti-Osa/Lekki Coastal
Road. The law therefore became
necessary in order to ensure sanity
in the state. The law enforcement
agents seized the initiative and on
the date of the deadline given the
commercial motorcycles to vacate
the roads, the police commenced
full enforcement of the law as they
started seizing the motor cycles
that flouted the law. The police
however left the tricycles alone.
Unfortunately, the same ‘Okada’
and ‘Keke Marwa’ riders who
were banned some years ago have
returned to those highways in full
force and operate with impunity.
They now operate in Lekki, Ibeju
Lekki, Oshodi/Apapa
Expressway, Badagry Expressway
and several other places
They drive against the traffic,
they do not regard the traffic law
and above all, they do not observe
the traffic light rules and
regulations.
A resident, Mr Johnson in
Ibeju-Lekki who spoke with
Saturday Vanguard argued that
most of these Okada riders were
Okada, Tricycle back on
the highways with a bang!
not educated about traffic rules as they
ventured into it without having any
knowledge of what they were going
into doing. He said, “I spoke with some
of the Okada riders and I find out that
many of them are not educated. They
do not even know what traffic law or
traffic light rules and regulations are.
It will interest you to know that some
of these people have abandoned their
jobs for Okada riding”.
A business man who resides in
Second Rainbow area of Lagos, Mr
Lucas explained that, “the restrictions
of Okada on the major routes was a
good initiative but I have noted that the Okada
riders returned to the roads immediately after the
ban. Every attempt to sanitise and restore order to
the chaotic Lagos traffic should be made. That is
what any responsible government should do”.
According to Mr John, a journalist in Victoria
Island, “most of these Okada and Marwa riders
are reckless. According to the traffic law, the
commercial motorcyclists and their passengers are
mandated to wear standard crash helmet for full
protection, they should carry only one passenger,
but should not carry children and pregnant women,
and should not operate beyond 8.00pm in Victoria
Island, IKoyi and Ikeja and 10.00pm in other areas
of the State.
“They should be aware of what is
behind and to the sides before
manoeuvring. They should look behind,
and use mirrors if they are fitted. When
in traffic queues, they should look out for
pedestrians crossing between vehicles
and vehicles emerging from junctions, or
changing lanes.
They should also position themselves
so that drivers can see them in their
mirrors and in slow-moving traffic they
should take care and keep their speed
low. Unfortunately, these people do not
know all these or better put fail to observe
these rules and regulations.
Waste management undergoes reforms
BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI
Waste management in
Lagos State is
currently facing a
tougher time following the
planned introduction of
major reform into the sector
by Governor Akinwunmi
Ambode.
Lagos state government is
making moves to rescue the
state from the inefficiency of
the Private Sector
Participation, PSP, operators
through the launch of
‘Cleaner Lagos Initiative’.
Lagos waste generation
which was between 9,000 to
10,000 metric tons of waste
per day has recently, risen to
between 13,000 to 14,000 per
day.
Commissioner for the
Environment in the state, Dr.
Samuel Adejare, while
announcing
the
development, said besides
creating the enabling
environment for the private
sector to harness
international best practices,
the Cleaner Lagos Initiative
is likewise concerned with
addressing the existing
challenges in solid waste
management in the state.
Under the proposed
reform, government will
carry out a re-certification of
all the 350 PSP operators, relicense
them and audit the
state of their compactors.
Government will also
transform the existing
LAWMA confirms reform processes
Meantime, the Lagos
State Waste
Management
Authority, LAWMA, has said
that waste generation within
the state has increased to
over 420, 000 monthly,
representing 14, 000 metric
tons daily.
Meanwhile, the
operators of domestic
and commercial
wastes in Lagos State are already
in court to stop the government
from displacing them or replacing
them with new operators through
the guise of reform.
In a suit filed on their behalf at
a Lagos High Court by Ebun-Olu
Adegboruwa, the PSP operators,
urged the court to urgently uphold
and protect their existing rights
and benefits so that the
government will not appoint new
operators to replace them.
Listed as defendants in the suit
are the Lagos State Government,
Transfer Loading Station
(TLS) and introduce about
25 Material Revolving
Facility (MRF) where wastes
will be sorted, 600 new
compactor vehicles will be
Chairman of LAWMA,
Olumuyiwa Adejokun and
General Manager, Mr.
Segun Adeniji, disclosed this
recently, at the opening
session of a 3-day training
workshop for officials of the
agency, themed: “Reformed
Waste Management in Lagos
the Attorney-General of Lagos
State, Commissioner for the
Environment, the proposed
foreign operators and their local
agents–namely Visionscape
Group, Visionscape Santiation
Solutions Limited, and ABC
Sanitation Solutions Limited.
“If the government’s resolutions
are implemented to the letter, the
regime of refuse heaps may soon
return to the state,” Adegboruwa,
a human rights lawyer said.
In their 77 paragraph affidavit
deposed to by Olabode Coker, the
acquired, and waste
dumpsites will be closed and
replaced with engineered
sanitary landfill sites.
The reform will include;
Establishment of five new
State: The role of LAWMA,”
held at Lekki, Eti-Osa Local
Government Area of the
state.
The governor’s directive,
Adejokun, stressed was part
of the planned reform to
make the agency more
efficient and effective saying,
PSP drags govt to court
Chairman of the Association of
Waste Managers, the operators
stated that they had helped Lagos
State to rid the state of refuse
spanning several years of
investments in human and
material resources, which had
also involved professional
trainings and education.
The association, comprising
over 350 PSP operators, asked the
court to restrain any foreign
operator, and their local agents,
from taking over the collection,
disposal and management of
power stations – one in
each division in the state,
which will be built to
generate power from
wastes, and closure of the
Olusosun at Ojota, Kosofe
Local Government area,
and Solus, Igando, old
Alimosho LGA, dumpsites
next year.
“Government does not have
the huge funds required to
manage waste in the state,
this is why the governor has
decided to embark on waste
management reform.”
He explained that the
reform would see LAWMA
being excluded from waste
collection and concentrate
on regulatory role of waste
collection in the state.
domestic solid waste in all areas
of Lagos State.
“The operators claimed that
Lagos State had encouraged them
in the past to improve their
operations through acquisition of
modern trucks, for which many of
them obtained loans from banks
with huge interest rates and the
consideration was to be using the
resources generated from the
waste operations to service the
said loans, and they have built
offices in various parts of Lagos
State for the smooth
administration of their
operations,” Adegboruwa
maintained.
C
M
Y
K

16—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
Nigeria’ ll split if we
don’t restructure
– Ohaneze Chieftain
•Why Igbo Governors
cannot lead Ndigbo
•Prof Elochukwu
Amucheazi
What have you been doing after
MAMMSER?
After MAMMSER, I became the Director
General, National Orientation Agency, NOA,
from 1993 to 2011. Since then I have been
involved in one thing or the other. In fact I just
ended as the pro-Chancellor, Anambra State
University; before then I was the Chairman
Anambra Broadcasting Service before I
became the pro-chancellor of the university The common
now called Chukwuemeka Odumegwu
Ojukwu University. So I am still in the arena, saying is Igbo
so to say.
What about politics?
don’t have kings
Well, everybody is a politician but I am not
vying for political power.
What is the major difference between the
but I think it is
Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Igbo Leaders of
Thought?
probably taking it
Ohanaeze is the apex socio-cultural
organization of Ndigbo whereas Igbo leaders literally not that we
of Thought is a collection of, call it,
intellectuals who are concerned about the don’t have leaders
welfare of Ndigbo. It is a think tank,
generating ideas, interacting with all other
Igbo organizations; selling those ideas; in
other words mobilizing our people for the
welfare of Ndigbo.
But the Aka Ikenga claims to be the
intellectual arm of Ohanaeze?
I am not aware of that kind of claim; I am
not sure any organization can claim that. I
am in Ohanaeze and the current constitution
of Ohanaeze was drawn up by my committee,
I was the chairman. So I am not aware. Is
Aka Ikenga not located in Lagos? But I think
it is just one of the organizations. You have to
appreciate the political culture of Ndigbo;
we are an egalitarian society and individuals
are bubbling with enthusiasm to contribute
and so they can come round, form
organizations and explore how they can make
their own contributions. So we have Aka
Ikenga, we have Nkpoko Igbo, we have Ala-
Igbo Development Foundation, we have the
World Igbo Summit Group and so many other
organizations and no one can claim any
particular/ special relationship with
Ohanaeze. Ohanaeze is just the umbrella
organization of Ndigbo. We call it sociocultural,
not necessarily political.
Does it have anything to do with the saying
that Igbo have no leaders?
Who said Igbo have no leaders? No, no, no!
C
M
YK
By Emeka Mamah and Dennis Agbo, Enugu
Prof Elochukwu Amucheazi is both a member of the Igbo Leaders of Thought, ILT, and
Ohanaeze Ndigbo. In this interview, Amuceazi who is the National Secretary of ILT
spoke about Igbo leadership, lip service to fight against corruption: true federalism
and restructuring as well as the problems within the South East Governors’ Forum,
SEGF, and efforts to reconcile them. He also, said that Ndigbo would never regret
rejecting President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2015 election, and would vote for
Jonathan again en-masse if he stands for another election tomorrow.
The common saying is Igbo don’t have
kings but I think it is probably taking it
literally not that we don’t have leaders.
There is no community that doesn’t have a
leader or leaders, starting from your
primary community.
The former Vice President, Dr Alex
Ekwueme is a foremost Igbo leader who is
now over 84 years. The problem is that we
don’t have those who will take over from
people like him or Prof Ben Nwabueze
among others
Ekwueme is an Igbo leader, very
prominent, an intellectual and everything
that you need in defining Igbo leader you
have in Ekwueme and therefore he is a
foremost Igbo leader, at least till today but
we have others coming up as well. We have
Nwabueze, Ebitu Ukaiwe, Ndubuisi Kanu
and a good number of others. I think that
what confuses people is the dominance,
politically, of young traders in government;
compradors in government; people reared
by erstwhile military dictators, who
managed to have cornered a lot of money
and they are everywhere in Igbo land. At
the moment they seem to be at the helm of
affairs because they are governors, they are
these, they are that. But they are not
necessarily the Igbo leaders. In every
community there are leaders, at the
moment the impression is about these
people who are in government, who
control tools of government but it is not
always the case. They throw their weight
about because of the way things are in
this country but it is not that Igbo do not
have leaders. You see, at critical moments,
Igbo leaders emerge. In the 1950s you
saw how Dr Michael Okpara emerged.
During the civil war you saw how Emeka
Ojukwu emerged. They were in the
forefront, but not that Ojukwu or Okpara
were the only leaders. There is this
collective leadership that is associated
with Ndigbo. Why some of these governors
are failing is that sometimes they fail to
consult the real leaders; people who
matter. Because of the way things stand
in this country they think about their
patrons, so to say, from up there, but how
long will that last? I believe tomorrow
will be bright for Ndigbo. A crop of leaders
are coming up, not just this present day
party leaders. As a matter of fact, look at
this small boy, Nnamdi Kanu who is being
detained, how do you evaluate him? An
Igbo leader must be selfless, must be well
focused; must be dynamic and prepared
to move the people forward. Many of
these governors don’t have these qualities,
so you have these chaps coming up and I
can assure you many more will surface
even before you know it.
Don’t you believe that some of these
groups like IPOB and MASSOB are
there because Nigeria has refused to
be restructured?
It is obvious; there is consensus all over
the country that we must go back to
genuine federation. Everybody agrees
that a few individuals are dragging their
feet. It is not as if they don’t know that
there must be restructuring. If you do not
restructure, the country will disintegrate
and it is as simple as that. Sooner or later,
we will have what happened in other parts
of the world- Central Africa, Europe and
Asia and so on. Even the other day Britain
was pulling Europe in a way, Scotland is
even thinking about that and even the
other day, California started saying its
own. If you don’t restructure you cannot
hold people down. I said it the other day
that coercion or force has never held
people together forever. Dictators have
come and gone and there is a consensus
that Nigeria has to be restructured.
How do you want the country to be
restructured?
Ekwueme talked about six constituent
federal units, that is, the present six
geopolitical zones. They can become the
federating units of the federation. You
see there are criteria for balanced
federation. The constituent units must
be reasonably sizable; they have to be
reasonably viable in a way; they can
stand on their own. That is why Ekwueme
came up with six geopolitical zones. At
the moment you have all these tiny units
called states, they cannot become units
of a federation and that is why we are
running a unitary system of government
which is not good enough for Nigeria.
Right from the word go, even the British
that created Nigeria realized that
Nigeria must be a federation which was
why they came up with three federal
units and later the civilians added one
and we had four. It is only these military
dictators who are not qualified, who
didn’t understand anything about how
to govern human society that
treacherously brought about this so
called 36 states so that they can run the
country as a unitary system of
government.
Do you think restructuring would
quell issues like agitation for selfdetermination
like in the case of Biafra?
It is possible but many have been
pushed to the wall. It depends on the
powers given to the constituent units. You
can have a federation, you can have a
confederation, so it depends on what will
be agreed upon.
How do you react to Obasanjo’s
recent call for Igbo Presidency in 2019?
I do not think it is a subject for
discussion. I do not have answer to this.
I don’t think I will waste my time
addressing that question. Why do you
think one should listen to that kind of
advice? Is it an advice or whatever you
call it? I think it is just a distraction.
Do you think Biafra can stand on its
own?
I guess you are talking about selfdetermination
which is a guaranteed
human right. The issue is not viability or
no viability. When it comes to that really;
Continues on pg 37

SATURD
TURDAY Vanguard
anguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017—17
BBC confirms DfID
targeted Ibori;
Spent millions
to nail him
BY TONY ELUEMUNOR
Barely three days after my story entitled
“Exposed: How the UK Conspired to
convict Ibori, Gohil, others - Govt’s Role,
“appeared in the Weekend Vanguard of 28
January 2017, the BBC on 1st February
2017 confirmed one of the most damning
disclosures there.
My expose showed how the British
Government, acting through the DfID, had
been in contention with Chief James
Onanefe Ibori over the control of V-Mobile
shares. I gave this back grounding: “At the
centre of this conspiracy is the British
government’s aid agency – the
Department for International
Development (DfID). To the world, it
provides British monetary support for
humanitarian aid and projects in
impoverished counties. Yet, as its role
in the Ibori case shows, its agenda is
however political. In the Ibori case/
s, the British government used these
aid funds as a political tool against
Ibori and to support its political
agenda and undermine Nigerian
sovereignty”.
Then I dropped the bombshell: “To
begin at the beginning; It will be
recalled that since 2005, DFID funded
the entirety of the Ibori, Gohil and
linked prosecutions; with £16 million
going to “The Proceeds of Corruption
Unit.”
This week Wednesday, Mr. Mark Easton,
BBC’s Home editor, published “James
Ibori: Nigerian ex-governor challenges UK
conviction” He wrote: “In 2005 the
Department for International Development
funded a special police unit inside Scotland
Yard to go after corrupt African politicians.
Its prime target was Ibori. Its aim: to get
him into a British court and convict him
for corruption. The UK government spent
years and millions getting Ibori out of
Nigeria and into a British court in one of
the most expensive and complex police
investigations undertaken”.
And showing that the hunters have
become the hunted as the Ibori case has
turned against the Police, the BBC report
added: “Last year, after repeatedly telling
judges there was no evidence of police
corruption, the Crown Prosecution Service
(CPS) admitted they had found substantial
material that supported the allegations.
“There exists intelligence that supports
the assertion that [a police officer] received
payment in return for information in respect
of the Ibori case,” the CPS admitted.
The officer in question has always denied
taking bribes and internal police
investigations have previously exonerated
him. Details of how Scotland Yard tapped
phones and conducted covert surveillance
on a number of officers in the unit
investigating Ibori emerged for the first
time”
Unfortunately for DfID, it did little to
cover its tracks. Once Ibori was arraigned,
it never bothered to arraign any other
politically exposed person. Also, the claim
that the special Police Unit it funded
lavishly with £16 million was for Africanwide
operation was a ruse; it has not cast
an eye at any other country apart from
Nigeria or at any other person.
Yet, the BBC report repeated the lies the
media had heaped on Ibori owing to media
•Ibori
Unfortunately for DfID, it
did little to cover its
tracks. Once Ibori was
arraigned, it never bothered
to arraign any other
politically exposed person
manipulation, calculated disinformation
and misinformation. Mr. Easton’s report
claimed: “Ibori was believed to have
laundered large sums in the UK, just part of
hundreds of millions of dollars it was
claimed he had embezzled from the
Nigerian people.
On a state salary of just £4,000 a year he
had bought a fleet of luxury cars and
expensive properties. He was also looking
to buy a private jet”.
This nonsense that a governor’s salary was
Ibori’s only source of income from 1999 to
2007 has been at the heart of the Ibori
London and Asaba trials. And that has been
the most crucial media manipulation and
court-misleading both the Economic and
Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and
the British Police and Prosecution did against
Ibori.
The British Police and Prosecution both
knew that Ibori had other sources of income,
such as an oil service company called MER
Engineering but chose to mislead both the
court and the public. Page 14 of the 44-page
charges filed by the London Metropolitan
Police, against Ibori in court, item 81, on MER
Engineering states: “MER built houseboats,
which were rented out to oil workers in the
Delta. It was Ibori who was able to
influence the contracts with Chevron
and Shell and the NNPC”, Item 83: “It
was MER money that paid for the Ibori
property in Hampstead, Westover Hill:
Count 5. Item 84, “It was MER money
that paid for the house Ibori bought in
Houston Texas. Item 85, “it was MER
money that paid for the deposit for the
$20 million Challenger Jet airplane that
Mr. Ibori was in the process of buying
when his monies were restrained by the
UK courts”.
Yet, weeks before Ibori was sentenced,
EFCC arrested and questioned one Dr.
Babalakin on the charge that he helped
Ibori launder money, using the account
of Babalakin’s company. EFCC said
Ibori never tried to buy a Challenger jet
but was only helped to launder money
by pretending he was buying a jet. I
replied that the EFCC was lying because
it had known for years that Ibori
actually invested some money in a
registered air-charter company for a jet
that would be used commercially, but
the world has been deceived that Ibori
had bought, or was in the process of
buying, a private jet. And didn’t
Prosecution state in court that Ibori
had invested only $4million on that
aircraft – money from MER
Engineering?
I wrote then: “Adding the $4
million for the jet to the $6
million for the properties, sums
that came from MER
Engineering, brings the entire
sum in contention in the UK to $10
million. If you make allowance for
police exaggeration of property costs,
you would have a sum that is below $8
million. It is a huge amount but it is
nowhere near 50 or 250 million Pounds
that were bandied about. And the monies
came from MER Engineering accounts.
Also, I don’t want to go into the amount
of the travel and overnight allowances
that Ibori was paid during his eightyear
tenure as Governor”.
Now, see court-misleading at
work as I had pointed out
before!. On item 175 of the
same court charges against
Ibori: “By the time he was
into his second term of
office as Governor of Delta
State, James Ibori had
defrauded Delta State of
such large sums of money that he was
planning to buy himself a private jet
aeroplane costing $20 million.” Is this
not the same plane for which Mr.
Babalakin was arrested, and EFCC said
he was laundering money for Ibori in
the guise of buying a plane? Item 183:
“MER had an account at Barclays bank
in Knightsbridge. The Money went from
the oil companies straight out of Nigeria
and into MER account in Barclays”.
And that too is a crime? Item 29: “Mr.
Ibori used money defrauded from the
people of Nigeria to buy a property in
Houston in Texas … “only to see in Item
84, “It was MER money that paid for the
house Ibori bought in Houston Texas’.
Ibori’s many sins for which he was
convicted included this terribly grave
crime: Item 34: “In addition to his
millionaire life style, Ibori called himself
“HIS EXCELLENCY”, a title not
recognized by the constitution”.
For the source of this commotion,
remember that former EFCC chairman,
Nuhu Ribadu accused some oil majors
of helping Ibori launder money over the
same MER Engineering contracts,
claiming that MER Engineering had no
contracts at all with those oil companies.
He was simply preparing the grounds to
make this deliberate falsehood stick. And
such nonsense even found its way into
the Financial Times of London of
November 16, 2007 story, “Probe into
Chevron and Shell payments” written by
Michael Peel and Dino Mahtani. It stated
that “Anti-corruption investigators are
probing payments by ChevronTexaco
and Royal Dutch Shell to a company
owned by a powerful Nigerian politician
they suspect has laundered tens of
millions of dollars in British banks,
property and cars.
James Ibori, who was governor of
Delta State until last May, is being
investigated by British and Nigerian
authorities over sums he is alleged to
have accumulated during his years in
office.
A UK court affidavit seen by the
Financial Times says there is
reasonable cause to believe Mr Ibori
bled money from his oil-rich state and
bought assets including a $20m jet,
houses in London and Dorset, and a
•406,000 ($595,460) armour-plated
Mercedes-Benz from a Mayfair
dealership.
The document says police are
examining £2.3m ($4.7m) of payments
made over the past three years by
ChevronTexaco and the state-owned
Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation into a dollar-denominated
Barclays account in London held on
behalf of MER Engineering, a company
owned by Mr Ibori.
The affidavit says the “purportedly
legitimate” payments were for the
rental of two houseboats for oil workers,
although it suspects the transfers were
“corrupt payments rather than in
exchange for legitimate services”. So
the Police knew as far back as 2007 that
Ibori earned money legitimately apart
from his salary as Governor. Yet, even
the BBC towed reported their lies ten
whole years later.
That is the source of the commotion.
Ribadu and the British Police never
wanted anybody to know that Ibori had
other sources of legitimate income. And
this nonsense continued even after the
FT wrote this “Chevron confirmed it had
hired two houseboats from MER, but
declined to give more details. It said it
believed it had complied with anticorruption
laws. Shell said MER was
on its register of approved contractors.
It declined to elaborate on the amount
and type of work done by MER.NNPC
said it never paid bribes”. That was
written in 2007.
So what was the conclusion of Nuhu
Ribadu’s investigation? On October 19,
2007, Sahara Reporters wrote:
“Documents available to
Saharareporters paint a picture of how
former Governor James Ibori of Delta
State used international collaborators,
offshore shell companies and local
assistants to BUY a Bombardier
Challenger jet from Bombardier
Aerospace Incorporated, Canada’s
leading private jet manufacturing
company”. Total hogwash! So, where
is the jet parked today?
No wonder Ibori’s understatement :
“I have been unfairly treated, that’s all I
can say,” Mr Ibori told the BBC,
confirming that he plans to appeal
against his conviction for money
laundering.
“Yes, I am, of course. I have made that
decision personally and I have
instructed my solicitors.”
What lawyers had thought impossible
became possible in the Ibori case.
Tuesday, 02 February 2010 Daniel
Elombah of elombah.com, a lawyer,
analyzed the Ibori London case and
concluded: “Without original evidence,
without the predicate crime, and relying
on inference alone, the battle to secure
the conviction of Ibori at all cost seems
a lost cause”. Well, he spoke too soon;
without adducing any evidence
whatsoever of any monies lost by Delta
state, and proving same beyond every
reasonable doubt, the London
prosecutors got judgment against Ibori
when a Judge agreed the case should be
decided on inference and inference
alone and so no burden of proof
weighed down on the prosecution at all,
no matter how wild their claims could
be. But Justice Marcel Awokulehin of
the Federal High Court Asaba, rested
his judgment on the prosecution’s
failure to establish of prima facie
evidence of guilt against Ibori. And
Ignorant Nigerians have been
condemning that judgment without
knowing the planks on which it rested;
proof beyond all reasonable doubt as
against inference alone – relied on by
the London court.
•Tony Eluemunor is Ibori’s Media
Assitant.
C
M
YK

18—SATURD
TURDAY Vanguard
anguard, FEBRUARY 4 , 2017
Spice and drama at Edo Governor
ernorship Tribunal
By GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE
The campaign ahead of the Edo
State governorship election
in 2015 was laced with much
drama and intrigues climaxing with the
last minute postponement of the election
from the earlier scheduled date of
September 10.
Given the spectacle that shadowed the
election campaign, only few would have
expected the post-election struggle to be
less dramatic. Indeed, actions and
inactions of the contenders have been no
less dramatic as reflected in recent
tribunal outings where the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP candidate, Pastor
Osagie Ize-Iyamu is seeking to reverse the
declaration of Mr. Godwin Obaseki as
governor of Edo State.
The sitting of the Justice Ahmed
Badamasi led Governorship Election
Tribunal sitting in Benin last Wednesday
was, however, laced with comedy and
acrimony.
Osaro Osuwne, from Ikpoba Okhai Ward
1, called to testify for the PDP candidate
was put under pressure when the APC
counsel alleged that he made depositions
describing himself as a business man and
also as a public servant in another
deposition.
Faced with the seeming contradictions,
Osuwne who had earlier described himself
as a “Man of God,” threw the court into
laughter when he added “I am also a
nurse!”
However, the high point of the drama acts
on Wednesday was when two senior
members of the bar, Chief Wole
Olanipekun (SAN) and Mr. Kemi
Pinheiro ( SAN) engaged themselves in a
shouting match following the order on a
witness, Mr. Frank Pax Osifo to shut up
by Chief Olanipekun during a cross
examination.
Trouble started when Mr. Osifo who is a
witness for the PDP tried to explain the
literary meaning of a question put to him
by Chief Olanipekun.
Olanipekun who was visibly angered by
the audacity of the witness ordered him
to shut up saying, “this is insulting, you
are insulting me.”
He was to add that he had expected
counsel to the petitioners to caution their
witness when he made the statement.
It was at this juncture that lead counsel
for the petitioners during the session, Mr.
Kemi Pinheiro replied in anger.
“I have been very patient with counsel
shouting down and intimidating my
witnesses. He has no right to abuse a
witness. He is not your house boy that
you can abuse and order to shut up.”
Also, speaking in the same vein, Mr.
Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) another counsel
for the petitioners, said that certain
standard must be maintained in the
tribunal, adding, “a witness is not a house
boy, we must resist the temptation to see
a witness as a lesser person.”
However, counsel to INEC, Mr.
Adegboyega Aromolowo when called
upon by the tribunal chairman, Justice
Ahmed Badamasi to comment on the
quarrel between the two senior counsel,
thanked the tribunal for its patience.
He said, “Chief Olanipekun and Mr.
•Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu
Pinheiro need to accommodate each
other. There are many cases they would
do together or against each other. I
appeal to Chief Olanipekun who is a
SAN, former President of the NBA, etc.
to see Pinheiro as a junior brother. I
thank the tribunal for it’s patience.”
The intrigues continued to the
following day when the petitioners
brought some witnesses including a
professor of Constitutional Law to
support their case.
The professor was, however, not let off
lightly as he was subjected to serious
questioning by the legal team of the
defendants.
Prof. Edoba Omoregie was among the
eight witnesses who appeared for the
petitioners from Egor and Orhionwon
local government areas of the state.
Prof. Omoregie who under cross
examination from counsel to the
respondents told the tribunal that he
could not say if he were accredited to vote
in the election unless he sees the INEC
voters register , saying that his complaints
as contained in his deposition were
inappropriate accreditation and overvoting.
Asked then what was the basis of his
claim of over voting he said that the
number of used and unused ballot papers
in Unit 010 where he voted did not tally.
According to him whereas 335 was
recorded for accredited voters but that
the result sheet showed that 340 voted.
“My unit is clustered with other units, so
this afforded me the opportunity to move
around and as a ward collation officer
polling agents in other units submitted
their various results to me.”
Hon Tony Osazuwa who was collation
agent of the PDP for Evbueghae Ward in
Orhionwon local government area
admitted that he did not vote in the
elections though he is a registered voter
in Unit 4.
( He told the tribunal that there were no
elections in 4 out of the 21 polling units
and blamed this on the malpractices that
he claimed characterised the process in
the listed polling units in the ward.
Asked how he came to the conclusion,
he said based on complaints he received
from the polling agents scattered all over
the ward, he undertook the task of going
round and confirmed their assertions to
be true.
Other witnesses like Messrs Osamede
Edebiri in his deposition before the
tribunal said, “ I observed that there was
total absence of accreditation”, in the 28
polling units in his Ward in Egor local
government of the state.
The tribunal sitting meanwhile
continues.
C
M
Y
K
BY HAKEEM ADEBAYO
Nigeria took a major step in its commitment
to improve ease of doing business through
trade facilitation on January 20 2017, when it
submitted the instrument of acceptance of World
Trade Organisation’s Protocol on Trade
Facilitation Agreement (TFA) on the sideline of
World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and
Investment, Dr Okechukwu Enelamah
submitted Nigeria’s instrument to the Director
General of WTO, Roberto Azevêdo at an event
to mark the deposit. With this, Nigeria became
the 107thWTO member state to ratify the
agreement, while Nepal submitted its own
instrument on January 26, 2017, thus needing
just two more ratifications to reach the two-third
threshold required for the TFA to come into force.
Other African countries that have ratified include
Botswana, Niger, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya,
Zambia, Lesotho, Mali, Senegal, Swaziland,
Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique.
According to Dr Enemalah, “Nigeria’s
ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement
is a reflection of our commitment to the WTO
and a rules-based economy. It is evidence of
President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment
to rapidly implement his presidential initiative
on the creation of an enabling environment for
business. Nigeria would like to see a strengthened
WTO that reflects the development principles of
developing countries like Nigeria.”
We believe that the minister and the Nigerian
team worked tirelessly to push through the
process, which I believe is another milestone for
the country. This therefore positions the country
on the right pedestal to harness expected gains
of the TFA when it fully comes into force. TFA
aligns with Nigeria’s objective of deepening the
ease of doing business in the country through
enabling policy environment.
Reactions continue to pour in since Nigeria
submitted the Instrument to the WTO indicating
that we are fully on board to harness immense
opportunities offered by the protocol to global
economy. Trade experts around the world see
the ratification by Nigeria as an impressive step
given her position in Africa as the continent’s
largest economy.
Ease of Doing Business
President Muhammadu Buhari in October
last year approved the establishment of the
Presidential Council on Ease of -Doing Business
to further strengthen the administration’s resolve
to enhance ease of doing business. And in addition
Leveraging on Trade
Facilitation to Grow
Nigeria’s Economy
to correct the perception that Nigeria is a
tough environment to do business. This will
attract the much-needed foreign direct
investment and local direct investment in
Nigeria. Trade facilitation is a tool for
economic development, inclusive growth
and job creation. It is also in tandem with
the policy of diversifying the economy from
oil
Ṫhe WTO’s General Council adopted the
resolution on protocol on Trade
Facilitation Agreement at its summit in
November 2014 to address challenges
posed by barriers and constrains to trade
across the member-states by the customs
services. WTO during its 20th anniversary
noted thus; “Under current border
procedures, the average transaction can
involve numerous steps. The Trade
Facilitation Agreement (TFA) sets forth a
series of measures for expeditiously
moving goods across borders inspired by
the best practices from around the world.
The Agreement is ground-breaking in that,
for the first time in WTO history, the
commitments of developing and leastdeveloped
countries are linked to their
capacity to implement the TFA. In addition,
the Agreement states that assistance and
support should be provided to help
countries achieve that capacity.”
“An amendment protocol for the Trade
Facilitation Agreement was adopted by the
General Council in November 2014 to
bring the TFA into the WTO’s legal
framework. The Agreement will enter into
force when two-thirds of WTO members
ratify the TFA and deposit their instruments
of acceptance with the WTO Secretariat.
Hong Kong, China, became the first
member to do so in December 2014.”
•Dr Okechukwu Enelamah
Domestication
The protocol on TFA was ratified by
Nigeria’s National Assembly and
subsequently assented to by President
Buhari. The process for its domestication
by Nigeria began in 2014, when the country
submitted its Category A notification to
the WTO outlining substantive provisions
of the TFA it intends to implement upon
entry into force of the Agreement. Observers
see this as a good sign that the country is
ready to align her economic strategic
objectives and goals with results.
The protocol on Trade Facilitation
Agreement aims to ease the flow of goods
across the borders through removing
several barriers that inhibits movement of
goods across borders. Developing and least
developed countries are beneficiaries of the
TFA as it supports them to overcome
seamlessly, several barriers and constraints
that affect import and export across their
borders. The immediate impact is that ease
of doing business will improve by a wide
margin resulting in improved revenue,
reduction in customs processes as well as
income for producers and traders. The TFA
protocol is expected to usher in an era of
ease of doing business by shortening
requirements for documentations and
number of days required to process them.
A WTO publication, Easing Flow of Goods
Across Border: Trade Facilitation Agreement
published to mark its 20thanniversary, notes
that as at 2014, customs transactions from
country to country records the following
requirements for export and import
respectively. For export, there are between
two to eleven documentations, which span
from six days to eight-six days to be
concluded. While for import transactions,
two to 17 documentations are required which
span from four days to 130 days before
finalization. The protocol on Trade
Facilitation Agreement aims to ease the flow
of goods across the borders through
removing several barriers that inhibits
movement of goods across borders.
Nigeria will benefit immensely from TFA
in terms of inflow of foreign direct
investment, job creation, capacity utilization
in view of emerging investment friendly policy
framework it will usher in. The evolving
opportunities through FDIs, technology
transfer it creates in return would boost the
economy. There is consensus among experts that
the size of Nigeria’s market makes it the most
lucrative investment destinations in sub-Sahara
Africa with a high return on investment. Nigeria is
an emerging market, which makes it one of the
new frontiers for investment considerations.
The key thing Nigeria must do now is how to
leverage on the TFA to grow her economy. There is
no better time than now to explore the opportunities
inherent in the WTO to grow our economy by
positioning the country to reap benefits from other
global pool of investments. Additionally, Nigerians
still stands to gain from the export of its products to
other countries within the WTO framework, which
aims to increase opportunities for businesses in
Nigeria. The recognition this brings to Nigeria to
the world stage is immense. It could not have come
at better time than now that every effort is geared
towards increasing Nigeria’s share of non-oil
revenue sectors of the economy.
Hakeem Adebayo, a trade expert, writes from
Abuja.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017—19
SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN
CITY
It is becoming obvious that the
two major leaders in Edo state
today, Omo N’Oba N’Edo
Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare 11
and Governor Godwin Obaseki,
share the same vision and mission
and have the will to take drastic
decisions in areas that have been
very problematic to the people of
the state over the years.
Immediately Oba Ewuare 11
became the Oba of Benin, his first
assignment was to ban Community
Development Associations (CDAs)
in the seven Local Government
Areas in Edo South. This singular
decision endeared him to the
people of the Kingdom because
these CDAs had become killer
groups in various communities. In
fact there are communities today
whose elders have fled as they
have become the targets of killing
by the youths who occupied these
positions and saw the elders as
threats to their interests
On his part, Governor Obaseki
on the 31st of December, 2016
banned collection of taxes, levies
and all dues in the state by private
indigenes who used to do that on
behalf of the state government in
previous administrations. These
collectors had become a threat to
the state as they harassed innocent
citizens and visitors over one levy
or the other and painting the state
in bad light. And knowing that this
was a major problem in the state,
Obaseki banned it and sent a bill
to the state House of Assembly
which will ensure that all levies
and taxes that are collected by
government agents are paid
directly to the coffers of the
government. This decision was
again received with a loud
applause.
Also, as Obaseki has been
strategizing on how to fulfil the
200,000 jobs he promised to Edo
people, Oba Ewuare is working
hard to ensure the establishment
of an Export Free Zone in
Gelegele which will also create
employment for the people of the
state. And working towards the
same direction, Obaseki returned
from China two weeks ago where
he met with investors who are
willing to come and develop the
Export Free zone.
In appreciation of what the
governor had done so far, Oba
Ewuare 11, paid a royal visit to
Governor Obaseki two weeks ago
with his senior chiefs and held
discussions for several hours where
issues that border on security,
economy, and employment were
tackled.
Ewuare II commends Gov
Obaseki
Emerging from the private
meeting, Oba Ewuare said that he
was impressed with the activities
of the governor particularly his
efforts in ensuring the realization
of his dream, which was the
establishment of an Export Free
Zone in Gelegele.
His words: “I have been
passionate about the export free
processing zone. When President
Buhari came to visit me at Uselu
when I was Ediaken N’Uselu, I
mentioned it to him. I repeated it
in the coronation speech and then
That Oba of
Benin’s visit to
Obaseki
Emerging from the private
meeting, Oba Ewuare said that he
was impressed with the activities
of the governor particularly his
efforts in ensuring the realization
of his dream, which was the
establishment of an Export Free
Zone in Gelegele
Oba Ewuare 11 and Governor Godwin
Obaseki
reiterated it when the
governor visited me as the
Oba of Benin. This is to show
how passionate I am about
the Export free zone.
“When I was in Rome I tried
to bring some investors to
Benin, to develop the
Gelegele sea port
specifically. But I was advised
by some professionals that if I focused
on the development of Gelegele sea
port, the Federal Government would not
support it but if I looked towards the
development of Export free zone tied
to agro allied industries, the
government would like it. So I looked
at it and I started working on that ever
since and when I came to Nigeria I
focused on it”.
Palace forges partnership with state
govt
Giving his royal blessings to Obaseki’s
administration, Oba Ewuare 11
declared: “I want to appeal to other
members of the government to please
support the governor. I want to assure
you of the support of the palace. We want
to assure you that you have the full
support of our ancestors to be where
you are. You should feel comfortable in
your office. If you have any issue don’t
hesitate to come to me personally as you
are already doing and we will always
assist your government to succeed. By
the grace of God and our ancestors you
will succeed in your tenure. We have
discussed areas of mutual cooperation
where the palace and the state
government will cooperate as I
mentioned in my speech during
inauguration”.
Edo will become Nigeria’s economic
hub——Obaseki
An elated Obaseki then responded:
“No honour can be greater than this
when your father decides to greet and
honour you and pray for you, you cannot
ask for more. We realized that Edo state
more than any other state in the country,
has tremendous advantages that will
make it a major economic center in this
country. We also have a very high
agricultural potentials unlike Lagos and
many other states And one other asset
which we have like Lagos which we
never really thought about is access to
international trade through the
Gelegele axis. And if we are going to
re-enact our glory days, it is an asset
we cannot continue to ignore and that
is why we took steps to make sure that
we fast track the process of making
Gelegele an industrial and agricultural
hub. We were in China to meet some
potential investors and the interest was
very encouraging.
“The issue of CDAs is an issue that
we must stem because it will be very
difficult and challenging to create
200,000 jobs if we don’t put order in our
land administration system in Edo state.
We have finalized a draft bill which we
are sending to the state House of
Assembly. This will criminalize any act
by any CDA because the status today
does not criminalize the activities of
these people.
“We have also looked very closely at
the issue of governance particularly at
the local government level. The
constitution permits only state actors to
collect government revenue because we
began to see a very dangerous trend
where private people and groups have
become a lot more efficient in collecting
revenues in the name of the state for
themselves and they were becoming a
threat to the state itself. We could not
sit back and allow such situation to
continue, we had to allow stop it. We
also sent our first bill to the state House
of Assembly harmonizing all taxes and
levies in the state. I want to assure you
that we are very clear, we are very
determined in ensuring that Edo state
is restored to its pride of place in this
country and we become the economic
hub which we are naturally destined to
be in this country” he stated.

20—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
The Vampire is on the loose. And jitters
have spread. He can’t remember just
how many he has killed and how many
millions ,in ransom, he has collected. They are
too many to be remembered. But he remembers
coming to Lagos and storming the house of
one of his girl friends and killing the girl and
everyone in the house. Everything he does, he
does savagely. The girl, he alleged, stole his
45 million naira. And he executed her family.
Not that he has earned any money in his entire
life - his criminal career started precociously
at age 11. When the DSS snared and caged
him a year ago, his criminal career seemed all
but ended. And the region heaved a sigh of
relief. That was before he bought over the
whole prison. Many accounts suggest
imprisonment didn’t dampen his criminal
propensity. With a prison system that has too
many officials available , ready to be bought
and hired, Chibueze Henry’s wings didn’t
remain clipped for long.
But the only difference between Vampire and
many other lords that litter our rickety prison
system is his extreme ruthlessness which
attracts notoriety. Others otherwise as
imperious are scattered all over the nation,
quietly, dominating the prisons and running
rings around the law. Corruption doesn’t just
birth impunity it fattens it to dangerous sizes.
Vampire’s gang strolled into the Owerri high
court last week , shot at hapless warders, took
away Vampire and set 48 others criminals
fluttering away. Judges hiding under tables
isn’t a good sight . But corruption ultimately
leads to the desecration of the sacred. The
judges that day squirreled into holes. The
amoured police vehicle kept at the Judiciary
gates stood like a statue while policemen
dropped their guns and fled. Evidently ,
corruption, in the end, endangers everyone.
A free ravenous vampire is an apocalyptic
nightmare. Witnesses, security officials, real
and imagined enemies are all vulnerable. It
is reported that in the melee that gang foisted
on the Owerri high court that evil day, he found
the composure to personally shoot a particular
prison warder. That in itself tells the danger.
The very notion that a serial murderer in prison
can break loose so easily, in the vicinity of the
seat of government in Owerri, is as sickening
as it is frightening. Every criminal justice
system relies on witnesses , police and judicial
officers who must trust the system for their
safety. This case is a national security priority.
The state government scrambled a security
The Vampire and the torn nests of
Nigeria’s prisons
meeting and placed a paltry 5m naira on such
an enormous head. The prison Comptroller
General rose from his slumber in Abuja to
carry out pretentious raids at the Owerri
prisons. He found hundreds of mobile phones
and laptops, concrete evidences of the
entrenched laxity that enabled Vampire.
Without strict supervision, the prisons can
become criminal heavens. And thoroughly,
Kirikiri maximum prison has become such a
center. But rather than institute proper inquiries
into the Vampire escape and improve the
system through scientific findings, shallow
makeshift measures , by people worried only
about their jobs will prevail. And the prisons
will continue their decay.
The decay in the prisons is systemic and
pervasive. That Owerri prison , like the Kirikiri
, is so overcrowded that no meaningful
rehabilitation can commence there. The
overcrowding exists because too many people
who have no business being in prison are in
prison. Our slovenly criminal justice process
has only one conveyor belt. People are
remanded in prison for minor infractions, for
meager unsettled fines. Only an insignificant
minority of inmates are convicts. But many
handed custodial sentences could have been
processed differently. Our probation service is
almost non existent, so community service as
a retributive option is hardly explored. Without
efficient state counsels for indigent accused
persons many are left to rot in prison because
they have no legal representation. Some on
remand now live perpetually in the prisons,
their case files have gone missing for years.
Those in prison therefore feel no need for
repentance. They only feel unlucky. The
A ‘good’ bed space will cost you
250,000 naira at the KiriKiri
maximum prison. This was the
price before the fall of the naira.
Your options are few. You could
be kept in the condemned
prisoners cell. There, you will
meet a leaking bucket of urine
and faeces in a room meant for
one occupied by eight.
overcrowding of the prison may not be directly
responsible for Vampire’s escape but it helps
create and diffuses cynicism which affects even
the warders and corrodes integrity.
Our prisons are old and poorly maintained.
The inmates are shabbily treated. No ethical
codes can thrive where chaos , physical and
psychological , has taken root. Basic rights are
sold and bought as privileges. Human dignity
is made utterly negotiable, dispensable. If the
prisons had good livable accommodation,
inmates won’t live like animals in pens and
warders won’t metamorphose into
extortionists. If the warders were properly
trained and adequately motivated they won’t
let their wives become petty contractors and
food hawkers in prisons. And how can the
quality of food served prisoners ever improve
when warders supplement their income selling
food to inmates.
Corruption thrives so brazenly in our prisons
it squelches all seeds of correction sown in
those prisons. The corruption in the prisons is
a shade more sinful than that at police
roadblocks. The victimization of incarcerated
poor people under all circumstances is
extraordinarily heinous. The inmates are not
just more vulnerable than motorists, they are
perpetually vulnerable behind high walls and
iron bars. You go to visit an inmate in any
Nigerian prison you are compelled to pass
through two toll gates. So you must shed at
least 200 naira per visit per person. And it
happens in the open and in every prison.
Institutionalized corruption doesn’t fret. A
‘good’ bed space will cost you 250,000 naira at
the KiriKiri maximum prison. This was the
price before the fall of the naira. Your options
are few. You could be kept in the condemned
prisoners cell. There, you will meet a leaking
bucket of urine and faeces in a room meant for
one occupied by eight. The condemned
prisoners cell? Don’t go there! Its very existence
is a crime against humanity. What the general
prison environment does is to foster a confused
moral climate that cannot help a convict find
redemption.
Prisons all over the world are called colleges
of crime for a reason. But our prisons that do
not even pretend to be rehabilitative must be
flourishing crime colleges. We must hesitate
therefore to send youngsters guilty of
misdemeanors to our poorly supervised, soulseering
prisons. A free intercourse between a
criminal like Vampire and our merely rascally
but incarcerated youths in Owerri prison must
be forbidden. The society must then rethink
how it processes youth crimes even before it
begins to rebuild the prisons.
Vampire’s reign in Owerri prison is tragically
familiar. It is hoped his escape doesn’t herald a
new trend. The society celebrates money. The
warders who granted him special privileges
aren’t a few bad apples. The tree is rotten, root
and branch. Petty thieves must have watched
in envy as he dominated the prison. The idea
that crime pays and pays even in prison is
unfortunately in our country. His escape is a
lesson for the criminal justice system and the
society. The worship of money is the root of all
evil.
My condolences to all the victims of that
attack.
OPEC and America tangle in web of output
Recently oil prices found a bracer
from production cuts by the
Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries, OPEC and other
producers. The OPEC and non-OPEC
producers agreed to output reduction
in November 2016, to shore up prices
that plummeted in July 2014. The
OPEC attempt to reclaim price seemed
to have fired another salvo that has
pitted its wit against American shale. A
price war seems to be brewing over the
production cuts that took effect last
January.
Two years on negotiations by OPEC
Ministers culminated in last November’s
Vienna meeting deal in hand for
production cuts to shore up prices. The
successful dousing of production output
and market share tensions from OPEC
producers reverberated in the United
States which brought a renewal of
interest in shale production hitherto in
limbo. Projections are that prices in the
high 50s or low 60s would attract more
American investors deploying
technology to bring more rigs to
production. Many are however
watching their flanks because the second
half of the preceding year showed
perceived signs of good tidings which
became turbulent.
OPEC’s production cut may be
heading for the rocks with the American
shale producers benefiting from the
higher prices of oil freeze. The US shale
output is increasing just as the oil cartel
commenced output cut from the 1.8
million barrels per day, MMbpd agreed
to by OPEC and non-OPEC. Again the
new administration of President Donald
Trump is bent on increasing output of
petroleum with his ‘America First
Energy Plan.’ This may again trigger
another round of animosities
reminiscent of the last six years price
war between OPEC led by Saudi Arabia
and the United States.
The United States drillers tested their
might in output control from their ‘fracking’
shale oil technology that outpaced global
oil supply from January 2011 to June 2014,
to make America the number one oil
producer. The retaliation by Middle East
producers’ led by Saudi Arabia between
June 2014 and September 2015, led to
increased production to dwarf the
America’s dream. The richer ones from the
Gulf States went along with the Saudis in
the market share battle, while the poorer
members of OPEC reluctantly accepted; a
decision that became an evil with many oil
dependent nations experiencing economic
crises.
But who wins the price-giver battle is
again the controversy in the offing with
International oil price rally
this year will depend on
oil-producing nations
upholding their side of
the bargain to cut
1.8MMbpd from supplies
globally
global expectations that American shale
output would increase this year. The battle
appears to have been drawn on the board
game over which capture may checkmate
the opponent’s king. Many OPEC members
including Saudi Arabia had bitter
experiences when oil prices crashed.
Commentators believe that the marketshare
war involve too many unknowns.
Based on the economics of petroleum
production, it was thought that the price
range of $50 to $60 meant that American
shale producers and investors would be out
of business. The Saudis according to expert
report made sure that the low oil price drop
lasts enough to exhaust oil pricing hedges,
enough to cause banks to tighten credit, and
cause investors to withdraw.
The cost of Saudi production is between
$10 and $15 a barrel. The Saudis, the key
player in OPEC did not reduce production
in the face of global glut to get Americans
out of production. To produce Bakken shale
at the wellhead in 2014 was US$59.03 the
breakeven cost per barrel, on average, which
fell to $29.44 in 2016, according to
consultancy Rystad Energy. Bakken is the
most competitive of major U.S. shale though
they pay more to transport crude to market
than producers in most other U.S. regions.
In spite of the 2014 uncontrolled output
that drove some producers out of the market
the two-year price war made shale producers
more resilient and a stronger rival. Improved
technology and drilling techniques have
boosted efficiency for the North Dakota
Bakken shale and the entire U.S. oil industry.
A price of $45 a barrel is enough for Bakken
producers to profit and $55 would
encourage production growth, said Ness.
Petroleum Economist surveyed six banks
and consultancies with Energy Aspects
having the most bullish; forecasting an
international benchmark for Brent will
average almost US$66 per barrel in 2017
while BNP Paribas is the most bearish, with
an average of US$50 per barrel across the
year. Last year’s average was $43.55bpd. Oil
prices had marginal falls this week with WTI
closing at US$53.57 on Thursday fueling
speculations that the US recovery mode may
out way that of OPEC and non-OPEC supply
cut deals.
Is global crude oil price likely to
experience another bearish spiral? From
experts that track OPEC supply, compliance
in OPEC target of 1.2 MMbpd cut by the
first half of 2017 is believed to have recorded
82 percent supply cut at 984,000 bpd by the
end of January 2017. The Americans have
increased rig deployments far and above
their 2016 levels with the number of oil rigs
deployed by last week put at 566 as against
498 for the same period last year.
It is however not certain whether there
would be significant difference in the
projected global oil consumption estimated
for about 95.41 million barrels per day in
2017 up from the 2016 demand of 94.26
MMbpd, a projection in the OPEC Monthly
Oil Market Report published in August 2016.
The OPEC deal is to cut 1.8 MMbpd from
global output from January to end a twoyear
excess that brought down prices.
A successful implementation of this target
would replace more than half the barrels
OPEC promised to eliminate from the
market. International oil price rally this year
will depend on oil-producing nations
upholding their side of the bargain to cut
1.8MMbpd from supplies globally.
Iran was mandated to maintain
production below a threshold of 3.8 MMbpd
just below the 2012 sanctions output of
4MMbpd. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan
Zanganeh said that crude production had
reached 3.9 MMbpd to restore market links
with Europe and Asia. When OPEC met in
Vienna, Nigeria was given exempt
status after suffering a year of violence and
outages from the activities of Niger Delta
militants. President Muhammadu Buhari
believes output can reach 2.2MMbpd.
Evan Kelly of Oilprice.com reports that
veteran energy trader Martin Tillier admits
that while fundamental analysis usually
outweighs technical analysis, there is a very
strong case for a correction in crude. Tillier
sees increased global demand figures along
with OPEC cuts as bullish long term
fundamentals, but finds short term technical
more decisive in the near term.
Who wins this war between the shalemen
and the sheikhs in OPEC? It appears the
American deployment of technology may be
a problem for OPEC. President Trump is
bent on reducing oil imports; so relying less
on OPEC to meet domestic needs. Although
the Saudis have enough fiscal sovereign
reserves to gamble, the oilmen of Dakota
since 2010, have new wells more than ten
times Arabian score.

Ireally don’t understand the noise
about our President taking a
medical time out. We knew, or should
know, what we signed in for when we
elected a septuagenarian as our
President. He may have looked lean
and trim during the campaign. He may
even have been fit for his age. But 70
is not 50, and it would be an unusual
70 year old who would not have health
issues. In any case, any responsible
person who is fifty plus should have a
regular medical check–up. And
anybody, 50 or less who wants to pace
himself for optimum performance
should take his leave seriously. I
therefore consider all the hullabaloo
surrounding the medical leave an
unnecessary distraction. The presidency
should be commended if anything, on
the orderly way it transferred power. It
was a gesture of seamlessness, trust and
continuity. The only reason highbrows
should be raised is if it was more than
a routine medical check-up as
announced. Or if, come Monday, he is
not at his desk. In order words, we need
to know if the President is facing a lifethreatening
illness or one that could
incapacitate him in any way.
The President being human, should
be expected to be sick at some point.
He also has every reason to take care
of his health. But then so do the rest of
us because our lives are as important
to us and our close families as his life
is to him and his close family.
Unfortunately, the President and
members of the political elite have
medical options that are denied the rest
of us. They can go to the best hospitals
anywhere in the world. We can’t. And
our hospitals at home are in such a state
that they are no longer consulting
clinics—because many of the good
consultants are no longer there—but
half way mortuaries. I wonder, I really
wonder, what it would take to have
seven new, or upgraded professionally
managed medical centres of excellence
in the country. Apart from what we
would save in FX, we would save lives,
generate employment and also bring
national pride to the country. I am sure
a lot of our medical professionals in the
Diaspora would gladly participate
if there was a seriousness of
purpose on the part of government.
I feel ashamed for the country and
the leaders themselves who are in
a position to make a difference when
they rush abroad for routine medical
check-up and treatment for illnesses
like ear infection, leg infection and
so on. Apart from the obvious
security implication of our President
being treated abroad, what respect
does that fact accord him or the
country? He is not alone. In fact,
almost all our political leaders and
top civil servants have personal
doctors abroad. It is therefore
routine—to our shame and
embarrassment—to hear foreign
medical treatments being used as
reasons for bail applications in our
courts. People who steal money that
could have been used to build good
hospitals don’t deserve to be
granted bail so they can go abroad
for treatment. I honestly look
forward to the day when we would
have a courageous, committed and
visionary leader who would ban
foreign treatment for certain classes
of ailments for all Nigerians,
especially government officials. Let
us all learn to treat ourselves or die
in the process. It is also a cause for
concern that our President chooses
to recuperate in the UK according
to the photographs that went viral.
Couldn’t he have found a place
anywhere in the country,
particularly in the south for political
reasons, where he could recuperate?
SATURDAY
titbits2012@yahoo.com
All lives matter
Couldn’t he have used that as a little
tourist message?
That said, I believe those who
concocted and pushed the false news
of his death belong to the lows of the
low. The publishers who helped to
disseminate this wicked news without
fact checking are reckless and
irresponsible. The urchins in the social
media who glee at the death of a
President and a father figure need help.
I mean that seriously. The amount of
venom and hatred that oozes out in the
social media under the guise of
anonymity is frightening. If it is a
barometer to gauge the thinking of our
The President
must address
firmly, the various
killings around the
country
youths then its readings are alarming
and worrisome. It is understandable
that the President would have many
enemies. After all, millions did not vote
for him. And many of those millions took
his victory personal. His actions, if not
his policies since he took over have not
exactly endeared him to them. Added
to that, is the fact that many Christians,
north or south of the country, who voted
Vanguard,FEBRUARY 4, 2017—21
for him before might not do so if
elections were to be held today. But to
wish him dead? He is someone’s
father and husband for goodness sake!
A Yoruba proverb translates roughly
‘that we quarrel should not be unto
death.’ Death is so disruptive; so final
that nobody should wish it on his worst
enemy. The only plausible reason I
can adduce for our cavalier attitude to
death is that death has become too
common in this part of the world. Just
look around you. There is death,
preventable death everywhere. While
we were contending with the carnage
of the Boko Haram adherents who
slaughter human beings like rams, the
Fulani herdsmen came on the scene
to unleash what can only be described
as mindless violence. These agents of
destruction have moved from village
to village, maiming and killing. Yet the
State seems powerless. These
criminals in the name of Fulani
herdsmen have become ghosts that
cannot be apprehended and brought
to justice. On top of this came the
eruption in Kaduna where wanton
destruction and hundreds of
preventable deaths took place. Again,
the perpetuators have become ghosts
that cannot be apprehended. These
deaths and the failure of government
to contain them, are threatening the
unity of the country and exacerbating
religious and ethnic fault lines in the
country. It is worth repeating that
poverty, religion, ethnicity and
injustice are fuels for chaos and
disorder.
The President must address firmly,
the various killings around the
country. Every death is a painful loss
to someone because everybody has a
root. The President must move the
earth if necessary to safeguard the
lives of its citizens. All lives matter.
These killings must stop.
I hope he has had a good rest
because he has a lot of work to do; not
only on the economy, but also on the
religious and social fabric of the
country. May God grant him the
health and the will to set the country
on the path of justice, equity and
religious harmony.
Political Editor
emmanuelaziken@vanguardngr.com
08052201189
What is the difference between PDP and APC?
The controversy surrounding the
Rivers State Government-owned
helicopters best exemplifies the saying
that in politics there are no permanent
positions, but permanent interests.
Politicians will switch sides whenever
their interests are best protected. In the
course of political adaptability,
politicians have been found to destroy
national institutions as the helicopter
incident is now seen to be doing to the
image of the Customs.
The story of the two armoured Bell
helicopters flows back to the beginning
of the decade when the relationship
between Governor Chibuike Amaechi of
Rivers State and President Goodluck
Jonathan was rock solid.
Apparently determined to check the
spate of criminality in Rivers State,
Governor Amaechi with the support of
the Jonathan administration ordered
the two Bell helicopters and as we now
know, with $15 million support from the
Federal Government.
The helicopters were to form
part of the security architecture
that Amaechi was building to
check crime. As part of that set
up, scores of policemen were
trained in Israel by the Amaechi
administration, while a number
of Israeli security advisers were
ferried into the state. Security
cameras and dogs were also
deployed around the state that
at that time had become a haven
for criminals and bandits. The
helicopters were to be at the
peak of the security architecture
that Governor Amaechi boasted
would leave criminals totally
exposed. From the air the armed
helicopters equipped with night
vision equipment would beam
their searchlight on the bandits.
However, at about the time,
the deal to import the helicopters
was agreed, Mrs. Patience
Jonathan and Governor
Amaechi had their famous falling out
at the Okirika Water Front when the
First Lady publicly scolded Amaechi.
That became the turning point in the
relationship between the Jonathans
and Amaechi, and led to the
politicisation of governance and the
relationship between the two men.
The specially trained policemen who
had received training in Israel to
operate in the state were not long
after reportedly transferred out of
Rivers State making a waste of the
millions of naira invested into their
training.
Even more, the Federal
Government subsequently dithered
on the earlier gentleman agreement
to support the importation of the
armoured helicopters.
That was how the helicopters were
stranded while crime made a
resurgence in the state.
However, with the switch in
administrations in Rivers and at Abuja
in 2015, the drama and intrigues it
seemed did not go away.
Months after the Nyesom Wike
administration came on board it
claimed to have discovered that the
state had helicopters wasting away at
the ports. The PDP administration
asked the APC Federal Government
for a waiver to the custom duties
including demurrage which
reportedly ran into billions of naira.
The state government buttressed the
need for the waiver on the fact that
the helicopters were not for
commercial use but for security
purposes.
The APC Federal Government
according to documents presented
by the Wike administration turned
down the application for the waiver.
In frustration, Governor Wike
wrote the National Security Adviser
to hand over the helicopters to the
Nigerian Air Force on the ground
that the state cannot afford the
money to clear the helicopter.
It was thus a shock when officials
of the Customs at a ceremony last
week handed over the two
helicopters to the Nigerian Air
Force, claiming that they were
confiscated from unknown
importers. That was despite the fact
that the state government had been
in correspondence with federal
authorities.
How Customs officials would allow
their institution to be used for such
murky political passions, show how
politicians damage national
institutions. It is a shame that the
two aircraft that would have
curtailed the reign of insecurity in
Rivers State became pawns for
political manipulation.
The shame goes to both the PDP
and APC which at several times had
control of the Federal Government
but allowed partisan politics to
becloud good judgment! It is a
shame!
C
M
Y
K

22—SATURD
TURDAY Vanguard,
FEBRUARY 4, 2017
Today’s topic was prompted by two
experiences. Twice last year, I gave
a talk to the same gathering of married
people on marriage and family. On both
occasions, one gentleman expressed his
reservations about an aspect of my
presentation. He felt I did not put
enough emphasis on the headship of
the husband and the submissiveness of
the wife, as stated in Ephesians 5: 22-
24: “Wives, submit to your husbands as
to the Lord. For the
husband is head of
the wife, just as Christ is the
head of the church, His body, of
which He is the Saviour. Now as the
church submits to Christ, so also wives
should submit to their husbands in
everything.”
The second was my parish seminar
where the speaker felt husbands have
thoroughly misunderstood their role as
the head of the family. She drew the
attention of the husbands present to the
portion of the Bible where Jesus Christ
showed how to be the head when he awareness,
washed the feet of his disciples to conceptualization,
demonstrate humility in leadership
(John 13: 12-17). Jesus explained this
paradigm of leadership further when
the mother of James and John sought
prime positions for her two sons in
Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus then called all
the disciples together and explained to
them: “You know that those regarded
as rulers of the Gentiles exercise
lordship over them, and their superiors
exercise authority over them. But it
shall not be this way among you.
Instead, whoever wants to become
great among you must
be your servant, and whoever wants
to be first must be the slave of all.…”
Matt. 20:20-23/Mark 10: 42-44
The kind of leadership for which Jesus
canvassed in the above passages is
what is today commonly referred to as
servant leadership. Servant leadership
has been around for thousands of years,
in the midst of authoritarianism,
monarchy, etc., but it was in 1970 that
Robert Greenleaf labeled it servant
leadership. At the heart of servant
leaders is a desire to serve the people,
ensure their wellbeing, make them
better human beings, ensure they
participate in decision making on issues
concerning them, not leaders taking
decisions and informing them. That you
Husband as servant leader
are first of all a servant does not
diminish your role as a leader. You
must still be equipped with necessary
leadership skills and traits: vision,
good communication skills, empathy,
etc.
Breaking down servant leadership
further, Larry Spears, former President
of Robert Greenleaf’s Centre, listed
10 attributes of a servant leader. They
are: listening, empathy, healing,
persuasion,
foresight,
stewardship, commitment to the
growth of people and building
community. There is no space for
further explanation of each attribute,
but they are self-evident. These are
attributes any man who wants to build
Servant leadership has
been around for
thousands of years, in the
midst of authoritarianism,
monarchy
a successful home should cultivate.
Wives must, however, note that
servant leadership is not about
spousal equality; God has already
allocated different roles to the
husband and wife. It is also not foolish
liberalism, where the children are
concerned. Servant leadership means
the husband has to be guided by what
is in the best interest of the family,
individually and collectively, at all
times.
As a servant leader in your home,
you have a lot of balancing act to do.
I advise young men going into
marriage not to be enamoured by this
head of the family business, lest they
get their fingers burnt. Even though
the Bible pronounced you the head,
learn to build consensus in the family.
And make no mistake about it, you
should be head when it comes to
making money and providing for the
family, but when it comes to spending
it, you are joint-head, very answerable
to the de facto head, your wife.
If your wife is the breadwinner, it
should be temporary until you find
your feet again, unless you are
incapacitated and emasculated. I have
not seen any wife who really loves
being the breadwinner of the house
and I cannot understand why any
normal, able man should be contented
with the wife being the breadwinner.
I am not saying husbands should be
in competition with their wives in
income generation. When God saw
that Adam needed a companion, He
said He would create a suitable
helpmate. Your wife is a helpmate, she
is meant to complement you, not
takeover your role as a breadwinner.
Servant leadership is participatory.
You are joint head with your wife when
it comes to decision making in the
house. In fact, as the children come
of age, you become more like senate
president in the house: first among
equals. You become more democratic,
which means the majority most times
will carry the day and you can easily
be overridden. A servant leader
husband listens to members of his
household. Sometimes family
members bless him with superior
arguments, which he flows with
because of his humility. But I do not
support young families practicing full
blown democracy. The children are
minors and minors in real
democracies do not participate in
voting until they are 18 years. The
problem some adults have today were
created earlier in their lives when they
were allowed to have their way as little
children and take fundamental
decisions, some of which are now
affecting them adversely. Children
should be supported and encouraged
to live their lives and achieve their
potentials under parental guidance.
When they derail, parents must put
their foot down. That is why diligent
parents will continue to “fight” with
their adolescent children.
Liberalism with minors creates a
mess and we are seeing some of it in
advanced countries. Toddlers and
other children under 10 tell their
parents they are girls trapped in boys’
bodies and vice versa and the parents
acquiesce. The next thing, the parents
spend hard earned money to do a sex
change for a child who is yet to
understand his/her sexually. An under
10, whose sex hormones are still
dormant and undeveloped, tells the
parents he/she is gay and the parents
support the child in the “discovery”
that is not more than a misguided
choice, fuelled by herd mentality. How
can you allow minors take such
weighty decisions? On one of my trips
home recently, I queried my mother
(and my late father) for allowing me
to have my way in respect of my
academics at age 13. That foolish
decision I took haunted me for the rest
of my formal academic pursuit.
Children can have their way on
ephemeral and minor issues, but
parents should be ready to “fight to
finish” on fundamental issue, if
persuasion does not work. No retreat,
no surrender. That is one of the
attributes of a servant leader:
commitment to the growth and
wellbeing of the people. Didn’t Jesus
use a whip to chase out bureau de
change operators and others selling
in the temple? (Matt 21:12-17/John
2:13-22). The child will be grateful to
you later in life.
(Text Only)
Toughen the thighs, improve the heart ...
The Reed
Technique: Stand straight with the feet together and
hands by your sides. Inhale deeply while raising the
hands slowly up till they’re
overhead.
Exhaling slowly, drip the
trunk to the left side without
heading the knees. After a slow
count to ten, inhale deeply and
straighten up to the trunk.
Exhaling slowly again, dip the
trunk to the right for another
count to ten.Bring back the
trunk upright and drop the
hands to the sides. Rest a bit
and repeat.
•The Reed
Benefits: The Reed gives an
excellent lateral stretch to the
hips, sides and arms. It tones the
spinal nerves and organs of the
abdomen improving bowel
action. It reduces or eradicates
lower back pains.
locking the knee and drawing
the trunk and head towards the
raised leg.
Breathing normally, holds the
position for some 10 seconds
and repeat with the other leg.
•The Deep knee Bend
The Bow
Technique: Lie flat face
downwards on the floor. Keep
the hands at your side. Breathe
out and bend the legs at the
knees, drawing the feet above
the thighs. Stretch the arms
back and catch hold of the right
ankle with the right hand and
the left ankle with the left hand.
Secure the position of the
•The Bow by a female
hands, with normal breathing.
Raising the head, body and knees
by tugging the hands and legs, so
that the whole weight of the body
rests on the abdomen. Retain the
posture for a few seconds. Gradually
increase the duration.
While remaining in the posture,
concentrate on the abdomen,
thighs and back muscles. Release
the ankles, stretch out the legs
and bring the legs, chest and head
to rest in a straight line on the
floor.
Relax with the head on folded
arms for a few seconds. Repeat this
Asana twice with normal breathing.
Benefits: The bow expands the
thoraxic region. Of great benefit
to those with respiratory problems,
it renders the spine elastic
and the muscles of the back get a
good massage and there’s a general
strenghtening of the entire
musculature.
The Deep Knee Bend
Technique: Get on
your knees with the feet
quite wide behind you.
Firstly, lower your body
down till your buttocks
rest on the floor. Then
bending slightly to the
left, place down your
left elbow then right
elbow and gently ease
your back flat down on
the floor. Spread out
your hands by your
sides. Breathe deeply
and slowly as you retain
the posture for 5 to 15
seconds.
Benefits: The Deep
Knee Bend tones the
quadriceps (the front
thigh muscles) and
burns fat in the thighs.
It lubricates the ankle
and knee joints.
instils
Yoga Classes
@ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola,
Victoria Island Lagos.
10.00am — 11.00am on

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017—23
JULIET EBIRIM
08137897935
What is the unpardonable
thing a spouse or lover
can do to you?
Have you been wronged by a lover or spouse?
Is it unforgivable? Some people who have
been wronged find it hard to forgive and let
go of the feelings of anger, pain and betrayal. But in
marriages and relationships, forgiveness is key as
mistakes and offenses are inevitable. However, most
marriages and relationships have crashed due to
irreconcilable differences as people involved find it
difficult to forgive. In this edition, Saturday Vanguard
got the responses of Nigerian celebrities on some acts
that are downright 'Beyond Pardon'. Read on...
•Dimplez
Cheat on me
with a relative
— Dimplez, Singer,
T he
unforgivable
thing that can be
done to me is if I
catch my spouse
making out with
a family member.
I will be
disappointed and
hurt. So I will
just stay away
from them – my
spouse and the
family member
involved. I am
definitely going
to quit the
relationship.
•Jennifer
Enujiugha
Stare at another
woman in my
presence
—Sandra Ifudu, Singer
Iknow this might sound
petty but when I'm with
my lover, it's downright
offensive for him to stare at
another woman or
even give another
woman a second
look. It is
disrespectful because
it means that he
thinks that she is
more attractive or
she has something
that appeals to
him that I don't. It
happened to me
once and I stood
up, walked away
and called it quits!
That was the end
of the relationship.
It's petty I know,
but to me, it's
beyond pardon!
Nothing is
beyond pardon
— Jennifer Enujiugha, Model
Personally, the
way I see life I
don't think
anything is beyond
pardon. It might
take a while, but at
some point I will
forgive and let it go.
There is nothing that
can't be forgiven.
•Sandra
•Nev
Harrison
Sleep with anyone
related to me
— Cynthia Agholor, Actress
Where there
is love,
nothing is
unpardonable,
but if he sleeps
with anyone
related to me -
my sister,
cousin, niece or
any other
relative, I will
hardly forgive
him. For me,
that is the
height of
betrayal and
disrespect and I
will be very
hurt. In that
case, divorce is
a sure thing.
•Cynthia Agholor
Keep past marriage and kids a secret
— Nev Harrison, Comedian/Ventriloquist
If I find out my spouse was
once married and kept the news
from me, I'm going to have great
difficulty forgiving her. I say this
because I don't understand why
people do it. A lot of people with
children from previous relationships
•Iyabo
Ojo
and failed marriages start new
marriages and relationships
without informing their new spouse
of what has occurred in the past.
It's best to tell your present partner
that you were once married or that
you already have kids. Let them
decide whether to stay or leave. I
won't leave if I love you that much
because I appreciate honesty. But if
you keep it a secret, I will show you
the way out through the back door.
Keep it a secret, get kicked out!
Hate my kids
— Iyabo Ojo, Actress
The only thing I can
never forgive a
spouse or lover is if he
hates my kids. That is
totally unpardonable.
C
M
Y
K

24—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
Juliet Ebirim
08137897935
juliet.ebirim@gmail.com
Ita Giwa makes
case for Buhari
Former Presidential
Adviser on National
Assembly Matters, Senator
Florence Ita Giwa has asked
Nigerians to stop rumour
mongering on the health
condition of President
Muhammadu Buhari but
rather pray for him to return
hale and hearty.
The leader of the Bakassi
people of Cross Rivers also
encouraged Nigerians to
pray for peace in the country
so that the ethnic and
religious killings would stop
forthwith, adding, that
nobody should take delight
in rejoicing over the
misfortunes of others or
creating unrest in order to
claim innocent peoples lives.
In a statement signed on
Saturday in Lagos, Senator
Ita Giwa said that what
should matter most to all
Nigerians is praying for an
improved health for the
THE owner of Quilox Nightclub,
Shina Peller, has explained why
he has added a restaurant service to
the list of his companies. The new
venture, 6ix Restaurant, shares the
same location with the popular Quilox,
which is situated at Victoria Island,
Lagos.
The grand opening last Sunday
attracted the likes of 2Face and his
wife, comedian Bovi, Olisa Adibua,
Adunni Ade and a host of others.
Speaking at the unveiling, Shina
Peller said providing a hangout spot
for people during the day brought
about 6ix. “I am happy that we are
finally unveiling 6ix Restaurant. This
is a dream come true for me. I built
president, improved
economy and peace for
us all especially those
in Southern part of
Kaduna State.
The statement
reads in parts:”I
am under
obligation as a
mother and as an
elderly person to
advise Nigerians
on the impropriety
of wishing any of
our leaders dead.
It is very immoral for anyone
to conceive or spread fake
rumours about death. God is
the creator of us all and in his
due time, we all shall transit
gloriously. So when anyone
especially our President is
indisposed, the best thing we
can do is to pray for a speedy
recovery and not otherwise.”
“The challenges of our dear
nation is enormous. We should
Why I ventured into restaurant
business — Shina Peller
•Florence Ita Giwa
Quilox from scratch. But after a while,
I thought there was need to utilise
the building during the day and
create a nice hangout spot. That was
how the idea of a restaurant came
about,” he said.
According to him, the restaurant is
named 6ix because it is the sixth
company in the Aquila Group.
“We have Aquila Oil and Gas,
Aquila Building and Projects, Aquila
Global Resources Limited, Quillox,
Aquilla Records and then 6ix. Our
plan for 6ix is to make it a pan African
brand. We intend to conquer Nigeria
with branches in major cities. From
there, we plan to spread to other
African countries,” he added.
always pray that God should
give our leaders wisdom to be
able to lead us out of recession
and this economic woes so we
can have a stable economy
and enjoy prosperity as a
people. Let us also pray so that
the many killings ,
kidnappings and other social
vices should stop so we can
live in harmony and in unity”.
Bisi
Omologbalogba
celebrates at 40
BY SOFOWORA
OLADAPO
SULTRY
Nollywood
actress Bisi Ibidapo-
Obe is not new on our screen,
most especially to those
conversant with the Yoruba
speaking genre of Nollywood.
Bisi’s exemplary talent and
impeccable delivery of roles
has been her selling point, this
has made her every director’s
choice. Highly talented and
blessed with a good heart,
people who have come in
contact with her will attest to
the fact that outside the
screen, she is an angel in
human form.
Unknown to many, the tall
light skinned actress just
started life, as, it is widely said
that ‘Life begins at 40’. Her
40 th birthday kick started with
a two-day event which debut
on Friday 27 th of January, Bisi
was accompanied by her
colleagues and
few friends to
visit ‘Heart of
•Shina
Peller
Linda Ikeji begins #SelfMade secondary school tour
C
elebrity
blogger and initiator
of the #iratherbeselfmade
project, Linda Ikeji has begun her
statewide secondary school tour
aimed at sensitizing young
females on the core values
bothering on self esteem,
integrity and self dependence.
The tour which will reach over
25 schools in its first phase will
see Linda Ikeji share her story
with over 500,000 secondary
school students across Lagos
state; the many obstacles and
challenges faced on her journey
to becoming #SelfMade.
Speaking on the timing and
relevance of the project, Linda
Ikeji reiterated, “Catching our
girls young is key to me! I want
to tell them to start young,
believe in themselves, work hard
and surround themselves with
like minds, people who are
ambitious and believe in their
vision”.
Beginning with Yinkem Schools
and Bosworth College both in
Mafoloku and also Fountain
Heights in Surulere as first leg
of the tour on Thursday 25th and
Friday 26th January, Linda Ikeji
will spend the first quarter of
2017 inspiring and challenging
young people to be the best they
can be without resting on their
oars to get to the next phase in
their life but rather to channel
their inner strength and positive
mind to achieve success.
•Bisi Ibidapo-Obe
Gold’ children hospice
Surulere, Lagos. Out of her
large heart of philanthropy,
she donated food items and
cash to celebrate her birthday.
On Sunday 29 th of January,
the actress gathered top
socialites, actors, friends and
several others to her church
for a thanksgiving service,
afterwards, everybody moved
to her residence in Magodo
GRA, Lagos for a private party.
According to sources close
to the actress, she spent
millions of naira on the
birthday celebration,
everybody who attended the
high octane birthday soiree,
was treated like a king and
queen with assorted meals of
all kinds and lots of drink.
At 60, I feel younger
— Paul Adams
Having spent thirty years on screen and stage,
Edo State-born actor Paul Adams has continued
to remain relevant in the acting industry. The actor
clocked 60 on Saturday, January 28, and to mark his
birthday, friends, family members and colleagues in
the entertainment industry converged on the National
Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, to celebrate with him on stage
as he performed in Ayo Jayesimi’s ‘Itan – The Story’,
where he featured as a lead actor.
Children from Little Saints Orphanage were also
present to celebrate with the producer, presenter and
graphic artist, who is a former Cartoon Editor with
Vanguard Newspapers. The stage play was presented
by the Thespian Family Theatre and Productions and
features Yinka Davis, Hafis Oyetoro aka Saka, Lara
Akinsola, Kryptic Kids, Dance Machine Empire, Zorah
Julius and Henry Arnold.
“Clocking 60 is actually more of a delightful
attainment for me more than anything else. It is an
age I believe everybody in life hopes to attain and
surpass. It gives me some feeling of achievement, so
to say, especially against the backdrop of people one
knows would have given anything to attain this age,
but didn’t make it. That gives room for plenty of
thanksgiving and gratitude to God for His mercy and
faithfulness. Crossing over from one decade to another
for me feels like I am being given
a fresh lease of life. But as they
say, age is just a matter of
figures. How one feels
even at 70 or 80 is what
counts. For me really, I feel
younger than 60 and that
gives me a bit of thrill”
he enthused.
A thanksgiving service
was also held at the
Guiding Light Assembly in
Parkview Estate, Ikoyi on
Sunday, January 29,
2017.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017—25
Edited by Ayo Onikoyi
08052201215
By AYO ONIKOYI,
Entertainment Editor
Up and doing Yoruba actress,
Seyi Edun has been in the
eye of the storm since a story
went viral that she was engaged to a
colleague, Niyi Johnson, who was
married to another actress Toyin
Aimakhu. When Toyin Aimakhu and
Niyi Johnson separated after a marriage
that didn’t last two years, tongues began
to wag just months after that he had
found solace in the arms of another
actress, Seyi Edun.
And their several Instagram pictures
didn’t help matters as cosy pictures of
them together littered the internet. It
would be recalled that Toyin walked out
of her marriage when she caught her
estranged husband, pants down, with
another woman.
In what was a public display of emotion
and love, Niyi wrote a public romantic
prose to his wife, Toyin, begging for
forgiveness, but the popular actress of
the ‘Alacada’ fame turned deaf ears and
refused to go back to her husband. The
marriage crashed.
Now, Seyi Edun, who hit limelight
with her hugely successful Yoruba film
‘Eja Nla’ is in the picture and many are
saying the estranged wife of Niyi is not
all too happy about his closeness to a
colleague and thus has been promoting
some hate social media campaign
against her.
With the news of the engagement and
pregnancy still raging like wildfire, Seyi
puts us in the clear what is really going
on between her and the handsome actor.
Congratulations on your nuptial
engagement to Niyi Johnson. Hope
you are having fun?
Which engagement? I didn’t do any
engagement with Niyi. Everything you
have heard about any engagement
between me and Niyi are all lies. I don’t
know where they got the news from.
But the news is everywhere that you
are engaged, soon to marry. There is
even a gist that you are already
pregnant for him?
You can’t believe that unless you have
joined the ‘copy and paste’ people.
Nothing of such has happened between
me and Niyi. If you want the truth from
me I will tell you. I have read many
stories concerning this and I can
tell you that there is nothing
of such. There is no iota
of truth in the news.
But you can’t tell us you
are not dating him
because the rumour is
widespread?
Okay, I will tell you how
the rumour started. One
Prophetess Olubori is Niyi
spiritual mother and she’s
been my spiritual mother
too since I was in United
States. Though I never
met her until I returned to
Nigeria. She calls me her
daughter because people
say we look alike and she
calls Niyi her son too. She
always shows me love on
Instagram and I do same
to her. She’s got many of
I’m not dating Niyi
Johnson for now
— Seyi Edun
•Says, “ If my man cheats I
will only get him condoms”
us she prays for. One day she invited Niyi and I to the
mountain for crossover night for three days vigil. Niyi
didn’t even come immediately because he was busy
but he later joined us. We worshipped there and had
the first Sunday of the year service on the mountain.
Niyi had a testimony and was doing thanksgiving
on his car gift he got from Mr Kehinde Oloyede
and I celebrated with him. I guess that’s how
the rumour started that we were engaged
because we spent three days together on the
Holy mountain. Someone said Mummy
(Prophetess Olubori) pronounced us her
“favourite couple’ but I can tell you Mummy
never said that. She never ever said such
anywhere. Someone just went to her page to
crop out pictures and started writing stupid
captions. Niyi is my best friend forever and
will remain for life.
So, what is your opinion of Niyi as a man?
He’s a good man with a good heart. He’s
God-fearing and hardworking. His wife to be
will surely enjoy him.
But you know sometimes even friends end
up as lovers. And I believe it is even better
to marry one’s friend. Do you see that
happening
between you
two?
For now,
no. I can’t
say for
n o w
•Seyi Edun
m a y
be in the
nearest
future, I’m
not God.
Many people
tell us they
don’t why we
clicked as best
friends.
Are you
saying this
because of fear
of aggression
from his estranged
wife, Toyin Aimakhu?
Nothing of such. I don’t
fear anyone
Have you had any confrontation from
her over being too close to Niyi?
No
But are you in a relationship?
Of course, yes.
And how has this rumour affected
you and your man?
It didn’t affect anything. I guess it’s
the price one has to pay for being a
public figure. I enjoy the attention when
the media speaks the truth and not this
‘copy and paste’ that is the order of the
day. I appreciate when they get their
facts right, like you are doing now. You
haven’t published anything on the
matter until after you have confirmed
from the sources.
So, what kind of woman are you
when in love?
When I’m in love I give out my all .
I’m weak and emotional.
So, what will you do if you catch your
man with another woman?
Men are bound to cheat. Women
should always have that in mind. It’s
their nature. If I catch my man cheating
I will feel bad but I won’t let it take over
me because I’m not expecting a perfect
man, all I will do is advise him to use
condom.
So, how is your career going; What’s
new on your plate?
My career is fine. I had the premiere
of my latest movie ‘Four Couples’ in
USA recently. I’m working on four
projects this month and I will be having
the premiere in Nigeria and USA
respectively.
When are you getting married?
Maybe tomorrow. God’s right time.

26 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
Compliments I get from
men make me
uncomfortable
– Sandra Anthony
Beautiful and curvy Imo State-born Sandra Anthony has
a good claim to fame. She's the reigning Miss Curvy
Nigeria, a beauty cum modeling pageant for the plus-sized
women. In this interview with Star Tracker, the graduate of
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, who grew up in Edo State
tells us why plus-sized models may be taking over from the
traditional skinny models in the modelling business.
visit their site.
What do you think is the
future of plus-sized
modeling?
We don’t have only the slim
people in the world. When
having a fashion show and you
only showcase slim girls, a
plus-sized lady will not know
what she will look like in such
outfits. When you do an online
shopping and you just advertise
only slim girls, it means you are
leaving out the big ones.
Do you see plus-sized models
taking over from the slim ones
in the nearest future?
I am not asking everybody to be
slim but for every 10 women, you
will get one plus-sized lady. I am
not saying plus-sized models will
take over the industry, I only
want to see where plus-sized
models would also be taken
seriously.
By AYO ONIKOYI,
Entertainment editor
You are the winner of Miss
Curvy 2015, what is it all about?
It has to do with discovering
women who are plus- sized
models. You don’t have to be
very fat anyways, more of being
curvy and be in shape and how you
can actually rock your body. This is
because most of these modeling
agencies look out for people who
are slim and skinny but we want to
prove them wrong that we can do
what the slim people can do with
their body.
What does being curvy means?
It is the look of an African
woman. An African woman is not
slim or skinny, she has a
pronounced butt and hips. She is a
complete woman. Gone are the
days where we talk about slim
women, we want to celebrate
women with the African looks.
What qualities gave you the
crown in 2015?
I wasn’t the curviest but we were
in the camp for two weeks. There
were other qualities they were
looking out for at the camp;
intellect, attitude towards others,
among other things that make a
queen. We were also given some
tasks and were graded accordingly
at the camp.
After winning the crown, what
has changed about you?
A lot has changed about me. My
perception about certain things has
changed. I have met many people
since then and the way I relate
with people has also changed. I
am now mindful of places I go to
thereby reducing my outings. I
don’t want to be seen just
anywhere. The way people relate
with me has also changed; people
try to get closer to me now.
Were you given a prize?
Yes, I was given a landed
property in Ajah. Miss Curvy is also
like Miss Nigeria where the tenure
of a queen last for two years.
Can you take us through your
acting journey?
I’ve done a couple of acting. The
industry is a bit challenging. I
might be on a location for weeks
which means I have to suspend every
other thing.
You seem to love flaunting your
body, what do you think is special
about your body?
I like my eyes, lips, curves , height
and everything about my looks.
Has this brought you any trouble?
I don’t think so.
Are you in a relationship?
I don’t discuss my personal life on
the pages of the newspaper.
What is the naughtiest thing a
man has ever done to you?
I get so many compliments from
men that make me uncomfortable.
An African woman is
not slim or skinny, she
has a pronounced butt
and hips. She is a
complete woman. Gone
are the days where we
talk about slim women,
we want to celebrate
women with the African
looks
•Sandra
Anthony
What can make you fall in love
with a man?
I don’t talk about things like
that.
What’s your connection with
“Lady’s hub”?
I have a year contract to be
their ambassador. As their
ambassador, I have to advertise
their product, talk about it to
people and encourage people to
Can you ever consider going
on a dieting programme to get
very slim?
No, I don’t like being slim. You
don’t have to be big but having
flesh where necessary.
Many people believe that slim
ladies are sexier than the plussized
ones, how true?
That’s not true. I’m sure you
have heard about thick ladies.
People get more attracted to
plus sized ladies. The slim ones
are undergoing surgery to add
butts, they want to look like
Nikky Minaj, Beyonce and the
rest.
Some men believe slim ladies
are more active in bed than plussized,
your take?
I don’t know.
Modeling comes with doing
the out of the ordinary things,
can you go into nude modeling?
I can’t do that unless I want to
use it for my personal use. I mean
I can’t do nude modeling for a
brand.
Who is your role model in the
modeling industry?
I love Kim Dashy, Naomi
What can a man do to win your
attention?
He needs to be himself and be a
man.
Do you believe in love or
money?
They both go hand in hand.
If a man credits your account
with a million naira, will you go
on a date with him?
(Laughs) That means the man is
buying my love and attention.
What was your growing up
like?
My growing was okay, I got
everything I wanted. I was the
second to the last girl in the
family.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017 — 27
One of the film’s stars,
Mahershala Ali, won
the award for best supporting
actor for his role in Moonlight,
while Claire Foy and John
Lithgow both won dramatic
television awards for roles in
the Netflix hit The Crown and
the cast of Stranger Things
won for best ensemble in a
drama series.
David Harbour, who plays
Jim Hopper in the 80s-set
adventure, gave a rousing
speech on the importance of
inclusion. A visibly upset Ali,
who remains the firm favorite
to win an Oscar next month,
delivered an emotional and
topical speech about
acceptance. He talked about
converting to Islam yet
maintaining a close
relationship with his mother,
an ordained minister, and
begged people to also put
aside their religious
differences.
Emma Stone won the award
for best female actor in a lead
role for La La Land and after
discussing her insecurity in her
profession, she spoke about
the importance of bringing joy
to people given that “we’re in
a really tricky time at the
moment in our country”.
Denzel Washington received
the award for best male actor
in a leading role for his role in
Fences after many predicted
Manchester by the Sea star,
Casey Affleck would win.
Washington’s co-star, Viola
Davis, was the night’s other big
screen winner, named best
female actor in a supporting
role and she dedicated her
award to playwright August
Wilson for honoring the
average man.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus won the
award for best female actor in
a comedy series for Veep and
made jabs at the vote being
hacked by the Russians as well
as the crowd size at the event
itself. She also made a
passionate reference to Donald
Trump’s controversial
executive order on
immigration.
The 37-strong cast of Orange
Is the New Black won the prize
for ensemble in a comedy
series for the third time. Sarah
Paulson picked up the award
for best female actor in a
television movie or limited
series for The People vs OJ
Simpson. John Lithgow’s role
as Winston Churchill in
breakout Netflix drama The
Crown won him the award for
BY JULIET EBIRIM
The thrills and frills of the 2017 SAG Awards
T
he 23rd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards was held on Sunday, January 29, 2017 at
the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The stars of ‘Hidden Figures’ and ‘Stranger
Things’ were the big winners at the event while political speeches dominated the
evening. Accepting the award, star Taraji P Henson said: “This story is of unity and this
story is about what happens when we put our differences aside ... Love wins.”
best actor in a drama series.
The awards act as a strong
indicator of success at the
Academy awards, taking place
on 26 February.
Red carpet moments
Nicole Kidman in Gucci:
This emerald green, sequin
Gucci number with feathered
parrots as sleeves may or may
not have been used to deflect
from the humanitarian chaos.
The gown turned up on a
mixture of best and worst
dressed lists. But the Lion
star certainly knows how to
stand out from her peers, with
too many wearing the colour
of this awards season - neutral
metallic.
Emily Blunt and Natalie
Portman showed that neutrals
don’t have to be boring in
embellished Roberto Cavalli
and a bell-sleeve Dior,
respectively.
Emma Stone in Alexander
McQueen: This is an
unexpectedly revealing dress,
but the combination of lily pads
and lingerie somehow works
in favor of provocation.
Emily Blunt in Roberto
Cavalli: The embroidery
imparts a quasi-Indian effect,
and the fit is as precise as a
tattoo.
Gwendoline Christie in
Vivienne Westwood Couture: It
takes a lot of courage and
stamina to wear a jumpsuit to
an awards ceremony, and
more so when you add glitter.
Evan Rachel Wood in
Altuzarra: You have to be
impressed by her commitment
to making a fashion statement
with substance by wearing
pants throughout the awards
season, but she also makes it
look so good that it’s also just
downright fun.
Millie Bobby Brown in
Giorgio Armani: Twelve years
old, and so much talent, it’s no
wonder that designers are
knocking down her door. She
has already landed a Calvin
Klein campaign, and now this
Emma Stone won the
award for best female
actor in a lead role for
La La Land and after
discussing her
insecurity in her
profession
ruby red dress has
eclipsed the
competition, yet
Brown shrugs it off
like an old pro:
“Giorgio Armani
sketched it for me,”
she said on the red
carpet. “And I’m like,
that’s totally fine.”
•Emma Stone
•Gwendoline
Christie
•Denzel
Washington
•Emily Blunt
•Nicole Kidman
•Evan Rachel
•Taraji P
Henson
•Viola Davis
•Millie Bobby
Brown

28 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
By AYO ONIKOYI 08052201215
onikoyi68@gmail.com
BY AYO ONIKOYI
& ROTIMI AGBANA
In less than twelve hours after
the Lagos Police
C o m m a n d
pronounced they would
not be allowing the
protest to take place,
2Face again posted on
his Instagram the action
plan for the protest,
adding Abuja to the list. In
the same vein, the Enough is Enough
Coalition Nigeria’s answer to the CP
Lagos pronouncement is a tweet “the
protest will go on”
According to the action plans, the Lagos
protest starts from National Stadium by
8am, with the procession expected to move
on to the National Theatre in Iganmu,
Lagos. The Abuja end will hold at the Unity
Fountain by 9am.
It should be noted that the protest was
formerly slated for Sunday, February 5 th ,
but 2Face moved it to Monday 6 th when
he issued the official statement on the
action plan on Tuesday.
In his official statement released on
Tuesday in Lagos at Eko Hotel, 2Face
clearly made his position known and
succinctly asked politicians of any
leaning to back off.
“It is not a platform for politicians of
any party to manipulate. I know you
will still spin it but for one second
leave your battles aside and just listen
to people without trying to score
cheap political points against one
another. It is not a point scoring exercise.
It is certainly not personal. It is not an
organized labour platform. With all due
respect to our comrades who have done
much for Nigeria, this march is for the
unrepresented,” he said.
Artistes in support of the protest
Veteran entertainer, Charly Boy, Galala
master, Daddy Showkey, Skelewu crooner,
Davido and Yawa Dey star, Burna Boy
have taken side with hiphop ace.
Ruggedman showed his won support by
taken on Blackface Naija who attacked
2Baba for undertaking the protest. Here are
others who have penned their support as
well
I stand with 2face - Wizkid
“It is in Nigeria that you fight for the poor
and the poor fights you for fighting for
them. Such mental degeneration, I stand
with 2face”, Wizkid wrote on twitter.
I applaud 2baba’s voice - Tee Billz
“Our lives begin to end the day we become
silent about things that matter. Martin
Luther King, Jr. I applaud your voice
2baba”
I will march with 2baba- Annie Idibia
“I connect to the love in your conscience,
the power in your words are so
inspirational; our lifestyle na spirituality.
One way or the other you have influenced
my life and others, you are a special
blessing, God sees your heart and we do
too. God bless you always, God bless
Nigeria One voice Nigeria. I stand with
2baba, Feb 6, we will march peacefully”.
Yes, I will be part of it- Singer, Niyola
“I don’t know if it has a political undertone
but what I can rightly say is the truth is I
did a song called The Word, and I did a
text in the beginning of the song that it is
the duty of an artiste to inform its society of
the ills, benefits and the great deed that are
meant to be performed. So it is only right
because we are people that people look up
to, it is our place; the way that music started,
the way that drama started was to satirize
the government and to correct social ills,
so I don’t think anything has to have a
political undertone, even if it does have a
political undertone is it effective for a
positive change? Yes, so I will be a part of it
and I don’t have a problem with that if that
was even the case”, Niyola retorted.
I’m going to march with 2face
- Actor, Adeniyi Johnson
“I’m aware of it, I’ve heard and
read about it, I’m in full support and
•2Face
2Face, EiE
defiant,
say protest
will go on
•Wizkid
•Ali-Baba
•Stella
Damasus
I’m going to march with him. I’m not in Lagos right now
but I’m going to do everything possible to make myself
available in person that day”, Adeniyi Johnson stated.
I’m with 2face- Comedian, Seyi Law
“I have seen you come under serious criticism and read
from some people who think your mistakes should be held
on you forever, but I am here to tell you that I am with
you.
You didn’t start the movement; you only lend
your support to the voice of the people. You
have only proven that at a time such as this,
Nigeria and Nigerians deserve to truly be
served.
I can boldly say we are not lazy people;
we just don’t enjoy the right environment
to excel. Good governance has been the
bane of our development and
institutions. Together with you, we will
rise and match against those that oppress
us.
Today, I stand with you and as long as
your stand is for the good of this nation, I
will
keep standing. Please don’t let us
politicize the protest as some fools made
us do with the fuel subsidy. God bless you
brother.
Cabasa
made it
2face.”
Nigeria is a hard place to live in- ID
Nigeria is a harsh place to live in, who
harsh? Nigerians! Who will fix it,
Nigerians, so I stand with
Artistes on the fence or
against
2Face
On the
contrary, Nollywood
actress,
Stella Damasus,
Timaya,
and Alibaba have
bluntly declared their
resolve not
to get involved in
t h e p l a n n e d
•Charlyboy nationwide
protest.
I can’t protest against
something I don’t have facts about -
S t e l l a
Damasus
“That time
wey I go take dey talk dey
protest, I go take am dey do
something, I
will use it to do something
good for the
community, I will use it to
do something for the
people I can help. Before
protesting anything we
have to have a clear focus,
we will hear this and hear
that, we will not hear the
exact story or know the
exact m3information,
we’ll just start protesting.
People who know what is
going on in Nigeria they
can talk about it but I’m
not in Nigeria right now
so I can’t protest against
something that I don’t
have the facts for. So
like I was saying, I’m
praying for all of you,
for those of you who
have children”
•Niyola
It doesn’t concern
me -Timaya
I don’t comment on
things like that, I don’t
have anything to talk
about the protest. How
doesn’t it concern me?
I am not in Lagos now.
I have not been briefed
about that -Alibaba
I have not been briefed
about the whole thing so I don’t
really have anything to say
about that.
I’m not going to be
there- Comedian, Bovi
Ugboma
I don’t even in
support; I was never
against and will not be
against it. That I’m not
going to be there doesn’t
not mean I’m not in
support of it. It is a
peaceful protest.
C
M
Y
K

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017 —29
By Rotimi Agbana 08137741609
rotimiagbana@gmail.com
Toke Makinwa in trouble
as ex hubby threatens
to sue over her book ‘On
Becoming’
Adrastic turn of the tide is
imminent, following the
emergence of
incontrovertible evidence
strongly indicating that Toke
Makinwa’s account in her book
“On Becoming” is not all there
is to know about events leading
up to her separation from her
erstwhile husband Maje Ayida
and that her book is nothing but
an exaggerated fabrication.
This most recent development
has come to the fore on account
of damning revelations
discovered proving that Maje
Ayida and Toke Makinwa were
legally separated 6 months into
the marriage.
The leading defamation law
firm in the UK, Carter Ruck,
lawyers to top figures like Elton
John, Simon Cowell, Chelsea
Football Club and The State of
Qatar have recently taken up
Maje Ayida as one of their
clients and in a warning letter
addressed to Toke Makinwa on
the 23 rd of December 2016
•Harrysong, Daddy
Showkey, Kcee
BY ROTIMI AGBANA
Acclaimed King of galala
dance and fire fire crooner,
Daddy Showkey, has confirmed
that he interceded in settling the
ongoing brouhaha between
reggae blues singer, Harrysong,
and his label, Five Star Music.
In an exclusive chat with
Showtime, the diana hit-maker
explained why he got himself
involved in the altercation which
resulted in a police case which
seems to have been resolved
after both parties have given it
serious thoughts and
considerations. According to
Daddy Showkey, both
Harrysong and officials of Five
Star Music are his children in
the music industry, therefore
the onus lies on him to mediate
when there is a rift between
them.
“Yes, they are no longer
fighting, no mind anybody we
don settle them” he confirmed.
Showtime queried further to
highlighted a number of
excerpts from the book that
were untrue, specifically
quoting as follows:
“… We highlight the fact that
our client requested a legal
separation from you within 6
months of your wedding to him
in January 2014, when it
became clear that the marriage
was breaking down. A
separation agreement was
formally signed by you in July
2014…”
“It is therefore well
documented that our client and
you had agreed to separate by
July 2014 (a matter which the
book signally fails to record),
and that this was, self-evidently
far more than ‘’teething”
difficulties as the book
misleadingly describes the
circumstances at the time”
Also, heading the legal front
in Nigeria is Kemi Pinhero
SAN, whose firm has also
served Toke Makinwa a letter,
corroborating the issues raised
know why he
decided to
wade into the
matter and he
responded
Why I no go
reconcile them?
My younger
brothers get
misunderstanding,
wetin be my
duty, na make I side one
person? My duty is to make
peace between them, and dem
be boys wey get a lot of respect
for me and dem be boys wey
•Toke
Makinwa
by Carter Ruck letter
and specifically demanding
among other things that she:
“Withdraw from circulation all
copies of the book and take immediate
steps to call in all copies of the book
already distributed and deliver up same
at the place to be agreed upon by our
client for destruction”
“Retract or cause to be retracted the
said published words and tender an
unreserved apology to our client by
publishing the said apology in one full
page insertion in three national dailies
to with.
Why I reconciled Harry
Song and Five Star Music
— Daddy Showkey
be like say anytime me and dem dey
very close, so I nor go dey make them
get misunderstanding make I nor
intervene na, and I don dey intervene for
the matter a long time ago, say make we
make peace between them. But we thank
God sha say everything went well”. He
went on to stress that he is not sure if
both parties have resolved not to further
press court charges against each other.
“That one I don’t know, that one is
between them, I cannot say anything
more than this, for the rest ask Five Star
Music, Kcee or Harry Song. They are my
children, we thank God everything is back
to normal, we’ll leave the remaining to
God”, he said.
Afro-beat singer, Dede
Mabiaku, angrily storm
out of radio interview
•Dede
Mabiaku
BY ROTIMI AGBANA
During an interview session
which held on radio 91.3FM
on Thursday in Lagos, veteran Afrobeat
singer, Dede Mabiaku, angrily
walked out in the middle of interview
claiming he was insulted and
disrespected by Special Adviser to
the President on Media and
Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina,
who was also a guest on the
same radio show with him.
During the discussions,
Mabiaku interjected while
Adesina was responding
to a question asked
by the anchor on
t h e
forthcoming
February
6 t h
nationwide
protest
led by
2 f a c e
Idibia,
over the nation’s current economic
situation, distracting Adesina who requested
that Mabiaku allow him finish with his
response then he could air his own opinion.
The anchor, Faith, also asked Mabiaku to
exercise patience, to which Mabiaku obliged.
Displeased with the manner in which
Adesina and the anchor had shut him up
earlier, Mabiaku angrily refused to go on
with the interview. He demanded an apology
from Femi Adesina who bluntly refused,
stressing that he had politely requested
Mabiaku to be patient since the question was
directed at him and not Mabiaku. This got
Mabiaku angrier; threatening to walk out of
the show if Adesina refused to apologize to
him. “Why do you want to hear me? When
he had the audacity to tell me to shut up and
you told me to stop! I will not use the word
‘Shut up’ that is what he said, play your tape
back and I’ll walk out now on this.” Adesina
tried to set the records straight with Mabiaku
but he was too angry to listen, “No, that’s
the end of it, you don’t have the
right to tell me to shut up
because you work with the
government, hell no, I’m
here to tell you things about
truth not to be insulted by
somebody who works in
government, who wants to
defend the government,
no, I’m out of here,”
he thundered and
walked out.
•Adesina
Olamide, Juliet Ibrahim join Glo as brand ambassadors
•Juliet
Ibrahim
•Olamide
One of Nigeria’s most celebrated
musicians, Olamide Adedeji
a.k.a. Olamide Badoo; the Egberi
Papa 1 of Bayelsa and philosophical
Dance Hall artiste, Inetimi Alfred
Odon popularly known as Timaya
and foremost Ghanaian actress
Juliet Ibrahim, have all joined the
prestigious group of brand
ambassadors of telecommunications
giant, Globacom.
Globacom disclosed in a press
statement that Olamide was made
a Glo ambassador because of his
success in the music industry and
for being an inspiration to millions
of Nigerian youths, just like
Timaya who is equally a model
to youths, especially in the South-
South part of Nigeria.
The three ambassadors have
been inducted into the exclusive
Hall of Fame for Globacom’s
brand icons. Prominent among
those in the elite group are standup
comedians Basketmouth and
Bovi Ugboma; Reekado Banks,
Korede Bello, Hadizah Blell
(Di’ja), Patience Ozokwor
popularly called Mama G,
Omawumi, Ego, Yvonne Nelson,
MI. among other mega stars.

30—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
By AYO ONIKOYI
08052201215
onikoyi68@gmail.com
Eargasm concert will
surpass other events in
February
— 2Baba Boasts
C
M
Y
K
Kunle Afolayan drags Omotola,
Kate Henshaw to set to fulfil
Multichoice promise
Ace film-maker and actor,
Kunle Afolayan, after the
huge success of his ‘The
CEO’ is dragging the likes of
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde,
Kate Henshaw, Nobert
Young, Toyin Oshinaike,
Fathia Balogun, Dari
Afolayan, Funsho Adeolu,
Ade Laoye, Omowunmi
Dada, Damilola Ogunsi, Ayo
Adesanya, Yaw and Gloria
Anozie Young among others
to set for three films
sponsored by Multichoice
Nigeria.
The three films; ‘Roti’,
‘Umogwo’ and ‘Tribunal’ will
enjoy back-to-back filming
that will fast-track their
releases, beginning from the
first quarter of the year. The
films will make debut with an
April 2017 cinema release,
enjoy some festival routing
before berthing on Africa
Magic channels.
In ‘Roti’ which stars Kunle
Afolayan himself playing
alongside Kate Henshaw,
By Rotimi Agbana
In an evening of what seemed
to be endless moments of
sharing, connecting, catching
up and socializing, music
artistes, Wizboyy, Myro, Issi,
Sound City Fm On-Air-
Personality, Moet Abebe and
others, shared a beautiful time
with men of the press at the
monthly Meets Media event, a
platform where entertainers
and industry personalities
interact with the media,
socialize and get up-close and
Toyin Oshinaike, Fathia
Balogun and Dari Afolayan,
the story is told of how,
years after a couple loses
their son called Roti to a
brief illness, the wife sees a
boy called Juwon who is an
exact replica of her dead
son. After discovering that
Juwon is not a reincarnation
of Roti, she is washed anew
by grief and soon descends
into depression and
consequent hysteria.
In ‘Tribunal’, “Jimi Disu, a
man in his fifties, is one of
the bright- minded lawyers
who co-establish a leading
law firm in Lagos many
years ago. However, he lost
his sense of direction and
strength after being hit by a
series of personal
challenges that question his
resolve as a man. He
becomes a ‘charge and bail’
lawyer with no further
ambition. Approached by a
young, enthusiastic, fresh
law school graduate,
By Rotimi Agbana
As the prime headliner for the
upcoming Eargasm concert
billed to hold at Eko
Convention Centre, Victoria Island,
Lagos on Saturday, February 11, 2017
International superstar, Innocent
2Baba Idibia has boasted that the
concert will surpass other events
happening in February of this year.
During a quick chat with the press at
a conference at same Eko Hotel and
Suites, 2face further described
expectations of the concert; asserting
an exciting lineup of events; stressing
that lovers of good music will enjoy
themselves.
“Every other event that will take place
that period will be like normal events,
Tanimowo (who adores him for the stature
of his legendary pedigree as a lawyer), to
defend her friend, an albino, who has
been unfairly relieved of his duties at
work, Jimi Disu is presented a chance to
battle his old law firm. ‘Tribunal’ stars
Omotola Jalade-Ekehinde, Funsho
Adeolu, Nobert Young, Ade Laoye, and
Damilola Ogunsi.
Wizboyy, Moet Abebe, others shine at Meets Media event
personal. Sound City Fm OAP,
Moet Abebe, was celebrated as
Personality of the Month, for her
giant strides in her chosen field
of endeavour. Moet Abebe who is
a Barrister at Law but chose to
pursue her love for the media
was presented with an award for
Personality of the month.
Erstwhile highlife singer,
producer and instrumentalist,
Wizboyy, who has just returned
from an intentional hiatus from
the music scene, opened up to
the media on his absence. He
revealed his reasons for being
away, what he has been up to and
what he has in store for his fans
and lovers of good music. Chop
Plantain singer, Myro, and Issi, a
budding afro-pop singer, also had
moments of interaction with the
media as they opened up on their
plans to besiege the music industry
with their creative abilities and
talents. The event was attended by
media personalities such as Ariyike
Akinbobola, and many others, to
mention a few.
no extra activity. This is going to be
classy and like the name suggests,
Eargasm is going to be ‘ear-blowing’.
The kind of music that you will listen
to on that day is not going to be your
everyday kind of music,” he remarked.
2Baba will be performing at Eargasm
alongside Niyola, Tekno, Adekunle Gold,
Sir Shina Peters, Yinka Davies, Kelly
Hansome, Acetune, Bovi, DJ Neptune
and other A-list Nigerian artistes.
Eargasm concert is aimed at presenting
music lovers with a unique and exciting
blend of classic, as well as creating a
convergence of fans from diverse
generations. The concert is put together
by Nigeria’s leading hospitality brand,
Eko Hotel and Suites in partnership with
Buckwyld Media Network.
Sunny Neji, Tade Ogidan,
Sani Danja endorse
Lodios.com launch
By Aderonke Adeyeri
Celebrities, including award-winning
singers Sunny Neji, Obiwon, Sani Danja
and producers Tade Ogidan and Zeb Ejiro
have shown delight at the launch of
Lodios.com a digital entertainment content
platform.
Mrs Teniola Stuffman, VAS2NETS Business
Development Director, said the platform
“provides solutions to enrich leisure time at
an affordable price. We discovered that
having a one-stop shop for various genres of
entertainment content will make life better”.
Other guest celebrities in attendance that
endored the new platform include Olasco
Films Producer, Olatunji Balogun, Nigerian
actor Lanre Balogun among others.
Currently running on the platform are
popular songs of Seyi Shay, Jaywon, Sunny
Neji and Illrymz (Contagious TV) among
others. Also, movies, such as Benevolence,
Sisi Karo and Pure Honey are available
for free, while offer lasts a month. The
movie, Benevolence was nominated for
‘Most Inspirational Feature Film’ at the
International Christian Film Festival in
Orlando, in April 2016. Also, subscribers
have a potpourri of Nollywood movies
(English and Yoruba genres), as well various
comedy skits, like the Ushbebe collections, to
choose from.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017—31
Butts don’t come much
bigger than this.
This is Courtney Barnes.
She’s 32 years old, and her
most recognizable feature
is her enormous, 59-inch
booty.
She’s the definition of
thick — but to get such a
huge butt, Courtney, from
Miami, Florida, almost paid
the ultimate price.
She opted to get illegal,
highly dangerous silicone
injections to make it bigger
— but even so, she didn’t
expect it to get so big.
Now, the former economics
student is a cam girl and
model, and has hundreds
of thousands of
followers awaiting
her next booty pic on
Instagram.
I want to show
men, women and
children that it is
possible to be
beautiful, smart and
have a big ass.
Six years ago,
Courtney was working as
a dancer when she decided
she wanted to transform
her body, admitting it
was a risk she was
“willing to take at the
time.”
It happened at an
illegal “pumping
party” — where the
injections often
contain unknown
substances, as
well as silicone,
and can be
08116759759
Woman Ends Up With 59-Inch
Butt After Risking Life...
administered by people with
no medical experience — and,
luckily, there were no
complications.
Courtney admitted she was
“naïve,” but said many other
women were getting it done —
with the shots causing one of
her friends to need blood
transfusions and spend
months in a hospital.
They can even be deadly if
injected accidentally into a
vein.
After the procedure, videos
of Courtney and her 59-inch
booty began to go viral online.
So, using some of the
knowledge gained during her
economics studies, she
decided to make money off it.
But it hasn’t all been easy
sailing. She said,
My career is fun but at the
same time it is really
difficult for people to
take you seriously
when it comes to
certain businesses.
People stare at me
everywhere I go and
not every reaction is
positive. I feel like
women
are
intimidated by me and
men view me as a
piece of meat.
It’s difficult for her
because, believe it
or not, she’s
“actually quite a
shy person.”
If any of
Courtney’s fans
want her behind
to become even
more gigantic, they
shouldn’t keep
their hopes up.
Explaining
that her butt is
not as perky as
it once was,
she said she
i
s
considering
getting it
reduced
in the
future.
World's oldest
surgeon is still
scrubbing in at the
grand age of 89
Man says his 18.9-inch phallus...
Man with colossal half-ametre
penis that reaches
his knee insists he won’t have a
reduction
The man with the world’s
largest penis insists he won’t
have it reduced – even though he
won’t ever be able to have sex.
Roberto Esquivel Cabrera, 54,
from Saltillo, has a penis which
measures a staggering 18.9
inches when flaccid.
He hit headlines when he
smashed the unofficial world
record held by US actor Jonah
Falcon, whose penis was 9.5
inches flaccid and 13.5 inches
when erect.
Yet despite being superendowed,
the 54-year-old’s penis
has caused him a number of
health problems, including
frequent urinary tract infections
because not all his urine escapes
his foreskin.
He’s also unable to sleep on his
front and has to put his penis,
which has to be wrapped in
bandages, on its own pillow so
he’s not in discomfort at night.
But probably the worst problem
he faces is not having a sex life
because his penis has too much
girth to have intercourse.
Roberto said: ‘Some people ask
me if I put some condoms on it
and the answer is: I cannot. I can
never penetrate anyone because
it is too thick.’
Yet despite all these issues, the
54-year-old refuses to have a
penile reduction, as per his
doctor’s recommendation, as he
wants his ‘gift’ to be recognised
by the Guinness Book of World
Records.
He said: ‘I would like to be in the
Guinness Book of Records but
they don’t recognise this record.
‘I am famous because I have the
biggest penis in the world. I am
happy with my penis, I know
nobody has the size I have.’
His doctor, Dr Jesus David
Salazar Gonzalez, said: ‘We have
advised him “Roberto, the best
thing for you is that the doctors
give a normal shape to your penis
so that it doesn’t hurt you, in order
to have sexual relationships, in
order to have children”.
‘But he doesn’t accept it, he’d
rather have a penis bigger than
the rest of the people.’
‘In Latin culture whoever has
the bigger penis is more macho.
It’s something that makes him
different to the rest of the people
and makes him feels special.’
Doctors recently did a thorough
examination of Mr Cabrera’s
penis, confirming suspicions that
the bulk of his nearly 20-inch
penis is foreskin.
His penile glands stretch only
seven inches, meaning the rest of
his member is completely foreskin
and blood vessels.
They have also been able to
offer some insight in just how his
penis became quite so large –
they say he has been stretching
his penis with weights since his
teenager.
Dr Gonzalez added: ‘He was
obsessed with the penis length.
He began with this enlargement
since he was a teenager,
wrapping some bands around his
penis with some weights and
trying to stretch it.’
Though Roberto loves his penis,
he says it is a ‘disability’ and
stops him from working, forcing
him to rely on food banks to
survive.
He said: ‘I cannot wear a
uniform like anybody in the
companies and also I cannot get
on my knees.
‘I cannot run fast and so the
companies think badly of me.
They say that they will call me,
but they never do.’
According to the Mexican,
after initially dismissing his
claim, the government has now
recognised him as disabled.
Every four months he receives
some economic assistance, but
‘it’s not enough’, he says.
Another downside to having
such a gigantic penis is that
many people believe it is a hoax.
He said: ‘Sometimes when the
people ask me if it’s real or not, I
ask them “Do you want to see
it?”’
Alla Ilyinichna Levushkina
has completed 10,000 ops
in 67 years with no fatalities and
says she has no plans to retire
The world’s oldest surgeon
scrubs up well at the age of 89
and still cheerily carries out four
operations a week.
Alla Ilyinichna Levushkina
never married or had children
and dedicated her life to saving
patients in Russia.
At home, Alla cares for her
disabled nephew and eight cats .
There’s no secret to her long life,
she says, adding: “I eat
everything, laugh and cry a lot.”
After 10,000 ops in 67 years
and no fatalities, she has no
plans to retire.
“It’s not a profession, it’s a way
of life,” she said. “Why else
would the surgeon live, if not to
work?”
Speaking about her
unwavering dedication to the
profession, Alla said: “I have
nothing to do in retirement.
“It’s not just a profession, it’s a
way of life. Why else would the
surgeon live, if not to work?”
Each day, the inspiring
pensioner begins work at 8am,
holding a clinic for patients,
before heading to the operating
room at 11am to start the day’s
procedures.
In honour of her incredible
commitment, Alla was recently
awarded the prize for the best
doctor in Russia.

32—SATURD
TURDAY Vanguard,
FEBRUARY ARY 4, 2017
Late Olasimbo Matesun buries amid pomp
It was celebration galore at the BisRod Mega Event Hall, GRA, Igbeba, Ijebu-Ode on the 14th
January 2017 when the children and families of Late Alhaja Adijat Olasimbo Matesun rolled drums
for the 40th day Fidau prayers and final burial ceremony in honour of the late great woman. Family
members and many dignitaries graced the occasion. Late Alhaja Adijat Olasimbo Matesun (new
Odunsi) died 4th December 2016 and was buried same day according to Islamic injunction. Photos by
Wumi Akinola
Zuliat Lawal weds
Muritala Ahmed
Solemnization of Holy matrimony (Islamic way
Nikkah) between Zuliat Abiola Lawal
daughter of Alhaji Fatai Lawal and Muritala
Olarewaju Ahmed, son of Alhaji Kola Ahmed
took place at Event Centre, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos,
late last year. Guests had delightful time-out.
Photos by Diran Oshe
L-R:Chief (Mrs) Bola Obasanjo, wife of former
President Obasanjo, Dr Lateef Bello, son in-law,
Dr (Mrs) Faozeeat Aderonke Bello, daughter of
the deceased.
L-R: Hon. Engr. Olaribigbe Matesun, the
patriarch of the Matesun dynasty, Dr (Mrs)
Faozeeah Aderonke Bello, daughter of the
deceased, Pastor Engr. Oladimeji Matesun (son).
L- R: Alh. Fatai Lawal, bride's father, Alhaja
Kuburat Lawal, bride's mother,the couple, Mr &
Mrs Muritala Olarewaju Ahmed,Alhaja Modupe
Ahmed, mother of groom,and Alhaji Kola
Ahmed, father of groom
The Fregenes at the event: From L-R; Toyosi
Fregene, Pastor Joseph Fregene, Bolaji Fregene,
Gbemisola Fregene, Daniel Fregene, Temitayo
Fregene, Alero Fregene and Oyemi Fregene.
R-L: (sitting position): Dr Mrs Faozeeah
Aderonke Bello, Alhaja Kudirat Oluwatoyin
Ashogbon,. Standing: L-R: Mrs Gbemisola
Fregene, Alhaji Abdul Rasheed Titilayo
Matesun, Alhaja Dhikrat Abiodun Oshodi(
Children of the deceased).
L- R: Alh. Jamiu Abdul Wahab, Sheikh Abdu
Rahman Ahmad and Sheikh Najmudeen Yusuf
R-L: Dr Chief Fassy Yusuf(former Ogun state
Commissioner for information, Dr Abdul Lateef
Bello (son in law), Alhaji Sulaiman Ashogbon
(son in law) Dr Wahab Adesanya.
R-L: Mr George Emefiele and Dr Okanta mefiele
and a guest.
Tenn
enny Tolly Hotel Chairman celebrates es 50 in style
Chief Oriyomi Ogungbesan, Chairman/CEO Tenny Tolly Hotels &Suites recently marked his 50th
birthday with lots of fanfare . To make the occasion an auspicious one Chief Oriyomi Ogungbesan
shared the day with the SOS children in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State
L-R: Mrs Folashade Olumide, Chief Dr. John
Odeyemi with his wife Ezinne Chief (Mrs)
Victoia Odeyemi.
Mr Peter Ogungbesan and friends at the SOS
village Owu-Ikija,Ijebu-Ife presenting gift
items .
Representatives of HRM Oba Akeem Adesanya,
Alara of Ilara-Epe, Mr Oriyomi Ogungbesan
and wife, Mrs Tolani Ogungbesan.
Mr Oriyomi Ogungbesan & wife cutting his
50th birthday cake.
C
M
YK

33—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
By Sola Ogundipe / 0805618112 / solazed@live.com
Just female
When a woman with endometriosis has her
monthly period, the blood and tissue shed
from the endometrial growth has no way of leaving
the body, hence resulting in internal bleeding,
inflammation that result in pain, adhesions and
bowel problems.
Endometriosis is an incurable medical condition
in which the lining of the uterus transplants itself
outside of the uterus to the lining of the abdominal
cavity and other organs-causing bloating, bleeding
and pain. Doctors say the disorder causes damage
and blockage to the Fallopian tube by impeding the
journey of the eggs down the Fallopian tube to the
uterus, hence causing fertility challenges. They add
that the commonest symptom of endometriosis is
pain—painful
intercourse, painful
menstruation, abdominal
pain, back pain and
emotional pain.
One in every 10
women is affected and
about 176 million women
worldwide have the
disorder. It is often
extremely painful and
can make having sex and
going to the toilet
agonizing. It causes
painful periods and may
lead to infertility
problems.
In recent times, series
of prominent, glamorous
and some of the most
beautiful women around
have spoken publicly
about their personal
battles with the disorder.
They include Hillary
Clinton, Nike Oshinowo-
Soleye, Padma Lakshmi
, Whoopi Goldberg and
dozens others.
They use their voices to
speak bravely about their
battles living with the
condition. Their voices
are important so that others can be aware
and learn about it. To de-stigmatize and
raise awareness about endometriosis,
women affected keep talking about it.
It was quite a shock to several people
when socialite, entrepreneur, role-model
and former Miss Nigeria, Chief Adenike
Oshinowo, first opened up to the public
a decade ago about her struggle with
endometriosis .
Nike had just turned 40 when she
granted the interview and disclosed her
big secret. Over the years she has
granted many more interviews and is
now officially recognised as the face of
Endometriosis and Global Ambassador
of the Endometriosis Support Group of
Nigeria, ESGN. Her story was an eye
opener, particularly in Nigeria.
She readily admitted she has lived with
the condition since the age of 11. She
lost count of how many surgeries she
has had and is now looking forward to
menopause. At 47 she became a mother
to twins via an American surrogate.
“No doctor told me why I suffered so
much because of endometriosis. I turned
50 recently and I’m looking forward to
menopause. However, in spite of
endometriosis, I have had an amazing
life,” she asserted. She is not alone.
Former US presidential candidate, and
one-time US First Lady Hillary Clinton,
who also served as the 67th Secretary
of State, Senator for New York, had
trouble conceiving her only child,
Per
ersonal battles of
prominent women
with Endometriosis
•Hillary Clinton(L) and Nike Oshinowo-Soleye
Chelsea, born in 1980, due to
endometriosis.
So did Padma Lakshmi, an Indian
American author, actress, model and
television presenter that was diagnosed
at age 36. Padma suffered with pain
for more than 20 years and was told it
was ‘all in her head’ before she was
diagnosed with endometriosis. She had
surgery when it was revealed she had
two cysts on each of her ovaries and
One in every 10 women
is affected and about 176
million women worldwide
have the disorder
was also put on to birth control. She
gave birth to her daughter, Krishna,
in 2010.
Padma who is co-founder of
the Endometriosis Foundation of
America remarked: ”I think, yes,
endometriosis was definitely a major
reason that my marriage failed, not
intentionally, but, it’s weird to talk
about your period all the time. It’s the
least sexy thing in the world to do,”
she said.
American comedian, actress, singersongwriter,
political activist, author
and talk show host, Whoopi Goldberg,
knew about her endometriosis for a
long time, and was surprised to learn
that so many women lacked
knowledge about the condition. She
found out she had endometriosis in the
70’s and was given medication for the
disease which worked. She has one
daughter, Alexandria, born in 1973.
“You have to take whatever stigma
people think that is there. You have to
take it. It’s not male or female. It has
nothing to do with that. It has to do
with, here’s a disease you don’t know
about and you need to know about it.
It’s that simple. It’s not rocket
science.”
Lena Dunham the “Girls” star
announced she had endometriosis on
Instagram. Soon after the post,
Dunham was hospitalised to ruptured
ovarian cyst. She wrote of her
condition earlier in her 2014
memoir Not That Kind Of
Girl, describing the pain as feeling
like “someone had poured a drop of
vinegar inside of me, followed by a
sprinkle of baking soda. It bubbled and
fizzed and went where it would.”
Because of her endometriosis, Tia
Mowry-Hardict underwent two
surgeries and changed her lifestyle in
order to conceive. ”Despite my
diagnosis I still wanted to try and
have a baby, but not being able to have
kids was an immediate fear. It made
me feel out of control.” The famous
twin now has a, Cree.
”When all you know is pain you
don’t know that it is not normal, said
Sarandon, who became aware of her
condition in 1983 and has given
advice for men on how they can
help.
In 1982, Country star Dolly Parton
was taken to the hospital to have a
partial hysterectomy related to her
endometriosis. She says she
suffered from depression after
learning she would not be able to
have children. Ït was an awful time
for me. Every day I thought, ‘I wish
I had the nerve to kill myself.’”
Anna Friel, a British actress, was
diagnosed
with
endometriosis when she was 28,
after being rushed to hospital with
a ruptured ovarian cyst. She says,
“one doctor told me it would be very
hard if I left trying for a baby
beyond the age of 30, which at the
time was far from an ideal
situation.” She gave birth to
daughter, Gracie, in 2005.
Known best for her role in Save
The Last Dance, Elizabeth Oas
spent many years in pain due to
Endometriosis. She says: ”I found
myself working as a patient
advocate, and thus created 5 years
ago the internationally known blog
talk radio show,”The Pelvic
Messenger.”

34—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
In Badia,
condoms
are taboo
BY SOLA OGUNDIPE
IN the red light district of Badia, in
downtown Lagos, sex workers as
young as 14, trying to eke a living, by
making money to survive, entertain
around five clients a day. Series of
photographs taken in the slums of
Lagos and published by the Daily Mail
shows the faces of sex workers living
in squalid conditions. But they are
unwittingly selling something else to
unwary clients - HIV.
Nigeria has the 2 nd higest HIV
prevalence in Africa after South
Africa. Currently, the HIV
prevalence rate in adults in the
country is 4.1 per cent according to
the Iranian Journal of Public Health.
and nearly a quarter of Nigerian sex
workers are living with HIV,
according to a 2013 survey.
There are currently an estimated
1.2 million people living with HIV
in the city. A survey conducted last
year has also highlighted that
attitudes towards condom use is
helping the spread of the condition,
The problem is that
you cannot even
suggest the use of
that thing to your
boyfriend
and research suggests that nearly
a quarter of Nigerian sex workers
have HIV.
Thanks to investment and
education, the study found, the rate
had fallen from five per cent in the
early 2000s, but it said there is still
some way to go. They charge each
client between N1,000 and N2,500
for services rendered.
Another research by the Journal
of the International AIDS Society
found the prevalence among sex
workers in Nigeria was 24.3 per
cent.
From the study, it was observed
that women often could not
negotiate sex because they had no
control over making sex partners
wear condoms, and were not even
expected to carry them.
According to one of the clients, a
28-year-old marketing executive:
“The problem is that you cannot
even suggest the use of that thing
to your boyfriend. It’s like if you
say it you are accusing him of
sleeping around or that you are not
sure of yourself. No matter which
one, it can end the relationship and
give you a bad name.”
It was gathered that talk and use
of condoms was taboo. ‘To confirm
this cultural barrier to access to
prevention tools, only one female
respondent... has ever gone to buy
a condom for her boyfriend, while
all the other female respondents
were of the view that they would
not like their parents and spouses
to see them with condoms.”
A 42-year-old father of three told
researchers in the study: “Any
woman, including my wife who tells
her husband about it or gets it for
them to use needs to be questioned.
In short, she should be seriously
sanctioned.”
Scientists in California have discov
ered that the naturally occurring
steroid lanosterol is able to melt away
cataracts and prevent them from returning
when administered to patients via
eye drops. If approved for human use,
the compound would be available as a
non-invasive treatment for individuals
with moderate forms of cataracts.
Scientists first became aware of lanosterol
cataract-blocking abilities by observing
two children in China who had
a hereditary form of the condition.
Upon closer examination, it became
clear that the children shared a mutation
that blocked the production of the
steroid lanosterol.
Their parents lacked this mutation and
as a result never went on to develop
cataracts. From this observation, the
team proposed that the steroid must
play a role in the formation of cataracts.
In a series of experiments outlined in
a study now published in Nature, the
team tested lanosterol on donated human
lenses and live rabbits and dogs.
Results repeatedly showed that lanosterol
was able to significantly shrink
cataract size.
Cataracts develop when protein in the
lens builds up and prevents light from
getting through. Although the condition
can be hereditary, such as in the
case of the Chinese siblings, it is more
often likely to develop at an older age.
According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, cataracts are
the leading cause of blindness world-
New eye drops melt cataracts
wide. Currently, the only treatment
available for cataracts is surgically
removing the clouded lens from the
eye and replacing it with an artificial
lens.
Although it’s not entirely clear
f the drops prove to
also work on humans,
they could offer a noninvasive
treatment for
individuals with mild to
moderate cataracts and
serve as a way to
prevent the condition
from ever returning
how lanosterol is working, the researchers
believe that the steroid
prevents the proteins from building
up.
If the drops prove to also work on
humans, they could offer a non-invasive
treatment for individuals
with mild to moderate cataracts and
serve as a way to prevent the condition
from ever returning. While
cataract surgery is relatively easy
and safe, the drops would serve as
an easier alternative. Despite not
yet being tested on humans, the
study is already causing excitement.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017—35
bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk
My friends are bent
on giving me a
bad name. Just
because I’ve written this
column for decades, they
believe anyone who is barmy
enough to tell me a ‘secret’
hoping I could keep it is
madder than a hatter! Only a
couple of months back, I had a
visitor in my office.
“My goodness, did I have a
rough night?” he moaned. You
would notice I didn’t ask him
anything. And who wouldn’t
ask the question I asked next.
What happened?
“It is Frank, that crazy
friend of mine,” he
volunteered. “I hadn’t seen
him in the last nine months
but he wanted me to go with
him to his girlfriend’s house.
You know, the one I told you
had his baby some three
years ago. Apparently, she’s
had a second child but Frank
hadn’t even set eyes on the
new baby and she was almost
three months old. He knew
he would be thrown out of
her flat if he as
much as showed his face
alone. That was where I came
in handy. I was to go and see
her whilst he lurked around
somewhere and butter her up
a bit. As soon as she softpedalled,
I was to call him.
“At first, I didn’t want
anything to do with it. Frank
is not the stablest of friends.
It is only when he wants any
dirty linen laundered that he
shows up. This time around,
he stayed for hours sending
for food and boozed to wear
down any resolve that in the
end. I went with him to his
girlfriend’s house.
“The girl was like a raving
lunatic when she saw me. You
would think I was the one
who hurt her. She cursed,
howled and sobbed her heart
out. I pacified her the best I
could, then went for Frank.
He came so subdued you
would have thought he was
being arraigned before a
heartless judge on a trumped
up charge of murder. He
calmly stood through the poor
girl’s tirade until she ran out
of things to say before he
launched into a cock-and-bull
self-defence story. In the end,
we saw the baby, made the
right noises and promises,
then went home. I didn’t get
home until around three 0'
clock this morning ...” My
friend broke his story as his
hand flew to cover his mouth,
alarm plainly written on his
face.
“What have I done telling
you all this?” He chided
himself. “I know a friend of
yours is Frank’s wife’s good
friend. Please, don’t let any
of this get out. Frank will kill
me if his wife finds out.”
“Who do you think I am,” I
was really indignant, “It is
really none of my business if
Frank has hundreds of
Friends who refuse to trust
you with their secrets!
illegitimate kids scattered
all over the place. That’s
his own business, not mine.
The country is
full of men who have no
control over their pants!”
Two weeks later, my friend
was back in my office. “You
gave me your word that
story wouldn’t get to
Frank’s wife,” he accused
as soon as he sat down.
I couldn’t quite look him
in the eyes as I stammered,
“Err ... I didn’t really go out
of my way to talk to her.
One of our friends called
me on the phone about
Frank being involved with
yet another woman. She
then talked about this
mother-of- two as if she
knew all about her. I told
her that I not only knew the
girl, I knew for a fact that
she had a boy and a girl for
Frank. She couldn’t say a
word for
some seconds. She asked
if I was sure and I said I
was willing to be a huge
sum of money on it. She too
gave me her word that
Frank’s wife wouldn’t get to
hear about it....”
My friend roared with
laughter. “You’re really
predictable, aren’t you?” He
told me: “That night when
Frank called at M house,
he was worried that he had
these children out of
wedlock and his wife was
none the wiser. He said he
would love for his wife to
know in case anything
happened to him. It was
then I told him not to worry.
That I knew someone who
knew Frank’s wife’s friend.
That someone was you.
That if you were told the
story, it was almost
guaranteed that Frank’s
wife would be put in the
The
country is
full of men
who have
no control
over their
pants!
picture. You didn’t
disappoint me, thank
goodness. Of course, I had
to tell you that touching story
about Frank not going to see
the baby, but it was to put in
more spice—for your benefit.
Asking you not to tell a juicy
story is like waving a red
flag at a bull, hoping he
won’t charge!”
Talk about giving a dog a
bad name! I was still smiling
from this incurable gossip
tag my friend pinned on
me when another one
phoned recently. After
catching up on current hot
gossips, she told me her
younger sister just left her
husband, I told her I’d
heard. She then launched
into the version of the split
that I heard.
“That’s why I’m
phoning,” she cut in
frostily.” “My sister told me
she was sure you must
have heard about her right
from the grape-vine and
she would appreciate your
keeping the lurid details
out of the pages of the
newspapers ... “
In case you discover that
Weekend Blues ceases to
exist, God forbid bad thing,
you readers will know that
the concerted efforts of
friends to misunderstand
my good intentions and
term them to be nosepoking
have finally taken
their toll .... “
So you think resolutions are a waste of time?
Every year, majority of us break the promises
we made on January 1. Whether you vowed
to turn-around your career for the better, quit
smoking or even learn to make your own dress,
a group of experts have got this fast plan for
getting you back on track when your resolves
melt.
Forgive your inner slacker: You’ve probably
had lapses in behaviour since making your list.
Don’t fret: “Backsliding is not a failure,” says
Leslie Groene, author of Picture Yourself and
the Life You Want. “It’s easy to see what we
haven’t accomplished—and to forget the steps
we’ve already taken. But, any effort or energy
we spend focusing on the negative will only
slow us down. Don’t be too fixated on dates
either. There’s no difference between starting
something on January 1 or March
21. Here are more helpful hints from the
author:
Make it easier to succeed: Ask yourself why
you broke your resolutions in the first place.
Relapses tell you what you failed to account for.
Did you fold in the presence of stress or
temptations? What could you do differently?
When you feel yourself sliding back into old
behaviour, try distracting yourself with another
healthier activity. Step outside for fresh air or
call a friend to talk. Take a walk, spend time
with your pets. Watch some comedy on
television. Just do something, anything else.
Draw a road map: Break lofty goals into
manageable steps and your likelihood of success
increases—tenfold. If you want to learn to do
salsa, for example, you would write down: “Buy
salsa shoes. Sign up for salsa class. Take 10
lessons....
“Once you’ve spelled out the details for
yourself, you’ll be better able to visualize
achieving your goal.
Be your own cheer-leader: Buy a calendar
and check off the days you work out, sew, take
photos, and have lunch with a mentor or
anything that gets you closer to your goal. Hold
yourself accountable for further change. Set
aside some time, daily or weekly, to review
your progress and plan what you will do to
move forward.
Leave some wiggle room: Find solutions,
not excuses. Can’t afford a vacation in a
faraway locale? Shop, dine and dance like a
tourist in your hometown. Is work interfering
with your vow to increase family time? See if
the kids can visit you at the office. Too busy
to see friends you’ve sworn to catch up with?
Ask them to run errands with you. It’s the
end result that matters so don’t sweat the
details.
Use daily reminder: If you’d like to get into
shape, paste full-length pictures of yourself
on the fridge and bathroom mirror. For other
resolutions, post phrases or affirmations all
over the house. Seeing them every day will
strengthen your resolve. Right before going
to bed, repeat a mantra to yourself, for
example: “I am a non-smoker now and
forever” or” I am becoming thinner and
thinner,” it’s like putting files into your
subconscious. After 30 days, you’ll see
yourself this way without even trying.
Get pals involved: Enrol others in your
success. Tell them what you’re doing and ask
for their assistance. Your friends may be
willing to go walking or take dance classes
with you. They may also be a great source of
moral support. If your resolution is to leave
office earlier, for example, your friends could
e-mail you something like “if it’s after 6p.m.,
it’s time to go home.”
Trick yourself: Small changes can reap big
rewards. Resolved to walk more? Put sneakers
next to the door. Want to save some money?
Have it automatically deposited into a savings
account every month. Vow to spend more time
reading?
Turn off the phone and TV. Build slowly on
your successes by adding a new goal every
month. You’ll be amazed at how much you
accomplish. If you’re trying to eat healthier,
start by increasing your water in-take.

36—Vanguard, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
Twitter: @yetundearebi
yetty5050@yahoo.co.uk
08054700825
Yetunde Arebi
Little children acting the role of the
father and mother is a very
common game, especially where
you have a couple of them growing up
together in same vicinity. The older kids
play the role of parents while the younger
ones play the role of the children. They
all try to re-enact as much as possible,
what they observe in their different family
settings. While the ‘father’ goes to work,
the ‘mother’ often stays back at home to
take care of the house chores as well as
prepare meals for the ‘family’. The meal,
mainly made of sand is served on pieces
of paper for plates and everyone touches
the sand to their chins to eat. What
happens after this depends on what time
of day is being acted out and what kind of
environment the play is being staged,
secluded or open. Usually, the house
consists of two main rooms. They may be
virtual or real, again, depending on the
environment. The real rooms are usually
divided with the wrappers of someone’s
mother as curtains. The ‘children’ sleep
on one side of the divide while the
‘parents’ sleep on the other. Now, what
takes place in ‘father’ and ‘mother’s room
depend largely on the intelligence,
exposure or awareness and smartness of
the two actors. Many young people
experienced their first kisses and more
behind these curtains.
While visiting a dear close friend at her
home, a couple of years ago, we were
forced to sit on the terrace to gist and play
catch up, because the PHCN had decided
to do what it knows best to do. Her last
child, a four year old boy also had a visitor,
a little girl from their compound who had
come over to play. As we discussed, we
could hear their voices and laughter from
where we were until everything became
quiet suddenly. Perhaps acting on instinct
or just motherly intuition, my friend
asked for permission to go and check on
them. Then, I heard her calling out to me
frantically to come and see something. I
rushed in to find the two children
standing just feet apart from each other,
both with funny looks on their faces.
“What happened”, I asked my friend.
“Can’t you see what is happening here”
she said, pointing to the children and
winking downwards to the direction she
wanted me to look at. I quickly scrutinized
the scene and concluded that something
bad had been interrupted here. My friend
began laughing very hard, pointing to her
son’s now extremely shrunken penis and
the little girl who clutched on to her
knickers in her hand as if her life
depended on it. As my friend kept asking
her son what happened and who took off
his shorts, he just kept looking straight
while pointing his forefinger at the girl.
Initially, I did not quite understand what
was happening but when it finally clicked,
I did not understand why my friend was
laughing and praising her four year old
son for being such a fast Houdini. I found
nothing funny about it.
One major mistake parents of the boy
child make is to erroneously believe in
the alpha male syndrome. Such parents
believe that they have no problems since
their boys can never get pregnant from
their sexual escapades, neither will they
be frowned at or socially stigmatized as
loose and bad boys. So when incidents
such as this happens, they take a standoffish
posture, leaving the girl and her
parents to take the fall, just as my friend
was doing. My Miss-do-good attitude
took over and I just had to let my friend
see things from another perspective. A
little girl already engaging in the
“Cowgirl position” with her male friend
could not have conjured this all by herself.
She must have either seen her parents
having sex or someone else had been
teaching her these moves secretly. This
meant that she was either being abused
or exposed to such by an adult. My second
position was that, should an adult be
involved in this unfortunate incident, then
the poor girl might have been exposed to
STDs, including HIV/AIDS. In that case
too, her son was also in serious danger, I
told my friend. “God forbid”, she cried,
“it is not my portion”. But it can be, I
Catching them
young
The role of many
parents and caregivers
as sex educators
changes as young
people get older and are
provided with more
opportunities to receive
formal sex education
through schools and
community settings
insisted, so it was important that the little
girl’s parents be informed so that they
could conduct a thorough investigation.
If this problem was not seriously
addressed, there is no telling what could
become of the girl as she grows older. By
the time I was done, we were heading
to the little girl’s flat. What we
uncovered at the end of the day, is a
story for another day.
While the girl child may remain the
endangered specie all of her lifetime,
the boy child will remain the sound
board for whatever falls out of any
unwholesome alliance between the
sexes. And then, the beat goes on. That
is why sex education for young people
is compulsory, rather than necessary.
Both sexes must be well grounded if
we intend to do a good job for both
society and humanity.
When Lizzy returned from a business
trip to Abuja and was informed that her
seven year old niece who was spending
the holidays with them had been
caught under the sheets with her five
year old son, she almost whipped him
into a pulp. She said, “I can’t
remember for how long or how many
times I whipped him with the belt as I
had lost control of myself. My
house help and younger
sister had to hold me and
retrieved the belt. As I was
whipping him, I was crying
at the same time. I was afraid
that a little mistake could
ruin his life and ultimately
ours too. I did not touch my
niece at all. I simply called
her mother, who is my sister
to come and remove her from
my house before I killed her.
I was alarmed when our
mother tried to play the
matter off lightly, insisting it
was just a game and that most
children engage in it. She
insisted it was nothing to be
scared about and that I was
taking things too seriously”.
On investigation, they
discovered that a teenage
boy in their compound had
been abusing her and giving
her money, biscuits and
sweets for her cooperation.
My sister wanted to call in
the Police but my mother
again prevailed on her,
arguing that she will only
bring herself to ridicule in the
neighbourhood. That was
how the matter died, but it
was how the issue of anyone
spending their holidays in my
house also died”, she told me
during a conversation.
Sex education that works
starts early, before young
people reach puberty, and
before they have developed
established patterns of
behaviour. The precise age at
which information should be
provided depends on the
physical, emotional and
intellectual development of
the young people as well as
their level of understanding.
What is covered and also
how, depends on who is
providing the sex education,
when they are providing it,
and in what context, as well
as what the individual young
person wants to know or needs to know
about.
It is important for sex education to
begin at a young age and also that it is
sustained. Despite recent increased
awareness, many parents still find it
difficult or think it is inappropriate to
discuss sex with their children. I have
seen parents who prevent their children
from watching even kissing scenes on
the Television rather than take time to
explain what it means to them and why
they are not to engage in any forms of
sexual intimacy with the opposite sex.
We often forget that these children have
access to the television and many other
media channels when our backs are
turned. Giving young people basic
information from an early age provides
the foundation on which more complex
knowledge is built up over time. For
example, when they are very young, such
as in the case above, children can be
informed about how people grow and
change over time, and how babies
become children and then adults, and
this provides the basis on which they
understand more detailed information
about puberty provided in the preteenage
years. They can also when they
are young, be provided with information
about viruses and germs that attack the
body. This provides the basis for talking
to them later about infections that can
be caught through sexual contact.
Indeed, many are against the teaching
of sex education to young people. They
are concerned that providing information
about sex and sexuality arouses curiosity
and can lead to sexual experimentation.
However, in a review of 48 studies of
comprehensive sex and STD/HIV
education programmes in some selected
US schools, there was found to be strong
evidence that such programmes really
did not increase sexual activity. Rather,
some of them reduced sexual activity, or
increased rates of condom use or other
contraceptives, or both. It is important
to remember that young people can store
up information provided at any time, for
a time when they need it later on.
So, when must we start? This is a
question often asked by many parents I
interact with. Sometimes it can be
difficult for adults to know when to raise
issues, but the important thing is to
maintain an open relationship with
children which provides them with
opportunities to ask questions when they
have them. Parents and caregivers can
also be proactive and engage young
people in discussions about sex,
sexuality and relationships. Naturally,
many parents and their children feel
embarrassed to talk about some aspects
of sex and sexuality. Viewing sex
education as an on-going conversation
about values, attitudes and issues as
well as providing facts can be helpful.
The best basis to proceed is a sound
relationship in which a young person
feels able to ask a question or raise
an issue if they feel they need to.
Research has shown that in counties
like The Netherlands, where families
regard it as an important
responsibility to talk openly with
children about sex and sexuality, this
contributes to greater cultural
openness about sex, sexuality and
improved sexual health among young
people.
The role of many parents and
caregivers as sex educators changes
as young people get older and are
provided with more opportunities to
receive formal sex education through
schools and community settings.
However, it does not get any less
important. Because sex education in
school tends to take place in small
time-blocks and can’t always address
issues relevant to young people at a
particular time, parents can therefore
fulfill a particularly important role in
providing information and opportunities
to discuss things as they arise.
Do have a wonderful weekend!!

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017—37
C
M
Y
K
Continues from pg 16
you look at all these tiny countries in West
Africa, are they even bigger than Anambra
State, how much more the five eastern states
assuming it comes to that? Senegal, the
Gambia, Benin Republic, Ghana and the rest
of them put together! What is our population?
What is even the land space as it is? If our
people determine today, that this area at the
border between Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo
and Enugu, where you have this cattle market
(Lokpanta) and the rest of them, create that
area and call it a community of its own; give
it a charter for 50 years and you will see
another Dubai there. It is possible to transform
this place called South East within five years.
Even Israel, what is their population; what is
their land mass? The issue really is the
principle of self- determination. That has to
be accepted. This idea that some chaps are
asking for this and you start shooting them
down, that is unlawful, that is not helpful; you
are alienating people more and more and
therefore creating tension. That is not a way
to build a nation, common nationality and
identity; that is not the way! I have said it before
that coercion; that is force, has never held any
country together. Look at the old British
Empire, look at all empires all over the world,
they have come and gone. Even the so called
modern empires, those who disintegrated a
few years ago… Sometimes I get worried that
people are not coming up constructively with
suggestions on how to make this country one
country. With common identity you can
transform this country but not with a unitary
system of government.
What do you think should be done with the
resolutions of the National Conference under
former President Goodluck Jonathan?
Government succeeds government and that
is part of the problem we are talking about.
The main problem this country is facing now
is restructuring the country. Whatever you are
coming up with, whatever policies and
programs you are coming with, unless you
restructure this country, you are going
nowhere. So let us face the issue facing us.
Whether it is parliamentary, presidential,
whether this section will produce the president
or not, the point we have on the floor here is
look, let’s restructure Nigeria!
What are the benefits of this restructuring?
You want to survive as a country, sense of
belonging; every person will now have a sense
of belonging and brings out his best. The
constituent units will now come out with
programmes, transform their areas just as we
did in the 50s and there will be development
really in all ramifications. When you talk
about development, it includes human
development, economic development,
infrastructure and all that. You cannot do it
under this unitary system. What is the essence
of government, is it not about human
development? You cannot do it unless you
have appropriate structure and that is what
we are saying that the structure is not there,
therefore you are just dancing in a circle.
Is it correct to say that the north is shying
away from restructuring because it involves
resource control which may put them at a
disadvantage?
Yes it involves resource control but they won’t
be disadvantaged. The latent energy is there,
you will be surprised! Even this cattle thing
we are talking about, they will establish
ranches there and we will go there and buy.
They will produce more milk from the cows
which is what Argentina is doing. There are
minerals that are not tapped and so many
things. The point is that each unit will now be
challenged to mobilize its resources and so
on and you will see rapid development in all
dimensions. I have no doubt about that.
Do you know why the South East
Governors have not been having their
meetings for almost two years now?
We have mediated on that. The Igbo leaders
of Thought have gone to see three governors
so far and we made suggestions. This is part
of the disturbing development we are having
and it tells a lot about the qualities and
characters of the present leadership, but we’ve
been appealing to them that it is in their interest
that they meet. Like I said we have gone to
three governors, we have sent letters for
appointment and we are waiting for the other
two. We have gone to three states. We are
waiting for appointments from two.
Did they tell you why they are not meeting?
•Prof Elochukwu
Amucheazi
If you ask Ndigbo to
vote again today and
Jonathan is in the race,
they will vote for him.
Never mind all these
shenanigans. You are
talking about APC and
these, they don’t even
understand
How do you think they will tell me?
What did you deduce from that?
What do you think yourself? I said it shows
the quality of leadership. There maybe one or
two of them that may not cooperate with others,
it is possible. It is unfortunate. If they see
themselves truly as leaders of Ndigbo, they
should know what Ndigbo stand for and want.
People have said some of them are so selfcentred,
they are not really bothered. It’s a pity.
What will you suggest as a way out for them?
We are praying they overcome whatever the
obstacles are and see the wisdom in coming
together.
Based on the alleged marginalization of the
South East by the present administration, do
you think Igbo should regret voting for
Jonathan in 2015?
How can a President have that kind of opinion
if truly he is a president of Nigeria? Did he ever
say that (he will carter for the 95 percent that
voted for him more than the five percent that
didn’t vote for him?) Do you expect every person
to support one particular person? Till tomorrow,
if you ask Ndigbo to vote again today and
Jonathan is in the race, they will vote for him.
Never mind all these shenanigans. You are
talking about APC and these, they don’t even
understand.
Why do you think some people are joining
the APC?
It is understandable. You have to analyse the
characters that are joining APC; they want to
join the government in power. Are they joining
“ Why Igbo
Governors
cannot lead
Ndigbo”
because of Ndigbo, are they there to
defend the interest of IPOB, MASSOB,
the generality of Ndigbo or are they going
because of their personal interest? These
are the issues. It is in their own perception
about themselves in the context of Igbo
interest. All in their personal interests!
These are some of the issues we must think
of. It is freedom of association. If you think
you have electoral value but when the time
comes, some of them may even lose their
wards. If the APC gives the impression
that it is anti-Igbo as symbolized by the
President who described five percent and
95 percent of supporters as the way he is
going to distribute resources, do you think
the people will be quick in supporting
these fellows in spite of all their sermons
and untenable arguments that you just
belong to get your entitlements? Even
some of them who are there what
portfolios were they given, are they really
recognized? Are they really taken
seriously? I was told of one of them who
has been struggling to see the president
and they wouldn’t even allow him and he
is preaching to people that you have to
get there; join for you to belong. You think
these people you are seeking their
friendship don’t know who you are?
What kind of social mobilization do
people need in this political confusion?
What political confusion? It’s all over
the world. You have a foreign system of
government foisted on you; you are being
told you have to learn how to operate the
constitution. That’s why we are confused
between presidential and parliamentary
systems, the electoral system and all kinds
of problem but if we get the structure right,
I can tell you that proper leadership will
emerge and we move forward, there won’t
be that kind of confusion you fear.
Some critics have accused President
Buhari of allegedly fighting corruption
in both the Legislature and the Judiciary
with insecticides but using deodorant to
fight same malaise in the Executive, with
the kid gloves on the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, SGF, and
the EFCC Acting Chairman as
examples. What is your opinion on this?
What is still surprising me is that Magu
is still parading himself as the acting
chairman of EFCC. I am surprised
because if you are not confirmed after six
months in an office, you automatically
cease to retain your position and almost
one year and his papers were thrown out
and so he ought to go. We understand they
have re-submitted the papers but why he
is still there is what I don’t understand.
My own way of looking at it is to ask
whether the government is really fighting
corruption. As I said before, political
corruption is even worse than the so called
economic corruption.
If you look at the appointments Buhari
has made, you will find out that they are
tilted to one side.
In the first 41 appointments made, the
armed forces, security agencies and the
rest of them, do you have any Igbo man
there? So what is corruption then?
Economic corruption is all over the world
particularly in a capitalist system.
Every government fights corruption
and I expected Buhari to evolve a system
of convincing every person that he is really
fighting corruption. Some of his close
aides have been mentioned . We are
watching; Nigeria is watching and the
whole world is watching and that is why
people are not convinced that there is
serious commitment to this fight against
corruption. Look at the problems that we
are now having about the Chief Justice
of the Federation. Few days to the
expiration of his service, people are saying
why should it take this time for his papers
to be forwarded to the Senate?
What message do you think the
President is conveying when he has
travelled severally over medical issues
yet his government discourages
patronage of foreign goods?
Objectively, the President should have
the best treatment. To be honest, the
standard of medicare here is not the same
as that of the countries overseas. I don’t
approve that he should not travel on
medical grounds
But the President pledged to end
medical tourism
Who said he has not shown
commitment? Is it because he went for
treatment overseas? There are still others
going outside to receive treatment even
when they are not presidents. I think we
should be more open-minded in this kind
of a thing.
Do you believe in the think home
imitative for the Igbo?
But it has been there; remember that
the former governor of Anambra State,
Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife has a think
home philosophy estate. Go to the
villages, everybody has a house there;
even those who before did not think about
coming back to the East.
Igbo are cosmopolitan in nature; we
are everywhere in the world but that
doesn’t mean they forget their homes. So
when people talk about think home, they
are saying come and build your factories
here. We accept the country as a nation
and everywhere we are we feel at home
but that doesn’t mean we must all come
home. I wish others will appreciate and
behave like Ndigbo.
You don’t see an Hausa or Yoruba man
owning a house in Enugu but our people
are everywhere. What about all these
multi-nationals that are owned by the
British and the rest, they are also
everywhere.
What about the factories, Dunlop and
the rest, they are owned by foreigners, so
it doesn’t mean you cannot invest
elsewhere but what people are saying is
because of the non- acceptance of Ndigbo,
hostility to Ndigbo, bitterness against
Ndigbo, that in spite of whatever we do,
you discriminate against us, you don’t
give us equal rights and citizenship. Look
at what they did in the census, they
scrapped ethnic identity.
How do you do that kind of a thing? So
you do everything possible to humiliate
and destroy our psyche. That is why we
say, look, stop investing elsewhere come
home and invest.

38—SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
Stories by Moses Nosike
Quality specie of plantain and
banana can make emerging
farmers successful, and they also
have a large local and foreign
market. The plantain thrives under
harsh farming conditions in en
vironment where the quality of soil
is poor. The specie develops bigger
fruits at very low cost, enabling
plantain farmers in these areas to
farm commercially.
Managing Director, Jovana
Farm, Prince Arinze Onnebuna,
said, “In 2010, demand for plantain
increased by 280% and since then
till now the demand has steadily
increased. The increase in demand
has affected the price in Nigeria, and
there is shortage in supply because
farmers are only few growing it.
According to him, plantain
farming is money spinning and at
the same time, can create jobs for
our teaming unemployed youths. We
must look in the direction of
agriculture to solve the challenges
of unemployment in the country,
reduce crime and promote
economic growth.
However, “our concern and efforts
this season is to meet the ever
increasing demand for quality
plantain suckers to enable farmers
produce more. Not only is the
production capacity low, most
plantain farmers are not producing
up to standard. They’re still farming
Group Managing Director/
CEO, Eliel Group of
Companies, Mrs Damilola Adefemi
has urged the Federal Government
to initiate schemes that will provide
shelter for the citizens considering
the country’s growing population.
Speaking with Saturday
Vanguard, Mrs Adefemi said a
subsidiary of the company, Shadop
International Properties Limited
has been encouraging Nigerians in
abroad to invest at home by
acquiring and developing landed
property.
The company which operates in
Nigeria, Ghana, Dubai and US
provides services and consultation
BUSINESS GUIDE
ranging from planning, design,
approvals, construction, renovation,
sales, letting and property facility
management. Its years of integrity
and trust in providing building
services has attracted Nigerians in
diaspora to invest in the country and
many Nigerians abroad are now
owning properties at home while in
the US, Canada, France, UK, etc.
through Shadop International
Properties Limited.
Plantain ain sucker
ers, most t lucrative
aspect of farming
•snail
with poor quality specie of plantain
that is not sustainable”.
“As at the moment, we have huge
orders to supply plantain suckers,
fruits, flour, etc to many farmers and
food processors. This is a huge
supply that has kept us working
harder on ways to meet the demand
because there are not enough
farmers.
When I looked at the capacity of
my farm and the farms we have setup
and the ones we are currently
managing, I see the huge gap
between the quantity buyers need
and what I have. Also not all farms
have what the market needs.
Currently, we have thousands of
Cameroon hybrid plantain and
banana suckers available for sale
to farmers. This is to encourage
more people to venture into
plantain business.
Plantain occupies a strategic
Shadop building dream homes for
Nigerians in diaspora
According to Damilola Adefemi,
“we also help clients determine fair
values for property to be sold or
purchased to ensure proper values
for money spent”.
In addition, Adefemi said, “since
we realised the importance of
investing at home from any part of
the world especially acquisition of
landed properties and development,
Shadop International Properties, a
specialist in building houses for
Nigerians in Diaspora has helped
many of them to think home and
their families with the country
benefiting from such investment”.
So, “we take up the full
responsibility from land acquisition
in viable areas or specific locations
required by our clients and we
provide the necessary designs and
government building approvals and
subsequently develop the properties
according to cash flow pattern and
financial ability of the clients. And
we ensure that our services are
absolutely affordable and cheaper
than other options.
Discussing further on the
position for rapid food production
in Nigeria; it is ranked third among
starchy staple foods. Production still
remains largely in the hands of
small scale producers who, over the
years, have ingeniously integrated
into various cropping systems.
Plantain farming has
tremendously increased the income
of farmers in the last few years,
unlike some other starchy food that
demand tends to fall with rising
income.
In addition, there exists suitable
plantain farming sites in different
parts of the country. As little as one
plot of land or more could be
engaged under small or large scale
farming, while several hectares
have the potential of producing
many tonnes per hectares a year with
the right species of plantain. Our
high-yielding plantain suckers is
creating millionaires.
Plantain suckers are one of the
m o s t
lucrative
aspects of
plantain
farming.
T h e
multiplication
is high as
o n e
mature
plantain
economic value of the company’s service in Nigeria,
Adefemi, said, “we are adding substantial economic
value to Nigeria in terms of shelter by successfully
building houses in various parts of Nigeria for all
Nigerians in diaspora who at one point or the other
had been frustrated and defrauded by friends and
relatives in the course of trying to build houses on
their behalf. These funds are coming from overseas
into the Nigerian real estate sector of the economy
and providing employment for Nigerians and
generating sales to improve the country’s GDP”.
However, because we deliver first class quality
services and we don’t compromise our integrity
because we want to remain on top of real estate
market and competition in Nigeria and beyond, we
work in collaboration with other global property
companies like Damac Properties in Dubai and
Christie’s International. We also work in tandem
with our affiliated companies like Eliel Jerahmeal
Nigeria Limited which handles our construction
works and provide elevators and escalators to
achieve desired results and that empowers us to
deliver as at and when due with same standard as
obtained in other countries we operate”.
Shadop International Properties Limited is a
subsidiary of Eliel Group of Companies and we
solicit that the Federal Government should come
up with schemes that would provide shelter for its
citizens considering the growing population”,
Adefemi said.
Nobel Carpe
pets and Floors partner VConnect on SME
Nigeria’s leading carpets and
floor solutions manufacturer,
Nobel Carpets and floors has once
again shown its commitment to the
development of small and medium
scale enterprises in Nigeria, as it
recently partnered VConnect
Global Services to host the first of
its kind SME conference 1.0 held
recently in Lagos.
The event which brought
together diverse budding
entrepreneurs from different
parts of the country, had
facilitators from Paga,
Businessday, Seedvest, and other
small and medium scale
entrepreneurs in attendance, and
they spoke on topics ranging from
essentials of starting a business to
growing your business, accessing
funds, business partnerships etc.
The General Manager, Nobel
Carpets and Floors, Mr. Jitesh
•Plantain farming is part of agriculture that can benefit investors
Pamnani who spoke at the event, said
that the SME conference 1.0 is a
platform through which the firm
seeks to support and grow small
scale businesses within the country
through knowledge acquisition and
mentoring from established
entrepreneurs.
“As an organization, we desire
to eradicate the challenge of
unemployment and business
failure ravaging our society and
this we plan to achieve through
training and information
gathering platforms such as this
where young minds and start-ups
can have the opportunity to
interact with business leaders,
thereby gain knowledge and
strength needed to keep pursuing
their ideas and growing their
businesses no matter the
challenges that may erupt over
time,” Pamnani said.
Pamnani added that, “with as little
as Thirty thousand naira, individuals
can also become partners with Nobel
Carpets and Floors; and this is no
doubt a viable business opportunity,
as the brand is known, trusted and
accepted across West Africa.”
Pamnani therefore urged the
budding entrepreneurs to remain
focused and open-minded to ideas,
information and opportunities which
are essential for growth and success in
the competitive world of
entrepreneurship.
Also speaking at the event, The
Founder, VConnect Global Services,
Mr. Deepankar Rustagi, stated that the
conference was organized to teach
small and medium scale enterprise
owners on how to have an effective
online presence and how to grow their
businesses online to yield great returns
on investment.
can produce seven suckers or more.
Plantain is a major source of
carbohydrate for many people in
Nigeria. In fact, all stages of the fruits
from immature to overripe are used
as a source of food. The immature
fruits are peeled, sliced, dried and
made into powder and consumed.
The mature fruits are consumed
boiled, steamed, baked, pounded,
roasted, or sliced and fried into
chips. A bunch of plantain cost
between
N1, 000 to N1, 300 depending on
the size and specie.
However, being a perishable food
item, substantial quantities rot away
in a short period after harvest
because farmers plant, harvest and
at the same time flood the markets
with the produce.
Investors can make huge profit by
setting-up a suitable processing
technology to convert plantain into
powder form; as there is a ready
market within and outside Nigeria
for plantain flour.
Choose also the nearest venue from
the advert box in this page
BUSINESS GUIDE
Coca-Cola, World Economic Forum
empower Uyo with $10,000 grant
Coca-Cola, World Economic Forum recently announced Uyo 2016
Winner of the Coca-Cola Shaping a Better Future Grant
Challenge. This competition was an initiative of World Economic Forum
to promote education for sustainable development in communities.
However, the Uyo Hub of the Global Shapers Community would
receive a total of $10,000 grant for its educational project, “Education
for Sustainable Development”. The funding from Coca-Cola would
help build libraries, educational infrastructure for underprivileged
students in the country. Global Shapers seeks to improve infrastructure
in schools, quality training and provide learning tools for education.
Mmanti Umoh of the Uyo Global Shapers Hub, said, “Our hunger for
better education in this state should never stop. We need to be focused to
enable Akwa Ibom students pursue their right to education by eliminating
those barriers facing them and ensuring that activities and programmes
are innovative, evidence-based and sustainable. This is the foundation
that would make Akwa Ibom great and the key ingredient for global
competition. “Education in Akwa Ibom needs to become better to meet
the demands of the global marketplace”.
President, Coca-Cola West Africa, Peter Njonjo, said, “It is exciting to
see young people demonstrate active interest and resourcefulness in
developing innovative solutions for many of the challenges faced by our
communities in Africa. This growing trend of social entrepreneurship is
supported by the Coca-cola company in many ways, and I am particularly
proud that two Global Shapers Hub in West Africa – Ghana and Uyo,
Nigeria were selected as 2016 Winners of the Coca-Cola Shaping a
Better Future Grant Challenge”.

Yinka Kolawole 08023722949
seg_kola@yahoo.com
SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017—39
Elixir Global acquires 100% P&G’s
Ibadan healthcare plant
BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU
Elixir Global Manufacturing
Food Limited, a Nigerian
entity operating under the Chanrai
Summit Group, and a sister company
of Fareast Mercantile Co Ltd, has
made a 100 percent acquisition of the
Procter & Gamble’s Ibadan
Healthcare Plant.
The plant covered by this
transaction produces medicated
throat drops well known and
accepted in the Nigerian market
under the brands Vicks Blue and
Vicks Lemon Plus.
Sivaswami Raghavan, a Director at
Elixir, said that with the acquisition
his company has also obtained the
right to manufacture and sell these
brands within Nigeria and the Sub-
Sahara African markets, in exception
of South Africa, through a Brand
Licensing Agreement, BLA, valid up
to 20 years.
Additionally, the agreement also
confers on the company “the rights
to have these products and its
variants manufactured in other third
party manufacturing locations both
within and outside Africa to meet with
the specific requirements of the large
market that it intends covering over
the brand licensing period,”
Raghavan said.
The purchase of the Ibadan plant
combined with the BLA, gives Elixir
Global a ready made market to
begin with and also provides the
ability to launch both Vicks brands and
other completely new brands in the
large Sub-Saharan African marketplace
including Nigeria.
Khululiwe Mabaso, Head Corporate
Communications/Associate Director,
Procter & Gamble, Sub-Saharan Africa
had this to say on this agreement:
“P&G is delighted to partner with a
local Nigerian party to continue
building the Vicks brand not only in
Nigeria but across many other parts
of Africa.”
Diamond Bank, Jumia Food set to delight customers
Diamond Bank Plc has entered
into partnership with Jumia
Food to delight its customers with
the food they love. The partnership
kicked off with a customer loyalty
campaign to ‘Diamond’s Xclusive’
customers in Lagos and Abuja from
the 19th of January, 2017 for a twomonth
period.
Commenting on the bank’s
decision to embark on the
partnership, Mrs Aishah Ahmad,
Head, Consumer Banking, said, “At
Diamond, we are committed to our
beyond banking ethos which seeks
to integrate banking with our
customers’ lifestyles.
“With this partnership, our
‘Xclusive’ customers will enjoy 30
per cent off their first order on Jumia
Food, giving them access to the
finest cuisines from Nigeria and
across the world via over 200 select
restaurants, delivered to their door”
she said.
Reiterating Aishah, Olamide
Bada, Managing Director of Jumia
Food said: “We recognize Diamond
Bank as a premier financial
institution, often at the forefront of
innovation in order to benefit its
customers. Our common goal is
great customer experience, which
makes this partnership mutually
rewarding”.
‘Unilever committed to Nigeria’s economic growth’
BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU
Unilever Africa President, Mr.
Bruno Witvoet, has said that
the company is committed to actively
contribute to the economy and
growth of the manufacturing sector
in Nigeria.
He said this when the
management of the company visited
Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam
Nasir El-Rufai, where he told the
governor that the company was
ready to enhance the growth of the
manufacturing sector to help grow
the country’s economy.
Witvoet commended the
development strategy of the
Governor of Kaduna State in
ensuring the state is inclusive in
economic growth and socio-economic
transformation which translates into
substantial improvements in the
quality of lives of Kaduna citizens.
He signed a Memorandum Of
Understanding with the governor on
the Kaduna Emergency Nutrition
Action Plan (KADENAP) which is an
initiative championed by the Wife of
L-R: Frank Le Bris, Managing Director, Nigerite Limited; Arc. Adebayo Dipe,
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Lagos State; Dirk Modderman,
Managing Director, Emenite Limited and Banjo Abimbola, Sales Manager,
Nigerite Limited, during the launch of KalsiClad by Nigerite at the company’s
head office in Ikeja, Lagos
the Governor, Hajia Aisha (Ummi)
Garba El-Rufai aimed at tackling
Anaemia/Malnutrition in the
State.
This is in furtherance to the
company’s Sustainability Strategy-
Unilever Sustainable Living Plan
(USLP).
In his response, Governor El-
Rufai commended the company for
their efforts in the sustainable
development of Kaduna State. He
reassured the team of the
government’s assistance whenever
there is an expansion plan within
and outside the state.
Dana bags air crew of the year award
ADana Air crew member, Mrs Joy Odimgba, recently bagged the
Air Crew of the Year award at the Nigeria Aviation Awards held
at Welcome Centre, Airport road Lagos.
Odimgba, while speaking to newsmen after the award said, “I am
delighted to have won the award for Air Crew of the Year and this
underscores the effort we put in daily to ensure that all our guests
enjoy our award-winning hospitality on-board our flights. For us at
Dana Air, our customers come first and we will continue to keep them
smiling at every opportunity.”
She dedicated the award to the entire Dana Air Crew and the
Management for the constant training and retraining while urging
passengers to take advantage of the airline’s customer-centric offers
and rewards.
Already in its 7th year, the Nigerian Aviation Awards is an annual
award put together to recognize excellence in all spheres of the aviation
industry.
FirstBank gets global
brands awards
First Bank of Nigeria limited has
won the “Best Banking Brand,
Nigeria 2016” and “Best Banking
Performer, Nigeria 2016” in the Global
Brands Awards.
The awards are instituted to identify
and recognise the significance of
exceptional service delivery and reward
performance.
According to Global Brands Magazine,
the organizers of the award, the awards
reflect the countless hours of time and
efforts spent by FirstBank employees in
achieving the vision of the company and
making its customers happy.
Group Head, Marketing and Corporate
Communications, First Bank of Nigeria
Limited, Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, in
a statement said: “The awards are a
testament to FirstBank’s unwavering
commitment to put customers first and at
the heart of our business in line with our
‘You First’ mantra. We will always deliver
the ultimate ‘gold standard’ of value and
excellence.
“Our financial services knowledge and
practices lead the market in ensuring that
we understand our customers and surpass
their expectations as we strive for a better
way of delivering first-class service and
experience.”
NETSHOP rakes in
N3m from half year
operation
BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU
NETSHOP, an e-commerce and event
ticketing platform, says it earned
N3million ($6,000) in revenue by selling over
350 items, reached about a million people
and listed over 20 products on its website.
NETSHOP Founder, Ayeni Adekunle,
during the review of the activities of the e-
shop in Lagos, said the platform made
N3million, ($6,000) from its six months of
operation, sold over 350 items, reached about
a million people and listed over 20 products
on its website.
“We are creating opportunities for those
who love entertainment to be able to
conveniently access the products they want;
be it tickets to events, merchandise, books,
and everything else. We wanted to place
entertainment products right where there’s
demand for them - on entertainment platforms
where their consumers come to regularly,” he
said.
The netng has over 20 million users across
our different platforms, so we thought there’s
no better place to discuss, say, a new 2face
Idibia perfume line, a Mercy Johnson hair
product, a Wizkid concert, or a Julius Agwu
book”, he noted.
Usually, most event planners complain of
poor corporate sponsorship with many
artistes unable to go on tours or host their
own shows, while those who do are unable to
sell to their real fans until event day. Events in
Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt are
dominated by “VVIP” tables mostly sold to
corporates and money-bags.
In 2016, that trend changed a bit, with the
coming of platforms like NETSHOP. From
awards, shows to music concerts, over 45
percent of attendees bought their tickets
online, with most of the NETSHOP events
being sold out weeks before D-Day.
As the trend continues, it is evident that
growth opportunities still abound in Nigeria’s
e-commerce sector for content publishers,
particularly platforms that understand
Nigerian entertainment consumers, and that
have direct access to both fans and stars like
NET does.
NET is one of the few media companies
placing a foot in e-commerce, testing the
waters and hoping to develop new business
areas to ensure survival at a time when
advertising revenues continue to dwindle as
seen in Google’s recent decision to pull 1.7
billion ads off its network, he stated.

40—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
*Chibueze
Henry
(Vampire)
REVEALED:
How Vampire
turned prison
officials into
errand boys
•Shocking details of the escape of
notorious kidnap kingpin, serial killer
By Emma Nnadozie,
Crime Editor
The invasion of an Owerri
High Court by a dare-devil
gang of criminals, last
week, and the subsequent rescue
and release of suspected hardened
criminals on trial could aptly be
tagged ‘ The Day of the Jackal’
from the epic thriller novel by
celebrated English writer Frederick
Forsyth. The auguries are hideous
but intriguing.
That penultimate Friday, the
sanctity of the court was wantonly
desecrated by a gang of gun-toting
young men who stormed the
premises in a commando-like
manner, shooting from all fronts.
At the end of the barely 30
minutes operation, two persons lay
dead. Many people, including
prison officials were seriously
injured. The invading criminals
succeeded in escaping with their
booty which turned out to be the
dreaded and highly prized kidnap
kingpin and acclaimed serial killer,
Henry Chibueze alias Vampire.
The notorious criminal, Henry, 30,
from Nwangele LGA in Imo state,
for long, bestrode the criminal
scene in Nigeria like a colossus.
In fact, his exploits and successes
have continued to baffle and taunt
security officials even after he was
caged and kept in the cooler
awaiting trial in Owerri prison.
Before his arrest early 2016 by
operatives of the Department of
Security Services, DSS, Vampire
was terrorizing both the Eastern,
Southern and Western parts of the
country unhindered. He was
notorious for killing his victims after
collecting ransom.
The chilling bloody account of his
operation in Lagos on February 16,
2013, still remains a red dot in
security circles. It was a day he
stormed the home of his girlfriend,
Sandra Ijedinma at Igando area of
Lagos with an AK47 assault rifle
and opened fire on everyone
present in the apartment, killing
his girlfriend, her elder sister,
Praise Ozor and her two children.
Not satisfied, Vampire proceeded
to a nearby street where one of the
elder sisters to Sandra resided and
killed the woman and three of her
children before fleeing from the
He capitalized on the
porosity of security in
the prisons and
turned himself into the
‘Lord of the Manor’ –
no thanks to gullible
officials of the prisons
scene.
Days after perpetrating the evil,
filled with vulgar obscenities and
crude hoopla of the wantonly selfobsessed
ragamuffin, Vampire still
continued threatening to eliminate
other remaining members of the
family who had no option than to
re-locate to an unknown place. His
grouse was simply that the
girlfriend and members of her family
vehemently rejected his continued
relationship with Sandra after
discovering his deep involvement in
crime. The whereabouts of the
fleeing members of Sandra’s family
still remain unknown till date as
efforts they made to be protected by
security agencies failed.
However, while security agents
spread their dragnets in search of the
fleeing butcher in Lagos and
environs, Vampire regrouped with
his gang in Imo state and they
coordinated several kidnappings in
the South East and South- South
areas of the country. At the last
count, he was reputed to have
kidnapped no fewer than 200
persons, killing most of his victims
including the wife of a royal father
in Imo state and an official of the
state Environmental Transformation
Commission which yielded him
about N5million in ransom. It was
gathered that anti-kidnapping team
from police headquarters in Abuja
had cause to place a huge ransom
on his head after combing virtually
all the nooks and crannies of the
criminal hideouts in the country
searching for the highly prized
criminal kingpin without success.
Luck, however ran against him
when he attempted to kidnap the
tribunal Judges handling Election
Petition in Imo state, at their lodge
in Disney Hotels, along Onitsha-
Owerri Road when operatives of the
DSS, acting on a tip-off swooped on
him. He managed to escape with
bullet wounds and relocated to the
house of his elder brother in Ohafia,
Abia State to treat himself when men
of the secret police eventually
apprehended him. He was
subsequently taken to court and
remanded in Owerri Central Prison.
While in the prison, Vampire,
Continues on page 41

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017—41
Kidnapping is no longer a lucrative
business in Abia State— CP Leye
In the past, Abia state was well known for
kidnapping that ravaged the area. It was
notorious with big names in the kidnapping
world like late Osisikankwu, who held sway in
the entire length and breadth of the state and
beyond until the long arms of the law caught up
with him. However, after his demise, there were
pockets of kidnappings. But the police helmsman
in the state, Leye Oyebade has vowed that it is no
longer going to be business as usual. He spoke
with our Crime Editor, Emma Nnadozie recently,
in Umuahia.
Excerpts;
How we are fighting crime in Abia
When I came on board as the commissioner
of Police, Abia State, I rolled out a mission
statement and a strategy to follow it with a view
to ensuring that we bring crime and criminality
to a tolerable level. And it is that agenda that
I’m still following. I said then that we needed to
combat headlong, heinous crimes such as
kidnapping, child trafficking, armed robbery,
cultism and the rest. So, we have been able to
get the crime pattern and the trend of crime for
each area of the state. After we have segmented
it, we now devised a strategy to deal with these
diverse crimes that are prevalent in the areas. To
carry out his task, the government set up
Conflicts Resolution Committee which I headed
and the committee will be replicated in all the
areas. If you go to Bende, Arochukwu and
Uzuakoli local government area councils where
clash between farmers and herdsmen is
prevalent, we put mobile men on red alert and
position them where the two sides are aware
that mobile men are there. These are the
preventive measures we have been able to adopt
before we now engaged them on dialogue. You
know the youths can be restive, but anytime they
want to agitate, we use the Eminent Persons
Forum, EPF, which the Inspector -General of
Police has put in place to interface with them.
Before they set out to fight, we would call the
community leader and invite the youths and
everything would be resolved. That’s why by the
grace of God, we have not had anything like
herdsmen over running the state. When it comes
to kidnapping, we know the areas where this is
prevalent. When you go to Aba, we set up our
own intelligent network to know their modus
operandi, their timing and escape route. They
monitor us but we go ahead of them before they
strike. So, we have been able to arrest them
before they struck on three or four occasions.
And when I paraded them, this is a signal to
others that kidnapping is no longer a
lucrative business in Abia State. They now
know that the probability of the police
arresting them is very high and no criminal
wants to be arrested. That has really helped
us
Ċultism
Coming to cultism, we found out that so
many of our graduates are really into
cultism and drug abuse. Let me be specific,
we monitored a syndicate that would come
from Akwa Ibom to steal vehicles in
Umuahia especially on weekends and had
their receivers in Akwa Ibom. When they
came, we already knew their route. We
arrested some of them and kept on picking
other members of the syndicate who were
at large. Our investigation showed that 80%
of them are graduating students of Michael
Okpara University. That was a worrisome
trend and our strategy is to reach out.
Among the EPF, we have religious bodies.
So, we now started sensitizing and
counselling them. We call it campus
outreach. On such occasions at Abia
Polytechnic, about 35 students renounced
cultism. When we went there, we partnered
with religious bodies and we were following
them up. When they were having their
students summit at the university, I went
there and used the opportunity to talk to
them. The Bible says the people perish for
lack of knowledge. Some of them do not
know why they are joining these cult groups.
It gives us the opportunity to bring cultism
to a manageable level.
Armed robbery
When you talk of armed robbery, the
strategic location of our Safer High Way
Vehicles gives us the opportunity to manage
crimes on our highways. When I came on
board, we had challenges at Ogonabo, but
strategically, I had to change some officers
there, the DPO and the management of that
axis and we have been able to fortify that.
We also relocated the positioning of the
vehicle because we now noticed that in
places where we have bad roads, especially
when you are getting to our boundary with
River State, that is where these boys will go
and hide in the night when vehicles are
coming early in the night or morning and
come out to rob them. We now noticed
that and stationed our Safer High
Way vehicles there and
stopped their excesses. We
also stationed our vehicles
in our exit route with
Enugu State where there
are bad roads because
that is where they do come
out. So, it’s just to study the
pattern and trend of crime
and manage it because
criminals don’t want to be
caught. .
Synergy at work
Last Christmas and
during the New Year
celebration, we had many
Abians who came home and our intelligence
network was very helpful. We also synergized
with other security agencies as no man is an
island and nobody has monopoly of
knowledge. We share information vertically
and horizontally with our sister security
agencies and this has been working for us.
This was what happened during the last
election. We have involved members of
the public in combating crimes in Abia
State. We have been able to do what we
call “Assurance Policing”. I went round
all the media station to assure members
of the public that we are here to serve
them and to protect their interest. On
each of these occasions when I go for
these programmes, they do have phone –
in-programme. We have contributions
from members of the public and our phone
numbers have been circulated. I also have
dedicated numbers I give out to Abians
anywhere I attend a public function. That
one is to enable them send text messages
directly to me. The way we manage
information has really been very helpful.
Building confidence in the police
I must also say that building confidence in
our police officers has also helped us. We have
been giving encouragement to them, building
capacity for them, tutoring them on arms
handling and repositioning of men on
assignment especially when we asked them
CP, Leye Oyebade
to do “Operational Stop and Search” since
we know that we don’t have road blocks
Government assistance
I must also say that during election,
government assisted by giving us some
equipment since communication is the key.
So, the communication gadgets that were
given including 198 walking talkies have
really boosted our communication skills
and I can communicate with my men more
effectively from my office.
Policing black spots
We have areas we call flash points or
black spots; these are areas where
notorious gangs want to dominate. The
flash points that we know, we burst
them. There is a place called dustbin.
Members of a robbery syndicatewould
enter vehicle to Aba unknown to
unsuspecting drivers, motor boys and
passengers and somewhere along the
way they pull out their guns and rob
the passengers. In that instance, what
we did was to change our modus
operandi and we were able to
apprehend membersof that syndicate.
We also arrested those who specialized
in “one chance”,as well as those who
were stealing vehicles. . Their receiver
was also arrested in Akwa Ibom. This
was made possible because of long
term intelligence gathering on them.
Shocking details of the escape of notorious kidnap kingpin, serial killer
Continues from page 40
unfortunately, continued with his
criminal exploits unhindered. He
capitalized on the porosity of security
in the prisons and turned himself into
the ‘Lord of the Manor’ – no thanks to
gullible officials of the prisons. He
reportedly converted some serving
officials of the prison and formed a new
gang inside while awaiting trial. One
of the officials identified as Chukwuma
Agim allegedly assembled a six-man
gang headed by one Chiboy also known
as Ezekudele and they carried out
several operations in Imo state aimed
at raising funds for Vampire’s freedom.
In one of the operations, they abducted
a middle-aged woman and got a ransom
of N5m but after the operation,
operatives of the Inspector-General of
Police Special Intelligence Response
Team, IRT, headed by indefatigable
Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP,
Abba Kyari, succeeded in rounding up
five members of the gang , including
the prison official various parts of Imo
state.
Surprisingly, that did not deter the rot
and connivance of other prison officials
in Owerri as they continued to aid and
abet not only Vampire but other dreaded
criminals inside the prisons. Crime
Guard learned that the invasion of the
The CG of Prisons, Ahmed Ja'afaru (in mufti) being welcomed at Owerri
Prison.
court was planned and executed inside
the prisons by new members of the gang
in connivance with some officials of
Owerri Central Prison. Feelers
revealed that both Vampire and other
hardened criminals awaiting trial in the
prison had virtually turned officials of
the prison into errand boys. The
prisoners are known to have free
access to all communication gadgets
including laptops, assorted highwired
telephones etc. In fact, it was
revealed that robbery and kidnapping
operations are freely planned and
perfected inside the prison after which
members of the gang outside would
execute the operations and deliver
proceeds to their gang leaders
awaiting trial. Most of the time,
they have evening rendezvous inside
the prison where they review their
exploits in the full glare of officials
of the prison officials said to be ready
to do their bidding for a fee.
On the day of the attack inside
Owerri High Court, sources said only
five officials of the prison
accompanied about 50 awaiting trial
inmates to the court without
handcuffs. The suspects were left
under one shade inside the court
instead of being locked up in the cells
provided inside there. People were
freely allowed to mingle with them
and that was why the gangsters that
earlier arrived the court in an SUV
capitalized on the security lapses and
struck.
Eyewitnesses said as soon as they
swung into action by releasing volley
of bullets in a staccato manner, one
of them quickly handed over an AK47
assault rifle to their mentor, Vampire
who tuned into Rambo and perfected
what he knows how to do better.
They all shot their way to freedom and
even forced other awaiting trial inmates
to join them in escaping from the
scene. While the shooting raged,
sources said the Commissioner of
Police, Imo state; Taiwo Lakano was
forced to rush to the scene with his
personal aids and engaged the
rampaging criminals in a fierce battle.
Unfortunately, they disappeared from
the scene without trace. Their escape
has placed all the security agencies in
the country on red alert and feelers from
Force headquarters, Abuja indicated
that all units involved in chasing
criminals have been mobilized and
directed to swing into action with a view
to arresting the fleeing Vampire and
members of his gang.

42—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
•Suspects
How we killed Custom
officer in Lagos—Suspects
BY IFEANYI OKOLI
When the lifeless body of an
Assistant Superintendent of
Custom, ASC, Aliyu Adamu,
was found with bullet wounds at a spot
close to the Tin-Can Island Port, Second
Gate, on Thursday December 22, 2016,
many thought that the middle-aged
officer may have been assassinated,
given the sensitive nature of his position
at the Nigeria Customs Service.
But investigations, launched by
operatives of the Inspector General of
Police Special Intelligence Response
Team, IRT, has revealed that, ASC
Adamu, was murdered by a gang of
armed robbers after snatching from him
a bag he was carrying which was
believed to have contained a huge
amount of money.
The Public Relations Officer at the Tin-
Can Island Command of the NCS, Mr.
Uche Ejieseme, had disclosed in
December, 2016, that the officer, who
until his death, was attached to the
‘Ashaye‘ exit gate of the port, was killed
at about 10pm on his way home after
work. The Command spokesman also
said that it was not clear whether the
killing was an act of armed robbery or
assassination.
According to him; “the officer was
blocked while he was on a motorcycle
around National Filling station close to
Tin-Can. The late officer had a little
scuffle with the assailants as they
attempted to snatch his bag”.
Vanguard gathered that the Inspector
General of Police, Idris Ibrahim, swiftly
deployed his operatives at the IRT to trail
and apprehend all the suspects involved
in the killing when he received reports
on the death of the custom officer.
Sources disclosed that a mobile phone
belonging to the deceased officer was
trailed to Tolu area of Ajegunle and
found on one Lucky Williams who
eventually confessed during
interrogation to have taken part in the
operation.
His arrest also led to the arrest of a
clearing and forwarding agent,
Humphrey Aimodu, operating mainly
at Tin-Can Island Port and who was
said to have been the mastermind of
the robbery as he worked closely with
the the custom officer. Four others
arrested with him were identified as
Fayero Egbato, Bolaji Taiwo, Samuel
Akinjoye and Abraham Lots.
I told the boy to rob, not to kill him
—clearing agent
When Vanguard interviewed one of
the suspects, Aimodu, the clearing and
forwarding agent, he confessed that he
only contracted the robbers to rob the
custom officer and not to kill him,
adding that he told the boys not to use
guns while robbing the officer. The 33-
year-old suspect, who is a native of Edo
State explained that he was only trying
to raise some money to celebrate the
While we waited, Humphrey
informed us that the man
was coming, so I alerted
Lucky, Bolaji, Ibro and
Ochuko, who attacked the
man. But before I got to
where they were, I heard a
gun shot. I didn’t know that
the man was killed
last Christmas season. According
to him “It all started on December
20, 2016, five days to Christmas
and I was having a conversation
with one of my colleagues, Edet
Bassy, a clearing agent and I told
him how broke I was since we
weren’t working the way we used
to as the price of dollar has
affected the volume of
importation. I told him I had no
money to celebrate the Christmas
with my family and he suggested
we could rob ASC Aliyu working
at the second gate, where he
checked and signed clearing
documents. He told me that the
man normally took N8million
home everyday as he had been
monitoring the officer for a long
time. He also said that sometimes,
he observed that the man would
changes the money to dollar so
that it would be easy for him to
carry. He told me that he could
not do the job because the man
knew him while I also told him
that the man knew me as well.
We then agreed that I should
arrange some boys from the
outside who would do the job. I
later called one of my friends
known as Samson, an Ilaje boy
who was living in Tolu area of
Agegunle and was familiar with
bad boys operating around Tolu.
He then linked me with one
Abraham Lots, who he said could
do the job. By the evening of the
following day, Lots sent two of his
boys to me and asked me to take
them to the gate where the officer
was working. I took them there
and showed them the man. After
some hours they told us that they
could not carry out the operation
as they weren’t fully
prepared. Then I told
them not to use guns
whenever they wanted to
rob the man. On 22
December, around 9pm
they called me saying
they had robbed the man
and I should meet them
in Adidas field Tolu.
When I got there I saw
more than eight persons
and I learnt that there was
a gun shot. When I asked
why they shot the man
they told me that the man
tried to struggle with
them when they wanted to
snatch the bag and they
shot him on the leg. When
they opened the bag I saw
N500,000 and I took
N50,000. The next day I
heard that the custom
officer was dead and he
was killed by armed
robbers. I sensed trouble
and I stopped going to
work. Then on December
28, 2016, Samson called
me and said some of the
boys who carried out the
robbery have been
arrested by the police and
he said I should not go to
Tin-Can that the police
would be looking for me.
I went back home and
moved my wife and
children to Mowe Ibafo
where I was eventually
arrested on January 2017.
It was devil that led me
into this”, he lamented.
How we carried out the
operation—Akinjoye
Narrating how they
carried out the robbery
and the eventual killing of
ASC Aliyu, Samuel
Akinjoye, a 36-year-old
native of Ilaje Local Government Area
of Ondo State, said “I am a local
fisherman and I am also into oil
bunkering and that was where I met
Lucky. I stayed in Mogaji area of
Ajegunle with my wife and children.
Abraham Lots, who we normally call
Ibro, called me and told me about the
job, then I called my friend Lucky and
we all met Samson who gave us three
days to do the job and I told them that
I do not have a gun. When they took
us to the man, I discovered that we
could not rob the man without a gun.
The following day, Lucky brought one
Bolaji who had a gun and I took them
to Samson and Lots but they told us
not to kill the man, that we should just
collect the money from him. I was
asked to get a motorcycle while Lucky
and Bolaji should get a speed boat
which we would use to escape. I took
the bike to second gate and Humphrey
asked us to wait for the man. While we
waited, Humphrey informed us that the
man was coming, so I alerted Lucky,
Bolaji, Ibro and Ochuko, who attacked
the man. But before I got to where they
were, I heard a gun shot. I didn’t know
that the man was killed.”
Why the deceased was shot
—William
In his own account, Lucky William,
29-year-old native of Cross River state
who snatched the bag containing the
money from the custom officer said,
“when we held the man he was
struggling with us and wanted to fight
everyone. Bolaji was the one holding
the gun and I didn’t know what came
over him before he shot the man who
then released the bag immediately. I
ran with the bag and we all escaped
through the waters to Tolu where we
shared the money in the bag. I also
got N50,000 as my share” he stated.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017—43
Bishop Chioma
Grace Dauji
By Ebun Sessou &
Jumoke Kolawole
Bishop Chioma Grace Dauji, is the
founder of Amazing Grace
Pentecostal Church Worldwide and the
CEO of Great Life Changer Foundation
International. She is an influential woman
of God and an excellent proof of the
unlimited capability and potentials of a
woman. She celebrated her birthday
recently. In this interview, the Bishop speaks
on how she started her ministry with “Area
Boys”.
How did you start your ministry?
It started at Ojuelegba roundabout as an
NGO with some “Area boys” (miscreants).
I also worked with some less privileged
persons, the bus drivers, the drug addicts,
smokers and I later went to Ayilara to
preach to the prostitutes. That was how the
ministry started.
How will you explain the mission and
vision of the church?
Our main vision is to bring together the
How I started my
ministry with ex-convicts,
‘area boys’ – Bishop Dauji
Women know how to
handle things better
than men when it
comes to dealing with
people
less privileged, to evangelize and present a
visible demonstration of the love and power of
God in line with God’s plan for mankind with
the message of salvation, hope and revival.
The mission of the church is to teach the
undiluted life-changing and profitable word
of God to the people, to bring people to the
knowledge of God in order for them to
realize their divinely ordained destiny. To
establish and run rehabilitation centers,
orphanages, schools and such other
educational, social and spirit filled centers.
To educate and empower members to improve
their general well-being, to raise
missionaries who will take the message of
salvation to all corners of the world
according to the biblical great
commission as well as strengthen
Christian marriages and families.
What are the challenges of being
a female Bishop?
There are lots of challenges I had
faced in the past. As an African, it is a
taboo for a female to be a Bishop but
I am not discouraged. I stay focused.
As a Christian, I have a convincing
call from God. If you know what God
has called you for, it is important to
work towards it without any
challenge.
Unfortunately, people believe that
women should be seen but not heard
but by the grace of God I have passed
that level.
Any regret so far?
I don’t have any regret. But I have
been highly challenged in this
ministry in so many ways. There were
times where evangelism turned to
abuses, however, it is part of the
challenges.
...And your moments of joy?
The moment I appreciated most in
the ministry was when a sick person
was brought to the church. He was
brought without any help not even a
member of his family was around to
take care of him. They thought he would
die but with prayer and fasting he was
brought to life. Another moment was
when an ex-convict, a notorious armed
robber was brought to the Church. It
was a difficult decision to take care
of him but I thank God that I did what
was right by admitting him with all
his many challenges. Today, he is
doing well and I am happy.
How do you cope with your male
pastors?
Although, it has been challenging
with the men in the ministry but they
understand the vision and mission of
the church and they know that I am
not doing anything without God’s
guidance. As Africans, men would
want to take you for granted but my
male pastors have been encouraging.
I stand as a mother, I don’t look down
on them, I respect them a lot and we
work as a team.
What are the achievements of the
church?
There have been tremendous
achievements. The ministry started 20
years ago. Those who were
worshiping at Ikoyi, Badagry, Kirikiri
Female prison can testify to the
achievements. Whenever, a prisoner
was released, he or she was integrated
into the ministry. Some years ago,
Lagos State Government gave me 90
armed robbers to mentor them.
Today, these armed robbers are
converted.
We are also identifying with the
grassroots by way of sport (football).
The ministry also sponsors youths
education. We have sponsored seven
youths to higher institutions, and
twenty-seven into secondary schools.
God has been helping us. Presently,
the ministry empowers about one
thousand widows every month and we
take care of them.

44—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
Immediately Stephen Keshi got
the Eagles coaching job in
November 2011 there were two
people he searched for. They were
Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and Noel
Okorougo.
I joined in the search and led him
to Okorougo's house in Asokoro,
Abuja. Noel lives in Geneva,
Switzerland but had a house in
Abuja. He held useful talks with
Chief Okorougo. Abdulrahman was
not in the country at that time, and
Keshi had to schedule a meeting for
another time.
Why was he looking for these
gentlemen?
Keshi had been around long
enough in Nigerian football to
know who could help him
succeed. There are
people who always do
a lot behind the scene.
They are not loud.
They work silently and
achieve results that
many would attribute
to some “noise
makers.”
Noel was the sports
financier who also
marketed Nigeria
to earn a fat Nike
contract shortly after
the USA '94 World
Cup. But he did a lot
more for Nigerian
football behind the
scene. Many players at
that time would easily
attribute their success to
the leads Noel exposed
them to.
Abdulrahman was
another silent worker. He is
a Nigerian whose
knowledge of the game is
tremendous, and whose passion
and support for football know no
bounds.
•Abdulrahman
Abdulrazaq
Abdulrahman's
birthday
presentation
•With Late Uche Okafor
•Abdulrahman with Jay Jay Okocha
•With Onochie Anibeze
How many people know that he
set up Abuja FC sponsored by
EFCC?
Imet Abdulrahman in January
1998 in Burkina Faso while
covering the Nations Cup. He wore
a Nigerian track suit at the VIP Box
in one of the matches. His attire
attracted me. Who could this be, I
asked? Nigeria was serving the ban
for refusing to play in the 1996
edition in South Africa. World hero
Nelson Mandela had condemned
Nigeria's General Sani Abacha for
executing Ken Saro-Wiwa and the
diplomatic impasse that followed
led Abacha to pull Nigeria out of
the competition that the country was
the defending champion, having
won the last tournament in Tunisia
in 1994.
So I was surprised to see a
Nigerian who came to watch the
Nations Cup that Nigeria was not
part of. He must love the game. I
approached him, and we discussed.
It did not take a long time for me to
note the passion in him.
He was also at France '98 World
Cup, but my trips to different cities
of France in pursuit of stories did
not make it possible for us to meet.
But in the next Nations Cup
competition, he served as a pundit
for Vanguard and his points made
interesting reading. From Nations
Cup to European Championships
and to the World Cups and Olympic
Games Abdulrahman moves
around with a bubbling enthusiasm
for sports. And he supports sports
men and women in various ways.
Little wonder Keshi searched for him
as when it is about sports he gives it
his all.
Tomorrow is February 5,
Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq's
birthday that usually falls in the thick
of the Africa Nations Cup. And the
Eagles usually celebrate with him
as some pf the pictures here show.
•Abdulrahman ( right ) watches as
Late Stephen Keshi, Amodu Shaibu,
Uche Okafor and another friend
mark his birthday in Mali
Rather than discuss his life on his
birthday, this son of the famous
Abdulrazaq, a first republic minister
from Kwara, was as usual, talking
sports yesterday, espousing his longheld
view that “Sports can be better
in Nigeria if the government decides
to prepare the grounds for its
development. The private sector
would be attracted later, but the
enabling environment must first be
there.” More excerpts:
INFRASTRUCTURE
We have villages, towns, Local
Government Areas, etc. How many
play grounds do we have in these
areas? If every Local Government
tries to develop one playground (not
necessarily stadium) you can't
believe what can come up from that
level. Just a play ground with a
soccer pitch and one track field.
When we have that, we will be
developing the culture of sports.
Those who can can afford it may
include multipurpose court. You
can't have such infrastructure and
talents don't spring up from such
places.
SCHOOLS
The Ministry of Education should
ensure that schools develop sports
facilities. These were in our schools
before. How can we have schools
without sports grounds? The schools
remain the best grounds to discover
and begin to nurture sports
potentials. Sports may not develop
if the Ministry of Sports does not
have some synergy with the Ministry
of Education. They must see the
reason to work together for sports
development. The sports ministry
should know the programmes in
schools so that they can send coaches
to scout for talents. Our tertiary
institutions must begin to do sports
again and award sports
scholarships to deserving students.
COMPETITIONS
Competitions are important from
the local government areas to
schools and zones. Ministry of
Education must organise
competitions among schools in the
zones and the state. The Ministry of
He is a Nigerian
whose knowledge
of the game is
tremendous, and
whose passion and
support for football
know no bounds
•Amodu Shaibu and other friends
marking Abdulrahman’s birthday
Sports can support with technical
hands and send coaches to scout for
talents. The schools will remain the
base for any sports revolution we
intend to carry out if the government
decides to develop sports and make
it an industry. Some residential
estates should be encouraged to
develop playgrounds too. They can
afford them. It is just that we have
not started developing such a sports
culture. With infrastructure comes
talent hunting and nurturing.
School competitions will be there,
but there should be a big National
School Sports Festival like they
have in Jamaica. Whoever wins any
event in such a competition is likely
to be a national and international
star. Many of the top athletes from
Jamaica were champions of the
school sports competitions. Usain
Bolt is a product of the school
competition. Same with Powell and
many others. In America, it is the
Collegiate system. The universities
are the grounds where stars are
made. We can develop a good
structure that makes competitions
classy from the zones to the school
games and at the universities. That
way, we can have local champions
and elite athletes who can be world
champions.
PROFESSIONAL LEVEL
At the professional level (if there's
anything like that in Nigeria) our
pro league clubs are still running
without feeder teams, teams that
should be playing their own league.
It can be worked out. Players and
coaches need to be on contracts, and
such contracts must be respected.
Our clubs can be better run. Club
base is important. We have the
population for the homes of our
clubs to support them massively like
they do in Europe and other places.
There should be ways of enriching
the clubs and making them more
viable. Something must be done to
officiating. Recently, things
appeared to have improved, but we
can still do better. We still need
facilities and good pitches in our
stadia.
When we have top athletes that
companies would want to identify
with, then sponsorship will impact
positively. When we have athletes the
corporate bodies can sponsor and
benefit from the visibility such
would expose them to; I bet you
many companies would want to
come into sports. Some may even
want to invest in the development
and not just promotion of sports if
the bright prospects are there.
The government must think of
ways to fund sports. The National
Lottery is one, but they are not taking
it seriously. It generates so much
money in Britain and other places. I
think that we have the potential to
be a big sports country, but the
government must lead the way for
the private sector to follow. This is
my position for our sports.”
Well said Abdulrahman. I wish you
many happy returns. Happy
Birthday, sir!

In Libreville, Gabon, where
I am writing this piece
from, we are just a day
from knowing who will be the
champion of the 31st edition of
the Africa Cup of Nations.
It has been an educative three
weeks in this central African
country, which has more
foreigners
than it does
citizens, who
have been
less than
interested in
t h e
tournament.
And not just
for the
reason that
the national team, ‘Les
Panthers’ (The Panthers), did
not reach its knockout stages.
As I do not need to remind
any Nigerian, the Super Eagles
are the most notable absentees
from this tournament, as they
were from the one before it, in
Equatorial Guinea.
It is a fact that colleagues
from every part of the continent
have never failed to remind me
of, since I got here. Their
painful jibes, about
Nigeria’sfour-year absence
(which will, hopefully, end in
2019) from the Africa Cup of
Nations, do not fail to grate.
But the ones that were the
hardest to swallow were from a
person very familiar to
Nigerians – Cameroon’s
Joseph-Antoine Bell, the
former Marseille and Saint
Etienne goalkeeper, who won
the Cup of Nations with the
Indomitable Lions in 1984, in
Cote D’Ivoire and four years
later in Morocco – both at
Nigeria’s expense.
Bell is working as a
tournament match analyst for
A Nations Cup encounter
with ‘Jojo' Bell
Radio France International
(RFI).
“Jojo,” as he is fondly known,
was with me in in Franceville,
where we both watched the very
terse quarter-finalbetween his
country and Senegal's Lions of
Teranga, which took a penalty
shootout to resolve, in his
country’s favour.
After the match ended, we sat
together in the shuttle bus that
took us back to Franceville
Bell
airport, in order to catch my 1am
flight back to Libreville.
"Jojo” began to boast that
Cameroon, with just two points
in the final round of 2018 World
Cup qualifiers, while Nigeria's
Super Eagles have SIX - will
still snatch the ticket.
He began to remind me of
how many times Nigeria has
been bested by Cameroon. The
great Roger Milla, who was also
in the bus, smiled as Bell talked.
This bus was full of
Cameroonians,
including former Real
Madrid player
GeremiNjitap,
excitedly listening to
all Bell said, in English
and French. (He speaks
both languages
excellently).
Senegal's El
HadjiDiouf, who was
still feeling the pain of
the defeat to Cameroon,
was in the bus too, poor
chap. The embrace that
Milla gave him was
little consolation.
SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017 — 45
Besides myself, Colin Udoh–
who needs no introduction - was
the only other Nigerian in the
bus. But Colin decided to keep
quiet, while Nigeria's football
honour was under attack and
being rubbished by Jojo.
But I could not be quiet and I
had to answer back. The
disrespect to Nigeria was too
much to swallow.
"Yes, you have beaten us in
three AFCON final games," I
told Jojo.
"But you know, very well, that
only your victory in 1984 was
clean.
“The second, at Morocco
1988, we were cheated. Roger
[Milla] tricked the referee
(Idrissa Saar of Mauritania) into
giving him a fake penalty. And
the clean goal of Henry Nwosu
was disallowed as being
offside," I told him.
"As for the 2000 Nations Cup,
the Tunisian referee
(MouradDaami) denied us a
penalty goal that Victor Ikpeba
scored. We have been cheated
many times in the AFCON
final,” I reminded Bell.
"We are in the World Cup
qualifying driving seat now and
you will never take over. We beat
Zambia away and Zambia
disgraced you at home. And we
will do the same to you," I said
to him.
But Jojo did not let up, telling
me that Nigerian players
always tremble when they face
the Indomitable Lions and they
will never get over this mental
block.
“Any time Nigeria face
Cameroon, they are scared.
They have an inferiority
complex that they cannot
overcome and we are going to
use that to beat your team, at
home,” Jojo said.
That was a stinging insult to
Nigeria, which I was certainly
not going to let go. "August will
soon be here and you shall see,"
I told him.
Let anyone tell me that
football is just an ordinary game
or that national pride and
honour is not at stake, when
games are played.
The Nigeria Football
Federation - and Amaju Pinnick
particularly - better not tell me
- or any Nigerian for that matter,
any cock and bull story about
Russia 2018. We MUST be
there.
After failing to qualify for two
successive AFCON finals – our
worst period since making our
debut, at the 1976 finals in
Ethiopia - and with none of
Nigeria's teams, including the
U-20 and U-17 teams - playing
in any African or FIFA
competition this year, Nigeria
and Nigerians have suffered
enough football humiliation.
I believe that with the players
Nigeria now have and with the
serious-minded coach that we
also have, in Gernot Rohr, we
shall beat Algeria and
Cameroon to the ticket - AS
LONG AS THE NFF DO THEIR
PART and ensure the coach and
players are given what is
required to deliver.
What happens if we don’t
qualify? Let’s not even think
about that... Failure is not an
option for Nigeria.There will be
no place in Nigeria that will be
big enough to hide Pinnick and
the current NFF board, should
we fail to get to Russia.
A six-year absence from
competitive international
football, for the Super Eagles –
which will happen, if we do not
make it to the 2018 World Cup
finals - is a possibility that
cannot be contemplated.
Arsenal partner MTN Nigeria
Arsenal partner MTN Nigeria
Arsenal Football Club have
entered into a partnership
with MTN, Nigeria’s largest
mobile network operator. MTN will
become Arsenal’s Official Mobile
Telecommunications Network
partner in Nigeria.
The partnership will see MTN offer
a number of exclusive Arsenal
related benefits to the club’s large
following in Nigeria as well as to
MTN’s vast subscriber base. MTN
will offer its customers access to a
range of match and player exclusive
content including match highlights,
club news, interviews and club
imagery.
Through Arsenal’s digital platforms,
MTN will also be able to
engage directly with supporters in
Nigeria. Promotional and marketing
activities featuring Arsenal first-team
players and club legends will further
enhance MTN’s engagement with
Arsenal supporters. Arsenal will also
send specialist coaches to undertake
annual coaching clinics as part of
MTN’s marketing activities in
Nigeria.
Arsenal has fantastic support in
Nigeria, with the club’s largest
website traffic outside the UK coming
from the country. In addition to
this, the club’s second highest
number of digital members and third
largest Twitter following comes from
Nigeria.
Arsenal’s Chief Commercial Officer,
Vinai Venkatesham, said: “Arsenal
has huge support in Nigeria, in part
due to Kanu Nwankwo and the
recent emergence of Alex Iwobi into
the first team. This partnership with
MTN will really help us engage with
these passionate fans on a regular
and personal basis. We are expecting
MTN’s Arsenal exclusive content to
be very popular among our support-
ers, as well as followers of football
generally. This is our second regional
partnership in Nigeria and fifth in
Africa. It really underlines our
commitment and the level of support
we have on the continent.”
Also speaking on the partnership,
MTN’s General Manager, Consumer
Marketing, Richard Iweanoge said
that the partnership is another way
MTN is connecting
with the
passion of
Nigerians.
Sanchez
kloss
Adidas tasks athletes on creativity
Adidas has unveiled a glo
bal campaign underlining the
brand’s aggressive pursuit for creativity
to push the boundaries of
sport.
The new campaign, titled “Unleash
Your Creativity,” is told
through a female athlete’s lens and
stars supermodel Karlie Kloss,
Hannah Bronfman, Robin Arzon,
WNBA All-Star Candace Parker
and soccer star, Becky Sauerbruns.
“Like this campaign, creativity enables
me to accomplish more and
follow my passions. It is inspiring
to work alongside this incredible
group of women and help each other
achieve our personal goals,” said
Karlie Kloss.
“Unleash Your Creativity” builds
upon the brand’s belief that hard
work only gets you so far. The campaign
includes a multi-athlete TV
spot and short film series that
brings to life authentic stories of 15
female athletes around the globe
who use creativity to defy conventions,
reinvent routine, create their
own path and inspire others to make
a difference in sport.
Karlie Kloss’ film highlights how
she uses her imagination to make
a difference in the world while
Candace Parkershows how she
uses creativity to shape her style
of play and elevate her game.
Dancer and fitness influencer Ally
Love inspires women to unleash
their own creativity daily from her
motivational spin classes to charging
up an arena as host of the
Brooklyn Nets. Ruqsana Begum is
a British and European Kick-Boxing
champion who blazed a trail for
Muslim women to access sport.
Running coach Jessie Zapo found
a way to open her sport to a new
generation of runners. USWNT
Captain Becky Sauerbrunn uses
her creativity in soccer to challenge
her opponents on the field and win
championships.

46 —SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
Moses eyes
redemption in
Arsenal rematch
If, as widely expected,
Chelsea go on to lift the
Premier League trophy, one
game in their title-winning
campaign will surely be
remembered as the most
significant for manager
Antonio Conte.
Forget the 4-0 rout of
Manchester United in
October when returning
manager Jose Mourinho
was humiliated. Or the 5-0
victory over Everton in
November when everything
went right and Eden Hazard
briefly resembled Lionel
Messi. Or even the comefrom-behind
win at
Manchester City the
following month that firmly
installed the team as title
favorite.
The defining 90 minutes of
Chelsea’s season will likely
be a loss that led to some
serious soul-searching and,
critically, a change in
formation.
A 3-0 loss at Arsenal on
Sept. 24 bewildered Conte.
He saw his team playing as
individuals, with the wrong
attitude, the wrong balance
Zinedine Zidane’s Real
Madrid are only two
games away from equalling the
club record of scoring in 41
consecutive matches.
Only Celta Vigo in Balaidos on
Sunday, and Osasuna at the
Estadio El Sadar next
Saturday, February 11, are the
obstacles to overcome.
If Los Blancos can score in both
matches, the game in which
they could set a new mark
would be against Jose
Callejon’s Napoli in the
Champions League.
Real are the only team in the
top five European leagues that
has managed to score in every
game that they have played this
season (a total of 34).
The last match time that they
failed to find the net was in the
first leg of the Champions
League semi-final against
Manchester City.
and with no identity. The
only good thing to come
out of that ill-fated trip to
Emirates Stadium was a
second-half switch to a 3-4-3
formation, which finally put
Conte’s imprint on his new
side and was there to stay.
From a low ebb — eighth in
the standings, to be precise
— Chelsea haven’t looked
back. Fifteen wins from 17
matches later, Chelsea host
Arsenal for their return
game today with a
nine-point lead and
with mostobservers
saying t h e
title h a s
been
wrapped
up.
“ I think,”
Conte
said,
“this
could be
a good
chance
Madrid chase
scoring record
Tottenham are fully aware
that they have a star in
their ranks in Dele Alli and are
not willing to let him leave the
club unless an offer exceeding
•100 million arrives for the 20-
year-old. That price, however,
might not be enough to repel
the interest of Real Madrid and
Bayern Munich - two teams
said to be monitoring his
progression.
The Times say that the fee
Up to
three
times
t h e
team
have
come
close to
shattering the record. Jose
Mourinho’s side almost set the
new mark during season 11/
12, and in 87/88 and 88/89 Leo
Beenhakker came within a
whisker.
The first time Real managed
such a high number of
consecutive scoring games
came when Santiago
Bernabeu was president,
between the seasons of 51/52
and 52/53.
Zidane’s team have already
managed to beat the streak of
games without losing, and
now seem ready to continue
making history.
Tottenham slap •100m price tag on Alli
that brought Gareth Bale to
Real Madrid would have to be
outdone in order to poach the
player from Mauricio
Pochettino’s side. They did
not specify a price but Bale’s
fee was in the region of •100
million. Alli signed a new fiveyear-deal
with the club and
also received a boost in his pay
for his emergence as one of the
best young players in
Moses
game.
“Even
though
for us to
s h o w
that, now,
we are a
totally
different
team.”
His view
w a s
reinforced
by Victor
Moses,
who has
s i n c e
t h a t
defeat to
Arsenal,
b e e n
converted to
a wing-back
and is
dreaming
of a
redemption
i n
today’s
we are on top,
we need to win the
match and redeem
ourselves
from that
defeat, which
hurt us so much”,
said the Nigerian
winger.
That’s already been proven.
David Luiz looks like a
different player with more
freedom as a libero in a back
three. Unheralded pair
Marcos Alonso and Victor
Moses have excelled as
wingbacks, central midfielder
N’Golo Kante is possibly the
most influential player in the
league, while forwards
Hazard and Pedro Rodriguez
have been outstanding
without having so much
defensive responsibility as
part of a front three with topscorer
Diego Costa.
The team are more streetwise
and organized, as shown
in the 1-1 draw at Liverpool
on Tuesday when Chelsea
absorbed lots of early
pressure from the home side
before growing into the game
and being a late penalty miss
from Costa away from
winning.
Alli
IGHALO: Exponent of
Chinese football’s
boom time
Changchun Yatai made
Odion Ighalo the sixthmost
expensive player in the
history of the Chinese Super
League late last month, as
Watford received 23.5 million
euros for the player who
helped mastermind their
return to the Premier League
big time.
His new club had previously
been modest with their
transfer dealings, but took the
plunge to ensure that their
profile and reputation within
football received a welcome
boost.
Clubs such as Shanghai SIPG,
Jiangsu Suning, Guangzhou
Evergrande, Shanghai
Shenhua, Hebei China
Fortune and newly-promoted
Tianjin Quanjian have been
the teams to make the most
headlines during the last year
due to their signings.
They are backed by big
business, except for
Changchun Yatai, but Ighalo’s
new club recently decided to
steer themselves away from
being financially prudent and
take a big step forward in
Aguero:
I’m not
thinking of
leaving
Sergio Aguero will not
seek a move away from
Manchester City at the end
of this season and is willing
to fight for a starting spot at
the Etihad Stadium,
according to the Argentina
striker’s agent
Aguero is in the familiar
position of being City’s top
scorer, with 18 goals in 25
appearances this term, but he
has fresh competition for his
place as the club’s attacking
spearhead in the form of
Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus lined up flanked by
Leroy Sane and Raheem
Sterling as Aguero looked
on from the bench at London
Stadium on Wednesday,
where the livewire trio
proceeded to tear West Ham
to ribbons in a 4-0 victory.
City boss Pep Guardiola
praised Jesus’ aggression
and pressing after the match
– cutting a contrast with his
calls earlier in the campaign
for Aguero to improve his allround
contribution, around
the time he left the 28-yearold
on the bench against
Barcelona at Camp Nou in
Aguero
Ighalo
terms of being a sporting
project. It must be
remembered that their most
expensive signing up until this
point was Bolivian player
Marcelo Moreno, who cost
2.5m euros two seasons ago.
Ighalo’s arrival is a statement
from Changchun, who will be
featuring in this season’s
Super League after
completing a great escape last
term. With four games left to
play, they needed six points
for survival, but Lee Jang-Soo
masterminded the miracle
turn-around and achieved
safety on the final day
Jang-Soo will be looking to get
the same performance levels
out of Ighalo as Quique
Sanchez Flores did last season
for Watford, when the Nigeria
international was one of the
revelations of the Premier
League campaign a n d
scored 14
goals in the
first half of
the season.
October.
Real Madrid have been
linked with a move for the
former Atletico Madrid man,
but his representative
Hernan Reguera assured the
player is content with his
current situation in
Manchester.
“Yes, he is very, very happy
– he will be there next
season,” he told The
Guardian.
Asked whether Aguero was
willing to contest his favoured
central attacking berth with
Jesus, who can also be
deployed on the left, Reguera
replied: “No problem.”

Aboubakar
SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017 — 47
Ronaldinho back
at Barca
It has been confirmed that
Barcelona legend Ronaldinho
will return to the club in an ambassadorial
role.
The Brazilian won two LaLiga
titles and the Champions League
during a distinguished five-year
spell at the Camp Nou.
Nine years after his departure
from Catalonia as a player, the
36-year-old’s new position will
see him perform such duties as
representing the club at official
events and functions and playing
for the Barcelona Legends
team in matches around the
world.
The deal will also see ‘soccer
schools’ currently run by
Ronaldinho brought into line
with those run by Barca.
“I have a lot of friends here,”
the World Cup winner told
Mundo Deportivo. “I have a history
and a big part of my life
here.
“I am very happy to have the
opportunity to come home.”
Egypt,
Cameroon set
for AFCON final
Egypt will attempt to win the
fourth consecutive Africa Cup
of Nations in which they have
competed when they face
Cameroon in tomorrow’s final.
The Pharaohs, among the
tournament favourites from the
outset in Gabon, were victorious
in 2006, 2008 and 2010 before
failing to qualify for the next three
editions in 2012, 2013 and 2015.
Underdogs Cameroon have upset
the odds to reach the final,
beating much-fancied Ghana in
the last four.
The game is a repeat of the 2008
final.
Cameroon’s squad includes two
British-based players, Hearts
midfielder Arnaud Djoum and
Clinton N’Jie, although the latter
is on loan at Marseille from
Tottenham.
Egypt have three players from
England’s Premier League -
defender Ahmed Elmohamady
(Hull) and midfielders Mohamed
Elneny (Arsenal) and Ramadan
Sobhi (Stoke), as well as former
Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah.
Seven-time winners Egypt
earned their place in a
record-equalling ninth
Afcon final
b y
Kane
H
a r r y
Kane,
Dele Alli and
A l e x i s
Sanchez are
part of the
quintet of
nominees for
the Premier
League’s
Player of the
Month in
January.
Tottenham
beating
Burkina Sallah
Faso 4-
3 on
penalties
following a
1-1 semifinal
draw.
The Pharaohs’
hero in the semifinal
was 44-yearold
goalkeeper Essam
El Hadary, whose save in
the shootout means he now
has a chance to win a fifth
Afcon title, having won his first
in 1998.
El Hadary has been in fine
form in Gabon, the goal he
conceded in the semi-final
being the first he has let in
during the tournament.
The make-up of Cameroon’s
squad has changed
significantly since the
appointment of Hugo Broos as
manager in February 2016, but
he is confident his youthful
line-up can cause an upset.
“In the 29 years I’ve been a
coach I’ve never worked with
a group like this,” said the
Belgian, who is hoping to lead
the Indomitable Lions to a first
Afcon title since 2002 and fifth
overall.
Juve
battle
Inter on
StarTimes
Fans can enjoy all
Serie A football
games this weekend
live and exclusively on
StarTimes World football
(channel 254 or 245),
especially Juventus versus
Inter Milan cracker.
Games between tabletopping
Juventus and Inter
Milan are often explosive,
Kane, Sanchez, Alli battle for award
striker Kane has been in
electric form over recent
weeks, netting five goals in
five league games including a
hat-trick in the 4-0 win over
West Brom at White Hart
Lane.
However his achievements
have arguably been
overshadowed by his Spurs
team-mate Dele Alli. The
England international has
seven to his name this month,
none more important than the
brace that ended Chelsea’s 13
match winning run in the
Premier League at White Hart
Lane.
Arsenal star Sanchez has also
been weighing in with crucial
goals this month, finding the
net to inspire a revival from
three goals down at
Bournemouth and scoring an
impudent ‘Panenka’ penalty in
the 98th minute to secure a 2-
1 win for the ten men
Gunners against Burnley.
Fabregas vows to keep ‘taking risks’
Chelsea
midfielder
C e s c
Fabregas has
vowed to
continue
“taking risks”
with his passing
this season.
“When you look
at statistics, for example, you
see a midfielder that plays in
my position and you say he
has 95 per cent accuracy, he
didn’t lose the ball,”
Fabregas told Chelsea TV.
“[But] I will always lose more
balls because I take a lot of
risks. I like to play final balls,
Ronaldinho
I see the striker on the move
and I take the chance. I could
play a simple pass just five
yards away from me and keep
the ball and play it simple
but that’s not who I am. I
always like to feed the striker
to create chances and to
score goals,” he added.
engaging,
dramatic and
intriguing
Higuain and this
Sunday’s
encounter
promises to be
a cracker.
With Juve, Inter
face a pretty
daunting task, as
the Old Lady are
not known to be
losers in their home stadium
in Turin, making the clash all
the more worthwhile.
StarTimes plans to also beam
live on Sunday as AC Milan
battle Sampdoria, Chievo host
Udinese, Pescara confront
Lazio while on Saturday,
Napoli travel to face Bologna.
Head of Public Relations and
Communication, Israel Bolaji,
said All Serie A football games
in the European league fixture
this weekend will be screen
live on StarTimes sports
channels, including ST
World football, ST Sports
Arena, ST Sports Focus,
ST Sports Premium
etc.
He emphasized
the pay TV
company’s
commitment to
deliver a fine mix of
pulsating live sporting
matches to its customers
and football lovers.
Costa
rubbishes
Chinese
move
Diego Costa has responded
to reports that he has
agreed to a big money move
to China by posting a messge
on Instagram. The report
suggested that he had
agreed a deal to move to
China in the summer with
the rumour surfacing on
Cadena SER.
The 28-year-old fell out with
Antonio Conte earlier this
month when reports of a bid
from a Chinese club arrived
into Chelsea headquarters
and Costa asked to be told
the details of the deal. He
had been struggling with an
injury complaint that didn’t
help the brief feud with his
manager Conte and it caused
a strain between the former
Atletico striker and the
medical staff at the club.
It is not the first Instagram
post Costa has posted
recently. He took to the
social media site after he was
dropped by Conte for the
Leicester City game
following their spat with a
similar message. Whether
there is any meat to the
rumours
b u t
is one thing
Costa’s
contribution
t o Chelsea’s
cause this
season can
Costa
not
be
questioned
with 15
goals in
24 games.
According
t o
Costa,
“they talk too
m u c h
rubbish”.

C
M
Y
K
SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
>>46
Moses eyes
redemption
>>46
in Arsenal
rematch
Exponent of
Chinese football's
boom time
AFCON 3rd place
Burkina Faso v Ghana
IGHALO:
TODAY’S FIXTURES
>>46
Costa rubbishes
Chinese move
8pm
EPL
Chelsea v Arsenal 1:30pm
Crystal Palace v Sunderland 4pm
Everton v Bournemouth 4pm
Hull City v Liverpool 4pm
Southampton v West Ham 4pm
Watford v Burnley 4pm
West Brom v Stoke 4pm
Tottenham v Middlesbrough 6:30pm
SERIE A
Bologna v Napoli 8:45pm
LA LIGA
Malaga v Espanyol 1pm
Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao 4:15pm
Atletico Madrid v Leganes
6:30pm
Valencia v Eibar 8:45pm
BUNDESLIGA
Bayern Munich v Schalke 3:30pm
Cologne v Wolfsburg 3:30pm
Hertha Berlin v FC Ingolstadt 04 3:30pm
Hoffenheim v Mainz 3:30pm
M'gladbach v SC Freiburg 3:30pm
Dortmund v RB Leipzig 6:30pm
LIGUE I
Monaco v Nice 5pm
Bordeaux v Rennes 8pm
Dijon v PSG 8pm
Guingamp v Caen 8pm
Lille v Lorient 8pm
Montpellier v Bastia 8pm
>>47
EREDIVISIE
NEC Nijmegen v Go Ahead Eagles 6:30pm
AZ Alkmaar v PSV Eindhoven 7:45pm
Willem II v Heracles Almelo 7:45pm
Groningen v Excelsior 8:45pm
>>46
Aguero:
I'm not thinking
of leaving
CROSS WORD PUZZLE
ACROSS
1) Minister of Youth & Sports,
Mr. Solomon (6)
4) Macedonian Capital City (6)
7) Director-General, National
Food &
Drugs Administration & Control
(NAFDAC), Mrs. Yetunde (3)
8) Adamawa State Governor,
Umar Jibrilla (6)
9) Former Minister of Health,
Dr. Adenike (6)
10) Ethnic Group in Nigeria (5)
13) Former Benue State
Governor,
Mr .George (5)
15) L.G.A in Kaduna State (5)
17) L.G.A in Borno State (5)
18) Niger State Capital (5)
20) Senate Majority Leader,
Senator Mohammed Ali (5)
23) L.G.A in Adamawa State (5)
26) Lagos State Commissioner
for
Women Affairs & Poverty
Alleviation, Mrs Lola (6)
27) L.G.A in Enugu State (6)
28) Colour (3)
29) Chairman, Senate
Committee on
Information & National
Orientation, Sen. Suleiman (6)
30) Oyo State Head of Civil
Service,
>>46
Mr. Williams Adesoji (6)
DOWN
1) Special Adviser to the Lagos
State Governor on central
Business District,Mr.Agboola (6)
2) England’s Capital City
3) Former Nigerian President,
Rtd.Major-General Yakubu (5)
4) Greek Alphabet(5)
5) Former Chilean President,
Mr. Sebastian (6)
6) Director-General, National
Bio Safety Management Agency
(NBMA), Dr Rufus (6)
10) Speaker, Kwara State House
of
Assembly, Dr.AIi (5)
11) LG.A·in Kano State (5)
12) ltalian “Serie A” Club-Side (5)
14) Cameroon “Indomitable Lions”
Central Midfielder, Daniel (3)
16) Adult Male Sheep (3)
18) Ghanaian President,Mr .John
(6)
19) Chairman, lnterParty Advisory
Council (lPAC),
Dr .Muhammad Lawal (6)
21) Country in Africa(6)
22) Former Anambra State
Governor, Chief Emeka (6)
24) Super Falcons Defender,
Ngozi (5)
25)Farmer’s Tool (5)
Madrid chase
scoring record
SOLUTION ON P AGE 5
Egypt,
Cameroon
set for
AFCON
final
>>47
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