12072017 - Failed politicians beating drums of war

Osinbajo meets 

Buhari in London 

From left: 

Tuface Idibia, Rob 

Lawson, Abiodun 

Akintaju, Elvis 

9 

Krivokuca, Femi 

Badore and Olu 

Nigeria can't borrow more money 

Jacobs at launch 

of Western Lotto, 

9 

in Lagos. 

8 

—Adeosun 

•Budget only good to pay salary —FG 

VOL. 25: NO. 63333 WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 

Failed politicians beating 

drums of war 

—ABDULSALAMI, KUKAH, OTHERS 

•Backs Osinbajo, wants 2005, 2014 confab reports revisited 

•Politicians, soldiers failed Nigeria — Junaid Mohammed, Fasehun 

Vanguard 

Special Serial 

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Football Club 

(2) ....The 

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versus the 

Nigerian Army 

for 

AFE Vanguard 

Powers, 

achievements, and 

failings of 

the Nigeria 

Police: 

Need for 

urgent 

attention(2) 

Aare Afe Babalola 

CON, SAN 

40 

COLUMNISTS DEAR BUNMI ROTIMI FASAN 31 PRINCEWILL 17 

SEE 

41 

INSIDE 

By Soni Daniel, 

Northern Region 

Editor, Emman 

Ovuakporie, Dapo 

Akinrefon, Charles 

Kumolu & Gbenga 

Oke 

ABUJA — The 

National Peace 

Committee, 

headed by former Head of 

State, Gen. AbdulSalam 

Abubakar, has traced the 

recent spate of ethnic 

agitations to politicians 

who failed to deliver on 

their election promises 

and what it described as 

failure of governance in 

the country. 

The committee, domiciled 

in the Matthew Hassan 

Kukah Centre, made its 

position public in a 

statement released in 

Abuja, yesterday, by its 

46 Continues on page 5 

OSINBAJO PRESIDES OVER QUARTERLY BIZ FORUM From right: Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, 

Minister of State Petroleium, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu; Minister of Industry Trade and Investment, 

Okechukwu Enelamah; Minister of Finance, Kemi Adesoun and Minister of Power, Works and Housing, 

Babatunde Fashola, during the Presidential Quarterly Business Forum held at the Presidential Villa in 

Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida. 

Mr & Mrs

2 -- Vanguard, WEDNESDAY , JULY 12, 2017

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017— 3

4 -- Vanguard, WEDNESDAY , JULY 12, 2017

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson (left); exchanging pleasantries 

with Chief Edwin Clark (centre), during the Pan Niger Delta Forum 

(PANDEF) General Assembly at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial 

Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa, while Chairman of the State 

Traditional Rulers Council and Co-Chairman of PANDEF, King Alfred Diete- 

Spiff (right) looks on. Photo: Lucky Francis. 

Failed politicians beating drums of war 

Continues from Page 1 

Secretary, Dr. Arthur- 

Martins Aginam. 

The committee, 

comprising some of the 

country’s leading 

statesmen and personalities 

from industry, media and 

religion, helped in steering 

the transition from the 

President Goodluck 

Jonathan’s administration 

to President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s government. 

The assertion by the 

committee was, however, 

contradicted by politicians, 

with the notable exception 

of Second Republic 

firebrand legislator, Dr. 

Junaid Mohammed. 

Others like Dr. Fredrick 

Fasehun and some 

members of the House of 

Representatives strongly 

disagreed with the 

committee, saying the 

problems of the country 

were traceable to the 

actions of past regimes. 

The committee in a joint 

statement by Gen. 

AbdulSalam Abubakar 

(retd), who is the National 

Chairman and Bishop 

Matthew Hassan Kukah, 

Convener of the group, 

however, commended 

Acting President, Prof. Yemi 

Osinbajo, for the prompt 

steps he had taken to douse 

tension in the country. 

Apart from Gen. 

Abdulsalami Abubakar and 

Bishop Kukah, other 

members are Commodore 

Ebitu Ukiwe (retd), Sultan 

of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad 

Abubakar III, Catholic 

Archbishop of Abuja, John 

Cardinal Onaiyekan, 

Africa's richest man, Alhaji 

Aliko Dangote, Vanguard 

Publisher, Sam Amuka, 

former Foreign Minister, 

Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, 

and a former deputy vicechancellor 

of Nasarawa 

State University, Professor 

Zaynab Alkali. 

Others are Primate of the 

Anglican Communion, 

Archbishop Nicholas 

Okoh, former NBA 

president, Dame Priscilla 

Kuye, CAN President, Rev. 

Sam Ayokunle, INEC 

Chairman, Prof. Mahmood 

Yakubu, APC chairman, 

John Oyegun, and former 

Deputy Scretary-General of 

the United Nations, prof. 

Ibrahim Gambari. 

Poor governance 

stoking division 

But it noted that the 

manifestation of rising 

discontent among the 

populace was an indication 

that there was bad 

governance in Nigeria 

IT'S UP TO YOU 

BY AYO ADIO - 08104802192 

No matter what you are going through always look 

for something positive to share. Most people always 

tend to avoid complainers and are turned off by too 

much negativity. It's up to you. 

ON LIFE AND LIVING 

Here is my advice as we begin the century 

that will lead to 2081. First, guard the freedom 

of ideas at all costs. Be alert that dictators 

have always played on the natural human 

tendency to blame others and to oversimplify. 

And don’t regard yourself as a guardian of 

freedom unless you respect and preserve the 

rights of people you disagree with to free, 

public, unhampered expression. 

— Gerard K. O’Neill, 2081 

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE 

Only when you have crossed the river, can 

you say the crocodile has a lump on his snout. 

— Ashanti proverb. 

today. The committee said: 

“In this regard, the 

National Peace Committee 

acknowledges that the 

drums of rising division also 

reflect the perceptions by 

our citizens that there is 

poor governance in Nigeria 

today. 

“Politicians, who have 

failed in delivering on the 

mandate of the electorate 

for better livelihoods and 

neighbourhoods, have, 

instead, found common 

cause with advocates of 

division and hate. 

“In many parts of the 

country, young people who 

have been left without 

means of livelihood or hope 

in their future have become 

converts to radicalisation 

preached by demagogues 

in various guises, including 

ethnicity and religion. 

“We cannot afford at this 

or any other time to stoke 

the fires of hate and 

divisiveness in our body 

politic, especially when 

ordinary Nigerians are 

engaged in difficult 

struggles to secure their 

livelihood, amidst rising 

insecurity and increasing 

fear. 

“We have lost too many 

of our citizens to random 

and diverse acts of violence, 

have much more maimed 

for life or living in 

displacement. Tens of 

thousands of children have 

been orphaned by conflict, 

and millions of our fellow 

citizens now face threats of 

starvation in the face of 

rising food insecurity. 

“In many parts of the 

country, mass killings go 

unpunished and 

unresolved, intercommunal 

clashes have 

become chronic, economic 

deprivations and growing 

social exclusion and 

feelings of alienation, 

particularly among the 

youths are being exploited 

by segments of the elite 

with potentially dangerous 

and painful consequences 

for us all. 

“These developments are 

sources of serious concern 

for the Nigeria Peace 

Committee. We know, of 

course that we are not alone 

in our worries and would 

like to commend the Acting 

President, Professor Yemi 

Osinbanjo, for engaging 

with leaders of influence 

across the South-East and 

North in a bid to check the 

rise of mutual hostility and 

tension that have been 

stoked by elements from 

parts of the country. 

“Nonetheless, the 

National Peace Committee 

appeals to further voices of 

leadership, reason, and 

moderation from all 

communities in the country 

to reinforce the message of 

the Acting President. 

“At this time in Nigeria, 

more than ever before, we 

need government at all 

levels, which work for the 

people, with commitment 

to respect for the rule of law 

and to the security and well 

wellbeing of persons and 

communities in the country. 

“We also need credible 

institutions, an economy 

that guarantees a fair deal 

and outcome for 

hardworking people, better 

physical infrastructure and 

an enabling environment 

in which citizens can thrive. 

“The National Peace 

Committee, therefore, calls 

on State governments to 

commit to developing their 

own people more and 

relying less on Abuja to 

fund their consumption 

through monthly 

allocations. 

“We also encourage the 

Acting President and the 

Federal Government to 

remain steadfast in the 

steps they are taking to 

reassure all communities 

and citizens of equal stake 

holding in the Nigerian 

project. In brief, Nigerians 

need an effective state that 

we can all call our own.” 

To ensure the 

strengthening of national 

peace and cohesion, the 

peace group urged that ongoing 

efforts to reach out to 

leaders from various parts 

of the country should be 

broadened into honest 

dialogue with all segments 

of the Nigerian population 

to ensure that ordinary 

citizens get the opportunity 

to convey their views to 

government at the highest 

levels and get carried along 

in the formulation and 

implementation of 

government policies. 

The group also 

underscored the need for 

government to urgently 

work with the private and 

voluntary sectors to put in 

place measures to address 

the crisis of skills and jobs 

as key vectors of 

radicalisation. 

It equally recommended 

to the Federal Government 

to review, update and 

enforce all laws relating to 

citizenship in Nigeria to 

ensure the equality of all 

under the law. 

The committee urged 

government to consult on 

the possibility of examining 

the reports of the Political 

Reforms Conference of 

2005 and other National 

Conferences as bases for 

further and continuing 

dialogue on co-existence 

among communities in 

Nigeria. 

The body asked 

politicians to deny support 

to groups that harbour or 

express disdain for 

peaceful coexistence 

among Nigerians and 

supported the position of 

Government on the need to 

ensure effective 

enforcement of laws that 

prohibit hate and divisive 

speeches that constitute a 

threat to the constitutional 

and collective right to live 

in a democracy founded on 

free expression. 

They’ve done great 

injustice — Junaid 

Mohammed 

Reacting yesterday, Dr. 

Junaid Mohammed, said 

failed politicians had done 

great injustice to Nigeria, 

adding that nevertheless, 

some members of the 

Armed Forces were also 

involved in bringing the 

country into disrepute. 

He said: “I agree to an 

extent (with) the 

submission of Abdusalam 

Peace Committee that quite 

a number of politicians are 

doing this country no good 

and they have done great 

injustice to our democracy. 

“However, it will not be 

good to blame only failed 

politicians. What about 

members of the armed 

forces who are also playing 

politics? Are they different 

from our normal politicians? 

I can say without fear of 

contradiction that the armed 

forces are also involved in 

the destruction of Nigeria.” 

Past leaders responsible 

for current tension — 

Fasehun 

Speaking on the issue, 

founder of Oodua People’s 

Congress, OPC, Dr. 

Fredrick Fasehun, said: “I 

don’t think politicians are 

the people to blame. Should 

we blame politicians for 

being responsible for the 

mistakes of past rulers? I 

don’t think politicians have 

done more than past rulers. 

“The past leaders are 

responsible for 

misgovernance and 

insecurity in the country 

because they created the 

conditions for the current 

tension in the country. 

When did the politicians 

come to power? Past rulers 

laid the foundation for the 

present crisis.” 

According to a member of 

the House of 

Representatives, Kingsley 

Chinda (PDP, Obio Akpor 

Federal Constituency, 

Rivers State), the assertion 

by the Abubakar 

Committee is reflective of 

the discontentment in the 

polity which can only be 

hinged on the grave 

injustice that is not only 

apparent but also palpable 

in the country at present. 

“The proper thing to do 

is to be responsive to curb 

the injustice or injustices in 

the system and ensure 

there’s peace. And once 

there’s justice, there will be 

peace,’’ he said. 

Speaking in the same 

vein, Abiodun Famurewa 

(APC Osun), pointed out 

that many people fanning 

the embers of war in 

Nigeria are not even 

politicians. 

He said: “I don’t want to 

agree with him as those 

causing crisis in different 

parts of the country are not 

necessarily politicians but 

Nigerians who thrive when 

there’s crisis. 

“They are the people 

singing the discordant 

songs across the country to 

further wreak more havoc 

in the country.” 

Naira Watch 

Naira depreciates to N368/$ 

By Babajide Komolafe 

The naira yesterday depreciated to N368 per 

dollar in the parallel market owing to demand 

pressure. 

Vanguard survey revealed that the parallel market 

exchange rate rose to N368 per dollar yesterday from 

N367 per dollar on Monday. This implies N1 depreciation 

of the naira as against the 50 kobo appreciation on 

Monday. 

The Naira also depreciated against the dollar in the 

Nigeria Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) 

also known as the Investors and Exporters window. 

According to the Financial Market Dealers Quote 

(FMDQ), the indicative exchange rate for the window 

rose to N363.33 per dollar yesterday, up from N361.86 

per dollar on Monday, translating to N1.47 depreciation 

of the Naira.

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 

:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 

Police arraign 

4 for allegedly 

hacking 

WAEC 

website 

THE Nigeria Police 

Force, yesterday, 

arraigned four persons 

accused of hacking into the 

website of the West African 

Examinations Council, 

WAEC. 

The suspects— Samuel 

Onuora, Patrick Nwodo, 

Effiong Joseph and 

Chijioke Nwachu— were 

arraigned before Justice 

Nnamdi Dimgba of the 

Federal High Court, 

Abuja, on a 13-count 

charge bordering on fraud 

and cyber crime. 

The quartet, according to 

the prosecuting counsel, 

Mr. P. A. Amadi, illegally 

gained access into WAEC's 

website and printed 

questions meant for the 

May/June 2017 Secondary 

School Certificate 

Examination, and sold 

same to students. 

Also printed and sold to 

the students, according to 

Amadi, were solved 

answers to the said 

questions. 

He said the offences 

contravened Section 28(3) 

of the Cyber Crime 

Prevention and Prohibition 

Act, 2015. 

The accused persons, 

who were arrested in Uyo, 

Umuahia, Enugu and 

Owerri and transferred to 

the Police Force 

Headquarters in Abuja, 

however, pleaded not guilty 

to the charge. 

In view of their not guilty 

plea, Amadi prayed that 

they be remanded in Kuje 

Prisons, pending the 

determination of the case 

against them. 

Mr. Christopher Eichie, 

the defendants’ counsel, 

applied for their bail on the 

grounds that the offences 

were bailable. 

Arguing further, Eichie 

reminded the court that the 

defendants had been in 

Police custody for close to 

two months. 

Justice Dimgba agreed 

with him, and admitted the 

defendants to bail. 

He added that the bail 

was based on selfrecognition 

of the 

defendants' counsel, and 

ordered him (counsel) to 

deposit his call to bar 

certificates with the court. 

He said that the counsel 

could apply for the 

certificate each time it was 

needed and ordered the 

defendants to provide one 

surety each, who should be 

either a businessman or a 

civil servant, and adjourned 

the matter to October 12. 

‘Pilgrims’ storm Lagos Church 

over holy image on wall 

By Bose Adelaja 

THE convention ground of 

Holy Ghost Fire Apostolic 

Church, Ogunse Estate, 

Sagamu Road, Ikorodu, Lagos, 

turned into a Mecca of sort 

yesterday, as people trooped 

there to catch a glimpse of 

‘Jesus Christ.’ 

One of the walls of a building 

under construction in the 

Church was wet, and some 

people perceived an image on 

it as that of Jesus Christ, 

attracting worshippers and 

curious people. 

Vanguard learned that the 

stained wall was first noticed, 

weekend, by an artisan, who 

screamed and abruptly stopped 

the day’s work, claiming he 

had seen Jesus Christ. His 

alarm spread into the 

neighbourhood and people 

began to troop into the place. 

One of the Church 

attendants, who craved 

anonymity, said the scene has 

been attracting over 400 

worshippers daily, but added 

that yesterday’s crowd was 

much compared with previous 

days. 

At press time yesterday, 

By Ike Uchechukwu 

CALABAR—A mother of 

four, Grace Akaninyen 

Jacob, yesterday, lost her life in 

Calabar, Cross River State, as 

a result of kerosene explosion, 

with her 20-year-old son 

sustaining severe burnt. 

It was gathered that the 45- 

year-old indigene of Afua in 

Ibiono council of Akwa Ibom 

State, died while trying to light 

a lantern. 

The incident, which 

Vanguard gathered occurred at 

6 Ikang Ita, off Akim Road in 

Calabar Municipality Council, 

threw the entire area into 

mourning. 

Speaking on the tragic 

incident, the deceased’s eldest 

son, Emmanuel Jacob, said the 

demise of their mother has 

exposed their family to what he 

described as “an unforgettable 

and terrible experience.” 

Emmanuel said when their 

mother returned home that 

fateful evening, she noticed 

there was no kerosene in the 

house and then sent one of his 

siblings to buy a gallon of 

kerosene. 

His story: “When my younger 

brother bought the kerosene, 

my mother measured it and 

poured it into the lantern. 

“It was while trying to light 

the lantern that it exploded with 

her and my younger brother 

severely burnt. 

“We rushed her to the clinic 

and she started responding to 

Some supplicants at the wall, yesterday. PHOTO: Bose Adelaja. 

people visited the Church 

individually and in groups, 

praying and singing to God, 

while some transporters 

seized the opportunity to hike 

their fares. 

When Vanguard visited the 

scene, there was a stained 

soaked wall, which looked like 

an image with some of the 

worshippers dropping sachets 

and bottles of water by the wall, 

while others knelt down or 

touched the image praying 

aloud. 

Also, the construction work at 

the Church compound has been 

put on hold due to the number 

of pilgrims turning up to catch 

a glimpse of the image. 

One of the worshippers, Mrs 

Adetoun Folajimi, said she 

came with a lot of prayer 

requests, hoping that they will 

be granted soon. 

Another female worshipper, 

Mrs Stella Amuse, said she 

came all the way from Parafa, 

in Ikorodu, saying “I saw 

Jesus Christ on the cross and 

this is a sign that my prayers 

will be answered.” 

The Church Founder and 

Parish Pastor were not 

available for comments during 

the visit, but a male 

worshipper said the incident 

was a move by God to draw 

people to His Kingdom. 

Kerosene explosion kills mother of 4 in Calabar 

treatment, but after few hours 

she gave up the ghost and her 

body has since been deposited 

at the General Hospital's 

By Chidi Nkwopara 

OWERRI—A four-year-old 

boy stolen during a 

church service and later 

recovered, Master Chima Obi 

Duru, has been reunited with 

his legitimate parents, Mr. & 

Mrs. Victor Duru, by Imo State 

Police Command. 

According to the state's 

Police Public Relations Officer, 

Mr. Andrew Enwerem, the boy 

was stolen January 5 , at 

Okpoko, Onitsha, Anambra 

State. 

The PPRO recounted that the 

boy’s parents, who are natives 

of Amiri, Oru East Local 

Government Area of Imo State, 

promptly reported the incident 

mortuary.” 

Recall that Vanguard had 

earlier reported that there 

was adulterated kerosene in 

Police reunite stolen boy with family 

By Ugochukwu Alaribe 

ABA—A woman, simply 

identified as Philo, was 

reportedly killed by a hit-andrun 

driver on her way to 

buying a bag of sachet water 

for her Church’s women 

meeting along Ukaegbu Road, 

Ogbor. 

to Okpoko Police Station. 

Continuing, Mr. Enwerem 

said the boy was recovered 

April 17 by operatives of 

Ogbaku Police Division of 

Mbaitoli Local Government 

Area in the state, later 

transferred to the State 

Criminal Investigation 

Department, SCID. 

Explaining how the boy was 

recovered, the PPRO said: “It 

followed the measures put in 

place by the Commissioner of 

Police, Mr. Chris Ezike, to 

curb kidnapping and other 

serious crimes,” stressing that 

“on sighting the police, the 

suspects abandoned the 

child.” 

On why it took so long to 

An eyewitnesses told 

Vanguard that the driver, who 

was on top speed, hit the 

deceased while she was 

trying to cross over to the 

other side of the road. 

The eyewitness added that 

it was a gory sight to behold 

as her blood spilled on the 

road. 

circulation in Cross River State. 

About 12 incidents of kerosene 

explosions have been recorded 

in the state since February. 

reunite the boy with his 

legitimate family after his 

rescue, the PPRO said: “The 

Command needed to be 

thorough in ascertaining the real 

parents of the boy. 

“Our efforts would have been 

rubbished if the innocent child 

was handed over to the wrong 

persons.” 

Speaking after, the boy’s 

mother, Mrs. Ngozika Duru, 

commended the Police for 

recovering her son. 

She said: “His disappearance 

brought untold hardship and 

trauma to our family. I almost 

concluded that we were not 

going to see him again, but God 

came to our assistance. God 

bless the Nigeria Police.” 

Hit-and-run driver kills woma 

His words: “The woman came 

for a Church meeting, but went 

across the road to buy sachet 

water for the meeting. 

“She had already bought two 

bags and went for another one. 

It was while trying to cross the 

road that she was hit by the car. 

She died on the spot. 

“Since Ukaegbu Road was


By Vincent Ujumadu 

AWKA—FOR allegedly 

selling a 10-year-old boy, 

Ifeanyi Odili, for N300,000, 60- 

year-old Pastor Raymond 

Igboanusi and three others, 

Angela Igboanusi, 42; Obinigwe 

n in Aba 

rehabilitated, there have been so 

many accidents; government 

should build speed bumps on 

this road to discourage motorists 

from speeding,” the eyewitness 

added. 

Abia State Police Public 

Relations Officer, DSP Geoffrey 

Ogbonna, said the incident was 

yet to be reported to the Police. 


3 women accused of kidnapping 3-week-old baby in Lagos 

THREE women, who 

allegedly kidnapped a threeweek-old 

baby in Ayobo area of 

Lagos, were, yesterday, docked 

before an Ikeja chief magistrate’s 

court. 

The accused, Theresa Ezeala, 

56; Augustina Oparaocha, 54 and 

Florence Ifeanyi, 52, are facing a 

three-count charge of conspiracy, 

kidnapping and receiving a stolen 

child. 

They are residents of Ayobo area 

of Ipaja, a Lagos suburb. 

Also yesterday, a 37-year-old 

herbalist, Sikiru Ifashola, 

appeared before an Ebute Meta 

magistrate’s court in Lagos, for 

allegedly kidnapping a child and 

demanding a ransom for her 

release. 

On the three-week-old baby, the 

three accused docked in Ikeja, 

however, pleaded not guilty to the 

Police parade 100 robbery, child 

trafficking suspects in Anambra 

Some of the suspects paraded yesterday. 

charges. 

The prosecutor, Inspector 

Simeon Imhonwa, told the court 

that the accused committed the 

offences with others still at large 

sometimes in November 2014 at 

Idi-Orogbo, Ayobo, Lagos. 

Imhonwa alleged that the trio 

kidnapped the baby of Chioma 

Nwakwu, the complainant. 

Sold for hospital bill 

He told the court that the 

complainant was living with 

Ezeala, her aunt, before she 

became pregnant and the 

supposed father denied 

responsibility of the pregnancy. 

Imhonwa said: “At the time of 

Nwakwu’s delivery at Ifako-Ijaiye 

General Hospital, Agege, which 

was through caesarean section, the 

complainant could not afford the 

hospital bills and care of the baby. 

Josephine, 56, and Jacob 

Onwuegwu, 62, are currently 

cooling their heels with the 

Anambra State Police Command. 

They were among the over 100 

suspects paraded by the 

Command for offences such as 

robbery, cultism and child 

trafficking. 

The state Commissioner of 

Police, Mr. Garba Umar, who 

paraded the suspects, said they 

were arrested in various 

locations in Nnewi, Awada in 

Onitsha, Agulu in Anaocha 

Local Government Area and 

Obosi in Idemili North Local 

Government Area. 

Recovered 

Some of the items recovered 

from them included charms, AK- 

47 rifles, locally-made pistols, 

machetes, axes, live cartridges, 

“The second accused, 

Oparaocha, a nurse, then 

approached Ezeala to sell the 

baby to Ifeanyi, who was willing 

to adopt the baby at a price.” 

Imhonwa added that without 

the knowledge of the 

complainant, Ezeala and 

Oparaocha sold the baby for 

N500,000 to Ifeanyi. 

Accordig to the prosecutor, 

“the whereabouts of the baby 

was not disclosed to Nwakwu 

after she was discharged from 

hospital until recently when the 

accused were apprehended by 

the police.” 

The offence contravened 

Sections 275, 326 and 409 of the 

Criminal Law of Lagos State, 

2015. 

Section 275 prescribes 10 

years imprisonment for anyone 

who unlawfully captures and 

pump action guns, six rounds 

of 9mm live ammunition, 

among others. 

Umar said the case of child 

trafficking syndicate was 

based on intelligence report, 

which led to the arrest of the 

60-year-old Pastor Raymond 

Igboanusi from Oba in 

Idemili South Local 

Government Area. 

According to Umar, the 

suspects allegedly conspired 

and trafficked Ifeanyi Odili, 

10, at the cost of N300,000. 

2-month-old baby sold 

He said at Nnewi, one 

Oluchi Emeobi, 24, of 

Nnewi-Ichi, conspired with 

her friend Nchedochi 

Richard, 26, and sold her 

two-month old baby to a 

woman popularly known as 

detains another against his/her 

will. 

Chief Magistrate B. O. 

Osunsanmi admitted each of 

the accused to N2 million bail 

with two sureties each, in like 

sum. 

Herbalist asked for N50,000 

Meanwhile, the 37-year-old 

herbalist, Sikiru Ifashola, who 

appeared before an Ebute Meta 

magistrate’s court in Lagos for 

allegedly kidnapping a child 

and demanding a ransom for 

her release, lives at 16, Sholuyi 

Street, Ifako Gbagada. 

He is standing trial on a 

charge of kidnapping, which 

he pleaded not guilty to. 

The prosecutor, Sergeant 

Jimah Iseghede, told the court 

that the accused committed the 

offence on June 12 at about 9.30 

First Lady. 

He added that the woman, 

who bought the baby, was at 

large, adding that the Police 

had spread its tentacles to 

ensure her arrest. 

Umar said: “In order to 

conceal her dastardly act, 

the suspect reported at the 

Police Station under false 

pretence that she left her 

baby under the custody of a 

yet-to-be ascertained 

woman, who absconded with 

the baby to an unknown 

destination. 

“Exhibits recovered from 

the principal suspect include 

N250,000, and one 

motorcycle, which the 

suspect allegedly bought 

with part of the money 

realised from the sale of her 

baby. 

a.m., at Ogudu GRA. 

He said the accused abducted 

one Bose, daughter of the 

complainant, Mopelola 

Adewunmi, and demanded 

N50,000 for her release. 

Iseghede added that “Ifashola 

had pretended to consult his 

oracle for the search of the 

missing girl and had demanded 

that the complainant pay him 

N50,000 before she could be 

found.” 

The offence contravened 

Section 271(3) of the Criminal 

Law of Lagos State, 2015. 

The magistrate, Miss Tolu 

Idowu, admitted Ifashola to 

N100,000 bail with two 

responsible sureties in like sum. 

Idowu said the sureties must be 

gainfully employed, and 

adjourned the case till August 2, 

for mention. 

NCS Marine 

Command 

intercepts 

N15.3m 

contraband 

T 

HE Western Marine 

Command, WMC, of 

the Nigeria Customs 

Service, NCS, Lagos, has 

intercepted contraband 

consisting of rice, clothes 

and frozen chicken valued 

N15.37 million. 

The Customs Area 

Controller, Comptroller 

Sarkin Kebbi, made this 

disclosure to newsmen in 

Lagos, yesterday. 

The contraband are 400 

bags of rice, 138 bales of 

clothes and 474 cartons of 

frozen chicken. 

The seized poultry 

products were burnt and 

buried, while the 

remaining contraband 

were taken to the 

Command’s warehouse. 

Kebbi said the Command's 

officers would 

continue to make life 

unbearable for smugglers. 

He expressed regret that 

no arrest was made, 

pointing out that the 

smugglers disappeared 

into the waters on sighting 

the officers. 

His words: “The seizures 

were made at two different 

places. The bales of clothes, 

rubber sandals and frozen 

chicken were seized at 

Ilufe Ojo Alaba by the joint 

patrol team officers on 

Thursday, July 6. 

“For the rice, the seizure 

took place at Tungeji Ijofin 

Creek along Nigeria- 

Republic of Benin axis on 

Tuesday July 11.” 

According to him, the 

Command was able to 

achieve the feat with the 

support extended to it by 

the Comptroller-General of 

Customs,Hameed Ali’s 

management team.

8—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 


Nigeria’s budget only good to pay salary —FG 

•Says it’s lowest in sub Sahara Africa 

•As Osinbajo targets 12 months for economic turnaround 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

Government, yesterday 

painted a gloomy picture on 

the expectations of Nigerians 

as regards the provision of 

essential infrastructure, 

payment of workers salary as 

well as delivery of other 

services. 

According to the 

government, the annual 

budgetary provisions 

available is not enough to 

meet all the required needs 

of the people. 

This is as the Acting 

President, Prof. Yemi 

Osinbajo, assured, however, 

that the government was 

working round the clock to 

reposition the economy, 

stressing that with 

determined efforts and focus, 

the challenges could be over 

in the next 12 months. 

Osinbajo also said 

government had identified 

certain critical things that 

could be done to improve the 

economic fortunes of the 

country even as he assured 

the private sector of a 

conducive business 

environment to operate. 

Speaking at the 

Presidential Quarterly 

Business Forum at the Old 

Banquet Hall of the 

Presidential Villa, Abuja, the 

Acting President said despite 

the challenges, progress was 

still possible. 

He said: “Despite these 

problems, progress is still 

possible. But as we tackle the 

problems, it’s really like 

propelling a car while the 

engine is still running. 

That’s really what we need 

to do. And while this vehicle 

of ours is moving forward, 

we must be doing the repairs 

at the same time. 

Economic recovery 

“When Mr President 

launched the Economic 

Recovery and Growth Plan, 

EGRP, sometimes in April, 

one of the things he 

emphasized was the fact that 

we have made up our minds 

as to where we are going. 

And I think that we have the 

discipline to be able to do so, 

but this is a complex 

environment, it is a complete 

economy. 

“I have said this 

repeatedly, that in some 

sense, we are fortunate to 

have a leader like the 

President, who at least we 

know, is straightforward and 

honest, and committed to 

ensuring government 

expenditure is spent the way 

it should be spent and that 

people don’t do what they 

like. 

“To that extent, I think we 

have the right environment, 

at least in terms of 

government discipline and 

all of that, to be able to deliver 

on the promises that we have 

made. And all I will just want 

to say to the private sector is 

to be sure that we have 

enough willing and able 

partners." 

Nigeria’s budget only 

good to pay salary—FG 

Speaking at the forum, 

Minister of Finance, Mrs. 

Kemi Adeosun, noted that 

the budget size of the country 

was not enough to carry all 

government’s programmes 

and also pay salaries of 

workers, stressing that the 

country had the least budget 

size in sub-Saharan Africa 

She said: “Our budget is 

significantly lower when 

attached to GDP. We are 

currently at six per cent. It is 

lower than all our peers and 

that is the lowest in Sub- 

Sahara Africa and one of the 

lowest in the world. 

“Our budget size is too 

small and that means we can 

only pay salaries in some 

cases and we don’t have 

money to deliver essential 

services. 

‘’There simply isn’t 

enough money in 

government to do what 

government wants to do. I 

BusinessDay’s states 

competitiveness awards 

hold tomorrow 

B USINESSDAY 

announced, yesterday, 

its States Competitiveness 

and Good Governance 

Awards 2017, will hold 

tomorrow in Abuja. 

In a statement, the 

organiser said the awards, 

which are targeted at the 

governors of the 36 states 

including Federal Capital 

Territory, FCT, will have 

Acting President Yemi 

Osinbajo in attendance as 

the special guest of honour. 


am sure you will say that is 

because people are stealing 

or because you are wasting 

money but I am saying even 

if you plug all the stealing 

and all the waste, the budget 

size is not big enough and 

that is because we are not 

paying enough in terms of 

tax or we are not collecting 

enough in terms of tax. 

Aisha's comments: Senate, 

Afenifere, others express concern 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken, Political 

Editor, Henry Umoru, 

Dapo Akinrefon, 

Charles Kumolu, 

Levinus 

Nwabughiogu & 

Dirisu Yakubu 

L AGOS—THE 

metaphoric depiction 

of hyenas and jackals riding 

roughshod over other 

animals is reflective of a 

divided Presidency, the 

Senate, Afenifere, and 

stakeholders from across the 

country said, yesterday. 

Among those who joined 

the Senate and Afenifere to 

comment on the 

metaphorical anecdote 

shared between First Lady 

Aisha Buhari and Senator 

Shehu Sani were erstwhile 

presidential spokesman, Mr. 

Akin Oshuntokun; human 

rights lawyer, Chief Mike 

Ozekhome, SAN, and some 

members of the House of 

Representatives. 

They spoke in reaction to 

the Facebook exchange 

between Senator Sani and 

Mrs. Buhari. Sani had in his 

first comments, noted that in 

the absence of the lion, 

hyenas and jackals had 

taken over the kingdom, 

trampling the lesser animals 

with the hope that the 

sleeping lion does not return. 

Mrs. Buhari had 

responded to the comment 

on Monday, saying the 

hyenas and the jackals 

would be sorely 

disappointed as she said the 

lion would soon return and 

throw them out of the 

kingdom. 

By last night, Mrs. 

Buhari’s comments on 

Facebook had drawn more 

than 1,700 likes and 400 

comments. 

Reacting to the brouhaha, 

Senate spokesman, Senator 

Sabi Abdullahi, told 

Vanguard, yesterday, that 

Mrs. Buhari was in a good 

position to analyse the 

situation in the country and 

that the use of the animals 

as metaphors to describe the 

scenario was most 

appropriate. 

He said: “The metaphor of 

hyena and jackal as used by 

the wife of the President, 

Hajia Aisha Buhari, is right 

and it represents the reality 

on the ground. Jackal is the 

good hunter, while Hyena is 

the bad hunter. Some people 

in the government are in this 

group, as enunciated by the 

wife of the President; the 

hyena waits for the very good 

hunter to steal the food from 

them. 

Presidency needs to put 

its house in order 

—Afenifere 

On its part, the pan-Yoruba 

socio-political organisation, 

Afenifere, said the exchange 

showed a divided 

Presidency and called on it 

to put its house in order. 

Afenifere’s National 

Publicity Secretary, Mr. 

Yinka Odumakin who spoke 

for the group, said: “It is clear 

we have a divided 

Presidency, given the 

statement of the First Lady 

and snippets that have been 

coming from the villa. They 

have to put their house in 

order, so they can govern the 

country and create stability 

and confidence in the 

system.” 

It shows disharmony, 

division within the 

Presidency 

—Osuntokun 

In his comments, Mr. Akin 

Osuntokun, who served as 

Political Adviser to President 

Olusegun Obasanjo, said the 

remarks showed 

disharmony within the 

Presidency. 

He said: “Long before now, 

everyone knew that there was 

disharmony and division 

within the Presidency. That 

is the meaning of the crisis 

over the non-confirmation of 

the appointment of acting 

EFCC chairman, Ibrahim 

Magu. 

"A situation where fellow 

security staff of the President 

write to contradict the 

recommendation of their 

principal is proof. What is 

going on with this Presidency 

is beyond comprehension, it 

borders on the ridiculous 

and the primitive." 

Chief Ozekhome, on his 

part, said the outburst 

showed that Mrs. Buhari 

was fed up with the antics of 

what she described as a 

powerful clique that had 

succeeded in hijacking her 

husband and the 

Presidency. 

“What she meant by that 

metaphor is that a lot of 

meddlesome interlopers are 

surrounding her husband in 

the form of a powerful cabal. 

In any kingdom, there can 

be only one king or oba or 

emir. She is saying that in 

the fullness of time, the head 

of the kingdom would return 

to take charge and the 

interlopers would be 

scattered.” 

Buhari is indeed 

surrounded by selfish 

people —Tsav 

On his part, Alhaji 

Abubakar Tsav, a retired 

commissioner of police said: 

“What she has said justifies 

the reports about the power 

struggle in the Presidency. I 

admire her courage. A 

woman who loves her 

husband will not allow her 

husband to be destroyed. 

Buhari came in with good 

intentions, but he is 

surrounded by people who 

don’t have his kind of 

vision.’’ 

statement, the awards 

categories range from ‘Most 

Improved in Housing 

Development, to Most 

Improved in Educational 

Development and Best State 

promoting Made in Nigeria 

Goods/SME development. 

Other categories of the 

awards are “states with the 

most improved security, 

fastest growing state 

economy; ease of doing 

business including 

transparency in 

governance; most improved 

in agricultural development, 

and governor of the year.”

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017—9 


Nigeria can’t borrow more money 

— Adeosun •Needs alternative sources of funds 

By Yinka 

Kolawole, with 

agency report 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

Government said, 

yesterday, that Nigeria can 

no longer borrow money to 

fund its budget. 

Finance Minister, Mrs 

Kemi Adeosun, who 

disclosed this at a business 

forum in Abuja, said the 

country must explore other 

means, such as taxes, to run 

the government. 

She said Nigeria would 

no longer seek such loans 

or an additional $1.5 billion 

it had planned to raise from 

international debt markets. 

“We cannot borrow 

anymore; we just have to 

generate funds 

domestically enough to 

fund our budget. Mobilise 

revenue to fund the 

necessary budget 

increase,” she was quoted 

as saying by Reuters. 

The minister’s comment 

calls into question the plan 

by the Federal Government 

to obtain foreign loans of 

about $2 billion from 

lenders such as World 

Bank. 

The government had 

planned to borrow 

extensively from overseas 

to fund its record N7.44 

trillion (about $24.39 

billion) 2017 budget aimed 

at helping the country 

spend its way out of its first 

economic recession in about 

25 years. 

Nigeria’s external debt 

increased to $13.8 billion in 

the first quarter of 2017 from 

$11.4 billion in the fourth 

quarter of 2016, while the 

nation’s total actual external 

debt service payment in the 

first quarter was about $128 

million. 

Plans by World Bank and 

African Development Bank 

to loan at least $2 billion to 

Nigeria have been stalled 

for over a year as 

international organisations’ 

frustrations mounted over 

the country’s refusal to 

impose key fiscal reforms, 

such as allowing its foreign 

exchange rate to float freely. 

In May, Ben Akabueze, 

Director-General of Budget 

Office of the Federation, 

said the country had a 

shortfall of $7.5 billion for 

its 2017 budget 

expenditure, and said that 

would be addressed with 

$3.5 billion from the 

aforementioned loans and 

debts. 

Akabueze had also said 

government planned to 

raise $4 billion from the 

local debt market. 

The nation’s record N7.44 

trillion budget for 2017 was 

assented to by Acting 


Osinbajo, in June, after 

delays. 

The plan projects a deficit 

of N2.21 trillion, implying 

a deficit equivalent to 2.18 

per cent of Nigeria's gross 

domestic product. 

INAUGURATION: From left, Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, 

Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela; Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Olalekan Alli; Chairperson, Oyo 

State Education Trust Fund, Chief Onikepo Akande; and Governor Abiola Ajimobi ofOyo State, after 

inauguration of the state's Education Trust Fund, at the Governor's Office, Ibadan, Monday. Photo: 

Governor's Office. 

Customs, NPA, NIMASA, others lose over N5bn 

•As workers shut ports over bill to repeal NPA Act 

By Victor Ahiuma- 

Young 

LAGOS—AT least N5 

billion was lost by 

stakeholders to yesterday’s 

shut down of port 

operations across the 

country by aggrieved ports’ 

workers, led by officials of 

Maritime Workers Union of 

Nigeria, MWUN, and 

Senior Staff Association of 

Communication, 

Transportation and 

Corporation, SSACTAC, 

Maritime branch. 

The shut-down was a 

protest against moves by 

National Assembly to 

repeal the NPA Act, which 

the workers described as 

anti-Nigeria. 

Investigations revealed 

that Nigeria Customs 

Service, NCS, alone lost 

over N2 billion to the 

disruption, while NPA, 

Nigerian Maritime 

Administration and Safety 

Agency, NIMASA, 

importers, and other 

operators in the ports were 

estimated to have lost 

between N2.5 billion and 

N3 billion. 

It was gathered that all 

the ports formations in 

Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt, 

Onne, and Calabar were 

shut as early as 5.30 am, 

yesterday, in protest against 

a bill pending at National 

Assembly, which seeks to 

repeal the “Nigerian Ports 

Authority Act, cap 126 LFN 

2004 (as amended) and 

establish the Nigerian Ports 

and Harbours Authority to 

provide for the ownership, 

management and 

development of ports and 

harbours and for related 

matters.” 

According to the two 

unions, the bill had been 

passed by the Senate and 

gone through the second 

reading in the House of 

Representatives without the 

knowledge of most 

stakeholders in the 

maritime sector, especially 

organised labour. 

While rejecting the bill 

and advising that it be 

thrown out in the interest 

of the nation, the leaders of 

MWUN and SSACTAC 

Maritime branch, warned 

that should members of the 

National Assembly go 

ahead with the bill, all the 

ports nationwide would be 

shut indefinitely until the 

lawmakers were ready to 

listen to the voice of workers 

and other concerned 

stakeholders. 

Giving reasons for 

labour’s opposition to the 

bill, President-General of 

MWUN and President of 

SSACTAC, Adewale 

Adeyanju and Benson 

Adegbeyeni, respectively, 

claimed the bill, if passed 

into law, would undermine 

the nation’s security, lead 

to sack of more than half of 

workers in the ports, and 

massive loss of revenue to 

government. 

According to Mr. 

Adeyanju, the bill said to 

have been sponsored in the 

House of Representatives 

by Ossai Nicholas Ossai, 

since the presentation, 

none of the stakeholders, 

including the two unions in 

the maritime sector was 

notified or invited to speak 

on behalf of their 

members. 

He said: “For us, this 

smacks of a deliberate 

attempt to dishonestly 

legislate and impose a 

wicked law on ports users, 

workers and other 

Nigerians without their 

inputs knowing full well the 

bill’s direct and indirect 

effect on them, the security 

of this nation and her 

overall economy." 

Osinbajo visits Buhari 

in London 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken, Political 

Editor 

A BUJA—ACTING 

President Yemi 

Osinbajo, last night, met 

with President 

Muhammadu Buhari in 

London. 

This is coming barely 24 

hours after wife of the 

President, Mrs Aisha 

Buhari, said hyenas and 

jackals in her husband's 

government would be 

flushed out, following his 

quick recovery. 

The meeting between the 

two men was broken in a 

tweet by Mr. Laolu Akande, 

spokesman for the Acting 

President at about 7:34 p.m. 

yesterday evening. No 

further details were given 

and attempts to reach 

Akande for further insights 

about the nature of the trips 

were unsuccessful last 

night. 

Mr. Akande tweeted thus: 

“AgP Osinbajo meeting with 

President Buhari in London 

today, and returning to 

Abuja immediately 

afterward.” 

President Buhari travelled 

to the United Kingdom on 

May 7 about six weeks after 

returning from an earlier 

medical appointment. 

Acting President Osinbajo 

was expected to use the 

opportunity of the visit to 

clear up issues of state and 

We need intervention fund to 

combat insecurity —CAS 

By Emman 

Ovuakporie 

ABUJA —CHIEF of Air 

Staff, Air Marshal 

Sadique Abubakar, 

yesterday, said there was 

need for the establishment 

of Special Intervention 

Fund to help in curbing 

insecurity and in the 

provision of modern day 

weaponry. 

He gave the charge at a 

public hearing on bills, 

which seek to establish 

Police Reform Trust Fund 

and amendment of 

Explosive Acts, 2004 and 

re-enact the Explosives Act, 

2016 to make 

comprehensive provisions 

for the use and control of 

explosives in Nigeria. 

The Air Force general, 

who was represented at the 

event, expressed support 

for the establishment of 

Police Reform Trust Fund 

and the bill, which entrusts 

the management of 

explosives to the Police, 

proposed for 10 years 

imprisonment for anyone 

who misappropriates the 

fund and breaches the 

governance since the 

substantive head of state 

departed from the country. 

Remarkably, the House of 

Representatives, yesterday, 

in a motion asked Osinbajo 

to inaugurate the ministers 

who had been screened 

and cleared by the Senate. 

Other issues that have 

been in abeyance include 

the posting of ambassadors, 

who have also been 

screened and confirmed by 

the Senate, the report of the 

investigations into the 

Nigerian Intelligence 

Agency, NIA, cash found in 

a safe house of the 

intelligence agency in 

Lagos. 

Other issues waiting for 

the president also include 

the appointment of boards 

of Federal Government 

agencies and issues about 

the running of the ruling All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC. 

The statutory meetings of 

the party’s National 

Executive Committee, 

NEC, the board of trustees 

and the national convention 

have all been held in 

abeyance largely on account 

of the ill-health and 

absence of the president. 

The Acting President was 

also expected also to have 

discussed the raging issues 

of ethnic discontent across 

the country, which reached 

a climax after a band of some 

northern youths issued an 

October 1 deadline for the 

Igbo to leave the North. 

Explosives Act, without an 

option of fine. 

In his remarks, Ibrahim 

Idris, Inspector-General of 

Police, who applauded the 

intendment of the bill, 

decried the non-release of 

fund appropriated yearly 

for Nigerian police by the 

Executive arm of 

government. 

He observed that 

previous efforts to reform 

and reposition Nigeria 

Police since 2008 and Parry 

Osayande committee and 

the M. D Yusuf Reform 

Committee in 2008, which 

recommended N2.8 trillion 

(for five years) to lift the 

Nigeria Police did not 

materialise. 

In his contribution, the 

Emir of Kano, Alhaji 

Muhammadu Sanusi II, 

who was represented, 

urged that people of 

impeccable character 

should manage the fund to 

prevent monumental 

fraud, which will be 

counterproductive. 

He also stressed the 

need for proper 

coordination of vigilante 

security across the country.


LAGOS FLOODING: Summoned 

commissioner faces 

Assembly’s wrath 

By Ebun Sessou 

THE Lagos State 

House of Assembly, 

LSHA, yesterday took on 

the commissioner for 

Environment, Dr. 

Babatunde Adejare, earlier 

summoned to discuss the 

issue of recent flooding 

across the metropolis. 

Adejare appeared before 

the Assembly to explain all 

he knew about the flooding 

in the state. 

The commissioner’s 

appearance followed his 

been summoned on 

Monday during plenary to 

give reasons for the 

flooding. 

Addressing the 

lawmakers, Adejare blamed 

the massive flooding in 

some parts of the state on 

natural and human causes. 

According to him; 

“Natural cause comes in 

form of climate change, and 

Obi wants S/S, S/E leaders' 

meeting sustained for political devt 

By Abdulwahab 

Abdulah 

FORMER Governor 

of Anambra State, Dr 

Peter Obi has said that the 

recent meeting by the 

political leaders from the 

South-South and South East 

of the country, should be 

sustained to engender love, 

peace and unity of the 

country. 

In a telephone interview 

with Vanguard, the former 

governor reiterated the 

importance of such meeting 

and why it must be 

sustained. 

According to him, in a time 

like this in Nigeria, all efforts 

must be geared towards all 

that will unite every part of 

the country for the 

development and growth of 

Ambode calls for regular training of 

public servants 

By Fredrick Okopie 

LAGOS 

State 

Governor, Mr. 

Akinwunmi Ambode, 

yesterday, said public 

servants across the 

ministries in the state must 

undergo training and retraining 

in order to compete 

favourably with their foreign 

counterparts in developed 

countries. 

Addressing participants 

selected from the 28 

ministries and parastatals in 

a two-day training 

programme in Ikeja tagged: 

Integrity contemporary 

business leadership into the 

corporate governance 


this affected places such as 

London, Suleja and other 

places. There was high tide 

at the sea that made the 

level of the water to rise. 

“The flood affected places 

such as Lekki, Victoria 

Island and Lekki- Epe 

Expressway. But the water 

receded within 12 hours. We 

have been embarking on 

tree planting to reduce 

climate change in the state. 

“Man-made causes 

resulted from people 

building houses on 

drainages. We saw people 

sand-filling to build houses 

on Osborne Phase 2. People 

also build houses by the 

lagoon against the law. 

Adejare said further that 

there are illegal dredging all 

over the state but that 

machinery has been put in 

place to correct all these, 

adding that drainages 

collect water and send to the 

lagoon. 

the nation. 

He noted that stakeholders 

should ensure that such 

meeting is sustained to grow 

the country’s democracy. 

Lauding the development 

and the idea behind the 

meeting, Obi said: “The idea 

of the meeting is a welcome 

development, which should 

be sustained. The critical 

ingredient of democracy is 

the ability of the leaders to 

consult with the people and 

carry them along in whatever 

they do. 

“This is because their 

services are for the people. 

At this critical time in our 

country, we all need to work 

together, show love for the 

peace and unity of the 

country. We need to work 

together, show love for the 

development of our country.” 

model of the Lagos State 

Civil Service, Ambode, who 

was represented by the 

Commissioner of 

Establishments, Training 

and Pensions, Dr. Akintola 

Benson Oke, said that the 

Lagos State government 

has embraced the 

challenge of modernising 

governance and 

innovatively approaching 

the task of public 

administration. 

According to him: “The 

present administration in 

Lagos State is poised to 

examine those areas, 

processes and institutions 

and practices that need to 

be overhauled or 

remodelled in order to 

achieve this end.” 

LAGOS KIDNAP: DAY 48: Additional N20m 

ransom paid for students release 

•Abductors demand fresh N1.5m as ‘transport fare' 

By Evelyn Usman 

L 

A G O S — A 

competent 

government official, who 

would not want his name in 

print, yesterday told 

Vanguard that another N20 

million ransom has been 

paid for the release of the 

six abducted students of 

Lagos Model College, 

Igbonla Epe , bringing the 

total amount so far paid to 

N30 million. The money 

was reportedly paid last 

week at an undisclosed 

place, as instructed by the 

captors. 

Thus, expectation for the 

release of the students were 

high over the weekend, as 

parents of the affected 

students as well as those 

who stood as middle men 

for the negotiation, stayed 

awake from midnight 

Friday, to the early hours of 

Monday , expecting a call 

that would instruct them on 

where to pick the students. 

But their hope was 

dashed, after a call was 

received to the contrary. 

Rather, the call from the 

kidnappers end, was a 

demand for additional N1.5 

million as transport fare. 

Vanguard was reliably 

informed that the 

kidnappers claimed to have 

taken the students to a 

farther location that would 

take more than a day’s 

journey to bring them to the 

pick point. They were also 

said to have insisted on 

getting the N1.5 million 

which they claimed would 

be used to fuel their means 

of transportation as well as 

to buy recharge cards . 

As at yesterday, Vanguard 

learned that the demand of 

additional N1.5 million was 

yet to be met, a reason given 

for the delay of the students 

release. 

When one of the parents 

was contacted, he denied 

knowledge of the latest 

development but expressed 

optimism that the students 

CHIEFTAINCY: Oba of Lagos State, HRH, Oba Rilwan Akiolu (left), conferring 

the tittle of "Otun Yeyeoge of Lagos" on Chief Mrs. Kofoworola Adebutu, while her 

husband, Chief Kesington Adebutu and others watch at the Oba's palace in Idu- 

Iganran, Isale Eko, Lagos on Sunday. Photo by Akinwunmi Ibrahim. 

would soon be released, if 

promises by the state 

government was anything 

to go by. 

He said; “Our hope was 

rekindled when we heard 

that the students were 

likely to be released last 

weekend. We were told that 

some people would go and 

bring them, while all 

parents would be contacted 

to assemble at a particular 

place to receive the 

students. But we waited 

endlessly without any 

word. As I speak, we are 

still hopeful, considering 

the assurances of Governor 

Ambode during the 

commissioning of a project 

at Epe last week.” 

Meantime, the Safe 

Schools and Communities 

Advocacy Group , SSCAG 

has tasked the Lagos State 

government and security 

agencies on the need to 

employ urgent actions 

towards the rescue of the 

six abducted students 

The group, which was 

recently launched by a 

combination of 19 civil 

society organisations and 

Non-Governmental 

Organisations, in response 

to the long stay of the six 

students in their captors’ 

den, as well as the rising 

spate of criminality in Lagos 

state, expressed regret over 

the delay in the rescue 

operation, in spite of 

assurances from the Police. 

Ramsey Nouah debunks death rumour 

By Benjamin 

Njoku 

N OLLYWOOD 

actor, Ramsey 

Noah, yesterday took to 

his Instagram page to 

debunk the news making 

the rounds that he lost 

his life while filming on 

location, in Ghana. 

The report which first 

surfaced online about six 

years ago, claimed that 

Ramsey lost his life 

when he suffered 

internal bleeding after 

he fell from a building 

whilst trying a stunt on 

a movie set in Kumasi. 

The report further said 

the handsome actor 

complained of acute waist 

pain before he gave up 

the ghost. 

However, refuting the 

death rumour yesterday, 

the actor posted a picture 

of himself alongside two 

Nigerian celebrities, AY, 

and 2Face after they were 

confirmed as brand 

ambassadors for Western 

Lotto. 

He wrote: “The official 

launch of the 

@westernlotto.com with 

my great friends as the 

brand ambassadors 

@aycomedian 

@official2baba. Much 

luv,” Ramsey posted on 

Instagram. 

Recall that actors such as 

Pete Edochie, Odunlade 

Adekola and Ernest Asuzu 

have suffered the same 

fate when they had to 

refute rumours of their 

deaths after such news 

went viral on social media. 

The actor’s reaction 

came after his teeming 

fans flooded his social 

media page to inquire 

more about the death 

rumour. 

JUDGE RECALLED BY NJC: Court grants Justice Fishim bail on 

self recognition 

By Abdulwahab 

Abdulah & Jane 

Echewodo 

L AGOS—JUSTICE 

Agbadu Fishim of 

National Industrial Court, 

who was charged with the 

alleged collection of N3.5 

million from seven Senior 

Advocates of Nigeria, was 

yesterday granted bail on 

self recognition by an Ikeja 

High Court. 

The presiding Judge, 

Justice Raliat Adebiyi while 

granting the embattled 

Justice Fishim bail, ordered 

him to deposit his 

international passport with 

the court registrar. 

“It is the discretion of the 

court to grant bail to the 

defendant. It should be 

noted that the main 

function of bail is for the 

defendant to attend trial. 

“ The defendant is a 

sitting Judge of the 

National Industrial Court, 

who is facing a 19 count 

charge of unlawful 

enrichment which is a 

bailable offence. 

“I hereby grant the 

defendant bail on self 

recognizance and he is 

also expected to deposit his 

international passport with 

the Chief Registrar of the 

court,” Justice Adebiyi 

ruled. 

Fishim’s counsel, 

Professor Amuda Kehinde 

while applying for bail 

pleaded that his client be 

granted bail in self 

recognizance based on his 

position as a sitting judge. 

“He was served yesterday 

(Monday) at 5pm, and he 

responded immediately. He 

is a sitting Judge and he 

has a lot to lose, if he decides 

to jump bail,”Kehinde said. 

However, the EFCC 

Prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo 

did not oppose the bail 

application but asked the 

court to grant the bail on stiff 

conditions so that the 

defendant would be 

mandated to attend trial.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 — 11 


OAU EX-VC'S TRIAL: Protest forces judge 

to amend detention order 

By Gbenga 

Olarinoye 

O SOGBO—THERE 

was violent reactions 

from students and staff of 

Obafemi Awolowo 

University, Ile-ife, yesterday, 

as an Osun State High 

Court, sitting in Ede 

remanded the former Vicechancellor 

of the university, 

Prof. Anthony Elujoba. 

Elujoba is standing trial for 

alleged financial 

impropriety. 

The presiding judge, 

justice David Oladimeji had 

earlier ordered Elujoba to be 

remanded in Ilesa prison, 

pending a ruling on his bail 

application. 

Oladimeji adjourned the 

hearing on Elujoba’s bail 

application till July 19, after 

listening to the two-sided 

argument on the merit of the 

application. 

Violent protest, however, 

followed the position of the 

court immediately, with 

students and staff from the 

university descending on 

perceived Elujoba’s 

enemies in the court 

premises. 

They barricaded all 

entries to the court 

premises, an action that 

charged the atmosphere 

around the court. 

The protesters claimed in 

their remarks that Elujoba 

was being persecuted by 

some cabal within the 

university community, 

saying he was innocent of 

all the charges levelled 

against him by the 

Economic and Financial 

Crime Commission, EFCC. 

They expressed readiness 

to stand with the former Vice 

Chancellor to the end, with 

a promise to fight any 

attempt aimed at tarnishing 

Elujoba’s image. 

The resilience of the 

protesting students and 

staff eventually paid off 

as the court was forced to 

LAUTECH: We'll not return to work until Ajimobi, 

Aregbesola meet our demands — ASUU 

By Ola Ajayi 

I BADAN–IN 

response to various 

calls made by concerned 

Nigerians on lecturers of 

Ladoke Akintola 

University of Technology 

to resume duties, the 

Academic Staff Union of 

Universities (ASUU) of 

the institution has 

insisted that its members 

would not return to work 

unless its demands from 

the owner states of Oyo 

and Osun are met. 

reverse itself and 

adjusted its ruling. 

Justuce Oladimeji 

adjusted Elujoba’s bail 

PROTEST: Students and members of staff of the Obafemi Awolowo 

University, OAU, Ile-Ife, protesting the detention of their former Vice 

Chancellor, Professor Anthony Elujoba. 

Nigeria’ll be self sufficient in rice 

production by Nov – OGBEH 

By Ola Ajayi & 

Adeola Badru 

I 

B A D A N — 

MINISTER of 

Agriculture and Rural 

Development, Chief Audu 

Ogbeh, has said that the 

country will be self 

sufficient in rice production 

by November, which he 

said will force a reduction 

in the price of the 

commodity. 

He frowned on what he 

called the people’s 

unbridled penchant and 

taste for foreign foods, most 

of which, he said, were not 

as healthy and nutritious as 

those produced locally. 

The minister bared his 

mind while addressing a 

town hall meeting on 

This was disclosed by 

the Chairman ASUU, 

LAUTECH, Dr Abiodun 

Olaniran while speaking 

in Ibadan yesterday. 

He stressed that 

solution to the issue had 

transcended newspaper 

appeals but that the 

owner state governors 

should tackle what he 

described as chronic 

under-funding of the 

university. 

He said; “Issue of 

ultimate survival of the 

institution as a proper 

application, by setting the 

delivery date to Friday, July 

15 and ordered him to be 

remanded at EFCC 

sustainable agriculture, 

which was attended by 

farmers, youths, women 

and other stakeholders in 

agriculture, held at the Oyo 

State Secretariat, Ibadan, 

yesterday. 

The dialogue, which 

featured question and 

answer session, was hosted 

by the Governor, Senator 

Abiola Ajimobi, and the 

Commissioner for 

Agriculture, Natural 

Resources and Rural 

Development, Prince 

Oyewole Oyewumi. 

The meeting, which was 

called to chart a new path 

for agriculture rebirth, 

climaxed a two-day 

working visit by the 

minister to agricultural 

facilities, including farms, 

dams, farm settlements and 

university in the comity 

of other universities 

elsewhere” was never 

negotiable. 

“While ASUU is eager to 

put this ugly situation in 

LAUTECH behind us, we 

are interested in a honest 

and holistic address of the 

issues that forced us to 

proceed on the current 

strike”, he added. 

“It is gratifying that 

even the visitation panel 

set up by the owner states 

clearly called attention to 

this problem.“ 

custody, instead of prison 

as earlier ruled. 

The development doused 

tension within the court 

premises, as all barricades 

were opened and the 

protest stopped. 

others across the state. 

He lamented what he 

called the culture of 

wastages and abandonment 

in the country, which, he 

said, accounted for decaying 

facilities and monuments 

dotting the landscape. 

Ogbeh said, “By 

November we will be self 

sufficient in rice production. 

We will no longer need to 

import rice. And let me tell 

you, our rice is safer, tastier 

and healthier than the 

foreign ones. 

“Patronize our farmers, eat 

healthy. Eat Nigerian rice. 

Another cheering news is 

that we will soon bring down 

the price of rice. Nigerians 

should embrace local 

products and stop 

importation of useless 

things. 

In his remarks, Ajimobi 

commended the FG for its 

commitment to the survival 

of the country through 

initiatives such as the latest 

agriculture renaissance. 

The governor recalled that 

many monuments located in 

Ibadan, which were mostly 

the first of their kind in Africa, 

such as the Liberty Stadium, 

Cocoa House, University of 

Ibadan, the Nigerian 

Television Authority and 

others were built with 

proceeds from agriculture. 

He appealed to the 

people to change their 

mentality that are inimical 

to the growth of agriculture, 

which he said was 

paramount to the economic 

survival of the country. 

OSUN BY-ELECTION: INEC issues 

certificate of return to Adeleke 

A BUJA—THE 

Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, has 

assured that it would 

continue to improve on 

the conduct of free, fair 

and credible elections in 

the country. 

INEC National 

Commissioner, Prince 

Adedeji Soyebi, gave the 

assurance when he 

presented Certificate of 

Return to the winner of 

the Osun West Senatorial 

bye-election, Mr 

Ademola Adeleke, at 

INEC headquarters in 

Abuja yesterday. 

INEC on Sunday 

declared Adeleke of the 

Peoples’ Democratic Party 

(PDP) the winner of the 

bye-election held in 10 

local government areas of 

the senatorial district. 

The winner, who is the 

younger brother of the 

late Sen. Isiaka Adeleke, 

polled 97,480 votes to 

By Henry Umoru 

A BUJA—MOVED 

by the dwindling 

economic situation in the 

country, the Senate 

yesterday entered into a 

meeting of stakeholders to 

close the gaps between 

fiscal and monetary 

policies. 

It was gathered that the 

need to ensure the 

legislative and executive 

arms of government 

complimented themselves 

on strategies to achieve this 

dominated discussions at 

the meeting. 

The meeting which held 

for over three hours in the 

Senate President’s 

office, was attended by 

the Finance Minister, 

Kemi Adeosun, Central 

Bank of Nigeria 

Governor, Godwin 

Emefiele, and chief 

defeat former Sen. 

Mudashiru Hussein of 

the APC, who scored 

66,116 votes. 

Soyebi advised citizens to 

always create the enabling 

environment for peaceful 

elections for the 

commission. 

He commended the 

people of Osun West for 

their peaceful conduct 

during and after the 

Saturday election, saying 

that they have set 

precedence for Nigeria 

election. 

He thereafter presented 

the certificate of return to 

Ademola Adeleke. 

Responding, Adeleke 

commended INEC for 

conducting the election in 

a free, fair and credible 

manner. 

The senator-elect also 

commended his 

constituents for their 

support and the way they 

created a peaceful 

atmosphere for the election. 

BAD ECONOMY: Senate moves to 

close fiscal, monetary policy gaps 

executives of commercial 

banks. 

Speaking to journalists 

after the meeting which 

was held behind closed 

door, chairman, Senate 

Committee on Banking, 

Insurance and Other 

Financial Institutions, 

Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, 

said the problems of 

increasing interest 

rates were also 

deliberated upon at the 

meeting. 

He said: “We just 

finished a deliberation 

between the Senate, led 

by the Senate President 

and the CBN team, 

representing the 

monetary authorities and 

the Finance Minister, 

representing the fiscal 

authorities. And it came 

out of our resolve to 

address the teething 

problems in the economy.


By Emma Amaize 

W ARRI—THE 

altercation 

between the Ijaw and Bini 

ethnic nationalities in Delta 

and Edo States over the 

ownership of land in parts 

of the present-day Edo 

State, took a different turn, 

yesterday, with the Ijaw 

People Development 

Initiative, IPDI, in Warri, 

vowing that the Ijaw tribe 

was prepared to defend its 

territorial lands in the 

state against Bini 

invaders. 

The Bini kingdom as 

accentuated by the Benin 

Unity League, BUL, in 

various publications, is 

laying claim to Gelegele 

community, which the Ijaw 

refer to as Gelegele-ama, in 

Gelegelegbene area of the 

state. 

IPDI in a statement by the 

national president, Mr. 

Austin Ozobo, said: “We 

(Ijaw) are ever ready to 

defend what is rightly ours. 

It is our opinion that the 

threat of war by some 

misguided Binis can be 

likened to the adventure of 

an ignorant cat that dared 

to challenge the lion for a 

fight. This is not the era of 

Oba Ovoranmen where 

bows and arrows were used 

:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnewsNEWS HOTLINES: 

Ijaw, Bini face-off over Gelegele land 

deepens 

S'South Govs pledge to protect, promote 

Niger Delta interest 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

Y ENAGOA— 

BAYELSA State 

Governor, Mr Seriake 

Dickson, yesterday, said 

that governors of the South 

South were committed to 

working with the Pan- 

Niger Delta Forum, 

PANDEF, to promote and 

protect the interests of the 

region. 

Dickson, who is the 

chairman of South South 

Governors Forum, SSGF, 

gave the assurance at the 

third General Assembly of 

PANDEF in Yenagoa, with 

the theme, “Appraisal of 16- 

Point Agenda: State of the 

Nation and the Way 

Forward for A Sustainable 

Peace and Development in 

the Niger Delta Region.” 

The governor, who said 

that peace and stability 

were paramount in the 

development of the Niger 

Delta, stressed the need for 

the leaders of the region to 

work collectively to change 

the long perceived notion 

of insecurity in the region 

and promote the socioeconomic 

and political 

to expand Benin territory. 

This is 21st century and 

ljaws of Gelegele-ama are 

not oblivious of modern 

ways of self- defense.” 

The group urged the 

governor of the state, Mr. 

Godwin Obaseki, to avoid 

the Bini trouble makers and 

proceed with his good 

intention for the 

development of 

Gelegelegbene community 

by directly dealing with the 

people in execution of the 

projects, adding: 

“Companies exploiting oil 

in Gelegelegbene 

community should have a 

direct dealing with 


people.” 

Accusing BUL of making 

baseless claims over the 

ownership 

of 

Gelegelegbene, which it 

described as an “Ijaw 

community in Edo State,” 

IPDI advised the Bini 

ethnic group to steer clear 

of the community and its 

affairs. 

“We make bold to say that 

the Binis are the invaders 

of Ijaw territorial lands, not 

the other way round. They 

are expansionist and land 

grabbers, we challenge the 

Binis to publish documents 

showing that they 

permitted the Ijaw of 

Gelegelegbene to settle in 

their present land. 

viability of the region. 

Reminding the Federal 

Government that the 

militarisation of the Niger 

Delta was not a solution to 

resolving the issues, he 

however, said that the only 

battle to be fought was lack 

of economic inclusion and 

environmental terrorism in 

the region. 

Dickson said, “There are 

parts of this country that are 

very happy to promote crisis 

and spread propaganda 

“It is imperative to note 

that ownership of land is 

not based on fraudulently 

obtained court judgments, 

but on cogent historical facts 

of founding, deforestation 

and occupation. It is on 

record that Ijaws of 

Gelegele-ama, 

Gelegelegbene are neither 

customary tenants nor a 

conquered people by the 

Benin kingdom. We want 

to unequivocally state that 

Benin should steer clear 

from Gelegelegbene 

community affairs, as we 

will not be deterred by 

campaign of blackmail and 

falsehood by the Binis. 

“It is wrong to say Ijaws 

are drumming for war and 

calling Ijaw all kinds of 

names is not noble. The 

truth is that we are not 

interested in going to war 

with our neighbours, but we 

can never be intimidated 

with war threat by our 

neighbour. 

“It is obvious that the 

Benin are still relying on 

fraudulent judgments for its 

ownership of a place, I think 

the Gelegele the Binis are 

talking about is different 

from the present Gelegeleama, 

a homeland of Ijaws 

of that extraction. We wish 

to reiterate that the Binis 

have no place in 


looking at its antecedents. 

Govt vows to rout cultists 

terrorising Rivers 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

THE Rivers State 

Government has 

vowed to deal with cultists 

that are terrorizing 

communities in the state. 

Special Adviser to 

Governor Nyesom Wike on 

Conflict Resolution, Chief 

Okori Abelekum, 

yesterday, said that the 

cultists disturbing 

Omudioga community in 

Emohua local Government 

Area of the state would not 

go scot free unless they 

about insecurity in our 

region as a deliberate 

strategy of weakening this 

region economically. 

“So, I want to use this 

opportunity to charge our 

people-political, opinion 

and community leaders to 

continue to work for a stable 

and prosperous Niger 

Delta because in the end, 

whether we are able to 

bring prosperity and 

development to our people 

depends on the presence 

of security and stability. 

repent and give peace a 

chance. 

Abelekum spoke in Port 

Harcourt at a two-day 

mediation and community 

Reconciliation workshop for 

community leaders in 

conflict affected 

communities in Port 

Harcourt City Local 

Government Area of the 

state. 

Cultists allegedly invaded 

Omudioga community on 

Saturday and killed no 

fewer than four persons 

during a suspected cult war 

in the area.



APC LG chairmen pledge loyalty to 

Amaechi, say no crisis in party 

By Jimitota 

Onoyume 

PORT HARCOURT— 

CHAIRMEN of All 


APC, in the 23 local 

government areas of 

Rivers State have 

affirmed their loyalty to 

Minister 

of 

Transportation, Mr 

Chibuike Amaechi, 

describing him as leader 

of the party in the state. 

The chairmen in a 

statement, yesterday, by 

their counterparts in 

Abua-Odua Local 

Government Area of the 

state, Mr Gift Loveday, at 

the state secretariat of the 

party in Port Harcourt said 

there was no crisis in the 

party. 

Loveday, who was 

flanked by other chairmen 

of the party, said there was 

no leadership tussle in the 

party, adding that the 

party was united and 

indivisible in the state. 

He said: “The media is 

awash, pointing to 

divisions in our party in 

the state. We wish to state 

that these insinuations are 

baseless and untrue as 

the APC in Rivers State is 

one united and indivisible 

party under the able 

chairmanship of Chief 

Davies Ikanya. 

“There is no leadership 

tussle in the APC, Rivers 

State chapter as the party 

has only one indisputable 

leader in the state and in 

the entire South-South in 

the person of Mr Rotimi 

Amaechi, former 

governor of Rivers State 

and now Minister of 

Transportation. This is not 

in doubt. 

“We pledge our 

unalloyed loyalty to our 

COMMISSIONING: From left, Senate Minority Leader, Senator 

Godswill Akpabio; wife of Akwa Ibom State governor, Martha; Governor 

Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and member representing Nsit Atai 

in Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mark Eset, during the commissioning 

of a civic centre build by the state government at Idiaba Community, Nsit 

Atai Local Government Area. 

Crisis looms in Warri, environs over 

threat on Ijaw, IOCs —WIPMG 


WARRI—THE Warri 

Ijaw Peace 

Monitoring Group, 

WIPMG, Warri, Delta State, 

yesterday, said that crisis 

was looming in Warri and 

environs in the state, 

following alleged threat on 

the Ijaw and International 

Oil Companies, IOCs, by 

the Itsekiri National Youth 

Council, INYC. 

In a statement by its 

chairman, Chief Patrick 

Bigha, the group said: “It 

has come to our notice that 

trouble is brewing in Warri 

and environs as a result of 

a declaration of war on the 

Ijaw and IOCs by Itsekiri 

National Youth Council. 

“We wish to let the Itsekiri 

know that the era of violent 

agitation is over. They 

should follow the steps of 

the Ijaw, who have been 

advocating development of 

the Niger Delta region 

peacefully. 

"The Ijaw have attracted 

projects meant to open up 

the region in recent time. 

They do not have cause to 

worry as the Ijaw will 

continue to be 

magnanimous and liberal 

to them as in the past. 

“Even when Ijaw lands 

were given to them by the 

colonial masters when they 

migrated from Ode in 

present day Ogun State 

and Benin in Edo State to 

Warri and its environs, as 

attested to by their son and 

leader, Chief Dore Numa 

in 1923 and contained in 

the Warri Intelligence 

Report, the Ijaw did not 

make trouble with them. 

Maybe it is because of the 

peaceful disposition of the 

Ijaw that had led to the 

continuous land grabbing 

attitude of the Itsekiris.” 

On the Nigerian 

Maritime University, 

Okerenkoko, the Ijaw 

group stated: “It was an 

Itsekiri son, the then 

governor of Delta State, Dr 

Emmanuel Uduaghan, that 

revoked and published the 

revocation notice in a 

national daily (Vanguard 

newspapers) and the Delta 

State-owned newspaper, 

The Pointer, in September 

25, 2013, for the information 

of the general public that 

whoever has a claim to 

make should do so within 

six working weeks. 

“The name used was 

Okerenkoko. It was only the 

Okerenkoko people, the 

rightful owners of the said 

land, that made claims and 

they were paid for economic 

trees and fish ponds 

destroyed in the process of 

acquisition. 

“Let the Itsekiri drop this 

attitude of working against 

development in our region. 

It is a known truth in Delta 

State that the Itsekiri have 

not supported anything 

good coming to the area as 

it has been their attitude to 

oppose good things that 

come to the area. 

“The same way they 

opposed the establishment 

of the Nigerian Maritime 

University, Okerenkoko, is 

the same way they opposed 

the location of the capital of 

Delta State in Warri, and it 

was cited at far away Asaba 

to the detriment of the core 

Delta people. Now, it takes 

three to four hours to travel 

to our state capital." 

leader, Amaechi, and 

have confidence that by 

the grace of God, he will 

lead us to the promised 

land.” 

The party further charged 

the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, in the state and 

Governor Nyesom Wike to 

accept without grumbling 

verdicts of the election 

tribunal on the last rerun 

legislative elections in the 

state, adding that the 

governor should bother 

himself with resolving 

challenges of insecurity in 

the state. 

N-Delta 

youths task 

NNPC on 

palliatives 

promised by 

FG 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

ENAGOA — 

Y O U T H S 

from Niger Delta have 

urged Nigerian National 

Petroleum Corporation, 

NNPC, to implement the 

palliatives pledged by 

Acting President Yemi 

Osinbajo during his tour to 

the region. 

The youths made the call 

yesterday, when the 

leadership of Niger Delta 

Ex-Agitation Forum and 

Niger Delta Non Violent 

Youth Leaders Assembly 

visited Mr Kennedy Tonjo- 

West, an aide to Bayelsa 

State Governor on Niger 

Delta Youth Matters. 

Prince Amaibi Horny, 

who spoke for the exagitators 

under the 

amnesty scheme, noted 

that the region was eagerly 

awaiting 

the 

implementation of 

promises made during the 

fact-finding visit by the 

acting president. 

Horny observed that most 

of the palliatives aimed at 

stabilising the Niger Delta 

region and consolidating 

the peace process lied 

within the purview of the 

NNPC. 

According to him, after 

several months of 

conclusion of the tour, the 

Group Managing Director 

of NNPC is yet to take 

steps to move forward. 

He said: “It is shocking 

to know that since 

Maikante Baru assumed 

office as NNPC Group 

Managing Director, he has 

not initiated or 

implemented any project or 

programme that will 

deepen the existing peace 

painstakingly put in place 

by the president." 

C-River has highest fertility 

rate in S-South — NPC 

By Emma Una 

CALABAR — CROSS 

River State has the 

highest fertility rate in the 

South-South with a 35 per 

cent ratio closely followed 

by Bayelsa State with 32 

percent birth rate. 

Chairman of National 

Population Commission, 

NPC, Chief Eze 

Duruiheoma, who stated 

this in his message to mark 

the 2017 World Population 

Day, yesterday said efforts 

must be made to stem the 

birth rise in the state. 

Duruiheoma said the 

birth rate rise at a rapid rate 

in Nigeria was due to non 

adoption of family 

planning by those within 

the reproductive age. 

The message, which was 

delivered by the state 

Director of the commission, 

Mr Billy Eteng, at the 

sensitisation programme 

sponsored by United 

Nations Food and 

Population, stated: “The 

We had appointment with 

DESOPADEC commissioner, 

Udu people insist 

W 

A 

R R I — 

FOLLOWING 

denials that Udu chiefs did 

not schedule an 

appointment with the 

commissioner representing 

Udu/Ughelli South and 

Urhobo of Warri South on 

the board of Delta State Oil 

Producing Area 

Development Commission, 

DESOPADEC, Chief Amos 

Itiwhe, spokesman (Otota) 

of Udu Kingdom, Chief 

Sam Odibo, has insisted 

that there was a scheduled 

appointment that Itiwhe did 

not honour. 

Addressing newsmen at 

his Warri office, yesterday, 

Chief Odibo insisted they 

had an appointment with the 

commissioner at 

DESOPADEC’s Zonal 

Office at Ujevwu to discuss 

issues affecting Udu 

Kingdom, but that they left 

population of Cross River 

is increasing more rapidly 

than other states of the 

South-South and our 

survey shows that the state 

has the highest fertility rate 

in the region with a 35 per 

cent ratio and efforts must 

be made to stem the birth 

rate before it gets out of 

hand.” 

He stated that wrong 

religious doctrine by 

churches and mosques with 

cultural prejudices were 

responsible for the rejection 

of family planning by 

women and men in Nigeria, 

fuelling population increase 

in the country. 

“Resistance to family 

planning and child-spacing 

have been deeply rooted in 

our cultural prejudices and 

wrong interpretation of 

religious injunctions by 

churches and mosques, 

despite the fact that the two 

major religions, Christianity 

and Islam, enjoin parents to 

protect and cater for their 

children,” he said. 

IPC tasks stakeholders on 

life of journalists 

By Bartholomew 

Madukwe 

L AGOS—FOLLOWING 

the weekend murder of 

a reporter with the Nigerian 

Television Authority, NTA, 

Mr. Lawrence Okojie, in 

Benin City, Edo State, the 

International Press Centre, 

IPC, in Lagos has called 

on media stakeholders to 

meet and brainstorm on 

measures to safeguard the 

life of journalists and other 

media professionals in the 

country. 

Condemning the murder 

of the NTA reporter, 

Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre 

Arogundade, said the 

killing of Okojie was 

shocking, unfortunate and, 

therefore, deserving of 

urgent investigation. 

He stated: “The death of 

Okojie has again 

reinforced the need for 

media stakeholders to meet 

and brainstorm on 

measures to safeguard the 

life of journalists and other 

media professionals while 

putting up a stout defence 

of media freedom in 

Nigeria.” 

after two hours of waiting. 

Odibo said, “we are 

amazed at the arrogance 

displayed by the 

commissioner over his 

failure to keep an 

appointment. A simple 

phone call to two or three of 

the chiefs would have 

yielded better results rather 

than go to the pages of 

newspapers to defend his 

failure to keep the 

appointment.” 

Odibo insisted that 

resurfacing of half a 

kilometre of the failed 

portions of the Ubogo/ 

Ogbe-Udu Road for the 

entire Udu community in 

two years cannot impel 

them to say DESOPADEC 

has worked in Udu, 

stressing that as far as Udu 

people were concerned, 

DESOPADEC is moribund.

14 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 

By Levinus 

Nwabughiogu 

ABUJA—BY 

a 

unanimous voice 

vote, the House of 

Representatives yesterday 

jettisoned the government 

policy which subsumed 

Christian Religious 

Knowledge, CRK, in Civic 

Education as a compulsory 

subject in secondary school 

curriculum. 

This followed a motion, 

titled “Call to make Civic 

Education an optional 

instead of a compulsory 

subject for Senior Certificate 

Examination”, by Beni Lar 

from Plateau State. 

The members after an 

exhaustive debate on the 

motion at plenary, agreed 

that the policy was 

incongruent with the spirit 

and letters of the 1999 

Constitution (as amended) 

on the provision of religious 

liberties. 

The members agreed that 

students with the inputs of 

Air Force sets up 2 new command 

centres in Kaduna, Enugu 

By Joseph Erunke 

A BUJA—THE 

Nigerian Air Force 

has established two new 

command centres in 

Kaduna and Enugu states. 

Also,the service has 

created a new branch, 

known as Communications 

Branch from its Logistics and 

Communications Branch, 

equally bringing the 

number of NAF branches to 

10. 

The new commands, 

which were excised from the 

now defunct Training 

Command, have brought the 

total number of commands 

in the Air Force to six. 

The new commands are 

the Air Training Command, 

ATC, with headquarters in 

Kaduna and the Ground 

Training Command, GTC, 

with headquarters in 

Enugu, respectively. 

The development, 

according to findings, is part 


SCHOOL CURRICULUM: Reps return CRK as 

independent subject •Make civic education mandatory 

their parents at formative 

years should be taught the 

religious subjects of their 

choice in school. 

Essentially, the House, 

while pointing out that 

policy makers erred ab initio 

in tampering with the 

existing policy, also agreed 

that Islamic Studies and 

CRK should be taught 

independently and 

separately in the spirit of the 

constitution. 

It will be recalled that the 

issue recently became a 

subject of controversy which 

pitted Christians in the 

country against the 

government. 

Moving the motion, Lar 

noted: “Under the previous 

Secondary School 

Curriculum which brought 

a lot of discontentment, Civic 

Education was not a 

compulsory subject and 

•Redeploys 58 senior officers 

of restructuring efforts by the 

Force to enhance the 

effective and efficient 

projection of air power. 

The ATC will be 

responsible for the 

implementation of policies 

on flying and air operations, 

while the GTC will be 

responsible for the 

implementation of local 

ground training. 

The new Branch would 

handle all the needs of the 

NAF, with regard to 

communications, 

electronics, radar 

maintenance, Information 

and Space Technology. 

Sequel to this 

development, the NAF has 

redeployed a total of 58 

officers, comprising 25 Air 

Vice Marshals, AVM, 20 Air 

Commodores, five Group 

Captains, one Wing 

Commander, four 

Squadron Leaders, two 

Flight Lieutenants and 

one Flying Officer. 

religious education was 

taught as Islamic Religious 

Knowledge (IRK) and 

Christian Religious 

Knowledge (CRK), both of 

which were optional 

subjects. 

“The Federal Ministry of 

Education introduced a 

revised curriculum without 

due consultation with 

parents and stakeholders 

and the new nine-year Basic 

Education Curriculum on 

Religion and National 

Values Consolidated 

Religious Education and 

Civic Education under 

Refund N46m to FG coffers within 40 days, Reps 

tell OhoCSF staff •Queries NDE over N1.4bn loans 

National Values and made 

Civic Education a 

compulsory subject for 

Senior Secondary 

Certificate Examinations.” 

The lawmaker also 

observed that the 

“curriculum for primary one 

to three, which is the 

formative stage of a child 

does not provide for 

adequate teaching of the 

religious beliefs of the 

people but rather 

destructive half-truths which 

destroy the fundamental 

beliefs and erodes the 

essence of such religion 

being taught the children.” 

Expressing concern that 

the new curriculum was in 

conflict with certain religious 

beliefs, Lar submitted: 

“Section 10 of the 1999 

Constitution makes Nigeria 

a secular state and, 

therefore, Religion should be 

separated from national 

values.” 

Supporting the motion, 

the Majority Leader of the 

House, Femi Gbajabiamila 

from Lagos State, stated that 

the new policy was against 

the provision of the 

constitution. 

VISIT: From left; Deputy Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Mathew 

Okedare, Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed and Acting President, 

Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, at Ilorin International Airport, Ilorin on Monday. 

Our main focus is incremental 

power — FASHOLA 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A 

B U J A — 

MINISTER of 

Power, Works and 

Housing, Babatunde 

Fashola, has said the 

main focus of government 

was to ensure stable 

electricity supply on 

incremental basis. 

Fashola, who stated this 

By Emman 

Ovuakporie 

They were also ordered to 

furnish the committee with 

expended over N46m for 

flight tickets and training in 

evidence of the refund, even 

A BUJA—THE 

December 2011. 

as the lawmakers in session, A member of the 

House of also directed the National committee, Sunday 

Representatives Committee Directorate of Employment, Adepoju, queried how the 

on Public Accounts NDE, to to give account of office expended N30m for 

yesterday ordered the how N1.4 billion was the training of four 

Permanent Secretary, disbursed to beneficiaries as procurement officers in the 

Common Services Office, loans. 

South West and N26m for 

Office of the Head of Civil The directive to the office flight tickets and other minor 

Service to the Federation, of the HoS was based on issues. 

OHoCSF, Mr Chaa queries raised by the Office Adepoju asked the 

Chinyeaka, to cause four of the Auditor-General of the Permanent Secretary to 

staff of the office to Federation in 2013. immediately furnish the 

refund N46.1 million to The lawmakers, during the committee’s secretariat with 

the federation account investigative hearing, all the retirement receipts 

within 40 days. queried how the office before the next hearing. 

yesterday in Abuja at the 

stakeholders meeting 

between the Federal 

Government and the 

private sector at the Old 

Banquet Hall, Presidential 

Villa, said efforts made so 

far to ensure Nigerians 

enjoyed steady power 

supply involved 

transmission, generation 

and distribution. 

According to him, the 

Kukoba Power Substation 

was commissioned on 

Monday to increase power 

situation in Abuja to 120 

megawatts, which he said 

was part of the incremental 

power initiatives. 

Fielding questions from 

State 

House 

correspondents on efforts 

made so far by his 

ministry to improve 

epileptic power situation, 

Fashola said: “Well it is an 

ongoing undertaking. As 

I have said, our road map 

is incremental power first 

and stable power and then 

uninterrupted power and 

that’s a journey. 

“But we are focusing 

on incremental power. 

Just yesterday (Monday) 

as one of our incremental 

power initiatives, we 

commissioned the Kukoba 

power substation to 

increase electricity to Abuja 

by another 120 megawatt 

carrying capacity. 

“So it involves not only 

transmission but also 

generation and 

distribution work, 

enabling the distribution 

companies perform better, 

enabling the GENCOs 

perform better and doing 

our own responsibility 

which is transmission. 

“So, it’s an ongoing 

undertaking. As I said, you 

must measure what we 

have done from where we 

started. On May 29, 2015, 

the power on the grid was 

2,690 megawatts and we 

kept it now at relatively at 

about 4,000. 

‘’With that, it’s going to 

be the minimum except 

for occasions where we 

have mechanical and 

electrical outages and we 

fix them back. Everyone 

knows that mechanical 

devices from time to time 

sometimes breakdown, 

sometimes they don’t work, 

sometimes you need to 

maintain and fix them.” 

“Any law or policy that 

restricts freedom should be 

guided. You cannot teach a 

little child against his or her 

believes. When there is a 

policy of government that 

goes against our 

constitution, such policy 

should be fought against by 

this House. Religion is a 

very significant and delicate 

issue, we must be very 

careful and be guided. 

“Freedom is key. Any 

law or policy that restricts 

that policy is what we 

must act against. Religion 

is a way of life. You cannot 

instruct a child in two 

cultures,’’ he said. 

Osinbajo 

okays 19 new 

National 

Industrial 

Court Judges 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA—THE Acting 


Osinbajo, SAN, yesterday, 

approved the appointment 

of 19 new Judges for the 

National Industrial Court of 

Nigeria, NIC. 

Appointment of the new 

NIC Judges was based on 

recommendation of the 

National Judicial Council, 

NJC. 

According to a statement 

by the Director of 

Information at the NJC, Mr. 

Soji Oye, the new NIC 

Judges are Targema John 

Iorngee (Benue), Namtari 

Mahmood Abba 

(Adamawa), Nweneka 

Gerald Ikechi (Rivers), Kado 

Sanusi (Katsina), Adeniyi 

Oluyinka (Ogun), Abiola 

Adunola Adewemimo 

(Osun), Opeloye 

Ogunbowale (Lagos State). 

Others are; Essien Isaac 

Jeremiah (Akwa-Ibom 

State), Elizabeth Ama Oji 

(Ebonyi State), Arowosegbe 

Olukayode Ojo (Ondo 

State), Ogbuanya 

Chukwuneta (Enugu 

State), Bashir Zaynab 

Mohammed (Niger State), 

Galadima Ibrahim 

Suleiman (Nasarawa State), 

Bassi Paul Ahmed (Borno 

State) Danjidda Salisu 

Hamisu (Kano State), 

Hamman Idi Polycarp 

(Taraba State), Damulak 

Kiyersohot Dashe (Plateau 

state) Alkali Bashar Attahiru 

(Sokoto State) and 

Mustapha Tijjani (Jigawa) 

The Chief Justice of 

Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter 

Onnoghen who is equally 

the Chairman of the NJC, 

will swear in the new 

Judges on July 14.



By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri & 

Chimaobi Nwaiwu 

A BUJA—THE 

Federal High 

Court in Abuja, yesterday, 

fixed October 17 to begin 

a full hearing into the 

treasonable felony charge 

the Federal Government 

entered against the leader 

of the Indigenous People 

of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi 

Kanu. 

Federal Government is 

prosecuting Kanu 

alongside three other pro- 

Biafra agitators - 

Chidiebere Onwudiwe, 

Benjamin Madubugwu 

and David Nwawuisi. 

This is just as the 

Movement for the 

Actualization of the 

Sovereign State of Biafra, 

MASSOB ,yesterday said 

it has passed a vote of no 

confidence on the 

leadership of Ohanaeze 

Ndigbo, following their 

alleged lack-lustre attitude 

towards the affairs of 

Ndigbo and Biafrans in 

general. 

The trial of pro-Biafra 

agitators, which was 

originally billed to 

commence this week, was 

shifted till October 

considering that the high 

court has embarked on its 

annual vacation. 

The prosecution had in 

the charge marked FHC/ 

ABJ/CR/383/2015, alleged 

that Kanu, being the 

leader of IPOB, conspired 

with his co-defendants 

and others now at large, 

on diverse dates in 2014 

and 2015, in Nigeria and 

London, to broadcast on 

Radio Biafra monitored in 

Enugu and other areas, 

preparations for states in 

the South-East and South- 

South zones and other 

communities in Kogi and 

Benue states, to secede 

from the Federal Republic 

of Nigeria, with a view to 

constituting same into a 

Republic of Biafra. 

The defendants were 

said to have committed an 

offence punishable under 

section 41(c) of the 

Criminal Code Act, CAP. 

C38 Laws of the Federation 

of Nigeria, 2004. 

Though trial Justice 

Binta Nyako had in a 

ruling on April 25 

released Kanu on bail after 

he had spent a year and 

seven months in 

detention, the court 

however okayed his codefendants 

to remain in 

prison custody. 

Justice Nyako said her 

decision to release Kanu 

who is the 1st defendant, 

on bail, was on health 

ground. 

She cited an affidavit 

that was attached to a bail 

application Kanu filed 

through his lawyer, Mr. 

BIAFRA: Court shifts resumption of Kanu, others 

trial to Oct 17•As FG gets nod to produce witnesses 

•MASSOB passes vote of no confidence on Ohanaeze Ndigbo 

leadership; rejects restructuring, lauds S-East, S-South govs' meeting 

Ifeanyi Ejiofor. 

However, the IPOB 

leader was compelled to 

produce three sureties, 

including “a jewish 

leader” and a “highly 

placed person of Igbo 

extraction”, who all 

deposited N100 million 

each before he was 

granted temporary 

freedom by the court. 

He was formally 

released to Senator 

Enyinnaya Abaribe, a 

Jewish High Chief Priest, 

Immanuu-El Shalom and 

a Chartered Accountant 

residing in Abuja, Mr. 

Tochukwu Uchendu, on 

April 28. 

As part of his conditions 

for bail, Kanu was 

expressly barred by the 

court from attending any 

rally or granting any form 

of interview. 

“I must stress it here 

that the defendant must 

not attend any rally. He 

must not be in a crowd 

exceeding 10 persons”, 

the Judge warned. 

Justice Nyako held that 

Kanu who was arrested by 

security operatives upon 

his arrival to Nigeria from 

the United Kingdom on 

October 14, 2015, must 

sign an undertaken to 

make himself available for 

trial at all times. 

He was further ordered 

to surrender his Nigerian 

and British international 

passports, even as the 

court compelled the FG to 

return to him, his wedding 

ring and reading glasses. 

Nevertheless, Kanu’s codefendants 

were denied 

bail by the court which 

described charges against 

them as “very serious”. 

Justice Nyako said the 

fact that she earlier struck 

out terrorism charges FG 

slammed against the 

defendants did not waterdown 

the seriousness of 

the charge of treasonable 

felony against them. 

The court had in a ruling 

on March 1, struck out six 

out of the eleven charges 

FG initially entered 

against Kanu and the 

others. 

Six of the charges were 

struck out on the premise 

that they were not 

supported by the proof of 

evidence FG adduced 

before the court. 

The court also rejected 

FG’s claim that the 

defendants were members 

of an illegal organisation. 

Justice Nyako said the 

fact that IPOB was not an 

organisation registered in 

AWARDS: Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (2nd right) with Engr. Patrick 

Ikpenwa, FNSE, Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure (left); Rt. Hon. Charles 

Ogbo Asogwa, FNSE, Commissioner for Housing (2nd left) and Engr. Sir Greg 

Nnaji, FNSE, Commissioner for Science and Technology (right), after the trio 

formally presented their Awards of the Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers 

(FNSE) to the governor, which were recently conferred on them in Abuja. 

Nigeria did not make it an 

illegal society. 

Kanu who was hitherto 

the Director of Radio 

Biafra and Television, had 

through his lawyers, 

insisted that IPOB was 

duly registered in over 30 

countries including the 

United Kingdom. 

He had on December 12, 

2016, threatened in the 

open court that he would 

in the course of the trial, 

expose secrets he said 

would sink Nigeria. 

The defendants who are 

answering to a five-count 

charge equally alleged 

plot by FG to import 

foreigners to testify 

against them. 

Kanu is facing four out 

of the five count charges. 

The trial judge had 

earlier granted FG the 

nod to shield identities of 

all the witnesses billed to 

testify in the matter. 

The court directed that 

the witnesses who are 

mostly security operatives 

would testify behind a 

screen or wear mask when 

the need arises, a decision 

the defendants protested 

against, insisting that it 

was wrong for the court to 

allow “masquerades” to 

give evidence against 

them. 

While dismissing some 

of the previous charges 

against the defendants, 

Justice Nyako held that 

FG could not establish 

any element of crime in its 

allegation that Kanu had 

between March and April 

2015, imported into 

Nigeria a radio 

Transmitter known as 

TRAM 50L and kept it in 

a container that was left in 

custody of the 3rd 

defendant, Madubugwu, 

at Ubuluisiuzor in Ihiala 

LGA of Anambra State. 

The court however held 

that Kanu has a case to 

answer pertaining to 

allegation in count-four 

that he lied that the Radio 

Transmitter was concealed 

in a container of used 

household items which 

the defendant declared as 

unused household items. 

Whereas the court 

struck out counts 3, 6, 7, 

9, 10 and 11 of the 

charges, it however 

sustained counts 1, 2, 4, 

5 and 8. 

The sustained charges, 

to which all the 

defendants entered a plea 

of not guilty to, border on 

conspiracy, treasonable 

felony, publication of 

defamatory matter and 

Kanu’s alleged 

importation of goods 

contrary and punishable 

under section 47(2) (a) of 

the Customs and Excise 

Management Act, Cap 

C45, Laws of the 

Federation of Nigeria, 

2004. 

In count three of the 

pending charges, FG 

alleged that Kanu had in 

a broadcast he made in 

London on April 28, 2015, 

through Radio Biafra, 

referred to President 

Muhammadu Buhari as 

“a paedophile, a terrorist, 

an idiot and an 

embodiment of evil”. 

Madubugwu was 

specifically accused of 

having in his possession 

at his house, one Emerald 

Magnum Pump Action 

Gun with serial number 

TS 870- 113- 0046, one 

Delta Magnum Pump 

Action Gun with serial 

number 501, and 41 

Cartridges/ Ammunition, 

without lawful authority 

or licence. 

MASSOB passes vote of 

no confidence on 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo 

MASSOB in a 

statement by its national 

Director of Information, 

Comrade Edeson Samuel 

said they recently 

discovered that the 


Ndigbo whom they thought 

feels the pains of Ndigbo 

and Biafrans are pursuing 

personal and egocentric 

desires. 

...Lauds governors 

meeting 

“While, we disagree 

with the call for 

restructuring by 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, 

MASSOB wishes to 

commend the South-east, 

South-south governors for 

coming together for their 

meeting held last Saturday 

in Enugu, even though the 

meeting to us was a total 

failure. The governors have 

indeed, this time taken a 

bold step for coming 

together which is important 

for the two regions. 

“The unity of these two 

regions is very important 

for us. We urge these 

governors to reactivate 

the dilapidated 

infrastructures and 

abandoned companies in 

the two regions, instead 

of relying and waiting in 

vain on the Federal 

Government of Nigeria to 

site any Federal 

Government project in 

these two regions, which 

it will not do because the 

of the hatred for the 

people of these regions 

who are mostly Biafrans. 

“We, the members of the 



Sovereign State of Biafra, 

MASSOB, under the 

leadership of Mazi 

Uchenna Madu have 

passed a vote of no 

confidence on the 


Ndigbo because of their 

lack-lustre attitude towards 

the affairs of Ndigbo and 

Biafra in general. 

“These men, the 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo 

leadership whom we 

thought feel our pains 

before now, have shown 

us who they are and we 

have discovered that they 

are pursuing personal 

and egocentric desires. 

We never knew before 

now that they are not 

working for Ndigbo and 

Biafrans in general. 

“They want to destroy 

our future and in the 

process, have destroyed 

their own future because 

of their immediate need to 

enrich themselves. They 

have exposed themselves 

and we now know them 

better." 

According to MASSOB, 

"the leadership of 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo has 

proven that they cannot be 

trusted. Their opposition 

against referendum has 

shown that they do not 

have Igbo interest at heart. 

“While many respected 

Igbo leaders and leaders 

from other parts of the 

country are clamouring 

for referendum, it is very 

clear that the leadership 

of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has 

nothing to offer Ndigbo 

but using the organization 

to get contracts from 

Abuja. 

“MASSOB is warning 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo to 

retrace their steps towards 

Biafran issue because we 

will not allow them to 

jeopardize our future and 

that of our children. A lot of 

blood has been shed 

because of Biafra and we 

cannot let that blood be in 

vain. 

“MASSOB will never 

accept restructuring 

because there is no amount 

of restructuring that will 

save Nigeria from 

disintegration. 

''The leadership of 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo has 

failed Ndigbo completely. 

We are going to make 

Biafran land too hot for the 

shameless, greedy, self 

centered politicians who 

cannot see the 

handwriting on the wall.”


:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnewsNEWS HOTLINES: 

MTN VALUES AWARD: From left— Director Musical Society of 

Nigerian, MUSON, Mrs. Marion Akpata; Executive Secretary, Ms. Nonny 

Ugboma; Director, Mr. Dennis Okoro, both of MTN Foundation; first prize 

winner, MTNF/MTN Values Awards, Miss Anuoluwapo Ruth, and Executive 

Secretary, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operations of Nigeria, 

ALTON, Mr. Gbolahan Awonuga, at the 10th graduation ceremony of the 

MTN Foundation MUSON Scholars in Lagos State. 

GTBANK REFURBISHES LIBRARY: From left— Lagos State 

Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Wale Oluwo; MD/CEO, 

GTBank, Mr. Segun Agbaje; Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on 

Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti 

Adebule, and CEO, ATIITA Studio, Mr. Goke Osinbodu, during the 

commissioning of the GTBank-refurbished Yaba Library in Lagos, yesterday. 

BIAFRA: GKS ministers sue for 

peace, dialogue 

By Sam Eyoboka 

W 

A R R I — 

MINISTERS of 

God’s Kingdom Society, 

GKS, have appealed to 

groups and individuals 

agitating for the break up 

of Nigeria to exercise 

restraint and tread the path 

of dialogue in order to 

save present and future 

generations from reliving 

the experiences of the last 

civil war. 

A communiqué at the 

end of 2017 GKS 

Ministers Conference 

held in Salem City, Warri, 

the Church headquarters, 

urged the Federal 

Government and all 

aggrieved groups and 

sections of the country to 

tread the path of dialogue 

so as to create a conducive 

atmosphere for the 

articulation of policies and 

programmes that would 

calm frayed nerves and 

save the country from 

bloodshed. 

Quoting Proverbs 25:9 

and 15:1, the church 

appealled to Nigerians to 

be cautious in their use of 

language by restraining 

themselves from using 

hate speeches. 

“The resort to 

emotionalism and mutual 

recriminations were the 

ingredients that led to the 

outbreak of hostilities 

between Nigeria and 

secessionist forces in the 

destructive 30-month civil 

war, which some have 

called “the country’s most 

weighty calamity since 

self-rule”, the church 

stated, while appealing to 

Aide drums support for 

Delta gov 

W ARRI—SPECIAL 

Assistant on Youth 

Development to Delta State 

governor, Mr. Glory 

Ayiwe, has stated that his 

principal, Senator Ifeanyi 

Okowa, has redefined 

governance in Delta State, 

noting that the governor 

deserves to be supported. 

He spoke to newsmen 

when a group of PDP 

faithful from Ward 03 in 

Warri South Local 

Government Area paid him 

a courtesy visit on his 

the elders in various parts 

of the country to advise 

their people to be patient 

and to work together for the 

amelioration of their 

present conditions. 

“Since there can be no 

perfect system or 

arrangement in this world, 

both the leaders and the led 

must be prepared to follow 

the things which make for 

peace, and things wherewith one 

may edify another, until God’s 

Kingdom would take over the 

affairs of the whole world", they 

stated. 

appointment. 

Ayiwe while thanking the 

group for its solidarity, used 

the opportunity of the visit 

to wish Okowa well.“He 

stated that the governor 

had sufficiently kept to his 

electoral promises and had 

proved in just two years that 

governance is no longer 

business as usual. 

"The litany of visible 

achievements dotting the three 

Senatorial Districts of the State 

has been phenomenal," he 

added. 

REDSTAR LOGO: From left—Company Secretary, Redstar Express 

Plc, Frances Akpomaka; DMD, Redstar Freight, Tonye Preghafi; GMD, Redstar 

Express Plc, Sola Obabori; Executive Director, Sales and Marketing, Redstar 

Express Plc, Victor Ukwat, and DMD, Redstar Express, Charles Ejekam, at 

Redstar Express' logo unveiling in Lagos. 

WORKSHOP: From left— Director of Training, Mr. Ayodeji Aruna; 

Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Folasade Ogunnaike, both of Ministry of 

Establishments, Training and Pensions; Chairman, House Committee on 

Establishments, Training and Pensions, Mr. Adedayo Famakinwa; the 

Commissioner, Dr. Akintola Benson-Oke; Director of Account, Mr. Deji Koko, 

and CEO, Vitech Trainers, Mr. Lekan Okediji, during the two-day workshop 

on leadership for Lagos State workers, tagged Integrating Contemporary 

Business Leadership Principles into Corporate Governance Model of Lagos State 

Civil Service, in Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Bunmi Azeez.

WE are living dangerous, 

interesting times: 

Nigeria is under attack once 

again. This time however, our 

country’s opponents are more 

treacherous. We should all be 

alarmed by their ability to fool 

us with their apparent 

sophistication and 

worldliness. 

Their pedigree, their 

background, their elite 

education, their welladvertised 

experience of 

governance (even if it is false) 

adds to the impression of 

competence which we so 

naively believe. These aren’t 

the usual thugs and hooligans 

Nigerians had grown 

accustomed to, the sort who 

couldn’t string together two 

sentences in English. 

The allegations trailing these 

men are enough to garner the 

reputation of a pathological 

addiction to crime. The 

arrogance of such individuals, 

who would refer to a Vice- 

President as a “mere 

commissioner” is telling. 

They believe they were born 

for the top job, they think it is 

theirs and are ready to do 

whatever they must to become 

President. They see the Acting 

President’s capability as a 

direct threat and have begun 

to plot. Nigerians must counter 

their moves: what they want 

is a thief’s paradise, the sort 

of Nigeria which hasn’t 

existed since the 80s, a land 

of infinite possibilities for the 

looter, where ordinary 

Nigerians are powerless, 

doomed to watch the careless 

spending, the ruthless theft. 

We must not allow it.Why are 

the Senators, suddenly, once 

again, obsessed with the 

removal of Magu as EFCC 

Chairman if not because there 

is possibly a script, a plan, 

crafted by the ruthlessly 

ambitious, to seize power by 

A ‘mere commissioner', a 

thorn in the side of the 

ruthlessly ambitious 

whatever means? There is an 

attempt to subvert the 

constitution, to show the poor 

and powerless Nigerian 

citizen that in this game called 

politics, some men are born to 

rule and that a “mere 

commissioner” can’t defeat a 

man born with a silver spoon 

who believes Nigeria belongs 

to him. 

This isn’t about ethnicity, 

this isn’t about religion. They 

might try to trick the masses 

into believing this but this is 

nothing more than ambition, 

Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim 

IN due time, all is revealed. 

The former governor, now 

a Senator, due to some strange 

custom in Nigeria which 

automatically sends governors 

to the Senate, no matter their 

track record, who once 

claimed Sharia law would 

make Yobe free from vice (of 

which prostitution and 

adultery, the irony is 

priceless!), was caught on 

video “entertaining”, to put it 

mildly, two ladies. 

The hypocrisy of it all! Boko 

Haram made Yobe its 

playground, almost as a direct 

consequence of the religious 

fanaticism which has been 

championed not just in the 

North but all over the country 

by many insincere 

individuals. It seems Sharia 

law only punishes the poor, 

the rich are never found guilty 

of theft, adultery or fornication. 

Senator Ibrahim admitted to 

being the person on the tape 

in a rather flippant manner, 

claiming his entitlement to a 

“private life”. 

Why then did the US Senate 

attempt to impeach Clinton? 

•Sen. Bukar Abba Ibrahim 

Didn’t he have a right to a 

“private life” too? It is most 

unfortunate that we have sunk 

so low that the question of 

ethics in public life is so 

misunderstood. 

Compromising the dignity 

of one’s office means nothing 

in a country where one can 

preside over a law-making 

body while being on trial for 

breaking the law while also 

being judged by a man who 

also was on trial for subverting 

the course of justice. What a 

country! 

in its darkest and most wicked 

form, at play. The sponsors of 

the restructuring agenda, of 

the herdsmen, of all the 

conflicts detonating across the 

country are playing their parts 

well. 

They tried to float the kite of 

a possible return to military 

rule, they tried to sell the idea 

that a coup would (or even 

should) come, they have tried 

all manner of tricks and 

strategies to stop the Acting 

President from assuming this 

role, they try to sabotage him. 

incessantly, but it won’t work. 

Not if Nigerians continue to be 

watchful and most of all, vocal. 

Ibrahim Magu 

SOME Senators keep 

pushing for 

interpretations of the 

Constitution which benefit 

certain interests, especially 

those, it seems, of people who 

have much to fear if the 

system is allowed to work 

properly. 

I wrote an article a few 

months ago “who is afraid of 

Ibrahim Magu” which still 

holds true. Corruption is 

fighting back the only way it 

can by creating confusion and 

courting needless controversy. 

The EFCC is an extraministerial 

department under 

the Presidency which 

nominates the chairman. It 

isn’t an issue of the Senate 

being a “rubber stamp”, this 

is mere trickery to confuse 

Nigerians. 

The Senate can’t legally 

direct the Acting President to 

remove Mr. Magu. If some 

senators want executive 

powers, they should have 

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 —17 

Why did Senator Eyinnaya any statement, unquestioned 

Abaribe ask the Senate to and cause panic. Nigerians, 

declare the Senate President, be wise, be careful, a game is 

Bukola Saraki “Acting being played and it isn’t to 

President?” Why does the your benefit. 

Senate keep pushing for a new Some people seek power for 

interpretation of our laws power’s sake. They have no 

which obviously seems to plans to better the life of the 

benefit certain interests? Only average Nigeria. They want a 

if the Vice-President (now lawless Nigeria where 

Acting President Osinbajo) is complaints from those without 

incapacitated can the Sentate money or power are silenced. 

They want a Nigeria where 

they are free to wheel and deal 

as they place, scam the system 

and put Nigerians to sleep 

Some people seek with meaningless stories and 

rhetoric. 

power for power’s They are petrified of the idea 

sake. They have of an Osinbajo Presidency, 

assisted by an empowered 

no plans to better Magu as substantive EFCC 

the life of the Chairman. They are scared of 

what such a duo could do if 

average Nigeria. 

given the chance. As we 

They want a 

continue to hope and pray for 

the safe return of Muhammadu 

lawless Nigeria 

Buhari who championed the 

where complaints anti-corruption fight without 

from those 

which much of the information 

available now about the inner 

without money workings and rottenness of 

or power are 

arms procurement, would 

have remained secret, 

silenced 

Nigerians must make quick, 

informed calculations and 

President legally become the realise by whom they would be 

Acting President. Osinbajo’s best served. 

trip abroad to represent The ambitious have a lot of 

Nigeria during the African money at their disposal; 

Union summit does not enable unimaginable sums in fact, to 

such a scenario, no matter how subvert the course of justice, 

much some people might wish to silence the media and 

it. 

anyone who dares question 

There was no power them. A “mere commissioner”, 

vacuum. Let us stop using big is the metaphorical David, 

words to inflame the polity and written off by the Goliaths of 

cause confusion, all to benefit this world, only to show that 

certain people and their he was chosen for a purpose. 

careers. The problem in All crooked paths will be 

Nigeria is that too many made straight. It is up to 

citizens are not educated Nigerians to ensure this: keep 

enough about the law and its talking, keep tweeting, keep 

implications, they have no shouting at the top of your 

points of comparison, know lungs about the kind of country 

little about the workings of you deserve, most of all, 

democracy, their own personal refuse to be taken in by the 

rights or the responsibilities of seductive tricks of some 

government, which is why mischievous, ruthlessly 

politicians can make virtually ambitious individuals. 

Ibrahim Magu 

pursued careers under the 

executive branch of 

government. Let’s stop mixing 

things simply to protect certain 

people from investigation or 

the re-opening of cases. It is 

criminal and would be 

recognised as such in any 

other country. 

We can’t have two standards 

in one country, where the 

poor, lesser mortals are 

lynched and stoned for 

stealing bread and the rich 

have perpetual immunity for 

stealing much more. Those 

Senators who know right from 

wrong must fight to be on the 

right side of history because 

when finally, crooked paths 

are straight again, there will 

be no room for excuses. 

Tabia Princewill is a 

strategic communications 

consultant and public policy 

analyst. She is also the cohost 

and executive producer 

of a talk show, WALK THE 

TALK which airs on 

Channels TV.

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 

THE dreadful activities of the 

Badoo gang in the Ikorodu axis of 

Lagos State has, again, brought out 

the urgent necessity for community 

policing. The gang had unleashed 

terror on Ikorodu communities 

where many families have been 

brutally wiped out. Vital organs of 

their victims were allegedly removed 

for purposes that are yet to be 

determined. 

The Police have so far arrested over 

200 with 25 others declared wanted. 

These were achieved with the 

combined efforts of the police, other 

security agencies and local vigilante 

groups. Neighbourhoods in Lagos 

suburbs now rely on youths for their 

security at night to ward off the 

Badoo threat, and indeed other 

threats to security. 

The pervasive state of insecurity in 

the densely-populated town is a 

reflection of the failure of the current 

policing system in the country and 

the need to overhaul it. Acting 

President Yemi Osinbajo’s 

pronouncement that the Federal 

Government would soon come out 

Badoo: It’s time for 

community policing 

with a policy on establishing 

community policing therefore comes 

at the right time. 

The United Nations prescribes one 

policeman to 100 citizens and 

Nigeria requires 1.8million 

policemen to meet that standard. 

The current centralised police 

command structure is no longer 

working. A situation where the 

Inspector-General of Police in Abuja 

presides over policing of the 

remotest parts of the country does not 

augur well for the system. 

Decentralisation of policing will 

enhance crime prevention, effective 

monitoring and intelligence 

gathering. It will put policing in the 

hands of our various localities. 

The jungle justice usually meted 

out to suspected criminals is an 

expression of the public’s loss of 

confidence in the police. So also is 

the resort to self-organised vigilante 

groups. Badoo and other forms of 

gangterism are scourges that must be 

stamped out before they become 

uncontrollable. The Nigerian Police 

can only benefit more from states and 

communities being constitutionallyauthorised 

to key into their efforts. 

The community policing we need 

will enable the state and various local 

or communal authorities to evolve 

systems of self-policing and 

correction that will serve their 

security purposes. The recent 

launching of the Lagos State 

Neighbourhood Corps, LSNC, is a 

bold step towards community 

policing, but the Corps must be 

strengthened and equipped with the 

right technology, such as drones and 

trackers, which will help in 

intelligence gathering. 

Already, some state governments 

have seized the initiative by 

establishing various local outfits 

that can easily metamorphose into 

the much-awaited community police. 

Necessary processes should be put 

in place towards amending the 1999 

Constitution to enable communities 

play a greater role in their own 

security. State and local police outfits 

can work with the Federal Police to 

ensure a more comprehensive 

agenda for safeguarding the lives 

and property of Nigerians and non- 

Nigerians in Nigeria. 

By Sunny Ikhioya 

THE Sun news of 5th July 2017 had a 

Headline; "Nigeria in trouble as 

production of gasoline cars ends in 2025". 

According to the verdict of a Stanford 

University economist: "leading automobile 

manufacturers in Asia, Europe and the United 

States, to discontinue the manufacturing of 

petrol powered cars, buses and trucks in the 

next eight years." The report went further; "...the 

entire market for land transport will switch to 

electronic powered transport system...this will 

lead to the collapse of oil prices and the demise 

of the petroleum industry, Nigeria's key foreign 

exchange earner." Along the same direction, 

Volvo cars manufacturer in Sweden just 

announced that they will discontinue the 

production of gas powered vehicles by 2019, 

falling in line with Tesla. 

While all of these are going our, our own 

Aliko Dangote, Nigeria and Africa's richest 

man is busy building one of the biggest 

petroleum refineries in the world, here in 

Lagos-Nigeria, with very scarce and hard 

earned cash resources that could have been 

expended on more futuristic projects- that is; if 

the powers that be and those in control of the 

country's policies allow it to be. If our 

researchers and planners of our education 

policies are in touch with happenings in the 

outside world, they would have been thinking 

of tailoring our education to fit the needs of 

our society and for our future survival. 

As it is presently, oil is not the solution to our 

future survival, that is why the oil producing 

OPINION 

On education curriculum brouhaha 

communities must "make hay while the sun 

shines" because oil has no future as we can see 

from present world developments. Members 

of the Nigerian Educational Research and 

Development council NERDC, must bow their 

When we say we want a proper 

direction and focus for our 

education system, we mean in 

the areas of technological 

development, science, 

agriculture 

heads in shame for the confusion that they have 

brought to our educational system. While other 

countries are making progress with their 

education reforms, Nigeria's is mired in 

controversy. We are busy fighting over religion 

and ethnicity because some people in position 

of power have decided to put their selfish and 

parochial interests over the common good. 

The unfortunate situation is that, supposedly 

well informed individuals are trying to defend 

the absurd. The simple question is; why do we 

always love to create confusion where there 

seem to be none? Why not let things be, 

especially as it concerns religious matters? The 

unfortunate fate that has befallen this nation is 

that we have wasted valuable time and 

resources to promote religious and ethnic 

differences, instead of investing heavily in 

researches that will transform our 

technological and industrial growth to the 

standard of the first world. Why can't we just 

allow religion to be what it is, and that is; a 

private affair between man and his creator. Why 

don't we allow religion to be what it is? That is; 

a matter of choice for the individual. Why must 

we use our position to over ride our sentiments 

over others? When it comes to the setting up of 

policies, any decision that tend to favour one 

religion over another must be avoided. The 

NERDC must therefore allow Christian 

Religious Studies CRS, to stand on its own in 

the other category of the curriculum like the 

Arabic language, and its study must be by 

choice. This will end all of the needless 

controversies surrounding it but, if we keep 

defending it like the essay of one Pastor Yakub 

Jonah in the social media, the controversy will 

fester to a boiling point. The answer is simple: 

allow the Christians to study what they want as 

it concerns their religion. 

This is what the defenders of the policy are 

saying: "In 2012, the Federal government 

approved a curriculum reform aimed at 

rationalising the subject offered in public 

schools in line with global practices and 

standards and the Nigerian educational 

research and development council NERDC, 

came up with a-9year curriculum with subjects 

arraigned into groups, producing a maximum 

of 12 subjects, at the lower basic (prim1-3), 9 

subjects at the middle basic( prim4-6) and 10 

subjects at the upper basic ; (Jss1-3)". There is 

also a footnote added: "English, Mathematics, 

French language, Arabic language and 

Business Studies (at the upper basic) are the 

only subjects that stand on their own. All 

remaining 17 subjects in the curriculum have 

been respectively listed under various subject 

groupings". The Christians are saying that; if 

Arabic language, which is otherwise the 

language of Islam, can stand alone, Christian 

religious studies should also be made to stand 

alone without any tainting. So what is wrong 

with that request? It is unfortunate that when 

such policies are made, they use " so called" 

Christians to execute the plans and defend it. 

Presently, accusing fingers are pointed to 

Goodluck Jonathan and Nyesom Wike. It does 

not matter who initiated it, the policy is 

distasteful to the Christians and their views 

must be respected. The point is fairness to all. If 

they want to include Islamic religion, which in 

a way, is Arabic language, as a stand alone 

subject, no problem, nobody will dispute that 

but the Christians must be allowed their wish. 

And by the way, why will it take a Mallam 

Adamu to be in charge for such policies to be 

implemented. 

If the Jonathan administration wanted it 

implemented, it should have been done before 

his exit from office. When we say we want a 

proper direction and focus for our education 

system, we mean in the areas of technological 

development, science agriculture and medical 

researches, the type that will move this nation 

to the level of the developed countries, not to 

tinker with religion. That curriculum must be 

corrected now. 

*Mr. Ikhioya, www.southsouthecho.com 

Twitter: @sunnyIkhioya

ERGP: Udoma seeks active participation 

of OPS in implementation 

•As NECA seeks overhaul of exchange rate mechanism 

From left: Mr. Jude Ohanehi, Executive Director, Mr. Akinwunmi Lawal, Managing Director, 

Mr. Azubuko Joel Udah, Chairman, and Prince Jude Eke, Non -Executive Director all of 

NPF Microfinance Bank Plc at the 23rd Annual General Meeting held in Nike Lake Resort, 

Enugu, Enugu State. 

By Franklin Alli 

MINISTER of Budget and 

National Planning, Senator 

Udoma Udo Udoma, has enjoined 

the Orgainsed Private Sector 

(OPS) to actively participate 

in the implementation of the federal 

government’s Economic Recovery 

and Growth Plan, ERGP, 

saying: “It is the blueprint to fix 

the broken economy.” 

This is even as Nigeria Employers 

Consultative Association 

(NECA), an arm of the OPS, has 

called for overhaul of Central 

Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s exchange 

rate regime to allow market 

forces to determine the value 

of the Naira. 

Senator Udoma, in his keynote 

address, delivered during the 

60th Annual General Meeting of 

NECA, yesterday, in Lagos, 

stated: “The ERGP is this 

administration’s blueprint aimed 

at building a new Nigeria where 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

$126.25 +0.00 

$1,801.00 +00.00 

$13.45 -0.11 

$46.37 -0.51 

$43.93 -0.47 

305 305.5 306 

393.45 394.095 394.74 

348.188 348.7588 349.3296 

316.8173 317.3367 317.856 

2.6811 2.6855 2.6899 

0.5075 0.5175 0.5275 

421.8271 422.5186 423.2101 

44.852 44.926 45 

81.3268 81.4601 81.5935 

423.34 424.034 424.728 

RAND 22.8019 22.8392 22.8766 

CBN Exchange rate as at 11/07/2017 

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 — 19 

we grow what we eat, consume 

what we make and produce what 

we use.” He added that the benefits 

of the ERGP cannot be enjoyed 

unless it is effectively and 

faithfully implemented. 

He stated: “The targets set by 

the government in the ERGP are 

achievable but the success of the 

plan depends on the responsiveness 

of the private sector to the 

initiatives being rolled out by the 

government under the Plan. It 

requires extensive collaboration 

with the private sector for its effective 

implementation. 

“ERGP is the blueprint the administration 

intends to use to fix 

the broken economy. There is no 

doubt whatsoever, that successful 

implementation of the ERGP 

will revitalize the economy and 

put it back on the path of sustained, 

inclusive, and diversified 

growth and development.” 

Also speaking, Mr. Larry Ettah, 

NECA President, said the abolition 

of the current exchange rate 

regime by CBN became necessary 

because the fixed exchange 

rate system with its attendant 

multiple rates does not augur well 

for the business community in 

terms of right pricing and effective 

means of resource allocation. 

“Though it seemed lately to 

have provided some reprieve for 

the value of the local currency, it 

is doubtful if this is sustainable in 

the long term. Evidence from other 

economies are clear and compelling 

to the effect that floating exchange 

rate systems enable 

economies respond best to declines 

in the value of their exports 

and provide a natural adjustment 

mechanism to preserve 

foreign exchange reserves and 

change incentives and behaviour 

of economic actors. This is the 

reason we are convinced that the 

way to go is to allow market forces 

to determine the value of the 

Naira and consequently abolishing 

the multiple rates,” he said. 

FG plans truck parks across major cities 

By Godwin Oritse 

THE Federal Government, yes 

terday, expressed concern 

over the rate of road accidents and 

loss of cargo occasioned by bad 

roads and has commenced moves 

to establish Truck Transit Parks, 

TTP, across major cities in Nigeria. 

Disclosing this at the opening 

of a two day National Summit on 

‘Establishment, Management 

and Operation’ 

of truck parks, 

Minister of Transport, 

Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, 

said that environment 

degradation was another 

negative impact of 

excessive usage of the 

roads by heavy duty 

vehicles. 

He stated: “The federal 

government plans 

over the next couple of 

years to develop Truck 

Transit Parks at Lokoja 

in Kogi State, Obollo- 

Afor in Enugu State, 

Ogere in Ogun State, 

Jebba in Kwara State 

and Port Novo Creek in 

Lagos State as an alternative 

strategy to address 

the menace of 

truck congestion at the 

seaports in Apapa and 

Port Harcourt. 

“These are meant to complement 

the Ore Sunshine in Ondo 

State and the ones being processed 

by the Kaduna State Government 

at the Mararaban, Jos 

and Tapa on the Kaduna Abuja 

highway. The federal government 

shall ensure that TTP projects independently 

developed by state 

governments and private investors 

meet a minimum standard in 

the number of facilities provided 

at TTP sites. “The federal govern- 

ment shall also ensure that the 

TTPs are economic and business 

hub creating wealth and employment 

for our teeming population 

particularly the youths”. 

Similarly, Minister of Power, 

Works and Housing, Mr. 

Babatunde Fashola, said that if 

the activities of these big vehicles 

are not well managed, they will 

become a big menace to the society. 

Elumelu tasks FG over bureaucracy 

CHAIRMAN, Heirs Hold 

ings, Tony Elumelu, has 

charged the Federal Government 

to urgently address the problem 

of bureaucracy in the process of 

doing business in Nigeria to promote, 

attract and retain willing investment 

partners in the country. 

He made this call, yesterday, 

while discussing the topic “Nigeria 

Open for Business” at the 2017 

National Insurance Conference 

organised by the Insurance Industry 

Consultative Council 

(IICC), which held at Transcorp 

Hilton, Abuja. 

In his speech, Elumelu commended 

the Buhari-Osinbajo administration 

for their efforts so far 

in stabilising the Nigerian 

economy, but noted that much 

more still needs to be done to 

transform Nigeria into a country 

Automatic 

exchange of 

information’ll 

end tax 

evasion—CITN 

By Dotun Ibiwoye 

THE Chartered Institute of 

Taxation of Nigeria, CITN, 

has disclosed that the newly formulated 

Automatic Exchange of 

Information, which Nigeria is a 

party to, will successfully end tax 

evasion. The Automatic Exchange 

of Information becomes effective 

from year 2018. 

In a statement by CITN’s President, 

Chief Cyril Ede, the institute 

lauded Acting President, Prof. 

Yemi Osinbajo, who recently 

signed the Executive Order 

which provides a legal framework 

for the Ministry of Finance to set 

up the Voluntary Assets and Income 

Declaration Scheme, 

VAIDS, in collaboration with all 

the 36 states of the Federation. 

He said the primary purpose of 

the scheme is to bring more taxpayers 

into the tax net so as to 

enable them pay all outstanding 

taxes, adding that the amnesty 

period would run for a period 

of nine months commencing 

from July 1, 2017 to March 30, 

2018. 

Ede said, “The VAIDS is a 

right step in the right direction 

as its intentions are applauded. 

Tax payer amnesty and relief 

programmes are an increasingly 

popular means used effectively 

globally by tax authorities to 

encourage tax payers to come 

forward and correct errant tax filings 

in exchange for potential 

immunity from prosecution, reduced 

penalties and other relief. 

“We, therefore, encourage 

those that intend to take advantage 

of the Scheme to make honest 

declarations so that they will 

be free from prosecution and 

will qualify for forgiveness of 

penalties and interest under the 

Automatic Exchange of Information, 

which Nigeria is now a 

party to and which comes into 

effect in 2018. 

”Non compliance with the 

scheme could lead to a full criminal 

investigation, criminal prosecution 

and even potential forfeiture 

of the assets as possible proceeds 

of crime.” 

capable of attracting the right investments. 

He stated that bureaucracy 

is a major challenge that 

needs to be tackled with a sense 

of urgency to curb excessive 

losses. 

Citing a personal example, he 

mentioned that the delays in the 

public sector led to a negative return 

on investment that forced his 

proprietary investment company, 

Heirs Holdings, to suspend the 

pursuit of its insurance license 

despite meeting the eligibility requirement 

and capitalisation 

benchmark. 

“This bureaucracy is a cause for 

concern and if not tackled, will 

discourage otherwise willing investors 

from within and outside 

the country. Heirs Insurance Limited 

is an example where despite 

focused attempts to finalise a licence, 

the delay in processing has 

cost our company significantly in 

terms of resources and return on 

investment,” he said. 

Elumelu proposed that 

Nigeria’s transformation can only 

be achieved when the government 

and private sector work together 

in “shared Purpose,” to 

create the economic and social 

wealth for the people. 

He defined shared purpose as 

an alignment and commitment to 

3Es - employment, empowerment 

and economic opportunity, where 

the government partners with the 

private sector to, not only design 

a business climate that creates job 

opportunities for the youths as in 

the case of the Tony Elumelu 

Foundation, but prioritises small 

and medium businesses.

20 -- Vanguard, WEDNESDAY , JULY 12, 2017 

On the issue of fair hearing 

Dear sir, 

IAM talking about the application of 

the principle of fair hearing in our 

administration of justice. Specifically at 

issue is the element of the principle that 

requires that an accused person be 

presumed innocent until proven guilty, 

thus placing the responsibility of proof on 

the complainant or plaintiff. 

While one cannot fault the noble intent 

of this principle anyhow, it is imperative 

that its value be set against the overall goal 

of justice. To my ‘unlearned’ mind, justice 

is supposed to be what is perceived by all 

and sundry to be fair and equitable. 

Ideally, all parties in dispute should 

stand equal before the law and benefit from 

the law the same - the victim, the accused 

and the society. In effect, justice to the 

accused person should not in any way 

undermine the interest of any of the other 

parties, whether in criminal or civil cases. 

Sadly, this does not seem to apply in 

reality. The application of the fair hearing 

principle has almost become the albatross 

of our judicial system. Now, it seems much 

easier for an accused person to escape the 

law than for the victim to get justice. 

Lawyers seem to have found a ready tool 

in the fair hearing principle to roll our 

judicial system around their fingers for as 

Imperatives of Federal 

govt’s appeal of CCT 

verdict 

Dear sir, 

THE no case verdict of the Code of 

Conduct Tribunal on the asset declaration 

infractions alleged against the 

Senate president remains a watershed in 

the anals of jurisprudence in Nigeria. The 

case remains novel first for the discharge 

and acquittal awarded by the tribunal chairman 

whereas the tribunal is constitutionally 

empowered to discharge and not to 

acquit. 

Secondly for a sweeping discountenance 

of what the prosecution counsel regarded 

as overwhelming evidence of infractions 

proven by prosecution witnesses. It is gratifying 

that the Federal government has 

expressly appealed this judgement thereby 

living no room for speculation as to intervening 

political nuances. 

Allowing the judgment to fly without 

appeal would have degraded the anti-corruption 

consonance of Buhari's government. 

The case which is a matter expected to 

terminate at the Supreme court would provide 

an enduring jurisprudential precedence 

in the administration of the Code 

of Conduct going forward. Furthermore, 

it smacks of moral insensitivity for the Senate 

to have celebrated the rather cold comfort 

when the case is still open to adjudication 

by courts of superior jurisdiction. 

It is also inchoate to advance the theory 

of political witch-hunt which would rather 

embrace a Banana Republic where laws 

are skewed in favour of a suspect for his 

perceived political predilections. 

The rule of law is preserved when both 

the victim and the villain are given opportunity 

for redress based on equity and 

justice. Nigerians ought to wish both the 

prosecution and the defense teams best of 

luck and insulate the conversation from 

any extraneous spin pending the apex 

court's ruling. 

Bukola 

Ajisola, 

bukymany@yahoo.com 

long as they want. Accused persons also 

bask in the grace of remaining innocent 

until proven otherwise. All the while, the 

victim suffers miserably carrying the 

responsibility of establishing the guilt of 

the accused beyond reasonable doubt. And 

the society watches helplessly as the 

temple of justice gradually assumes the 

image of a comedy theatre. 

Of course, this plays out in both civil 

and criminal cases. But I consider the effect 

on our criminal justice system more urgent 

in light of its direct connection to the 

security of lives and property. 

From a random sampling of crime stories 

in our national dailies, one gets a sense 

that evil-minded people are now more 

emboldened to commit heinous crimes like 

never before. And in many of these cases, 

there are enough confessional or 

documentary evidence to substantially 

establish the culpability of the accused 

persons. Yet, in the name of fair hearing, 

we still subject our system to the arduous, 

expensive and time-wasting process of 

prosecution. 

As a layman, this phenomenon has 

become a great puzzle for me, as I believe 

it would be for many other ordinary 

Nigerians. It is difficult to understand how 

glaring cases of criminality would be 

muddled up in legal intricacies that do 

not accord with common sense. Is law not 

meant to serve the interest of man for 

justice? Even if the law has to be technical 

in expression and maybe complex in 

application, shouldn’t justice be simple in 

observation? 

The more critical question to ask at this 

point is whether the interest of justice is 

served by presuming an accused person 

innocent until proven guilty. 

Admitted that the society has an 

obligation to also protect the interest of the 

accused person while serving justice to 

the victim, of what value really is the 

foregoing clause to the fulfillment of that 

legal imperative? Or put more simply, is it 

only when the accused person goes to trial 

without the burden of proof that fair 

hearing is secured? 

Why for instance should someone, who 

has confessed to the crime of kidnapping, 

with additional evidence of identity 

confirmation by victim and recovered 

ransom money, be allowed to enjoy the 

grace of innocence? This does not stand 

to reason in any way. 

Rather, I should think that, at the very 

least, the accused be put on the spot to 

establish his own innocence against 

available evidence. After all, in the law 

court, the prosecutor ‘alleges’ while the 

accused ‘defends’. If the law recognises 

the place of an accused person as a 

defendant, why should it shield him from 

doing just that! 

In the face of a visible threat to order 

and sanity, our society needs to begin an 

urgent cost-benefit analysis of the fair 

hearing principle especially as it applies 

to criminal matters. A situation where it’s 

easier for a camel to pass through the eye 

of the needle than for a criminal to get 

convicted does not augur well for our 

justice system. People are fast losing faith 

in the courts. Our loyalty to the principles 

of law must not blind our eyes to the 

substance of justice. It is expedient that 

we plug this gaping hole called ‘fair 

hearing’ if we do not want to slide our 

nation into anarchy. 

Sulaiman Akinosho, 9, Ijaiye Street, 

Ilasamaja,Lagos-State.07087733178 

Akinsmile007@gmail.com 

Proposed N5 levy for 

petroleum products 

purchase by motorists and 

end user 

NIGERIANS should kick 

against the proposed N5 levy 

for every litre of petroleum products 

purchases for road maintenance. 

What has the government done 

with proceeds from petroleum 

products in the past and present? 

There have been several increases 

in petrol prices in Nigeria that had 

no impact on Nigerians. The Mr. 

Gaya’s submission is nothing but 

to further impoverish Nigerians 

and would be injurious to 

Nigerians economically; so it 

should kicked against by the 

Senate, NLC and Nigerians. 

K.C. 07035010016. 

On Nigeria’s kidnap kingpin 

arrested by the police 

Kudos to the Nigeria Police and 

Special Intelligence Response 

Team, IRT, over the arrest of 

kidnapping 

kingpin, 

Chukwudubem Onwuamadike, 

a.k.a Evans, who had carried out 

several high profile kidnappings, 

robbery and murder within Lagos 

and other parts of Nigeria! The 

Inspector General of Police should 

ensure that the kingpin is 

adequately protected in custody 

since he is alleged to have named 

some of his accomplices. He 

should charge all the members of 

the criminal syndicate to court for 

trial without any delay. Evans 

should not be shot dead while 

trying to escape from custody. If the 

kidnap kingpin is killed in custody, 

his evidence will be destroyed to 

the detriment of the society as his 

accomplices will continue their 

nefarious business of kidnapping 

and killing innocent citizens. 

Okey Brown-Ajaegbo. 

+2348181167166 

On Arewa youths quit order 

Do Arewa youths think they can 

give Igbos quit notice so that they 

can take over their properties in the 

north? What is the Federal 

Government doing regarding the 

threat, or are they waiting for El- 

Rufai to act on this? And what is 

the DSS waiting for in this clear 

case of threat. Apparently, if it was 

Christians who issued such threat 

by now northern leaders and 

traditionalists would have called on 

the DSS and other security 

agencies go after them. By now, 

about 10,000 Christians would 

have been arrested. What a nation 

of double standards! 

Emeka, Onitsha, Anambra 

Outbreak of Ebola in Congo 

Republic 

Our first encounter with Ebola was 

in 2014 when Patrick Sawyer, a 

Liberian, arrived the Lagos airport 

and brought the virus into the country 

leaving in his wake many Nigerians 

including some of the best Nigerian 

medical doctors, other health workers 

shocked by it devastation. During the 

last outbreak more than 11,000 people 

died. Nigeria’s porous borders 

especially the ones with 

neighbouring countries like Benin 

Republic, Niger and Cameroon which 

are the main gateways to other West 

African countries should be 

strengthened. The immigration 

service should be particularly at alert. 

The Federal Government and the 

Ministry of Health should sensitise 

the public and strengthen response 

team across Nigerian borders and 

point of entry into the country. And 

the Federal Government should 

ensure that they achieve another 

resounding success on the prevention 

and control of outbreak to prevent reoccurrence 

that took several lives. 

Romanus 08024209181 

Teachers and JAMB 

candidates 

In every three prospective JAMB 

candidates, two are from public 

secondary schools where we have 

“computer studies” in curriculum, 

without a teacher to take up the 

subject! And no computer room to 

practice or at least see what is being 

taught in few public schools that 

received computer lecture. For one to 

operate computer, he needs at least 

to be acquainted with its basics. And 

a lecturer is telling me that computer 

literacy is not a requisite to pass CBT. 

God have mercy. 

Dozie Orji, a student 08034944060 

Birth Control Law in the north 

It is a welcome development. This 

is a golden opportunity for the north, 

because of our highest level of 

illiteracy and insincerity. We give 

birth without care in the north. Thus, 

the north has the highest rate of 

poverty, almajiri, hooligans, 

physically and mentally misfits in 

society etc. A typical Hausa man who 

cannot earn one thousand naira per 

day may have three or four wives with 

30 children. This is simply insane. 

Alhaji Hassanu 07057789779 

Politics in Nigeria 

Nigeria’s politics is not only a dirty 

game but full of blackmail and character 

assassination. What this speak 

of us is that we have politicians who 

lack ideas which is a bad omen for 

the development of our polity and 

country. 

Romanus Idiroko+2349098049844 

SAYINGS OF OUR ELDERS 

A barren woman does not breastfeed a goat . 

- Benin proverb 08184831026 

Send us your Sayings of Our Elders. They must be African sayings or 

proverbs. Biblical or English proverbs are unacceptable. Address 

your sayings to: opinions1234@yahoo.com


ETISALAT T BRANDING... 

could all this change in 

3 weeks 

ETISALAT: Is name change 

possible in three weeks? 

•We’ve subsisting right to use the name, says EMTS 

By Prince Osuagwu (Hi- 

Tech Editor) 

JUST when the heat was 

beginning to die down on 

Emerging Markets 

Telecommunications Service, 

EMTS, (known as Etisalat 

Nigeria) over the lingering 

$1.2bn loan repayment saga, a 

fresh chapter which may add to 

the headache the telecom 

company has had to live with in 

the last four months, has just 

opened. Etisalat International 

wants the Nigerian arm to 

discontinue the use of Etisalat as 

the brand name. 

The group has given just three 

weeks for Etisalat Nigeria to get 

a new identity. Following the 

divestments of parent body, 

Etisalat of UAE and Mubadala, 

chairman of the board of the 

company, Hakeem Bello-Osagie 

and top executives of the 

company, penultimate week, 

resigned, paving the way for a 

new management team which 

came into place just last week. 

After the new board was put in 

place, it appeared normalcy had 

returned to the embattled 

company, Monday, when chief 

executive of United Arab 

Emirates based Etisalat 

International, Hatem Dowidar, 

announced a complete 

withdrawal of Etisalat in the 

Nigerian telecoms sector. This 

followed the termination of a 

management agreement with 

Etisalat Nigeria and subsequent 

withdrawal of all UAE 

shareholders. 

In an interview with Reuters, 

Dowidar confirmed that, “all 

UAE shareholders of Etisalat 

Nigeria have exited the 

company and have left the board 

and management.” He also 

disclosed that discussions were 

ongoing with Etisalat Nigeria to 

provide technical support, 

however, the Nigerian company 

can only use the brand for 

another three weeks before 

phasing it out completely. 

EMTS reacts: However, the 

Nigerian company seems to be 

calling the bluff of its UAE 

estranged partner. Vice President, 

Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, 

Etisalat Nigeria, Ibrahim Dikko, 

said, “EMTS has a valid and 

subsisting agreement with the 

Etisalat Group, which entitles 

EMTS to use the Etisalat brand, 

notwithstanding the recent 

changes within the Company. 

Nigerian spirit 

of excellence 

Indeed, discussions are 

ongoing between EMTS and 

Etisalat Group pertaining to the 

continued use of the brand, and 

EMTS will issue a formal 

statement once discussions are 

concluded. The final outcome on 

the use of the brand in no way 

affects the operations of the 

business as our full range of 

services remain available to our 

customers. 

“EMTS launched in Nigeria in 

2008 with “0809ja” to affirm the 

Nigerianness of our origin and 

sphere of influence. In our nine 

years of operation, we have 

remained a prime driver and avid 

supporter of the Nigerian spirit 

of excellence, and we will 

continue to stay true to our 

Naijacentric identity. Nigeria 

remains the soul of EMTS’ 

business and we have made the 

brand alluring to our teeming 

subscribers who see a piece of the 

spirit and character of Nigeria in 

Now, they are rubbing the insult 

in, with a three-week ultimatum 

for Etisalat Nigeria to create a 

new brand name; where has it 

happened before? 

“I strongly suggest that the 

NCC, CBN and all telecom 

operators, tell Etisalat 

International that its ultimatum 

is wicked; its idea of creating a 

new brand name in three weeks, 

preposterous." 

He added that the operators 

should jettison anti competitive 

tendencies in this matter and 

support Etisalat Nigeria fully, 

considering that if allowed to 

stand, the decision of the UAE 

based telecom operator may have 

a domino effect on all their 

operations. 

Also, a Lagos based telecom 

lawyer, Chukwu Nwachukwu 

said that the thought of getting a 

new brand name in three weeks 

with all the processes involved 

is almost laughable. “I do not 

know if Etisalat Nigeria had 

started the processes before this 

ultimatum, but what I know is 

that the company cannot do a 

better job and may not get a better 

brand image with a brand name 

put in place in just three weeks. 

It should negotiate with its former 

partners for an extension of time. 

That is the only way to get a real 

deal.” 

Telecom brand change 

template: The brand name 

change, when it happens, will 

not be the first on the nation’s 

telecommunications landscape. 

Following completion of the first 

round of GSM licensing, Econet 

Wireless Nigeria (EWN) started 

business with the 0802 number 

plan on August 5, 2001. All 

seemed well, until 2004, when 

after a shareholder dispute, the 

company was purchased by 

Vodacom of South Africa. 

Suddenly Vodacom pulled out of 

the country in one of the shortest- 

everything we do. EMTS is here Communications Act (NCA) 2003 

to stay and we wish to assure our Section 38: Sub section 1 which 

esteemed customers that our core says: 'The grant of a licence shall 

values of youthfulness, customercentricity 

and innovation will the licence shall not be operated 

be personal to the licencee and 

remain the pillars on which we by, assigned, sub licensed or 

operate.” 

transferred to another party 

Complications in new brand unless the prior written approval 

name: Although Etisalat Nigeria of the commission has been 

has said the development is not granted. “Sub section 2: A 

in any way capable of shifting its licencee shall at all times comply 

focus from providing quality by the terms and conditions of 

telecoms services to its over 21 the licence and the provision of 

million subscribers in Nigeria, this act and its subsidiary 

the reality of getting a new brand legislation.” 

name in just three weeks is what Even on the new development, 

though Ojobo could not be 

reached for comments, an NCC 

A licencee 

source said the commission still 

stands firmly by the provisions 

shall at all 

of the Nigerian Communications 

times comply by Act, adding that the law must be 

applied where necessary without 

the terms and 

prejudice to whatever 

conditions of 

arrangements are on ground. In 

the licence and 

the light of these difficulties, 

stakeholders expressed 

the provision of disappointment that Etisalat 

this act and its international gave the Nigerian 

company a mere three weeks to 

subsidiary 

complete a task as complicated 

legislation 

as taking on a new brand name. 

A telecom sector analyst Dr. 

Thompson Ona stated that nonfriends 

of the Nigerian economy 

stakeholders in the telecoms 

industry, feel is impossible. 

must not be allowed to win. His 

Besides, when the creditors 

words, “when this issue started, 

attempted a takeover late last 

I warned the sector of the 

month, the telecom regulator, 

impending doom that could 

Nigerian Communications 

befall the company if Etisalat 

Commission, NCC, sounded a 

Nigeria is allowed to be messed 

clear note of warning that a 

up by interests that cannot be 

takeover or change of brand 

considered friends of the 

name may have complications 

Nigerian economy. This is the 

due to the provisions of the 

way it begins. I said it that 

Nigerian Communications Act. 

Nigeria should challenge the 

Director Public Affairs, NCC, 

withdrawal of these investors, 

Mr Tony Ojobo, in a statement, 

knowing that they have a huge 

said: “The commission has 

debt incurred together with the 

drawn the attention of the banks 

Nigerian arm of the business. 

to provisions of the Nigerian Continues on page 23


Start-ups, SMEs major 

beneficiaries of FG’s two 

new laws — AppZone 

By Tare Youdeowei 

EXECUTIVE Director 

Business Operations, 

AppZone Limited, Mr. Emeka 

Emetarom, has said that the two 

new laws signed by Acting 

President, Yomi Osinbajo, have 

the potential to revitalise the 

ailing operations of Small and 

Medium Enterprises, occasioned 

by difficulties in accessing loans. 

Emetarom said the two laws – 

The Collateral Registry Act and 

the Credit Reporting Act – are a 

step in the right direction and 

according to him, “Each of them 

has the potential to increase 

access to loans for SMEs.” 

He said that the Collateral 

Registry Act will make it possible 

for small businesses to provide 

previously unacceptable assets to 

financial institutions as they 

apply for loans, adding that such 

assets which were hitherto 

invalid will now be accepted by 

banks as collateral, hence 

reducing the barrier to lending 

for financial institutions. 

“The Credit Reporting Act 

compliments this in the sense 

that, with sharing of credit history 

across credit bureaus and 

financial institutions based on 

BVN, it becomes possible for 

accurate credit ratings to be 

developed by the credit bureaus 

and applied during loan request 

appraisals. 

"The impact of this is two-fold: 

Firstly, it will engender a culture 

of accountability and timely loan 

By Emmanuel Elebeke 

AN update to the 

International Data 

Corporation, IDC, Worldwide 

semi annual Internet of Things 

Spending Guide, forecasts 

worldwide spending on the 

Internet of Things (IoT) to grow 

by 16.7 percent year over year in 

2017, reaching just over $800 

billion. 

The forecast shows that by 2021, 

global IoT spending is expected 

to total nearly $1.4 trillion as 

organizations continue to invest 

in the hardware, software, 

services, and connectivity that 

enable the IoT. 

Vice President, Internet of 

Things and Mobility at IDC, 

Carrie MacGillivray, said the 

discussion about IoT has shifted 

repayments amongst borrowers, 

and the society at large. This is 

likely to happen as bad debtors 

find that their credit ratings 

prevent them from accessing 

more loans from any financial 

institution in the country. The 

second positive impact of the 

Credit Reporting Act is that with 

the harmonized data on 

borrowers across the banking 

industry, predictive analytics 

techniques can then be used to 

identify would-be good 

borrowers and loans can be 

disbursed to them more easily 

and at lower interest rates.” 

He argued that based on that 

brief analysis one can see that the 

mid to long term impact of the 

two laws will be better access to 

credit for small businesses, as 

well as lower interest rates. 

However, he identified grey 

areas that could take the shine 

off the impact created by the two 

laws. He said: “Unfortunately, 

while the two laws go a long way 

to support SMEs, and the 

present administration should be 

commended for this initiative, 

other challenges persist. 

Businesses can only grow to the 

extent that there is demand. 

Don’t get me wrong; credit on its 

own can lead to some measure 

of growth. And this can happen 

where a loan is applied in a way 

that brings about economies of 

scale of operation such that the 

business has higher margins 

even though sales volumes do 

not grow. 

Worldwide spending on IoT to 

hit $1.4 trn by 2021 

away from the number of devices 

connected. “The true value of IoT 

is being realized when software 

and services come together to 

enable the capture, interpretation 

and action on data produced by 

IoT endpoints. With our 

Worldwide IoT Spending Guide, 

IDC provides insight into key use 

cases where investment is being 

made to achieve the business 

value and transformation 

promised by IoT,” he added. 

IoT use cases that are expected 

to attract the largest investments 

in 2017 include; manufacturing 

operations, $105 billion, freight 

monitoring, $50 billion and 

production asset management, 

$45 billion. The report further 

indicated that smart grid 

technologies for electricity, gas 

and water, as well as 

smart building 

technologies, are also 

forecast to see 

significant 

investments this year 

to the tune of $56 

billion and $40 

billion, respectively. 

It can also happen in a case 

where the cost savings from such 

economies of scale are 

transferred to customers, thereby 

making the product or service 

more affordable and 

consequently increasing sales 

volumes. However, there’s a limit 

to how much extra demand can 

be created through price 

reduction, especially in a country 

where the price of goods and 

services are already low, relative 

to developed economies. 

“To optimize the impact of the 

two laws, deliberate steps need 

to be taken to boost the 

productivity of the working class 

and the adult population in 

general. With higher productivity 

Glo subscribers get eight times recharge value on 

E Top-Up, Glo Café 

By Kelechukwu Iruoma 

TELECOM 

operator, 

G l o b a c o m , 

has unveiled two products, Glo 

Sharp Sharp E-Top-Up and Glo 

Café. The two products give 

subscribers significantly higher 

value in data and airtime. 

Unveiling the products in Lagos, 

Senior Manager, Events and 

Sponsorships, Globacom, Mr. 

Sola Mogaji, said the first 

product, Sharp Sharp E Top-Up, 

rewards customers with eight 

times the value of their recharges. 

He said: “This offer is 

exclusively available to all new 

and existing prepaid customers, 

who recharge their lines through 

electronic recharge channels like 

Glo Café App, Gloworld.com, 

Quickteller, Automated Teller 

Machines, Gloworld outlets, 

authorized Glo dealer outlets, 

*805# Glo easy recharge 

solution, various banking mobile 

apps and POS terminals in 

select mega retail stores”. 

UN confirms improvement on cyber security checks 

By Emmanuel Elebeke 

LATEST report released by 

the United Nations 

Specialized Agency for 

Information and Communication 

Technology has shown that there 

is an improvement in cyber 

security among its member states 

since the beginning of 2017. 

The global cyber security index 

2017, GCL-2017, which 

measures the commitment of 

ITU’s 193 member states to cyber 

security, indicates that there is a 

significant improvement on cyber 

security actions by ITU member 

states. 

Speaking on the index, ITU 

Secretary General, Houlin Zhao, 

said; “At ITU, we are committed 

to making the internet more 

secure, safer and trustworthy, for 

the benefit of all. While the impact 

generated by cyber-attacks, such 

as those carried out as recently 

as June 27, 2017, may not be 

•A bag maker, one of the likely SMEs to benefit from the laws 

and output will come higher 

earnings, more disposable 

income overall, and increased 

aggregate demand within the 

economy.” At this point, the sky 

He explained that “when a 

subscriber recharges via E-top up 

with specific amounts, he or she 

will be credited with eight times 

the value recharged. For 

instance, if the subscriber 

recharges with N201, he or she 

will get over N1, 601 in addition 

to N201 in his or her main 

account, N100 bonus airtime for 

calls to all networks and N900 

bonus airtime to call other Glo 

subscribers. In addition, 

customers will receive 50MB 

data bonus for personal use and 

extra 25MB data, which can be 

gifted to another Glo customer. 

“It is convenient, fast and 

secure. For example, customers 

can recharge at any time and from 

anywhere in the world. They can 

avoid cash transactions and 

hassles of change as any amount 

can be purchased via E-top up. 

Another benefit is that Glo 

customers can now buy data 

subscriptions directly using E-top 

up,” Mogaji said. 

The biggest attraction added to 

eliminated completely, 

prevention and mitigation 

measures to reduce the risks 

posed by cyber-related threats 

can and should always be put in 

place. The GCI reaffirms ITU’s 

commitment to build confidence 

and security in the use of ICTs.” 

On his part, Director, ITU 

Telecommunication 

Development Bureau, Brahima 

Sanou, said that; “As the global 

community rapidly embraces 

ICTs as key enabler for social and 

economic development, it is vital 

will be the limit for SME’s as 

they will be able to maximize on 

the opportunities provided by the 

improved access to credit. 

the Glo café, according to him is 

Glo Live Cast on which 

subscribers have access to live TV 

channels such as NTA, AIT, WAP 

TV, among others with HD 

quality streaming on Glo mobile 

phones. 

Mogaji disclosed that this is 

one of the greatest applications 

ever launched in the Nigerian 

market with key highlights like 

real-time voice and data 

balance enquiry; freedom to 

recharge and view recharge 

history with options to migrate to 

a tariff plan of choice, buy and 

share data bundles as well as 

purchase of voice bundles; access 

to all transaction details related 

to post-paid accounts. 

Glo Café also offers Africa’s 

largest digital content library for 

entertainment with world-class 

gaming on the go; thousands of 

HD movies & videos, over 2 

million songs to dance to and 

also with over 10,000 videos on 

music, jokes, sports & 

entertainment. 

that cyber 

security is made 

an integral and 

indivisible part 

of digital 

transformation. 

We continue to 

encourage 

governments to 

consider 

national 

policies that 

take into account cyber security 

so that everyone can reap the 

benefits of the online world.” 

In addition to showing the 

overall cyber security 

commitment of ITU’s 193 member 

states, the index also shows the 

improvement and strengthening 

of all GCI indicators, which are 

defined by the five pillars of the 

ITU Global Cyber security 

Agenda such as legal, technical, 

organizational, capacity building 

and international cooperation.


Nigerian companies should be committed to building 

successful careers —Sanjay Tickoo, NIIT HBO 

There’s always the belief that business managers are 

capitalists who think more of their businesses than they do to 

the market they are operating in. But Head of Business 

Operations, International Education Business, Emerging 

Markets, NIIT Ltd in an interview with Hi-TECH, said it 

should rather be the other way round. He contended that 

relevant companies operating in Nigeria should not think of 

only return on investment but help in building successful 

careers in the country. 

By Rotimi Agbana 

What is your opinion of 

the state of Nigeria's IT 

sector? 

In 2014 Nigeria became 

Africa’s largest economy and is 

projected to become a global 

economic powerhouse in 

future. Increasingly, Nigeria is 

becoming a centre for big tech 

investment and commercially 

oriented start-ups. Whatever 

the country’s challenges, 

investors and entrepreneurs 

are attracted by the prospect of 

scaling applications to Africa’s 

largest population and 

economy. 

According to industry 

sources, IT industry in Nigeria 

is estimated to be among the 

fastest growing IT industries in 

the world. Nigeria’s tech sector 

is becoming representative of 

repatriate entrepreneurs 

reversing some of Africa’s brain 

drain and IT reshaping the 

continent’s global linkages. All 

three of Africa’s most 

recognized e-commerce startups 

– Jumia, Konga and 

MallforAfrica were founded 

by Nigerians who earned their 

university degrees and initial 

private sector experience in the 

US. 

In your estimation, what is 

the future of Nigerian students 

in the IT sector? 

In the contemporary world, 

data is the new oil as the 

world’s biggest companies 

were technology-driven. 

Cloud 

computing 

Nigeria has become Africa’s 

largest ICT with sectors like e- 

commerce and cloud 

computing and witnessing 

huge growth. These are 

indicative of the fact that 

students trained in futuristic IT 

programmes can meaningfully 

contribute to the growth of the 

country and thus carve a 

successful career for 

themselves. 

What role is NIIT playing in 

making futuristic IT programs 

available in Nigeria? 

NIIT, a global leader in skills 

& talent development, 

established its presence in 

Nigeria by setting up an 

education centre in Lagos in 

1999 and since then we have 

affirmed our support to prepare 

the youth in the country for 

lucrative IT careers. To this 

end, NIIT started a scholarship 

programme in the country to 

reward meritorious students 

desirous of building successful 

careers in today’s knowledge 

economy. This is NIIT’s 

initiative to enhance 

employability of commendable 

students to meet the industry 

needs of the country. 

More than 100,000 students 

have benefitted from the 

scholarship so far. Since its 

inception, NIIT has been 

involved in creation of skilled 

ICT workforce and has 

launched several initiatives in 

the country. 

NIIT has now extended its 

scholarship programme to 

futuristic programmes in 

Digital Transformation under 

ETISALAT: Is name change possible in three weeks? 

Continues from page 21 

lived corporate deals. The 

company quickly pulled itself 

together, and resumed trading as 

VMobile Nigeria, owned by Vee 

Networks Limited. 

As the year 2006 dawned, 

subscribers who were just getting 

used to the Vmobile brand name 

could not know that soon another 

brand name change was 

imminent. In May of that year, 

Celtel International, owned and 

promoted by a Sudanese 

electronics engineer, Dr. 

Mohammed Ibrahim, acquired 

majority equity in Vee Networks. 

Again, a little over two years after 

the Celtel brand had become 

entrenched, Mo Ibrahim’s Celtel 

International fell prey to another 

corporate investor, MTC Group 

of Kuwait, which later 

transformed into the Zain Group. 

Zain effected another rebranding. 

Finally in March 2010, Bharti 

Airtel of India bought over Zain’s 

operations in sub-Saharan Africa, 

which included Nigeria and the 

company was renamed Airtel 

Nigeria, which it has been to 

date. So in effecting a brand 

name, there is already a template 

to copy. However, the case with 

Etisalat Nigeria’s is that the 

parent body wants the Nigerian 

arm to do away with the name in 

three weeks. 

Genesis of Etislat Nigeria 

EMTS, trading as Etisalat 

Nigeria, is a Nigerian company 

duly incorporated under the laws 

of Nigeria in partnership with 

the digiNxt series like digiNxt 

MMS, Big Data, Java 

Enterprises Apps with DevOps, 

Digital Marketing, Oracle, 

CISCO, Android and other 

programmes. These 

programmes have been 

introduced by NIIT with a 

profound understanding of the 

changing workforce 

requirement of the Global and 

Students trained in 

futuristic IT 

programmes can 

meaningfully 

contribute to the 

growth of the 

country and thus 

carve a successful 

career for 

themselves 

Nigerian ICT industry. 

What problems do these 

programmes solve? 

The programmes will include 

Mubadala Development 

Company and Etisalat of the 

United Arab Emirates. It acquired 

the Unified Access Licence from 

the Federal Government in 

January 2007. The licence 

includes a mobile licence and 

spectrum in the GSM 1800 and 

900 MHz bands. Etisalat 

acquired a 40 per cent stake in 

EMTS and became the operator 

of the Unified Access Licence. 

The telecom company made the 

first official call on its network on 

March 13, 2008 in the presence 

of officials from the Nigerian 

Communications Commission, 

NCC, and the Senate of the 

Federal Republic of Nigeria. In 

September of same year, it kicked 

off commercial operations with the 

0809uchoose campaign which 

enabled Nigerians choose 

numbers special to them as their 

mobile numbers. 

The company since then has 

grown geometrically, 

accumulating over 21 million 

subscribers on its network, 

employing over 5000 workers and 

controlling well over 13 percent 

market share. It has also made 

investments in network 

infrastructure, roll out expansion, 

mobile broadband and other 

corporate social responsibility and 

development initiatives, 

including the Etisalat prizes for 

innovation and Literature. 

Its former partner, the Etisalat 

of UAE has been the 

telecommunications service 

provider in the United Arab 

Emirates since 1976 and has 

footprints in 18 countries 

the elements like digiNxt 

MMS, an Intensive one to 2½ 

year programme aimed at 

building talent pool of software 

engineers aligned to the 

Digital Transformation 

requirements of the industry. 

DigiNxt-Big Data: Big data is 

high volume, high velocity 

information to process and 

enable enhanced decision 

making. It consists of Hadoop, 

Zookeeper, Hbase, Hive, 

Storm Distributed Live 

Computing and Sqoop. 

DigiNxt-Java Enterprise Apps 

with Dev Ops: 

The programme will 

encompass the various aspects 

of enterprise app development 

while enabling a learner to 

implement these aspects 

through project-based 

learning methodology. 

digiNxt-Digital Marketing: 

The programme is designed to 

help the students understand 

how to plan, implement and 

manage comprehensive 

Digital Marketing strategy. 

In today’s competitive 

environment how do you 

think young people seeking a 

traversing the Middle East, Asia 

and Africa. In its many years of 

operations, it has built up stateof-the-art 

telecom infrastructure 

and taken a leadership position 

of innovation, and quality service 

delivery among regional and 

international operators. 

International 

operators 

This gave Nigerians hope that 

despite being about the last 

entrant in the Nigerian telecom 

sector, it has all it takes to help 

EMTS weather the storm. To 

actually prove this, the three 

investors making up Etisalat 

Nigeria unfolded their 

investment plans to make the 

brand a strong competition to 

already existing operators. 

Network rehabilitation: In 

April 2013, the company 

announced it would invest over 

$500 million to expand its 

network, enabling further 

potential market growth of 17 per 

cent and went ahead to obtain a 

medium term loan of $1.2bn from 

a consortium of 13 banks, which 

it used to refinance an existing 

$650 million loan and fund a 

modernisation of its network. 

The loan, which involved a 

foreign-backed guaranty bond, 

was for it to finance a major 

network rehabilitation and 

expansion of its operational base 

in Nigeria. However since 2016, 

the consortium of banks has been 

having a running battle with the 

mobile telephone operator over 

repayment of the loan facility. 

•Sanjay 

successful career can 

navigate? 

Today, information technology 

has changed the way people 

work and the next ten years 

will be about transforming the 

businesses across all industry 

sectors to embrace the digital 

era. Therefore, it is very 

important for students and 

young professionals to equip 

themselves with the skill-sets 

aligned to the requirement of 

the fast-evolving IT industry. 

The scholarship is an integral 

part of NIIT’s commitment to 

encourage meritorious students 

of the country to build a 

successful career in IT. 

Meanwhile, Etisalat said that 

it had consistently serviced the 

debt until when it began to 

experience cash flow problems 

following the steep depreciation 

of the naira and the impact on its 

foreign currency denominated 

exposure. It, however, revealed 

that the outstanding loan sum to 

the consortium stands at $227m 

and N113bn, a total of about 

$574m if the naira portion is 

converted to US dollars. This in 

essence means almost half of the 

original loan of $1.2bn has been 

repaid. 

Following breakdown in 

negotiations, the company’s two 

foreign investors, Emirates 

Telecommunications Service and 

Mubadala withdrew their 

interest in the concern, 

compounding the problems of 

EMTS. Now, it appears a 

takeover is most likely. However, 

there are indications that UK 

based Orange Telecom and 

Vodafone are in pole frame to fill 

the void left by Emirates telecom 

and Mubadala. 

Although many other 

companies are reported to be in 

the battle to cut the Etisalat pie, 

inside sources at Etisalat hinted 

that Orange and Vodafone 

Group are in strong positions to 

buy 65 per cent of Etisalat Nigeria 

following the exit of Mubadala 

and ETS. However, whether 

these companies would be able 

to complete acquisition of the 

company and effect a name 

change all in three weeks is left 

to be seen.


LAUNDRY WITHOUT TEARS: 

That dingy white 

can be crispy 

white again 

The number one laundry 

stress of every 

Homemaker is how to 

keep whites crispy. Have you 

ever seen someone wearing 

crisp white T-shirt or gleaming 

pair of white pants and wish 

your clothes and your 

children’s white uniforms 

could look like that? Same 

thing applies to your bed 

sheets and towels. Many have 

decided to discard the idea of 

white clothes in their families 

to avoid the embarrassment of 

maintenance. Well, you don’t 

have to get used to multi - 

colour clothing or stress 

yourself again. You can still 

make those dingy clothes 

look like new and make 

white your best colour with 

these few tips: 

Separate your colours 

The biggest mistake people 

make is that they don’t really 

separate their dirty clothes. 

They lump them together 

inside one laundry basket or 

bucket, forgetting that even 

light colours can stain whites. 

So, make a pile for clothes that 

are white only in a separate 

bucket. 

When you are ready to wash, 

soak your white in clean water 

overnight without detergent 

so that all the dirt can come 

out. The next morning, remove 

the clothes and throw away the 

dirty water. Add fresh water 

and detergent. 

Don't use too much 

detergent 

We all think the more 

detergent we use, the cleaner 

the clothes. No. Whether you 

are using washing machine or 

doing hand wash, that is not 

the case. Too much detergent 

•lemon 

a n d 

fabric softener coat 

fabrics. When there is a lot of 

residue on clothes, it acts like 

The biggest 

mistake people 

make is that they 

don’t really 

separate their 

dirty clothes. 

They lump them 

together inside 

one laundry 

basket or bucket, 

forgetting that 

even light 

colours can stain 

whites. 

a 

magnet 

a n d 

sticks to 

dirt. 

T o o 

much 

detergent 

can make clothes dirtier. No 

matter how much detergent 

you use, make sure that you 

always rinse well. 

Consider 'bluing' agent 

I remember when I was in 

school, we were always 

adding bluing agent called 

blue and another one called 

'aro'. You can’t beat the crispy 

look on students but 

only when it is 

moderate. If not, it 

changes the white to 

another colour entirely. 

Bluing agents add a 

trace of blue to yellowed 

or dingy whites. Since 

yellow and blue are 

complementary colours, 

the products help create 

the appearance of a 

whiter white. You can’t 

pour it on clothes 

directly but has to be 

mixed with water and 

allowed to mix the 

bluing with water until 

light before immersing 

your white. Remove the 

clothes, drain and dry in the 

sun to achieve that brightness. 

If you are using dryer, put on 

low heat to avoid changing it 

to yellow again. 

Use bleach only on 

cotton 

Chlorine bleach can be very 

damaging to some fabrics. 

Bleach is fine for cotton socks 

and underwear, and towels, but 

it is not great for poly-blends. 

Try lemon juice 

Lemon juice is a natural 

bleaching agent and works 

•Seperating white and coloured clothes 

great on white clothes. Use the 

hottest water that is safe for 

the fabric and mix with half a 

cup of lemon juice and soak 

the clothes for an hour or 

overnight, and wash as usual 

the next day. Do not use lime. 

There is difference between 

lemon and lime. 

Do you know you can take 

care of that stain on your 

shirt collar that is always 

difficult to wash without 

stress? Keep a date with 

Homemakers in our next 

edition. 

Items 

CONSUMER WATCH A place that makes you plan ahead 

Prices 

Basket of Tomatoes N15,500 - N25,000 

A bag of Pepper (Rodo) N 10,000 - N18,000 

A bag of Long pepper N6, 500 – N7000 

A bag Onion (white) N18, 000 – N20, 000 

A bag of Onion (Red) N15, 000- N18, 000 

50kg of long grain Rice N16,500 

A derica of long grain Rice N350 

50kg of short grain Rice. N15,500 - N15,700 

A derica of short grain Rice N300 

A crate of egg N1,100 - 1,200 

A bag of Olotu beans N35,000- N33,000 

A bag of Oloyin N42,000 

A bag of Yam Flour (Elubo) N45, 000- N65,000 

A bag of Gari (Yellow) N14,000 

A paint bucket N1,000 

Items 

Prices 

A bag of Ijebu Gari N12,000 

A paint bucket 

N700 

25 Litres of Vegetable Oil N30, 500 

10Litres N6, 500-N 7000 

25 Litres of Palm Oil N11, 000 - N12,200 

5Litres of Palm Oil N2,200 

Salt 

N80-N150 

Noodles- 70g 

N1500- N1800 

Spaghetti (1packet) 

N190-N200 

Macaroni(1packet) 

N120 

Semovita (10kg) N2,800- N2,900 

Pampers (cartons of 8) N3, 400 

Seasonings 

N110 – N500 

Tomatoe paste (2,200g) N1200-N1500 

Tomatoe paste (Medium) N550-N700 

Items 

Prices 

Tomatoe paste(small) 

N150-N350 

Tomatoe sachet (a roll) N250 –N300 

Pack of toilet roll (48pieces) N1800-N2, 300 

A Satchet of milk 

N30-N50 

A Sachet of beverage 

N45-N50 

Toothpaste 

N250-N270 

5 Litres of Kerosine N1,200 

12.5kg. Cooking gas N4, 500 

Yam (1 tuber). 

N400- N800 

Ugwu Leaf (a bundle) N3, 500 – N4, 000 

A dozen of tied Ugwu Leaf N1,800, 

Moin-Moin Leaf (a dozen) N800, 1 pack- N100 

Carton Titus ice Fish N19,000 

1 Carton of Kote ice fish N16,200 

1 Carton of Sawa iced Fish N10, 000, 1Kg-N600


By Ebun Sessou 

Abak Atama Soup 

is a delicious 

soup popular 

amongst the Ibibios of 

Akwa Ibom State in 

Southern Nigeria. Its 

name is derived from the 

two dominant 

ingredients: Palm Fruit 

Concentrate (Abak) and 

Atama Leaves. The base 

palm fruit concentrate 

used in preparing Abak 

Atama makes it similar to 

the Banga soup of the 

Niger Delta origin and 

the Ofe Akwu of the 

Igbos but the difference 

is in the spices and 

vegetables used for each 

of these soups and stews. 

The palm fruit extract 

used in cooking Abak 

Atama Soup is quite 

different from the red 

palm oil used in cooking 

Nigerian food recipes. 

Palm oil is pure palm oil 

extracted from the palm 

fruit pulp at high 

temperatures while the 

palm fruit extract used 

for the Abak Atama soup 

is extracted at a very low 

temperatures and is a 

mixture of oil and water. 

Palm fruit oil extracted 

for Abak Atama soup 

contains less saturated 

fat than palm oils. 

Ingredients 

500g Palm Fruits or 

400g tinned Palm Fruit 

Concentrate 

Assorted meat and 

fish (beef or goat meat, 

cow skin, smoked fish, 

dry fish or stock fish 

•One handful thinly 

sliced atama leaves 

•One big onion 

•Two tablespoons 

ground crayfish 

•Two milk cups 

unshelled periwinkles 

•Habanero pepper 

(Atarodo, ose oyibo, 

atagugu: to taste) 

•Two small stock cubes 

•Salt (to taste) 

•Preparation 

Extract the palm fruit 

concentrate from the 

palm fruits. If using the 

tinned palm fruit 

concentrate, open the tin 

and set aside. 

Dice the onion, blend 

the fresh Pepper and 

wash and cut the ponmo 

into small pieces and set 

aside. 

Soak, de-bone and 

clean the dry fish. Debone 

and clean the 

smoked fish. Rinse in 

cold water making sure 

they are free from sand. 

Then break them up into 

desired pieces and set 

aside. 

Cut of the pointed ends 

of the shells of the 

periwinkles with the 

blunt side of a machete. 

This is known as 

trimming the 

periwinkles. This can be 

done for you in Nigerian 

markets. Wash them 

thoroughly to remove all 

Abak Atama Soup 

sand. Wash several times 

till the water runs clear. 

Place the periwinkles 

in a pot, cover with water 

and boil with a pinch of 

salt for about 10 minutes, 

drain off the water and 

set the periwinkles 

aside. While boiling the 

periwinkles, do not cover 

the pot else it boils over. 

Wash the atama leaves 

thoroughly and cut into 

thin slices like the way 

we cut afang leaves. 

Atama can be sliced for 

you by sellers in 

Nigerian markets. If you 

wish to reduce the 

bitterness, squeeze and 

rub the leaves between 

your palms and fingers 

while washing the sliced 

leaves just like washing 

bitter leaves. Change the 

water a couple of times. 

The dry leaves are not as 

bitter as the fresh atama 

leaves, some of the 

bitterness is lost during 

the drying process. 

Clean all meats 

thoroughly. 

Place the pieces of beef 

or goat meat, pieces of 

ponmo and stock fish in 

a pot. Add as little water 

as possible, add the 

onion (diced) and the 

stock cubes then cover 

and cook till tender. Add 

the de-boned dry fish 

and/or smoked fish when 

almost done. 

Pour the extracted palm 

fruit concentrate in a 

another pot, set the pot 

on the stove and start 

cooking on high heat. 

Leave to boil till you 

notice some red oil at the 

top of the palm fruit 

extract. If you think that 

it is watery, cook till the 

extract has thickened to 

a medium consistency. 

Add the cooked meat 

and fish with the meat 

stock, crayfish and 

pepper, the precooked 

periwinkles, the atama 

leaves and salt to taste, 

stir gently and leave to 

simmer for 5 minutes. 

Notes 

In Nigeria, we have the 

"agric" and native palm 

fruit. The "agric" palm 

fruit has more flesh and 

can yield more oil and 

extract while the native 

palm fruit comes in 

smaller sizes but gives 

your stews and soups a 

more delicious flavour. It 

is best to combine both 

where possible. 

Atama leaves (English 

name unknown) give the 

soup its unique aroma as 

well as taste. Just ask for 

atama in Nigerian 

markets where soups 

ingredients are sold. The 

leaves dry up easily so 

where the fresh ones are 

not available you can use 

the dry ones. Fresh 

atama leaves have a 

bitter taste. 

Please note that 

unshelled periwinkles 

are used for this recipe. 

Fresh fish (fresh cat 

fish) also goes very well 

with this soup so you can 

use it instead of dry cat 

fish. 

Dangerous kitchen sponge 

According to research, more than 75% of 

sponges and dish rags we use in the kitchen 

harbour coliform bacteria - which includes 

salmonella and e. coli. Most sponges also had yeast 

and mold, and staphylococcus aureus, or staph. This 

is because sponges pick bacteria during cleaning 

and are typically not properly - or regularly - 

sanitized before the next use. Sponges are also wet 

and damp, providing perfect conditions for bacteria 

to grow. 

Some people even keep the sponge in a covered 

container and the water drains inside the container 

with the sponge inside. The worse thing is that the 

same sponge is used to clean drinking cups and 

even children’s plates. And then the sponge is used 

to clean oily pots and wash other plates. No wonder 

the sponge is the easiest place to be infected. 

Drain your sponge and hang it. Change your 

sponges often or soak in hot water before every use. 

No matter how attractive your kitchen is, if you don't 

take care of your sponge, it can be a danger zone. 

FOOTSTEP'S CULTURAL DAY/GRADUATION: 

Footstep Nursery and Primary Schools, established in January 1988 Mrs 

Abosede Akosile, based in Adebayo Close, Surulere, Lagos, held their 2017 

Cultural Day (above) and graduation (below) recently.

26—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017—27

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 

VOL. 2 NO 5 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 

Mr. Chris Nwadigo (middle), flanked by widows at the Fatima Secondary School Orieagu in 

Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, yesterday. Photo: Chinonso Alozie. 

Widows lament 

challenges in Igboland 

he was touched by the 

By Chinonso Alozie, Owerri We are in a very big trouble in 

“unfortunate circumstances 

this society as widows.” 

W 

associated with widowhood in 

IDOWS in Ehime Mbano Mrs. Esther Nnorum from 

the society, especially at this time 

Local Government Area Agbeje, said, “We have been 

of economic recession.” 

of Imo State, have asked Igbo passing through difficult times 

According to him, it was for 

leaders to look into their since our husbands died. It is 

these reasons that he decided to 

sufferings as a result of very hard for us to feed our 

reach out to the widows to 

intimidation from their late children or pay their school fees.” 

ameliorate their difficulties. 

husbands’ relatives. 

Other widows who spoke in the 

“What I am saying is that you 

Some of the widows spoke in same vein lamented the 

should not forget that God 

an interview with South East deprivations they were made to 

Almighty is with you and will 

Voice, at the Fatima Secondary go through as widows, and 

always meet you at every point 

School, Orieagu in the area, pleaded with community leaders 

of your needs. We are aware of 

while receiving relief materials to put their plights in the front 

the unfortunate situation that you 

from a philanthropist, Mr. Chris burner with other issues affecting 

are passing through and I plead 

Chigbo Nwadigo. The materials the development of the south east 

with good spirited individuals in 

included bags of 10kg of geopolitical zone. 

our society to find time to put 

Abakalike rice, condiments, Earlier in his remarks, Mr. 

smile on the faces of the poor 

tissue papers as well as cash Nwadigo, had lamented the 

especially the widows,” he 

donations among others. plight of the widows, saying that 

added. 

Those who narrated their 

ordeals, said that they had been 

“abandoned” even as their 

“burdens” had increased due to 

Pro-Biafra groups insist on holding 

oppression by their husbands’ 

relatives and appealed to Igbo Anambra gov election on Nov 18 

leaders to include their welfare 

as part of their deliberations on 

By Nwabueze Okonkwo Ndigbo to have unity of 

the general development of the 

south east geopolitical zone. 

O 

purpose, be their brothers 

NITSHA - Despite the keeper and ensure urgent 

They said that most of them decision taken by the development of the region to 

were made to pass through leader of Indigenous People carter for the needs of her 

oppressive widowhood practices of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi citizens. 

including dispossession of Kanu that his group would Rising from their crucial 

property they jointly acquired boycott the November 18 meeting convened by the 

with their late spouses. 

governorship election in Senior Special Assistant to 

Mrs Veronica Chikezie from Anambra state, unless a Gov. Willie Obiano on Political 

Umunumo, said that widows in referendum was held for Matters and the governor’s 

Igbo land are in a very big Biafra restoration before then, Liaison Officer to the Biafra 

“trouble” adding that the lack of various stakeholders and War Veterans, Comrade 

attention, had further increased various pro-Biafra groups Arinzechukwu Awogu in 

their challenges. She said, “It is have taken a contrary Awka, weekend, the proa 

very big burden to be a widow decision to that effect. Biafra groups contended that 

and there are many challenges. They said their decision to the South-East governors 

People will continue to insult you hold a contrary view was 

and deprive you of all your rights. hesitated by he need for Continues on page 29 

C 

M 

YK 

Communities count 

losses as rain intensifies 

By Chidi Nkwopara, 

OWERRI 

THE rains have come 

again with it’s multiple 

problems, especially in the 

rural communities of Imo State. 

The bad network of roads have 

worsened by flood water and 

gully erosion. 

A typical example of what 

most rural communities in Imo 

State are passing through can 

be found in Ibeoma Ekwe 

autonomous community in Isu 

local government area of the 

state. 

Having suffered for decades, 

a group of young lads in the 

community decided to come 

together under the umbrella 

union of the Movement for the 

Actualization of Democratic 

Dividends, MAODD. 

After taking South East Voice 

on a tour of the erosion 

ravaged areas of the 

community, the group’s 

President, Mr. Patrick 

Mbanaso, lamented that they 

were being treated like orphans 

by the state government. 

“We are crying bitterly 

because the rescue mission 

government of Governor 

Rochas Okorocha has 

completely abandoned our 

community and allowed 

erosion to destroy our 

roads,farmlands, as well as 

rendered many people 

homeless”, Mbanaso said. 

Making particular reference 

to the road leading to Okwudor 

in Njaba local government 

area, Mbanaso lamented that 

it had become a source of 

burden to indigenes of Ibeoma 

Ekwe and Isu in general. 

While alleging that his 

community is being treated like 

an outcast in the scheme of 

things, Mbanaso however 

lamented that communication 

by road was getting extremely 

difficult. 

“The poor nature of the road 

network, especially now the 

rain is here with us, has made 

movement near impossible. 

Farm produce can’t reach the 

market and this has sadly led 

to avoidable wastes”, Mbanaso 

reasoned. 

He was not particularly 

happy that politicians visit his 

community only when scouting 

for votes. 

Speaking also, the group’s 

Vice President, Mr. Chidera 

Nnah, complained that the 

community has been in total 

darkness since he was born 29 

years ago. 

“I usually have a good laugh 

when I hear people talk about 

epileptic public power 

seizures. Our community has 

not had electricity since it’s 

history”, Nnah recalled with 

grief. 

The youth leader recalled that 

their hope was raised when a 

contracting firm started 

erecting concrete electricity 

poles to the community, but 

stopped soon after and 

abandoned the life changing 

project. 

He added that Umuaka- 

Ebenano-Umundugba road is 

in a very bad shape, pointing 

out that if Ebenano-Ibeoma 

Ekwe-Okwudor road is 

reconstructed, it will greatly 

ease human and vehicular 

movement. 

Nnah recalled that many 

families have been rendered 

homeless, adding that in early 

2000, two children almost 

drowned after being swept into 

a deep erosion site. 

All attempts to get the 

traditional ruler of the 

community, Eze Hyacinth 

Ibegbulam Okorojo, to speak 

on the issue failed, as he was 

said to have travelled to 

Owerri for a meeting with the 

Governor. 

No staff of the Ministry of 

Works was ready to speak on 

the issue because they claimed 

to be civil servants and not 

authorized to speak to the 

press. 

Eluama-Obara Ama 

road. Pics by Chidi 

Nkwopara 

Umuduru-Ebenano-Umundugba road. Pics by Chidi 

Nkwopara


Ala-Igbo Cultural Forum 

unveils Logo 

•Holds cultural festival November 

By Dennis Agbo 

ENUGU- A pan Igbo 

Group, Ala-Igbo 

Cultural Forum has 

unveiled its logo, 

preparatory to its median 

cultural festival 

scheduled to hold in 

Anambra state in August 

this year. 

Unveiling the logo at 

Nike Lake Resort in 

Enugu, during the 

weekend, coordinator of 

the festival and National 

chairman of Performing 

Musicians Association of 

Nigeria, PMAN, Mr. 

Chris Mbah, said the 

festival which will 

henceforth become an 

annual event is intended 

to unite Igbo people 

through cultural 

performances. 

Mbah said that culture 

is a potent tool that 

enhances love, peace and 

unity amongst people, 

hence the proposed 

cultural festival which he 

said will enhance Igbo 

unity. 

He said the festival will 

become a yearly ritual 

that will rotate among 

Igbo speaking states, 

starting from Anambra 

state in August this year. 

Mbah said “We are 

trying to promote our 

culture. We intend to 

teach Igbo language 

because it is vanishing 

particularly among the 

Igbo living outside 

Igboland. We intend to 

use it to celebrate Ndigbo 

•Director General, Centre for Black and Africa Arts and Civilization, CBAAC, Ozo, Dr. Fedinard 

Anikwe, (2nd left) unveiling the Ala-Igbo Cultural Festival Logo; Coordinator, Ala-Igbo Cultural 

Festival, Mr. Chris Mba, (2nd right) and others during the occasion at Nike Lake Resort Hotel 

Enugu. 

.” The Director General of 

Centre for Black and 

African Arts and 

Civilization, CBAAC, Dr. 

Fedinard Anikwe, who 

performed unveiling of 

the logo, said the festival 

will engender cultural 

development. 

Anikwe said that Igbo 

Cultural unity holds the 

promise for her liberation, 

even development and 

political upliftment. 

He said “There should 

be an organic unity 

among Igbo culture and 

organization as 

substructure and the 

social, political 

programes as super 

structure. 

“The Igboman’s 

industry should b e 

employed in identifying, 

developing and 

utilization of the traits 

and principles of Igbo 

culture for Igbo unity 

and political direction.” 

He further suggested 

that the principles of 

respect for elders, 

consensual democracy, 

hard work and industry; 

creativity and innovation 

could be invoked and 

used as take off for Igbo 

elders and youths. 

“If cultural traits are 

explored, all that is 

needed is synergy. There 

should be schools of Igbo 

language and culture all 

over the world because 

the Igbo are all over the 

world. 

“We need to employ the 

comparativism to excel 

Igbo language in the 

Pro-Biafra groups insist on holding Anambra governorship election, Nov 18 

secrete of commerce in 

Nigeria. So why can’t we 

exploit it? Ndigbo should 

come home to get 

themselves culturally 

grounded,” said Anikwe 

He challenged the 


Ndigbo to lead the 

campaign for rejuvenation 

of Igbo Cultural identity, 

while urging the Igbo to 

remain their brothers 

keepers. 

Continues from page 28 

must not take the quit 

notice given to Ndigbo 

with a kid’s glove, 

hence the need to start 

putting enablers in 

place in case of any 

eventuality. 

Current travails 

of Ndigbo 

The groups comprising 

a faction of IPOB; 



Sovereign State of 

Biafra, MASSOB; Biafra 

Liberation Council, 

BLC; Eastern Peoples 

Congress, EPC; Biafra 

Solidarity Movement, 

BSM; Biafra 

Revolutionary 

Organization, BRO; 

Joint Revolutionary 

Organization, JRO; 

World Union of Biafran 

Scientists, WUBS; Biafra 

Liberation Crusaders, 

BLC, Biafra Students 

Union, BSU; Salvation of 

Peoples of Biafra, SPB; 

Costumary Government 

of Biafra, CGB; Council 

of Elders Indegenous 

People of Biafra, CEIPB; 

Bilie Human Rights 

Initiative, BHRI; Biafan 

Government in Exile, 

BGIE; 

Ohaneze Ndigbo, 

OTU Suwakwa Igbo 

among numerous 

others. 

President of Ohanaeze 

Ndigbo, Anambra state 

Members of pro Biafra group at the meeting 

chapter, Chief Damian 

Okeke Ogene who 

spoke at the meeting, 

advised Ndigbo to face 

the current travails of 

Ndigbo with caution, 

adding that Ndigbo 

need to use their brains 

and intellect now more 

than ever as Nigeria of 

today has not treated 

Ndigbo fairly. 

Okeke-Ogene 

cautioned against call 

for election boycott and 

said that Ohanaeze 

Ndigbo is leaving no 

stone unturned in the 

quest for Ndigbo to start 

implementing the thinkhome 

philosophy as 

espoused by Gov. Willie 

Obiano, even as he 

regretted that the social 

media has been used to 

over heat the polity in 

recent times, especially 

the issue of no election 

in Anambra state. 

Also speaking, the 

founder of OTU 

Suwakwa Igbo, 

Professor Pita Ejiofor 

noted that boycotting of 

an election is an evil 

wind that blows no one 

any good, pointing out 

that Ndigbo are still 

suffering from partial 

boycott of the 2006 

national census which 

some people refused to 

be counted. 

Ejiofor therefore 

advised the pro-Biafra 

groups to drop calls for 

election boycott so as 

not to give the enemy 

reasons to decimate our 

people again. He made 

reference to Dr. 

Michael Okpara’s 

boycott of 1964 election 

and the unpleasant 

consequences that 

followed it. 

The Biafra War 

Veterans, speaking 

through its image 

maker, Rtd. Major 

Ikechukwu Nwalunor 

said that they were 

happy to be part of 

discussions and 

decisions on the way 

forward as they have a 

lot to contribute as 

people who fought the 

war and are still alive 

today, adding that 

Biafra is a must-achieve 

but election boycott is 

anathema and called for 

a rethink. 

Comrade Uchenna 

Madu, the MASSOB 

leader, in his address to 

the meeting said that 

while other groupings in 

Nigeria were alluding to 

separation that the 

Southeast leaders met at 

Enugu and said that 

they stand for united 

Nigeria and stressed 

that it is comments like 

that that create gulf 

between the so called 

leaders of the region 

and pro-Biafra groups. 

Pragmatic 

solution 

He however said that 

Anambra election is no 

issue compared to the 

October 1st quit notice, 

adding that there is still 

enough time to mend 

issues about election 

boycott. He assured that 

all the pro-Biafra groups 

will speak on the issue 

when the time is ripe. 

Earlier in his remarks, 

the convener, Awogu 

noted that the meeting 

was called to take a 

critical look at the current 

state of Ndigbo in the 

entity called Nigeria, 

the recent quit notice 

given to Ndigbo in the 

northern part of the 

country and the 

forthcoming Anambra 

state governorship 

election which has been 

generating heat, with a 

view to proffering a 

pragmatic solution that 

will be acceptable and 

beneficial to Ndigbo. 

Comrade Awogu also 

noted that the meeting 

agreed in principle that 

Anambra state 

governorship polls will 

hold as scheduled. “But 

that we should not forget 

that October 1st date 

(quit notice) will come 

first before November 

18th event (Anambra 

election), so we should 

be weary of October 1st 

deadline affecting the 

November 18th election 

and not the call for 

election boycott by the 

Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPOB.” 

Stressing that: 

“supposing the threat 

(quit notice) is carried 

out on October 1st, its 

impact 

and 

corresponding 

multipliers could likely 

snowball, God forbid, 

into what may in itself 

have 

grave 

consequences on the 

November election. 

Many have not thought 

along that direction but 

are rather preoccupied 

with the imaginary call 

for the Anambra state 

election boycott. Let us 

wriggle out of the threat 

posed by 1st October 

then see whether 

election will not hold in 

Anambra state the 

succeeding month.”

30—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 --- 31 

Lagos flood as a failure of 

governance 

THE rains are again here and 

Lagos, Nigeria’s Centre of 

Excellence and City of Aquatic 

Splendour is in the firm but cold 

embrace of flood. It’s been water 

everywhere even when there has 

been very little of it to drink or use 

for other important purposes. The 

city is once more going through 

the annual ritual of heavy flood 

and the last few days, especially 

this past weekend, has been 

nightmarish for many residents of 

Nigeria’s number one city. While 

Lagos is not new to flood the 

severity of the floods seems to have 

increased dangerously in the last 

few years. This is happening even 

as the state gravitates towards its 

much talked-about megacity 

status, signposted by the 

dreamscape Eko Atlantic City. But 

whether the annual menace of 

flood and the decaying 

infrastructure that accompanies it 

accords with the status of the 

smart city Lagos is projected to 

become is another story. Moreover, 

it is remarkable that a state with a 

relatively solid revenue base 

should suffer in the manner Lagos 

does, owing to a myriad of natural 

and man-made disasters, 

including a grievous lack of 

political will and bad choices 

occasioned by Nigeria’s skewed 

federalism. I’ll return to this point 

shortly. But first to the floods. 

The heavy rains of last weekend 

are responsible for the latest 

floods. While many parts of Lagos 

from the island to the mainland 

are affected, the worst hit areas are 

the so-called affluent communities 

of millionaires and billionaires, 

and the middle or upper middle 

class people who pretend to wealth 

they do not have. From Ikoyi, 

Lekki to Victoria Garden City, 

Badore and Ajah to Banana Island, 

the whole Island was under 

lockdown. Images of vehicles 

stalled in heavy floods, people 

stranded at bus stops or swimming 

in the flood were all over the print, 

broadcast and social media. The 

pain was beyond words and the 

loss of property as people were 

forced out of their homes will not 

be known for a while. Which then 

begs the question of what type of 

mega city Lagos is growing into 

and what hopes are there for a socalled 

Eko Atlantic City if the 

surrounding neigbourhoods show 

all the signs of a city out of joint? 

Yet this cannot be because the 

Lagos State government under its 

Implications of the Pension Reform Act 

By Akintola-Benson -Oke 

THE Lagos State Government under the 

able and effective leadership of 

Akinwunmi Ambode, has long 

demonstrated its commitment to the 

implementation of the Pension Reform Act 

of 2004. Indeed, the provisions of that Act, 

as domesticated in the Laws of Lagos State 

have been honoured to the letter under this 


The purpose of training officers of the 

Lagos State Pension commission LASPEC, 

and all public servants but especially those 

who are close to retirement are trained on 

an on-going basis on the implications of the 

Act with a view to ensuring that the officers 

of LASPEC can effectively discharge their 

duties and the generality of the Public 

Service can adequately prepare for the 

future. 

First, the general benefits of this Act as 

implemented in Lagos State is that it allows 

for the maintenance of a Retirement Savings 

Account by each employee, which gives the 

workers responsibility over their retirement 

savings. Pensioners will no longer be at the 

mercy of employer, and participants are 

assured of regular payment of retirement 

benefits. 

Furthermore, workers could choose how 

to allocate their retirement savings and 

diversify their investments over a range of 

investment instruments. It is also argued 

that personal accounts would provide all 

workers a higher rate of return than can be 

paid under the Direct Benefit plan. This 

approach also affords participants an 

opportunity to pass wealth to survivors in 

the event of death. 

In addition, RSA maintained by millions 

of workers tend to generate massive longterm 

funds, which are available for 

investment. Owing to economies of scale, 

the cost of investing such funds tends to be 

relatively lower than if an individual worker 

were to undertake the investment on his or 

her own account. Finally, having a pension 

scheme that pays out benefits in the form of 

a life annuity affords workers with protection 

Without an iota of doubt, 

LASPEC has performed 

brilliantly and 

commendably in 

discharging the trust 

entrusted to its care 

against longevity risk, by pooling mortality 

risk across others. 

On a holistic note, the provisions of the 

law encourage labour market flexibility. The 

worker is free to move with his account as 

he/she moves to another place of 

employment and/or residence. In this way, 

it is an important tool for enabling workers 

and employers to adapt to changing 

circumstances especially in a global 

environment in which change is a constant 

aspect of social and economic life. 

The government also stands to enjoy 

benefits under the law. The law will stem 

further growth of pension obligations and 

provide a platform for addressing this 

liability. It will also impose fiscal discipline 

in the budgetary process because pension 

obligations would be accurately determined. 

Also, the health of the economy is always 

a major concern of the government. Thus, 

aside from the law’s potential to promote 

national savings and by implication, 

present or previous leadership has 

been sleeping. If anything the 

present governor has been praised, 

like his predecessors, for the rapid 

manner he has brought 

development to different parts of 

the State. But the question persists 

as to whether a state that makes 

so much revenue from internally 

generated sources is doing enough 

Given its status 

as Nigeria’s 

major and most 

metropolitan 

state, Lagos 

deserves 

special 

consideration 

to provide needed infrastructure 

and ensuring the integrity of the 

master plan that guides 

development within it. What could 

be responsible for the shame of a 

megacity that finds itself floating 

on water following just two days 

of nonstop rainfall? 

For one, the heavy floods point 

in the direction of a major change 

in weather pattern that has been 

reported in other parts of the world. 

The Nigerian government has not 

been known to take a clear position 

on the issue of global warming 

even when it appears to pay lip 

service to it. It accepts global 

warming as a fact of contemporary 

life even while it does next to 

nothing to address it. Each year 

Nigerians are warned to expect 

heavy rains and the most 

government does about this is to 

embark on drainage clearance. 

Beyond this perfunctory ritual 

nothing more appears to show the 

Nigerian government’s belief in 

global warming. But even if our 

government or people do not 

believe in it, effects of heavy rains 

in recent years should alert us to 

the dangers. There is also no doubt 

that certain parts of Lagos are 

overpopulated with more people 

moving into such areas and 

embarking on infrastructural 

developments in apparently 

unauthorised manner. 

Those who have the means, at 

least to compromise urban 

planning regulations, may have 

been erecting structures in the 

wrong places at a rate that is 

harmful to the environment and the 

security of all. Evidently there is 

massive environmental 

degradation in which the people 

and government are implicated. 

Land filling and reclamation on 

the Island especially with regards 

to developments of Eko Atlantic 

City is something that should be 

looked at closely. There is every 

possibility that activities directed 

at establishing Eko Atlantic might 

be having adverse effects in other 

parts of Lagos. The massive 

reclamation of land that 

accompanies this could have truly 

devastating effect if not done with 

care. There is a limit to how far 

man can interfere with nature 

without consequences. And a lot of 

what is going on in Lagos 

particularly on the Island seems 

to have little regard for the natural 

order of things. 

Given its status as Nigeria’s 

major and most metropolitan 

state, Lagos deserves special 

consideration. The city is home to 

Nigerians from all parts of the 

country and the rate of 

infrastructural decay in the state 

owes a lot to the massive inflow of 

people into it. Yes, Lagos makes so 

much from internally generated 

economic growth, funded pension schemes 

have the capacity to promote capital market 

development. Moreover, it is often argued 

that funded schemes have the capacity to 

promote economic reforms generally. 

Another area in which the government 

stands to benefit from the law is through the 

scheme’s ability to support the overall 

macroeconomic policies of reform. The last 

two decades have witnessed a growing 

support to the idea that enterprises are better 

run by private individuals and the role of 

government should be limited to providing 

a conducive regulatory and institutional 

framework that will enable the private sector 

to thrive. Many countries around the world 

have adopted privatization as an avenue for 

reform and have often employed similar 

laws to support the process. This law will 

thus facilitate such reforms better than the 

prior arrangement. 

On the occasion of the 38th presentation 

of Retirement Benefit Bond Certificates to 

retirees under the Contributory Pension 

Scheme created Section 3 of the Lagos State 

Contributory Pension Scheme law of 2007 

(hereinafter referred to as “the Law”), I 

quoted William A. Ward as saying as follows: 

“Before you speak, listen. Before you write, 

think. Before you spend, earn. Before you 

invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. 

Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, 

try. Before you retire, save.”. Indeed, the 

Lagos State Government has helped and 

continues to help public officers adhere to 

this invaluable advice as a result of its 

commitment to ‘all-round’ welfare of its 

officers. It is thus important to pause and 

enumerate how the Lagos State 

Government has consistently demonstrated 

its commitment to the post-service welfare 

of its officers. 

Before the 2004 Federal Pension Reform 

Act, most state governments and companies 

in Nigeria operated under the Defined 

Benefits Pension Scheme, popularly referred 

revenue, but it has to be supported 

to be able to continue to provide 

the kind of service if provides to 

other parts of the country. But there 

appears to be a conspiracy of 

silence if not a gang-up against 

Lagos by those who ought to take 

the lead in ensuring the state meets 

national expectations. The 

ongoing spat between the Minister 

of Works, Power and Housing, Raji 

Fashola and the National 

Assembly is a pointer to the kind 

of bellyaching that many get into 

on account of what they 

misperceive as the special 

treatment of Lagos. Fashola, the 

immediate past governor of 

Lagos, should and does have a 

sense of what Lagos means to 

Nigeria. But our lawmakers 

appear to be too fixated on taking 

care of their personal needs and 

engaging in turf wars to 

appreciate this. 

Otherwise, there would be no 

justification in diverting funds 

meant for the rehabilitation of the 

Lagos-Ibadan Express Road into 

the construction of boreholes and 

what-not in other parts of the 

country. The development of Lagos 

is for some people a zero-sum 

affair. For them Lagos is being 

developed at the expense of other 

places. Yet its people like our 

legislators in Abuja own the choice 

estates that violate urban 

regulations which results in the 

environmental chaos that is Lagos. 

The Apapa-Tin Can Island Road 

begs for rehabilitation in spite of 

the billions of naira it brings 

Nigeria. Why should this be so? 

The aborted metroline project is 

another indicator of how Nigeria’s 

federalism has badly served Lagos. 

These are some of the reasons 

Nigerian federalism has to be 

reconsidered and reworked for the 

good of all. The time for that is 

now. 

to as the ‘Pay as You Go’ scheme. This scheme 

relied on methods that utilized the 

parameters of length of service to determine 

the final emoluments of employees. The 

benefits were thus easily calculated by 

employees. Broadly speaking, employees 

who had spent five to nine years in service 

were entitled to a lump sum payment 

referred to as gratuity, while those who had 

spent ten years and more were entitled to 

both the gratuity and monthly pension 

payment. 

The available data and documented 

history reveal that the model woefully failed 

as a result of the inability or wilful refusal 

of employers to budget for and/or properly 

utilize funds to service pension obligations. 

The Lagos State Government considers it 

morally reprehensible for any employer to 

neglect or refuse to plan and cater for the 

retirement benefits of its employees who 

gave the prime of their active years to the 

employing institution. 

The Lagos State Government thus 

demonstrated its virtuous moral compass 

such that, under the administration of Mr 

Akinwunmi Ambode, in particular, the 

Lagos State Government has faithfully 

honoured its obligations under the Law. The 

vehicle for demonstrating this commitment 

has been the LASPEC, which was as 

established as a corporate entity to regulate, 

supervise and ensure the effective 

administration of pension matters in the 

Lagos State Public Service. The passage of 

the law itself was in response to the new 

model and standards of pension 

administration formulated under the federal 

Pension Reform Act 2004. Without an iota 

of doubt, LASPEC has performed brilliantly 

and commendably in discharging the trust 

entrusted to its care. 

Continues Online @www.vanguardngr.com 

•Being text of speech delivered Dr. Benson- 

Oke, Commissioner for Establishments 

Training & Pensions, Lagos. 

C 

M 

Y 

K

32— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 

YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

TAURUS: Opposition between the Moon and Pluto may 

induce personality clashes you don’t need at lest for now. 

What can help you now is love and your being persuasive. 

Think of the future. 

GEMINI: Positive events that started yesterday will 

continue today. Rely more on your ability to be as bold as 

necessary so that you can get things done your own way 

at work. 

L E I S U R E 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY 

THE POWER OF A COMPELLING CAUSE RESTS IN THE SOUL OF ITS CREATOR, 

because a cause springs from the soul. It is a spiritual statement from one soul that 

cannot be the result of many. It comes from a deep place of knowing, some conviction 

that a richly imagined future could in some way, dramatically and positively, change 

the world. — Lance Secretan 

CANCER: Good luck will smile at you. Romantic 

interlude that started last yesterday may become 

excitingly louder and melodious to the satisfaction of your 

soul. 

LEO: If you allow domestic pressure to affect your working 

pattern, your senior colleagues may not understand and 

make things a bit more difficult. IF youre stable, you will 

have more to gain financially. 

VIRGO: After snappy aggressive approach exhibited by 

you yesterday ,you are back at your being pleasant self to 

the admiration of others. This is the wrong time to take 

law and it’s agents for granted. Youngs-at-heart are 

favoured so also commercial activities. 

THE POWER OF A COMPELLING CAUSE RESTS IN THE SOUL OF ITS CREATOR, 

because a cause springs from the soul. It is a spiritual statement from one soul that 

cannot be the result of many. It comes from a deep place of knowing, some conviction 

that a richly imagined future could in some way, dramatically and positively, change 

the world. — Lance Secretan 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

By Kola Fayemi 

LIBRA: Some of you will wake up from slumber and 

realise mistakes about your finances early enough and 

make amendment but those who are reckless will commit 

more blunder. Beware of joint venture. 

SCORPIO: Although erratic people from unexpected 

quarters may oppose you openly, your being self assertive 

will earn you both victory and financial success. Then 

tomorrow will prove more successful. 

SAGITTARIUS: The more ambitious you are the better 

for you. Then you will need to ignore those with queer 

characteristics within your working arena. 

CAPRICORN: Mixed trends are indicated. If you take 

good advice from your cool headed friends, you will 

benefit more than you imagine, but if you take to 

unpredictable attitude, you will today start fire that will 

burn with great intensity tomorrow. 

AQUARIUS: If you take the veterans within your base for 

granted, they will fail you painfully. Yet here is a lucky 

day for you when your being secretive and self reliant 

will earn you success. Be more ambitious. 

KAPTAIN AFRIKA in “Pretty Lunatic’ By Andy Akman 

PISCES: Some of the people around you may get on your 

nerve via careless remarks, you must not allow them to 

disorganise your plans. The closer you are to the 

influential people the better for you. 

ARIES: AMoney is the root of all evils says an adage. 

And if care is not taken, money may set you and some 

other people fiercely against each other to the detriment 

of your cause. Be cautious. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

Send your date e and place of birth th to the Astr 

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, 7, Apapa, Lagos 

What is my luck? 

Dear Joshua, 

I am deeply interested in Astrology: and the way you analyse 

people is great, keep it up. Kindly tell me whatever you 

think I should know about my life together with my luck, 

social life and my lucky number. 

Ojo, Abia. 

Dear Ojo, 

Thank you for your words of encouragement. Too many things 

are important but I think what both your immediate and far 

future have for you must be revealed to you so that you will 

be prepared. 

Mars in Aquarius together with Uranus are pointers to an 

active social life. The more influential social circle you belong 

to, the better for you. You’re the cool-headed type beloved by 

many but once your anger manages to fly off, it can be very 

difficult if not dangerous; it’s because of your natal Pluto. Yet 

they keep coming your way. 

Saturn can not help forcing challenges on your way, luckily 

for you however, you have what it takes to live up to the 

challenges. And as Saturn will never deny it’s worthy native 

the deserved success, it also gives recognition. 

Saturn or no Saturn, good relationship bet Mars and lucky 

Jupiter when you were born, are green tumb for WEALTH; 

you will be wealthier more than having liquid cash; nobody 

can stop your becoming wealthy. 

Best colours for you include YELLOW, golden, black but not 

coconut white. Your sleeping posture should be on East/ 

West axis with your head to the West. 5 is your destiny number, 

9 is your ambition, 8 is your expression, your other numbers 

are 1, 6, 7 & 11. Thus, they are as superior as listed. 

Between now and your 48th year on earth (three and half 

years) women, money, youngster will greatly feature in your 

life and a few publicity cum commercial success equally 

indicated for you. 

However come your 49th year (around that period) tough 

challenges which will border on stiff competition, avoidable 

accident, treachery and money will come your way. 

Although it sounds somehow, it’s the needed tonic for and 

or pillar for an endless cycle of success that will follow. 

Therefore whatever can be shaken to the foundation or be 

uprooted by that time should not be initiated now. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017—33



FORUM: Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu (middle) flanked by former 

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Umar Ghali N’Abba (left) and National Team Leader, 

Partnership to Engage Citizens, Adiya Ode (right), Speakers of state Houses of Assembly and other 

participants at a stakeholders consultative forum on Local Government Autonomy, in Abuja, yesterday. 

Okorocha bars traditional rulers 

from speaking English at functions 

•Gives staff of office to 19 monarchs 

By Chinonso 

Alozie 

O 

W E R R I — 

GOVERNOR 

Rochas Okorocha of Imo 

State, yesterday, barred 

traditional rulers in the state 

from speaking English 

language at functions, 

saying any one caught 

would face the penalty. 

According to a realease by 

his Chief Press Secretary, 

Mr Sam Onwuemeodo, in 

Owerri, the governor also 

rested the trouble 

emanating from eze stool in 

the state, by giving staff of 

office to 19 traditional 

rulers." 

The governor also 

warned that any of the royal 

fathers who failed to restore 

peace in his domain, such 

traditional rulers' staff of 

office would be withdrawn. 


statement, “Governor 

Rochas Okorocha has 

banned traditional rulers in 

the state from speaking 

English at functions and in 

conducting affairs at their 

palaces. 

“And directed that they 

must talk in Igbo at 

functions and conduct 

activities in their palaces in 

Igbo, adding that they 

could employ the services 

of interpreters if the need 

arises. 

“Okorocha gave the 

directive while handing 

over letters of recognition 

and staff of office to 19 

newly recognised 

traditional rulers in the 

state, adding that Igbo 

language must not be 

allowed to die as being 

predicted in some quarters. 

“As traditional rulers in 

the state, you must be 

agents of peace, progress, 

and prosperity in your 

respective domains instead 

of being tools of disunity 

and destabilisation. 

“Any traditional ruler who 

could not show genuine 

leadership in his 

autonomous community 

stands the risk of having his 

certificate of recognition 

and staff of office 

withdrawn. 

“History is made that light 

has come and darkness 

would not comprehend at 

all. The truth has surfaced 

and the right people have 

finally become the 

custodian of the traditional 

right of their people. 

“You are not permitted to 

speak English at functions. 

This will help keep our 

culture and Igbo language 

alive. 

“For many years now, 

most of you have been 

looking forward to a day 

like this. Some of you were 

victims of injustice and 

never believed that this 

could be possible and most 

of you have been waiting 

without knowing your fate. 

“But today, it is a manifest 

of truth that your people 

have chosen you, and the 

government of Imo State 

has approved. 

“I took the bold step of 

reconciling people, took the 

step to ensure that truth 

came to be and voided the 

rancour that has existed in 

our various communities 

over eze title.” 

The names of the 

traditional rulers as 

mentioned by the release 

are: HRH D.E.C 

Onyebuagu (Ibiasuegbe 

Autonomous,Oru West); 

HRH Ifeanyi Kenneth 

Aguneto (Umueze/Abaza 

Ogwa, Mbaitolu); HRH 

Charles Anyakudo (Ekwe, 

Isu LGA); HRH Ugo 

Ndubueze Donatus 

(Umunokwu, Okwuato 

Aboh Mbaise); HRH 

Athanasius Ezekwe 

(Enyiogugu) and HRH 

James Nnamdi 

Why we suspended 400 

workers —MOUAU 

By Anayo Okoli 

UMUAHIA — THE 

leadership of Michael 

Okpara University of 

Agriculture, Umudike, 

MOUAU, said the over 400 

workers suspended last 

week were temporary 

workers whose contract has 

elapsed. 

Besides, the leadership of 

the university also alleged 

that some of the suspended 

workers were abinitio not 

qualified to be engaged. 

It also alleged that the 

immediate past Vice 

Chancellor of the 

university, Prof. Hillary 

Edoga, illegally engaged 

the temporary workers 

without council's approval 

though there was already 

a vice chancellor designate 

that would replace him. 

Some of the 

employments, the 

university said, were 

rumoured to have been 

offered for exchange for 

other selfish things. 

Briefing journalists, 

Monday, the university’s 

spokesperson, Mrs. 

Adanma Odefa, made 

efforts to defend the action 

of the Prof. Francis Otuntaled 

management in 

suspending the workers, 

and accused the former vice 

chancellor of knowingly 

employing the workers 

when he knew there were 

no funds to pay them in 

order to create problems for 

his successor. 

According to Odefa, the 

former vice chancellor 

employed the over 400 

workers “between 

(Ngurunweke Aboh 

Mbaise). 

Others are, HRH Francis 

Anukwu, (Avuvu Ancient 

Kingdom, Ikeduru); HRH 

J.C. Ebii (Umunama-ala 

Ezinihitte); HRH Jude 

Alozie, (Onicha Nworie 

Ezinihitte); HRH Val 

Nwoke (Ejemekwuru 

Oguta); HRH Boniface 

Uzoma (Abba Nwangele) 

and HRH Ukachukwu 

Nnanna (Dioka Nzerem 

Mbano). 

The rest are HRH Pius 

Onyekwere (Nnarambia 

Ahiazu Mbara); HRH 

Lucky Ajoku (Ihiagwa, 

Owerri West); HRH 

Christopher Amadi 

(Okolochi, Owerri West); 

HRH James Ezerioha (Ihite 

Owerre, Orlu); HRH Basil 

Anyanwu (Umuhu, Ngor- 

Okpala); HRH Leonard 

Aguocha (Umuohiagu, 

Ngor-Okpala) and HRH 

Eze Frankline A. Dabirinze 

(Uzoagba). 

November 2015 and 

February 2016 even when 

he knew there was already 

a vice chancellor designate 

and no funds to pay such 

number of staff.” 

She explained that 

employees in federal 

university are hired on 

temporary basis and have 

to 

undergo 

“regularization,” saying 

failure to be regularized 

within a period of one year 

“leads to the elapsing of the 

contract as they are 

employed as contract staff. 

“If the university had the 

need for that number of staff 

(400), which constitutes 

over 12 per cent of the 

entire staff strength, it 

should have advertised for 

such positions and there 

should have been council’s 

approval." 

APGA crisis: Join me to rebuild 

our party, Agbaso tells Obiano 

By Ugochukwu 

Alaribe 

ABA— 

National 

Chairman of All 

Progressives Grand 

Alliance, APGA, Chief 

Martin Agbaso, has 

extended a hand of 

fellowship to Governor 

Willie Obiano of Anambra 

State and other 

stakeholders of the party, to 

join him to rebuild the party 

in line with the vision of its 

founding fathers. 

Agbaso, who was 

reacting to the verdict of the 

Court of Appeal, Enugu 

Division, affirming his 

position as national 

chairman of the party, said 

APGA has lost focus and 

needs the support of all 

members to get it back on 

Lawyers’ league warns 

against undermining Osinbajo 

By Elizabeth 

Uwandu 

THE League of Patriotic 

Lawyers has frowned at 

an alleged attempt to 

undermine Acting 


Osinbajo, noting that the 

plot is bound to fail. 

Briefing newsmen, 

yesterday, in Lagos, 

chairman of the group, 

Mallam Abubakar Yesufu, 

said Osinbajo had proved 

that he is a competent 

person to handle the state 

of the nation. 

His words: “Such 

conspiracy lacking 

constitutional basis and 

devoid of the peoples 

backing will not succeed. 

Prof. Osinbajo’s support for 

Ibrahim Magu is in 

tandem with President 

Buhari’s stand before he 

Infinix Note 4 series to empower 

youth population 

REGIONAL Manager 

of smart phone maker, 

Infinix Africa, Bruno Li, 

said, at the introduction of 

Infinix Note series in 

Lagos recently, that the new 

products were designed for 

the youths to empower and 

enable them to go beyond. 

With a promise to 

customers to retain its DNA 

of stylish design, big 

screen, big battery and 

super-fast charge, he said 

Note series were the 4th 

generation of the Infinix 

Note Series, with the first 

of its kind Stylus pen 

‘Xpen’. 

“This is an historic 

moment for Infinix as we 

bring about a new era for 

our Note series,” Bruno Li, 

Regional Manager Infinix 

Africa, said during the 

unveiling of the innovative 

product in Lagos. 

According to him, “the 

track as a national party. 

The national chairman, 

who spoke through the 

party’s acting national 

publicity secretary, Prince 

Ukaegbu, said APGA was 

being rebuilt from what he 

described as Oye’s 

visionless administration, 

which led to the exodus of 

eminent members of the 

party, including the heir to 

the Ojukwu dynasty, 

Emeka, who abandoned 

APGA for UPP. 

He described the 

October 5, 2016, decision 

of the party’s National 

Working Committee, 

NWC, to sack the former 

national chairman, Victor 

Oye as the turning point for 

APGA’s rebirth, stressing 

that the party has been 

returned to the masses. 

became ill. 

"I praise Prof. Osinbajo 

for reflecting this sentiment 

because a contrary view 

would have portrayed the 

president or presidency as 

divided, inchoate and 

lacking in vision for 

consistent leadership. 

“I commend Prof. 

Osinbajo’s attempts to steer 

the ship of state towards the 

safe harbour of peace and 

tranquility since the 

departure of President 

Buhari. He is dousing the 

separatist tension in the 

South-East; cleaning up 

the environment and 

managing the budget 

logjam in the Senate. 

"Osinbajo has proved a 

competent ally and 

dependable acting 

president that is capable of 

handling the affairs of state 

of the federation." 

Note 3 was a huge success 

last year, which tells us we 

have passed the threshold 

of being a new brand to 

being a strong household 

name in this market. With 

the Infinix Note 4, we want 

to empower customers to 

take charge and make the 

needful change with their 

lifestyle. It also comes 

withInfinix Note series 

innovation of super-fast 

charge.” 

The product, he 

explained, has the theme 

‘5 minutes charge, 250 

minutes talk time’ and a 

battery life of 4500MAH, 

which charges five times 

faster and is equipped with 

Xcharge 4.0. 

According to him, Infinix 

Note 4 comes in two 

versions, Note 4 and Note 

4 Pro, which are both 

budget friendly and run on 

7.0 Android.



‘Niger Delta becoming dead 

zone, unsuitable for habitation’ 

By Perez Brisibe 

U GHELLI— 

FOUNDATION for 

Human Rights and Anti- 

Corruption Crusade, 

FHRACC, has raised alarm 

that the Niger Delta region 

was fast becoming a dead 

zone, no longer suitable for 

habitation owing to the 

impact of oil exploration 

over the years. 

The group also accused 

the Joint Task Force, JTF, 

codenamed Operation 

Delta Safe, of allegedly 

carrying out an economic 

war of aggression against 

the Niger Delta 

environment and causing 

more harm to the already 

degraded ecosystem. 

FHRACC, while reacting 

to the concern raised by the 

Environmental Rights 

Action/Friends of the Earth 

Nigeria, ERA/FoEN, said 

oil extraction has destroyed 

the rural livelihoods of the 

people of the region, 

explaining that the position 

of the environmental group 

has vindicated the agitation 

of the Niger Delta people 

over the negative impact of 

crude oil explorations in the 

region. 

The group, in a statement 

by its National President, 

Alaowie Cleric, explained 

that the position of ERA/ 

FoEN has re-echoed earlier 

calls by FHRACC on the 

Federal Government to 

stop gas flaring in 

accordance with global best 

practices. 

He said: “Niger Delta 

region is becoming a dead 

zone; no longer suitable for 

habitation as same is fast 

running out of the potency 

to sustain life, due to years 

of reckless exploratory 

activities. 

“Government must brace 

up to the challenges by 

taking up some 

preventable measures in 

order to secure the lives that 

are already exposed to the 

danger of oil explorations/ 

exploitations. 

“One of the dangers 

associated with oil 

production in the region is 

gas flaring.” 

Lamenting the activities of 

the JTF in the region, the 

group said: “The JTF is 

carrying out an economic 

war of aggression against 


environment, an extension 

of what the multi-national 

oil companies have being 

doing to the region. 

“The task force is causing 

more harm to the already 

degraded environment 

than the purpose it wants 

to achieve. 

“We stand to condemn the 

JTF’s uncivilised practices 

by using wrong methods to 

tackle the menace of crude 

oil theft.” 

VICTORY: From left— Former Governor of Edo State, Professor Osarhiemen Osunbor; All 

Progressives Congress, APC, Secretary in Edo State, Lawrence Orka; Secretary to the State Government, 

SSG, Osarodion Ogie; Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mr. Philip Shuaibu, and others, celebrating 

Supreme Court verdict upholding Governor Godwin Obaseki's election victory, in Abuja, yesterday. 

We’re sorry, ex-militants beg NDDC boss 


PORT HARCOURT— A 

coalition of Ex-Niger 

Delta militant leaders has 

apologised to the 

Managing Director/CEO of 


Development Commission, 

NDDC, Mr. Nsima Ekere, 

over the unruly behaviour 

of its members during a 

protest to the commission’s 

headquarters in Port 

Harcourt, Rivers State, in 

May. 

National Chairman of the 

group, Stephen Ebisintei, 

in a statement, said: “We, 

the Coalition of Niger Delta 

Ex-Militant Leaders 

(Presidential Amnesty 

Phase 2), numbering 125 

members, wish to apologise 

to the Managing Director 

for the way we behaved, 

following our protests at the 

commission’s 

headquarters on May 2 

and 5 in Port Harcourt. 

“Unknown to us, the sixth 

management team is 

desirous of implementing 

programmes and policies 

that would develop the 

Niger Delta and empower 

the youths of the region. 

“We were acting on wrong 

information as we should 

have expressed ourselves 

in a much calmer, more 

diplomatic and respectful 

manner. 

“We have discovered that 

the Managing Director/ 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—THE Central 

Bank of Nigeria, CBN, 

has warned beneficiaries 

against selling off inputs 

given to them under its 

Anchor Borrowers Programme, 

insisting that anyone 

caught would be made to 

face the wrath of the law. 

Issuing the warning at an 

emergency meeting with 

Anchors, Cooperative 

CEO’s is a highly 

influential leader, who 

prefers meeting and 

dialogue with youth leaders 

in person as opposed to the 

style of previous managements 

that chose to shut 

their doors to us, resulting 

to their poor appreciation of 

our challenges, ultimately 

leading to the inability of 

their policies to affect the 

people of the region 

Chairmen, Input Suppliers 

and Farmers in Asaba, 

Delta State branch 

Comptroller of CBN, Dame 

Elizabeth Oyibi-Agu, told 

stakeholders of the 

programme in the state to 

double their commitments 

towards its success in the 

state. 

Agu lamented that the 

programme, which started 

in February 2016, was still 

battling with first batch 

positively. 

“We hereby take 

responsibility for the 

comments, positions, 

ideas and ideology 

espoused by us, which 

may have contradicted 

management’s 

disposition. 

“We apologise for the 

harm our actions may 

have 

caused 

management.” 

ANCHORS BORROWERS PROGRAMME: 

CBN warns against selling of inputs 

when it was supposed to be 

preparing for the third. 

She said: “The current 

trend of feed selling in 

Camp 74, Ughelli, Sapele 

and Warri is another sad 

development. There are 

also reports of some farmers 

selling the supplied 

juveniles. 

“This is a criminal act and 

an insult to the good 

intentions of the Anchor 

Borrowers programme.” 

Sen Sekibo: APC ignorant 

of the law, says PDP 

By Onozure Dania 

THE Rivers State 

chapter of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

has lampooned the state 

All Progressives 

Congress, APC, for 

“lacking knowledge of 

the basic tenets of law” 

in its call on Senator 

George Sekibo (PDP 

Rivers East) to vacate the 

National Assembly. 

The PDP state 

Chairman, Mr. Felix 

Obuah, said the call was 

a pointer to the pure case 

of ignorance of the law 

AAU honours Elumelu, 

Okpebholo others 

By Gabriel 

Enogholase 

B ENIN—FOUNDER/ 

President Heirs 

Foundation and 

Chairman, UBA Plc, Mr. 

Tony Elumelu; CEO of 

Ray Royal Construction 

Company, Rt. Rev. 

Matthew Okpebholo; 

Chief Ezekiel Anaibe and 

Dr. Robson Momoh will, 

this weekend, be 

conferred with honorary 

degrees by Ambrose Alli 

University, Ekpoma, 

during its 21st 

convocation. 

The institution’s Vice 

Chancellor, Professor 

Ignatius Onimawo, told 

newsmen yesterday that 

the Visitor to the 

institution, Governor 

Godwin Obaseki, will be 

installed during the 

Delta APC chieftain 

lauds Senator's projects 

By Taire 

Youdeowei 

U GHELLI— 

NATIONAL 

Chairman of Urhobo 

Political Movement, 

UPM, and All 


APC, chieftain in Delta 

State, Chief Christopher 

Obiuwevbi, has 

applauded the Senator 

representing Delta 

Central, Senator Ovie 

Omo-Agege, for his 

ongoing empowerment 

programme in the 

senatorial district. 

He described the 

exercise as “a clear 

testament of Senator 

Omo-Agege’s love for his 

constituents and 

grassroots approach to 

politics.” 

In a statement in 

Ughelli, Obiuwevbi said: 

“From what transpired in 

Ughelli during the 

by the leaders of APC in 

the state. 

Obuah noted that the 

ruling of the election 

petitions tribunal, which is 

a court of first instance, is 

still subject to appeal and 

cannot come into force 

until all the options 

available to the litigants, to 

critically examine the 

merits and demerits of the 

ruling, are exhausted on 

appeal. 

Recall that Senator 

Sekibo lost at the state 

election petitions tribunal 

to his opponent, Chief 

Andrew Uchendu of APC. 

ceremony. 

No fewer than 2,265 

graduands of the 

university will be awarded 

first degree; 40 with 

postgraduate diploma; 76, 

master’s degrees; 14, 

doctorate, while 37 will be 

awarded with MBBS in 

Medicine, he also 

disclosed. 

He added that the 

university, in its bid to 

check anti-social vices 

which arise from 

frustrations, nonrecognition 

and idleness, 

has introduced regularity 

of inaugural lectures, 

distinguished lectures, 

faculty lectures, local and 

international conferences, 

inter-faculty competitions 

and the Vice Chancellor’s 

Football competition 

among faculties, to engage 

the students. 

Senator’s empowerment 

programme, which 

targeted Okada riders and 

market women in the area, 

Senator Omo-Agege 

displayed his genuine 

commitment to the welfare 

of the people, especially 

the downtrodden masses, 

who continue to yearn for 

quality leadership as 

exemplified by the 

Senator.” 

Calling on indigenes 

and residents of the 

senatorial district to rally 

round Omo-Agege, he 

said: “By the time Senator 

Omo-Agege is through 

with the current 

empowerment exercise 

across the length and 

breadth of Delta Central, 

our people will once 

again begin to feel the 

impact of quality 

representation at the 

highest level of 

governance in this 

country.”


WITH CHARLES KUMOLU 

midweekpersonality@gmail.com 

08052140865 (sms only) 

Love for adventure, 

tradition key to my 

triumph — NWOKO 

CALL him a man of many parts you will not be 

faulted. He is a prince, lawyer of international 

repute, entrepreneur, politician, environmentalist 

and Proprietor/Chancellor, Stars University of 

Nigeria among others. He reveals how he has been 

able to distinguish himself in these pursuits. 

APART from academic 

knowledge, what other 

things made it possible for you 

to become who you are today? 

I am a Prince of Idumuje 

Kingdom in Aniocha North Local 

Government Area of Delta State. 

I am a lawyer by training, a 

businessman. I was a member 

of the House of Representatives 

for four years. I was born on 

December 21,1960 in Idumuje- 

Ugboko in Aniocha North LGA, 

Delta State. 

My life generally has been 

influenced by my tradition, 

especially my background as a 

member of a royal family. While 

growing up all I saw around me 

were traditional activities. I took 

this in my character as I grew 

up. My being abroad for my 

studies did not adversely affect 

my appreciation of our rich 

culture and tradition. It will also 

not negatively affect my children. 

I think that it has enhanced my 

appreciation of our deep cultural 

heritage. It has also increased 

my appreciation of my culture 

because I have seen how they 

have promoted and preserved 

theirs. 

I think my education also 

shaped me and my world 

view. While growing up, I could 

remember that I loved adventure. 

I was passionate about nature 

and natural habitat, the 

interaction between man and 

other creatures, sports as well as 

service to humanity. These are 

the influences that have shaped 

my life and my worldview. I 

have been trying to inculcate 

some of these values in my 

children. When they come to 

Nigeria, they don’t always want 

to be in Abuja or in Lagos. They 

often want to be in my village 

because they love our tradition, 

culture and what they see there. 

They spend more time in the 

village when they come from 

the UK. Even my children, who 

are in Abuja, prefer to be in 

Udumuje Ugboko than the 

Federal Capital Territory. I will 

describe these as the core values 

that are part of me such as hard 

work, sincerity, honesty, 

dedication and service to 

humanity. The United Kingdom 

is a conservative environment 

which bequeathed Nigeria its 

legal system, to set up a legal 

practice in such an historic 

environment and made a success 

in it is a remarkable 

accomplishment. I worked as 

Legal Assistance, Kumar’s 

Solicitors, Crown Persecution 

Service, London; Solicitor and 

Partner, Pascalides & Co., and 

Principal Partner, Ned Nwoko 

Solicitors. This came at an early 

stage of my life and we are not 

letting go. This left me with the 

lesson that hard work pays 

regardless of the environment, set 

your goals, focus on them and be 

determined to succeed. 

On responsibility as adults 

We have a responsibility as 

adults to encourage our children 

I have always 

been fascinated by 

the history of arts 

and over time, I 

have come to 

realise that 

individually and 

collectively, we can 

help to sustain and 

promote our culture 

to appreciate our culture and 

traditions. I have always been 

fascinated by the history of arts 

and over time, I have come to 

realise that individually and 

collectively, we can help to sustain 

and promote our culture. I have 

also come to appreciate the fact 

that in most countries of the 

world, if not in all, people do 

appreciate the arts and cultures 

of others. As a matter of fact, there 

is no country in the world today 

even in Nigeria, where tourism 

is not principally linked to arts 

and culture of a people. It has 

become the hub and most 

important source of earning for 

most countries. From Britain to 

France, Thailand, Brazil and the 

US, tourism has suddenly 

become the number one source 

of revenue. 

On academic pursuits 

I attended the University of 

Keele (England), where I 

obtained a BA (Hons) Law and 

History with subsidiary Subject 

of Biology and American Studies. 

I went to Kings College, 

University of London, LLM, 

where I majored in Insurance, 

Maritime, Company and 

Commercial Law, after which I 

went to the prestigious Inn of 

Court School of Law-BL (Barrister 

at Law of Lincoln’s Inn. London). 

I also attended the College of Law 

– London got the QLTT (Solicitor 

of the supreme court of England 

and Wales) and the 

Commonwealth University 

College, Belize, where I bagged 

the D.LITT (Doctor of Letters).I 

served as; Ex-legal adviser to 

Nigeria Liberal Party, Europe; 

Visiting Advisor, Citizens Advice 

Bureau, London; Member of the 

Society of Black Lawyers, United 

Kingdom; Elected member of Law 

•Hard work pays regardless of the environment 

•Set your goals, focus on them and be 

determined 

•I admire honesty and service to humanity 

•I am a lover of tradition 

PERSONALITY ETHICS 

•Ned Nwoko 

Society, England and Wales and 

Ex- Secretary General, Nigeria 

Legal Practitioners, United 

Kingdom, amongst other 

positions. 

On career 

My career experience includes 

the following; working as Legal 

Assistance, Kumar’s Solicitors, 

Ealing London; Crown 

Persecution Service, London; 

Solicitor and Partner, Pascalides 

& Co, London and Principal 

Partner, Ned Nwoko Solicitors, 

Eailing, London W53EA. My 

areas of specialization are Civil 

and Criminal Litigation, 

including insurance, personal 

Injury, international conflict of 

laws, Immigration, Matrimonial 

law, wills and Probate, 

Commercial and Domestic 

Conveyance, Company 

Commercials including matters. 

I can’t say I have had professional 

regrets. However, I will leave that 

for posterity to judge but I feel 

pained by the death of my son in 

the heat of the primaries for 

governorship election in 2015. He 

was a second year law student in 

UK where he died on December 

9, 2014. 

Education tourism 

We need the media to publicise 

what we are doing. We need to 

develop domestic tourism first. We 

need Nigerians to know what we 

have and what they have and be 

able to appreciate it. For instance, 

in my place, how many people 

are aware of its existence? So we 

need to help government and 

government also needs to help the 

private sector in a symbiotic 

relationship. 

It has to work. There must be 

well thought out government 

policy or policies that could drive 

these projects. We must encourage 

Education tourism. We expect 

ministries of education to include 

tourism in education curriculum 

by ensuring that apart from the 

theoretical aspect of it, there are 

practical visits to palaces, festivals, 

tourist sites and infrastructure to 

catch them young, promote the 

culture of holidaying and what 

tourism is all about. This will entail 

schools visiting tourism sites and 

locations. There must be 

education of how Nigerians 

should be able to appreciate what 

we have. 

We can begin to do this from the 

primary schools; inculcating into 

our kids the idea that it is not only 

in France that they have to go and 

see Eiffel tower, London Bridge 

in London, Mausoleum in Italy 

or Disney World in Florida or 

the Taj Mahal in India or the 

Pyramids in Egypt. Through the 

development of Tourism 

education curriculum, school 

children will travel from place to 

place within and outside the states 

on sightseeing. The private sector 

and schools will have to work out 

plans on how to provide vehicles 

and make adequate security 

arrangements for such visits. 

We are blessed with so many 

resources. I believe that I can in 

my own little way help to 

spearhead this inevitable 

revolution. It will happen. It has 

happened in other countries. We 

have all that it takes to make it a 

reality. We just need to organise 

ourselves and sustain the tempo 

when it eventually becomes a 

reality. 

Your country home in Ugboko 

has been described by the 

authorities as a tourism site, what 

inspired the construction of such 

an edifice in a village? 

Our vision is to use it to promote 

tourism in Idumuje Ugboko. 

Some visitors have described it as 

a fortress of peace, with its 

enchanting sight, which you only 

approach through a 9-hole metre 

golf course. Its architectural 

design is a blend of Arabian and 

Western design having a royal 

traditional look given to it by the 

alluring designs and most notably 

the fences and building made with 

local bricks. 

Inside it is a castle with its most 

notable and intriguing feature 

being the finishing, its elaborate 

and beautiful plaster works and 

handmade ceilings imported from 

Morocco makes it to have the look 

of a palace. It also boast of a 

tunnel being one of my favorite 

places in its environment with 

wall engravings describing 

some of the cultural acts in 

Nigeria locally designed by one 

of the residents in the locality. The 

setup of this tunnel is so 

wonderful that it exhibits the 

property of a good location in film 

making. The mansion has a 

combination of Arabian and 

Western design spiced up with 

rich African royal traditional 

designs. 

Read full interview on 

www.vanguardngr.com



SUICIDE BOMBINGS: Army assures UNIMAID of support 

By Ndahi Marama 

M AIDUGURI— 

FOLLOWING 

series of suicide bombing 

attacks which led to killings 

and destruction of property 

worth millions of naira, the 

Nigerian Army has assured 

University of Maiduguri, 

UNIMAID, of security 

support. 

The Acting General 

KANO—THE National 

Population 

Commission, NPC, 

yesterday, charged the 

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji 

Sa’ad Abubakar; Emir of 

Kano, Malam Muhammad 

Sanusi II; fiery Islamic 

cleric, Malam Abubakar 

Gumi, and other eminent 

traditional and religious 

leaders in the North to 

champion the spread of 

family planning gospel in 

the region. 

The Commission’s 

Chairman, Chief Eze 

Duruiheoma, while 

celebrating this year’s 

World Population Day in 

Kano, said their 

involvement was for the 

sake of building a healthy 

and prosperous society. 

Duruiheoma, in a speech 

delivered on his behalf by 

the state Director, Sank 

Sa’adu Usman, said 

“having a large army of 

uncatered-for children 

because the mothers are 

denied access to family 

planning services, is not in 

the interest of any 

community either in the 

short or long term.” 

He explained that 

Nigeria’s population 

remained its greatest asset 

in the quest for sustainable 

development. 

He, however, stressed 

that the health status and 

general wellbeing of 

women and the girl-child 

had the capacity to 

influence development 

process but that “this 

Officer Commanding, 

GOC, 7 Division of the 

Nigerian Army, Brigadier 

General Ibrahim Yusufu, 

gave this affirmation when 

he paid a courtesy call on 

the institution’s Vice 

Chancellor, Professor 

Ibrahim Njodi, in his office 

in Maiduguri, Borno State. 

The GOC, who was 

accompanied on the visit by 

commanders and some 

principal staff officers from 

Headquarters of 7 

Division, assured the VC of 

adequate security for the 

university community. 

He sympathised with the 

university on the recent 

suicide bombings and 

commended the staff and 

the VC for holding forth 

during the trial period. 

The Vice Chancellor, in 

his response, assured the 

GOC of the university’s 

support in the ongoing war 

against insurgency. 

He attributed the recent 

relative peace enjoyed 

within the university to 

Nigerian Army’s 

doggedness and 

professional display in 

securing the university, 

Maiduguri metropolis in 

particular and Borno State 

in general. 

NPC charges Sultan, Emir 

others to preach family planning 

By AbdulSalam 

Muhammad 

THE Minister of State for 

Environment, Ibrahim 

Jibril, has charged the 

Federal University of 

Technology, Akure, FUTA, 

to lead the search for 

solutions to the debilitating 

flooding and other effects 

of climate change ravaging 

parts of the country. 

The Minister, who gave 

the charge during his 

working visit to the West 

capacity was being 

undermined by their 

continued exposure to 

preventable phenomena of 

maternal mortality, unsafe 

abortion and early 

pregnancy, which deny 

them the pursuit of 

educational and economic 

opportunities, all 

occasioned by lack of access 

to family planning services. 

“All the massive 

investments in building 

social and physical 

infrastructure, healthcare, 

education and other critical 

sectors of our national life 

will not yield maximum 

benefits unless the women 

and girl-child have 

unfettered access to sexual 

and reproductive 

information and services.” 

VISIT: President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, 

Alhaji Ismaila Zakari (left), presenting a gift to Chairman, DavoDani 

Microfinance Bank, Prince Austin Enajemo-Isire, during a vist to ICAN. 

Field workers want extension 

of birth registration in Bauchi 

By Suzan Edeh 

FOLLOWING ongoing 

birth registration of 

children under the age of 

five in Bauchi State, field 

workers conducting the 

exercise in Giade Local 

Government Area have 

called on UNICEF to 

extend the duration of 

Minister tasks FUTA on research into flooding 

African Science Service 

Centre on Climate Change 

and Adapted Land Use, 

WASCAL, domiciled at the 

university, said with the 

equipment and quality of 

manpower at the Centre, 

FUTA can help the country 

solve its myriads of 

environmental challenges. 

While briefing the 

Minister on the operations 

of the Centre, the Director, 

house-to-house registration 

to ensure a 100 percent 

coverage of the area. 

Vanguard monitored the 

exercise in some of the 

wards, such as Giade, 

Abunari, Doguwa, Zabi, 

Zindiri, Faguji, Chinkani, 

Kurba and Sabon-Sara and 

reports that the exercise 

was hitch free as 

Professor Kehinde 

Ogunjobi, said part of the 

mandate of the Centre, 

which is being supported 

by the German 

Government, is to train 

competent weather and 

climate scientists capable of 

providing viable solutions 

in agriculture, water 

resources and allied sectors 

for enhanced and sustainable 

agricultural production. 

households in the local 

government gave 

maximum cooperation to 

the field workers. 

The local government 

Comptroller, Musa Sale, 

said that the exercise was 

going on smoothly because 

of the massive sensitisation 

by traditional and religious 

leaders, but noted that the 

deadline for registration, 

July 16, was not enough to 

achieve total house-tohouse 

registration coverage 

of all the 13 wards of the 

local government. 

A field worker, Hamza 

Abdullai, complained of 

lack of transportation for 

the exercise, saying field 

workers trekked long 

distances to conduct the 

house-to-house 

registration, thereby 

making the exercise 

tasking and slow. 

UNIJOS students cautioned 

on sexual exploitation 

By Marie-Therese 

Nanlong 

JOS—THE Academic 

Staff Union of 

Universities, ASUU, 

University of Jos chapter, 

has enlightened the 

newly-admitted students 

of the institution on the 

needed steps to take in 

avoiding harassment and 

other forms of assaults 

while on campus. 

The union, in a public 

lecture entitled Corruption/Sexual 

Exploitation: 

Confronting the Menace, 

yesterday, reminded the 

students that it was more 

beneficial to fail their 

examination with their 

integrity intact than 

succumb to any kind of 

sexual exploitation by 

lecturers. 

DAVODANI seeks 

ICAN partnership 

A 

Lagos-based 

financial institution, 

DavoDani Microfinance 

Bank Ltd., has offered to 

partner with the Institute 

of Chartered 

Accountants of Nigeria, 

ICAN, in the provisions 

of micro, medium and 

small scale financial 

services to ICAN’s 

members and staff under 

the Institute 

Entrepreneurial 

Empowerment Initiative/ 

Programmes. 

The bank made the offer 

when its Board and 

management, led by its 

Board Chairman, Prince 

Austin Enajemo-Isire, 

paid a courtesy call on 

ICAN’s President, Alhaji 

Ismaila Zakari, to 

congratulate him as 53rd 

President of ICAN. 

Explaining further, 

Isire, who is also a fellow 

of the Institute, said 

By Ben Agande 

THE Kaduna State 

Independent 

Electoral Commission 

has said it will deploy 

electronic voting 

machine during the local 

government elections, 

which is planned for later 

in the year. 

Chairman of the 

electoral body, Saratu 

Audu, who demonstrated 

how the machine works 

before journalists in 

Kaduna, said it will 

ensure the integrity of the 

electoral process and 

eliminate the incidence of 

electoral malpractice. 

Addressing the students, 

the ASUU chapter 

Chairman, Dr. Christopher 

Piwuna, urged them to be 

bold and always report 

cases of harassment of 

whatever form to the 

relevant authorities and get 

help rather than living in 

fear and giving in to 

conditions that demean 

their persons. 

Earlier, the Vice- 

Chancellor of the 

institution, Professor 

Sebastian Maimako, 

represented by the Deputy 

Vice Chancellor, 

Academic, Professor Teresa 

Nmadu, challenged the 

students to learn ways of 

conducting themselves 

with dignity and cautioned 

staff, who are in the habit 

of exploiting students, to 

desist from such habit. 

DavoDani was willing to 

assist ICAN members and 

staff to access micro credit 

facilities for economic and 

entrepreneurial expansion 

drive, facilitate training on 

entrepreneurship and 

funding, offer a better 

future and economic 

advancement opportunity 

aimed. 

Responding, the ICAN 

President thanked the 

Board Chairman and his 

management team for the 

visit. He welcomed the 

microfinance bank’s 

proposal and said it will be 

beneficial, especially to the 

young accountants setting 

up businesses. 

He gave assurance that 

the Institute’s appropriate 

Committee and Council 

will appraise it with a view 

to establishing a mutuallybeneficial 

relationship 

between the two institutions 

at no cost and liability. 

Kaduna to use 

e-voting for LG polls 

According to her, 6000 

units of the machines will 

be needed for the 5,101 

polling stations in the state, 

while 25,000 ad hoc staff 

will be recruited. 

She explained that the 

commission will embark 

on impassive sensitisation 

of the citizenry on how to 

use the electronic voting 

machines, adding that it 

will be easier to use the 

electronic machine than the 

old ballot paper option. 

If successful, Kaduna 

will be the first city in West 

Africa to use the electronic 

voting machine and 

second, only to Namibia, 

in the whole of Africa.

38— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 

Rodriguez 

Bayern complete two-year loan deal for Rodriguez 

Bayern Munich have completed 

a shock two-year loan deal for 

Real Madrid star James 

Rodriguez. 

The Colombian was linked with 

Manchester United and Chelsea 

earlier this summer but Bayern 

have stolen ahead of them. 

Bayern have the option to 

sign the player on a 

permanent deal once his 

loan expires. 

He joined Real in 2014 

in a £71million deal 

after shining for 

Colombia in the 

World Cup. 

But Rodriguez 

grew frustrated 

with his role at the Bernabeu under 

Zinedine Zidane last term. 

The 25-year-old made 22 appearances 

in La Liga and wasn’t included in the 

squad for the Champions League 

final. 

“We are very happy that we were 

able to complete this transfer. 

The signing of James Rodriguez 

was a big wish for Carlo 

Ancelotti, having worked 

successfully together at Real 

Madrid,” Bayern CEO Karl- 

Heinz Rummenigge said. 

“He is a versatile player. With 

this transfer, we have been 

able to raise the quality of 

our team.” 

Iheanacho 

for Tottenham 

Manchester City striker Kelechi 

Iheanacho could well head to 

Tottenham Hotspur as part of 

a deal which would see Kyle Walker 

head in the opposite direction. 

The Super Eagles forward is 

apparently close to agreeing a move 

to Leicester City, but Spurs’ interest 

could well derail any transfer to the 

King Power Stadium. 

The Sun reports that Spurs, who are 

reluctant to allow Walker to head to 

City for a fee of 50-million pounds, 

could work a transfer for Iheanacho 

into the equation. 

This would see the Super Eagles man 

head to White Hart Lane in a cashplus-player 

deal, with Walker then 

joining Pep Guardiola’s side. 

Iheanacho is a superb talent, but he 

is not going to want to swap one bench 

for another, and unless Tottenham can 

offer him a regular starting spot he 

would surely favour a move elsewhere. 

That said, the sheer number of games 

Spurs will play next season means 

rotation will be key, and if Iheanacho 

alternated between replacing any one of 

the three players who operate behind Kane, 

while also getting rests himself, it could work 

a treat. 

Iheanacho has been included in 

City’s pre-season tour, but is 

considered surplus to requirements 

after seeing little playing time in 

the second half of last season. 

Iheanacho 

Matic 

Inter ready to 

upstage United 

in Matic chase 

Inter Milan are ready to move 

ahead of Manchester United and 

make their move to sign Chelsea 

star Nemanja Matic, according to 

reports in Italy. 

Manchester United have been 

strongly linked with a move for the 

28-year-old and Jose Mourinho was 

hoping to land his signature during 

the summer as he looks to be 

reunited with the Serbian 

midfielder. 

But Italian newspaper Corriere 

dello Sport claims Inter are now 

ready to hijack the move and take 

advantage of the strained 

relationship between Chelsea and 

United following the Romelu 

Lukaku transfer this week. 

Chelsea are believed to be unhappy 

with the way United made a late 

move to sign the Belgium striker 

and are reluctant to do any 

business with their Premier League 

rivals. 

Agbo leaves Granada for Standard Leige 

Nigeria international defender, Uche 

Agbo has left Spanish club, Granada 

CF for Belgian club, Standard Liege. 

Agbo joined Granada in 2014 on loan 

from Watford and went on to make 

37 league appearances for the 

senior team of the club. 

Last season, he made 31 

appearances for the club but was 

powerless to prevent the side 

from getting relegated from 

Spain’s top flight. 

The defender who can also 

play in midfield will now play 

his football for the Belgian top 

division club. 

Wimbledon 2017: Venus 

zooms into semis 

Venus 

Five-time champion Venus 

Williams won in her 100th 

singles match at Wimbledon to 

knock out French Open winner 

Jelena Ostapenko and reach the 

semi-finals. 

Williams earned a 6-3 7-5 victory 

against the 20-year-old Latvian in 

one hour and 13 minutes on Centre 

Court. 

The news has officially been 

ratified by the club’s official 

website, www.standard.be. 

“Uche is a young midfielder with 

an important game volume and a 

good ball recuperation. 

“A major part of last season he was a 

champion in the Spanish league. 

“He is ready for a new challenge and 

will offer more options for our 

midfield. 

“Standard de Liège welcomes Uche 

Henry Agbo and the best in our colours,” 

the statement read. 

Agbo has previously played for FC 

Taraba, Juth, Enyimba and Udinese in 

Italy. 

She will play either 

Britain’s Johanna Konta or 

Simona Halep in the last 

four. 

Meanwhile, Garbine 

Muguruza reached her 

second Wimbledon semifinal 

with a powerful 6-3 6- 

4 victory over seventh seed 

Svetlana Kuznetsova. 

American Williams, 37, is 

the oldest player to reach the last 

four since Martina Navratilova 

in 1994. 

Williams, competing at her 20th 

Wimbledon, is just one victory 

away from her ninth final at 

SW19 - eight years after her last 

appearance. 

She has not won a Grand Slam 

title since winning Wimbledon in 

2008 

Williams dominated Wimbledon 

for almost a decade between 2000 

and 2009, winning five titles and 

finishing runner-up in another 

three finals. 

Agbo 

Novak Djokovic into last 8 

Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon 

quarter-finals with a straight-set victory 

over France’s Adrian Mannarino. 

In a match delayed from Monday, the world 

number four beat Mannarino - who is ranked 

51st in the world - 6-2 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in two hours 

and 13 minutes. 

The Serb appeared unhappy with the condition 

of Centre Court and also received treatment 

on his right shoulder during the match. 

The 30-year-old will face Czech 11th seed 

Tomas Berdych in the last eight. 

Djokovic


NFF to visit ailing Ikeme 

in London 

By Jude Opara Abuja 

Officials of the Nigeria Football 

Federation (NFF) are making 

arrangements to dispatch a five-man 

delegation to London to visit the Super Eagles 

first choice goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme who is 

hospitalized. 

Ikeme was about two weeks ago reported to 

have been down with acute leukemia, a 

development that instantly landed him in a 

London hospital where he is currently 

receiving treatment. 

A member of the technical committee of the 

NFF, Etubom Paul Bassey told journalists in 

Abuja that already the committee is putting 

the arrangement in gear while awaiting the 

return of the NFF president, Amaju Pinnick 

who is said to have travelled outside the 

country. 

He also reassured Nigerians that the exit 

of the Wolverhampton of England goal- 

Kida 

Kida backs Ikeme, 

calls for support 

Newly elected President of the Nigeria 

Basketball Federation, Musa Ahmadu 

Kida, has made out a solidarity message for 

the Super Eagles goalkeeper Carl Ikeme who 

has been diagnosed with leukaemia. Kida is 

backing the shot stopper to recover and 

return fully to work. 

Kida said what Ikeme needs now is support 

from Nigerians and friends across the world 

through prayers and goodwill messages. 

Kida said, “Any news that is not helpful to 

any federation in Nigeria touches us all and 

indeed this one on Ikeme touches not on 

Nigerians but truly across humanity. The 

world is still battling to have a permanent 

cure for cancer and so we are very emotional 

when a loved one is hit by it. 

“But I say this believing that Carl will come 

out of this stronger. We have seen some other 

people survive cancer and so we in the world 

of Nigeria basketball are backing him to 

come out well and return to very active life 

again. We join hands with the NFF President, 

Amaju Pinnick and the other members of the 

Nigeria football family to wish Carl victory 

in this very crucial battle.” 

Pinnick was one of those who sent early 

goodwill messages to the Nigerian. Sports 

minister Solomon Dalung has also sent his 

message stating how devastated he was. 

Nigerian players and their colleagues from 

across the world have also sent goodwill 

thoughts on Ikeme. On Friday Manchester 

United goalkeeper David de Gea posted on 

his Twitter handle, “All goalkeepers and the 

football family are with you!” 

Ikeme is responding positively to the getwell 

messages. On Monday he sent message 

via Twitter handle, “Thank you all for your 

kindness and love. The start of a new chapter 

and ready to give it my all.” 

Aina 

tender from the epic 2018 Russia World Cup 

qualifier against the Indomitable Lions of 

Cameroon will not affect the team’s 

performance. 

“We are making concrete arrangements to 

pay a solidarity visit to our goalkeeper, Carl 

Ikeme whom you know is down and 

admitted in a London hospital. All we are 

waiting is for the NFF president to return 

and give the necessary approval. The boy 

has been very committed to national 

assignments ad it is only natural that we 

visit him in this trying time and let him 

know we are with him in prayers. 

“Again talking about the crucial game we 

have against Cameroon in August, let me 

also say that the absence of Ikeme will not 

affect our performance because both the 

coach and the players know what is at stake 

and how important that game is to our 

booking a place at the world cup.” 

Chelsea loan Aina to Hull City 

Ola Aina has been loaned out 

to English Championship side 

Hull City by Chelsea for the 2017/ 

18 season. 

Aina, 20, has been with Chelsea 

since he was a kid and this will be 

his first loan move from the 

English champions. 

He has also played for England at 

U16, U17, U18, U19 and U20 

levels but has recently committed 

his international future to Nigeria. 

He has made six first team 

appearances for the Blues but will 

now continue his football 

education with the Tigers in the 

Championship. 

Aina told hullcitytigers.com that 

he is excited with this new chapter 

of his career and hopes to hit the 

ground running. 

Sailing Club ‘ll lead Nigeria’s quest 

for Olympic glory – Daramola 

By Jacob Ajom 

The Commodore of the Navy Sailing Club, Ojo, 

Captain Femi Kayode Daramola (retd), has said that 

with focus and cooperation from all stake holders, the 

club is capable of championing Nigeria’s quest to climb 

to global prominence in water sports. 

Speaking to Sports Vanguard during the induction of 

29 new members at the club house on Saturday, 

Daramola said the the Navy Sailing Club provides the 

opportunity for both the young and adults to participate 

in the advancement of water sport in the country. 

“Apart from providing an avenue for officers and men of 

the Navy to meet and discuss informally, the primary 

function of the Navy Sailing Club is to improve water 

sport in the country,”Daramola said, adding, “it creates 

an ambience for camaraderie among the rank and file 

which is extended to family members and even some 

the civilians”. 

He recalled that in 2016, the club participated in the 

Admiralty Race. “Out of 50 participating countries from 

all over the world we placed 25, which was very 

encouraging.” 

Chairman of the Induction Committee, Master Warrant 

Officer Egwe Hillary said the number represented over 

100% increase in the number of new members. “Last 

year we had only 12. It is a tremendous leap, which we 

hope to maintain in the coming years.” 

A cross section of the inductees taking oath of allegiance 

Carl Ikeme 

Afrobasket 2017: 

NBBF names 22-man 

preliminary squad 

*As camp opens July 23 

The Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF has 

named a preliminary list of 22 players for the 

2017 Afrobasket for women scheduled to hold 

in Bamako, Mali from August 18 to 27, 2017. 

An official statement by the NBBF signed by its 

new vice president, Olumide Oyedeji revealed 

that 10 of the invited players are home-based 

players from the Zenith Bank Premier League 

whose fourth phase is currently holding in 

Ibadan, Oyo state. 

Oyedeji disclosed that the female national team 

will be tutored by Scott Nnaji as head coach 

and he would by assisted by Adewunmi Aderemi 

and Mauro Procaccini, an Italian, adding that 

“players from the Zenith Bank League are to 

join other players in camp immediately after the 

Final 8 play-offs which ends on July 29.” 

He however, said that “clubs disposed to 

releasing their players before the Final 8 would 

be welcome to do so”, adding that the team are 

expected to camp outside the country from July 

23. 

The players invited include key players who 

featured in the 2015 edition of the competition 

held in Cameroon like team captain, Helen 

Ogunjimi, Sarah Ogoke, Elonu Adaora, Ndidi 

Madu, Uju Ugoka, Joyce Ekworomadu, Ezinne 

Kalu and Olayinka Sanni. 

Newcastle, Liverpool haggle over Ojo 

Newcastle and Liverpool are no closer to 

agreeing a loan deal for youngster Sheyi Ojo. 

That is according to Sky Sports, who say the 

terms of the proposed move are proving an issue. 

Former Reds boss Rafael Benitez wants to take 

Ojo to St James’ Park but Middlesbrough are 

also in the running. 

Wimbledon 2017: Muguruza through 

Spaniard Muguruza, who reached the final at 

SW19 in 2015, won in one hour and 15 minutes 

on Court One. 

The 14th seed is coached by Conchita Martinez, 

the only Spanish player to have claimed the women’s 

singles title at Wimbledon when she won in 1994. 

She will now play Coco Vandeweghe or Magdalena 

Rybarikova on Thursday.


“The citizen who is prima 

facie entitled to his liberty 

should know why for the 

time being it is being 

curtailed. A person arrested 

must within a reasonable 

time be taken to the police 

station obviously to be 

charged and bailed or 

detained as appropriate. 

A person who is arrested 

or detained has 

constitutional rights to 

remain silent until after 

consultation with a lawyer 

or other person of his 

choice and to remain silent 

even after such consultation. 

He must be brought before 

a court of law within a 

reasonable time. Reasonable 

time is defined as twenty 

four hours if there is a court 

within forty kilometers and 

forty-eight hours or any 

longer time as the court may 

consider reasonable, if the 

court is over forty 

kilometers away”. 

LAST week I began an 

examination of issues 

concerning the Police in 

Nigeria. As I stated last week 

an identification and analysis 

of the basic powers of the 

Police is important to allow for 

a proper understanding of 

their roles, achievements and 

reasons responsible for areas 

of underperformance. Thus 

this week I will examine the 

powers of search and arrest. 

Section 143 of the 

Administration of Criminal 

Justice Act 2015 permits a 

Police office, in the conduct of 

an investigation to apply to a 

court or Justice of the Peace for 

the issuance of a search 

warrant. 

However, Section 28(1) of the 

Police Act, allows a superior 

police officer as defined in 

section 12 of the Police Act i.e. 

an officer above the rank of 

Cadet 

Assistant 

Superintendent, to authorise 

any police officer to enter any 

house, shop, warehouse or 

other premises in order to 

search for a stolen property in 

the same manner as if he had 

Powers, achievements, and failings of the 

Nigeria Police: Need for urgent attention(2) 

Ibrahim Idris, IGP 

been authorised by a search 

warrant. Such authority is 

conferred in writing, by the 

superior officer who will no 

doubt then fix himself with the 

burden of proving ex-post 

facto that he exercised this 

wide discretion judiciously 

and reasonably. The 

intervention of a senior police 

officer is obviously meant to 

provide a safeguard in the 

urgent situation when swift 

action is required and resort 

to the normal procedure of 

obtaining a search warrant 

from the court is not 

practicable or possible. A 

policeman who enters your 

premises on the authority of 

the warrant for purposes of a 

search is fully protected by the 

law even if it should turn out 

the search was unwarranted. 

Unfortunately, those in the 

know have long been aware 

that the police abuse the 

warrant system. It is only 

when an influential person 

becomes a victim that 

something is done about it. 

Accordingly therefore, the 

Magistrate or the Superior 

Police Officer should satisfy 

himself that it is in all the 

circumstances right to issue 

the warrant and to this end 

should question the person 

swearing to the information as 

to sources and veracity or 

A person 

unlawfully arrested 

or detained is 

entitled by the 

constitution to 

compensation and 

public apology from 

the appropriate 

authority. However, 

objectionable 

events do happen at 

police stations 

credibility of this information. 

In an area where judgment 

must almost always be 

arbitrary, great caution is 

required. 

THE POWER OF ARREST 

(2) 

The most significant power 

of the Police is the power to 

arrest. A lawful arrest is not a 

simple thing and it is often 

beyond the understanding of 

the police officer. It is vital for 

arrest to be accurate because 

it is the basis for legitimacy in 

exercise of nearly all the rest 

of the police powers such as 

questioning and search. 

Section 24 (1) of the Police Act 

provides that a policeman may 

arrest without a warrant any 

person whom he reasonably 

suspects of having committed 

felony, misdemeanor or a 

breach of the peace unless the 

law creating the offence 

directs to the contrary. This 

means that the officer must 

have in mind a definite 

offence, punishable under the 

criminal law for which a 

suspect can be arrested i.e. 

that the law creating it allows 

an arrest without warrant. He 

must then have reasonable 

grounds for suspecting that 

such definite offence has been 

committed or is about to be 

committed. 

The 

reasonableness of suspicion is 

determined objectively. 

It may thus be beyond the 

pedestrian simplicity of the 

ordinary policeman’s mind. If 

the offence is actually 

committed in the officer’s 

view, he may arrest 

notwithstanding the provision 

in the enabling law to the 

contrary. The offence must 

apparently have been 

committed so the officer may 

be spared from liability for 

false imprisonment, should it 

prove that the offence was not 

in fact committed. A policeman 

may also arrest you if you are 

reasonably suspected of an 

offence and refuse to give your 

name and address on demand 

or give one which the police 

officer reasonably believes to 

be false. In which case, if this 

suspicion proves to be false, 

you must be released at once. 

Also a citizen who believes 

that a person has committed a 

crime may arrest him provided 

that he takes the person 

arrested to the police station 

in order to be charged with the 

offence. But he makes such 

arrest at his peril if it turns out 

to be otherwise. 

For arrest to be lawful, the 

actual arrest must be effected 

in a manner that brings home 

to the citizen the fact that his 

liberty has been curtailed. 

Thus by Section 4 of the 

Administration of Criminal 

Justice Act (ACJA), the officer 

effecting the arrest must 

actually touch or confine the 

body of the suspect. And it is 

obvious the reason for the 

arrest must be communicated 

to the citizen in a language 

he understands. By section 6 

of the ACJA a person arrested, 

except the arrest occurred in 

the actual commission of an 

offence, must be informed 

immediately, of the reason for 

the arrest. 

Further, the citizen who is 

prima facie entitled to his 

liberty should know why for 

the time being it is being 

curtailed. A person arrested 

must within a reasonable time 

be taken to the police station 

obviously to be charged and 

bailed or detained as 

appropriate. 

Compensation 

and public apology 

A person who is arrested or 

detained has constitutional 

rights to remain silent until 

after consultation with a lawyer 

or other person of his choice 

and to remain silent even after 

such consultation. He must be 

brought before a court of law 

within a reasonable time. 

Reasonable time is defined as 

twenty four hours if there is a 

court within forty kilometers 

and forty-eight hours or any 

longer time as the court may 

consider reasonable, if the 

court is over forty kilometers 

away. 

A person unlawfully arrested 

or detained is entitled by the 

constitution to compensation 

and public apology from the 

appropriate authority. 

However, objectionable events 

do happen at police stations. 

Virtually, every person 

arrested and taken to the 

police station is detained 

under the guise that 

investigation is still going on 

or that there is a need to search 

the house of the suspect. 

Sometimes the suspect is 

detained on the ground that 

other persons of interest are at 

large. Sometimes, the facts of 

a case may be twisted such that 

the complainant becomes the 

suspect or accused. Violations 

have been compounded by 

inexplicable refusal of some 

courts to grant bail or to impose 

onerous bail conditions. 

To be continued.

He thinks he's cheating on his dead wife! 

Dear Bunmi, 

My boyfriend and I have 

been together for almost two 

years. I am 44 and he’s 47. 

We were both previously 

married for nearly 20 years. 

My marriage ended in 

divorce, his in the tragic 

death of his wife in a car 

accident. 

While I can’t completely 

understand his grief, I can 

empathise and provide 

support. 

He’s worked hard at 

getting on with his life. He 

put away the photos before 

our second date, and I later 

moved in with him. 

The third anniversary of 

his wife’s death is 

approaching, and during 

emotionally charged times 

like these, he has said he 

feels conflicted about me. 

Although he knows his 

wife is gone, he can’t shake 

the feeling that he loves two 

women and that he’s 

betraying her. 

My boyfriend never says “1 

love you” unless I say it first. 

Everything he does tells me 

he loves me, but how can I 

help him stop feeling guilty? 

Joko, by e-mail. 

Dear Joko, 

It’s hard to compete with a 

deceased spouse because 

emotions run high, and 

there’s a tendency to 

sanctify lost loved ones. I’m 

sure she was a fine woman, 

but your boyfriend may be 

remembering only her good 

points, which makes her ~ 

an even tougher act to 

follow. 

After three years, you 

might rightly think he 

should be ready to move on, 

but the grieving process is 

very individualised - you 

can’t time it. You have to 

accept that each 

He's a drunkard, but I still love him 

anniversary would be 

emotionally charged for 

years to come, if not forever. 

Your man feels he’s 

betraying his wife’s memory 

by having a great 

relationship with you. This 

is natural. You need to be 

understanding and patient, 

but you can also be 

proactive. I suggest that you 

sit down with him and let 

him know it’s okay to love 

you and still cherish the 

memory of his lost wife. 

Unfortunately, I now 

have a problem with my 

beliefs. Some girls in my 

church dress very sexily 

and being a hot blooded 

male, I really fancy them. 

My oId religion said this 

was lust and very wrong, 

but my Orthodox church 

assures me it is Ok and 

part of one’s emotional 

outlook 

VANGU 

ANGUARD, ARD, WEDNESDAY, , JULY 12, 2017—41 

I think of getting back with 

my ex 

Dear Bunmi, 

I recently ran into my ex at 

a social event and was 

amazed, I still felt the same 

about him. We now work in 

the same office and I 

overheard him saying he 

still fancies me too. Do you 

think I should just forget 

about what I heard, it’s a bit 

tricky to speak to him as our 

office is an open one. But, if 

I let him go again, I’ll never 

forgive myself. 

Mulikat by e-mail. 

Dear Mulikat, 

There is no harm in your 

letting your ex know you 

still fancy him. You 

both obviously want the 

Religion and its confusing signal 

on sex 

Dear Bunmi, 

I used to belong to a 

charismatic religious sect 

with very strict views on 

sex. When I was 20, I 

broke away and went back to 

the Orthodox church I once 

belonged to. Unfortunately, I 

now have a problem with my 

beliefs. 

Some girls in my church 

dress very sexily and being 

a hot blooded male, I really 

fancy them. 

My oId religion said this 

was lust and very wrong, 

but my Orthodox church 

assures me it is Ok and part 

of one’s emotional outlook. 

I’m comforted by this, but 

feel guilty as I’m not sure 

I’m right. I’ve been tempted 

to go back to my old 

religion, but I don’t really 

same tWll$; so, it would be a 

shame to miss the chance. 

But, a note of warning. The 

lasttfie two of you were 

together, you didn’t make 

things work. And, unless 

things ave altered between 

the two of you, you still 

won’t be able to make 

things work. 

So, think about what 

caused you to part. Was sex 

dull? Did you argue? 

You can find solutions to 

these problems by talking 

things over with your ex 

when you have the 

opportunity? A relationship 

will only work second time 

round if you change what 

went wrong first time round. 

want to. Can you help in my 

way? 

Chris, by e-mail. 

Dear Chris, 

You are pulled between 

two religions with different 

beliefs and, are not 

sure which to follow. I 

honestly believe that there 

is a difference between 

what 

religion says and what 

God says. God is God but 

religions are often 

influenced by ordinary men 

and women. I suggest you 

don’t worry so much about 

the beliefs of either of the 

religions you’ve been 

involved with. Trust God 

and your instinct to find an 

answer. 

DearBunmi, 

Five years ago, my 

husband lost his job and his 

drinking spiralled out of 

control. He’s always been a 

heavy drinker but now he 

starts as early as 11.00am 

and carries on all day and 

into the night. I’ve been 

asking him to cut down for 

years, but things came to a 

head when I was diagnosed 

with multiple sclerosis six 

months ago. 

He continued to drink and 

I was force toleave and 

relocate to my family’s house 

with the children. I know I’m 

better off without him, but I 

still love him and I want him 

in my life. He feels the same 

way about me. Is there any 

way we can make our 

marriage work? 

Dorothy, by e-mail. 

Dear Dorothy, 

It is possible for a marriage 

to survive alcoholism, but it 

will take a lot of hard work. 

It is not enough for your 

husband just to make 

promises - he has to admit 

he has a problem and seek 

professional help - on top of 

which he needs to either 

look for a job or learn a 

trade that would enable 

him care for his family. 

Can I try sex toys? 

Dear Bunmi, 

I’m in my late 60 and 10 t 

my husband two years ago. 

haven’t had sex since his 

death and I miss having 

orgasms. I’m now toying 

with the idea of using a 

dildo; I have even visited a 

few sex shops abroad just to 

have a look. Do you think 

I’m a bit too old for this sort 

of thing? I wouldn’t want to 

do myself any physical 

damage. 

Philo, by e-mail. 

DearPhilo, 

You’re absolutely not too old 

for this sort of thing! As for 

You can support him from 

a distance. Multiple 

sclerosis is a degenerative 

disease and you need the 

support of loved ones 

around you. Don’t go back 

to him until he can show 

you he means what he says. 

doing yourself any harm - 

the opposite is the case. A 

dildo will massage your 

vagina keeping you healthy 

‘down there’plus, having 

orgasms will help you stay 

fit. So,just do it! 

As you haven’t had sex for a 

while, you may need to take 

things slowly and gently - 

like any muscle, your 

vagina can suffer from lack 

of use. And, if you feel a bit 

dry, add in some lubrication 

- you can use your own 

saliva, a specially- designed 

lubricant from a chemist, or 

any unperformed body oil. 

Although he knows his 

wife is gone, he can’t 

shake the feeling that 

he loves two 

women and that he’s 

betraying her. My 

boyfriend never says “1 

love you” unless I say 

it first 

Share your problems and release your 

burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, 

Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, 

Apapa, Lagos, or bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

42—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 29, 2017 

A former Deputy National 

Chairman of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

Chief Olabode George, in 

this interview debunks a 

media report of his 

purported plan to move to 

the All Progressives 

Congress, APC. He, 

however, throws his weight 

behind the alliance forged 

in Lagos State between the 

Makarfi-led PDP and 

Labour Party, LP for the 

local government election. 

Excerpts: 

By Dapo Akinrefon 

THE APC chairman in 

Lagos State, Chief Henry 

Ajomale, was reported to have 

boasted that you are making 

plans to join the party, is this 

true? 

I was told, I did not read the 

story and I felt that was the 

greatest joke of the year. He 

(Ajomale) is older than me, I 

will respect his age but it is a 

wishful thinking, I can never 

abandon a party well 

organised, a party well 

entrenched, a party that is the 

most nationalistic in its colours, 

its composition, regulations, 

and membership and go to a 

party that is a congregation of 

strange bedfellows. They are 

yet to get their acts together. 

I am well trained, I have been 

to strategic schools and I know 

what is good for this country. I 

won’t waste my time; maybe he 

woke up from the wrong side 

of his bed and was day 

dreaming. If he is looking for 

the big fish, he should go and 

look among themselves, not me 

and not even anything that I 

stand for. 

Was there any time anyone 

approached you and discussed 

such issue with you? 

Nobody in their wildest 

dream will even bring that topic 

to discuss with me. I am not a 

wishy-washy person. I am a 

retired general, you don’t roll 

around like a stone that gathers 

no moss. It is a huge joke. 

Now you are hearing from the 

horse’s mouth, I will never join 

the party. We are waiting for the 

judgment of the Supreme 

Court, if it is positive on our 

side, we will rebuild the party 

in line with aspirations of the 

founding fathers of our party. 

If it is otherwise, it means 

goodbye to politics because we 

will be heading into a tunnel 

of darkness. 

I pray that the justices of the 

Supreme Court will remain fair 

and just and equitable like they 

have always been. 

We are waiting and hoping 

that justice will be delivered by 

the Supreme Court. If it is 

positive on the Makarfi side, 

we will rebuild the party, if it 

falls on Modu Sheriff’s side, 

some of us will take a bow and 

head home. 

Are you in support of the 

Lagos PDP going into alliance 

Chief Olabode George 

PDP: 

I'll quit politics if 

S'Court affirms Sheriff's 

faction — Bode George 

with the Labour Party ahead 

of the July 22 local 

government elections? 

I am absolutely in support of 

it. The Makarfi PDP had 

alliance with Labour Party. 

Simply put, the Independent 

National Electoral Council, 

INEC, which should be 

impartial, sent a letter to the 

LASIEC that they recognized 

If it is positive on 

the Makarfi side, 

we will rebuild the 

party, if it falls on 

Modu Sheriff’s 

side, some of us 

will take a bow 

and head home 

Sheriff’s faction, this is a faction 

that never went into any 

congress, they congregated 

themselves and made 

themselves state executives. 

When I saw the number of 

candidates interested in 

contesting, it gladdened my 

heart because we thought it 

was all over. 

The mansion we were living 

had been occupied by the micro 

unit of the party, so the larger 

group now thought of looking 

for a platform that can 

accommodate and support us 

to assist the ambition of the 

young minds who want to 

contest. 

It was cleared all the way 

from Abuja, it was not my 

decision. We would have been 

caught napping. That is the 

long and short of why we have 

this alliance with the Labour 

Party. 

We went into serious 

discussion of why we want to 

work with them and I hope that 

would develop into a bigger 

union in the future. 

We will soon have the 

launching and flag off of the 

campaign very soon so that 

people will know. We will hit 

the town. 

In a nut shell, what is your 

take on restructuring? 

In a nut shell, to say it in few 

words, what it means is that 

reduce the power at the centre 

and give more economic power 

to the states, in other words, the 

resources that are being 

harnessed and being paid to 

the federal purse, let each state 

keep 70 percent of what they 

can produce and send 30 to the 

national. 

Just like we had in the First 

Republic where the centre was 

weak and the region’s were 

powerful. Also, policing is 

local, let us have state police. 

To me, that is the solution, 

reduce the power at the centre. 

This means there will be 

political and economic 

restructuring but defence, 

external affairs will still be 

national and this means that 

the states will have more 

powers and then they will be 

more responsive to the needs 

of the people in their states. 

Amaechi is forcing down 

order in Rivers APC — Nwuke 

Mr. Ogbonna Nwuke, was Commissioner of Information 

and Communications and later Commissioner for 

Commerce and Industry when Mr. Rotimi Chibuike 

Amaechi was governor of Rivers State. 

He also represented Etche/Omuma federal constituency in 

the House of Representatives. In this interview, Ogbonna 

speaks extensively on the state of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, in the state. Excerpts: 

By Jimitota Onoyume 

THERE is reported 

tension in the APC in the 

state. In your local 

government area, you 

emerged protem leader of the 

party’s caucus. What is the 

state of things now? 

I was only protem chairman 

to address a vacuum. Now, we 

have a substantive chairman 

for the caucus. All we wanted 

then was a change in 

leadership, now Mr. Reginald 

Okwuoma is the new leader. 

Politics is driven by interest. 

Sometimes in pursuit of the 

interest, we create the 

impression that 

something is amiss. 

But I have a different 

opinion in my party. 

I believe what we 

see is the expression 

coming from the 

people, voices are 

saying we want to be 

part of the decision, 

we must participate, 

voices are embracing 

the primary kernel 

that drives the APC 

which is change; we 

are saying we should 

conduct things in the 

right manner. 

Politics is driven by 

interests and those 

interests come with 

their own conflict. We •Nwuke 

are progressives, not 

conservatives. What you are 

seeing now is expected. We are 

gradually moving to a phase 

of political development, so 

people are offering themselves 

for leadership. There is also 

some followership within the 

system. 

There is this allegation that 

the Minister of 

Transportation, Mr. Amaechi 

is forcing down his opinion 

on everyone in the party and 

some say he is responsible for 

the tension in the system. Is 

this true? 

No. What the Minister of 

Transportation is trying to force 

down the line is order, that we 

need to rebuild and rebrand 

our party, that the pursuit of 

leadership interest could 

create problem for the system, 

divert attention from the major 

things we need to do. After the 

elections, we sat down to say 

we need to look at the party 

machine, look at how we 

conducted ourselves in the last 

few years. To place the interest 

of the party above every other 

interest. People are getting it 

wrong. Politics can be played. 

If you have ambition you mask 

it until the right time. To be 

aggressive in the pursuit of 

interest can be unwholesome. 

What is going on in my party is 

all about strengthening the 

party. I believe the changes in 

the party are the changes we 

need. 

Is it true that governorship 

ticket for 2019, is tearing your 

party apart? 

People say the journey of one 

thousand miles begins with one 

step. No member of the party 

has said in the open that he or 

she is running for governorship. 

When there is inactivity among 

politicians they create one, 

people are talking, moving but 

it does not suggest there is crisis 

in the party. In political parties, 

there should be order. I think 

what the minister is doing is to 

ensure that the ambition of a 

few of us does not truncate the 

prime purpose of the party 

which is to grab power. I do not 

imagine that there is anything 

wrong in the party. 

The changes you see in the 

party is part of the collective 

decision to reengineer the party, 

give room for younger ones to 

be active in the party. If you see 

the changes that have taken 

place, it brought in younger 

persons. This is the time to give 

youths room to be active. 

Governor Nyesom Wike has 

accused 

former 

commissioners in that 

government of being forced to 

pay money monthly to 

Amaechi’s wife. Did you do 

such? 

It is false. I did not do it, 

nobody asked me to do it. 

Maybe Nyesom, when he was 

Chief of Staff collected such 

money and pretended to have 

given it to the governor or his 

wife.


vanguardpolitics@gmail.com 

NGIGE: Supporters recall kidnap episode 

By Emmanuel Aziken, 

Political Editor 

IT was 14 years ago last 

Monday that Governor 

Chris Ngige was kidnapped 

by police and other agents of 

his former godfather, Chief 

Chris Uba, who allegedly 

wanted him to resign at gun 

point. The governor who had 

been stripped of his security 

details was bundled and put 

at the back of Choice Hotel, 

Awka after being forcibly 

removed from Government 

House. It was the emergence 

of Igwe Peter Anukwu, 

traditional ruler of Mbaukwu 

in Awka South LGA through 

the back exit of the hotel and 

who saw the governor 

apparently sitting on the floor 

at the back of the hotel that 


THE Anambra State branch 

of the Nigeria Medical 

Association, NMA, has said 

that its decision to screen and 

organize debate for the 

governorship candidates for 

the November 18 election in 

the state was to ensure that the 

right person emerged after the 

election. 

Already, the doctors have set 

up a committee headed by Dr. 

Jide Onyekwelu to screen all 

the governorship aspirants and 

come up with 

recommendations. The idea, 

the doctors argue, was to 

increase NMA’s socio-political 

relevance as a major 

stakeholder in the state 

The state Chairman of the 

NMA, Dr. Jude-Kennedy 

•Ngige: Abducted ten years ago 

saved the situation. 

Seeing and hearing the 

plight of the governor, the 

traditional ruler had asked 

him if the Vice-president (Dr. 

Alex Ekwueme) was aware 

and it was the phone of the 

traditional ruler that Ngige 

used to call Dr. Ekwueme who 

he made his bemused captors 

Hate statements against Obi'll not help Obiano 

— Ex-APGA scribe warns 


FORMER secretary of the All 

Progressives Grand 

Alliance, APGA, in Anambra 

State, Mr. Okoli Akirika, has 

called on members of the party 

to stop vilifying former governor 

of the state, Mr. Peter Obi and 

others who gave the party 

credence in the state in order not 

to jeopardize the chances of Chief 

Willie Obiano in the November 

18, 2017 election. 

Akirika, who was also a former 

commissioner in the state alleged 

that the campaign against Obi 

was doing more harm than good 

for the second term prospects of 

Governor Obiano. Akirika 

asserted that Obi was virtually 

forced out of APGA by powers that 

be in the party, adding that even 

at that, he had continued to be 

vilified for no justifiable reason. 

He said: “Peter Obi was 

specifically asked to leave the 

party and he did. Governor 

Obiano had recently apologized 

to Obi for the wrongs done to 

him, because of his (Obiano’s) 

conscience. So our members 

should stop saying and doing 

things that will cost APGA victory 

in the November 18 election. 

“If we do things that will cause 

disaffection amongst us, some 

people may feel that they are not 

wanted and this can cause lack 

of internal cohesion in the party. 

No administration had had it 

easy doing a second term in 

Anambra State and so this is not 

the best time to promote hate 

statements and every hand must 

therefore be on deck to ensure 

our victory at the polls. 

It would be recalled that 

Obiano was the anointed 

candidate of ex- governor Obi in 

the 2013 governorship election 

in the state and ensured that he 

was elected by campaigning 

vigorously for him. But shortly 

to believe was Atiku Abubakar, 

the incumbent vice-president 

that saved the situation. The 

security men then hearing 

vice-president had thought 

that the traditional ruler was 

calling the incumbent vicepresident, 

Atiku Abubakar, 

and panicked and that began 

the unravelling of a carefully 

scripted plot to remove Ngige. 

14 years after, with Ngige 

increasingly inclining himself 

to another run for the 

governorship, his supporters 

were all about trying to evoke 

sentiments of the kidnap to 

draw support for the former 

governor. However, with most 

of his former supporters in the 

APC already drifted away, the 

belief is that the former 

governor has a difficult task 

ahead. 

•Dr Nwoye addressing supporters during a campaign stop 

after the election, things went 

awry such that the relationship 

between the governor and his 

predecessor became strained. 

Obi was later to dump APGA 

and later joined the People’s 

Democratic Party, PDP, in the 

heat of the misunderstanding. 

Lack of ideology 

bane of Nigerian 

politics 

— Moghalu 

APC governorship aspirant, 

Chief George Moghalu, 

has bemoaned the lack of 

ideological orientation among his 

fellow contestants noting that 

some of them will jump to any 

party to achieve a political goal. 

Moghalu’s concern might not 

be unconnected with the fact that 

he had lately been swamped with 

a large number of defectors 

many of whom came from 

parties that he had ideological 

conflicts with. Moghalu, national 

auditor of the APC has the record 

of being one of the most 

consistent political operatives in 

the state having never been part 

of the PDP or APGA. 

In fact, of the 14 aspirants in 

the party, only about three were 

from the legacy parties that 

formed the APC with the others 

having defected to the party from 

other parties. Moghalu in an 

interview said the lack of ideology 

was the reason politicians shop 

for political platforms for the sole 

reason of achieving their electoral 

pursuits. 

He said: “Many politicians in 

Nigeria see parties as vehicles 

for actualizing their political 

ambitions, rather than 

institutions established to 

operate on ideological lines. The 

high rate of political indiscipline 

and the absence of party cohesion 

are also responsible for political 

instability, unlike in other climes 

where people join political 

parties because of their beliefs 

and what the political party 

stands for. 

“Here, many people join 

political parties just to get ticket 

for election and go ahead to make 

promises that are even out the 

manifesto of their parties. That is 

why, for instance, some people 

may be promising free education 

when there is no provision for free 

education in their party 

manifesto.” 

Why we want to participate fully in the November poll — Anambra NMA 

Emejulu, said though the NMA 

organized debates for the 

aspirants during the previous 

governorship elections, it 

wants to go beyond mere 

political debate this time 

around. Details of what NMA 


FOUR persons have 

indicated interest to fly 

the flag of the Advanced 

Congress of Democrats, ACD, 

in the Nov 18 election in 

Anambra State. State chairman 

of the party, Oby Okafor told 

Vanguard Politics that more 

people were also making farreaching 

consultations with the 

party for the purpose of 

would expect from the next 

governor of the state are to be 

made known later. 

Emejulu said, “The 

interaction we are putting 

together is expected to actualize 

attitudinal change among the 

Four aspirants jostle for ACD ticket 

contesting on the platform of 

ACD. She, however, did not 

name the aspirants. 

According to her, even some 

people, who were not fully 

registered members of the party 

were showing committed 

interest in the party. Okafor 

said: “As a committed body of 

democrats, our doors are 

constantly open to welcome 

new entrants and members. 

ACD remains the one 

leaders and the followers 

because the major problem of 

Nigeria in general, Anambra 

State inclusive, is the failure on 

the part of the leaders and the 

followers.” 

Chairman of the committee, 

committed political party that 

has deep concern for the 

general transformation of 

Anambra State in particular 

and Nigeria in general. 

“Some of our major 

programmes include massive 

grassroots/infrastructure 

development, poverty 

eradication, youth 

empowerment, widowhood/ 

women welfare, as well as 

ensuring equity, justice and 

Dr. Onyekwelu, regretted that 

often times, Nigerian elections 

were not won through the ballot 

box, adding that NMA would 

ensure that only the right 

person emerged as the 

governor of the state this year. 

fairness to all citizens.” 

She reminded the Anambra 

electorate that having 

experienced the performance 

of the Peoples Democratic Party 

(PDP), the All Progressives 

Grand Alliance (APGA) and 

now the All Progressives 

Congress (APC, which is 

controlling the federal 

government, it was time to 

support ACD to take the state 

and the nation to the next level.

44—Vanguard,WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 

Issues in restoration of Port 

Concession Agreement 

By Tokunboh Tare-Johnson 

ON Monday' November 16, 

2015, the Nigerian Ports 

Authority (NPA) advertised 

shame. On this day, a memo with 

the inscription "Handling of Oil 

and Gas Cargo at Julius Berger 

Terminal, Warri" sprang from the 

office of the General Manager, 

Marine and Operations. It was 

signed by a certain AA Goje. Goje, 

with Ref: HQ/ED/M&O/OP /226, 

on behalf of the Executive 

Director, Directorate of Marines 

and Operations. 

The lie peddled by this memo 

was that "the federal government 

was losing revenues on 'oil and 

gas cargo' handling in some 

terminals. According to the memo, 

whereas a multi-purpose terminal 

may handle 'oil and gas' related 

cargo and charge the lower rate 

of $1.12 per tonne for general 

cargo, the same cargo meant for 

the lOCs and handled in a 

designated oil and gas terminal 

will attract$5.82 per tonne. 

The object of this piece is not to 

interrogate cargo charges at the 

ports. However it is not difficult 

for anyone with a lame 

knowledge of the ports and 

terminals to know that NPA's 

claim is a fallacy. This cost of 

handling cargo and the dubious 

issue of contrasting charges will 

be the subject of another article 

to come. The focus of this piece, 

however, is the cryptic and 

dubious oil and gas cargo and oil 

and gas terminal lingo invented 

by NPA. 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

in a recent policy exposed the illrepute 

of 'past management of 

NPA when he endorsed the 

unfettered right of importers to 

choose terminals or ports of their 

choice for the discharge of good 

and services. In a triumphant 

headline that heralded a new 

dawn for the maritime industry, a 

national newsspaper appeared to 

captive the huge relief in the heatoppressed 

minds of the terminal 

owners and importers . 

With the assertive title, "PG Ends 

Intels Dominance of Oil and Port 

Logistics Services", with the rider, 

"Onne Free Zone designated Oil 

and Gas Multi-Purpose 

Terminal."In a very clear directive, 

President Buhari conveyed the 

new policy to the Minister of 

Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike 

Amaechi on April 21, 2017. 

Designation of 

terminal/ports 

operations into three 

broad categories 

The president in a succinct, lucid 

language stated that "the federal 

government remains guided by 

the general global practice in the 

designation of terminal/ports 

operations into three broad 

categorisations of Bulk Cargo, 

Container Cargo and Multi- 

Purpose Cargo. 

The FGN rejects the 

categorisation of oil and gas 

multi-purpose cargo terminal as 

this is alien to the relevant 

concession agreements and 

inconsistent with global shipping 

practices". 

The question then is: From 

which book of infamy were the 

past management of NPA and 

their parties reeling out the 

retrogressive directives that held 

terminal owners economically 

hostage in their fatherland? 

Where did they get the phrase 'Oil 

and Gas Designated Terminal' that 

benefitted only lNTELS, a largely 

foreign company? 

But make no mistake about it. 

NPA's memo of November 16, 

2015 was only a morphing of the 

obnoxious policy of former 

president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. 

Indeed on April 27, 2015, NPA 

sent out a purported presidential 

directive that stirred the soul of 

the ports/terminal operators. The 

letter stated that all oil and gas 

related cargo must be handled at 

designated terminals at Onne, 

Warri and Calabar ports. These 

three terminals are exclusively 

controlled by Integrated Logistics 

Services Nigeria Limited 

(INTELS). 

What is clear from this is the 

simple fact that between INI'ELS 

and NPA, there seemed to be a 

confluence of corruption. 

Unfortunately, the Ministry of 

Transportation rather than 

asserting its authority by checking 

violations of the 2006 concession 

agreement and other malpractices 

at the ports appeared to be 

adding a thickener that solidified 

a company seeming 

strangulating grip and 

dominance of the ports. 

Unable to continue with 

Jonathan's incongruous and 

monopoly-inspired directive, the 

Chief Executive of Ports and 

Terminal Operators Limited 

(PTOL) the operators of the multipurpose 

Terminal A, in Port 

Harcourt, Lizzie Obvude, a 

woman of iron-cast conviction, 

went to court to challenge not only 

the directive but to stop NPA's 

The question then is: 

From which book of 

infamy were the past 

management of NPA 

and their parties 

reeling out the 

retrogressive 

directives that held 

terminal owners 

economically hostage 

in their fatherland? 

diversion of vessels meant for her 

terminal to INTEI.S ports. About 

10 other concessionaires 

including LADOL, Nigerdock 

and Simco Free Zone, operators 

of Snake Island Integrated Free 

Zone, also went to court to seek 

how to erase Jonathan stamp of 

approval to a ritual of illegality 

and glaring economic sabotage. 

Ovbude, in an earlier letter to 

the Attorney General of the 

Federation had decried what she 

called "the wrongful, illegal and 

discriminatory implementation of 

the concession agreement by the 

Federal Ministry of 

Transportation and NPA by the 

diversion of vessels to a particular 

company". Having written to both 

the Senate and the House of 

Representatives to intervene on 

the excesses of the Ministry of 

Transportation, NPA and this 

company, without the desired 

outcome, the ports/terminal 

operators went to various courts 

to obtain varying injunctions 

stopping the implementation of 

Jonathan's strange directive given 

in the dying days of his 


Smoggy policy 

This dim climate sparked by a 

smoggy policy was still pervasiveat 

the ports when Hadiza Bala 

Usman was appointed Managing 

Director of NPA by President 

Buhari. Bala Usman's mission 

from the very start was therefore 

seen by the ports operators to be 

messianic. By her antecedents, 

she was perceived as The 

economic messiah to straighten 

a serpentine NPA and reconstruct 

the convoluted operations of the 

maritime industry. 

In her speech on July 18, 2016, 

she promised to listen to their 

"suggestions and concerns", 

promising "we will listen to our 

customers, importers, exporters, 

and other agencies working in the 

ports to improve on our service 

delivery to the nation". Then she 

added the clincher: 'We will work 

hard with integrity and with zero 

tolerance for corruption". 

This daughter of a renowned 

academic and activist, Professor 

Bala Usman, took time to peruse 

loads of documents, the Ports 

Concession Agreement and also 

consulted unbiased sound 

authorities on the ports, terminal 

and cargo issues. President 

Buhari's verdict is a reflection of 

the recommendation of this 

intellective, courageous and 

patriotic lady. 

With the dissonance over the 

categorisation of cargoes now 

history, the long oppressed 

concessionaires, (25 out of 26 of 

them) will now confidently invest 

more in their terminals. They will 

employ more Nigerians and they 

will become more efficient. They 

will earn more money because 

vessels carrying their cargoes 

would no longer be diverted to 

Onne, Warri or Calabar ports. 

And importantly, they will be 

paying all the fees and taxes due 

to government without 

hindrance, thus helping to grow 

the nation's economy. 

But it must be stated without any 

equivocation here that the oil and 

gas cargo cartel spread across 

NPA, Ministry of Transportation 

and Intels is robust and 

formidable. From the Obasanjo 

tenure through the Umaru Musa 

Yar'Adua brief era to the Goodluck 

Jona than's time, they have 

remained irrepressible, rising 

after each admonition for violation 

of the concession agreement. 

Will Buhari's policy then be the 

end of this cyclic oil and gas cargo 

lingo and indeed tango? Will it 

be the anti-toxin to obliterate the 

strange oil and gas terminal 

patois from the lexicon of NPA and 

ultimately put a final nail on the 

coffin of this impunity? 

Tare-Johnson wrote from Port 

Harrourt. 

Oral powder reduces 

sickle cell disease crises 

Gets FDA approval 

By Sola Ogundipe 

THERE is good news 

for persons living with 

Sickle Cell Disease, SCD, a 

rare, inherited blood disorder 

that causes crippling pain and 

shortened lifespans. 

A new powder formulation 

known as Endari (L-glutamine 

oral powder) for treatment of 

the debilitating disorder has 

been approved by the Food and 

Drug Administration (FDA). 

The new formulation is 

approved for patients aged 5 

years and older to reduce severe 

complications associated with the 

blood disorder. 

Sickle cell disease affects 

millions of people across the 

world, especially those of African 

descent and Nigeria has the 

largest number of persons living 

with the disease in the world. 

About 25 per cent of adults 

throughout the country have 

the sickle cell trait, AS, while 

an estimated 150,000 babies are 

born with sickle cell disease in 

Nigeria every year. 

A person with sickle cell 

disease has red blood cells that 

are hard, sticky, and sickleshaped. 

These cells clog 

smaller blood vessels resulting 

in pain as well as increased risk 

for infection, acute chest 

syndrome and stroke. 

Painful crises are a common 

feature of sickle cell disease 

and Endari (L-glutamine) has 

been shown to reduce the 

number of crises in patients. 

Several treatments have been 

mooted in the past for sickle cell 

disease, including an 

experimental gene therapy that 

is offering hope to those who 

suffering from the disorder. 

Dr Richard Pazdur, the Acting 

Director of the Office of 

Hematology and Oncology 

Products in the FDA’s Centre for 

Drug 

FG pledges additional $4.3m for 

procurement of contraceptives 

By Sola Ogundipe 

MODERN 

Acontraceptive rate of 27 per 

cent among all women by 2017 

has been announced just as 

Nigeria pledges additional $4.3 

million for procurement of 

contraceptives. 

At least 37 country governments, 

16 private companies and 11 

partner organizations, including 

civil society and private 

foundations, will announce 

commitments to accelerate 

progress on rights-based family 

planning programmes today at the 

Family Planning Summit. 

Today, leaders from around the 

world, including Nigeria, 

convened at the Family Planning 

Summit in London, United 

Kingdom, to make bold 

commitments that will help 

expand access to family planning 

to millions of women and girls 

worldwide. At the Summit, more 

than 60 governments and 

partners pledged commitments of 

at least $2.5 billion USD by 2020, 

with the majority of the funding 

($1.5 billion USD) committed by 

countries in Asia and Africa. 

Nigeria’s Commitment: At the 

Summit, Federal Minister of 

Health, The Honourable 

Professor Isaac Adewole pledged 

in collaboration with its partners 

and the private sector to achieve 

a modern contraceptive rate of 

27% among all women by 2020. 

Nigeria committed increasing its 

annual allocation for 

contraceptives to $4 million USD 

and to ensure total disbursement 

of $56 million to the states through 

its participating in the Global 

Financing Facility and via 

international development 

assistance loans. Nigeria will 

expand the implementation of its 

task-shifting policy to include 

patent medicine vendors and 

community volunteers to improve 

access to family planning services 

in difficult-to-reach areas and 

among disadvantaged 

populations. 

Traders tasked on 

preventive measures 

against 

sudden death 

T 

RADERS in Odun-Ade 

Coker recently benefited from 

a free health seminar and 

screening tagged, “Avoiding 

Sudden Death,”organised by 

Mazi Justin Okpani, Secretary, 

Coker Building Materials & 

Allied Products Dealers 

Association in Lagos. 

Opkani said traders needed to 

be educated about the risks of 

stress, physical exertion, and 

reliance on quacks as well as 

avoiding silent killer diseases like 

diabetes, High Blood Pressure 

and cancer. 

He observed that series of cases 

of sudden death had been 

recorded in the market hence the 

need for the free medical 

screening and seminar. 

He urged the state government 

to put up more facilities in the 

market. 

“This is the biggest plumbing 

market in West Africa with a 

cordial relationship with the 

government."

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017-- 45 

All sides violated international 

law in Mosul 

ISIS confirms death of it’s leader, 

Al-Baghdadi 

•Madonna sits with her adopted children during the opening of Mercy James hospital in Blantyre, 

Malawi. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko 

THE Islamic State 

terrorist group (IS) has 

confirmed the death of its 

leader Abu Bakr al- 

Baghdadi, media reported 

Tuesday, citing an IS 

statement. 

According to the Al 

Sumaria News 

broadcaster, Al-Baghdadi 

is dead and his successor 

will be named soon. 

On June 16, the Russian 

Defence Ministry said Al- 

Baghdadi was likely 

eliminated as a result of a 

Russian Aerospace Forces 

strike on a militant 

command post in the 

southern suburb of the city 

of Raqqa in late May. 

The ministry noted that it 

was in the process of 

confirming the information 

through various channels. 

Al-Baghdadi appeared in 

the media for the first time 

in 2014 when he declared 

the creation of a caliphate 

in the Middle East. 

Since then, media outlets 

reported the death of the IS 

leader several times, but the 

reports were never 

confirmed. 

A report on NAN on June 

23 quoted experts as 

saying that if Al-Baghdadi 

was confirmed dead, he 

would likely be succeeded 

by one of his top two 

lieutenants: Iyad Al-Obaidi 

and Ayad Al-Jumaili. 

Both were army officers 

under late Iraqi dictator, 

Saddam Hussein. 

Experts on Islamist 

groups said they see no 

clear successor but regard 

Al-Obaidi and Al-Jumaili as 

the leading contenders, 

though neither would be 

likely to assume 

Baghdadi’s title of “caliph” 

or overall commander of 

Muslims. Armed groups 

fighting in the region and 

U.S. officials say they have 

no evidence he is dead 

and many regional officials 

are skeptical about the 

reports of his death. 

Obaidi, who is in his 50s, 

has been serving as war 

minister. 

Jumaili, who is in his late 

40s, is head of the group’s 

Amniya security agency. 

In April Iraqi state TV said 

Jumaili had been killed, but 

that was not confirmed. 

Both joined the Sunni 

Salafist insurgency in Iraq 

in 2003, following the U.S.- 

led invasion which Saddam 

and empowered Iraq’s 

Shi’ite majority. 

They have been 

Baghdadi’s top aides since 

airstrikes in 2016 killed his 

then deputy Abu Ali al- 

Anbari, his Chechen war 

minister Abu Al-Shishani 

and his Syrian chief 

propagandist, Abu Al- 

Adnani. 

“Jumaili recognises 

Obaidi as his senior but 

there is no clear successor 

and, depending on 

conditions, it can be either 

of the two (who succeeds 

Baghdadi),” said Hisham 

Al-Hashimi, who advises 

several Middle East 

governments on IS affairs. 

US, Qatar sign deal to combat terrorism 

financing 

QATAR and the United 

States have signed an 

agreement to help combat 

"terrorism financing" during a 

visit to Doha by US Secretary 

of State Rex Tillerson 

Qatar's Foreign Minister 

Sheikh Mohammed bin 

Abdulrahman Al Thani and 

Tillerson made the 

announcement on Tuesday 

during a joint press 

conference in the Qatari 

capital. Tillerson is in Doha 

pushing for dialogue to 

resolve a dispute between 

Qatar and its neighbouring 

Gulf countries. 

Sheikh Mohammed said 

the signing was "not related 

to the recent crisis and the 

blockade imposed against 

Trump Jr. releases email about contacts 

with Russia 

PRESIDENTIAL candidate 

Donald Trump's 

eldest son eagerly agreed 

to meet with a woman he 

was told was a Russian 

government lawyer who 

might have information 

incriminating Democratic 

rival Hillary Clinton as part 

of Russian government 

support for his father, 

according to an email chain 

released on Tuesday. 

The email chain was 

between Donald Trump Jr., 

who posted it on Twitter, and 

Rob Goldstone, an 

intermediary who helped to 

arrange the eventual 

meeting with the lawyer. It 

could provide ammunition 

for investigators who are 

probing whether there was 

collusion between the 

Kremlin and Trump’s 

presidential campaign. 

"The Crown prosecutor of 

Russia ... offered to provide 

the Trump campaign with 

some official documents 

and information that would 

incriminate Hillary and her 

dealings with Russia and 

would be very useful to your 

father," said the June 3, 

2016, email to Donald 

Trump Jr. from publicist Rob 

Goldstone. 

"This is obviously very 

high level and sensitive 

information but is part of 

Russia and its government's 

support for Mr. Trump," 

according to the email 

posted by Trump Jr. on 

Twitter. 

Qatar". 

"The US has one goal: To 

drive terrorism off the face of 

the Earth," Tillerson said. 

"Together the United States 

and Qatar will do more to 

track down funding sources, 

will do more to collaborate 

and share information, and 

will do more to keep the 

region and our homeland 

safe,"he said. 

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, 

Egypt and the United Arab 

Emirates accuse Doha of 

funding what they call 

terrorism - something Qatar 

denies. 

He declined to comment in 

Doha on a timeline for 

resolving the dispute, saying 

discussions are ongoing. 

“My role here is to support 

the efforts of the emir of 

Kuwait and the Kuwaiti 

mediator to bring what we 

can to the discussions to help 

both sides more fully 

understand the concerns of 

the relative parties and also 

point out possible solutions 

to those," he told reporters. 

AMNESTY International has said it had identified a 

pattern of attacks by Iraqi forces and the US-led military 

coalition backing them that violated international 

humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes. 

It also said that ISIL fighters flagrantly violated that 

same law by deliberately putting civilians in harm's way 

to shield its fighters and impede the advance of Iraqi and 

coalition forces. 

In a report published a day after the Iraqi forces declared 

victory in city, the human rights watchdog called for a 

thorough investigation into whether war crimes were 

committed in the battle for the city. 

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi formally declared 

victory in Mosul on Monday, three years after the Islamic 

State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) 

group seized the city. 

With air support from the US-led coalition, Iraqi forces 

launched the battle for Mosul in October, retaking the 

eastern part of the city in January and starting the 

operation for its western part the next month. 

Amnesty said Iraqi forces and the coalition carried out a 

series of unlawful attacks in west Mosul, relying heavily 

on Improvised Rocket Assisted Munitions (IRAMs), 

explosive weapons with crude targeting capabilities that 

wreaked havoc in densely populated areas. 

"Even in attacks that seem to have struck their intended 

military target, the use of unsuitable weapons or failure to 

take other necessary precautions resulted in needless loss 

of civilian lives and in some cases appears to have 

constituted disproportionate attacks," the report said. 

Ghanian with 100 children 

wants more 

YESTERDAY was World Population Day - and one man 

in Ghana has 100 reasons to mark his particular 

contribution. 

Kofi Asilenu, 80, is the father of 100 children by 12 wives. 

He lives with his family in a village called Amankrom, 

a 45-minute drive from the capital Accra. 

His family make up a third of the 600 people in the 

village. 

He said he wanted a big family because he did not 

have siblings: 

I don’t have any brother or uncle, that’s why I decided 

to have many children so that they can give me a befitting 

burial when I die. In my home town if you give birth to 

one child they will say you are important so I want to 

have many children,"'he added. 

THis big family has, however, come at a cost. He says 

that he was well off financially, but his resources have 

mostly been drained due to the cost of raising such a 

large brood - even though he says now he gets financial 

help from his children. 

Kofi Asilenu looks physically strong and even says he 

is willing to have more children - despite having 

mistakenly proposed to one of his daughters three years 

ago. 

The embarrassing incident meant he was forced to 

apologise to her, explaining that he had an eye problem 

so he could not recognise her. 

As for his wives, they are all happy with the set up. 

UNICEF says three contractors 

detained in South Sudan 

THE U.N. children's agency UNICEF said on Tuesday 

three South Sudanese working for its contractor were 

detained last week, as aid workers are increasingly 

targeted in the four-year civil war. 

Tim Irwin, UNICEF's chief communications officer in 

South Sudan, said the three were working for Montrose, 

a firm contracted by UNICEF to conduct education surveys 

in Mathiang, a village in Pagak in the northeast. He said 

on July 6 heavy fighting erupted in the area. "The three 

fled Mathiang along with other humanitarian actors and 

were detained in Pagak upon arrival," he said. Last month 

South Sudan's government said it may prevent aid workers 

from travelling to some rebel-held areas on security 

grounds. Irwin did not say who the agency believed had 

detained the workers but said UNICEF was pursuing 

efforts to "establish the exact location of the contractors, 

their state of health and to secure their freedom." Africa's 

youngest nation was plunged into civil war in 2013 after 

President Salva Kiir, who hails from the Dinka tribe, sacked 

his deputy, Riek Machar, a Nuer. Attempts at a peace 

deal have failed to stem the fighting. Lam Paul Gabriel, 

spokesman for Machar's SPLA-IO rebel movement said 

the group had not detained the contractors. 

"NGOs (non-governmental organisations) are always 

there working and helping the communities ... why would 

we abduct or arrest them?" he said. 

A spokesman for the government-allied opposition 

faction, Agel Machar, said the aid workers, all men, were 

not part of the conflict and should be released immediately.


Edited by 

RANGERS INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL CLUB (2) 

The Biafran Army versus the Nigerian Army 

Yesterday the authors traced the origin of Rangers to ex-Biafran soldiers still bristling from 

the battle field. Today, they serve us the epic story of the grueling soccer battle between the 

erstwhile foes. It sounds incredulous and fictitious, but it’s simply true! 

IN 1970, Rangers played their 

last Match in Lagos with the 

Nigerian Army team to pick the 

ticket as Nigeria’s representative 

in 1971 Africa Champions Club 

Cup Competition. A week before 

the match, the Army team had been 

fully kitted and motivated to 

represent Nigeria, as their 

handlers had presumed that 

Rangers Football Club would be 

routed having just registered to 

feature in the knockout series few 

months after surviving the war. 

Dominic Nwobodo who was hero 

of the match remembers it with 

great emotion: “I played many 

tough matches, but the toughest in 

Nigeria, I think, was the one 

against the Nigeria Army XI FC. 

The significance of this game is that 

it was between Rangers FC which 

was made up of ex-Biafra soldiers 

and the Nigeria Army XI FC. I 

remember our coach telling us to 

‘go into the pitch and show them 

that you are better soldiers. Chief 

Jerry Enyeazu, founder of 

Rangers, also ordered us to ‘win 

this match and bring the Igbos back 

into Nigeria politics. 

“Motivated by the ‘Rangers 

Spirit’, we demolished the 

Nigerian Army XI by 2 goals to 1. 

For the Igbos, that was a watershed. 

The victory on the football field 

reversed the defeat suffered by our 

people at the end of the war,” Dom 

Nwobodo explained. We were 

prepared for the Army team. We 

knew some of their players like Paul 

Hamilton and Willy Bazuaye, and 

they also knew most of us 

especially before the war….The 

Lagos media was hyped in favour 

of the Army team but had also 

warned them to be careful with 

some of us….They mentioned me 

specifically.” 

Austin Ofokwu who followed 

Football in Lagos for over 5 decades 

as a player and later as a coach, 

captured the scenes thus: “The 

match was too bad for we 

Lagosians….None of us gave 

Rangers any chance….When 

Nwobodo scored with all the 

marking by the Army team, we 

Lagosians went to bed too early.” 

“I was marked out of contest,” 

continues Dominic Nwobodo, “but 

I fought like a soldier in a melee. I 

was hit on the head and had a deep 

cut…I was stretchered out, had the 

cut stitched, bandaged and ordered 

to go in and complete the match…It 

was a suicide mission and not even 

the blood that gushed out of my 

head dampened our resolve to deal 

with the Army team.” I scored one 

of the goals. Immediately I entered 

the field after the stitching and 

bandage round my head, I heard 

loud shouts of “Alhaji” “Alhaji”, 

because my head was turbaned like 

Alhaji and that instantly became 

my nick name. Till date Sports fans 

still call me “Alhaji Dominic 

•Chukwu 

Nwobodo. With that defeat of 

the Army team, Rangers 

automatically qualified against 

all odds to represent Nigeria 

in the 1971 Africa Champions 

Club Cup Competition. 

The 1971 Amachree Cup 

Competition: Okey Anyichie, 

in his book, Football in Nigeria, 

the Coal City Connection (page 

54-58), wrote: “The 1971 

Amachree Cup Competition 

started on the 1st of March 

1971 at the City stadium, 

Onikan, Lagos, with seventeen 

It was during the 

extra time that 

Dominic 

Nwobodo scored 

the only goal 

that made a lot 

of difference 

which brought 

the score to 4-3 

in favor of 

Rangers 

football clubs participating. The 

opening match was between 

Vasco Dagama FC of Enugu 

and ACB FC in Lagos. ACB 

defeated Vasco Dagama 4 goals 

to 3.” 

“In modern football it is not 

supposed to happen that a team 

leading by three goals should 

in the end lose. But it did 

happen yesterday at the Lagos 

City stadium when Vasco 

Dagama after being 3 goals 

ahead up till the beginning of 

the second half let ACB, a 

Lagos 2nd Division side, push 

them out of the final stages of 

the Amachree competition” 

(See Daily Times, 2/03/1971). 

“After Vasco Dagama fell by the 

way side in the competition, 

Rangers Football Club, another 

side from Enugu, held on 

courageously. It would have been 

a disaster if the two sides fielded 

by Enugu had fallen by the 

wayside in the competition. 

“Rangers Football Club of 

Enugu began the campaign in the 

second Amachree cup competition 

against WNDC Football Club, one 

of the oldest clubs in Ibadan, 

capital of the Western Region. 

WNDC was one of Ibadan clubs 

that came into existence in the 

1950s, and Football teams from that 

ancient city of Ibadan had won the 

Challenge Cup a record of nine 

times from 1945 to date. WNDC, 

according to Chief Lekan Salami, 

won the Ibadan city Division One 

League soccer competition in an 

unbroken period spanning from 

1960 to 1972. With all these in their 

favor, WNDC (which later became 

IICC and SSC) faced the one year 

old Rangers Football Club of 

Enugu on March 3, 1971. The 

encounter began with Chukwuma 

Igweonwu scoring two goals while 

Mathias Obianika scored one goal 

to level the scored to three. WNDC 

of Ibadan scored two to leave the 

full time score at 3-2 in favor of 

Rangers. 

“The next football club to be 

eliminated by Rangers was ACB 

Football Club of Lagos, the club 

that kicked out Vasco Dagama. 

Will ACB dismiss the two football 

clubs from Enugu? No! Rangers 

FC was in no mood to 

compromise victory with any 

team not even a Lagos side 

playing on their own ground. 

But that victory over the 

Lagos side by Rangers 

nearly took the shape of 

quicksands. Rangers FC 

was leading 3-0, when Rangers 

leveled up to 3-3. It was during 

the extra time that Dominic 

Nwobodo scored the only goal 

that made a lot of difference 

which brought the score to 4-3 

in favor of Rangers. That was 

how Rangers shot into the semifinal 

of the encounter! 

“The next opponent was the 

Army Football Club of Lagos 

reputed to be the most 

expensively equipped soccer 

outfit in Nigeria then. Besides 

being well equipped, the club 

paraded a bunch of football 

stars like Mohammed Lawal, 

Inua Rigogo who kept the goal 

for Nigeria for many years, Paul 

Hamilton, Sam Opone, 

Kenneth Olayombo and Segun 

Oladimeji. 

“Nigerian Army, hot favorites 

to win the Amachree Cup 

square up to Rangers of Enugu 

in the second semi-final of the 

contest at the City Stadium, 

Onika afternoon. Everything 

pointed to a victory for Army 

authority in the final on 

Monday. But the preview was 

flexible enough to observe that 

“the men from Enugu cannot 

be expected to be mere 

stepping stones. They intend to 

fight every inch and win, and 

they have as much material for 

the job as the Army” (See Daily 

Times, 13/03/ 1971). 

The Daily Times observation 

turned out to be right. Rangers, 

with their unique 

material for 

victory, defied 

all predictions 

to overwhelm 

•Emma 

Okala 

Army Football Club of Lagos by 

2-1. It was a great victory which 

some football analysts called ‘the 

final before the finals’ of the 

competition. 

After that herculean 

achievement, the next opponent 

was the Ports Authority Football 

Club of Lagos – the first winners 

of the Nigerian Challenge Cup 

competition in 1945 when it 

began. In that first year of the 

competition, Ports Authority was 

known as Marine, and the Lagos 

Football team beat a fellow Lagos 

club, the Corinthian Football 

Club, by a lone goal to win the 

Challenge Cup. And so this 

competition saw the Enugu side 

squaring up to Ports Authority 

parading great ball jugglers like 

Bobo Mordi, Tunde Agbaniko, 

Edet, Ohiri and Dangerman 

Okonji. 

The least match of this 1971 

Amachree Cup competition 

between Rangers and Ports 

Authority was played on Monday 

15 March 1971 at the Lagos City 

Stadium Onikan, Lagos. Before 

the capacity crowd of football fans 

at that local ‘Wembley’, Rangers 

Football Club of Enugu made no 

mistake about victory. They 

pumped in three goals into the 

Ports Authority’s net without 

giving the marine boys any 

chance whatsoever. 

It was while representing 

Nigeria in the Africa Champions 

Club Cup Competition in 1971 

that Rangers FC defeated Sector 

6 of Niger Republic both home 

and away and automatically 

earned additional accolade of 

“International”. 

From all available records, the 

victory of Rangers over Nigeria 

Army XI in 1970 was 

officially, the Club’s first 

League victory, and it 

should be so 

recorded. When the 

League was later 

expanded and 

played on home and 

away in 1974, 

R a n g e r s 

International 

clinched it as 

another maiden 

trophy which it 

retained in 1975 

and 1976 for keeps. 

The three trophies, 

the G.K. Amachree 

Cup, the Challenge Cup 

and League trophies are 

today all in Enugu, in Rangers 

Chest Box. Rangers International 

Football Club became the first 

Clubside in Nigeria to clinch the 

League and Challenge Cup 

trophies for keeps. 

To be continued... 

Edwin Eze and Emma Okocha 

(2017) Rangers International 

Football Club: History of a People. 

Gomslam International Limited: 

Enugu.


Algeria to take Eagles 

to Constantine 

ALGERIAN 

northeastern 

city of 

Constantine could well 

become the new slaughter 

slab where the country’s 

national team hope to take 

their guests to, in a bid to 

relaunch their quest for the 

2018 World Cup ticket. 

Already, the country’s 

football authorities have 

announced their intention to 

move their 2018 World Cup 

qualifying home game 

against Zambia on 

September 5 to the 

Mohamed Hamlaoui 

Stadium in Constantine. 

Super Eagles last group 

match could as well be taken 

to Constantine. That comes 

up on November 8, 2017 

when the temperature could 

Osahon banks 

on youth to 

undo Rivers 

FC Robo Queens 

head coach 

Emmanuel Orobosa Osahon 

has predicted that his 

youthful side will run down 

their much experienced topflight 

opponents Rivers 

Angels. 

The Lagos landladies are 

hosts of the Jewel of Rivers 

in Wednesday’s Nigeria 

Women Premier League 

(NWPL) matchday 11 

biggest clash at the Legacy 

Pitch, National Stadium in 

Surulere, Lagos. 

The Lagos outfit were 

humbled 0-3 by the Garden 

City side in the first fixture 

clash at the Yakubu Gowon 

Stadium in Port Harcourt. 

THE newly elected 

President of the 

Nigeria Basketball 

Federation, Musa 

Ahmadu Kida, has made 

out a solidarity message for 

the Super Eagles 

goalkeeper Carl Ikeme 

who has been diagnosed 

with leukaemia. Kida is 

backing the shot stopper 

to recover and return fully 

to work. 

Kida who spoke with 

Extrasportsnigeria.com, 

said what Ikeme needs 

now is support from 

Nigerians and friends 

across the world through 

prayers and goodwill 

message. 

Kida said, “Any news 

that is not helpful to any 

federation in Nigeria 

touches us all and indeed 

this one on Ikeme touches 

be as low as between -3.9 to 

egrees celsius 

The Fennec Foxes and 

Chipololo will meet in a 

double header in Group B 

in the next two rounds of 

2018 World Cup qualifying 

matches, with the teams first 

clash in Lusaka at the 

National Heroes Stadium on 

September 2. 

Three days later they will 

meet in the return game in 

Constantine, rather than the 

expected venue of 

Mustapha Tchaker Stadium 

in Blida. 

Don't let FIFA ban us, Ogba begs 

Osinbajo 

CHAIRMAN of the 

Senate committee 

on sports, Senator Obinna 

Ogba has declared that it 

would be a disaster if the 

nation incurs the wrath of 

world soccer governing 

body, FIFA, on account of 

the legal battles the NFF 

is facing in civil courts. 

Ogba who spoke 

yesterday said the only way 

the nation can be saved 

once and for all from the 

incessant FIFA threat is for 

the Acting president to as 

a matter of urgency sign the 

NFF bill into law. 

“My appeal is for the 

Acting President, Prof 

Yemi Osinbajo to sign the 

NFF bill into law. Once that 

bill is signed into law, it 

would save us a lot of 

trouble. There is a 

provision in the bill for 

those in ordinary court now 

NBBF president backs 

Ikeme, calls for support 

not on Nigerians but truly 

across humanity. The 

world is still battling to 

have a permanent cure for 

cancer and so we are very 

emotionally when a loved 

one is hit by it. 

“But I say this believing 

that Carl will come out of 

this stronger. We have 

seen some other people 

survive cancer and so we 

in the world of Nigeria 

basketball are backing 

him to come out well and 

return to very active life 

again. We join our hands 

with the NFF President, 

Amaju Pinnick and the 

other members of the 

Nigeria football family to 

wish Carl victory in this 

very crucial battle.” 

Pinnick was one those 

who sent early goodwill 

messages to the Nigerian. 

Victor Moses takes on an Egyptian opponent. The 

Super Eagles need all points to qualify for the 2018 

World Cup. 

to go to the sports court of 

arbitration to seek redress. 

FIFA frowns at people 

going to ordinary court. We 

freely signed to be a 

member of FIFA and 

genuine stakeholders 

should learn to respect FIFA 

rules in the interest of the 

VENUS 

Williams 

continued to put 

the new generation in 

their place as she 

defeated French Open 

champion Jelena 

Ostapenko to reach the 

Wimbledon semi-finals. 

Ostapenko was only a 

few weeks old when 

Williams made her 

Wimbledon debut 20 

years ago. 

And the 37-year-old 

Williams made 

experience count in a 6-3 

7-5 victory to move closer 

to a sixth title at the All 

England Club. 

Williams has not won a 

grand slam crown since 

lifting the Venus 

Rosewater Dish for the 

fifth time nine years ago. 

But she has been 

getting closer, reaching 

the semi-finals here 12 

country. We can’t afford to 

go the way of Sudan that 

has just been hammered by 

FIFA. Sudan’s World Cup 

hopes have been frittered 

away, just like that of their 

clubs in continental football. 

Nigeria is too big to go the 

way of Sudan. 

Wimbledon: Venus becomes 

oldest semi-finalist since 1994 

A LEXANDRE 

Lacazette has 

trained alongside his 

Arsenal team-mates for 

the first time as their preseason 

tour of Australia 

gets into full swing. 

The Gunners’ 

£53million new boy was 

all smiles as he trained at 

the Kogarah Oval in 

Sydney and continues to 

get to know his new teammates 

following his move 

from Lyon. 

Arsenal have confirmed 

Lacazette will wear the No 

months ago and then 

losing to sister Serena in 

the final of the Australian 

Open in January. 

“She continues to take 

care of business”. 

Ostapenko was the 

junior champion here 

only three years ago and 

would certainly have 

been more fancied to 

make her slam 

breakthrough on grass 

than clay until her 

stunning performance at 

Roland Garros. 

Backing up that sort of 

out-from-nowhere 

triumph is notoriously 

difficult but the 

fearlessness of youth has 

served Ostapenko well 

and she appears to have 

paid little attention to the 

heightened levels of 

expectation. 

Ikeme: Wolves donate 

gate-takings to treatment 

WOLVES 

will 

donate ten 

percent of their gatetakings 

in their season 

opener on August 5 against 

Middlesbrough to the 

treatment of diagnosed 

leukaemia patient Carl 

Ikeme. 

Also profits from the sale 

of replica shirts branded 

“Ikeme 1” will also be 

donated, while Wolves will 

name the stricken 

goalkeeper their number 

one for the rest of the 2018 

season. 

The donations will be 

made to the Birminghambased 

charity Cure 

Leukaemia, as will profits 

from the sale of goalkeeper 

replica shirts printed with 

‘Ikeme 1’. 

It was revealed that 

Ikeme has began 

immediate treatment with 

the hope that the 31-yearold 

Super Eagles first 

choice keeper will be fit 

again. Routine test during 

Wolves pre-season 

preparations revealed 

leukaemia in the blood 

levels of the the goalkeeper. 

“Wolves can confirm that 

Carl Ikeme will remain 

listed as the club’s number 

one for the 2017-18 season,” 

a club statement read. 

Wolves have also 

announced a number of 

initiatives to support Ikeme 

in what could be a long fight 

against the condition. 

A large banner, flags and 

messages of support for 

Ikeme on the electronic 

boards are among the 

club’s other initiatives. 

Ikeme has been a Wolves 

player throughout his 14- 

year professional career. He 

has been out on numerous 

loans but featured regularly 

for Wolves in recent years. 

Lacazette trains with new Arsenal team-mates 

9 shirt - last worn by 

Lukas Podolski - while 

fellow new boy Sead 

Kolasinac will take the No 

31 jersey. 

Lacazette is expected to 

line-up in Arsenal red for 

the first time on Thursday 

when they take on local A- 

League side Sydney in 

their first summer friendly. 

They then play Western 

Sydney Wanderers on 

Saturday before heading 

to China for matches 

against Bayern Munich 

in Shanghai on July 19 

Okagbare, Amusan others 

storm Ozoro for Warri Relays 

TOP 

Nigerian 

athletes including 

Blessing Okagbare, Tobi 

Amusa, Ese Brume, Ogho- 

Oghene Egwero and others 

are ready to grace the 2017 

Warri Relays and CAA 

Grand Prix billed for July 18 

in Ozoro, Delta State. 

The event will afford 

Nigerian athletes who are yet 

to make the IAAF World 

Championships standard 

the opportunity to rake up 

qualifying performances. 

Also Okagbare will be looking 

to continue her come back to 

form after she clocked her 

season’s best 10.99 seconds 

last week at the Diamond 

League meet in London. 

Amusa with her 12.57 

second personal best will run 

in front of the home crowd 

for the first time since 

acquiring her world class 

status. 

The Delta State 

Government, as well as Solid 

Works, will be sponsoring the 

and Chelsea in Beijing on 

July 22. 

Speaking at a press 

conference on Tuesday, 

manager Arsene Wenger 

confirmed that the France 

international striker will 

make his debut and also 

hinted that Kolasinac, the 

Bosnian left-back 

acquired from Schalke, 

could feature. 

‘On Thursday night he 

will certainly play a part 

in the game and in the 

other game [against 

Western Sydney] as well. 

2017 Warri Relays & CAA 

Grand Prix which over the 

years has attracted top 

athletes from across the world 

to the oil-rich and sports 

loving State. 

Chief Solomon Ogba, 

CEO, Solid Works, revealed 

that outside of the elite cast 

of athletes, the High School 

and Inter-Collegiate 

Category is also gathering 

much momentum as 

students in and around Delta 

State are looking forward to 

the July 18th Meet with keen 

interest. 

•Tobi Amusan 

In the two games he will 

take part. 

‘We play football based 

on movement, technical 

qualities and mobility, and 

I believe that both of the 

new signings can 

integrate well into the 

team. 

‘One is a defender who 

can play on the flank and 

centrally, and one is a 

striker with a very good 

scoring record, so I believe 

that they are great 

additions to the team.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION 

ACROSS 

1 Portray (6) 

4 Loftier (6) 

8 Go on all fours (5) 

9 Afterwards (5,2) 

10 Prospect (7) 

11 Not in any way (5) 

12 Herb used in Indian 

cookery (9) 

17 Spring flower (5) 

19 Nevertheless (7) 

21 Small river (7) 

22 Fight with swords (5) 

23 Large wasp (6) 

24 Gentle wind (6) 

DOWN 

1 Medical practitioner (6) 

2 Malleable (7) 

3 Large stringed 

instrument (5) 

5 Chanted (7) 

6 Severe (5) 

7 Fame (6) 

9 Without hesitation (4,1,4) 

13 Beat off, rebuff (7) 

14 Malicious retaliation (7) 

15 Stiffen (6) 

16 Turn to ice (6) 

18 Prise (5) 

20 Thin crisp biscuit (5) 

How to Play Sudoku 

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No 

line can have two of the same number). 

Each row (nine lines from left to right), 

column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) 

and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine 

blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. 

This means that no number can appear 

twice in any block, column or row. 

No mathematics is involved – no adding, 

subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain 

logic and your imagination. 

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-4548355. Advert Dept Hotline: 

01-4544821. Abuja Advert Hotline: 09-2921024. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com 

Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: EZE ANABA. Phone: 01—4548355, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

12072017 - Failed politicians beating drums of war

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