17072017 - Arewa youths to review stand on Oct 1 quit notice

Insurers seek access <strong>to</strong>
N30bn statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposits
INSIDE
FAKED KIDNAP:
Ambode
deposes Baale
of Shangisha
7
Time for insurers
<strong>to</strong> innovate
capacity for
bigger risks
— Standard
Alliance boss 31
VOL. 25: NO. 63336 MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
<strong>Arewa</strong> <strong>youths</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>review</strong>
<strong>stand</strong> on Oct 1 quit notice
•After meeting with Ohanaeze Youth Council
•Demand punishment for Nnamdi Kanu
•We are for united Nigeria — Ohanaeze <strong>youths</strong>
CONDOLENCE VISIT:
Widow of late Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Sule, Alhaja Musa Maitama Sule (seated) flanked on her left by National Leader of
the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and on the right by Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje
and her children, during a condolence visit <strong>to</strong> the Maitama Sule family at Nassarawa GRA, Kano State, weekend.
North <strong>to</strong> South, Middle Belt: Take
your restructuring case <strong>to</strong> NASS 5
SEE STORY ON
PAGE 15
Killing of
soldier:
Army lays
siege <strong>to</strong>
Delta,
Bayelsa
communities
Vanguard
Special Serial
Rangers Int'l
Football Club (7)
....Immortal
roles of great
patrons and
supporters
35
37
Mr & Mrs
Magu: Presidency seeks S-Court interpretation on Sect. 171 8
COLUMNISTS: OCHEREOME 44 OWEI LAKEMFA 42 HENRY BOYO 33

2 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017— 3

4 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017—5
POCKET CARTOON
HONOUR—Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson (right), presenting a
Special Bayelsa State Emblem Plaque <strong>to</strong> Prof John Pepper Clark (Centre),
while Prof Wole Soyinka looks on, during Command Performance in honour
of literrary icons, who visited the state in Yenagoa, weekend. Pho<strong>to</strong>: Nwankpa
Chijioke.
NORTHERN LEADERS TO SOUTH, MIDDLE-BELT:
Take your restructuring
case <strong>to</strong> NASS
By Emmanuel
Aziken, Political
Edi<strong>to</strong>r; Dapo
Akinrefon, Charles
Kumolu and Marie-
Therese Nanlong
L AGOS—STRONG
denunciation of the
collaboration between
the Middle Belt and the
South came from the core
North, yesterday, with a
challenge <strong>to</strong> advocates
of the restructuring of
the country <strong>to</strong> use the
National Assembly <strong>to</strong>
push their case.
In the same vein, the
spate of laws by State
Houses of Assembly
prohibiting open grazing
of cattle was flayed in the
same quarters as an
infringement of the
freedom of movement of
herdsmen which they
affirmed would sooner
than later be annulled by
the courts.
The Northern
insistence on the status
quo was rebuffed by
advocates of
restructuring from the
Middle Belt and the
South who affirmed that
Nigeria cannot continue
on the present
framework which they
said was discrimina<strong>to</strong>ry
and oppressive.
Northern leaders,
including Tanko Yakasai,
Balarabe Musa and
Alhaji Abubakar Tsav,
spoke in open rebuke of
the Southern and
Middle Belt leaders who
were also accused of
lacking the democratic
platform <strong>to</strong> speak.
Southern leaders from
all three geopolitical
zones, last Saturday,
<strong>to</strong>ok a position with
IT'S UP TO YOU
BY AYO ADIO - 08104802192
Do not dwell on the tragedy of your his<strong>to</strong>ry
when a beautiful destiny lies ahead of you.
It's up <strong>to</strong> you.
ON LIFE AND LIVING
If I had a formula for bypassing trouble,
I would not pass it round. Trouble creates
a capacity <strong>to</strong> handle it. I don't embrace
trouble; that's as bad as treating it as an
enemy. But I do say meet it as a friend, for
you'll see a lot of it and had better be on
speaking terms with it.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935)
SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE
Marriage is like a groundnut; you have <strong>to</strong>
crack it <strong>to</strong> see what is inside.
— Ashanti proverb
Middle Belt leaders
during which they
canvassed the immediate
restructuring of the
country <strong>to</strong> reflect fiscal
federalism, and the
prohibition of open
grazing among others.
Reacting, yesterday,
Kano-based elderstatesman
Yakassai, who
served as adviser on
National Assembly
Affairs <strong>to</strong> President
Shehu Shagari, in
dismissing the
collaboration of the
South and the Middle
Belt said: “None of them
was elected by their
people <strong>to</strong> speak on their
behalf. To the extent that
this country guarantees
freedom of speech, they
are entitled <strong>to</strong> their
opinion.
“My quarrel with the
people who are
advocating this
restructuring is that they
failed <strong>to</strong> give the details
of the restructuring. If
Nigeria is restructured,
every Nigerian will be
affected. So it is
incumbent upon
anybody who is
campaigning for this <strong>to</strong>
spell it out so that
Nigerians can look at it.
But <strong>to</strong> just go about
shouting slogans without
giving the actual details
is nonsensical.
“Every one of them is
represented in the state
assemblies or the House
of Representatives or the
Senate. Every one of
them knows that the way
<strong>to</strong> change our
Constitution is defined
in our Constitution and
our Constitution
empowers our
legisla<strong>to</strong>rs, federal and
state, <strong>to</strong> change the
Constitution the way
they deem appropriate.
“So I challenge them <strong>to</strong>
sponsor a bill through
their elected
representatives so that
the bill can take its
natural course. If the
majority support it, it will
be implemented.
“I don’t know why they
are ignoring the
democratic institutions
that we have? Why can’t
they make use of the
democratic institutions?
Why are they avoiding
the legislature?
“Why do they think
that press conference is
a substitute for our
elected representatives?
In a democracy, you
channel your views
through your elected
representatives if you
are serious.”
Yakasai responding <strong>to</strong>
the position of the
Southern and Middle
Belt leaders on the
rampage of herdsmen,
said: “The problem of
herdsmen has been with
us, even long before the
British came and there
was a process of
handling it. If they
strayed in<strong>to</strong> your farm
and destroyed your crop,
usually, the local
authorities would get
them <strong>to</strong> compensate the
victim.
The right <strong>to</strong>
move freely
“As long as they are
Nigerians, the
Constitution of this
country has guaranteed
their right <strong>to</strong> move
freely. The only thing is
that where their
lives<strong>to</strong>ck stray in<strong>to</strong> other
people’s land and
damage their crops, they
should be made <strong>to</strong> pay.
“Any state assembly
that makes a law <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>p
people from moving
their cattle about is
attempting <strong>to</strong> deny
people their
constitutionally
guaranteed rights, and
once the matter is taken
<strong>to</strong> court, it will be
declared a nullity,” the
elder-statesman said.
Alhaji Balarabe Musa,
who served as governor
of Kaduna State at the
commencement of the
Second Republic, on his
part, was dismissive of
the gathering.
He said: “I have
already said enough on
this, and I don’t want <strong>to</strong>
waste my time talking on
this again. How
different are they from
those rascally northern
<strong>youths</strong> who gave the
southerners the quit
ultimatum? How different
are they from them, so I
don’t want <strong>to</strong> waste my
time.”
Tsav, a retired
commissioner of Police
from Benue State in the
Middle Belt, on his part,
dismissed the Southern
and Middle Belt leaders
as opportunists.
He said: “They are
opportunists because
they are trying <strong>to</strong> create
a situation that will
benefit them. Their
coming <strong>to</strong>gether seems
as if they want <strong>to</strong> go in<strong>to</strong>
Biafra.
“The ordinary man
does not know the
meaning
of
restructuring. It is the
politicians who are
pushing for it. When
there is a government
that favours them, they
don’t do anything but
when they are not
getting anything they
embark on the type of
thing they are doing.
“I don’t agree with their
demands. Some of these
people are vying for the
Presidency, and they feel
they can get supporters
from the South by
supporting calls for
restructuring.”
The Yoruba sociocultural
body, Afenifere,
which was strongly
represented at the
Southern-Middle Belt
summit in reiterating the
call for restructuring, said
through its spokesman,
Mr. Yinka Odumakin
yesterday: “That call
was made by a majority
of Nigerians. It behoves
on the Federal
Government <strong>to</strong> listen <strong>to</strong>
the requests, so it does
not appear <strong>to</strong> the world
that it is serving the
minority like the
apartheid regime in
South Africa.
“The polity is so fragile
at the moment, and the
government must
promote inclusiveness <strong>to</strong>
res<strong>to</strong>re some level of
confidence.”
Mr. Akin Osun<strong>to</strong>kun,
who served as Political
Adviser <strong>to</strong> President
Olusegun Obasanjo in
his second term said: “It
is consistent and valid,
but I would have wished
that the coalition
encompasses the whole
of Nigeria, including the
far North.
“The consolation is the
weighty and open
support
and
identification of eminent
political leaders like
Ibrahim Babangida and
Atiku Abubakar. Bias,
nepotism, and
discrimination are
inherently built in<strong>to</strong>
Nigeria, and until the
country is restructured,
it will continue <strong>to</strong> be
plagued by this
dilemma.
“The meaningful
solution is devolution
and decentralization of
power which divests the
centre of its oppressive
and over-centralized
powers.”
Mrs. Esther Gonda, a
retired permanent
secretary in the Federal
Civil Service from
Plateau State, who was
also a member of the
2014 National
Conference on her part,
said restructuring was
inevitable on account of
the structural
dislocations in the polity.
“Restructuring is a
positive word, you
restructure an
organization <strong>to</strong> make it
more efficient, and I
think it is time that we
did that in this country,
given the agitations that
are all over the place <strong>to</strong>
look at what needs <strong>to</strong> be
done <strong>to</strong> make it
workable.
“Nigerians all over the
place are excelling, but
for some reasons, as we
are configured, there is
a lot of vices that are
being generated. So it is
good <strong>to</strong> face it squarely
and see what we need <strong>to</strong>
do.
“During the national
conference, we talked
about so many of these
items, and we know it is
time for us <strong>to</strong> sit down
and face our dragon
squarely.”

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
By Davies Iheamnachor
PORT HARCOURT—THE
Rivers State Police
Command’s operatives have
apprehended over 200
suspected cultists, kidnappers
and robbers in the state.
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
We've arrested 200 cultists—Rivers Police
The Commissioner of Police
in the state, Mr. Ahmed Zaki,
revealed this, weekend, while
parading the suspects at the
headquarters of Special Anti-
Robbery Squad, SARS, at
Rumukpokwu community in
Obio/Akpor Local Government
Wife of one of the victim being consoled.
Area.
Zaki revealed that the
suspects were arrested by the
tactical units of the Command
in their raids in Omudioga
and Egbeda communities in
Emohua council and Omerlu
community in Ikwerre council.
The Police Chief noted that
the suspects are among the
gangs that are terrorising
communities of the local
governments.
Zaki said: “The Police have
arrested over 200 suspected
kidnappers, cultists and
robbers that are terrorising
communities of Ikwerre and
Emohua local governments. 10
robbers, who specialise in car
snatching, were also arrested.
“The Command’s tactical team
invaded criminal hideouts in
Omudioga and Egbeda
communities of Emohua and
Omerlu in Ikwerre and
30 feared dead in Calabar Free Trade Zone inferno
By Ike Uchechukwu
C
A L A B A R —
EYEWITNESSES have
said about 30 persons died when
an inferno from an explosion
razed part of the Calabar Free
Trade Zone, CFTZ, in the early
hours of yesterday.
However, Police have said nine
persons died in the incident,
with others sustaining various
degrees of burns. They added
that the cause of the explosion
was yet unknown.
The CFTZ in Esuk Utan
community is host <strong>to</strong> several tank
farms belonging <strong>to</strong> different
companies, but yesterday’s fire
incident reportedly emanated
from LINC Oil and Gas’ tank
farm as a result of what was
termed negligence and sabotage
by some of its staff.
An eyewitness, Mr. Ikenga Uti,
disclosed that a worker, who was
trying <strong>to</strong> siphon petrol from a
vessel opened one of the valves,
but unfortunately the gasket on
the valve failed. So the pressure
threw him off, with fuel flowing
in<strong>to</strong> the gutter.
He said people started
scooping it with various
containers—drums, plastic and
steel buckets.
•We recorded 9 casualties; don’t know cause of explosion—Police
•I saw someone whose legs melted—Survivor
Remains of containers used for scooping by the victims near one of the gutters.
The fire
According <strong>to</strong> Uti, “it was
during the scooping of fuel from
the gutter that the fire started and
flowed back <strong>to</strong> LINC Oil and Gas
and <strong>to</strong> Nigeria Ports Authority,
NPA, where it entered a vessel
loaded with PMS.
“As I speak with you, we have
brought out eight bodies from
LINC Oil and Gas and about six
people, who were scooping fuel
outside the gate, also died.”
Another eyewitness revealed
that “the people scooping fuel
said that the fire was ignited by
somebody who was smoking
cigarette close <strong>to</strong> one of the
gutters that the product was
flowing through, while some
said it was a spark from one of
the stainless steel buckets.
“For now, I can tell you that the
Safety Manager and some
security personnel from the
company are dead. This tragedy
was caused because someone got
greedy; the person, who opened
that valve, caused this fire
because they wanted <strong>to</strong> steal
petrol.”
He added that the host
community, Esuk Utan, was not
spared as the fuel from the gutter
flowed in<strong>to</strong> the community.
He added, “due <strong>to</strong> the strong
fumes of the petrol, some
The aftermath.
members of the community
woke up <strong>to</strong> realise that petrol
was flowing through their
gutters and decided <strong>to</strong> scoop
the product.”
7 die in fish village
A fishing settlement on the
waterfront nearby was not
spared. The settlement, which
also serves as a fish market, was
razed and seven people, who
lived there, lost their lives also,
according <strong>to</strong> eyewitnesses.
Several wooden canoes and
engine boats were caught in
the inferno.
‘We were discharging
old product’
Meanwhile, a staff of the
depot, who spoke under the
condition of anonymity, said the
fire outbreak occurred when
staff of the depot were
discharging old products from
the tanks <strong>to</strong> create space for
new consignment.
According <strong>to</strong> the staff, “as we
speak right now, the vessel
that brought in our new
product is just by the port
here. Some of our staff were
discharging the old product
from the tank with a view <strong>to</strong>
bringing in the new one when
the fire outbreak occurred.”
‘30 died’
A staff of one of the oil and
gas company, who pleaded
anonymity, said: “Almost 30
people have been confirmed
dead. So many have severe
injuries and have been rushed
<strong>to</strong> the hospital.
“I saw someone whose
entire legs melted in the fire.
It was only his bones that were
sticking out. I do not know if
he will survive. It was very
horrible. There was fire
everywhere.
“Nobody knew where they
could run <strong>to</strong>. Many other
companies in this vicinity and
Burnt.
even inside the NPA have had
one equipment or the other
affected by the fire.
“The truth is that they were
performing illegal business
there that is why there were
no safety measures in place,
making the situation get out
of hand. If it was a normal
operation, I believe it could
have been contained easily.
They have been doing this for
long, but <strong>to</strong>day was bad luck
for them.
“However, it is just fortunate
that the tank farms themselves
did not blow up, thanks <strong>to</strong> the
sophisticated fire fighting
equipment they have.
Otherwise, the impact would
have been like that of an
a<strong>to</strong>mic bomb.”
Police
When contacted, Cross
River State’s Commissioner of
Police, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa,
however, said nine people
died in the incident.
Mr. Inuwa added that several
other persons, who sustained
injuries, were currently being
treated in one of the hospitals
in Calabar.
According <strong>to</strong> him, the
manager of the depot is yet <strong>to</strong>
brief the Police on what led <strong>to</strong>
the explosion.
He said: “Nobody has come
out <strong>to</strong> tell us that this is what
caused the fire outbreak. We
have gone round, we have done
what we can, but investigation
will later reveal what actually
led <strong>to</strong> the explosion.
“For now, nine people are
confirmed dead and many
others, who sustained burns,
are currently receiving treatment
in one of the hospitals around
<strong>to</strong>wn.”
Officials of Cross State
Emergency Management
Agency, SEMA, were on ground
<strong>to</strong> assess the extent of damages
caused by the explosion.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017—7
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
apprehended the suspects.
“Arms and ammunition
recovered in the raid included
four AK-47 rifles, five Englishmade
pis<strong>to</strong>ls, 20 locally-made
pis<strong>to</strong>ls, 146 of 7.4mm cartridges,
300 live cartridges, 10
magazines, two chemical sprays
and charms used by the
criminals in their operations.”
GOVERNOR Abubakar Bello
of Niger State has approved
N30 million <strong>to</strong> the State
Emergency Management
Agency, NSEMA, <strong>to</strong> provide
relief materials for victims of
Suleja flood.
A statement by the governor’s
Chief Press Secretary, Malam
Jibrin Ndace, in Minna
yesterday, said the governor
gave the approval when he
visited some flooded areas in
Suleja and Lapai Local
Government areas of the state.
Eleven persons lost their lives
and several houses were
destroyed during a heavy
rainfall on July 8 in Suleja.
Ndace quoted the governor as
Kidnappers of 5 Delta students nabbed
By Emma Amaize
UGHELLI—THE leader of a
four-man kidnap gang,
Austine, alias Lion, that recently
abducted five secondary school
students at Ughelli, Delta State,
has blamed the devil for his
calling on residents of the state
<strong>to</strong> comply with the urban
develop-ment regulations <strong>to</strong>
ensure safety of lives and
properties.
Bello, who attributed the losses
<strong>to</strong> the floods <strong>to</strong> non-adherence
<strong>to</strong> such regulations, warned
against indiscriminate building
of structures, especially on
waterways.
He said: “It is glaring that most
of the affected structures were
on the natural flood path. We
have <strong>to</strong> desist from these
unwholesome practices and
obey simple laws meant for our
good.”
Ndace said the governor also
paid a condolence visit <strong>to</strong>
action.
The kidnappers, identified
as Joseph, Onos, Omojevbe,
Tina and Stella, were arrested
by the Committee on Peace
and Security, Delta State
House of Assembly. Three
members of the kidnap gang
Niger govt donates N30m <strong>to</strong> Suleja flood victims
THE Lagos State
government, yesterday,
deposed Yusuf Ogundare, the
Baale of Shangisha, for faking
his own abduction.
Ogundare’s staged abduction
reportedly <strong>to</strong>ok place on July 5
along Centre for Management
Development, CMD, Road in
Ikosi-Isheri Local Council
Development Area of the state.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode
of Lagos State, had, last
Thursday, directed that he be
suspended in a memo
addressed <strong>to</strong> the Sole Administra<strong>to</strong>r
of Ikosi-Isheri LCDA by
Teslim Folami, Commissioner
for Local Government and
Community Affairs.
In a statement by Folami
yesterday, the Governor ordered
Ogundare <strong>to</strong>, henceforth, desist
from parading himself as the
Baale of Shangisha or discharge
any duties attached <strong>to</strong>
chieftaincy matters in the state.
Folami, in the statement, said:
“This is <strong>to</strong> inform the public that
His Excellency, Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode has
authorised the deposition and
prosecution by Police of Chief
Yusuf Mutiu Ogundare, Baale
of Shangisha, with immediate
effect.
“This is in accordance with
Section 38, Subsection 1 of the
Obas and Chiefs Laws of Lagos
State inter-alia: ‘The governor
may suspend or depose any Oba
or Chief whether appointed
before or after commencement of
this law, if he is satisfied that
such suspension or deposition
is required according <strong>to</strong>
cus<strong>to</strong>mary law or is necessary in
Yusuf Ogundare
the interest of peace or good
government’.
“Furthermore, he (Ogundare)
is <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>p parading himself,
purports <strong>to</strong> exercise or discharge
any of the duties attached <strong>to</strong>
Chieftaincy Matters with
immediate effect.”
Folami said the deposition
follows the formal confession of
the Baale <strong>to</strong> security services that
Malam Saad Abdullahi, a
resident of Checheniya area,
who lost two wives and six
children <strong>to</strong> the flood.
Bello, he further said, also
visited Gawuraka in Tafa
Local Government Area of the
state, where a dead body was
recovered metres away from
the deceased’s home.
He said that Bello also
visited Sabo Orehi village in
Lapai Local Government
Area, where a bridge linking
the state <strong>to</strong> Kogi collapsed
due <strong>to</strong> the flood.
Bello assured that a new
bridge will be constructed
within 40 days by the state
Road Maintenance Agency,
Gov Ambode deposes Baale of
Shangisha for faking own kidnap
he staged his own kidnap <strong>to</strong>
blackmail the state
government.
The state’s Commissioner of
Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni,
while parading the suspects
at the Lagos House in Ikeja,
had narrated how they
conspired <strong>to</strong> perfect the fake
kidnap, all in a bid <strong>to</strong>
implicate the Oba of Magodo,
are, however, on the run
Vanguard learned that the
anti-kidnapping unit of the
Committee caught the gang
leader unawares.
Chairman of the antikidnapping
unit, Austin
Opunbor, said: “Immediately
we received the report of the
kidnap of the school children,
our committee mobilised its
men <strong>to</strong> be on their trail.
“While some of our
personnel were on the streets
moni<strong>to</strong>ring events, others
embarked on a thorough
search from forest <strong>to</strong> forest and
uncompleted buildings.
“The arrest of the selfconfessed
gang leader was
quite tasking,” adding that
when the gang discovered
that the committee was closing
in on them, it quickly
released the victims.
Opunbor disclosed that the
children have been re-united
with their families, while the
committee has launched a
manhunt for the three fleeing
suspects.
as well as rubbish the state
government and security
agencies.
Owoseni said six days after
the incidence, some men of
the Rapid Response Squad,
RRS, on patrol in Alausa area
at about 10p.m., apprehended
Ogundare after he was
dropped by a car which sped
off immediately.
Passenger
drugs driver,
steals vehicle
By Dayo Johnson
A KURE—POLICE
detectives in Ondo
State have arrested a selfacclaimed
senior officer of
the Nigeria Security and
Civil Defence Corps,
NSCDC, Chukwuneta
Emmanuel, who chartered
a vehicle, drugged the
driver and escaped with the
vehicle.
Vanguard gathered that
the suspect approached the
driver of a Toyota Sienna
bus, Oluwaseun Johnson,
at about 9a.m. at a Benin
park in Akure, the Ondo
State capital. He chartered
it <strong>to</strong> take him <strong>to</strong> Asaba, the
Delta State capital.
When the driver of the
bus, with number plates
KRD 739 DQ, arrived
Asaba, he checked in<strong>to</strong> a
hotel <strong>to</strong> spend the night and
the suspect bought a
beverage, spiked it and
gave same <strong>to</strong> the driver <strong>to</strong>
take before sleeping, after
the long journey.
Vanguard learned that
the suspect then drove the
vehicle <strong>to</strong> an unknown
destination, while the
driver was under the
influence of the drug.
The victim raised alarm
when he woke up later <strong>to</strong>
find his car gone.
The matter was reported
at the state Police
Command in Akure and
detectives tracked the
suspect and arrested him in
Anambra State.
Batteries, TV
thieves
nabbed in
Makurdi
By Peter Duru
M AKURDI—
OPERATIVES of
the Benue State Police
Command have arrested
members of a gang that
specialised in stealing
batteries from parked
vehicles in Makurdi <strong>to</strong>wn.
According <strong>to</strong> the
Command’s Public
Relations Officer, Assistant
Superintendent Moses
Yamu, the gang members
were apprehended in the
Wadata area of the <strong>to</strong>wn,
which has in recent time
recorded increased cases of
car battery theft.
Also arrested was a
middle-aged man known
as Rex, who resides at
Kwararafa Quarters, but
allegedly specialises in
stealing television sets from
hotels, while pretending <strong>to</strong>
be a guest.

8—VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
Presidency seeks Supreme Court's
interpretation on Magu, Section 171
•Gives reasons it continues <strong>to</strong> send nominations <strong>to</strong> Senate
•Says rumblings on Magu more political than legal
By Soni Daniel,
Northern Region
Edi<strong>to</strong>r
ABUJA— AFTER being
brushed by the Senate
over a suggestion that it is
not manda<strong>to</strong>ry for it <strong>to</strong> send
all categories of nominees
<strong>to</strong> the Senate for
confirmation, the
Presidency has finally
opted <strong>to</strong> seek judicial
interpretation of Section
171 of the Constitution,
which it relied on in making
the comment.
But while taking the
contentious matter <strong>to</strong> the
apex court, the Presidency
confirmed, last night, that
it would continue <strong>to</strong>
forward names of its
appointees requiring
National Assembly’s
confirmation <strong>to</strong> the Senate.
Already, Vanguard
learned that a team of legal
experts put <strong>to</strong>gether by the
Presidency on the
controversial matter, had
recommended that it
retained its position until a
judicial pronouncement
was made by the nation’s
apex court on the issue.
A <strong>to</strong>p Presidency official,
who spoke with Vanguard
last night on the matter,
maintained that the
Presidency derived its
strength from an existing
ruling by the current Chief
Justice of Nigeria, who
once ruled that “wherever
and whenever the
Constitution speaks, any
provision of an Act/Statute,
on the same subject matter,
must remain silent.”
The source made it clear
that although it was the
view of the Presidency that
certain federal
appointments should not
require the confirmation of
the Senate, based on
Section 171 of the Nigerian
Constitution, the Buhari
administration would
continue <strong>to</strong> send such
appointments <strong>to</strong> the
Senate, pending the
ultimate judicial
interpretation of the matter.
The official said the
position was based on a
legal advisory prepared by
judicial and legal experts
as a working document in
the Presidency regarding
the differences in the
constitutional
interpretations on matters of
certain federal
appointments.
The official, who spoke in
confidence, said: “In fact,
the advisory unearthed a
ruling of the Supreme
Court on the matter where
the current Chief Justice of
the Federation, before his
elevation as CJN, had
ruled in line with the view
of the Presidency on the
matter.
The Presidency official
said it was inaccurate <strong>to</strong> say
the Federal Government or
the Presidency had started
<strong>to</strong> act unilaterally on its
own interpretation of
Section 171.
“This is because, even
after the Acting President
(who spoke when he was
Vice President in support
of the view of some leading
lawyers), the Presidency
has continued <strong>to</strong> send
nominations <strong>to</strong> the Senate,
while the President himself
was around and while
away, by the Acting
President.
“Since the time the Acting
President spoke and when
Senate recently expressed
its disagreement “we have
been sending nominations,
including those for INEC
and other boards and
commissions.
‘’So we are clearly not
acting unilaterally based on
our own interpretation of
the law, even though we
believe firmly we are right.
“Here is the point: The
Presidency believes that
Section 171 is clear that
certain appointments do
not require Senate consent
but it is not already
behaving as if its
interpretation of the law has
become a policy.
“The Presidency is
persuaded that its
interpretation is the correct
one, but we are conscious
and aware of the fact that
only a proper judicial ruling
on the matter would make
it a settled policy that sits
right with the rule of law.
“That is why we have not
s<strong>to</strong>pped sending all
manner of nominations <strong>to</strong>
the Senate, most of which
the Senate has actually
confirmed, even well after
the Acting President spoke."
On the issue of the Acting
EFCC Chairman, Mr.
Ibrahim Magu, the legal
advisory also concluded that
“the rumblings in the
discourse on his
confirmation have more <strong>to</strong>
do with politics than with
the law.”
FRSC officers shot by
police for surgery
•I didn’t order shooting of FRSC
officers —Abia Speaker
By Theodore
Opara & Anayo
Okoli
THE two Federal Road
Safety Commission,
FRSC, officers shot by the
police along Umuikaa/Aba
Port Harcourt expressway
are due for surgery at an
undisclosed hospital in
Abia State.
This is even as Speaker
of Abia State House of
Assembly, Chikwendu
Kalu, yesterday, denied
ordering the shooting of the
FRSC officers.
The FRSC Corps Public
Education Officer, Bisi
Kazeem, who disclosed
this <strong>to</strong> Vanguard,
yesterday, said the officers
were in stable condition
and would be undergoing
surgery <strong>to</strong> extract the
bullets from their bodies.
Mr. Kazeem noted that
the corps is waiting for the
outcome of the detailed
investigation by the police
<strong>to</strong> know exactly what
caused the ugly situation,
adding that it was hopeful
that the police will do a
good job in finding out why
the officers were shot.
“We can’t take the law in<strong>to</strong>
our hands. The matter has
been reported <strong>to</strong> the police
and the Commissioner of
Police in Abia State is on <strong>to</strong>p
of the matter,” he stated,
adding that the corps has
confidence in the police <strong>to</strong>
handle the matter.
I didn’t order
shooting of FRSC
officers
—Abia Speaker
Meanwhile, the Speaker
of Abia State House of
Assembly, Mr. Chikwendu
Kalu, said he did not order
his security aides <strong>to</strong> shoot
two officers of the FRSC.
Giving account of what
he knew about the
incident, the Speaker <strong>to</strong>ld
journalists, yesterday, in
Umuahia that he never
ordered his security
personnel <strong>to</strong> shoot the
FRSC officers as he was not
there when the incident
happened.
Kalu said by his wife’s
account of the incident, she
was travelling <strong>to</strong> Aba with
her chief detail and a friend
when they were “accosted
aggressively” by FRSC
officers on duty at the
Arungwa Junction of the
Enugu-Port Harcourt
Expressway.
According <strong>to</strong> him, after
his wife’s car was s<strong>to</strong>pped,
the FRSC officer allegedly
hit the car repeatedly with
a stick and ordered the
occupants out of the car;
then dragged her chief
detail out of the car and in
the process allegedly
manhandled her.
He said further that his
wife <strong>to</strong>ld him that she was
roughly pushed down
when she attempted <strong>to</strong>
intervene which made her
<strong>to</strong> sustain injuries all over
her body.
The Speaker explained
that he was at his official
lodge in Umuahia
receiving a visi<strong>to</strong>r when he
received a “distress call”
over the incident and he
sent his own chief detail <strong>to</strong>
go and find out what
happened.
He said whatever
transpired at the scene of
the incident was beyond his
knowledge since he was
not there and expressed
surprise <strong>to</strong> read in a
newspaper that he ordered
his security detail <strong>to</strong> shoot
the FRSC officers.
Contacted, the State
Police Commissioner, Leye
Oyedade, confirmed the
incident, saying the police
are handling the matter
and would resolve it
amicably.
FG records N397bn deficit in May
By Babajide
Komolafe
THE
Federal
Government recorded
N397 billion deficit in May
due <strong>to</strong> slowdown in
economic activities, which
occasioned 48 per cent
shortfall in federally
collected revenue for the
month.
The Central Bank of
Nigeria, CBN, disclosed
this in its economic report
for May released weekend.
The report, among other
things, revealed that
federally collected revenue
for the month was 48 per
cent lower than the
budgeted estimate for the
month and 13.4 per cent
lower than what was
recorded in the previous
month.
This, according <strong>to</strong> the
apex bank, was due <strong>to</strong>
slowdown in economic
activities, which occasioned
21.5 per cent and 2.4 per
cent decline in oil revenue
and non-oil revenue
respectively during the
month.
The report stated: “The
estimated Federal
Government retained
revenue for the month of
May 2017, at N185.58
billion, was below the
monthly budget estimate of
N449.60 billion by 58.7 per
cent. It was also lower than
the preceding month’s
receipt of N221.48 by 16.2
per cent.
“The estimated <strong>to</strong>tal
expenditure of the Federal
Government, at N583.32
billion, fell short of the 2017
provisional monthly
budget estimate by 9.7 per
cent.
"It, however, rose above
the level in April 2017 by
3.0 per cent. Recurrent and
capital expenditure
accounted for 61.0 per cent
and 34.3 per cent,
respectively, while transfers
accounted for the balance
of 4.7 per cent of the <strong>to</strong>tal
expenditure."

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017 — 9
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
SEMINAR:From left, Mr. Joseph Babatunde, General Manager, Bank of Industry Ltd; Chris<strong>to</strong>s
Giannopoulos, Group Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r, PZ Cussons Nigeria Ltd; Ms. Evelyn Oputu, Non-Executive
Direc<strong>to</strong>r, Coronation Merchant Bank Ltd; Abubakar Jimoh, Group Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r, Coronation
Merchant Bank Ltd; Babatunde Folawiyo, Chairman, Coronation Merchant Bank Ltd; Rahul Savara,
Group Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r, Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group and Madukhar Khetan, Chief
Operating Officer, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, at the maiden edition of Coronation Merchant Bank’s breakfast
seminar, in Lagos.
Alleged corruption: I’m ready <strong>to</strong> go
<strong>to</strong> jail — Diezani
FORMER Petroleum
Minister, Diezani
Alison-Madueke, who is
being investigated for a
series of multi-billion dollar
fraud and money laundering
offences in Nigeria, the
United Kingdom and
America has threatened <strong>to</strong>
squeal on her associates,
Kola Aluko and Jide
Omokore.
She said after opening up
on everything that transpired
in the controversial
fraudulent transactions, she
would be ready <strong>to</strong> be thrown
in jail along with her coconspira<strong>to</strong>rs.
Mrs. Alison-Madueke's
explosive comment is
contained in a recorded
conversation recovered by
investiga<strong>to</strong>rs probing the
corruption allegations
against the former minister.
Details of the
conversations, according <strong>to</strong>
online portal, Premium
Times, have now been filed
as part of a civil complaint
by the United States
Department of Justice (DoJ)
seeking the forfeiture of over
$144 million slush fund.
The trio of Mrs Alison-
Madueke, Mr. Aluko and
Mr. Omokore were listed as
persons of interest in the civil
complaint filed at the US
District Court, Hous<strong>to</strong>n,
Texas.
The complaint revealed
how the three individuals
laundered millions of dollars
on behalf of Mrs Alison-
Madueke, which was used
in buying property in the US
and the UK for her family in
return for oil contracts <strong>to</strong>
Atlantic Energy Drilling
Concepts Nigeria Ltd,
AEDC, and Atlantic Energy
brass Development Ltd,
AEBD, two Shell companies
owned by Mr Omokore.
In the conversation with
Mr Aluko recorded by
herself on May 14, 2014, a
clearly angry Mrs Alison-
Madueke admitted <strong>to</strong>
helping her associates
secure the multi-billion
dollars Strategic Alliance
Agreements, SAAs, deals.
In another conversation
with another unknown
recipient, the former minister
dared Aluko <strong>to</strong> reveal details
of their dealings, and then
face the consequences.
She was, however, furious
at how the ostentatious
acquisitions of Messrs Aluko
and Omokore might have
Probe source of adulterated kerosene,
NNPC tells DPR
•Says Warri, Kaduna, P-H refineries
producing 5m litres of kerosene
By Michael Eboh
ABUJA—THE Nigerian
National Petroleum
Corporation, NNPC,
yesterday, charged the
Department of Petroleum
Resources, DPR, <strong>to</strong> probe
the source of adulterated
kerosene in some parts of
the country.
It also stated that the
country’s refineries, Port
Harcourt, Warri and
Kaduna, were currently
producing five million litres
of kerosene daily,
representing more than 60
per cent of the national daily
consumption requirement of
eight million litres.
Group Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r
of the corporation, Mr.
Maikanti Baru, who spoke
at a two-day investigative
public hearing of the House
of Representatives
Committee on Petroleum
Resources (Downstream) in
Abuja, weekend, asked
DPR <strong>to</strong> beam its searchlight,
particularly at private depots
in the country, <strong>to</strong> unearth the
source of the adulterated
kerosene.
Baru, who was
represented by Chief
Operating Officer,
Downstream, Mr. Henry
Ikem Obih, said he was sure
led law enforcement
agencies across the world <strong>to</strong>
their shady dealings.
In the recorded
conversation, Mrs Alison-
Madueke, in response <strong>to</strong>
speculations that Mr Aluko
was going <strong>to</strong> blackmail her,
threatened <strong>to</strong> spill the beans.
She said she was ready <strong>to</strong>
reveal <strong>to</strong> Nigerians all that
happened and was ready <strong>to</strong>
follow Messrs Aluko and
Omokore <strong>to</strong> jail.
She said: “I will tell him
(Aluko) <strong>to</strong> bring everything
out, and then you know what
of the quality of the five
million litres the NNPC
pumped in<strong>to</strong> the market,
stressing that emphasis
should be on the remaining
three million litres imported
by private petroleum
products marketers.
To this end, Baru advised
the House of
Representatives’ committee
<strong>to</strong> contact the DPR, which is
the petroleum industry
regula<strong>to</strong>r, <strong>to</strong> investigate the
source of adulterated
kerosene among the private
depots in the country.
He further called on the
relevant authorities <strong>to</strong>
empower the DPR <strong>to</strong> carry
out its responsibilities more
diligently by ensuring that
petroleum products
imported by marketers met
the required quality and
safety <strong>stand</strong>ards as NNPC
cannot guarantee the
quality of products imported
by other market players.
In his own remarks, the
Committee Chairman, Mr.
Joseph Akinlaja, stated that
the committee was deeply
concerned about high cost
of kerosene in the market as
well as incessant explosions
due <strong>to</strong> adulteration.
He said the committee
was mandated by the House
of Representatives <strong>to</strong>,
will happen? No problem, I
will be happy <strong>to</strong> escort all of
you <strong>to</strong> jail along with myself.
I said, in fact, you’ll be
shocked by what I will do.
Because when it comes <strong>to</strong>
that, I will come out and tell
the Nigerian people this is
what happened.
“Anything they want <strong>to</strong> say,
I am happy <strong>to</strong> go. But I will
come out openly and say it
so that they can judge me
openly. And then all of us go
and sit on the gate. Let us
see who survives, me or
you.”
among other things, work
out a clear cut policy
framework on deregulation
of kerosene <strong>to</strong> avert the
current challenges faced by
the masses in procuring the
product; arrest the
resurgence of kerosene
explosion with attendant
fatalities and investigate the
disappearance of N11 billion
worth of petroleum product
belonging <strong>to</strong> the NNPC.
Our N-East interventions aided
peaceful elections in 2015 — Dasuki
By Bartholomew
Madukwe
FORMER
National
Security Adviser, NSA,
Colonel Sambo Dasuki
(retd), has said the prompt
intervention of ex-President
Goodluck Jonathan in
tackling the Boko Haram
menace and recovering
dozens of <strong>to</strong>wns and villages
made it possible for the 2015
general elections <strong>to</strong> hold
smoothly in the North-East.
Dasuki stated this in his
foreword <strong>to</strong> a new 308-page
book, entitled: “Boko Haram
Media War: An encounter
with the spymaster,” written
by Yushau A. Shuaib.
He said: “In the war front
are evident success s<strong>to</strong>ries,
which Shuaib has
mentioned in some of the
Don’t stretch your luck <strong>to</strong>o
far, APC warns PDP, Makarfi
By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA—IN
the
aftermath of the
Supreme Court judgment,
which favoured the Ahmed
Makarfi-led faction of
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, the ruling All
Progressives Congress,
APC, has warned the party
<strong>to</strong> not stretch its luck <strong>to</strong>o far
by dreaming of its return <strong>to</strong>
power in 2019.
The party was reacting <strong>to</strong>
reports that PDP had
unveiled plans <strong>to</strong> sack its
government in 2019 general
elections.
APC in a statement signed,
yesterday, in Abuja by its
spokesperson, Bolaji
Abdullahi, said: “In the
aftermath of the Supreme
Court judgment that
favoured the Makarfi faction
of the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, Sena<strong>to</strong>r Makarfi
himself announced rather
exuberantly that his vic<strong>to</strong>ry
at the court meant that PDP
was ready <strong>to</strong> return <strong>to</strong>
power. We had dismissed
Makarfi’s statement as part
of the excitement that
follows a favourable court
ruling.
"However, since that
Wednesday’s verdict, we
noticed that several of his
supporters and party
members have expressed
similar sentiment. We,
therefore, feel the need <strong>to</strong>
respond appropriately.”
It noted that in recent past,
the PDP brand of opposition
politics had been
characterized mainly by
allegation mongering and
open incitements of
separatist agitations across
the country.
"It appears, however, that
the outcome of
Wednesday’s ruling is
beginning <strong>to</strong> set them on a
different course. We are,
articles that featured in this
book, especially on media
relations, self-censorship,
gallantry in recovering
dozens of cities and <strong>to</strong>wns,
among other declassified
revelations.
“In fact, without our
intervention in ensuring the
defeat of Boko Haram, the
elec<strong>to</strong>rate could not have had
the opportunity <strong>to</strong> exercise
their franchise. It is a fact that
we provided peace and
stability that afforded
Nigerians, especially in the
North-East, in voting for
their governors, legisla<strong>to</strong>rs
and others in the 2015
elections.”
He noted that apart from
the soft Approach
Programme initiated for
countering terrorism through
de-radicalization without the
therefore, delighted that the
PDP is beginning <strong>to</strong> talk
about holding the APC
accountable for the promises
in our manifes<strong>to</strong>.
“We want Nigerians, not
just the PDP, <strong>to</strong> hold us
accountable for every
promise contained in our
manifes<strong>to</strong>. We only urge
them <strong>to</strong> be fair. A manifes<strong>to</strong>
is not a four-year
programme. If PDP had
fully implemented its
manifes<strong>to</strong> in the 16 years
that it was in power,
Nigerians would not have
been attracted <strong>to</strong> the APC
promise of change in 2015,
because there would have
been little left <strong>to</strong> promise.
“The report quoted a
former minister of PDP, who
did not want his name in
print for fear of a backlash
from the current
administration as he is
currently facing prosecution
by the anti-graft agency.’
"That is exactly the
problem with the PDP as it
is currently constituted.
There are only a few people
left in that party whose faces
do not represent the face of
corruption. These few good
men and women left in the
PDP would do well <strong>to</strong> listen
<strong>to</strong> ex-stalwarts of the party
like the former Akwa Ibom
governor, Obong Vic<strong>to</strong>r
Attah, who had advised that
the party needs an urgent
change of name because
the PDP brand is already
damaged beyond repair.
"But Nigerians know that
even with a change of
name, it is not the cowl that
makes the monk. Therefore,
like Attah asked, ‘now that
they have resolved their
crisis, what is left of the
PDP?’ Sena<strong>to</strong>r Makarfi and
his supporters should take
a break from their vic<strong>to</strong>ry
dance <strong>to</strong> attend <strong>to</strong> this
question."
use of force, the
administration also
introduced and
implemented programmes
for economic empowerment,
education, communication,
rehabilitation and
counselling in the North-
East. He said: “Crisis
communication, as one of
the components of general
campaigns, was initiated <strong>to</strong>
win the heart of the citizens,
boost the morale of the troops
and weaken the fighting
spirit of the terrorists.
“On media campaign,
Yushau Shuaib, who came
highly recommended, had
been disengaged from the
public service but was
immediately re-engaged by
the system <strong>to</strong> act as Chief
Consultant on Crisis
Communication."

10 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
LASG commences palliative
work at Berliet, Ojota, others
By Olasunkanmi
Akoni
LAGOS
State
Government, through
the Public Works Corporation,
LSPWC, has commenced
palliative work on major
deplorable roads, including
the popular Berliet Bus s<strong>to</strong>p
along Apapa-Oshodi
Expressway, and Ojota,
Ikorodu Road, as part of
measures <strong>to</strong> ease traffic
movement.
The moves, it was gathered
became necessary, following
the effect of <strong>to</strong>rrential rainfall
in the state that left many
roads in deplorable condition,
thereby, posing danger <strong>to</strong>
lives and property of road
users.
The Chief Executive Officer,
CEO, of Lagos Public Works
Corporation, who is also a
Special adviser <strong>to</strong> Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode,
Ayotunde Sodeinde during
an inspection <strong>to</strong> some of the
sites at the weekend said the
governor gave the directive
<strong>to</strong> fix the roads as part of
measures <strong>to</strong> prevent
avoidable loss of lives and
traffic gridlock. There has
been public outcry over the
state of Lagos roads in recent
times resulting in terrible
traffic situation.
Aregbesola, Oyebode, Aremu <strong>to</strong> speak
at Panafest colloquium
GOVERNOR Rauf Ar
egbesola of Osun State,
Prof. Akin Oyebode and
Comrade Issa Aremu are expected
<strong>to</strong> speak at Panafest
Foundation’s colloquium and
exhibition <strong>to</strong>morrow in Lagos.
The event, schedule for
Lagos State Chamber of
Commerce and Industry,
LCCI, building, beside Abi-
Copyright Society honours
Info minister, Lai Mohammed
L AGOS—THE
Minister of
Information and Culture,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on
Saturday visited the
Copyright Society of Nigeria,
COSON, House in Lagos,
during which he was
honoured for his dedication
<strong>to</strong> the campaign for the rights
of creative people in the
country.
At an elaborate ceremony
that featured a red carpet
reception, music and
documentary videos, the
Minister was presented with
the ‘’Copyright Medal of
Honour’’ and his name
entered in the ‘’COSON Roll
of Honour’’ after the reading
of his citation.
COSON Chairman, Tony
Okoroji, who made the
presentation, described the
Minister as a ‘’unassailable
and fearless public servant,’’
and thanked him for being the
first Minister <strong>to</strong> visit the
imposing green-and-white
COSON House since it was
commissioned.
The Minister, who said he
was very proud of COSON,
thanked the organization for
the award and the hosting,
which he described as ‘’one
of the best Saturday
mornings’’ I have had.
He said COSON is a
‘’Made in Nigeria
Organization’’ functioning
like an international
organization in terms of
competence, excellence and
the under<strong>stand</strong>ing of its core
mandate, but noted that its
achievements are largely
under-reported
He restated the Federal
Government’s commitment <strong>to</strong>
providing the enabling
environment for the Creative
Industry <strong>to</strong> thrive.
SERAP asks AGF <strong>to</strong> prosecute
those on double pay, life pensions
THE Socio-Economic
Rights and
Accountability Project
(SERAP) has asked
Abubakar Malami,
At<strong>to</strong>rney-General of the
Federation, <strong>to</strong> take legal
action against former
governors, who are now
either sena<strong>to</strong>rs or ministers
so as <strong>to</strong> recover an alleged
N40bn earned in double
payment.
SERAP alleged that
Bukola Saraki, senate
president, Rabiu
Kwankwaso, Godswill
Akpabio, Theodore Orji,
ola Garden, Alausa, is organised
<strong>to</strong> mark the 25th anniversary
of Panafest.
Aside from the trio, renowned
performing and visual
artists, political leaders
scholars, eminent personalities,
women leaders, <strong>youths</strong>,
inves<strong>to</strong>rs and businessmen
are also expected at the colloquium.
Abdullahi Adamu, Sam
Egwu, Shaaba Lafiagi, are
among former governors
receiving double
emoluments and large
severance benefits from
their states.
Others named are Joshua
Dariye, Jonah Jang,
Ahmed Sani Yarima,
Danjuma Goje, Bukar Abba
Ibrahim, Adamu Aliero,
George Akume, Biodun
Olujimi, Enyinaya
Harcourt Abaribe, Rotimi
Amaechi, Kayode Fayemi,
Chris Ngige and
Babatunde Fashola.
AMAA 2017: Osuofia bags Lifetime
Achievement Award
L
A
By Benjamin
Njoku
G O S —
NOLLYWOOD
ac<strong>to</strong>r, Nkem Owoh
popularly known as Osuofia
was honoured with a
Lifetime Achievement
Award by the organizers of
Africa Movie Academy
Awards, AMAA, for his
immense contribution <strong>to</strong> the
development of the
Nigerian film industry.
The award was presented
<strong>to</strong> him at this year’s
ceremony, held Saturday
night at the Convention Hall
of Eko Hotel and Suites,
Vic<strong>to</strong>ria Island, Lagos.
Presenting the award,
which went <strong>to</strong> another
veteran ac<strong>to</strong>r, Pete Edochie
last year, <strong>to</strong> Nkem Owoh, a
member of the AMAA jury,
Shaibu Husseini said,
Osuofia deserved the
honour, having being in the
industry for more than three
decades, as he wrote scripts
for the now rested late Ken
Saro Wiwa's soap, ‘Bassey
and Company’ and TV
drama, The New
Masquerade.
Accepting his statuette,
Owoh dedicated his award
<strong>to</strong> peacemakers all over the
world.
Recalling the previous
attempts he made at setting
up an award platform, the
ac<strong>to</strong>r commended the
founder of AMAA, Peace
Anyiam-Osigwe for her
consistency and dedication
<strong>to</strong> promoting the African
film makers and their works.
Owoh, who won his first
AMAA in 2008, was not the
only big winner of the night.
Though Nigeria won nine
awards in all, Senegal ruled
the night by carting away
major awards with its film,
‘Felicite.’
The film coast home <strong>to</strong>
vic<strong>to</strong>ry with six awards,
winning in three of the five
major categories, including
Best Film, Best Actress in a
Leading Role and Best
Supporting Ac<strong>to</strong>r, beating
Nigerian his<strong>to</strong>rical film, ‘76’
which won three awards
from its eight nominations,
including Lagos State
Award for Best Nigerian
Film.
‘Felicite’ is a 2017 French
drama film directed by Alain
Gomis. It was selected <strong>to</strong>
compete for the Golden
Bear in the main
competition section of the
67th Berlin International
Film Festival. At Berlin, the
film also won the Jury
Grand Prix award.
Other winners of the night
were “Oloibiri,” which won
the Achievement Make-up
award, Opa Williams’ “3
Wise Men” (Best Comedy),
and Angelique Kidjo who
won Best Actress in a
Supporting role for role in
Kunle Afolayan’s ‘ÇEO.’
South Africa was
represented by Akin
Omo<strong>to</strong>so, whose critically
acclaimed movie, “Vaya”
earned him the Best
Direc<strong>to</strong>r award. The movie
also won the Achievement
in Screenplay and
Achievement in Sound
awards.
Receiving the award,
Omo<strong>to</strong>so said it <strong>to</strong>ok him
about eight years <strong>to</strong>
produce the movie, which
was screened in the
Contemporary World
Cinema section at the 2016
Toron<strong>to</strong> International Film.
•As Lagos pledges continued
support for creative industry
“Based on the true s<strong>to</strong>ry of
a group of homeless
people, it <strong>to</strong>ok seven
scriptwriters a <strong>to</strong>tal of six
years <strong>to</strong> bring the “Vaya”
s<strong>to</strong>ry <strong>to</strong> life,” he revealed.
Mali was represented by
Daouda Coulibaly’s
“Wulu,” which won the
Best First Feature Film by a
Direc<strong>to</strong>r and an
Achievement in Sound.
Tunisia emerged one of the
<strong>to</strong>p winners of the night with
Jahwar Soudan winning
Best Ac<strong>to</strong>r award for his role
in “Last of Us.” The movie
also won an Achievement
in Visual Effect award.
Other countries include
Rwanda for Best Short Film,
the Democratic Republic of
Congo for Best
Documentary and Uganda
for Achievement in Costume
design. Ghana and Kenya
were not visible at AMAA,
this year.
Meanwhile, speaking at
the glamorous event,
Governor Akinwunmi
Ambode of Lagos State
represented by his Deputy,
Dr Idiat Adebule stated that
his administration would
continue <strong>to</strong> provide
platforms for showcasing
and celebrating creative
arts, talents and originality.
The governor said
every successful
stakeholder in the industry
found Lagos State <strong>to</strong> be a
home as it was the hub of
the entertainment industry
in Africa.
Ngige lauds TransCorp for creating jobs for
Nigerians
A BUJA—MINISTER
of Labour and
Employment, Dr. Chris
Ngige, weekend lauded
Transcorp Hil<strong>to</strong>n, Abuja, for
creating jobs for Nigerians,
as the company is
celebrating its 30th
anniversary this year.
Ngige, who spoke at a
cocktail and dinner
organised <strong>to</strong> celebrate the
company’s impact on the
economy, also commended
chairman of the company,
Tony Elumelu, for the jobs it
had created for Nigerians.
“I take an interest in those
who create jobs and Tony
is one of them. He is a longterm
inves<strong>to</strong>r that doesn’t
give up. He likes his
country and God will assist
him <strong>to</strong> do more for us,” he
stated.
The hotel, which has
through the years hosted
royalty, Presidents, global
leaders, celebrities and other
dignitaries, gathered
friends, partners, clients, its
board members and staff <strong>to</strong>
commemorate its legacy and
rich his<strong>to</strong>ry as a pioneer in
Nigeria’s hospitality sec<strong>to</strong>r.
Built on 20 hectares of
land, the 670 bedroom 5-
star hotel began operations
as Nicon Noga Hil<strong>to</strong>n
Hotel, a member of the
Hil<strong>to</strong>n family of brands.
To commemorate this
miles<strong>to</strong>ne, Transcorp Hil<strong>to</strong>n
Abuja hosted a cocktail
and dinner with an array
of entertainment and
activities, highlighting and
celebrating the impact of
THE Lagos State
Government has
announced restriction of
vehicular movement in the
State during next
Saturday’s council elections
that will hold across the 20
Local Governments and 37
Local Council
Development Areas,
LCDAs.
In a statement yesterday,
the State’s Commissioner
for Information and
Strategy, Mr. Steve
Ayorinde, said the
restriction of movement
PLAUDITS FOR
L A I
MOHAMMED:
Minister of
Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed,
being presented
with a Medal of
Honour by the
Chairman of
Copyright Society
of Nigeria,
COSON, Chief
Tony Okoroji,
during the
Minister's visit <strong>to</strong>
the COSON
House in Lagos on
Saturday
Transcorp Hil<strong>to</strong>n as an
iconic landmark in Nigeria.
Speaking at the dinner,
Rudi Jagersbacher,
President, Middle East and
North Africa, Hil<strong>to</strong>n
Worldwide, commended the
Transcorp Hil<strong>to</strong>n, stating
that its contribution <strong>to</strong> the
brand equity and
perception of Hil<strong>to</strong>n
Worldwide has been
recognised all over the
world.
LG POLLS: Lagos announces
movement restriction
across the State will be
enforced between 8am and
2pm, <strong>to</strong> allow for a smooth
conduct of the polls and
unhindered participation.
According <strong>to</strong> the
Commissioner, the State is
known for peaceful conduct
of elections, and as such,
urged residents <strong>to</strong> be
peaceful and orderly on
Saturday <strong>to</strong> cast their votes
in their respective wards for
Chairmen and councillors
who are expected <strong>to</strong> drive
development at the third
tier of government.

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017 — 11
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
Fayose writes Osinbajo, asks for
report on SGF, NIA boss' probe
By Rotimi
Ojomoyela
A DO-EKITI—EKITI
State Governor, Mr
Ayodele Fayose has asked
for the immediate release
of the report of the
investigative panel on
corruption allegations
against the suspended
Secretary <strong>to</strong> the
Government of the
Federation, SGF, Mr David
Babachir Lawal and
Direc<strong>to</strong>r-General, National
Intelligence Agency (NIA),
Mr. Ayo Oke.
This request was
contained in a letter written
by the Governor <strong>to</strong> the
Acting President, Prof Yemi
Osinbajo on July 11, 2017.
In the letter, which was
received at the Acting
President’s office on July
13, 2017, the governor also
demanded that the Acting
President must “act
expeditiously on the
report”, threatening <strong>to</strong>
approach the law court <strong>to</strong>
compel the Acting
President <strong>to</strong> release and act
on the report if he fails <strong>to</strong>
do so.
Fayose, in statement
issued yesterday by his
Special Assistant on Public
Communications and New
Media, Lere Olayinka, <strong>to</strong>ld
the Acting President “never
<strong>to</strong> habour the view that the
matter can be swept under
the carpet,” saying the
Buhari led Federal
government’s war against
corruption lacked
credibility and had, thus
floundered because of its
seemingly penchant for
sweeping allegations of
corruption against <strong>to</strong>p
functionaries of the federal
government and members
of the ruling All
Progressives Congress
(APC) under the carpet.
“I dare <strong>to</strong> say that this is
one of the reasons the socalled
war against
corruption has not attracted
public support. It lacks
credibility and has, thus
floundered. It is also the
reason your administration
has lost case after case in
the court of law, even
though administration
officials have tried <strong>to</strong> cover
government’s Achilles heel
as well as their own
howling incompetence
under the pretence of
corruption fighting back,”
the governor said.
The latter reads in part:
“Let me begin by
appreciating Your
Excellency’s yeoman
efforts directed at quelling
fires all over the country
and stabilizing the polity.
Daunting as this task might
seem, especially as agent
VISIT: Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, Alake of Egbaland (right) and Tayo Adelaja,
Public Affairs Manager, West/Midwest, Nigerian Breweries Plc; during a courtesy
visit of the company's team <strong>to</strong> the monarch’s palace in Abeokuta, on Friday, before
the commencement of the semi-final stage of Ariya Repete.
provocateurs for selfish and
diabolical interests continue
<strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>ke the fire and fan the
embers of discord and
disunity rather than queue
behind you, assist your
noble efforts, and let all
hands be on deck <strong>to</strong> salvage
our beloved country, take
solace and receive renewed
strength, vigour and vitality
in the fact that your efforts
have begun <strong>to</strong> yield positive
fruits and that the vast
majority of the citizens
appreciate and applaud
your efforts and <strong>stand</strong>
resolutely with you. As I
have often said, the power
of the people is greater than
the power of those of us in
power. In our own little
corner, we, <strong>to</strong>o, <strong>stand</strong> with
you. And this being so, you
can only succeed, and not
fail!
“Therefore, every support
and every advice that Your
Excellency requires <strong>to</strong>
succeed we promise we will
not hide away from
you,partisan politics
notwith<strong>stand</strong>ing.
“In this wise, permit me,
Your Excellency, <strong>to</strong> prod
your memory about a
Presidential committee,
constituted months ago by
President Muhammadu
Buhari, <strong>to</strong> investigate
allegations of high
corruption against two <strong>to</strong>p
officials of this
administration, namely the
Secretary <strong>to</strong> the
Government of the
Federation, Mr. David
Babachir Lawal; and the
Direc<strong>to</strong>r-General of the
National Intelligence
Agency, Mr. Ayo Oke. The
Presidential committee,
headed by your good self,
was given two weeks <strong>to</strong>
submit its report. That was
many months ago. The two
<strong>to</strong>p officials concerned were
placed on suspension but
nothing has been heard on
the matter ever since. It
would appear the matter
has been swept under the
carpet or, in the Nigerian
popular parlance, has been
treated as the “family
affair” of the ruling APC
government."
Prices of foods'll soon crash — AUDU OGBEH
...As Afe Babalola varsity holds rice summit
By Rotimi
Ojomoyela
A DO-EKITI—THE
Minister of
Agriculture and Rural
Development, Chief Audu
Ogbeh, has assured
Nigerians that the
skyrocketing prices of
foods in the country will
soon crash, saying
specifically that that of
rice will happen within
the next two weeks.
He disclosed that the
Federal Government will
s<strong>to</strong>p importation of rice this
year.
Explaining the reason
behind the policy, Ogbeh
hinted that the country has
enough internal production
that can sustain home
consumption and meet
foreign exchange earnings
that can guarantee
diversification of the
economy.
In order <strong>to</strong> further boost
internal production of the
commodity and enhance
the country’s comparative
advantages in rice and yam
production, Ogbeh stated
that the federal government
will sign a memoranda of
under<strong>stand</strong>ing with Afe
Babalola University, Ado
Ekiti (ABUAD) and Ekiti
State Government in the
two critical sec<strong>to</strong>rs.
He unveiled his
Ministry’s intention <strong>to</strong>
supply ABUAD with 20
<strong>to</strong>nnes of rice seedlings in
the next planting season <strong>to</strong>
boost rice production
internally.
The Minister said these
in Ado Ekiti at the weekend
during a visit <strong>to</strong> ABUAD’s
farm and Ekiti State
government .
Ogbeh said the current
economic recession being
experienced under
Buhari’s government has
helped the federal
government <strong>to</strong> think
outside the box and had
succeeded in bringing the
deserved revolution <strong>to</strong> the
agriculture sec<strong>to</strong>r.
According <strong>to</strong> him, “Of
recent, prices of diesel
increased from N130 pr
litre <strong>to</strong> about N280, which
makes the cost of trac<strong>to</strong>rs
<strong>to</strong> move up <strong>to</strong> N14 million
from N7 million. The
interest rate on every loan
given <strong>to</strong> farmers also went
up, so the aggregate of all
these fac<strong>to</strong>rs caused
increase in the prices of
food items.
“We are concerned with
the plights of Nigerians. We
knew that many are hungry
but we are working round
it because it doesn’t speak
well of us in government
that people are hungry.''
The ABUAD’s founder,
Chief Afe Babalola (SAN),
praised Buhari’s
administration for bringing
revolution <strong>to</strong> the country’s
agriculture sec<strong>to</strong>r that had
been neglected by
successive governments,
describing the current
economic recession as a
blessing in disguise.
“To support the FG
Advanced Studies
Institute debuts in OAU
NIGERIA’S
first University for pre-doc<strong>to</strong>rate
Institute of and recent post-doc<strong>to</strong>rate
Advanced Studies, IAS, will
commence operation this
students.
“The seminar will be a
month at the Obafemi first-rate non-degree
Awolowo University, Ile Ife, advanced level
in Osun State, it was
announced yesterday.
Prof. Jacob K. Olupona,
who is championing the
institute, is a professor of
African Religious Traditions,
Harvard Divinity School,
and Professor of African and
programme,” he said.
“The goal of this seminar,
in keeping with the best
academic traditions around
the world, is <strong>to</strong> provide the
IAS Fellows with critical
training in theoretical and
methodological approaches
African American Studies in in their respective
the Faculty of Arts and
Sciences, also of Harvard
University.
disciplines, as well as
practical professional skills
essential for success in the
He said yesterday, that; academy, such as
‘’The IAS will offer information technology,
postdoc<strong>to</strong>ral programmes
that will provide a new
generation of scholars with
the skills and resources
necessary <strong>to</strong> effectively
respond <strong>to</strong> the pressing
demands of our rapidly
writing and publishing in
peer <strong>review</strong>ed journals and
presses, men<strong>to</strong>ring and
networking, curriculum
development, field work and
archival research and
entrepreneurship.”
changing higher Prof. Olupona said that
educational system.” seminar discussions and
According <strong>to</strong> him, workshops will be run by
“through a rigorous scholars from the pool of the
curriculum and with the highly distinguished
dedicated support of
distinguished scholars from
leading African and Western
universities, IAS will train its
Fellows <strong>to</strong> become excellent
international academics who
will continue <strong>to</strong> serve as
men<strong>to</strong>rs and supervisors <strong>to</strong>
IAS Fellows after the
conclusion of the seminar.
university teachers, He added: “The institute
researchers, scholars, and
public policy analysts who
will effectively engage
will also serve as a venue
for young scholars <strong>to</strong> enroll
in a year-long programme
discussions on the during which they will
challenges confronting our
contemporary society in a
globalized world.”
The major focus of this
receive specialized training
that will allow them <strong>to</strong> turn
their doc<strong>to</strong>ral dissertation
manuscripts in<strong>to</strong> high
pioneering institute is quality publishable
men<strong>to</strong>rship within the
academic community, Prof.
Olupona explained.
The first activity of the IAS
will coincide with its
materials, such as peer<strong>review</strong>ed
journal articles
and academic books.
“In short, IAS Fellows will
have access <strong>to</strong> the highest
inauguration on July 24, level of professional
2017 when it will host a expertise and resources
two-week residential essential for success in an
summer seminar at increasingly competitive
Obafemi Awolowo global academic arena.”
A’Court puts <strong>to</strong> rest lkare
Obaship tussle
By Dayo Johnson
A KURE—THE
Court of Appeal
sitting in Akure, Ondo
State weekend in a
landmark verdict finally put
<strong>to</strong> rest an age long obaship
tussle between the Owa-
Ale of Ikare and Olukare of
Ikare in Akoko North East
local government area of
Ondo State.
ln a unanimous court’s
judgement read by Justice
Danjuma, the court struck
out a suit filed against the
recognition of Owa-Ale,
Oba Kolapo Adegbite-
Adedoyin as a traditional
ruler in the ancient <strong>to</strong>wn.
The Appellate court panel
led by Justice Obande
Ogbuinya ruled that the
appeal CA/AK/103/2011
instituted by the Olukare,
Oba Akadiri Saliu-Momoh
and five members of his
family against Owa-Ale and
the Ondo state government
lacked merit, an abuse of
judicial process and the case
was status barred.
The court held that
Olukare lacked legal
ground <strong>to</strong> challenge the
chieftaincy status of Owa-
Ale as a monarch in Ikare,
considering various laws
such as the Public Officers
Protection Law, Cap 103,
Volume 5, Law of Ondo
State 1978 and Section 4(1a)
of the Limitation Laws Cap
61, Laws of Ondo State 1978.

12 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017—13

14 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
BUSINESSDAY AWARDS IN ABUJA YESTERDAY. Pho<strong>to</strong>s by Gbemiga Olamikan
Governors Mallam Nasiru El-rufai (Kaduna), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) Simon Lalong (Plateau) and
others were among the dignitaries that graced the Businessday States Competitiveness and Good Governance Awards 2017
held at Transcorp Hil<strong>to</strong>n, Abuja.
From left, Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai; Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar
Ganduje; Publisher of Business Day Newspapers, Mr. Frank Aigbogun; Plateau State Governor, Simon
Lalong; Deputy Gov of Benue State, Engr. Benson Abounu and Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.
Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r of Jaiz Bank, Hassan Usman (left)
presenting an award <strong>to</strong> Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi
Umar Ganduje.
Mr Eyo Ekpo (left) who presented an award <strong>to</strong> Governor El-Rufai. In
the middle is the Governor's wife.
Prof. Oduwole presenting an award <strong>to</strong> Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong
and Mrs Lalong.
From left, Business Day publisher, Frank Aigbogun; former Senate President, Sena<strong>to</strong>r
Wabara; Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, with his award and Sena<strong>to</strong>r Mazi Ohuabunwa.
FG tasked on allocation of funds <strong>to</strong> LGs
By Gabriel Olawale
THE
Deputy
National President of
Association of Local
Governments Of Nigeria,
ALGON, Mr. Itiako
Ikpokpo has called for
upward <strong>review</strong> of statu<strong>to</strong>ry
allocations <strong>to</strong> local councils
and direct disbursement of
funds <strong>to</strong> enable them
impacted peoples live at
the the grassroots level.
Ikpokpo who is the
chairman Isoko South
Local Government of Delta
State described the current
sharing formula of 52.68
percent <strong>to</strong> federal, 26.72
percent <strong>to</strong> states and 20.6
percent <strong>to</strong> local
government as
unacceptable even as he
call for upward <strong>review</strong> in
a reversal order
considering the huge
development gap and
enormous responsibility of
the local governments
across the 774.
He said that viable
political participation in the
development process has
continued <strong>to</strong> elude the
people at the grassroots,
“The Nigerian state created
local governments as the
third tier of government with
the objective of ensuring
effective, measurable and
efficient service delivery <strong>to</strong>
the people at the grassroots,
but almost a pipe dream for
now due <strong>to</strong> lack of funds and
political will.
He further recommended
an upward <strong>review</strong> of
statu<strong>to</strong>ry allocations <strong>to</strong> local
councils as well as direct
disbursement of funds <strong>to</strong>
local governments <strong>to</strong> ensure
better welfare package <strong>to</strong>
workers.
From left; Special Adviser <strong>to</strong> the Governor of Kaduna State on
Political matters and Inter-Governmental Relations, Hon. Uba Sani
Comrade Isa Aremu and Governor El-Rufai.
GELEGELE: We are aborigines, never left our
land, Bini group tells Ijaw
THE land ownership
tussle between the
Binis and Ijaws in Edo and
Delta states seems
unending as another party,
The Edo N’Ibaromi Group
has joined the fray.
Reacting <strong>to</strong> a recent
newspaper publication
credited <strong>to</strong> the Ijaw People
Development Initiative,
IPDI, in Warri, where it
threatened that the Ijaw
tribe was prepared <strong>to</strong> defend
its terri<strong>to</strong>rial lands in the
state against ‘Bini invaders’,
the group, in a statement
signed by Osazee Amas
Edobor and Imasuen
Amowie Marvis, warned
against further aggression
and encroachment on Bini
lands by the Ijaws, who they
describe as troublesome and
lawless.
The Edo N’Ibaromi Group,
said contrary <strong>to</strong> the claim of
the Ijaws, as reinforced by J.
U. Egharevba’s in his book:
Short His<strong>to</strong>ry of Benin, which
cited that: ‘The Binis
migrated from Egypt, came
through Sudan, then
s<strong>to</strong>pped at Ile-Ife; On getting
<strong>to</strong> Benin, met some people
(ferrymen) which they
assumed <strong>to</strong> be Ijaw people',
the Binis never, we repeat,
never left our land.
Therefore, we are the
aborigines of this land.’’
On the disputed Gelegele
land, it said: ‘’They should
ask their elders who the Edos
are, in terms of war. We will
prove <strong>to</strong> them that our level
of exposure has not reduced
our strength. We assure them
that no gunshots will be fired
at Gelegele as we have
ways of dealing with people
like the Ijaws.''

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017—15
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
By Chioma
Gabriel, Anayo
Okoli, Omeiza Ajayi
& Chinonso Alozie
ABUJA—LESS than
75 days <strong>to</strong> the Oc<strong>to</strong>ber
1 ”quit notice” issued by a
coalition of northern <strong>youths</strong>
<strong>to</strong> Igbo living in the region,
the Ohanaeze Ndigbo
Youth Council, weekend,
met with the northern
coalition with a view <strong>to</strong>
charting a common course
for peaceful co-existence of
various groups in all parts
of the country.
Consequently, the
northern coalition has said
it has begun the process of
<strong>review</strong>ing its earlier
demands asking the Igbo <strong>to</strong>
quit, but said it would not
back down on its petition <strong>to</strong>
the United Nations asking
it <strong>to</strong> intervene in the affairs
of the nation.
It also insisted that the
leader of the Indigenous
People of Biafra, IPOB,
Nnamdi Kanu, be
punished for the damage
done <strong>to</strong> the psyche of
Nigerians.
On their side, the
Ohanaeze <strong>youths</strong>
dissociated themselves from
secessionist agitations, and
asked Nigerians <strong>to</strong> consider
such agitations as perhaps
a cry <strong>to</strong> redress noticeable
imbalance in the
composition of the country.
The parent body of
Ohanaeze, however, has
disowned any statement
credited <strong>to</strong> the youth wing,
saying the Okechukwu
Isiguzoro leaderhip was
under suspension.
A release signed by
National Deputy Publicity
Secretary of Ohanaeze
Ndigbo, Chuks Ibegbu,
yesterday, said any
statement credited <strong>to</strong> any
official of the suspended
wing bears no authorisation
from Ohanaeze National
Executive Committee.
It said: "It's only the
President General and the
publicity Unit/any other
official authorised or
mandated <strong>to</strong> do so that can
speak on behalf of
Ohanaeze Ndigbo."
This came as Igbo
pressure group, Igbo
Peoples Congress, IPC,
has condemned the <strong>Arewa</strong>
youth coalition for
threatening <strong>to</strong> write the UN
over IPOB and its leader,
Nnamdi Kanu instead of
feeling remorse for their
treasonable declaration of
quit notice <strong>to</strong> Igbo in the
north some weeks ago.
The meeting of Ohanaeze
and <strong>Arewa</strong> <strong>youths</strong> which
held Saturday evening in
Abuja lasted several hours
We’re <strong>review</strong>ing our
earlier position — <strong>Arewa</strong>
Speaking with newsmen
shortly after the meeting in
Abuja, chairman of the
Coalition of Northern
LECTURE: Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, and Prof.
Chinyere Okunna, flanked by students’ of Agulu Girls’ High School, during
the memorial lecture in honour of Prof. Dora Akunyili, at the Agulu Town
Hall, Agulu, Anambra State, Friday.
<strong>Arewa</strong> <strong>youths</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>review</strong>
<strong>stand</strong> on Oct 1 quit notice
•Demand punishment for Nnamdi Kanu
•We believe in one Nigeria — Ohanaeze <strong>youths</strong>
Youths, Yerima Shettima,
who commended the move,
said the peace meeting
between the two groups led
<strong>to</strong> the formation of a sixmember
committee, which
will facilitate another
meeting in the South-East.
Kanu should be
punished
On the Kaduna
declaration of the coalition,
Shettima said, “Leaving
Nnamdi Kanu <strong>to</strong> go
unpunished is <strong>to</strong>tally
unacceptable <strong>to</strong> us because
he has so far done much
damage on our psyche and
our nation.
"So, for us, we think the
best we can do is <strong>to</strong>
internationalise this
struggle. Behind the
background of what we are
doing <strong>to</strong>day, most likely in
the event of anything falling
short of what we agreed, of
course we are already in the
UN reporting this same
character. That does not s<strong>to</strong>p
us from discussing <strong>to</strong> arrive
at a particular conclusion
where we can have peace
in the country.
“On our previous position,
we have not officially
withdrawn the quit notice
given <strong>to</strong> the Igbo in the
North but we said it few
days ago that we will <strong>review</strong>
our position and part of that
steps is what we are taking
now.”
While commending the
Ohanaeze Youth Council for
a fruitful discussion,
Shettima said: “I thank God
we are talking with a
recognized body of entire
<strong>youths</strong> organisation in the
South-East called
Ohanaeze Youth Council
that is known everywhere.
It means that this is a
welcome development and
we are happy that they
have actually sought <strong>to</strong> get
our audience <strong>to</strong> discuss the
way forward out of all these
uprisings.
“We are glad <strong>to</strong> get some
words coming out from the
leadership of Ohanaeze
Youth Council, specifically
on the area of seeking <strong>to</strong> see
us <strong>to</strong> discuss issues. It
means they realised that we
are very angry and a lot of
things have fallen out of
place as a result of their
shortcoming in the sense
that if they had called the
young man <strong>to</strong> order from
time past, we wouldn’t have
gone <strong>to</strong> this extreme.
“The second one is the
assurance from the
president of the council. If I
quote him very well, he said:
‘Nnamdi Kanu is just
looking for self recognition’,
and we became more
relaxed and comfortable
getting that from him.
"The third one is him
making efforts <strong>to</strong> bring
MASSOB and IPOB
<strong>to</strong>gether for us <strong>to</strong> go in<strong>to</strong> a
roundtable discussion. I
think it is a welcome
development.”
Also speaking, National
President, Ohanaeze Youth
Council, Mazi Okechukwu
Isigusoro, thanked the
northern coalition for a
fruitful deliberation, adding
that the council believes in
one Nigeria.
He said: “We want <strong>to</strong>
specially thank the coalition
of Northern groups for
accepting <strong>to</strong> host us in
Abuja. Our talks have been
very smooth beyond our
expectations and we want
<strong>to</strong> appreciate them,
knowing fully well that we
thought this talks would
have ended in fiasco or
taken a dangerous
dimension but the way they
have peacefully handled it
shows that they are a
peaceful people.
"We commend them for
that and also believe that
through this dialogue, we
believe in the future that
there will be no boycott of
these talks and if followed
peacefully, we will bring an
end <strong>to</strong> some of our problems
in this county.”
OYC denies
criticising Kanu
Meanwhile, Ohanaeze
Youth Council, OYC, has
denied a report credited <strong>to</strong>
its President, Mazi
Okechukwu Isiguzoro, <strong>to</strong>
the effect the leader of
IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi
Kanu, was seeking self
recognition through his
struggle for Biafra, saying
the council would never
criticize the activities of the
IPOB in respect of the
agitation.
In a statement, the
council said the issue of
Nnamdi Kanu never came
in the meeting they had in
Abuja with some leaders of
<strong>Arewa</strong> <strong>youths</strong>, insisting that
the meeting was strictly on
how <strong>to</strong> resolve the quit
notice issued <strong>to</strong> the Igbo by
some groups of <strong>Arewa</strong>
<strong>youths</strong>.
“Our President was
misquoted. The president
of Ohanaeze <strong>youths</strong> never
said that Mazi Nnamdi
Kanu is seeking self
recognition. The issue of
Nnamdi Kanu never came
up. We will never condemn
the self determination
clamour by IPOB and
MASSOB."
Restructuring not the answer
— Udeogaranya, APC presidential
aspirant
Udeogaranya
By Chioma Gabriel
FORMER Lagos State
chairman of the
defunct African
Renaissance Party, ARP, and
former chairman of Lagos
League of Political Parties,
LLPP, who is currently
aspiring for the presidency
on the platform of All
Progressives Congress,
APC, Chief Charles
Udeogaranya, yesterday,
said restructuring is not the
answer <strong>to</strong> Nigeria’s
problems.
According <strong>to</strong> him,
Nigeria is passing through
a difficult period, largely
due <strong>to</strong> the debilitating
economic conditions since
the slump in the crude oil
prices at the international
market.
This, according <strong>to</strong> him,
"has resulted in the
expression of anger in
various quarters across the
nation and therefore,
Nigeria will be vulnerable
<strong>to</strong> anarchy if major
restructuring takes place
now."
By Sam Eyoboka
<strong>to</strong>ld
Vanguard that
restructuring can come
after "our economy has
been stabilised and the
people are happy once
again, but internal
federating units should start
exploring ways and means
of achieving unity and
economic progress among
themselves.
"I commend the people
and governments of the
South-East and the South-
South for their great
initiatives of economic and
political co-operations
premised on the similitude
of their peoples.
Initiatives of such is an
attestation of “united we
<strong>stand</strong>” and that a three cord
fold are not easily broken.
"I urge the people and
governments of the South-
West <strong>to</strong> reconsider a
handshake across the
Niger based on their
similarities with the people
of South-East and South-
South and as a people who
share his<strong>to</strong>rical economic
and political ideologies of
the old Southern
Protec<strong>to</strong>rate of Nigeria.
Ahiara Laity Council formally
petitions Pope Francis
THREE days after the ex
piration of papal 30-day
deadline <strong>to</strong> Catholic priests
in Ahiara, Mbaise in Imo
State, <strong>to</strong> write individual letters
promising obedience <strong>to</strong>
him and accepting the bishop
appointed for their diocese,
the Ahiara Wordwide
Laity Council introduced a
new dimension <strong>to</strong> the campaign
against Bishop Peter
Okpalaeke, as they despatched
a formal letter of protest
<strong>to</strong> Pope Francis.
The letter dated July 12 titled:
“Hear Our Prayer; Give
Ahiara Diocese A Bishop,
Incardinated in the Diocese”,
and signed by 518 persons
across the globe, have expressed
dissatisfaction with
the posting of Bishop Peter
Okpalaeke, since his appointment
five years ago, in
violation of due process.
The letter of protest by the
Laity Council made available
<strong>to</strong> Vanguard weekend read:
“In your address in June
2013, <strong>to</strong> Papal Nuncios
(whose job it is <strong>to</strong> nominate
bishops), you described the
kinds of persons you want
them <strong>to</strong> put forward as nominees
- pas<strong>to</strong>rs who are “close
<strong>to</strong> the people, fathers and
brothers….” a criteria not at
variance with the guidelines
for selecting bishops as provided
by the code of canon
law, Can. 377 §2, which recommends
that “….At least
every three years, bishops of
an ecclesiastical province or,
where circumstances suggest
it, of a conference of bishops,
are in common counsel and
in SECRET <strong>to</strong> compose a list
of PRESBYTERS (which the
then Rev. Fr. Peter Okpalaeke
is not and was not), even including
members of institutes
of consecrated life, who are
more suitable for the episcopate.
“They are <strong>to</strong> send it <strong>to</strong> the
Apos<strong>to</strong>lic See, without prejudice
<strong>to</strong> the right of each bishop
individually, <strong>to</strong> make
known <strong>to</strong> the Apos<strong>to</strong>lic See,
the names of PRESBYTERS
(which the then Rev. Fr. Okpalaeke
is not and was not),
whom he considers worthy of
and suited <strong>to</strong> the Episcopal
function.”
“Against this background,
we, the undersigned laity,
representing the majority of
the over 500,000 Catholics
from the Ahiara Diocese, collectively
raise our voices in
prayer <strong>to</strong> your Holiness, <strong>to</strong>
give us a Bishop incardinated
in our Diocese according
<strong>to</strong> the law, and in line with
your preference - “a pas<strong>to</strong>r
close <strong>to</strong> the people” .
“Our rejection of His Lordship
Peter Okpalaeke is on
the following grounds; 1. Violation
of Due process Due
process was not followed as
recommended by Can. 377
§2, which states that… “At
least every three years, bishops
of an ecclesiastical province
or, where circumstances
suggest it, of a conference of
bishops, are in common
counsel and in SECRET <strong>to</strong>
compose a list of PRESBY-
TERS (which Okpalaeke is
not and was not), even including
members of institutes
of consecrated life, who are
more suitable for the episcopate.

16—Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
MSME CLINIC: From left: Ogun State Commissioner for Information, Mr
Dayo Adeneye; MD, Metropolitan Mo<strong>to</strong>rs, Mr Toyin Okeowo; Ogun State
Governor, Sena<strong>to</strong>r Ibikunle Amosun; MD\CEO, Bank of Industry, Mr
Olukayode Pitan and Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry,
Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, during the 7th Ogun State Micro Small and Medium
Enterprises MSME, Clinic, in Abeokuta.
FORUM: From left: Executive Direc<strong>to</strong>r, Investments, Stanbic IBTC Pension
Managers Ltd, SIPML, Mr. Oladele Sotubo; Direc<strong>to</strong>r, Admin, Budget Office,
Hajiya Rabi Badamosi; Head, Business Development, SIPML, Mrs. Nike
Bajomo; and representative of the Acting Direc<strong>to</strong>r General, National Pension
Commission, Mr. Babatunde Ogunniyi, during the SIPML’s Employers’ Forum
in Abuja.
SUMMIT: From left: Dr Ayoola Oduntan, President, Poultry Association of
Nigeria, PAN; Professor Adeyinka Adeniyi Odunsi, President, World's Poultry
Science Association, Nigerian chapter, and Onallo S. Akpa, DG, PAN, during
the Nigerian International Poultry Summit in Lagos.
BIRTHDAY: From left: Radio/Television broadcaster, Yori Folarin;
representative of Alake of Egbaland, Chief Adeniyi Oluyinka; celebrant, Dr.
Kolawole Olusola-Christwealth; his wife, Oyinola and MD, UAC Property
Development Company Plc, Hakeem Ogunniran, during the 50th birthday of
Dr. Kolawole in Lagos, weekend.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017—17
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
Direct Entry: JAMB warns candidates
against multiple registration
•Moves <strong>to</strong> check interference in admission process
By Joseph Erunke
ABUJA—THE Joint
Admissions and
Matriculation Board,
JAMB, has warned
candidates against multiple
registration in its
ongoing Direct Entry and
UTME for foreign centres.
The warning came on the
heels of a software it
developed <strong>to</strong> remove
human interference in its
admission process.
The board insisted in a
statement that it would not
condone any act of multiple
registration in the on going
registration for Direct Entry
and UTME for foreign
centres.
The statement read:
"Candidates are <strong>to</strong> note that
multiple registration is a
serious offence in the
process of obtaining the
Board’s application form
be it UTME or the DE
currently on sale, "JAMB
said in a statement it
released through its Head
of Information , Dr Fabian
Benjamin.
''Our advertisement for
2017 UTME clearly states
the penalty for any
candidate caught buying
two forms.
"The public is requested
<strong>to</strong> note that any candidate
who indulges in double
registration will be caught
by our software and
disqualified.
"This information is
necessary for the public <strong>to</strong>
know so that when such
candidates are sanctioned it
will be unders<strong>to</strong>od.
"The board is not
interested in the candidates
money as being insinuated
by certain group who
suggested <strong>to</strong> the Board that
such registration will
enhance the revenue base
of the board.
"No, we are more
interested in the sanctity of
the examination and not the
money. If money is our
concern we would not be
returning over N5 billion <strong>to</strong>
federal government coffers.
"This year, we have
remitted back <strong>to</strong>
government over five
billion naira, the highest
ever in the 40 years of the
Board. This money was
saved through the
transperent and judicious
use of resources."
"We call on other
government agencies <strong>to</strong>
emulate the Board in
prudent management of
resources so that much can
be saved, returned <strong>to</strong>
government coffers <strong>to</strong>
stimulate the economy out
of the recession.
“It urged candidates <strong>to</strong>
disregard all information on
admission especially cut-off
marks being circulated on
the net.
"No cut-off mark has been
arrived at as this can only
be done at a policy meeting
which is at the moment yet
<strong>to</strong> be conveyed."

18 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
A public forum held in Abuja recently
provided another opportunity
for the financial au<strong>to</strong>nomy of
the legislature at state levels <strong>to</strong> be
put on the front burner of national
discourse. Financial au<strong>to</strong>nomy enables
the state assemblies the freedom
<strong>to</strong> access their budgetary allocations
directly without the current
trend of depending on the good
graces of the Executive Branch (the
Governors).
The Deputy President of the Senate
and Chairman of the Senate
Committee on Constitutional Reform,
Ike Ekweremadu (who is also
a constitutional lawyer), said at the
event that financial au<strong>to</strong>nomy “is
the most important constitutional
empowerment required by the state
Houses of Assembly for effective
leadership for the interest of democracy
and development”.
It is an observable fact that the
National Assembly (Senate and
House of Representatives) has
struggled and achieved a high lev-
Financial au<strong>to</strong>nomy for State Assemblies
el of self-reliance which enables it
<strong>to</strong> perform its constitutional role of
checks and balances in our presidential
democracy. That is why,
over the years and across regimes,
the two chambers of the National
Assembly have firmly established
their capacity <strong>to</strong> choose and maintain
their leadership (instead of
being at the mercy of the President
which was the case at the outset of
our renascent democracy).
With this strong sense of au<strong>to</strong>nomy,
the National Assembly is also
able <strong>to</strong> perform its oversight functions
and assert its right <strong>to</strong> control
the finances of the Federation as
constitutionally required. The only
area where the Federal Legislative
arm has not tested its constitutional
powers effectively is the area of
impeachment of the President or
Vice President.
The same cannot be said of the Legislature
at the state levels. They are
still firmly tied <strong>to</strong> the apron strings
of state governors. The Governors
still move about in much the same
fashion as military governors or
administra<strong>to</strong>rs during our military
past. This is largely possible because
of the reluctance of the Governors
<strong>to</strong> allow the legislature and
judiciary direct and au<strong>to</strong>matic access
<strong>to</strong> their budgetary allocations.
Another fac<strong>to</strong>r militating against
the independence of State Assemblies
generally is the fact that
many of their members often are
hand-picked lackeys of the incumbent
governor. From their alpha
positions, the governors deprive
the legislatures their capacity <strong>to</strong>
control the purse, carry out effective
oversight or generally hold
the governor <strong>to</strong> account. It is the
main reason state Houses of Assemblies
are mere rubber stamps
of state governors, which does not
augur well for our democracy.
We encourage Sena<strong>to</strong>r Ekweremadu
and his committee <strong>to</strong> do all
possible <strong>to</strong> secure full au<strong>to</strong>nomy
for the state Houses of Assembly
<strong>to</strong> enable them <strong>to</strong> effectively play
their roles in checking and balancing
the excesses of governance.
Seventeen years in<strong>to</strong> our renascent
democracy, we can no longer
afford lame-duck state legislatures.
ByAsikason Jonathan
“Sincerely speaking, the South-East has not
had a fair-share/ since the civil war. Their
marginalization is quite obvious/ But if the policy
of reconciliation of Gen. Gowon and late/ Gen.
Murtala’s administration had continued, the
agitation by few/ Igbo for Biafra would have
been a thing of the past”
–– Balarabe Musa
IT is fiftieth anniversary of the Nigerian civil
war, the war that the people of the defunct
Eastern region of the country fought for the
survival and sustenance of one of the world’s
shortest lived states –– the Republic of Biafra.
While it is not surprising that the federal
government is mute about the significance of
the event, in that many conditions –– as
Balarabe Musa pointed above –– that made
the war inevitable still haunt us <strong>to</strong>day, it is
regrettable lugubrious(apologies <strong>to</strong> Patrick
Obahiabon) that no commemoration is
planned or organised by any state in the South-
East or South-South.
The war was declared by Gen. Yakubu
Gowon’s led military government on 6 th July
1967 <strong>to</strong> bring the defunct Eastern region back
<strong>to</strong> the Nigerian federation. The unity of the
country which one of the federal war cry said
“is a task that must be done!” was compromised
by then Col. Ojukwu who on 30 th May 1967
declared the Republic of Biafra. He did that as
survivalist mechanism against what could be
called state sponsored pogrom against the Igbo
people.
Igbo people living outside the Eastern Region
had since the “Return March of 29 th July 1966”
made victims of mass slaughter. These for
Northerners were in retaliation of their leaders
killed in the failed 15 th January 1966 coup––
OPINION
Biafra: The war rages on by other means
the coup they believed, tenaciously, <strong>to</strong> be “Igbo
coup.”
So, it was against this backdrop that Ojukwu’s
declaration of Biafra was greeted with pomp
and pageantry. To an average Igbo man then, it
was an epiphany of the Igbo race. But that was
not <strong>to</strong> be as what started as a police action in
Nothing will work in Nigeria
so long as the notion that
NdIgbo are ‘defeated people’
still holds water
the wee hours of 6 th July 1967 turned out <strong>to</strong> be
a full blown war that lasted for thirty months.
The events of the war were economically
rendered in my poem titled “In the Shadow of
Biafra”:
Agreement suffered disagreement
And canons were let loose
Raining in the sky of Biafra,
The scavengers called for feast
Life and death brawled in a free-for-all
But the scavengers had their ways
With their cups overflowing in the presence
of their enemy,
Psalm 23 was in their lips.
Were these Biafrans that “heroes fight like”?
Ah! Hunger was the weapon of the enemy.
Kwashiorkor came knocking at the door,
And the death dominoes began <strong>to</strong> fall.
The grim-reaper was the zeitgeist,
In the genocidal engagement
The rising sun hurriedly departed,
And cessation was the secession.
With defeat in sight, on 11 th January, 1970,
Gens. Ojukwu and Alexander Madiebo, the
commander of Biafran army, fled for exile. It
was the man that the white reporters called F-
young (Gen. Philip Effiong) that did the needful
by handing over <strong>to</strong> then Col. Obasanjo the
instrument of surrender. So on 15 th January
1970, Gen. Gowon received the Biafran
delegation and thus announced the end of the
war on the terms of “no vic<strong>to</strong>r no vanquished.”
The argument whether there were vic<strong>to</strong>rs and
vanquished in war was perfectly put <strong>to</strong> rest by
Ojukwu himself who in the BBC documentary
on the 40 th anniversary of the Biafran war
anchored by Prof. Wole Soyinka asked: what
did he (Gen. Gowon) do <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>p the vic<strong>to</strong>r from
being the vic<strong>to</strong>r and the vanquished from being
the vanquished?
One glaring indication that Nigeria has failed
as a country is that fifty years after the civil war,
Biafra is still on the air. This therefore buttressed
the incompatibility logic always put forward
by many Biafran nationalists. But if after fifty
years, the people of the defunct Biafra have not
been fully integrated in<strong>to</strong> the mainstream of
Nigerian politics, can we say they can ever be
integrated?
The question that successive Nigerian
leadership has failed <strong>to</strong> answer is: why is Igbo
people a threat <strong>to</strong> the rest of Nigerians? Achebe
made us under<strong>stand</strong> in his short masterpiece
The trouble with Nigeria that “Nigerians of all
other ethnic groups will probably achieve
consensus on no other matter than their
common resentment of the Igbo. They would
all describe them as aggressive, arrogant and
clannish.”
A cursory foray in<strong>to</strong> the Nigerian his<strong>to</strong>ry will
show that no ethnic group has contributed and
sacrificed so much <strong>to</strong> the development of “one
Nigeria” that our Northern brothers are now
singing <strong>to</strong>day than the Igbo people. Even when
Zik’s emergence in the Western Assembly was
foiled by chief Awolowo through the infamous
cross-carpeting he orchestrated, Prince Umoro
Altine of Soko<strong>to</strong> successfully emerged as the
mayor of Enugu. Zik scarified the post of
prime-minister because of “one Nigeria.” Igbo
people do not just live in all the nooks and
crannies of this country but are also developing
them as their homes because of the one Nigeria
philosophy ––so where have they wrong their
other Nigerian brothers?
Any objective analysis of the post-civil war
public policies of Nigerian State must come
<strong>to</strong> the views that Balarabe Musa expressed
above. This is so because we are still at war.
From the 20pounds bank and indigenization
policies of Gowon’s administration <strong>to</strong> the
present day removal of South-East from the
proposed rail project of the federal
government, Ndigbo are shortchanged.
The problem with Nigeria and the Biafran
question can be seen in the Igbo adage that
says: Oji onye n’ani ji onwe ya–– ‘He who will
hold another down in the mud must stay in the
mud <strong>to</strong> keep him down.’ Nothing will work in
Nigeria so long as the notion that NdIgbo are
‘defeated people’ still holds water in the process
of authoritative allocation of resource. To
wake up the sleeping giant that Nigeria is, we
must look <strong>to</strong> the direction of restructuring and
fiscal federalism.
*Mr. Jonathan, a public affair analyst, wrote
from Enugu-Ukwu, Anambra state.

CBN <strong>to</strong> mop-up N238bn as NBS releases June inflation data
By Babajide Komolafe
THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will this week
continue its tight monetary policy by issuing
treasury bills <strong>to</strong> mop-up N238 billion.
Meanwhile the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)
will also this week release the inflation data for June,
which is expected <strong>to</strong> sustain the downward trend for
the fourth consecutive months.
Financial Vanguard findings revealed that the CBN,
in a bid <strong>to</strong> forestall build-up of excess liquidity in the
interbank money market, which could lead <strong>to</strong> upward
pressure on inflation and exchange rate, will issue
treasury bills worth N238.7 billion. This comprises 91-
day bills worth N12.295 billion, 364-day bills worth
N129 billion and 353-day bills worth N97.438 billion.
This was designed <strong>to</strong> cancel out the impact of inflow
of N204.96 billion coming in<strong>to</strong> the system this week
via payment of matured treasury bills. The mature
treasury bills comprise 91-day bills worth N36.786
billion, 182-day bills worth N39.175 billion and 364-
day bills worth N129 billion.
Last week the interbank money market experienced
wide swings in cost of funds, with average short term
interest rate rising above 25 per cent at the beginning
of the week, due <strong>to</strong> liquidity outflow for participation
in CBN’s dollar auctions, before falling <strong>to</strong> single digit
level at the close of the week, due <strong>to</strong> liquidity inflow
of N89.9 billion from payment of matured treasury
Continues on page 21
MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
Depleting capital: Insurers seek access
<strong>to</strong> N30bn statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit
•Emefiele, CBN Governor
•Mohammed Kari, Commissioner for Insurance
Banks’ assets and
liabilities hit N33
trillion
PAGE 22
Equities’ pricing: Policy
consistency will sustain
uptrend in H2
Nigeria conspicuously
missing in ATI — NAICOM
PAGE 25 PAGE 29

20 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
FINANCIAL VANGUARD
Depleting capital: Insurers seek
access <strong>to</strong> N30bn statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit
•Industry chieftains disagree on utilization
•Edwin Igbiti MD/CEO
Aiico Insurance
•Valentine Ojumah MD/
CEO FBN Insurance
•Oluwole Osming<strong>to</strong>n MD/CEO
of Cus<strong>to</strong>dian and Allied plc
By Rosemary Onuoha
HAVING
witnessed
massive capital depletion
while the economic downturn
persists, a segment of the
insurance industry, especially the
fringe players are now lobbying
the regula<strong>to</strong>ry authorities <strong>to</strong> have
access <strong>to</strong> their statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit
lodged in the Central Bank of
Nigeria, CBN.
With industry statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit
in excess of N30 billion, marginal
players are of the view that
allowing them access <strong>to</strong> the fund
will go a long way in boosting
their investment income.
Statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposits represent
amounts deposited with the
CBN in accordance with section
9(1) and section 10(3) of the
Insurance Act 2003. The cash
amount held is considered <strong>to</strong> be
restricted cash as the insurers do
not have access <strong>to</strong> the balances
in its day <strong>to</strong> day activities.
According <strong>to</strong> the Insurance Act,
2003, in the case of existing
companies, an equivalent of 10
per cent of the minimum paidup
share capital shall be
deposited with the CBN. Any
statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit made shall
attract interest at the minimum
lending rate of the apex bank on
every first day of each year.
Although <strong>to</strong>p end opera<strong>to</strong>rs
argue that the statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit
is quite insignificant <strong>to</strong> their
business operations when
compared <strong>to</strong> their asset base, the
marginal players are of the view
that it will impact greatly on their
investment income if granted
access <strong>to</strong> it.
While some players have
submitted and gotten approval for
their financial results for the 2016
financial year, a few others are
struggling <strong>to</strong> do same, due <strong>to</strong>
pressures on their balance sheet.
The Nigerian S<strong>to</strong>ck Exchange
had suspended some of them
previous week.
Analysis of companies that have
so far gotten approval for their
2016 accounts shows that of the
41 companies that forwarded
their accounts, 32 were approved
while that of nine underwriters
were queried.
Meanwhile, 13 other firms
including Goldlink Insurance,
Nicon Insurance, Industrial &
General Insurance, IGI;
International Energy Insurance,
IEI; African Alliance, NAIC
Insurance, Unic Insurance, Great
Nigeria Insurance, among
others, are yet <strong>to</strong> forward their
accounts.
Recall that for many corporate
organisations and financial
institutions in Nigeria, the year
2016 was a difficult one for
business owners and opera<strong>to</strong>rs
alike with its attendant
challenges.
Insurance industry opera<strong>to</strong>rs
pointed out that the sec<strong>to</strong>r was
carrying the burden of adverse
macroeconomic situation of the
country, as fewer insurance
underwritings were available
while many others, including
corporate clients, failed there
premium obligations.
The situation, according <strong>to</strong>
them, have now compelled them
<strong>to</strong> lobby for a liquidity flow from
the statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposits <strong>to</strong> enable
them meet funding gaps.
Statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposits/
<strong>to</strong>tal assets
Vanguard analysis of the 2016
financial results of some insurance
firms revealed that Corners<strong>to</strong>ne
Insurance had a statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit of
N800 million with <strong>to</strong>tal assets of N21.4
billion. Cus<strong>to</strong>dian & Allied Group had
N802 million as statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit,
while its <strong>to</strong>tal assets s<strong>to</strong>od at N68.1
billion. FBN Insurance had statu<strong>to</strong>ry
deposit of N500 million while <strong>to</strong>tal
assets s<strong>to</strong>od at N31.7 billion. Aiico
Insurance had statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit of
N530 million with <strong>to</strong>tal assets at N77.5
billion.
Law Union and Rock Insurance had
statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit of N315 million while
<strong>to</strong>tal assets s<strong>to</strong>od at N8.6 billion. Nem
Insurance had statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit of
N320 million while <strong>to</strong>tal assets was
N14.5 billion. Unity Kapital Insurance
had statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit of N355 million
while <strong>to</strong>tal assets was N12.4 billion.
Wapic insurance had statu<strong>to</strong>ry
deposits of N617,632 million while <strong>to</strong>tal
assets was N12.7 billion. Axa Mansard
Insurance had statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit of
N500 million while <strong>to</strong>tal assets was
N54.9 billion. Mutual Benefits had
statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit of N500 million while
<strong>to</strong>tal assets was N51.5 billion.
Regency Alliance had statu<strong>to</strong>ry
deposit of N376,532 million while <strong>to</strong>tal
assets s<strong>to</strong>od at N8.5 billion.
Meanwhile for insurers that are yet
<strong>to</strong> turn in their full year 2016 audited
results the statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposits being
eyed are as at end 2015.
At the end of the 2015 financial year,
Sovereign Trust Insurance had
statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit of N315 million while
<strong>to</strong>tal assets was N9.3 billion. Royal
Just keeping
such money in
the CBN without
any option of
negotiating the
returns on it is
counterproductive
<strong>to</strong> the
inves<strong>to</strong>rs and
shareholders
exchange had statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit
of N555 million while <strong>to</strong>tal assets
was N26.5 billion. Consolidated
Hallmark had statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit
of N300 million while <strong>to</strong>tal assets
s<strong>to</strong>od at N7.0 billion. Standard
Alliance had statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit of
N535 million while <strong>to</strong>tal assets
s<strong>to</strong>od at N11.8 billion. Staco
Insurance had statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit
of N300 million while <strong>to</strong>tal assets
was N10.9 billion, while Prestige
•Ganiyu Musa MD/CEO
Corners<strong>to</strong>ne Insurance
Assurance had statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit
of N300 million and <strong>to</strong>tal assets
of N10.5 billion.
Opera<strong>to</strong>rs’
reaction
However, against the quest for
access <strong>to</strong> the deposits some
insurance chieftains threw more
light on the funds.
Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r of Wapic
Insurance Plc, Mrs. Adeyinka
Adekoya stated: “The statu<strong>to</strong>ry
deposit is there because of the
policy holders. It is a way of
protecting the policy holders incase
an insurance company is
not able <strong>to</strong> meet its liabilities.
Hence, the deposit will be relied
upon <strong>to</strong> pay the policy holders if
an insurance company is
distressed.
‘‘Although for the industry, the
money seems <strong>to</strong> be held in
captivity because it is not really
making much returns for the
industry and you know that we
are highly dependent on
investment income. So it would
have been very good for us <strong>to</strong>
have access <strong>to</strong> it so that we can
invest it where it will yield
maximum return on investment.
But currently it is held in captivity.
‘‘However, I cannot really
blame NAICOM because it is a
move <strong>to</strong> protect policy holders,
which is why the regula<strong>to</strong>r is
insisting on keeping part of it as
deposit with the CBN.”
Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r of
Corners<strong>to</strong>ne Insurance Plc, Mr.
Ganiyu Musa, said that interest
on the statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit is not
negotiable. According <strong>to</strong> him,
his company is focusing on
deepening the business through
investment income.
Group Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r of
Standard Alliance Plc, Mr. Bode
Akinboye, stated: “The statu<strong>to</strong>ry
deposit has not been useful <strong>to</strong> us
in any way. The return on it is
very poor. If the CBN wants <strong>to</strong>
keep such money they should
allow us <strong>to</strong> get maximum return
on it. For example, we could
place it in any instrument we
want. We could chose <strong>to</strong> place it
in treasury bills or government
bond where we can get better
returns on it.
‘‘Just keeping such money in the
CBN without any option of
negotiating the returns on it is
counter-productive <strong>to</strong> the
inves<strong>to</strong>rs and shareholders. The
CBN has instruments that can
give us better returns. So
opera<strong>to</strong>rs should be allowed <strong>to</strong>
put it in any instrument of the
Central Bank with the highest
returns possible.”
However, Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r
of FBN Life, Mr. Val Ojumah, in
his comments stated: “The
statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit is just a security
fund which is just 10 per cent of
your capital. If opera<strong>to</strong>rs are
allowed <strong>to</strong> place it in investments
of their choice, it will not serve
the security purpose for which it
was meant for.
‘‘Today many insurance
companies are living out of their
premium income. If you allow
them <strong>to</strong> access the statu<strong>to</strong>ry
deposit, they will kill the funds
and use it for purposes which it
is not meant for and the security
purpose will be defeated.’’
Mr. Rotimi Okpaise, Founder/
CEO of HR Nigeria Limited said,
“I have no objections <strong>to</strong> insurers
investing the statu<strong>to</strong>ry deposit
in<strong>to</strong> investment with higher
returns, however, it has <strong>to</strong> follow
due process. If we feel a change
is needed within the law, then
we have <strong>to</strong> seek for changes
within the law. But from the
practice point of view I have no
objections <strong>to</strong> it. If the law needs
<strong>to</strong> be changed <strong>to</strong> accommodate
that need, we have <strong>to</strong> go through
that process <strong>to</strong> change that law.”

FINANCIAL VANGUARD
CBN <strong>to</strong> mop-up N238bn as NBS releases
June inflation data
Continues from page 19
bills.
Data from the Financial Market
Dealers Quote (FMDQ) revealed
that interest rate on collateralised
lending rose from 15 per cent
previous week <strong>to</strong> 25.33 per cent on
Monday, but dropped <strong>to</strong> 9.0 per
cent at the close of business on
Friday. Similarly, interest rate for
overnight lending rose from 15.25
per cent the previous week <strong>to</strong> 28.17
per cent on Monday, but dropped
<strong>to</strong> 9.75 per cent at the close of the
week.
This trend according <strong>to</strong> analysts
at Afrinvest Plc may persist this
week due <strong>to</strong> the liquidity mop-up
by the CBN. “We expect the CBN
<strong>to</strong> continue with its aggressive
Open Market Operations (OMO)
mop ups while Open Buy Back
(OBB) and Overnight
(OVN) rates remain in the double
digit band”, they said.
Naira appreciates as CBN
sustains intervention: The naira
last week appreciated in the
parallel market and the Nigeria
Au<strong>to</strong>nomous Foreign Exchange
Market (NAFEX).
The naira appreciated by 50 kobo
in the parallel market as the
exchange rate dropped <strong>to</strong> N367 per
dollar at the close of business on
Friday, from N367.50 per dollar
the previous week. The naira
recorded a bigger appreciation of
N2.99 in NAFEX, as the indicative
exchange rate dropped from
N365.02 per dollar the previous
week <strong>to</strong> N362.83 per dollar at the
close of trading on Friday.
Meanwhile the CBN continued
its intervention in the interbank
market by injecting $142.5 million on
Monday. Analysis of the intervention
revealed that$100 million was sold <strong>to</strong>
dealers in the wholesale segment,
while it $23 million was sold <strong>to</strong> the
Small and Medium Enterprises
(SMEs) segment. It also sold N19.5
million <strong>to</strong> those requiring foreign
exchange for invisibles such as tuition
fees, medical payments and Basic
Travel Allowance (BTA).
Also analysts at Cowry Assets
Management Limited have attributed
the improvement in local content in
the manufacturing sec<strong>to</strong>r <strong>to</strong> the
effectiveness of the CBN’s forex policy.
Quoting a report by the Manufacturers
Association of Nigeria (MAN), they
noted that local content rose <strong>to</strong>
53.17 per cent in 2016 from 48.75 per
cent and 47.18 per cent recorded in
2015 and 2014 respectively.
They stated that: “This is an
affirmation of the foreign exchange
policies of the Central Bank of Nigeria,
particularly its June 2015 policy which
aims at encouraging local sourcing of
raw materials by manufacturers by
excluding importers of certain goods
with local substitutes from accessing
foreign exchange from the Nigerian
foreign exchange markets.
“The foreign exchange policy was
also intended <strong>to</strong> enable conservation
of scarce foreign exchange as well as
boosting employment generation in
the country. We opine that, should the
external sec<strong>to</strong>r remain relatively
healthy on the back of favourable and
sustainable crude oil price levels, the
positive impact of the policy would be
more sustainable, and manufacturers
will be able <strong>to</strong> transfer the benefit of
their cost savings <strong>to</strong> the final
consumers via lower output charges
in a competitive environment in the
Naira exchange rates
short <strong>to</strong> medium terms.”
NBS <strong>to</strong> release June inflation data:
Ahead of the release of inflation data
for June by the National Bureau of
Statistics (NBS) this week, most
analysts have projected that the inflation
rate will maintain the downward trend
of the four previous months. The
inflation rate rose steadily for 18 months
reaching a peak of 18.72 per cent
January this year. Since then it had
been on a downward trend, falling <strong>to</strong>
16.25 per cent in May.
Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017 — 21
While analysts at Financial Derivatives
Company (FDC) and FSDH Merchant Bank
projected lower inflation rate of 16.1 per cent
and 15.64 per cent respectively for June,
analysts at Afrinvest however projected
inflation rate will rise moderately <strong>to</strong> 16.4 per
cent in June.
According <strong>to</strong> the Afrinvest analyst, “We
forecast Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y) Headline Inflation
for June <strong>to</strong> marginally increase by 15 basis
points (bps) <strong>to</strong> 16.4 per cent as we expect
sustained pressure on food prices <strong>to</strong> keep
Month-on-Mont (M-o-M) Consumer Price
Index (CPI) growth elevated at 1.8 per cent.
Interbank interest rates
C
M
Y
K

22 —Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017 — 23

24 —Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017

FINANCIAL VANGUARD
Equities’ pricing: Policy consistency will
sustain uptrend in H2
By Nkiruka Nnorom
AS the third quarter, Q3' 17,
enters in<strong>to</strong> the third week,
analysts in the capital market
have said that consistency and
sustainability of policies that are
able <strong>to</strong> deliver solid macroeconomic
recovery in the near
term will continue <strong>to</strong> keep the
market in the upward trajec<strong>to</strong>ry.
Among some of the policies and
developments that propelled a
bullish second quarter, Q2’17,
which must be sustained,
according <strong>to</strong> them, include 2.0
million barrels per day oil output,
By Nkiruka Nnorom
SEVEN corporate bodies,
including Lafarge Africa
Plc, Wema Bank Plc, Sterling
Bank Plc, First City Monument
Bank, FCMB, Forte Oil Plc, C&I
Leasing Plc and Avantgarge Plc
raised a <strong>to</strong>tal of N108.04 billion
from the domestic bond market
in 2016, according <strong>to</strong> the Debt
Management Office, DMO.
Also, Lagos State successfully
accessed the domestic bond
market in 2016 <strong>to</strong> raise N47
billion, bringing the <strong>to</strong>tal funds
raised by the seven corporates
and one sub-national <strong>to</strong> N155.04
strong external reserves, which
now <strong>stand</strong>s at $30.0 billion, full
operation of Forcados export
terminal and the prospect of an
economic recovery. The more
impactful was the introduction of
the Inves<strong>to</strong>rs and Exporters, I&E
FX window by the Central Bank
of Nigeria, CBN.
Specifically, analysts at United
Capital Plc, a Lagos-based
investment banking firm, said
that a medium <strong>to</strong> long-term
stability in the local economy
would be critical in driving
sentiment amidst impressive
corporate earnings.
Enabling environment, market forces can
encourage telcos <strong>to</strong> list — Airtel CEO
By Peter Egwuatu
THE Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r/
CEO, Airtel Nigeria, Mr.
Segun Ogunsanya, has said that
telecom firms in Nigeria can
successfully list on the Nigerian
S<strong>to</strong>ck Exchange, NSE, and
contribute significantly <strong>to</strong> the
socio-economic development of
the country barring challenges
confronting opera<strong>to</strong>rs in the
sec<strong>to</strong>r. According <strong>to</strong> him, an
enabling business environment,
policies that promote ease of
doing business and market forces
in line with best practices are key
fac<strong>to</strong>rs that can encourage them
<strong>to</strong> list on the Exchange.
Ogunsanya made this
submission while making a
presentation titled, “Creating an
Enabling Environment for Public
Listing of the Economy’s
Commanding Heights: The Case
for Telecoms Sec<strong>to</strong>r”, at the 2017
Chartered Institute of
S<strong>to</strong>ckbrokers, CIS, Annual
National Workshop, in Abuja
recently.
Ogunsanya noted that
following the liberalisation of the
telecoms sec<strong>to</strong>r in 2001, the nation
has benefited in terms of
employment creation, attraction
of foreign direct investments and
social-economic development.
He stated: “The sec<strong>to</strong>r
currently accounts for 10 per cent
of the nation’s Gross Domestic
Product, GDP, and therefore
makes it a critical national
infrastructure. In addition,
connectivity among Nigerians
has been enhanced with the
145,350,702 active lines as at
May 2017. Investments in the
sec<strong>to</strong>r as at Q1 2017 s<strong>to</strong>od at
$68billion with foreign direct
investment, FDI, contribution
amounting <strong>to</strong> $35billion, while
billion during the year. On the
other hand, in 2015 and 2016,
there were relatively low
activities in respect of new
eurobond issues by the
corporates, especially
commercial banks in the
International Capital Market,
ICM. There were no eurobond
issuances by Nigerian corporates
in 2015, while in 2016, only
Access Bank raised US$300
million from the ICM.
The report further showed that
the domestic bonds market
recorded weak activity in the year
ended December 2016 as <strong>to</strong>tal
“We expect sentiment <strong>to</strong> remain
upbeat and from a technical
<strong>stand</strong>-point, current valuation
provides attractive bargains.
“At 32,827.98 points as at July
11, 2017, technical analysis
suggests that the All Share
Index, ASI, may rally even
higher when compared <strong>to</strong> the
medium term resistant point of
38000 - 40000 points if news flow
in the domestic economy
continues at the pace witnessed
in Q2-17,” they said.
They however, observed that
risks <strong>to</strong> further upside remain on
the horizon amid unsteady oil
over 10,000 direct jobs and
1.3million indirect jobs have been
created.”
He stressed that telcos are
committed <strong>to</strong> providing
qualitative world class
telecommunications services and
in turn contribute <strong>to</strong> the socioeconomic
development of the
country.
market capitalisation in the
market fell by N89 billion from
N7.14 trillion <strong>to</strong> N6.25 trillion at
the end of 2016, representing
12.5 per cent decline.
However, the size of the
domestic bond market in terms
of face value s<strong>to</strong>od at N7.14
billion as at December 2016,
compared <strong>to</strong> N6.52 billion at the
same period in 2015,
representing an increase of
N624.20 billion or 9.58 percent.
The face value of out<strong>stand</strong>ing
FGN bonds as at December, 2016
s<strong>to</strong>od at N7.14 billion, 9.58 per
cent increase over N6.52 billion
Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017 — 25
prices, political uncertainty and
capital flow reversal. Last week,
inves<strong>to</strong>rs rallied N273 billion
gains as the market recorded five
straight days of bullish activities.
The twin indica<strong>to</strong>rs were up 2.4
per cent on the back of impressive
returns on 48 equities with
Neimeth International
Pharmaceuticals Plc, Unity Bank
Plc, Forte Oil Plc, Avon
Crowncaps and Containers Plc
and N.E.M Insurance Plc
leading the pack with 24.62 per
cent, 19.67 per cent, 15.34 per
cent, 14.56 per cent and 14.14 per
cent appreciation respectively.
Sentiment was also strong within
the entire market as all the five
sec<strong>to</strong>ral indices rallied higher
compared <strong>to</strong> the previous week.
The banking sec<strong>to</strong>r galloped
the most, recording 6.10 per cent
returns, propelled by 10.04 per
cent and 8.43 per cent gains in
Ecobank Transnational
Incorporated, ETI Plc and Access
Bank Plc respectively.
The industrial goods sec<strong>to</strong>r
followed suit, rising by 2.94 per
cent; the oil and gas sec<strong>to</strong>r driven
by gains in Forte Oil Plc and
Mobil Oil Nig. Plc, returned 2.31
per cent, while insurance sec<strong>to</strong>r
and the consumer goods sec<strong>to</strong>r
recorded 0.88 per cent and 0.71
per cent appreciations
respectively.
Bonds: Lafarge Africa, Wema Bank, 5 others raise N108.04bn in 2016
as at the end of 2015. The
proportionate share of FGN
bonds relative <strong>to</strong> the <strong>to</strong>tal size of
the domestic bond market
increased <strong>to</strong> 93.33 per cent in
2016 compared <strong>to</strong> 89.14 percent
in 2015.
The size of the State
Government Bonds decreased <strong>to</strong>
N324.20 billion as at end of
December, 2016, from N457.38
billion as at December, 2015. The
share of State Government Bonds
was 4.45 per cent in 2016
compared <strong>to</strong> seven per cent in
2015, representing a decline of
2.55 percent.
NASD set <strong>to</strong>
launch platform
<strong>to</strong> ease SMEs
funding
challenges
By Nkiruka Nnorom
FOLLOWING the dearth
of cheap capital in the
Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises, MSMEs, in the
country, the NASD OTC
Securities Exchange Plc, has
announced plans <strong>to</strong> create a
window, Enterprise Platform,
that will enable MSMEs
access funds <strong>to</strong> power their
businesses.
Enterprise Platform, which
will be launched before the
end of third quarter of the
year, Q3’17, will give
MSMEs opera<strong>to</strong>rs the
opportunity <strong>to</strong> enjoy funding
support from venture capital
firms upon confirmation of
viability of such business.
In his presentation at the
Nigerian Association of Small
and medium Enterprises,
NASME Lagos Branch
Round Table Conference,
themed “Reflating the
Economy through MSME
Support”, in Lagos, Mr Bola
Ajomale, Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r/
CEO, NASD Plc, said the
platform would provide
alternative <strong>to</strong> bank loans that
are marked with disturbingly
high interest rates.
According <strong>to</strong> him, advisers
would be appointed <strong>to</strong> each
of the interested companies,
who would package the
companies and make them
more attractive for
investment.
He said: “NASD believes
that in addition <strong>to</strong> creating a
market for secondary trading
of securities, it is very
important <strong>to</strong> support the small
businesses we have in the
country. So, what we are
doing is that we are creating
a platform for them <strong>to</strong>
showcase themselves and
attract the kind of capital they
require that will assist them
in their businesses.
“Right now, most of the
options they have are for
them <strong>to</strong> borrow from banks.
Bank rates do not support
their businesses; it can make
it difficult for their businesses
<strong>to</strong> grow. So, what we are
doing right now is that we are
creating a situation where the
companies can showcase
themselves and venture
capitals can take a look at
them. It is like a supermarket
of companies and accredited
inves<strong>to</strong>rs can look at them and
decide which company they
want <strong>to</strong> get in<strong>to</strong>.
“We are at the stage we are
inviting sponsor and
incuba<strong>to</strong>r companies and also
some inves<strong>to</strong>r companies <strong>to</strong>
take a look at the portal and
give us their final
requirements and
specifications and after that,
we can open it up <strong>to</strong>
companies.”

26—Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
FINANCIAL VANGUARD
Bonds: States not generating enough
revenue should stay within 60%
threshold – Capital Assets boss
Following the economic down-turn in the country in 2016 that resulted in zero activity in
the primary equities market, recent data from the debt office shows that the bond market was
not spared in the lull as only few companies were able <strong>to</strong> access the market <strong>to</strong> raise fund
both in the domestic and international space. Mr. Ariyo Olushekun, Vice-chairman/
CEO, Capital Assets Limited, spoke <strong>to</strong> Financial Vanguard on the issues involved.
Excerpts:
By Nkiruka Nnorom
ONLY seven companies
and one state
government (Lagos State) was
able <strong>to</strong> access the domestic bond
market last year <strong>to</strong> raise money
and only Access Bank accessed
the International Capital Market
during the same period. What
does it tell about the state of
capital market?
It is not necessarily a negative
sign for the market. First of all,
for bonds, many of the States are
having issues with paying
salaries and because of that, it
will not make sense for them <strong>to</strong>
be coming <strong>to</strong> the market now.
Their chances of success is
limited. As things improve, they
can come. Lagos State was able
<strong>to</strong> come because the State is in a
class of its own, meaning that it
is resilient and it has very good
record of servicing its bond
obligation. So because of that, it
can come and its chances of
success is really good.
What of the corporates, it was
only seven that were able <strong>to</strong>
access the domestic bond
market. Does it not have
anything <strong>to</strong> do with regular
issuing of FGN bonds and the
yield on FGN bonds?
No, I don’t think so. Even last
year was better than previous
year. The state of the market was
not really good; the market was
down. Not many companies
could raise money and because
of the exchange rate also which
was not really stable until
recently, it became difficult for
If a state is
serious, the IGR
will keep
improving, which
means that for
that kind of State,
you cannot say
that the threshold
will remain at 60
per cent of last
year.
stated: “By the resolution
of the board of
direc<strong>to</strong>rs of MRS Oil
Nigeria Plc, the following
board changes
were approved:
The resignation of Alhaji
Sayyu I. Dantata
as the chairman of the
board of direc<strong>to</strong>rs of
the company.
“The appointment
of Mr. Patrice Alberti
as the chairman of the
board.” The letter fur-
ther stated: “Mr. Alberti hold
as bachelor’s degree in Economics
from the Paris Academy
and has been with the
MRS Group since 2004. He is
currently the group managing
direc<strong>to</strong>r of MRS Group of companies
and a direc<strong>to</strong>r on the
board of Corlay Global S.A.
“Prior <strong>to</strong> joing MRS Group,
he held a number of positions
over a period of 20 years in
various banks in Europe including
BNP Paribas, Banque
foreign inves<strong>to</strong>rs <strong>to</strong> come in,
even for some local inves<strong>to</strong>rs. This
is because every inves<strong>to</strong>r will
have an option. ‘Do I keep my
money in foreign currency, do I
keep my money in other assets
or do I bring it <strong>to</strong> the market. If I
bring it <strong>to</strong> the market and even if
I make significant gain like 50
per cent for instance, if the
exchange rate goes above 50 per
cent, of what essence is it?’ So,
that was why the market did not
move as expected. Now stability
is setting in and there is
improvement, I expect <strong>to</strong> see
more issues in the bonds space
any time from now. As a result of
the stability in the exchange rate,
more funds are coming in and
even the market that was going
down is becoming stable. We
actually recorded some
significant gain and it is like the
market has come back <strong>to</strong> life.
Apart from the stability in
•Ariyo Olushekun,
Vice Chairman/CEO,
Capital Assets Limited
exchange rate that you talked
about, what other things will
trigger accessibility of more
issuers <strong>to</strong> the bonds market?
Once inves<strong>to</strong>rs’ interest
improves and I think it is
improving, you will see more
companies coming back <strong>to</strong> the
market. The economy itself, you
know government now has an
Economic Recovery and Growth
Plan, that makes it easy for
companies <strong>to</strong> plan.
The Association of Issuing
Houses is calling for reduction
in the Internally Generated
Revenue, IGR, threshold for
State governments <strong>to</strong> raise
bonds from 60 per cent <strong>to</strong> about
30/40 per cent <strong>to</strong> allow more of
them access the bonds market.
What is your <strong>stand</strong> on this?
People have different opinions
and views. Those who think so
are looking at the fact that the
Internally Generated Revenue,
IGR, for the States are never
stable. So, if a state is serious,
the IGR will keep improving,
which means for that kind of
State, you cannot say that the
threshold will remain at 60 per
cent of last year because the
expectation is already getting
better.
For States that are not
generating enough IGR, for that
kind of State, you cannot argue
that they should relax the 60 per
cent threshold. It still boil down
<strong>to</strong> a particular State and how it is
doing with respect <strong>to</strong> revenue
generation.
Will it be safe <strong>to</strong> reduce the
threshold since some of the
States were recently bailed out
by the Debt Management
Office?
There is nothing bad in doing
that when the state of things is
improved, because the
performance of the State with
regards <strong>to</strong> revenue generation
will be an issue. For a State that
is not improving its revenue
generation, this kind of thing will
even put the State in bigger
problem, but for State that is
doing well in improving its
revenue generation, then it is not
bad because you cannot be
bordering it with 60 per cent of
last year.
So, I think the threshold can
be reduced, it should be reduced,
but every State will still have <strong>to</strong>
be appraised based on its
internally generated revenue.
Board shake-up at MRS Oil, Dantata resigns as
chairman
AMAJOR change has tak
en place in the board of
one of the major oil marketing
companies, MRS Oil Nigeria
Plc, with Alhaji Sayyu
Dantata resigning as chairman
of the board.
In his place, the board of the
company through a letter sent
<strong>to</strong> the Nigerian S<strong>to</strong>ck Exchange
(NSE) last week, said
Dantata will be replaced by
Patrice Alberti.
The letter signed by O.M.
Jafojo, the company secretary,
•Dantata
Arabe Internationale
D’Investitssment, Banco Central,
South Africa.”
MRS Oil was formerly
known as Texaco Oil Nigeria.
In September 2006, the board
agreed <strong>to</strong> a name change and
the company became Chevron
Oil Nigeria.
In 2009, Corlay Global SA acquired
Chevron Africa’s holdings,
and the name was changed <strong>to</strong>
MRS Oil Nigeria PLC.

FINANCIAL VANGUARD
Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017— 27
Banks’ exposure <strong>to</strong> Etisalat Nigeria:
an inves<strong>to</strong>r advisory
•Analysts mull restructuring, equity conversion?
By Emeka Anae<strong>to</strong>,
Business Edi<strong>to</strong>r
THE Nigerian bourse
closed the week bullish,
in line with analysts’
expectations. Activity during
the week was broadly bullish,
as the market closed positive
on all the trading sessions of
the week with inves<strong>to</strong>rs taking
position in value s<strong>to</strong>cks.
What is remarkable also was
the lead taken by banking
s<strong>to</strong>cks, ahead of the second
quarter 2017 (Q2’17)
earnings season. The sec<strong>to</strong>r
was bloodied previous week
in the wake for more bad news
on Emerging Market
Telecommunications
Company (Etisalat, now
9Mobile) where most tier one
banks are exposed <strong>to</strong> over
N541 billion.
Reversal
of fortune
However, the reversal of
fortune occurred so quickly
with the sec<strong>to</strong>r gains pushing
the Nigerian S<strong>to</strong>ck Exchange
(NSE) All Share Index (ASI)
higher by 2.47 per cent Weekon-Week
<strong>to</strong> 33,261.66 points,
driving the Month-<strong>to</strong>-Date
(MtD) return positive <strong>to</strong> 0.44
per cent and Year-<strong>to</strong>-Date
(YtD) return <strong>to</strong> 23.77 per cent.
In line with analysts’
prognosis, the banking index
(+6.10%) booked the biggest
gain, a deviation from last
week, when the news of the
apex bank taking over the
management of Etisalat
created apprehension for the
shares of the exposed banks,
as traders position ahead of
first half 2017 dividend
declaration by the Tier 1
banks.
Etisalat Nigeria, had last
week released a statement on
the planned restructuring of
its shareholding <strong>to</strong>
accommodate an equity
conversion as regards its
failure <strong>to</strong> meet financial
obligations <strong>to</strong> a consortium of
Nigerian banks. Earlier last
month the parent company
had announced on the Abu
Dhabi S<strong>to</strong>ck Exchange, that it
had transferred its 45 per cent
equity stake and 25 per cent
preference shares <strong>to</strong> a security
trustee, who will hold the
shares on behalf of the lenders
and other possible
stakeholders in the company
who lay claim <strong>to</strong> its assets.
The Bank loans
In 2013, Etisalat secured a
seven-year US$1.2 billion
syndicated facility from
Nigerian banks (Zenith Bank,
Guaranty Trust Bank, Access
Bank, United Bank for Africa,
First Bank, Fidelity Bank,
Stanbic IBTC, FCMB, Union
Bank of Nigeria, Ecobank,
Keys<strong>to</strong>ne Bank, FSDH and
Mainstreet Bank) <strong>to</strong> refinance
existing obligations (estimated
at US$650 million,
representing 54.17% of <strong>to</strong>tal
facility) and most part of the
remaining fund was used <strong>to</strong>
finance network expansion.
Analysts at Cordros Capital,
a Lagos based investment
house, said they have had
discussions with some of the
banks involved in the
transaction which revealed
that US$600million of the
facility was secured by assets
and pledged shares of the
parent company of US$235 million.
The analysts stated: “Given that
the Tier 1 banks involved in the
transaction provided a larger
portion of the facility, it is our
thought that they have the
first lien on the securitized
assets.”
They stated further:
“Although, Etisalat’s earnings
have been under significant
pressure in the past few years,
our discussions with the banks
revealed that it had
consistently serviced the loan
obligation since inception.
“However, following the
evident drag in the macro
environment in 2016 -
significant currency
depreciation (which drove
sizable jump in FX revaluation
losses on its Foreign Currency
Liabilities), weakened consumer
spending, coupled with the
impact of the competitive
pricing environment on
subscribers growth, Etisalat’s
cash flow was significantly
pressured.”
Reluctance on the
part of the
shareholders made
the company <strong>to</strong>
suggest a
restructuring, but the
state of the
company’s cash flow
and current leverage
position caused the
banks <strong>to</strong> enforce the
Default and
Security
Enforcement Notice
<strong>to</strong> the UAE’s Emirate
Telecommunications
Group
The company’s revenue was
flat in 2016, while a further
impact of FX blotted related
costs (roaming cost, rental
charges, and network costs)
drove a double digit decline
in Earnings Before Interest,
Tax, Depreciation and
Amortisation (EBITDA) went
down 20.86 per cent <strong>to</strong> N33
billion.
According <strong>to</strong> recent press
reports from the mobile
telecom company, the
company had financed about
50 per cent of the facility <strong>to</strong>
date. In conformity, Stanbic
IBTC Bank’s management
revealed that Etisalat met its
obligation <strong>to</strong> the bank as at
May 2017 , as such, the loan
is still classified as
performing.
Earlier in the year, the syndicate
had suggested a conversion of
existing shareholders loan <strong>to</strong>
equity via a capital raise which
would still create excess balance
if all shareholders take up their
rights.
However, reluctance on the
part of the shareholders made
the company <strong>to</strong> suggest a
restructuring, but the state of
the company’s cash flow and
current leverage position
caused the banks <strong>to</strong> enforce
the Default & Security
Enforcement Notice <strong>to</strong> the
UAE’s
Emirate
Telecommunications Group
(the holding company for the
Etisalat Nigeria stake).
There are ongoing talks on
the possible options <strong>to</strong> limit
the syndicates’ exposure in
case Etisalat is unable <strong>to</strong> meet
upcoming obligation which
analysts at Cordros say is most
likely.
Impact on the banks
In the face of this
circumstance the analysts
gave their verdict on the
impact on the banks and
options available for the
parties as follows:
Purchase of the <strong>to</strong>xic asset
by the Asset Management
Company of Nigeria
(AMCON). The CBN and the
Nigerian Communication
Commission, NCC, have
taken over the management of
the company just after
directing the banks <strong>to</strong>
maintain status quo on the
matter.
Further intervention might
likely come through AMCON
purchase of the asset, but
given the current financial
position of AMCON, they
analysts are expressing
reservations on this option.
They however stated: “If
AMCON intervenes, the banks
will have <strong>to</strong> take some hair
cut, which by our estimate,
might range between 10% <strong>to</strong>
20% of individual banks’
exposure.”
Loan <strong>to</strong> equity conversion:
The analysts further posited:
“This seems like the most
likely option, however, it
comes with a possible risk.
Given the state of the
company, a conversion <strong>to</strong>
equity suggests a share of
other obligations <strong>to</strong> network
providers, like IHS. Also, the
banks will have an option <strong>to</strong>
either; (1) restructure the
management team; (2)
maintain status quo on
operations; or (3) outright sale
of the lien assets which is
estimated at US$600 million.
The last option seems viable,
but given the current state of
the company, the sale will be
at a sizeable discount <strong>to</strong> the
fair value of the assets, as
such, a head cut is likely.”
Outright restructuring
of the loan:
The analysts noted that this
last option has been the best
practice in the banking
system; however, the option
depends on the prospect of
the venture.
Consequently, the analysts
stated: “If the banks
restructure the facility, they
will have <strong>to</strong> make provisions
for it in the interim - which
buy our estimate, will only be
for a limited percent of the
exposure given the viability of
the venture and the
securitization.”
Etisalat Group which owns
40 per cent of the company,
UAE SWF Mubadala with 45
per cent and Myacinth (a
Nigerian holding company
with 15 per cent stake
controlled by Hakeem Bello-
Osagie, who has resigned as
the chairman of Etisalat
Nigeria following the crises)
are the major shareholders of
Etisalat Nigeria.

28 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
FINANCIAL VANGUARD
Introduction of X-Academy by NSE is laudable, but...
The Nigerian S<strong>to</strong>ck Exchange, NSE, recently launched a knowledge-based platform, X-Academy, <strong>to</strong> bridge the knowledge gap of inves<strong>to</strong>rs, dealing
member firms and issuers in the capital market. In this interview, inves<strong>to</strong>rs said it is a commendable move, but called for considerate fee and appropriate
management of the programme. Excerpts:
Educating inves<strong>to</strong>rs is
the way <strong>to</strong> go —Ralu
Martins, business man
I
THINK the establishment of the X-
Academy is a step in the right
direction. It is one thing <strong>to</strong> invest and
an entirely different matter <strong>to</strong> invest
right. Educating our inves<strong>to</strong>rs on the
right way <strong>to</strong> invest is the way <strong>to</strong> go. With
successful investment comes growth and
a stronger economy.
Now, on the issue of payment by the
inves<strong>to</strong>rs, I think there is no problem
with paying a fee <strong>to</strong> develop oneself.
Every valuable thing comes with a price.
The knowledge the inves<strong>to</strong>rs are bound
<strong>to</strong> acquire is, indeed, of much value and
will set them way above others because
knowledge they say is power and power
does not come freely.
On a general note, this is a laudable
development and if well managed, it will
yield a whole lot of growth <strong>to</strong> our
economy. On the contrary, if the exercise
is allowed <strong>to</strong> go the usual way, well, it
will just be another exercise in futility
with no result whatsoever.
FINANCIAL VANGUARD
Default in filing: We support suspension rather
than fine imposition — Ajudua
In this interview, Patrick Ajudua,National
Chairman, New Dimension Shareholders
Association, NDSA, spoke on the suspension
slammed on 17 companies by the Nigerian S<strong>to</strong>ck
Exchange, NSE, over non-compliance with postlisting
rules requirement with regards <strong>to</strong>
submission of quarterly and yearly financial
reports.
By Nkiruka Nnorom
HOW do you view the
suspension of trading
in 17 companies by the
Nigerian S<strong>to</strong>ck Exchange,
NSE, for non-submission of
their financial statements?
It is a move in the right
direction because if companies
subscribe <strong>to</strong> the post-listing
rules requirements of the s<strong>to</strong>ck
exchange, the onus lies on them
<strong>to</strong> comply with the listing rules
and one of them is timely
submission of quarterly and
yearly financial reports. So,
failure <strong>to</strong> do that will, therefore,
attract sanction. Timely
submission of financial reports
The fee should be
considerate
— Nnamdi Prince,
medical doc<strong>to</strong>r
X-ACADEMY is a
knowledge-based platform
that provides individuals and
businesses with a robust and
effective array of training
solutions that will ensure
participants are abreast with
trends in the rapidly evolving
financial markets. It provides a
wide range of courses that bridges
the knowledge gap of dealing
members, issuers, inves<strong>to</strong>rs and
the general public about products
and services in the capital market.
NSE should fix a fair fee for X-
Academy because it will enhance
financial literacy level in Nigeria
and equip professionals with
requisite skill <strong>to</strong> deliver
innovative solutions for the
financial sec<strong>to</strong>r.
is very important
for the safety of
our investment
and it is important
that companies
comply with that
directive.
Do you
consider this
move more
preferable <strong>to</strong> imposing
financial sanctions, knowing
that inves<strong>to</strong>rs have always
kicked against imposition of
fines?
Yes, it is more preferable, and
at the same time, it is a ‘carrot
and stick’ approach. We
applaud the s<strong>to</strong>ck exchange for
this initiative but we request
It will increase
investment in capital
market — Ogom
Lawrence, business man
OVERTIME, it has become very
obvious that a lot of Nigerians
want <strong>to</strong> invest in the capital market, but
are very wary of the technicalities and
processes involved. That saying that
people fear what they do not under<strong>stand</strong>
readily plays out here. When a majority
of the investing public do not
under<strong>stand</strong> or have enough knowledge
about the market, they shy away from
it. The Nigerian S<strong>to</strong>ck Exchange’s
initiative <strong>to</strong> introduce an innovative
knowledge based platform called X-
Academy in a bid <strong>to</strong> bridge this
knowledge gap is very laudable. It
comes at a time when many Nigerians
are more comfortable with ‘Ponzi-ish’
investment opportunities than investing
in the capital market.
This will encourage more enthusiastic
Nigerians <strong>to</strong> pursue more knowledge
about the market and get <strong>to</strong> explore its
many wealth creating opportunities.
Patrick
Ajudua
that companies should ensure
due compliance with all listing
rules. It will help the market.
I, as a shareholder, have
never been against imposing
fines. What we are saying is that
imposition of fines should be
done with human face. The
s<strong>to</strong>ck exchange and Securities
and Exchange Commission,
SEC, should not impose fines
that will kill the companies.
That is my own position. What
we are now saying is that if the
regula<strong>to</strong>rs want <strong>to</strong> go further
with this measure of
suspending trading on the
companies, the better for us. So,
fining companies with human
face is what I prefer than
killing the companies with
huge fines and at the end, it
will reflect in their profitability.
Sometimes, when the
defaulting company fails <strong>to</strong>
comply over certain period of
time, the NSE goes a step
further by delisting the
company. Do you think that
delisting is a way <strong>to</strong> go in
enforcing this compliance?
What we are saying is that
this new measure is more better
for us and it will necessitate
compliance and where they
don’t comply, they should
impose penalty. It is far better
than delisting because
delisting is not in the interest
of the minority shareholders
Benefiting from capital
market requires knowledge
— Emmanuel Ezeigbo,
business man
I
THINK the introduction of this
training for s<strong>to</strong>ckbrokers and
inves<strong>to</strong>rs is a welcome development.
Shareholders and opera<strong>to</strong>rs alike in the
s<strong>to</strong>ck market need <strong>to</strong> be constantly
informed and updated with trending
practises and new insights for successful
investing and trading in the capital
market. The s<strong>to</strong>ck market is dynamic and
ever changing and so is the terrain and
as such, only experts who are current and
conversant with its workability will be able
<strong>to</strong> profit and progress from it.
As for the fee, I believe nothing of great
value comes cheap or free of charge. It is,
therefore, expected that expert services
and resources called upon <strong>to</strong> impart such
knowledge would come at a cost, which
would yield gains in the future with the
value the said knowledge brings.
who have laboured <strong>to</strong> have
their investment.
Apart from imposing
sanctions, could you suggest
other things the NSE and the
primary regula<strong>to</strong>rs of these
companies can do <strong>to</strong> ensure
timely submission?
The regula<strong>to</strong>rs should ensure
that they continually take on
these companies and always
bring <strong>to</strong> their notice the need
<strong>to</strong> ensure timely compliance
with the post-listing rules. The
s<strong>to</strong>ck exchange should also set
up a desk that will always get
in <strong>to</strong>uch with the companies
and find out the problem they
are facing and if its something
they can assist them <strong>to</strong> fix, they
should do it in order for them
<strong>to</strong> comply. Some of these things
are beyond their control. Some
of this delays has <strong>to</strong> do with the
issue of getting the audi<strong>to</strong>rs <strong>to</strong>
audit the result and sometimes
getting their primary regula<strong>to</strong>rs
<strong>to</strong> approve. If they are able <strong>to</strong>
sort out some of these things, I
think late submission of
financial reports will be a thing
of the past.

FINANCIAL VANGUARD
Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017 — 29
From left: Deputy Commissioner for Insurance, Mr Sunday Thomas; Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe,
CEO of Crystal Trust Insurance Brokers and the Commissioner for Insurance, Alhaji Mohammed
Kari at the 2017 National Insurance Conference, organized by insurance industry in Abuja
Lagos credits over N78b in<strong>to</strong> workers’
pension accounts
By Rosemary Onuoha
LAGOS State Government
has credited about N78.6
billion in<strong>to</strong> the Retirement
Savings Accounts, RSA, of
workers as at March, 2017,
Lagos State Governor,
Akinwunmi Ambode, has said.
Ambode said that the state
has also been consistent in
setting aside funds for the
payment of accrued rights as
provided for in the Pension
Reform Law such that the State
government has paid accrued
pension rights of about N61
billion since the
commencement of the
Retirement Benefit Bond
Certificate Presentations in
2010.
Speaking on the State’s full
commitment <strong>to</strong> pension reforms
at the opening session of
training for officers of the Lagos
State Pension commission
(LASPEC) and all public
servants, Ambode noted that
the Contribu<strong>to</strong>ry Pension
Scheme, CPS, has allowed the
maintenance of a RSA by each
employee, which gives the
workers responsibility over
their retirement savings.
He said that the Pension
Reform Act, PRA 2014, has
been beneficial <strong>to</strong> government
by its support <strong>to</strong> the overall
macroeconomic policies of
reform, adding that the
provisions of the law have also
encouraged labour market
flexibility while pensioners are
no longer at the mercy of
employers.
The Governor who was
represented by Commissioner,
Lagos State Ministry of
Establishments, Training and
Pensions, Dr. Akin<strong>to</strong>la Benson,
said the training is <strong>to</strong> ensure
that officers of LASPEC can
effectively discharge their
duties and the generality of the
public service can adequately
prepare for the future. He
stated that the general benefits
of the Act as implemented in
Lagos State has boosted the
welfare status of workers and
pensioners in the State even as
workers could choose how <strong>to</strong>
allocate their retirement
savings and diversify their
investments over a range of
investment instruments.
He stated: “RSA maintained
by millions of workers tend <strong>to</strong>
generate massive long-term
funds, which are available for
By Rosemary Onuoha
GROSS premium income at
WAICA Reinsurance
Corporation Plc has grown <strong>to</strong>
$49.2 million in 2016, about 47
per cent up from $33.5 million in
2015.
Chairman of the Corporation,
Mr. Kofi Duffuor, said that the
growth is despite exchange rate
volatility which affected the US
dollar translated figures of
premiums generated.
Duffuor who stated this at the
fourth Annual General Meeting
of the Corporation in Accra,
investment. Owing <strong>to</strong>
economies of scale, the cost of
investing such funds tends <strong>to</strong>
be relatively lower than if an
individual worker were <strong>to</strong>
undertake the investment on
his or her own account. Also,
having a pension scheme that
pays out benefits in the form of
a life annuity affords workers
with protection against
longevity risk, by pooling
mortality risk across others.”
Ghana indicated that in the
WAICA Re member countries,
Sierra Leone recorded the
highest level of growth of 153 per
cent, followed by Liberia with 60
per cent, then Gambia 26 per
cent, Ghana 23 per cent and
Nigeria eight per cent.
“This is reflective of our
continuous effort <strong>to</strong> grow the
business in our home markets.
The eight per cent moderate
growth from Nigeria was as a
result of the significant Naira
depreciation during the period
under <strong>review</strong>. Despite the difficult
Nigeria conspicuously
missing in ATI — NAICOM
By Favour Nnabugwu
NATIONAL Insurance
Commission (NAICOM)
has said the non-membership
of Nigeria in the African Trade
Insurance Agency (ATI) is not
in the best interest of the
country.
Commissioner for Insurance,
Alhaji Mohammed Kari, who
said that Nigeria is
conspicuously missing
regretted that the country is yet
<strong>to</strong> join the league of ATI.
He stated: “Membership <strong>to</strong>
this organisation will surely
provide the needed peace of
mind <strong>to</strong> inves<strong>to</strong>rs in our
economy and would open
additional vista for insurance
opera<strong>to</strong>rs in Nigeria, initially in
intermediation.”
With about $25 billion worth
of trade and investments in<strong>to</strong>
its member countries since
inception, ATI provides a range
WAICA Re records 47% growth in gross premium income
Prestige Assurance launches
comprehensive travel insurance
PRESTIGE Assurance Plc
has launched its travel
insurance named Prestige
Overseas Mediclaim Policy
(POMP) in accordance with the
approval given by National
Insurance Commission
(NAICOM). The company said
the product is designed as a
comprehensive package
protecting all risks arising while
travelling and/or staying outside
Nigeria at an affordable premium
payable in naira. The
significance of this product is
payment of medical expenses
incurred by the insured persons
outside Nigeria as a direct result
of bodily injuries caused or
sickness or disease contracted
and other benefits.
According <strong>to</strong> the company, the
scope of insurance covers <strong>to</strong> the
travelers is medical expenses
and repatriation, personal
accident, loss of checked-in
baggage, delay of checked-in
baggage, loss of passport,
personal liability, hijack distress
allowance, financial emergency
assistance, travel delay, trip
cancellation & interruption and
bounced booking for hotel and
airlines.
economic conditions in Nigeria,
our team there is doing an
excellent job in mitigating the
impact and we see good growth
opportunities in 2017. In line with
our strategic objectives of
growing the business beyond the
Anglophone West Africa region,
we attained a notable growth
level in the Francophone Africa
region in 2016. The French
region grew by an impressive
205 per cent while earnings from
other overseas countries also
grew by 80 per cent,” Duffuor
stated.
of products that mitigate risks
impeding the flow of
investments and trade <strong>to</strong> and
within Africa.
The Commissioner said ATI
has received subscription from
12 African countries and has
been conducting business in
those countries.
“It’s membership also
includes, the African
Development Bank (ADB),
African Reinsurance
Corporation, UK Export
Finance, The Common Market
of Eastern and Southern Africa
(COMESA), the Eastern and
Southern Africa Trade and
Development Bank (PTA) <strong>to</strong>
mention a few,” he added.
ATI’s Chief Executive Officer,
Mr. George Otieno, said the
Agency has opened talks with
Nigeria, Ghana, South Sudan,
Angola, Cameroon, Sudan,
Djibouti and Sierra Leone.
NSE lifts suspension on trading
of Sovereign Trust shares
•As NAICOM approves Guinea Insurance account
THE Nigerian S<strong>to</strong>ck
Exchange (NSE), has lifted
the recent suspension it placed
on trading in the shares of
Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc.
In a release issued by the
Exchange last week and signed
by the acting Head, Listings
BRIEFS
IGI names new management team
INDUSTRIAL And General
Insurance Plc (IGI) has
announced the appointment of
a new management, even as the
Board of Direc<strong>to</strong>rs said the new
team would occupy the positions
in acting capacities, pending
when substantive officers are
appointed in line with
regulations of the National
Insurance Commission
(NAICOM).
In a statement, the company
noted that the new team includes
Mr. Bayo Folayan, acting
Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r, Mr. Shade
Ajayi, acting Executive Direc<strong>to</strong>r,
Regulation Department, NSE
stated: “The Exchange has lifted
the suspension of trading in the
shares of Sovereign Trust
Insurance Plc after being cleared
accordingly pursuant <strong>to</strong> Rule 3.3,
rules for filing of accounts and
default filing, rulebook of the
exchange (Issuers’ Rules).”
According <strong>to</strong> the Managing
Direc<strong>to</strong>r/CEO of the company,
Olaotan Soyinka, the suspension
was unfortunate and regrettable,
as the company never at any
point in time, set out <strong>to</strong> flout the
rules of the regula<strong>to</strong>ry body in
whatever manner.
He stated: “In circumstances
like this, one can only take the
constructive lessons learnt from
the whole saga and ensure such
occurrence does not happen
again. We are avowedly
committed <strong>to</strong> the ethics of our
business and we will always
continue <strong>to</strong> be a very responsible
corporate citizen at all times.”
Technical and Operations, Mr.
Nnamdi Iwuoha, acting Head,
Technical Division, Mr. Bolade
Ashaolu, acting Head,
Marketing, and Mr. Emmanuel
Udoh, acting Chief Finance
Officer. The appointments take
immediate effect.
This development follows the
retirement of members of the
executive management led by
the Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r/Chief
Executive Officer, Mr. Rotimi
Fashola, alongside the Deputy
Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r, Mr. Sina
Elusakin, both of whom have
served the company in various
positions for over 20 years.

30 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
FINANCIAL VANGUARD
Make an estate plan
before your demise,
irrespective of your
financial clout
– CEO, Stanbic IBTC Trustees
Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Trustees Limited,
Mrs. Binta Max-Gbinije, urges Nigerians <strong>to</strong> leave a
legacy that counts by embracing a culture that ensures
uncomplicated acquisition of assets and seamless
distribution of such assets <strong>to</strong> cherished ones.
By Rosemary Onuoha
HOW can family
members avoid the
rancor that usually
accompanies distribution of
assets after the demise of the
bread winner?
We are all familiar with the
issues that often arise upon
death, with members of the
family pitched against one
another. This is often
resolved by the courts,
sometimes after a prolonged
litigation that would have
drained everybody. This can
be avoided with an estate plan
which lets the individual
decide how his assets are
handled after passage.
Nigerians should see the
beauty of leaving a lasting
legacy. In the same manner
that people look after
themselves, a much more
enduring legacy is <strong>to</strong> also look
out for others, be they parents
or children, father and mother,
siblings, relations, the family,
community and country.
The African culture is
characterized by bond and
affinity. Long after an
individual has passed away, a
memorable way of
remembering him is the
legacy left behind and its
benefit <strong>to</strong> other members of
the community, especially the
family. This is what makes
estate planning imperative,
•Binta Max-Gbinije
not just by wealthy people, but
everyone else, regardless of
their social and financial clout
or intricate familial affairs.
What is the essence of the
awareness campaign by
Stanbic IBTC Trustees?
This awareness campaign is
part of our duty and mission
<strong>to</strong> enlighten the public on
issues around having a
positive legacy. This is not a
brand promotion, but a
concerted effort at drawing
attention <strong>to</strong> the strategic role
of estate planning in the
seamless transfer of assets.
This practice is essential for
the overall orderly
development of society. By
having an enduring legacy, the
values and ideals important <strong>to</strong>
the individual would likely be
maintained. When you are
driven by the under<strong>stand</strong>ing
that other peoples’ interests
are as important as your own,
then you will not have any
qualms recognizing the
importance of preserving the
family’s legacy by creating a
set of documents that helps in
preparing for such certainties
as death and taxes. The
central theme of the campaign
being a clear under<strong>stand</strong>ing
that death is inevitable and
should be recognized as such
and planned for, while alive.
Is leaving a Will behind not
enough?
Apart from writing a Will,
options available <strong>to</strong> make
provisions for loved ones
include instituting a living
Trust, and gifting of assets, all
of which facilitates orderly
acquisition and transfer of
assets.
Stanbic IBTC Trustees
Limited has launched a
number of products in
furtherance of its mission <strong>to</strong>
provide world-class
trusteeship services in
Nigeria. Among them is the
Stanbic IBTC Educational
Trust (SET), an educational
trust product that assists
parents and guardians <strong>to</strong>
provide sound education for
their children and wards. The
product offers numerous longterm
benefits which assure
beneficiaries of a brighter
future via education and
training.
WAICA Re Plc lost $2bn <strong>to</strong> Nigeria’s currency
devaluation in 2016 —CEO
Mr. Abiola Ezekiel Ekundayo, Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r of
WAICA Reinsurance Corporation Plc speaks on the
impact of the company in Africa’s economy, and more.
Excerpts:
By Favour Nnabugwu
WHAT is WAICA Re’s
performance in 2016?
As at the end of the day we
are able <strong>to</strong> close on a very sound
note. We increased the premium
income from $33.5million in
2015 <strong>to</strong> $49.6million in 2016
which is about 35 percent
growth.
We had a lot of challenges last
year especially for Nigeria
because of the devaluation of the
currency, we suffered a lot of
loses based on that. The
premium income from Nigerian
reduced by almost 50 percent
because we normally report in
dollars, any devaluation
anywhere in any of the
operating countries affect the
company.
We lost over N2billion in our
account in Nigeria with the
devaluation of the currency from
N198 <strong>to</strong> N360/USD. We tried
as much as possible <strong>to</strong> convert
all our naira <strong>to</strong> dollars in that
bid and what happened in
Sierra Leone <strong>to</strong>o because the
currency was also devalued as
a result of the problem they had
during the Ebola, though,
Sierra Leone tried <strong>to</strong> reconstruct
the economy after the Ebola
crisis but it was not easy. We
did suffered a loss. We lost about
$6.5million exchange at the
close of business in 2016 yet
WAICA Re was still able <strong>to</strong>
break even; we came out with
a profit of $6.3million in 2016.
Another problem we suffered
in all the countries was this
collectable. Premium is not easy
<strong>to</strong> collect. In Nigeria it is good
<strong>to</strong> some extent, in Ghana it is
because of the premium low
cover syndrome but in other
countries it is not easy
especially in the Diaspora.
When we say Diaspora, it
means all other countries, the
French speaking countries, it is
not easy <strong>to</strong> collect money and
you know when you are not
collecting money you are losing
investment income on that
money so by the time you
collect it, the value must have
gone down especially what
happened <strong>to</strong> us in Nigeria and
Sierra Leone.
But like I said, we thank God
that at the end of the day in 2016,
it was <strong>to</strong>ugh and rough but we
were able <strong>to</strong> break even.
What strategies have you put
in place <strong>to</strong> avoid recurrence of
loss?
What we are doing <strong>to</strong>
prevent or minimize the loss
because we cannot entirely
prevent it, we can minimize the
•Abiola Ekundayo
effects of the exchange loses that
we suffer, since our operations
are denominated in dollars, we
convert whatever local premium
we have <strong>to</strong> dollars.
And now we have put in place
a credit control system whereby
we have somebody dedicated
for that function <strong>to</strong> go out and
collect money every time in
order <strong>to</strong> reduce the effect of such
loss in 2017.
How do you rank WAICA
Re among the regional
insurance companies?
We are doing well, in 2014 we
won the best regional company
of the year in West Africa and
we have the certificate <strong>to</strong> prove
that. If you have been reading
Atlas magazine, you will be
surprised where we are, they
ranked us next <strong>to</strong> a company
that has been in operations for
over 30years. And they rank
them by their paid up capital,
premium income among others
including market shares of the
business.
Like last year we raised
additional capital; and if you
remembered we raised capital
in 2011 when we started with
the one we inherited from the
pool but the one we inherited
from the pool was in naira, so
that is the problem we carried
till last year, we wanted <strong>to</strong> keep
it like that; if we had met dollars
in the account as much as we
expected the situation would
have changed.
So last year, we raised
additional capital, our paid up
capital moved from $29.4million
<strong>to</strong> 50million as at last year
December. And with that now
we have been able <strong>to</strong> do
business even in oil and energy
now.
To what extent have you been
able <strong>to</strong> grow your business and
how many countries are you
operating from at the
moment?
When we started WAICA Re,
the intention was <strong>to</strong> go the
whole world. As a re-insurance
company, one fac<strong>to</strong>r that
differentiate us is that
international model of the
business, locally we do
insurance but internationally
we do re-insurance. You can do
your business anywhere.
Some people are asking why
we set up this company in Sierra
Leone because if you look at the
economy of Sierra Leone, the
country is a small country, the
population maybe with the new
census, you are talking of
7million, it used <strong>to</strong> be 5million.
The premium of the country
when I came on board in 2011
was about $13million, in
Nigeria, I don’t think there is
any company writing less than
$13million which is for the whole
country but that doesn’t really
matter.
We set up there because of the
political under<strong>to</strong>ne in it, I mean
the President of Sierra Leone is
an insurance professional. He is
a qualified and chartered insurer.
And he has been on <strong>to</strong>p because
he is aware, he was a President
of WAICA Re so he has been
assisting us even up till date. All
this profits we make we don’t
pay any taxes on it; even as a
worker, all the expatriates, all the
members from Nigeria, Ghana
we don’t pay taxes, and they
promised <strong>to</strong> give us land <strong>to</strong> build
and now we have started our
building project.

FINANCIAL VANGUARD
Time for insurers <strong>to</strong> innovate
capacity for bigger risks
– Standard Alliance boss
Mr. Bode Akinboye is the Group Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r
of Standard Alliance Insurance Plc. In this interview
with Financial Vanguard, he addressed the current
restructuring going on in the company and other
issues in the insurance industry.
By Rosemary Onuoha
SINCE your return <strong>to</strong>
Standard Alliance two
years ago, what have you been
up <strong>to</strong> all this while?
I worked here in Standard
Alliance Insurance Plc my first
time for close <strong>to</strong> thirteen years
and I left as the Group
Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r at a time
when I believed I had put in
my best in the company and it
was time for the company <strong>to</strong>
have fresh ideas and I also
needed <strong>to</strong> express myself in a
different way.
So I resigned <strong>to</strong> go and set
up my own financial consulting
business and I was also doing
some little investment here
and there. So I did that for close
<strong>to</strong> five years and part of my
business plan was <strong>to</strong> also invest
in financial institutions.
So I had some investment in
mortgage banks, microfinance
banks and five years down the
line we re-strategized and felt
it was time for us <strong>to</strong> also invest
in an insurance company. So
there was an opportunity in
Standard Alliance for an
inves<strong>to</strong>r.
Management and
board control
So I put <strong>to</strong>gether a team that
bought in<strong>to</strong> the company and
got a strategic stake that
enabled us <strong>to</strong> have more
management and board control
rather than working as
employees. So it was on that
basis that I returned here
because the club of inves<strong>to</strong>rs
insisted that I should return <strong>to</strong>
manage the business, and that
was how I returned on the 1 st
of January 2015.
When you returned, were
there significant gaps that
needed <strong>to</strong> be filled?
By the time I came back, there
was need <strong>to</strong> transform the
business. Organisations have
cycles in their growth plan and
at that time, the company was
at a state where it needed <strong>to</strong>
be transformed and
restructured. Part of my
mandate of coming back here
is <strong>to</strong> make sure we restructure
the company, refocus it <strong>to</strong>
return it <strong>to</strong> the cus<strong>to</strong>merfriendly
company that it used
<strong>to</strong> be.
The mandate is also <strong>to</strong> res<strong>to</strong>re
it back <strong>to</strong> what an insurance
company should be, which is,
a company meeting its claims
obligations <strong>to</strong> cus<strong>to</strong>mers. Truly,
there were lots of out<strong>stand</strong>ing
claims when I returned, but
we were not afraid because we
believe that the fundamentals
of the business are right.
We have the cus<strong>to</strong>mer base
and the brand is a successful
one. So what we needed was
<strong>to</strong> re-jig our system, restructure
our processes and get our staff
<strong>to</strong> be more committed <strong>to</strong> give
better service <strong>to</strong> cus<strong>to</strong>mers.
Also, at the leadership point,
make sure that we institute a
culture and ensure that the
purpose why we are here is <strong>to</strong>
pay claims and that percolates
down <strong>to</strong> the system.
So for every kobo that comes
in<strong>to</strong> the company, the largest
chunk of it goes in<strong>to</strong> claims
payment and <strong>to</strong> the glory of
God we have paid about N7.6
billion claims in two years
and five months that we came
on board. About N5.6 billion is
from life portfolio while N2
billion is from non-life
portfolio. The bulk of this was
inherited out<strong>stand</strong>ing claims.
With all these successes,
what position does SA occupy
in the industry?
If you divide the industry in<strong>to</strong>
tiers, tier one is made up of the
<strong>to</strong>p five or six players. So SA is
in tier two and aspiring <strong>to</strong>
move in<strong>to</strong> tier one from my own
analysis of our financials with
other peers. We were just on
the brink of breaking in<strong>to</strong> tier
one before I left.
If we had sustained that drive
then we would have been in tier
one. So we believe that the
positive things that we were
doing well before, we should
just go back <strong>to</strong> doing them and
within a very short period of
time we will return <strong>to</strong> being a
tier one player in the market.
•Bode Akinboye
What really informed the
merger of the life and non-life
companies?
First, the two businesses are
complimentary. So in the
context of the operating
environment in Nigeria, giving
the complexity of our operating
environment, all the approval
that I talked about, the cost of
running business, getting
What NAICOM
is trying <strong>to</strong> do is
<strong>to</strong> ensure that the
bulk of the risks
insurable in
Nigeria are kept
in Nigeria
approval here and there, it is
only expedient that the two
businesses should be run as
one. That is the model that is
running very well in Nigeria
<strong>to</strong>day.
We have no business doing
otherwise if we want <strong>to</strong>
succeed. If you look at the <strong>to</strong>p
five companies in Nigeria,
majority of them are composite.
So we decided that coming
<strong>to</strong>gether will create economy of
scale, it will save cost, it will
enable us <strong>to</strong> cross-sell our
products, have a unified staff
that market both life and non
life products, providing more
opportunity for our staff <strong>to</strong>
succeed out there because they
can now market all the
Vanguard, MONDAY, JJULY 17, 2017—31
products across the line. It will
enable us <strong>to</strong> have only one
board of direc<strong>to</strong>rs, saving cost
of executive management and
related time for meetings and
coordination, getting approval
for accounts because it is now
one account. So it is meant <strong>to</strong>
unlock more values for our
shareholders. And that is the
reason why we have gone
ahead <strong>to</strong> do the merger.
The insurance industry is
transiting in<strong>to</strong> a Risked Based
Supervision sec<strong>to</strong>r, how
prepared is SA for this?
The truth is that the risk
based supervision has started
long ago. I think what the
regula<strong>to</strong>r is trying <strong>to</strong> do is <strong>to</strong>
reinforce some certain aspects.
Right now, if you want <strong>to</strong> take
any business from Shell or
LNG, it will be based on the
size of your balance sheet and
you cannot take more than a
certain percentage.
The best practice is five per
cent maximum of your
shareholders fund. But where
NAICOM is going is that
there could be other higher
risks which are highly risky,
hence, you need <strong>to</strong> do proper
risk assessment more than ever
before in an organised manner
before accepting the risk.
The higher the <strong>to</strong>tality of risk
you are assuming, the more
capital you also need <strong>to</strong> deploy
because of solvency issue. All
these must be considered at
any point in time in taking on
new risks. So as an institution
we are prepared, we have
complied with NAICOM
guideline on the board
structure and the composition
of different committees
particularly the enterprise risk
committee that needs <strong>to</strong> look at
every aspect of the risk
inherent in our business
because we are risk carriers. So
we must pay attention <strong>to</strong> every
aspect of risk that may affect our
operation. As a company, we
are very ready <strong>to</strong> comply with
that procedure going forward.
NAICOM recently
mandated insurers <strong>to</strong> exhaust
local capacity before ceding
any risk abroad. Are insurers
complying with this directive?
To a large extent all dollardenominated
businesses apart
from multinationals are subject
<strong>to</strong> NAICOM approval in
principle, especially aviation
and oil and gas risks. Insurers
must go <strong>to</strong> NAICOM <strong>to</strong> get it
approved. But what NAICOM
is trying <strong>to</strong> do is <strong>to</strong> ensure that
the bulk of the risks insurable
in Nigeria are kept in Nigeria.
However, some companies
may choose not <strong>to</strong> take some
certain risks that they are not
comfortable with. If you have
X cover for example and you
are trying <strong>to</strong> place it locally and
only four or five companies say
they want <strong>to</strong> take it, whatever
that is left, you will have no
option than <strong>to</strong> go and present
your case <strong>to</strong> NAICOM and
secure approval <strong>to</strong> place it
abroad. You can’t force other
companies <strong>to</strong> take the risks,
even as much as NAICOM is
trying <strong>to</strong> encourage local
content.
Encouraging
local content
There are some risks that
some companies should not go
in<strong>to</strong>. I think that is one of the
elements of risk-based
supervision that NAICOM is
talking about. Even at that, I
believe that this industry is
ripe on innovation in terms of
creating capacity especially on
oil and gas because with what
we are doing <strong>to</strong>day, we claim
<strong>to</strong> be participating in oil and
gas but the bulk of it still goes
abroad because for the average
premium for every oil and gas
risk you take, the reinsurance
premium is about 50 per cent.
If I make one million dollar
revenue in oil and gas, half of
it is used <strong>to</strong> pay reinsurance
and I am still carrying the risk
and my retention is such that I
still pay most of the claims. So
it is not really working the way
NAICOM intended but we all
need <strong>to</strong> join hands with
NAICOM and come up with
innovation on how <strong>to</strong> create
capacity. It is time for us <strong>to</strong>
innovate, so that the real
capacity can begin <strong>to</strong> be created
locally.
Is the ‘no premium, no
cover’ policy working?
It is working and it is in the
interest of the industry that we
do ‘no premium, no cover’.
Prior <strong>to</strong> now, you see
companies carrying
humongous out<strong>stand</strong>ing
premium in their books. You
see 50 <strong>to</strong> 60 per cent being
carried as out<strong>stand</strong>ing
premium, it doesn’t make
Continues on page 32

32 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
FINANCIAL VANGUARD
Time for insurers <strong>to</strong> innovate capacity for bigger
risks – Standard Alliance boss
Continues from page 31
sense. And we must commend
the initiative of NAICOM for
insisting that aspect of the
insurance law must be strictly
complied with. NAICOM is
enforcing and moni<strong>to</strong>ring it,
and I think the industry is
better off and stronger.
But we need <strong>to</strong> do much
more because there are a lot
of malpractices and
indiscipline in the market,
particularly when it comes <strong>to</strong>
compulsory insurance. There
is a reason why government
decides <strong>to</strong> make some policies
compulsory. It is not just
because they want people <strong>to</strong>
buy the insurance.
Compulsory
insurance
One of the reasons why
government has instituted
compulsory insurance is
preservation of national
assets as well as personal
assets because they are meant
<strong>to</strong> be protected. Also, for
protection of liability, people
can cause damage <strong>to</strong> one
another; there should be a
mechanism <strong>to</strong> res<strong>to</strong>re people
back <strong>to</strong> where they were before
injuries occur.
But most importantly,
compulsory insurance was
instituted <strong>to</strong> encourage long
term savings. And any
economy that is not
encouraging long term
savings will never survive.
It will find it difficult <strong>to</strong>
mobilise long term fund and
<strong>to</strong> have first class
infrastructure.
Everybody needs good road,
hospitals, good educational
system, and all these are not
going <strong>to</strong> happen by word of
mouth. We have <strong>to</strong> take some
deliberate steps <strong>to</strong> create
liquidity which can be
leveraged on <strong>to</strong> create more
funding for infrastructure
development and compulsory
insurance is one of those
elements.
So if as practitioners, we are
now granting those insurance
at one per cent or two per cent
of the regulated price, then
you will see that there is a
problem in the industry. That
is an area I believe the
regula<strong>to</strong>r is looking at and
they should do it on time.
They should instil discipline
in the market.
But compulsory insurance
should be sold at the price
instituted by government and
it should be strictly
moni<strong>to</strong>red. If we do that, we
will generate quite a lot of
revenue in investment fund
for the industry and the
economy generally. See what
has happened <strong>to</strong> pension
fund. If the government did
not specify the percentage for
pension fund and pension
fund companies have <strong>to</strong> go
and be negotiating what
percentage <strong>to</strong> charge, they are
not going <strong>to</strong> have the kind of
asset under management that
they have now. Let’s do the
same thing for insurance. So
we are looking at our
regula<strong>to</strong>r and the industry <strong>to</strong>
come <strong>to</strong>gether <strong>to</strong> champion
and reverse that negative
trend.
What plans do you have for
stakeholders of the
company?
If our cus<strong>to</strong>mers are not
happy, then there will be
nothing for our shareholders.
We believe we are in business
for the cus<strong>to</strong>mer and the
reason why a cus<strong>to</strong>mer leaves
is because that cus<strong>to</strong>mer is
not happy.
A cus<strong>to</strong>mer may suffer
mishap or sudden loss and
needs <strong>to</strong> be compensated, but
such compensation is not
forthcoming, so the cus<strong>to</strong>mer
leaves. So we are working on
our system <strong>to</strong> make sure we
achieve that objective for the
cus<strong>to</strong>mer because if the
cus<strong>to</strong>mer objective is achieved
then all other stakeholder
objective will be achieved.
It is only then that we can
achieve employee,
shareholder and regula<strong>to</strong>ry
objectives. We had an
institution, prior <strong>to</strong> January
2015 that needed <strong>to</strong> amend its
ways with cus<strong>to</strong>mers and
Compulsory
insurance
should be sold
at the price
instituted by
government
and it should
be strictly
moni<strong>to</strong>red
make right long out<strong>stand</strong>ing
claims. We have engaged with
some of our key cus<strong>to</strong>mers but
we have not finished with
them. We have done
substantial part of it by paying
N7.6 billion. We have
refocused the company. We
have res<strong>to</strong>red that confidence
back that we are here <strong>to</strong> do
insurance business.
What we expect from
cus<strong>to</strong>mers is more flexibility.
They have tried for us
because if the cus<strong>to</strong>mer
decides <strong>to</strong> take a run, the
business will go down. We
also have investment-linked
fund, so we need some
under<strong>stand</strong>ing and more
flexibility because we have
committed the bulk of our
resources in clearing the
out<strong>stand</strong>ing claims making
sure that the company is
focused on the cus<strong>to</strong>mer. So
there are better days ahead
for the cus<strong>to</strong>mers.
We are coming out with
more cus<strong>to</strong>mer friendly
products, we are improving
our service engagement,
contact with the cus<strong>to</strong>mers,
and we are rebuilding the
competence and confidence of
our staff <strong>to</strong> go out there and
delight the cus<strong>to</strong>mer.
So if we consistently do that,
the only way forward is for our
income <strong>to</strong> grow and if we
continue <strong>to</strong> run our cost within
a manageable way, because
we have tried <strong>to</strong> shed
unnecessary cost, we have
run a very lean cost structure
and we are instituting
technology <strong>to</strong> drive our
operations that also ensure
that we get the job done
faster and in more agile
manner.
So combining all these
should draw reasonable
profit. The future for the
company is very bright and
that means that inves<strong>to</strong>rs will
very soon begin <strong>to</strong> reap the
fruits of their investments
FINANCIAL VANGUARD
Credit bureau, BVN have reduced
activities of serial borrowers – Gabar
Chairman Capacity Building Committee of the National
Association of Microfinance Banks, Lagos State Chapter
(NAMBLag) Mrs. Mojisola Gabar, in this interview with
Financial Vanguard said that the introduction of Bank Verification
Number (BVN) and Credit Bureau has helped in checking
activities of serial borrowers. Excerpt:
By Providence Emmanuel
WHAT is the drive behind
NAMBLag capacity
building initiative?
Training is very important in this
sec<strong>to</strong>r. Let me give you a background
of how I came in<strong>to</strong> this industry.
I joined the industry in
2011, I was coming from a commercial
bank with the thought that
it is the same thing, but I found
out in the first year that I was having
challenges in actually going
in<strong>to</strong> the market and knowing what
exactly microfinance is and the
difference between micro and the
commercial bank. But because of
the CBN capacity building programme
for all MfBs, because as
a managing direc<strong>to</strong>r you must be
certified by the Chartered Institute
of Bankers of Nigeria and because
of that we all have <strong>to</strong> go for level
one and level two exam and after
that exam I found that microfi-
nance is quite different from commercial
bank setting.
I realise that you just have <strong>to</strong> go
down <strong>to</strong> the bot<strong>to</strong>m of the pyramid;
you have <strong>to</strong> go out and market
<strong>to</strong> the people, not corporate cus<strong>to</strong>mers
like I was having the impression.
So with that training I
was able <strong>to</strong> see that there is a difference
between the two, the commercial
and the micro and that is
why we have <strong>to</strong> organise this kind
of training. The reason most of us
are having hyper, serial borrowers
is because we remain and still
have the mindset of running our
MfB like a commercial bank.
What is the rationale behind this
training on sustainability for
MfBs?
Recently, the CBN introduced
so many things in<strong>to</strong> the MfB industry:
the credit bureau and
BVN, the reason is because we
have a lot of people in this industry
who are serial borrowers. They
•Mojisola Gabar
go <strong>to</strong> bank ‘A’ and borrow money,
they divert the money and at the
same time go <strong>to</strong> Bank ‘B’. When
the loan from Bank ‘A’ matures,
they go <strong>to</strong> Bank ‘C’ and borrow <strong>to</strong>
pay Bank ‘A’ and when there is
pressure from Bank ‘B’, they go
<strong>to</strong> Bank ‘D’ and at the end of the
day you will find that they are not
actually using the money for the
business.
They are just collecting money
from one bank and paying the
other bank and then you now
have huge bad loans in the industry
and by the time we come
<strong>to</strong>gether as executives in the industry
in trying <strong>to</strong> see how we can
get out of the situation, we find
that it is the same people borrowing
from Bank A, B and C. For us
<strong>to</strong> ensure these people are taken
out of the industry and have serious
minded people who are ready
<strong>to</strong> take money for serious business
and we are sure of repayments,
we need <strong>to</strong> do two things.
The first is BVN, so that when
you are borrowing from Bank ‘A’,
once we go in<strong>to</strong> our record and
find your name, it would be the
same person. The other one is
credit bureau, it means that if my
bank is giving out money <strong>to</strong> either
10 or 14 people, at the end of
that month, I will upload their
information <strong>to</strong> the credit bureau
so that if that cus<strong>to</strong>mer goes <strong>to</strong>
another bank <strong>to</strong> borrow money, all
that the other bank would do is <strong>to</strong>
check the bureau and see if the
same person has borrowed money
from another bank before. If the
cus<strong>to</strong>mer has borrowed
before, the cus<strong>to</strong>mer will
be advised <strong>to</strong> go and pay up before
obtaining another loan from
another bank.
This has helped us in this industry
and the rate of bad debt is
going down. This is because they
know you cannot go from one
bank <strong>to</strong> borrowing money and not
pay back. We are trying <strong>to</strong> take
out the serial borrowers from the
system. That is why it
is important <strong>to</strong> go through the
training and at the same time help
our bank. With this a lot of MfBs
MICRO-FINANCE
would be posting profit because
the problem we are having is that
in our books, we might have profit
of N10 million, out of that, may
be half of it is outside with cus<strong>to</strong>mers
who we are expecting <strong>to</strong>
pay back and with this we can sustain
the industry.
What is your projection for this
capacity building initiative in the
next five years.
The Chairmen, Direc<strong>to</strong>rs, Managing
Direc<strong>to</strong>rs and Executives of
MfBs go outside the country every
year for training in Kenya,
United State, Ethiopia and other
countries; we are trying <strong>to</strong> build it
up so that by the time this industry
matures, then we should be
able <strong>to</strong> have a microfinance
school, so that we don’t have <strong>to</strong>
travel outside the country. We
would have had enough people
that have gone out and gotten
experience and then we can also
have sponsors.
Mastercard always sponsor
people because they know microfinance
is not a commercial bank,
so what they do is give scholarship
<strong>to</strong> people <strong>to</strong> go outside the
country. If we have something like
that in Nigeria, we don’t need <strong>to</strong>
go out, all we need do is <strong>to</strong> invite
MasterCard and let them see the
platform and in five years I see
other countries in West Africa coming
<strong>to</strong> Nigeria for microfinance
training.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017—33
(08052201997)
To borrow or not <strong>to</strong> borrow?
THE issue of sustainability
of Nigeria’s debt service
burden, has returned <strong>to</strong> the
forefront of public discuss in
recent years. Instructively, after
the controversial, stupendous
payment of almost $20bn, <strong>to</strong>
exit a $30b oppressive debt
overhang, owed primarily, <strong>to</strong> a
consortium of London and Paris
credi<strong>to</strong>rs by 2005; Nigeria’s
<strong>to</strong>tal debt, has rapidly climbed
again <strong>to</strong> well over $60bn, from
less than N1trillion domestic
and just over $3bn, external
debt in 2006.
Curiously, by 2005, the
extremely high service and
penalty charges, for delayed
payments on the ballooning
$30billion debt, was considered
unsustainable and oppressive;
ironically, however, Nigeria’s
National debt, is now indicated
<strong>to</strong> be well in excess of $60
billion, that is, double, the
alleged crisis, debt level of
$30bn, before the debt exit.
Hereafter, observations of
IMF and senior Nigerian
government officials, with
regard <strong>to</strong> the sustainability and
impact of the present debt level
and related service charges,
would be juxtaposed, <strong>to</strong>
highlight, what appears <strong>to</strong> be
an incoherent approach <strong>to</strong>
National debt management.
So, let us begin with Christine
Lagarde and the IMF boss’s
observation, during her trip <strong>to</strong>
Nigeria in January 2016,
that…”frankly, given the
determination and resilience
displayed by the Presidency and
his team, I don’t see why an IMF
loan program is going <strong>to</strong> be
needed.” “Nigeria does not
need <strong>to</strong> borrow”. Indeed
Lagarde also cautioned that “it
weighs heavily on the public
purse, when already, about
35kobo of every naira collected
by the federal government is
used <strong>to</strong> service out<strong>stand</strong>ing
debts”
COMMENT:
It is worrisome that Nigeria
spent about N250b per quarter
in 2016 on debt service
compared <strong>to</strong> an average
revenue per quarter of about
N623 billion. This comes <strong>to</strong> a
‘crazy’ debt service <strong>to</strong> revenue
ratio of 40%. Nevertheless, Law
makers should ignore the loud
suggestions that our economy
is relatively under borrowed,
just because debt level is still
about 5% below the critical debt
<strong>to</strong> GDP benchmark of 19%!
Recent statistics from the
Debt Management Office
indicate <strong>to</strong>tal external debt as
at 31st March, 2017 was over
$13bn. Not surprisingly,
therefore the Finance minister
has noted that “we do need <strong>to</strong>
go outside and borrow. But we
need <strong>to</strong> borrow as cheaply as
possible. So we’ve approached
the World Bank, China Exim
(bank) and some other
concessional lenders, who lend
as low as 1.5%, and then we’ll
blend that with the money we
<strong>to</strong>ok from the Eurobond market
which is now 7.5%,” (The cable,
May 18, 2017)
However, in Oc<strong>to</strong>ber 2016,
President Muhammadu Buhari
had asked the National
Assembly <strong>to</strong> approve the
Federal Government’s external
borrowing plan, <strong>to</strong>taling
$29.960 billion, for 2016 <strong>to</strong>
2018.
COMMENT: There is
currently no certainty that the
National Assembly will
consider this loan package,
unless it accommodates
adequate provision for
legisla<strong>to</strong>rs’ constituency
projects, the indications are that
the Executive’s inclination <strong>to</strong>
constituency projects is at best
distasteful.
However, while speaking at
a quarterly presidential
business forum in Abuja,
Wednesday July 12th, 2017, the
Finance Minister
unexpectedly noted as follows:
“That diversification of revenue
base would ensure that we do
not continue <strong>to</strong> overly rely on
debt <strong>to</strong> fund our budget
spending over the long term.”
“We have got <strong>to</strong> get our budget
Nigeria’s
present debt
burden will rise
beyond $90bn
when
compounded
with the
$29.9bn loan
currently
sought
bigger and <strong>to</strong> do that we cannot
borrow anymore. We simply
have <strong>to</strong> generate more revenue,
we have <strong>to</strong> plug the leakages,
and we have <strong>to</strong> improve tax
collection so that we can manage
our borrowing.”
Surprisingly, however, in
another statement signed 24
hours later on 13th July,
2017,by Salisu Dambatta, the
Direc<strong>to</strong>r of Information, Federal
Ministry of Finance, Kemi
Adeosun was reported <strong>to</strong> have
reversed her earlier position
“we cannot borrow anymore” <strong>to</strong>
“Nigeria will continue <strong>to</strong>
borrow <strong>to</strong> fund its budget”.
The statement s<strong>to</strong>utly
reiterated that “Nigeria will
continue <strong>to</strong> borrow and that
nothing has changed. We have
headroom <strong>to</strong> borrow and are
doing so aggressively <strong>to</strong>
stimulate growth.” “The
Economic Recovery and
Growth Plan provides for an
increase in spending over a
three-year period, which is
reflected in the 2017 budget”.
The minister also noted that,
“Nigeria’s debt <strong>to</strong> GDP ratio is
low when compared <strong>to</strong> our
contemporaries in Africa, and
across most of the developed
world.”
COMMENT:
“Invariably, Nigeria’s
present debt burden will rise
beyond $90bn when
compounded with the $29.9bn
loan currently sought.
Additionally, if the present loan
package excludes the widely
reported billions of dollars’
Chinese loans and the trillions
of Naira which will also be
borrowed from the domestic
market <strong>to</strong> fund annual budget
deficits, then of course, we may
soon require well over 50% of
our actual annual revenue just
<strong>to</strong> service our debts, while the
balance will be predominantly
consumed by recurrent
expenditure with little left for
capital projects. Unfortunately,
serial defaults in payment of
service charges will instigate
overbearing foreign credi<strong>to</strong>rs
<strong>to</strong> exercise their rights and
insist on more socially
oppressive economic reforms
<strong>to</strong> guarantee their loans.
Furthermore, the Sena<strong>to</strong>rs
should not also be deceived by
the allegedly low cost of
borrowing below 2%,
reportedly, attached <strong>to</strong> the
proposed loans. Intuitively,
however, it is evident that if the
Naira rate continues its freefall,
well beyond N500=$1 <strong>to</strong> say
N5000=$1, in the next 5 years,
the economy will certainly be
in deep trouble, because,
despite the optically low
interest rate, we may still
require 10 times more Naira <strong>to</strong>
FINANCIAL VANGUARD
Ecobank Chairman lists social cost of conflict of interest
The Chairman of Ecobank
Nigeria Plc, Mr. John
Aboh has advised business
opera<strong>to</strong>rs <strong>to</strong> avoid conflict of
interest in their organisations
due <strong>to</strong> its severe impact on the
economy and the society.
He made this call while
delivering a keynote address
at the 2017 Audit Committee
Conference, organised by the
Audit Committee Institute in
Lagos.
Aboh pointed out that
conflict of interest exerts huge
cost on government,
businesses and society.
He however noted that
because such cost is latent
and indeterminate, even
researchers have not been
able <strong>to</strong> objectively quantify it.
Aboh said: “We only know
that businesses have been
collapsed by the weighty cost
of conflicts of interest.
“As inves<strong>to</strong>rs and
gatekeepers, it behoves us <strong>to</strong>
constantly think of how <strong>to</strong>
prevent, detect, moni<strong>to</strong>r,
control and abate conflicts of
interest.
“Among managers, conflict
of interest is not considered a
serious problem because it is
naturally low in
organisational visibility with
consequences that are
managed by perpetra<strong>to</strong>rs so
that it does not vibrate <strong>to</strong> get
the attention of control
elements”.
According <strong>to</strong> the former bank
CEO, the evils of related party
conflict of interest transactions
manifest in the purchase of
sub<strong>stand</strong>ard materials during
projects, because the insider
used his internal connections
<strong>to</strong> get the system <strong>to</strong> condone
and accept sub<strong>stand</strong>ard
materials.
He stressed that given the
potential consequence of
conflict of interest and the risk
it poses <strong>to</strong> governance, assets,
business continuity and the
risk <strong>to</strong> the economy, “our
generation must now give it
its deserved intellectual
attention <strong>to</strong> properly
characterise it and come out
with solutions that captures
all its con<strong>to</strong>urs.”
We have a responsibility <strong>to</strong>
pass on <strong>to</strong> posterity an orderly
rule-based society with a
threshold of trust, he said.
Earlier, in his welcome
address, the Chairman, Audit
Committee Institute, Mr.
Chiristian Ekeigwe, noted
that conflict of interest had
been an under-estimated
problem that is denied in
most societies because it
naturally combines with
service such dollar
denominated loans annually.
Thus, we would, effectively be
paying over 20% in Naira value,
on these seemingly
“concessionary” loans.” (See
“To concession is more
responsible than <strong>to</strong> borrow
$29.9bn” at www.lesleba.com)
Nigeria’s odious debt
accumulation would be
reasonably reduced with active
private sec<strong>to</strong>r participation in
the provision of infrastructure,
through concessions and
privatization of public
enterprises in an enabling
economic environment.
Indeed, at a recent quarterly
presidential business forum in
Abuja, the Minister for works,
Fashola noted that “The private
sec<strong>to</strong>r has always been in any
economy with a capital
disposition, the driver of growth,
the driver of development and
ultimately government must
interface with the private sec<strong>to</strong>r,”
he said. “We want <strong>to</strong> hear from
them where the shoes pinch most,
where we can make it easier;
where we can make it better and
how we can do so.” (Premium
times, 11 July, 2017).
COMMENT:
Mr. Fashola may not be aware
that unilateral substitution of
naira allocations for dollar
denominated revenue is the
most significant challenge <strong>to</strong>
providing an enabling
economic environment <strong>to</strong>
facilitate private sec<strong>to</strong>r
involvement in infrastructural
enhancement, industrial
expansion and job creation. The
odious process of Naira
substitution fuels the ‘curse of
Excess Naira liquidity which
instigates higher rates of
inflation, cost of funds and
weaker Naira exchange rate
that all collude <strong>to</strong> constrain
demand and paralyse the
private sec<strong>to</strong>r.
SAVE THE NAIRA! SAVE
NIGERIANS!!
BUSINESS
related parties or parties with
deep familiarity.
“Conflict of interest is the
most dangerous low-visibility
governance vulnerability
because it is primarily
preda<strong>to</strong>ry and implacable.
“To be sure, conflict of
interest is a threat <strong>to</strong> our
civilisation because it corrodes
its primal foundation, namely
cooperation and trust; truly
speaking, these are the primal
substrates of modern
civilisation.
“We need <strong>to</strong> intellectually
metabolise conflict of interest
risk and mentally adjust our
thinking <strong>to</strong> the significance
that it represents,” he added.

34— Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
YOUR LUCK TODAY
By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139
CAPRICORN: The very best for you <strong>to</strong>day is <strong>to</strong> look for
ways <strong>to</strong> consolidate on progress you have recorded recently.
The more willing you are <strong>to</strong> respect the law, the better.
AQUARIUS: Friends may disappoint you <strong>to</strong>day but you
will have genuine cause <strong>to</strong> smile broadly <strong>to</strong>morrow. Do
not gamble with matters of the heart <strong>to</strong>day.
PISCES: If you have, consciously or unconsciously, started
unnecessary cold war at work yesterday, it would come <strong>to</strong>
the head <strong>to</strong>day <strong>to</strong> the resentment of people that count before
mid afternoon.
ARIES: The zeal <strong>to</strong> work harder exhibited by you will earn
you unexpected success at work <strong>to</strong> the betterment of your
rating and finances. Don’t allow mid morning blues <strong>to</strong> get
best off you.
TAURUS: If it’s possible for you <strong>to</strong> wait till <strong>to</strong>morrow
before an important assignment is carried out, your cause
will be better for it. Take your love life seriously.
GEMINI: Now, you can not pretend that happenings within
your (family) base of operation pleases you, but, you will
need <strong>to</strong> be as diplomatic as possible. Avoid unnecessary
rush.
CANCER: Unusual exhibition of aggressive approach by
you may put people around you off the balance. It’s in
your own interest not <strong>to</strong> bite more than you can chew,
especially before mid afternoon..
LEO: You may be tempted <strong>to</strong> embrace extravagant
tendencies while planning your financial transactions.
Watch what you promise before early part of afternoon
period.
L E I S U R E
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
“Every problem or difficulty you face contains the seed of an equal or
greater advantage or benefit.”
“Don’t be afraid of showing affection. Be warm and tender, thoughtful
and affectionate. Men are more helped by sympathy than by service.
Love is more than money, and a kind word will give more pleasure
than a present.”
— John Lubbock
TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”
By Kola Fayemi
VIRGO: If you are offered what looks like Greek gift before
early hours of afternoon, you are advised <strong>to</strong> politely turn it
down. It’s wrong <strong>to</strong> encourage aggression.
LIBRA: Tomorrow is one of your lucky days of this week.
Yet, if you are more observant within your base of operation,
you will not have it wrong, even <strong>to</strong>day. Keep secrets.
KAPTAIN AFRIKA in “Pretty Lunatic’ By Andy Akman
SCORPIO: Although, many will go through tension before
mid afternoon, the whole thing will work in your favour
early in the day. The more ambitious you, are the better
for you.
SAGITTARIUS: Coming <strong>to</strong>gether of the Moon and Mars
in Virgo will bring you under the fire of enthusiasm <strong>to</strong>
achieve much along your career/business lines. Be very
moderate.
ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING
Send your date e and place of birth th <strong>to</strong> the Astr
trological
Counselling, P.M.B 100
007, 7, Apapa, Lagos
What are my numbers?
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 <strong>to</strong>gether with my luck, social life and my lucky
number.
John Abuja.
Dear John,
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 <strong>to</strong> you so that
you will be prepared.
Mars in Aquarius <strong>to</strong>gether with Uranus are pointers <strong>to</strong> an
active social life. The more influential social circle you
belong <strong>to</strong>, the better for you. You’re the cool headed type
beloved by many but once your anger manages <strong>to</strong> fly off,
it can be very difficult if not dangerous; it’s because of
your natal Plu<strong>to</strong>. Yet they keep coming your way.
Saturn can not help forcing challenges on your way, luckily
for you however, you have what it takes <strong>to</strong> live up <strong>to</strong> 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 s<strong>to</strong>p 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 <strong>to</strong> 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.
VIRGINIA
HOME & ABROAD
dadadekola@yahoo.com
By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017—35
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
Uduaghan charges Itsekiri <strong>to</strong> respect Warri monarch
By Akpokona
Omafuaire
WARRI—THE former
Governor of Delta
State, Dr. Emmauel
Uduaghan, has called on
all Itsekiri people <strong>to</strong>, as a
duty, respect and honour
the crown, His Majesty
Ogiame Ikenwoli, the Olu
of Warri, always.
Uduaghan made the call,
weekend, while chairing
the 20th anniversary of the
National Association of
Itsekiri Graduates, NAIG,
noting that “Itsekiri have
By Emma Amaize,
Samuel Oyadongha,
Perez Brisibe &
Sunday Bomadi
B
U R U T U —
ECONOMIC and
social activities in over 20
riverine communities in
Delta and Bayelsa states
have been grounded,
following a siege on their
waterways by soldiers over
last Thursday’s killing of a
soldier at a military
checkpoint in
Ogbogbogbane, Burutu
Local Government Area,
Delta State, by suspected
militants.
Among the affected
communities are Bomadi,
Tuomo, Tamigbe, Toru-
Ndoro, Bulu-Ndoro,
Ogbogbagbene, Ojobo,
Torugbegbe, Ekeremor,
Endoro and Letugbene.
Meanwhile, the task
force, weekend,
apprehended four leaders
of the communities, in the
two states, in connection
with the incident.
Recall that suspected
militants killed the soldier
and s<strong>to</strong>le a General
Purposed Machine Gun
belonging <strong>to</strong> the Nigeria
Army, last Thursday.
only one king and we must
honour and respect the
crown everywhere and
anywhere.”
He also said he will not
be pushed <strong>to</strong> give report of
his stewardship, insisting
he will rather take all the
blames than give
explanations that will put
the Itsekiri nation in
another round of crisis with
her neighbours.
According <strong>to</strong> Dr.
Uduaghan, nobody recalls
that his administration
constructed nine bridges <strong>to</strong>
Ifie from Ubeji axis as part
Vanguard gathered that
movement has been
restricted in areas since last
week when the task force
embarked on s<strong>to</strong>p-andsearch
operations, which
has greatly hampered food
supply, fishing and other
activities in the
communities.
Residents said soldiers
barricaded the waterways
with armoured gunboats at
some sections of Ramos
and Forcados rivers, as
residents, out of fear, locked
themselves indoors, while
others take shelter in the
bushes.
Resident speaks
A member of one of the
communities, who spoke
on phone, said: “Many
people are presently
trapped in the creeks at
Endoro, Ojobo, Torugbene,
Ekeremor and Tamigbe.
“There is no food supply
<strong>to</strong> the affected communities,
as the inhabitants
are not allowed <strong>to</strong> go about
their legal businesses.
“It is difficult for people
<strong>to</strong> come <strong>to</strong> Bomadi <strong>to</strong>wn <strong>to</strong>
trade, as there is no
vehicular or boat
movement <strong>to</strong> and from the
areas since the incident
of the multi-billion Naira
Trans-Warri-Ode-Itsekiri
bridges and access roads.
He insisted that much
was accomplished in the
Koko-Ugbenu Road and
Abigborodo Road/Bridge
during his tenure as
governor of Delta State.
In his welcome address,
President of NAIG, Mr.
Edema Collins, said his
administration has tried <strong>to</strong>
put measures in place <strong>to</strong>
ensure that any form of
internal or external threats
of division within the
association was
occurred.
“As for Bomadi and
environs, there is also
restriction of movement by
the rampaging military.
People are being harassed
on a daily basis <strong>to</strong> the extent
that we now live in fear of
imminent invasion.”
Arrested
Factional President of
Ijaw Youth Council, IYC,
Mr. Eric Omare, yesterday,
said: In Toru-Ndoro
community of Bayelsa
State, Mr. Suka Andy
(Community Chairman),
Yerekeme Afamukoro (Vice
Chairman), Ebikadumene
Afesuku (Youth President)
were arrested by military
officers on Saturday
evening.
“Similarly, in Bulu-Ndoro
community of Delta State,
the community Chairman,
Miebibo Agumu, was also
arrested, yesterday.
“At the time of issuing this
statement, military officers
have invaded Letugbene
community in Ekeremor
Local Government Area of
Bayelsa State, shooting
neutralised.
Renowned academic, Dr.
Jackson Ireyefoju, in his
lecture, identified policy
inconsistency as a problem
being faced by Warri
Kingdom.
Posthumous, legendary
and awards of excellence
were presented <strong>to</strong> late
Alfred Rewane and late
Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh;
Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor;
Pa. J. O. S. Ayomike; NFF
President, Amaju Pinnick,
and Chairman of DESO-
PADEC, Mr. Godwin
Ebosa, respectively.
FIDSON: From left— Special Adviser <strong>to</strong> the Minister, Mr. Oladele Ajayi; Chairman, Pharmaceutical
Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Okey Akpa; Minister of Industry,
Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah; Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r/ C.E.O, Fidson Healthcare Plc,
Dr. Fidelis Ayebae, and MD/CEO, Bank of Industry, Mr. Olukayode Pitan, during the facility <strong>to</strong>ur of
Fidson Healthcare in Ota, Ogun State.
KILLING OF SOLDIER BY MILITANTS:
Army lays siege <strong>to</strong> Delta, Bayelsa communities
•Communities’ leaders arrested; IYC kicks
•We must avoid another Odi— FOHURAC
sporadically.
“Miss U. A. C. Mercy
informed the IYC from
Letugbene that the
community has been
deserted and residents
now take refuge in the
bushes. The military is
threatening <strong>to</strong> burn down
the house of a traditional
chief at Letugbene
community.
“Also on Saturday, Mr.
Philip Kase, former IYC
Direc<strong>to</strong>r of Mobilisation,
was attacked on the
Ogbagbagbene-Bomadi
Road and his car badly
damaged. There are sorry
tales everywhere.
“The IYC restates that the
invasion, sporadic shooting
and arrest of community
leaders and innocent
members of the Delta and
Bayelsa boundary
communities along the
Forcados River is not the
solution <strong>to</strong> the security
challenge.
“We commiserate with the
Nigerian military on the
loss of an officer; we call for
utmost restraint in their
actions and strict adherence
Bad scanner hampers
Cus<strong>to</strong>ms operations in Rivers
P
By Davies
Iheamnachor
O R T
HARCOURT—THE
Nigerian Cus<strong>to</strong>ms
Services, NCS, has
expressed concerns
over the poor state of the
electronic scanning
machine for operations
in Rivers State.
The Cus<strong>to</strong>ms Area
Controller in charge of
Port Harcourt Area II
Command, Comptroller
Abubakar Bashir, who
disclosed this <strong>to</strong>
newsmen at the Cus<strong>to</strong>ms
House Onne, Eleme
Local Government Area,
weekend, noted that the
Command has been
facing series of
challenges in
examining and clearing
P
O R T
HARCOURT—
CHIEF of Army Staff,
Lieutenant General
<strong>to</strong> the rules of
engagement.”
Rights group reacts
Similarly, Foundation for
Human Rights and Anti-
Corruption Crusaders,
FOHURAC, in a statement
by its President, Alaowei
Cleric, yesterday, said:
“Report just reaching us
indicates that a good
number of communities in
Delta and Bayelsa states
are under military siege
due <strong>to</strong> the recent attack on
soldiers at Ogbabagbene
village by some
unidentified hoodlums.
“Although we have
condemned and will
continue <strong>to</strong> condemn acts
of banditry in the Niger
Delta, the stance taken by
the military <strong>to</strong> avenge the
death of its officer is
condemnable.
“People of goodwill
should prevail on the
soldiers before they commit
Odi genocide in the
creeks. The governments
of Bayelsa and Delta states
should call the soldiers <strong>to</strong>
order.”
containers.
Bashir said that the
Command was facing
challenges in the
examination of some
containers, especially
those packed by machine
from the place of origin,
adding that a functioning
scanner will help the
Command improve in its
operations.
His words: “It has
become necessary <strong>to</strong>
address the issues
concerning our scanner,
which has not been
functioning for quite a
while now.
“Currently, all cargos are
examined manually before
release. This process is very
tedious and usually not
very effective as most
containers are machinepacked
at point of origin.”
COAS advocates support for
monarchs against criminals
By Jimi<strong>to</strong>ta
Onoyume
Tukur Buratai has
enjoined traditional
rulers in the Niger Delta
region <strong>to</strong> be actively
involved in efforts by
security agencies <strong>to</strong>
achieve enduring peace
in communities in the
region.
Buratai spoke,
weekend, in Port
Harcourt, Rivers State,
during an interactive
session with traditional
rulers in the state.
He explained that he
was in the state for the
formal take off
ceremonies of the newlyestablished
6 Division of
the Army in Port Harcourt,
stressing that the
Division, which would
oversee military activities
in Akwa Ibom, Rivers,
Bayelsa and Delta will
need the support of the
monarchs, government
and other stakeholders.
He lamented the
impact of cultism,
stressing that all hands
should be on deck <strong>to</strong>
bring an end <strong>to</strong> the
menace in the state.
According <strong>to</strong> him, “I
started my military career
in Rivers State, Elele
Barracks. I have really
experienced what peace
was in Rivers in the 80s
and early 90s; what is
happening now should
be collectively resisted.
“Traditional rulers,
government, the people;
they all have important
roles <strong>to</strong> play for a peaceful
state.”
Buratai said the Army
will also collaborate with
other security agencies in
the state in the drive for
enduring peace.

36 —Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017 — 37
Edited by
FIELD MARSHAL IDI AMIN
The strong man of Uganda was
a celebrated Rangers supporter.
When his team, Express FC of
Uganda, suffered defeat in Kampala
in the hands of Rangers in 1977, the
Manager of the team, a Lt Colonel,
ordered the Ugandan Players who
were predominantly soldiers <strong>to</strong> be
locked up in military cell. But Idi
Amin heard the news and ordered
the players <strong>to</strong> be released. Amin
believed that his players met Africa's
best club and therefore should not
be punished for losing <strong>to</strong> the
champions. He also organized a
reception for Rangers players and
officials and commended them for a
well-deserved vic<strong>to</strong>ry.
COLONEL JOHN ATOM KPERA
Colonel John A<strong>to</strong>m Kpera's arrival
<strong>to</strong> Enugu in 1975 brought Rangers
closer <strong>to</strong> the Government House.
Colonel Kpera had innate love for
Igbos even though he hails from
Benue State. His engagement with
the Rangers was complete and
sometimes superseded his other
extra-curricular activities in the
Government House as the military
Governor of East Central State. He
followed Rangers <strong>to</strong> its engagements
in Lagos, and directed the club <strong>to</strong>
flout NFA's directive not <strong>to</strong> field
national team players in their Semi
Final against I.I.C.C. Shooting Stars
in the 1977 Cup Winners Cup
Competition.
Colonel A<strong>to</strong>m Kpera saw Rangers
as his pet that must be given the best.
When Rangers clinched the Africa
Cup Winners Cup in 1977, he
enthusiastically organized a rousing
reception for them at Enugu
Township Stadium, now Nnamdi
Azikiwe Stadium. He declared that
the stadium should be expanded <strong>to</strong>
attract international matches. He
directed old Anambra State Sports
Council <strong>to</strong> move <strong>to</strong> a temporary site
<strong>to</strong> enable the State Government
complete the renovation of the
stadium which was completed in
1986
He re-named the "Independence
Avenue" <strong>to</strong> "Rangers Avenue" in
appreciation <strong>to</strong> the boys' sacrifices
and wonderful vic<strong>to</strong>ries in Nigeria
and outside during his tenure.
CHIEF IFEANYICHUKWU JIM
NWOBODO
In 1979, Chief Jim Nwobodo, the
former Chairman of Rangers
International was elected the first
Executive Governor of old Anambra
State. Chief Jim Nwobodo was a
popular and a successful business
man. As the Chairman of Rangers
FC, Jim had led the team <strong>to</strong>
successful exploits at home and
abroad. However, his performance
as the chairman of Rangers made
him more popular in Africa. The
Igbos loved him for his role in the
Rangers FC Administration and
voted for him <strong>to</strong> lead Anambra State.
He was bold, courageous, and ironwilled.
He readily addressed Press
Conferences in defence of Rangers.
Jim's Government <strong>to</strong>ok Rangers
International <strong>to</strong> the highest level of
performance. For the first time in the
his<strong>to</strong>ry of the Club, a foreigner, a
Brazilian, Rober<strong>to</strong> Paulo Diaz, was
hired as Rangers Coach. Another
Brazilian Footballer, Da Silva Periare
was also signed <strong>to</strong> play for Rangers
International. Jim Nwobodo also
started the construction of Rangers
permanent camp at Independence
Layout, Enugu after the Club had
won the Africa Cup Winners Cup in
1977.
The record set by Jim Nwobodo
both as the Chairman of the club and
the State Chief Executive is yet <strong>to</strong> be
equaled. During his tenure as the
Governor of the greater Anambra
RANGERS INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL CLUB (7)
Immortal roles of Great
Patrons & Supporters
•Rangers in Uganda hosted by President Idi Amin (r)
•Prince Arthur Eze,
Patron
•H.E. Sullivan Chime
State, rangers won all the trophies
in the land and made appreciable
impact on the continental scene.
Chief Nwobodo as Chairman
clinched the Africa Cup Winners Cup
in 1977. It was not only with the
Rangers International FC that Chief
Jim Nwobodo triumphed. He was
the Sports Minister when Nigerian
won the gold medal in Football in
the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
GOVERNOR ALLISON
MADUEKE
Navy Captain Allison Madueke
was appointed Military Governor
Anambra State in 1984. He
constituted Anambra State Sports
Council Board with Chief Goody
Okonkwo as the Chairman, and also
appointed former Rangers Captain,
Dominic Ezeani, as the Sole
Administra<strong>to</strong>r of the Club. He
pursued vigorously the completion
of Enugu Township stadium. He
sought funds for the project in big
<strong>to</strong>wns of Onitsha, Jos, Kano, Lagos
and Enugu. He followed it up with
levies on school pupils who paid 5
kobo while secondary school
students paid 10 kobo. The stadium
•H.E. Babatunde Fashola,
Patron
•H.E. Ifeanyi Lawrence
Ugwuanyi
was almost 80% completed before
Allison Madueke was posted out of
Anambra State. It was during his
regime that Rangers won the
National Football League for the last
time in 1984.
GROUP CAPTAIN SAMPSON
EMEKA OMERUAH
Group Captain Sampson Emeka
Omeruah <strong>to</strong>ok over from Navy
Captain Allison Madueke in 1985.
He had just returned from China in
1985 when he led Nigeria U-16
team <strong>to</strong> clinch the maiden edition
of FIFA/KODAK trophy in 1985. His
arrival in the old Anambra State
brought a lot of Sports awareness
<strong>to</strong> the state. He moved Rangers
International Football Club out from
the control of the State Sports
Council. By 1986 Edict, he
promulgated Rangers a
Government Corporation. He also
constituted a Management
committee <strong>to</strong> run the affairs of the
stadium in the state. Omeruah
successfully completed the
stadium, commissioned it on
January 18, 1986, and named it
Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium. Emeka
•Admiral Alison Madueke
•ABC Orjiakor, Patron
•H.E. Chimaroke Nnamani
came in<strong>to</strong> power in Enugu State in
1999. He constituted Rangers FC
Management Corporation Board by
appointing Business mogul, Chief
Dr. A.B.C. Orjiakor as Chairman.
Rangers consequently resurged in
2002 when it came <strong>to</strong>ps on the
League Table but due <strong>to</strong> the
obnoxious format called "Super Four"
Rangers dropped <strong>to</strong> the third position
but also qualified for continental
competition. Rangers FC played last
on the continental stage in 1985.
Throughout his tenure, Rangers
FC never lacked funds and played
in continental competition in 2003,
2004, 2005, and 2006. However, the
Club never went beyond the
semifinals of the competition in
African Cup Winners Cup 2003,
Africa Confederation Cup 2004,
Africa Confederation Cup 2005, and
Africa Confederation Cup 2006.
GOVERNOR SULLIVAN
IHEANACHO CHIME
Governor Sullivan Iheanacho
Chime came in<strong>to</strong> office in 2007. His
entry in<strong>to</strong> power saw Rangers FC at
the threshold of winning both the
League and the Challenge Cups.
Rangers had played two Cup Finals
in 2007. Governor Sullivan Chime
would have collected two Football
Trophies that year, but lack of
coordinated program and efficient
strategy by the Club Management
denied the club those opportunities.
The club's leadership denied the
Governor his rewards despite all he
gave out <strong>to</strong> the management.
He bought a Marco Polo bus for
the Team, cleared all the arrears
owed the club by releasing N150m
<strong>to</strong> the club in 2008 notwith<strong>stand</strong>ing
that the committee that disbursed the
money short-changed many people
especially drivers, supporting staff,
etc. That was the highest sum of
money <strong>to</strong> be released <strong>to</strong> the club in
a single cheque since its inception.
He also constituted the board of the
club after sacking the first board he
appointed, and increased the club's
subventions, more than twice.
DR. OKWESILIEZE NWODO
Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo was
elected the first Executive Governor
of Enugu State in 1991. On the 2nd
of January 1992, he was sworn in as
the Governor and on the 3rd of
January, the first Warrant he signed
was the release of N1.1m given <strong>to</strong>
Rangers Management <strong>to</strong> pay signon
fees and prepare the club for the
1992 Football season. His
experimental signing of first
Warrant, as Governor of Enugu State,
<strong>to</strong> release money <strong>to</strong> Rangers
International signaled his
unprecedented love and
responsibility <strong>to</strong> the beloved club.
RT. HON. IFEANYI UGWUANYI
He ascended in<strong>to</strong> the highly
exalted office of Enugu State
Government House on May 29th
2015 with a lot of challenges
including indebtedness <strong>to</strong> Local
Government workers, arrears of
salaries owed some parastatals,
including Rangers; new minimum
wage which Enugu had refused <strong>to</strong>
implement since 2009; massive
rural development, and sports
development.
He immediately started with
Rangers by inviting the
management <strong>to</strong> government House
on Thursday, July 30th 2015. The
Management reeled out a debt of
N102m owed Rangers players,
officials and supporting staff. The
Management also requested for the
clearance of January <strong>to</strong> July salary
arrears.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi
immediately approved the release
of June and July arrears of salaries
and also promised <strong>to</strong> buy a new
coaster bus for the club. He
promised <strong>to</strong> study the club's debt
profile with a view <strong>to</strong> addressing it.
The Governor with his massive
support for Rangers broke a 32-year
jinx of championship losses.
Rangers won the coveted League
Championship Cup before a
mammoth crowd at the Nnamdi
Azikiwe stadium. Rangers in Enugu
in September 2016 defeated the
hard-fighting Elkanemi Warriors of
Maiduguri.
These were the select few, among
the lot, who came all out <strong>to</strong> associate
with Rangers International. They
were the golden Governors who
helped Rangers International
Football Club <strong>to</strong> remain on course
<strong>to</strong> avoid relegation and clinch most
of the coveted trophies in Nigeria
and Africa.
Edwin Eze and Emma Okocha
(2017) Rangers International
Football Club: His<strong>to</strong>ry of a People.
Gomslam International Limited:
Enugu.

38 —Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017 — 39

40 —Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017 — 41

42---Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
A peep in<strong>to</strong> yesterday
I
FIRST met Yahya Hashim
when he came visiting the
University of Ife (Now, OAU) Hashim
lived in Kano. When I was posted <strong>to</strong>
Kano for the National Youth Service
Corps NYSC, the Orientation Camp
was in Wudil, outside the city, and I
came late <strong>to</strong> camp. There was no
mobile phone in those days and I
<strong>to</strong>ld myself I would go search for his
house after Camp and my posting <strong>to</strong>
a primary assignment. I was posted
<strong>to</strong> the Nigeria Television Authority,
Kano and was rejected. I went
searching for his house off Zoo Road
before returning <strong>to</strong> camp.
I was not sure he would recognize
me, but he did! I also met an old
friend, Issa Aremu, staying with him.
We discussed my posting and he <strong>to</strong>ld
Aremu, who was then a journalist
with the “Triumph” Newspapers <strong>to</strong>
take me next day <strong>to</strong> one or two places.
We ate and I was getting
uncomfortable that it was getting
late <strong>to</strong> get back <strong>to</strong> Wudil. But after
food, Hashim <strong>to</strong>ok me <strong>to</strong> a room
and said “Owei, this is your room”
That was how I ended residing with
him. Next morning, Aremu <strong>to</strong>ok me
<strong>to</strong> the first place; the Civil Service
By Sufuyan Ojeifo
THIS piece shares title with a 1960
Argentine drama film directed by
Leopoldo Torre Nilsson, which depicts the
political corruption in Argentina in the 1930s,
a period referred <strong>to</strong> as the “Infamous Decade”.
The decade, which began in 1930 with the coup
against President Hipoli<strong>to</strong> Yrigoyen by Jose
Felix Uriburu, culminated in the ascension <strong>to</strong>
power of Juan Peron after the military coup of
1943.
The decade was marked by rural mass
movements, worsened by the 1929 Great
Depression, which had decimated rural
landowners and pushed the country in the
direction of import substitution
industrialisation. Another coup was executed
in 1943 due <strong>to</strong> popular discontent in response
<strong>to</strong> the poor economic results of the policy.
Tagged the “Revolution of ‘43”, the coup was
masterminded by the Grupo de Oficiales
Unidos (GOU), the nationalist faction of the
Armed Forces, against the acting president
Ramon Castilo, hence putting an end <strong>to</strong> the
“Infamous Decade”.
Elec<strong>to</strong>ral fraud, persecution of political
opposition leaders and government corruption
characterised the period, against the backdrop
of the Great Depression, which was a severe
global economic depression that lasted until
1941, presenting the longest, deepest and most
pervasive depression in the 20th century.
There is, indeed, a similitude between the
Argentina’s debacle under reference and
Nigeria’s current experience. Nigeria slid in<strong>to</strong>
recession last year. The All Progressives
Congress APC,-controlled federal government
is yet unable <strong>to</strong> get the country out of it. A
national leader of the party, Asiwaju Ahmed
Bola Tinubu, in March this year, advised the
federal government <strong>to</strong> ease the monetary policy
in order <strong>to</strong> stimulate the economy.
In a paper <strong>to</strong> course participants at the
National Defence College in Abuja, titled:
“Strategic Leadership: My Personal Theory
and Practice”, Tinubu explained that the
monetary policy must be consistent with the
environmental needs of our domestic
requirements. He had argued that <strong>to</strong>o much
is tied down and advised the federal
government <strong>to</strong> spend itself out of this recession;
Technical Workers Union of Nigeria
, CSTWUN, now Amalgamated
Union. I was immediately accepted.
Hashim introduced me <strong>to</strong> Kano,
including the old city. One morning
we drove in<strong>to</strong> some shooting near
Gidan Murtala; the Police engaged
some protesting <strong>youths</strong>. He ensured
I made no financial contribution <strong>to</strong>
our upkeep in the house. I protested
I was being paid as a Corper, besides
my employer pays me extra
allowances. He would not hear of it.
He insisted I should save my money
as I may need it before getting a job.
A few weeks later, he informed me
he had <strong>to</strong> relocate <strong>to</strong> Lagos where
the Hassan Sunmonu-led Nigeria
Labour Congress NLC, had offered
him a job. He was giving up the
house within weeks, but I should not
bother myself about that as he would
find me suitable accommodation. I
protested that I was well paid and
can take care of my
accommodation, the soft spoken
Hashim who has a musical voice
said firmly, that I was his
responsibility in Kano and he has a
duty <strong>to</strong> ensure I was comfortable. A
few weeks later, he <strong>to</strong>ok me <strong>to</strong> a friend
two streets away and I was given a
comfortable room in a three
bedroom flat. I ended up living in
Kano for over one year.
It was in Kano I was introduced <strong>to</strong>
the rudiments of trade unionism
under the tutelage of Comrade
Ibrahim Yusuf. Despite the fact that
I was a Corper, barely 22, and did
not speak Hausa, the Joint Action
Committee of Trade Unions in Kano,
appointed me their Assistant
Secretary and we organised a
successful strike on Minimum Wage
against the populist Alhaji Abubakar
Rimi government.
I returned <strong>to</strong> Lagos and worked
with the newly emergent
GUARDIAN Newspapers. Given my
experience in Kano and the fact that
Hashim was a Principal Officer of
the NLC, I decided <strong>to</strong> be a Labour
Reporter. Some months later, I had
an unexpected accommodation
problem and turned <strong>to</strong> Hashim. He
discussed with his then flat mate,
Salisu Nuhu Mohammed, then
Head of NLC Information. With that,
I moved in<strong>to</strong> their flat off
Kogberegbe Street, Isolo. That was
The party is over
and that it cannot do that by consistently
stifling the banks of liquidity.
Has government heeded Tinubu’s advice?
How significantly has government intervened
<strong>to</strong> push up market demand by undertaking
public works? Only N350 billion has
reportedly been released for capital projects.
What is the percentage of that in the 2017
budget of N7.4 trillion? And what is the level
of performance of the N350b released vis-àvis
the implementation of the projects <strong>to</strong> which
the release is tied?
Besides, how many Nigerians have been
employed or financially empowered through
We should put an end <strong>to</strong>
this mumbo-jumbo that
the APC has foisted on us
since 2015
this intervention for capital projects
development? How many local companies
which depend on locally-sourced raw
materials are fac<strong>to</strong>red in<strong>to</strong> this special
intervention package? Or is it another
opportunity for foreign construction
companies <strong>to</strong> make easy money and repatriate
the same <strong>to</strong> their home countries?
I am not an economist. I do not under<strong>stand</strong>
the plethora of economic concepts, principles
and terminologies or jargons, which economy
experts daily deploy <strong>to</strong> explain how our
economy is working. We are so easily
bamboozled by statistics, especially from the
National Bureau of Statistics, NBS. The NBS’
verdict is that Nigeria is the largest economy
on the Africa continent and the 26th in the
world with its rebased Gross Domestic Product
GDP, which, as of April 2014, s<strong>to</strong>od at
US$509.97 billion (N80.2 trillion).
But my attitude <strong>to</strong>wards economic
development, which refers <strong>to</strong> the problems of
under-developed countries, is very simple: let
us see how well the masses are faring. How
has the rebased GDP transformed our
economy and the various aspects of our nation,
especially the lives of the individual citizens?
I have known, and
been shown love
and respect across
the country; I
cannot but be
grateful <strong>to</strong> a
country that
defines my being
how I ended up being offered free
accommodation by Hashim, first in
Kano, and then Lagos. I never
experienced such brotherly and
comradely love.
When I wanted <strong>to</strong> get married, my
fiancée worried that her family in
her home<strong>to</strong>wn in the North Central
may not be comfortable with her
marrying somebody from the Niger
Delta. We decided that she should
take a trip and test the waters. The
strategy was <strong>to</strong> see if she could first
win over her grandmother whom she
so dearly loved before approaching
other relatives in the <strong>to</strong>wn.
The grandma was elated her
granddaughter was getting
married and asked the inevitable
question; “Where is he from?” My
wife hesitated.” Is he Okun?””No”
“Yoruba?” “No” “Ebira?” “No”
Hausa?” “No” “Ibo?” “No” “Where
is he from?” “ Ehen, he is from the
riverine areas” “Is he Ijaw?” My wife
was shocked; she didn’t realise her
quite old grandmother knew such a
nationality. Then grandma’s next
enquiry knocked her off her feet; “Is
he from Patani or any of its nearby
<strong>to</strong>wns?”
When my wife recovered from the
shock, she asked “Do you know
Patani?” “Of course” “Yes, he is from
Patani” “Then marry him, he must
be a good man” My wife who never
thought her grandmother had set
foot on any part of the Niger Delta
asked how she came <strong>to</strong> know Patani.
“When I was a young woman, I
traded along the River Niger from
Lokoja <strong>to</strong> the creeks. On one of those
journeys, I fell quite sick, and as you
know there were no medical facilities
on the boats. So the crew decided
that rather than me dying in the boat,
How has it attacked widespread absolute
poverty? How has it reduced inequalities and
removed the sceptre of unemployment? That,
in spite of the “biggest economy’ status, Nigeria
still slid in<strong>to</strong> recession is evidence of how
superficial and vulnerable the economy is <strong>to</strong>
absorb shocks both at the micro and macro
levels.
Businesses are collapsing on daily basis.
Prices of goods and services are consistently
going up. Purchasing power of citizens is
ebbing away. Job losses have become daily
occurrences. The number of people earning
money is decreasing. The gap between the
rich and the poor has grown much wider. A
vast majority of Nigerians are under financial
pressure and unable <strong>to</strong> meet their basic needs.
There is pain on the faces of the people and
anguish in their hearts.
The scenario painted supra is symp<strong>to</strong>matic
of leadership failure and economic upheaval.
In pre-1999 Nigeria, such a scenario would
have provided an objective condition for
leadership overthrow. But post-1999 Nigeria
is averse <strong>to</strong> that. The democratic foundations
have been laid and there is evident commitment
by all <strong>to</strong> nurture the building of democratic
structures in the land.
Validation: Nigerians stringently
condemned, some months ago, the statement
by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur
Buratai, hinting at an unholy relationship
between members of the political class and
high-ranking soldiers. Although, the
impression created was that of a possible coup
in the offing, Nigerians ferociously kicked
against it, anyhow. Defence Headquarters also
reined in <strong>to</strong> debunk the coup rumour.
Now, assuming, just for the purpose of
argument, that coup has now become
impossible in Nigeria, what is the APCcontrolled
federal government doing <strong>to</strong> avert
the looming tsunami of people power in the
2019 general election? The people are
disenchanted. The APC government has not
been able <strong>to</strong> fulfill up <strong>to</strong> 10 percent of its
campaign promises; and, instead of
meaningfully engaging the people through
Send Opinions & Letters <strong>to</strong>:
opinions1234@yahoo.com
they would berth at the next port and
so I can seek possible medical help.
So when they got <strong>to</strong> the next <strong>to</strong>wn
which happened <strong>to</strong> be Patani, I was
placed at the waterside, and the boat
continued its journey. I crawled <strong>to</strong>
the first house and knocked, they saw
I was very sick, <strong>to</strong>ok me in and nursed
me over the weeks. When I recovered
fully, I returned home. Unfortunately,
I cannot remember the name of the
family that saved my life but I can
never forget Patani”
Some years ago, I went for a
programme in Enugu. I phoned the
noted Pan Africanist and Pro-
Democracy champion, Dr. Arthur
Nwankwo informing him that I was
in the city and would like <strong>to</strong> visit him.
Author of twenty seven books, he has
made invaluable contributions <strong>to</strong>
knowledge in the country with his
publishing house; The Fourth
Dimension. He had responded that
rather than me taking his home
address, he would pick me up at the
hotel. At the appointed time, he
arrived. As I came out of my room <strong>to</strong>
go receive him, I saw people,
especially staff of the hotel trooping
<strong>to</strong>wards the entrance; as I found out,
<strong>to</strong> catch a glimpse of Dr. Nwankwo.
I knew he was an influential figure,
but I had not realised he
commanded so much respect. As I
approached his car, he came down,
embraced me, and we drove off. I
was <strong>to</strong>uched by his humility. Need I
say that for the rest of my stay in the
hotel, I was treated with utmost
respect.
I have known, and been shown love
and respect across the country; I
cannot but be grateful <strong>to</strong> a country
that defines my being.
cogent explanations, not Lai Mohammed’s
chicanery, it is living in self-denial.
I can safely vouchsafe that on the balance of
probability, the Nigerian people should not
expect anything spectacularly different from
the current half-measure offerings before 2019,
judging by the lingering lacklustre
performance of the APC government. The
president, Muhammadu Buhari, is out of
action due <strong>to</strong> ill-health. The Secretary <strong>to</strong> the
Government of the Federation, Babachir
Lawal, is on suspension due <strong>to</strong> a contract scam.
Two of the critical positions in government are,
unfortunately, encumbered.
Some cabals in the presidency, rather than
support the acting president, <strong>to</strong> prudently set
its priority right by focusing on “the economy,
stupid” in this recession period so as <strong>to</strong> turn
things round for the betterment of Nigerians,
are fighting dirty <strong>to</strong> survive the cloak-anddagger
politics in furtherance of their
enlightened self-interests.
Why should the Presidency and the National
Assembly, for instance, be flexing muscles on
whether or not Ibrahim Magu would remain
chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC? There is no harmony
between the executive and the legislative arms.
The administration is on a free course <strong>to</strong>
immolation.
It is, indeed, inopportune that the APC
government has, up until now, been its own
opposition. Its elected leaders can decide <strong>to</strong>
shut down their government. That is their
problem. As far as I am concerned, the APC
party is over. And this assertion is reinforced
by the July 12, 2017 Supreme Court judgment
resolving the leadership tussle of the Peoples
Democratic Party PDP, in favour of the Sena<strong>to</strong>r
Ahmed Makarfi faction.
I welcome resilient Nigerians <strong>to</strong> a robust
and focused oppositional politics that we
expect the PDP <strong>to</strong> play. For us, the voter cards,
the power <strong>to</strong> decide our destiny, are firmly in
our hands, and with the cards, we should put
an end <strong>to</strong> this mumbo-jumbo that the APC has
foisted on us since 2015. We should heed the
lines of Willie Nelson’s song “The Party is over”
<strong>to</strong> “Turn out the lights…” We should allow God
<strong>to</strong> use us <strong>to</strong> save Nigeria-through our votes in
2019.
*Mr. Ojeifo, a journalist, wrote from Abuja.
C
M
Y

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017—43
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
Militants ask PANDEF <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>p
talks with FG
By Emma Amaize
& Perez Brisibe
YENAGOA — BARELY
48 hours after Pan
Niger Delta Forum,
PANDEF, rose from a
meeting in Yenagoa,
Bayelsa State, alerting the
Federal Government that
the patience of <strong>youths</strong> and
stakeholders of Niger Delta
region was running out
over its lackadaisical
approach <strong>to</strong> the group’s 16-
point demand, a militant
group, Niger Delta
Revolutionary Crusaders,
NDRC, has asked the
assembly of eminent
leaders of the region <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>p
further engagements with
the Federal Government.
PANDEF in a
communique by the
convener, Chief Edwin
Clark, had noted with
regret the failure of the
government of Nigeria <strong>to</strong>
take positive actions <strong>to</strong>
tackle the urgent matters of
the Niger Delta as
contained in its 16-point
demand, adding: “As a
consequence of the
government’s sluggish
approach, the patience of
the <strong>youths</strong> and other
stakeholders is running
out.”
Spokesman of NDRC,
WOI Izon Ebi, in a
statement, said: “Niger
Delta Revolutionary
Crusaders, a pan-Niger
Delta advocacy and
liberation movement posed
for equity and justice for the
people of the Niger Delta
honestly advises our
eminent royal fathers and
distinguished personalities
of the PANDEF <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>p all
engagements on behalf of
the people and resources of
the Niger Delta.
“Though we appreciate
their sacrifice and service
over the years, it has not
been able <strong>to</strong> unshackle our
people from the chain of
slavery. The sacrifices of
Chief Clark at 90, HRM
Alfred Diete Spiff, Chief
Vic<strong>to</strong>r Attah and all
distinguished personalities
of the PANDEF are well
recognised, but we want
<strong>to</strong> state that slave masters
do not and would never
under<strong>stand</strong> the language of
platitude.
“We, therefore, advise
them <strong>to</strong> step down so that
we can take our future and
that of our children in our
hands. We the NDRC and
the 21st century <strong>youths</strong> of
the Niger Delta equivocally
state that there is nothing
we will not give <strong>to</strong>
unshackle our people from
the chain of slavery.
“We will fight until the last
drop of our blood, until
justice and equity is
enthroned in our land
because we cannot afford <strong>to</strong>
bequeath this type of society
<strong>to</strong> our children. Peace
without justice is not the
same as justice before
peace. We will not allow
anybody <strong>to</strong> bequeath peace
of the grave yard on us.”
Commending Niger
Delta youth leaders for the
recent Niger Delta Young
Leaders Stakeholders’
roundtable in Port Harcourt,
Rivers State, NDRC said:
“What was over the social
media is just a tip of the
iceberg because the 21st
century <strong>youths</strong> and the
NDRC are determined <strong>to</strong>
Saraki, Okowa, Ibori task
Nigerians on unity
By Festus Ahon
A SABA—SENATE
President, Dr Bukola
Saraki; Governor Ifeanyi
Okowa of Delta State and
former Governor James
Ibori, yesterday, urged
Nigerians <strong>to</strong> put the
interest of the country above
themselves, expressing
faith in Nigeria’s democracy
and unity.
Speaking during the 60th
birthday thanksgiving
Mass of the Sena<strong>to</strong>r
representing Delta North,
Sena<strong>to</strong>r Peter Nwaoboshi,
at St Augustine’s Catholic
Church, Ibusa, they
insisted that Nigerians
must remain united for the
advancement of democracy
in the country.
Also in attendance were,
Delta State Deputy
Governor, Mr. Kingsley
Otuaro; former Governor
Emmanuel Uduaghan;
Deputy Senate President,
Ike Ekweremadu; Senate
Leader, Ahmed Lawan;
Senate Minority Leader,
Godswill Akpabio;
Minority Leader of the
House of Representatives,
Mr Leo Ogor; Minister of
State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe
Kachikwu, his Niger Delta
counterpart, Uguru Usani
and an array of traditional
rulers, priests and
politicians.
Saraki said: “I want <strong>to</strong>
assure the clergy that we
will continue <strong>to</strong> seek your
prayers for this great
country of ours. The
challenges facing the
country are enormous, it
goes beyond roads and
infrastructure. The peace
and unity of this country is
paramount and should be
upheld in addition <strong>to</strong> equity
and justice where every
Nigerian has.”
Congratulating Sena<strong>to</strong>r
Nwaoboshi, the Senate
President said the Senate
is one family and will
ensure that Nigerians get
their dues.
Also speaking, Okowa
said: “The church should
continue <strong>to</strong> pray for
politicians for they work
under very serious
circumstances. We will
continue <strong>to</strong> encourage
ourselves <strong>to</strong> be good
representatives of our
people. We need the
partnership of all Nigerians
and Deltans <strong>to</strong> develop our
communities and we will
continue <strong>to</strong> support the
Senate in its defence of
democracy.”
On his part, Chief s Ibori
said: “In a democratic
dispensation, you have
assigned duties. It is the
duty of the legislature <strong>to</strong>
make laws, the executive <strong>to</strong>
implement the laws and the
civil society elders and
clergy will tell the truth <strong>to</strong>
those in power.
“I am yet <strong>to</strong> see an elected
officer that does not have
achieve justice and equity.
The NDRC and the 21st
century <strong>youths</strong> of the Niger
Delta are very proud of our
future leaders that
converged on Port
Harcourt under the name,
Niger Delta Young Leaders
Stakeholders roundtable
meeting on July 5, 2017.”
MOU: From left: Eason Duan, Brand Manager, West Africa, Tecno Mobile;
Nnamdi Ezeigbo, MD & CEO, SLOT Systems Ltd; Attai Oguche, Deputy
Marketing Manager, PR, Offline Events and Sponsorships Tecno Mobile
Nigeria; and Jesse Oguntimehin, Deputy Marketing Manager, Tecno Mobile
Nigeria at exclusive sales agreement between Tecno Mobile and Official Tablet
and Handset Partner of Manchester City Football Club and SLOT Systems
outlets. in Lagos.
the interest of the people at
heart. Sena<strong>to</strong>r Nwaoboshi
is a committed son of
Anioma (Delta North) who
fought for the emergence of
a Delta Northerner as
governor.”
Expressing gratitude <strong>to</strong>
God, Sena<strong>to</strong>r Nwaoboshi
said he has every reason <strong>to</strong>
thank God on his 60th
birthday, noting: “Selfish,
ethnic interests are put
aside in the interest of the
nation. We have more APC
(All Progressive Congress)
Sena<strong>to</strong>rs here than PDP
(Peoples Democratic Party)
Sena<strong>to</strong>rs in this church and
it tells you that we think of
Nigeria rather than self,
party or ethnic interests
because, the Senate
President has made it for
us <strong>to</strong> think and work for
only Nigeria.”
God saved PDP because
of Rivers —Wike
•As Dickson urges Sheriff <strong>to</strong>
support Makarfi-led c'ttee
By Jimi<strong>to</strong>ta
Onoyume, Samuel
Oyadongha &
Charles Kumolu
PORT HARCOURT—
GOVERNOR Nyesom
Wike of Rivers State,
yesterday, said the vic<strong>to</strong>ry
of Sena<strong>to</strong>r Ahmed Markafiled
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, at the Supreme Court
was a vic<strong>to</strong>ry for Rivers State
as the state built all its hope
around the party.
Speaking at an
interdenominational
thanksgiving service at the
Ecumenical Centre in Port
Harcourt built by his
administration for Christian
Association of Nigeria, CAN,
the governor said only
Rivers State did not have
what he termed ‘Plan B,’
stressing that God gave the
party vic<strong>to</strong>ry at the apex court
because of the state.
“God saved PDP because
of Rivers State. We are the
only state without Plan B,”
he said.
Similarly, Bayelsa State
governor, Mr. Seriake
Dickson has urged Sen
Modu Sheriff <strong>to</strong> respect the
Supreme Court judgment,
which nullified his
leadership and supported
the leadership of Makarfi.
He said: “I call on Sena<strong>to</strong>r
Sheriff and his supporters
and all contending insterests
in our great party, PDP, <strong>to</strong>
respect the verdict of the
Supreme Court as the final
arbiter. I urge all contending
interests in the PDP <strong>to</strong>
embrace peace and genuine
reconciliation and support
the Sena<strong>to</strong>r Makarfi-led
Caretaker Committee of our
party with a view <strong>to</strong>
organising an all- inclusive
National Unity Convention.
“Without such support,
genuine reconciliation
cannot take place. Without
such support, the caretaker
committee will have a
herculean task organising
an acceptable convention
and without genuine
reconciliation, the party
cannot move forward.”
Dickson, who headed the
party’s reconciliation
committee, in a statement by
his Special Adviser on
Media Relations, Mr.
Francis Agbo, said without
reconciliation, the party may
not have an acceptable
convention.
Soyinka becomes Honorary
Education Ambassador for
Bayelsa
By Samuel
Oyadongha
YENAGOA —
GOVERNOR Seriake
Dickson of Bayelsa State ,
weekend, conferred on
Africa’s first Nobel laureate in
Literature, Prof. Wole
Soyinka, a Honorary
Education Ambassador.
The decision, Vanguard
learned, was <strong>to</strong> attract
goodwill and support <strong>to</strong> the
state government’s initiatives
in the education sec<strong>to</strong>r.
Dickson, while presenting
the Letter of the Honorary
Ambassadorial Award <strong>to</strong> the
literary icon, in a statement,
noted that the honour was
bes<strong>to</strong>wed on Soyinka because
of his achievements and
democratization of
knowledge across the world.
According <strong>to</strong> Dickson,
Soyinka’s exceptional
accomplishments in the field
of Literature and his
irrepressible spirit in
espousing the right values of
socio-political theory and
ethical <strong>stand</strong>ards, had placed
him in a good position <strong>to</strong> fly
the Bayelsa flag in the fight
against ignorance and
poverty of the mind.
Calling for support from all
people of goodwill within and
outside the country, Dickson
said Education Development
Trust Fund is targeted at
breaking the long years of
under-development and
deprivations suffered by the
people.
A-Ibom govt faults Gov Bello over attack
on Gov Emmanuel
UYO—THE Akwa Ibom
State Government has
faulted statements credited <strong>to</strong>
Governor Yahaya Bello of
Kogi State, in which he
attacked Governor Udom
Emmanuel for allegedly
describing Sena<strong>to</strong>r Dino
Melaye, the Sena<strong>to</strong>r
representing Kogi West
sena<strong>to</strong>rial district as a
‘General’ in the Senate.
Senior Special Assistant
(Media)/Chief Press
Secretary <strong>to</strong> Governor
Emmanuel, Ekerete Udoh,
in a statement, weekend,
said: “We have read with
amusement the statement
credited <strong>to</strong> Governor Bello
where the governor <strong>to</strong>ok
issues with the description of
Dino Melaye, as a “General”
in the Senate by Governor
Emmanuel, during the recent
empowerment event by the
Senate Minority Leader,
Sena<strong>to</strong>r Godswill Akpabio, in
Ikot Ekpene.
“While it is highly
disturbing and disappointing
<strong>to</strong> have a sitting governor say
disparaging things about a
brother governor based on a
wrong analysis fed him by his
media team, we will take the
high road and not get
personal with the governor,
our belief being that the office
and the person of a governor
of a state deserve the highest
level of respect and deference
possible.
“We do not intend <strong>to</strong>
immerse ourselves in the
politics of zero-sum game that
is currently playing out in
Kogi State. Here in Akwa
Ibom, we play politics of
inclusion, where accent is
placed on delivering the best
democratic dividends <strong>to</strong> our
people in line with the
Governor’s
promises."
campaign

44 -- Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
ONE of the great disappointments of
the All Progressives Congress APC,
Federal Government is the serial displays
of crass incompetence and impunity on
matters whose procedures have long been
established. President Muhammadu
Buhari’s government, for some
unexplained reasons, appears <strong>to</strong> find it
difficult <strong>to</strong> make otherwise simple political
appointments. He wasted the first six
months of his tenure before he appointed
ministers.
Sixteen months after his Minister of State
for Labour and Employment, Mr. James
Ocholi, died in a car crash the regime has
not managed <strong>to</strong> replace him because of
the Presidency’s inexplicable incapacity <strong>to</strong>
swear-in his replacement cleared by the
Senate months ago! Because of this, Kogi
State has remained without ministerial
representation as the constitution
demands. When the tenure of the former
Chairman of the Independent National
Elec<strong>to</strong>ral Commission INEC, Prof Attahiru
Jega’s tenure ended on June 30 th 2015,
he duly handed over <strong>to</strong> the most senior
member of the Board, Ambassador Ahmed
Wali.
A couple of hours later, President Buhari
shocked the nation <strong>to</strong> its marrows by
sending Hajiya Amina Zakari, an INEC
National Commissioner, <strong>to</strong> take over from
Wali as Acting INEC Chairman, only <strong>to</strong>
bring in Prof. Mahmood Yakubu about four
months later as the substantive Chairman.
These moves ruffled political feathers and
gave the impression that the President was
pocketing the INEC whose perceived
impartiality made the change of
government (which he benefited from)
possible. It <strong>to</strong>ok more than two years for
him <strong>to</strong> fill the Board of INEC with the seven
vacant memberships. And even now, with
about eighteen months <strong>to</strong> the next general
elections, 19 states still do not have State
Elec<strong>to</strong>ral Commissioners.
The most untidy of all the appointments
that this regime has made is that of the
Chairman of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC. Before
Buhari came <strong>to</strong> power, the appointment of
an EFCC Chair was a non-event. The
procedure always followed the provisions
of the EFCC Act of 2004. Section 3 of the
Act provides: “The Chairman and members
of the Commission other than Ex-Officio
members shall be appointed by the
President and the appointment shall be
subject <strong>to</strong> the confirmation of the Senate”.
At first Buhari, whose regime has a
strong anti-graft agenda followed this law.
On 9 th November 2015, he named Mr.
All because of one man!
Ibrahim Mustafa Magu as the Acting
Chairman. In his usual display of
tardiness, Buhari did not send Magu’s
name <strong>to</strong> the Senate for confirmation for
nine months. It was only when he
proceeded on his first 10-day medical
vacation in July 2016 that Acting President
Yemi Osinbajo sent Magu’s name <strong>to</strong> the
Senate for confirmation.
The ill-advised delay contributed in
working against Magu. How can any
sensible government keep an anti-graft
Czar in office in acting capacity for nine
whole months, thus exposing him <strong>to</strong> new
on-the-job adversaries before sending him
<strong>to</strong> a place like the Senate where some of
such people could be waiting <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>p him?
The smart thing <strong>to</strong> have done (which
Buhari’s predecessors did) was <strong>to</strong> quickly
send the name for confirmation before he
begins <strong>to</strong> make enemies as his job
necessitates, especially if he appears <strong>to</strong> be
doing well.
However, in Magu’s case, it was not the
real or perceived enemies he might have
in the Senate that worked against him. The
truth is that many Sena<strong>to</strong>rs like <strong>to</strong> be in
the good books of an anti-graft Czar,
OPINION
When next I visit the Barber’s shop…
By Banji Ojewale
WHEN next I visit the barber’s shop, I won’t go
for a haircut. I will go for tips on how <strong>to</strong> handle the
human head. When next I’m at the barber’s, I won’t be there for
gossip; I’ll reach out <strong>to</strong> him <strong>to</strong> educate me on how he manages
<strong>to</strong> manipulate the head. When next you see me at the barber’s,
I won’t be surrendering <strong>to</strong> the tic-tac of the scissors and clippers;
I will be seeking the secrets of the barber’s trade: how does he
completely dominate the one under his instruments? So lastly
when next you see me head for the barber’s, I plead with you <strong>to</strong>
join me; we shall be returning with sack load of tricks we must
deploy <strong>to</strong> turn the wilful heads of our leaders and rulers for
truly salutary enterprise in nation building. We shall look for
ways <strong>to</strong> make them submit <strong>to</strong> the will of the people.
My study of the “absolute” powers of the “lowly” barber over
the head of the mighty began years ago when I was the edi<strong>to</strong>r of
an evening newspaper in Lagos. The edi<strong>to</strong>r-in-chief brought
me a weather-beaten sheet of paper wherein was some priceless
handwritten information about the travails of then detained
MKO Abiola, the undeclared winner of Nigeria’s presidential
election in 1993.
Held in Abuja by the military authorities for his insistence <strong>to</strong>
be sworn in as president, Abiola was said <strong>to</strong> have been visited
by a barber provided by his cap<strong>to</strong>rs. According <strong>to</strong> the paper
given <strong>to</strong> me, the haircut revealed that MKO’s hair, full of
dandruff, was falling off. The document said this condition
suggested that the wealthy politician suffered from serious
health challenges including anemia. Deep in the anonymously
done report was this claim: a man pulled a gun on Abiola as he
rested in his ill-ventilated cell.
After my hesitation over whether <strong>to</strong> publish or not, we ran the
report with the caption: Gunman Rattles Abiola. The
I <strong>stand</strong> firmly behind the
Sena<strong>to</strong>rs on Magu, and I
encourage them never <strong>to</strong>
budge. A government that
invaded the homes of
judges in the night and yet
could not procure enough
credible evidence <strong>to</strong>
prosecute them is now
interpreting the law by
itself! What will they do
next?
minister or head of a powerful government
agency, for selfish reasons. They jump <strong>to</strong>
be seen <strong>to</strong> be in the forefront of supporting
their confirmation, which is why we have
this dubious “bow-and-go” routine.
Magu’s real “enemies” were more in
Buhari’s kitchen cabinet. Some of their
names were already in the media over
various alleged acts of corruption. The
Department of State Services DSS,
submitted a report <strong>to</strong> the Senate accusing
Magu of carrying unwholesome personal
baggage that disqualified him <strong>to</strong> lead
Buhari’s anti-corruption effort. Secondly,
Magu proved less than adequate during
the screening exercise. He did not seem
<strong>to</strong> have a firm grasp of happenings in his
Commission. He did not appear prepared
<strong>to</strong> tackle the most predictable of questions
for a person facing a confirmation hearing.
Having failed on both grounds, the
sena<strong>to</strong>rs refused <strong>to</strong> confirm him. Twice he
was presented, and twice did the DSS
intervene with damaging reports against
Magu.
The Presidency was expected <strong>to</strong> look for
another crack candidate for the job. But
politics, ego and personal interests came
in<strong>to</strong> the matter. Some pro-government
lawyers with obvious stakes in the Magu
candidacy, sensing that he would never
get confirmed no matter how many times
he was represented, advised the
Presidency that the EFCC Chairman did
not need Senate confirmation. They
pointed <strong>to</strong> Section 171 (C) of the
Constitution which holds that the “Head
of any Extra-Ministerial Department of the
Government of the Federation howsoever
designated” does not need Senate
confirmation <strong>to</strong> operate. They held that the
EFCC, being linked <strong>to</strong> the Office of the
At<strong>to</strong>rney General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice, is an extra-ministerial
department.
publication, needless <strong>to</strong> say, also rattled the military junta of
Sani Abacha. It likewise rattled the intractable cat-and-mouse
relationship between his government and our titles.
I have since been fascinated by the deceptive dissembling
mien of the barber. You’re at their mercy when they handle you.
If you sink in<strong>to</strong> their swivel chair or they visit you for a home
affair, they take over your life even if momentarily. Whether it’s
a low-cut you want or a mere trimming exercise, they are in
control. They are in <strong>to</strong>tal command of your head. Never mind
if you’re the head of state or commander-in-chief of your nation’s
armed forces, or if you’re a very important prisoner or the
richest man in Nigeria or in the world.
The barber’s comb, brush, scissors and
clippers make him your boss since he is in
charge of your exposed powerhouse. He
pushes it as he wishes, not as you wish. If
you swing left, he moves it <strong>to</strong> the right.
That’s not where you want it; but at that
moment you don’t own your own head;
that’s the way it goes when the barber is at
work.
He may sometimes politely suffix his
request with “Sir”. But irreverent thoughts
about your deciduous hair or yam head
I think
Nigerians
need the
skill and
subtlety of
the barber
<strong>to</strong> tame
our leaders
may be staging a competition in his own head while his hands
are on duty on your pate.
For those of us who fall for the false lullaby of the barber’s
instruments, our head carer has several options. If sleep attempts
<strong>to</strong> wrest control of the head from him, he either rocks the chair
hard <strong>to</strong> rouse you or (if he is impish) he drives the scissors in<strong>to</strong>
your skin without drawing blood. Others would push the decibel
of their music system <strong>to</strong> the maximum volume. None of these
has been known <strong>to</strong> fail. Either way, the barber would say after
The Federal Government (particularly
Acting President Osinbajo, who along with
the wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha
Buhari, has been the main supporter of
Magu) bought in<strong>to</strong> this line of argument.
He has vowed that Magu will remain in
office as Acting Chairman until he and
Buhari cease <strong>to</strong> be in office.
This is obviously a barefaced act of
executive impunity. Is it the place of the
Presidency or its lawyer hirelings <strong>to</strong>
interpret the law? Is that not the
constitutional preserve of the Judiciary?
After failing twice <strong>to</strong> get their choice
candidate confirmed, the Presidency
resorted <strong>to</strong> self-help by riding rough-shod
over an extant law without first getting it
nullified by the Supreme Court. It has
never happened before in our democracy,
and if it is allowed <strong>to</strong> <strong>stand</strong> no one knows
what act of impunity the Executive, now
or in the future, might decide <strong>to</strong> dabble
in<strong>to</strong>!
Already, apart from Magu, the Buhari
Federal Government had in April 2017,
appointed Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila as the
Direc<strong>to</strong>r General of the National Lottery
Commission. He was allowed <strong>to</strong> start work
without first being presented <strong>to</strong> the Senate
for confirmation. The Acting President was
also overheard making a statement that
seemed <strong>to</strong> question the Senate’s power of
confirmation. Faced with the looming threat
<strong>to</strong> a major plank of its constitutional powers,
the Senate decided <strong>to</strong> suspend all
confirma<strong>to</strong>ry functions until the Presidency
respects its resolution and remove Magu.
Unless sanity prevails, if the two sides
stick <strong>to</strong> their guns, we may one day
experience a <strong>to</strong>tal government shutdown
or open show of force between the two
sides which could threaten our democracy.
As far as I am concerned, the Senate is on
solid grounds <strong>to</strong> hold un<strong>to</strong> its right <strong>to</strong>
confirm the EFCC Chair until the Supreme
Court decides otherwise. The Presidency
has no right or power <strong>to</strong> annul the EFCC
Act of 2004 or any of its provisions
whatsoever. It is only the Supreme Court
which has the power <strong>to</strong> decide if a law we
have been operating for 13 years was
wrongly made.
I <strong>stand</strong> firmly behind the Sena<strong>to</strong>rs on
Magu, and I encourage them never <strong>to</strong>
budge. A government that invaded the
homes of judges in the night and yet could
not procure enough credible evidence <strong>to</strong>
prosecute them is now interpreting the law
by itself! What will they do next?
We are being dragged back <strong>to</strong> Egypt
where Pharaoh is waiting <strong>to</strong> arrest us! We
must say no <strong>to</strong> impunity!
snatching you from slumber: sorry sir… ema binu sir! Would
you suspect mischief after such a patronisingly unctuous
apology by someone going <strong>to</strong> great lengths <strong>to</strong> make you look
fine for a low fee? Elsewhere in his mind he’d be charging you
with the unpardonable offence of indiscipline, sleeping on duty!
Now I think Nigerians need the skill and subtlety of the barber
<strong>to</strong> tame our leaders. Don’t we, seeing these heads (public office
holders, politicians and the great army of power wielders in the
society) have moved us around aimlessly these scores of years
since Independence in 1960?
Those Asian countries with whom we started the race have
left us far behind because our leaders (heads) at the centre,
states and local governments never seriously thought of a
prosperous life for the citizens after Independence. We’ve not
outgrown the pangs of war we fought <strong>to</strong> preserve the country.
The battle <strong>to</strong> dislodge the British colonialists ended alright in
1960. But the decades following have seen us in more bitter
conflicts with those who replaced the white lords. As I write,
Nigeria is in utter dysphoria. There is distrust among the
“federating” constituents. There is unhealthy scheming going
on in the hot political atmosphere. The president’s health is “in
the hands of God” according <strong>to</strong> members of his inner circle,
suggesting rather despondently that it has defied what the human
mind can attempt <strong>to</strong> under<strong>stand</strong>. 2019 poll is the talking point
in 2017 when there is little <strong>to</strong> show for the 2015 mandate. The
arranged gyration <strong>to</strong>wards a one-party state or disintegration
frighteningly portends bad times. But the drums and the dance
steps haven’t s<strong>to</strong>pped. A predictive analysis turns in the verdict
that the ordinary citizen is the stuff on the slaughter slab, as he
has always been. And our heads’ barren policies are the
architects of our woes.We need therefore <strong>to</strong> turn the heads of
our leaders from their fixed gaze on the jejune philosophy that
celebrates so-called development of infrastructure without a
superior emphasis on the superstructure (human development).
*Mr. Ojewale, a writer, wrote from Ota, Ogun State.
C
M
Y
K

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017 — 45
UBUARA
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Paradise Ubuara, now
wish <strong>to</strong> be known and
addressed as Mrs.
Paradise Obieroma. All
former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
PERE
This is <strong>to</strong> confirm that the
names, Queen
Ebikeseye Ezonbi,
Queen Ezonbi Ebikeseye
and Pere Ebike Winifred
refer <strong>to</strong> one and the same
person, but now wish <strong>to</strong>
be known and addressed
as Queen Ebikeseye
Ezonbi. All former
documents remain valid.
General public please
take note.
MOMOH
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Musa Wasilah
Momoh, now wish <strong>to</strong>
be called and
addressed as Mrs. Ali
Wasilah Musa. All
former documents
remains valid. General
public please take
note.
ORIGINAL
I, formerly known and
addressed as Original
Ochuko Christian, now
wish <strong>to</strong> be known and
addressed as Moses
Ochuko Christian. All
former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
JAMES
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Aino Imoh James, now
wish <strong>to</strong> be known and
addressed as Mrs.
Aino Vic<strong>to</strong>r Itah. All
former documents
remain valid.
University of Uyo
Teaching Hospital and
the General public
please take note.
IWUJI
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Iwuji Cynthia
Ndidiamaka, now wish
<strong>to</strong> be known and
addressed as Mrs.
Godcent Cynthia
Ndidiamaka. All
former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
OVU
VUAKPORA
AKPORAYE
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Oghenekevwe Faith
Ovuakporaye, now wish <strong>to</strong>
be known and addressed
as Mrs. Abonoko Faith
Oghenekevwe. All former
documents remain valid.
General public please take
note.
AGOLOKIGHO
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Sarah O. Agolokigho,
now wish <strong>to</strong> be known
and addressed as Mrs.
Sarah Warri. All former
documents remain
valid. General public
please take note.
UNWENE
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Unwene Uduak Judith,
now wish <strong>to</strong> be known
and addressed as Mrs.
Michael Uduak Judith.
All former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
EFETOBOR
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Efe<strong>to</strong>bor Lilian
Oghenerukevwe, now
wish <strong>to</strong> be known and
addressed as Mrs.
Eseoghene Lilian
Oghenerukevwe. All
former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
OMONEHUDE
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Omoniunu Kate Onome
and Mrs. Omonehude
Kate Onome, now wish
<strong>to</strong> be known and
addressed as Mrs.
Ohimekpen Kate
Onome. All former
documents remain
valid. General public
please take note.
CLARK
I, formerly known and
addressed as Clark
Odafe Benjamin , now
wish <strong>to</strong> be known and
addressed as
Omofofen Odafe
Benjamin. All former
documents remain
valid. General public
please take note.
ESAGHARE
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Esaghare Tracy
Oghenerho, now wish <strong>to</strong> be
known and addressed as
Mrs. Unuefevwa Tracy
Oghenerho. All former
documents remain valid.
General public please take
note.
EJIME
The names Okocha
Raphael Odogwu, Kelvin
Ejime Okocha and
Odogwu Kelvin refer <strong>to</strong>
one and the same person,
but now wish <strong>to</strong> be known
and addressed as Odogwu
Kelvin. All former
documents remain valid.
General public please take
note.
FELIX
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Felix Temi<strong>to</strong>pe
Elizabeth, now wish <strong>to</strong>
be known and
addressed as Mrs.
Akinsolu Temi<strong>to</strong>pe
Elizabeth. All former
documents remain
valid. General public
please take note.
SOYODE
ODE
This is <strong>to</strong> confirm that
the names, Issa Akeem
Soyode and Soyode
Akeem refer <strong>to</strong> one and
the same person, but
now wish <strong>to</strong> be known
and addressed as Issa
Akeem Soyode. All
former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
EFESU
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Efesu Elizabeth
Omayeni, now wish <strong>to</strong>
be known and
addressed as Mrs.
Majemite Elizabeth
Omayeni. All former
documents remain
valid. General public
please take note.
LAYE
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Laye Ejayeta Edith,
now wish <strong>to</strong> be known
and addressed as Mrs
Eferegor Ejayeta
Edith. All former
documents remain
valid. General public
please take note.
OWOGHA
I, formerly known and
addressed as
Macaulay Owogha,
now wish <strong>to</strong> be known
and addressed as
Macaulay Owogha
Ovedhe. All former
documents remain
valid. First Bank and
the general public
please take note.
EFEREGOR
My name was wrongly
written as Efegor
Instead Eferegor.
Efegor Ighoteguono
James and Eferegor
Ighoteguono James
refer <strong>to</strong> one and the
same person, but I now
wish <strong>to</strong> be known and
addressed as Eferegor
Ighoteguono James.
All former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
OKWUOSA
I, formerly known and
addressed as Mr.
Ikechukwu Cico
Okwuosa, now wish <strong>to</strong>
be known and
addressed as Mr.
Ikechukwu Cico
Binichukwu, All
former documents
remain valid, General
public take note.
EKPERIWARE
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Ekperiware Eniyepade
Ruth now wish <strong>to</strong> be
known and addressed
as Mrs. Emberru
Eniyepade Ruth. All
former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
SAMUEL
I, formerly known and
addressed as Samuel
Helen Etim and
Samuel Helen Edet,
now wish <strong>to</strong> be known
and addressed as Mrs.
Helen Edet Etim. All
former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
OMOMOBI
I, Alfred Joy Diepreye
hereby confirm that the
name Omomobi
Diepreye Joy refers <strong>to</strong>
one and same me. I
now wish <strong>to</strong> be known
and addressed as
Alfred Joy Diepreye.
All former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
YOUNB
OUNBAI
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Younbai Ane<strong>to</strong>rufa
Annabel, now wish <strong>to</strong>
be known and
addressed as Mrs.
Ogugu Ane<strong>to</strong>rufa
Annabel. All former
documents remain
valid. General public
please take note.
EFERE
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Racheal Efere, now
wish <strong>to</strong> be known and
addressed as Mrs.
Akpovona Racheal. All
former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
ORIORO
I, Roseline Oro Aziza
hereby confirm that the
names Roseline Orioro
Aziza, Rose Oro Aziza
and Rose Orioro Aziza
refer <strong>to</strong> one and same
me. I now wish <strong>to</strong> be
known and addressed
as Roseline Oro Aziza.
All former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
FAITH
I, Larry Fidelia Peibulu-
Ere hereby confirm that
the name Larry Faith
Peibulu-Ere as it appears
on some of my documents
refers <strong>to</strong> one and same
me. I now wish <strong>to</strong> be
known and addressed as
Larry Fidelia Peibulu-Ere.
All former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
CHINEMEZE
I, formerly known and
a d d r e s s e d
as Chinemeze Ebere
Favour, now wish <strong>to</strong> be
known and addressed
as Aniebue Ebere
Thankgod. All former
documents remain
valid. General public
please take note.
OGORI
I, formerly known and
addressed as Ogori
Ofurombo Vic<strong>to</strong>r, now
wish <strong>to</strong> be known and
addressed as Inala
Ofurombo Vic<strong>to</strong>r. All
former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
MGBEMENA
I, formerly known and
addressed as Peace
I f e y i n w a
Chiedomogo
Mgbemena, now wish
<strong>to</strong> be known and
addressed as Mrs.
Peace Ifeyinwa
chiedomogo Azubuike.
All former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
OGBE
I, formerly known as
Miss Ogbe
Oruemuhoro Beatrice,
now wish <strong>to</strong> be known
and addressed as Mrs.
Beatrice Uruemuhoro
Ekrameha Ayovwe. All
former documents
remains valid, any
authority it may
concern and general
public please take note.
OGHI
I, formerly known as
Nuavwae Oghi Henry,
now wish <strong>to</strong> be known
and addressed as
Nuavwae Edirin
Joseph. All former
documents remains
valid, any authority it
may concern and the
general public please
take note.
UZORKA
These names Edah
Eyitemi Susan, Edah
Eyitemi Susanna, Edah
Temi Susy and Uzorka
Edah Temi Susy, refer <strong>to</strong>
one and the same
person, but now wish <strong>to</strong>
be known and
addressed as Edah
Temi Susan. All former
documents remains
valid. General public
please take note.
MARK
I, formerly known and
addressed as Mrs.
Mark Martha Ijeoma,
now wish <strong>to</strong> be known
and addressed as Mrs.
Adonu Martha Ijeoma.
All former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
ONWUBUYA
I, formerly known and
addressed as
Onwubuya Maryjayne
Onyinye, now wish <strong>to</strong>
be known and
addressed as Adigwu
Maryjayne Onyinye.
All former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.

46 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
CHANGE OF NAME
ALOZIE
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Okwuchi Alozie, now
wish <strong>to</strong> be known and
addressed as Mrs.
Okwuchi Onyedikom.
All former documents
remains valid. General
public please take note.
EDOZIEM
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Mariam Amarachi
Edoziem, now wish <strong>to</strong>
be known and
addressed as Mrs.
Mariam Amarachi
Edoziem Bassey. All
former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
HARMONY
I, formerly known and
addressed as Ezebuiro
Harmony Obianuju,
now wish <strong>to</strong> be known
and addressed as
Ezebuiro Obianuju
Chinwendu. All former
documents remain
valid. General public
please take note.
AWUNOR
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
Onyeka Awunor, now
wish <strong>to</strong> be known and
addressed as Mrs.
Onyeka Hitler. All
former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
AWAH
I, formerly known and
addressed as Awah
Omena Lauretta, now
wish <strong>to</strong> be known and
addressed as Awona
Omena Lauretta. All
former documents
remain valid. General
public please take note.
THIS
SPACE
IS
FOR
SALE
FAMILY PLANNING: Nigeria allocates $4m
annually for contraceptives
By Sola Ogundipe
NIGERIA
has
restated its
commitment <strong>to</strong>wards
ensuring access of
women <strong>to</strong> family
planning services and
commodities with a
pledge <strong>to</strong> achieve a
modern contraceptive
rate of 27 per cent among
all women by 2020.
Nigeria also committed
<strong>to</strong> increasing its annual
allocation for
contraceptives from $3
million <strong>to</strong> $4 million
while ensuring <strong>to</strong>tal
disbursement of $56
million <strong>to</strong> the states
through participation in
the Global Financing
Facility
and
international
development assistance
loans.
The commitments
were made as over 60
leaders from around the
world, gathered at 2017
Family Planning Summit
in London, <strong>to</strong> make bold
commitments that will
expand access <strong>to</strong> family
planning <strong>to</strong> millions of
women and girls
w o r l d w i d e .
Commitments were
made <strong>to</strong> the tune of $2.5
billion by 2020, with $1.5
billion committed by
countries in Asia and
Africa.
These commitments
are expected <strong>to</strong> go a long
way in reaching
thousands of women and
girls with critical
reproductive health
information.
In Nigeria, over 3.8
million married and
US commits $4.3b <strong>to</strong> tackle HIV in
Nigeria
By Vic<strong>to</strong>ria Ojeme
The US government
support for HIV/
AIDS programmes in
Nigeria <strong>to</strong>talled $4.3
billion between 2014 and
2016 with more than
700,000 patients treated in
2016 alone.
Charge D Affairs U.S
Mission in Nigeria, Mr
David Young who
disclosed this in Abuja.
Young who made the call
at the commissioning and
official handing over of
Jikoko Community Health
Centre project supported
by U.S. Ambassador’s
small Grant Programme
in Bwari Local Council
Area, Abuja, said over $23
million is contributed
annually <strong>to</strong> immunisation
activities in Nigeria.
The envoy said the US
through the United States
Family planning at a glance.
sexually active
adolescents (15-19) of
whom 19 per cent have
an unmet need for
contraception, and
increasing focus on
adolescents and
enabling additional
584,000 adolescent girls
<strong>to</strong> use modern
contraception by 2020, is
expected <strong>to</strong> achieve a 14
per cent reduction in
Agency for International
Development, USAID,
made annual contribution
of $7.35 million <strong>to</strong> support
Nigeria polio
programme.”
“In addition <strong>to</strong> the
annual contribution the
polio programme also
received an additional
seven million dollars at
the national level in 2016
and provided technical
assistance in Bauchi,
Katsina and Soko<strong>to</strong> States.
“The U.S. Government
is appreciated of our work
with the National Primary
Health Development
Agency, the UN agencies,
state governments as well
as National S<strong>to</strong>p
Transmission of Polio
programme and GAVI
alliance.
“We urged them <strong>to</strong>
strengthen this work <strong>to</strong>
kick out polio out of
Nigeria. Nigeria is the
only country in Africa that
is still on the endemic list
of polio.”
He said health workers
are encouraged <strong>to</strong>
continue <strong>to</strong> make the
provision and demand for
immunisation a priority,
and that health of children
is the future of the family,
community and the
country in general.
The envoy said U.S.
always cooperates with
other partners and
government <strong>to</strong> make a
difference in Nigeria.He
expressed confident that
the commissioning of the
health centre in the
community would
contribute <strong>to</strong>wards the
goal <strong>to</strong> kick out polio.
“The commissioning of
the clinic was an indication
that “health is one of the
priority areas of U.S.
development assistance in
Nigeria.”
task-shifting policy.
Adewole said patent
medicine vendors and
community volunteers
would be included <strong>to</strong>
Oyo, Healthcare Communications sign MoU
A MEMORANDUM
of Under<strong>stand</strong>ing
between the Oyo State
government and
H e a l t h c a r e
Communications, a
leading health
development and
consultancy firm in
adolescent birth rate.
Disclosing these and
other commitments at
the just concluded London
Family Planning Summit,
Minister of Health,
Professor Isaac Adewole,
said collaboration with
partners and the private
sec<strong>to</strong>r is being
strengthened <strong>to</strong>wards
expanding the
implementation of the
Nigeria has been signed
for strategic promotion
and development of health
care delivery. The
Founder & Chief
Executive, Healthcare
Group, Dr. Bola
Olaosebikan, (OON)
described the partnership
In Nigeria, there
are 3.8 million
married and
sexually active
adolescents aged
15-19; 19% have
unmet need for
contraception
improve access <strong>to</strong> family
planning services in
difficult-<strong>to</strong>-reach areas
and among disadvantaged
populations.
Among others,
government would adopt
the Minimal Initial
Service Package for sexual
reproductive health <strong>to</strong>
provide family planning
supplies within national
crisis preparedness and
response, remove
regula<strong>to</strong>ry barriers and
scale up access <strong>to</strong> new
contraceptive methods
such as sub-cutaneous
D e p o
as part of the committment
<strong>to</strong> transform health care
delivery in the state.
He said under the
MoU,Healthcare will
work with Oyo State
government on
groundbreaking ideas,
innovation and raising of
N50 billion <strong>to</strong> res<strong>to</strong>re 57
General Hospitals and
600 Health Care Centres
in all the LGAs of the state.
“We shall be working
with Oyo state
government on the N50
billion Healthcare
endowment fund for Oyo
state and we are very
happy <strong>to</strong> work with a
focused administration,
officials of government,
national and international
partners <strong>to</strong> deliver this
innovation.
“This strategic initiative
will lay a new financial
foundation for health care
infrastructural
transformation in Oyo
state, the pacesetter state
in Nigeria, as well as a new
pace for socio-economic
development by the
Ajimobi administration.”
There are plans <strong>to</strong> set up
the first iconic cardiovascular
centre in Africa in
Ibadan from the
Endowment fund which
shall be launched August
3, 2017 in Ibadan.
Medroxyprogesterone
Acetate injections (Sayana
Press).
He said there would be
reduction of sociocultural
barriers and
provision of ageappropriate
sexual and
reproductive health
information <strong>to</strong> youth
through the Family Life
Health Education
Curriculum and youthfriendly
services in
health facilities and other
outlets. Plans are on <strong>to</strong>
transform last-mile
distribution of health and
family planning
commodities using a
push-model system with
the collaboration of the
private sec<strong>to</strong>r, optimally
transport, s<strong>to</strong>re and track
commodities using an
electronic logistics
management system.
A new tracking and
accountability system will
report annually and realtime,
expenditures for
family planning at
national and state levels.
AXA Mansard
races against
cancer
AXA Mansard joined
over 200
organisations <strong>to</strong> race
against cancer at the
Nigerian S<strong>to</strong>ck Exchange
organised Corporate
Challenge tagged “e-Race
Cancer 2.0” at Onikan
Stadium, Lagos, recently.
The NSE Corporate
Challenge is an annual
5km race that aims <strong>to</strong>
create awareness on
cancer and raise funds for
the purchase of 37 Mobile
Cancer Centers, valued at
$613,000 each.
This year’s event
attracted participants from
listed and non-listed
companies alike, as well
as NGOs, celebrities and
other notable Nigerians.
Group Head, Strategy,
Planning and Marketing
at AXA Mansard,Mr. Kola
Oni, noted that, “AXA
Mansard is a strong
supporter of initiatives on
prevention, detection, and
treatment of this disease
responsible for the death
of millions of people each
year.
As a leading insurer, our
key expertise lies in
under<strong>stand</strong>ing and
managing risk and our
key responsibility is
protecting people. This
means that we have an
essential and active role <strong>to</strong>
play in making sure the
ever-evolving risk
landscape is brought <strong>to</strong>
the fore and is unders<strong>to</strong>od
by the society as a whole.
Oni commended the
NSE on the initiative and
emphasized the need for
concerted efforts in the
early detection and
treatment of cancer.

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017 --- 47
Ambode’s plans for arts and
culture-rich Epe , Badagry
BY OSA AMADI
Epe, an ancient <strong>to</strong>wn located within the Lagos
East Sena<strong>to</strong>rial District is endowed with rich
his<strong>to</strong>ry and huge economic and <strong>to</strong>urism potentials
dating back <strong>to</strong> the colonial era in Nigeria.
Parts of its rich his<strong>to</strong>ry are his<strong>to</strong>ric landmarks,
including the first ever post-office in Nigeria, the
second oldest sea port in Nigeria, the second
police station in the country, the first
comprehensive college in Lagos state, among
others.
Epe over the years has also maintained its natural
endowment. However, the full potentials of the
coastal community had in the past decades remained
untapped and largely unexploited.
But in the last two years, the once sleepy <strong>to</strong>wn
is buzzing and bubbling again. Since Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode assumed office on May 29,
2015, Epe, like many others communities in the
State, has gotten attention from the development
strides of the government.
From road rehabilitation and construction <strong>to</strong>
upgrade of healthcare facilities as well as the
Light-Up Lagos initiative, Epe is fast becoming
the new construction site.
There is also the ongoing massive Lagoon
reclamation under the Epe Marina project which
is fashioned after the Dubai Marina, whose
primary goal is <strong>to</strong> facilitate the development of
the area and give quantum leaps <strong>to</strong> the <strong>to</strong>urism
potentials of the state.
Still, Ambode says the infrastructural renewal
drive currently ongoing in Epe has only but
started. With the series of ongoing projects, Epe
is fast emerging as the new haven for inves<strong>to</strong>rs
and <strong>to</strong>urists alike.
With its proximity <strong>to</strong> Lekki, where the Free Trade
Zone housing the ongoing Dangote Refinery and
Petrochemical Projects, the Lekki Deep Sea Port
and the Lekki International Airport, among other
multifaceted projects, the corridor is set <strong>to</strong>
welcome thousands of visi<strong>to</strong>rs for business and
pleasure and on the long run, portends greater
prosperity for Epe residents and its environs.
To key in<strong>to</strong> these developments in Epe, the
Jubilee Chalet, a cozy resort built in a serene
lagoon view and secured environment for guests
from the hustle and bustle of the Lagos metropolis
has been constructed in Epe.
The facility which used <strong>to</strong> be a reserved VIP
Chalet hosting government functions, was before
now, in a state of <strong>to</strong>tal neglect, but it has since been
transformed by the Governor Ambode’s
administration <strong>to</strong> a modern <strong>to</strong>urist destination
offering a unique experience for relaxation,
meetings, events, etc.
Sitting on a vast area of land in the heart of the
community, the Jubilee Chalet presents a perfect
blend of comfort and relaxation in a natural habitat
made <strong>to</strong> meet up with international <strong>stand</strong>ards.
The facility built by the State Government has
a 72-room capacity with four executive suites, an
ultra-modern conference hall, and a large meeting
room that can sit more than 100 guests as well as
a modern restaurant. It also boasts of a <strong>stand</strong>ard
swimming pool, Tennis Court, football field,
gymnasium, a bar and a party area.
•Jubilee Chalet at Oke-Oyinbo, Epe, Lagos, newly commissioned by Governor Ambode
•Bruce Prins, Managing
Direc<strong>to</strong>r of MP Hotels
Jubilee Chalet, a <strong>to</strong>urism haven is born in Epe
Governor Ambode at the commissioning of the
Jubilee Chalet on Thursday, July 6, witnessed
by an array of guests including party leaders,
members of the House of Assembly, members of the
Diplomatic Corp and other stakeholders in the
hospitality industry, said his administration thought
it wise <strong>to</strong> expand the old Government VIP Chalet built
by the Alhaji Lateef Jakande administration, in line
with its objective <strong>to</strong> strategically reposition the <strong>to</strong>wn
<strong>to</strong> take maximum advantage of the economic benefits
from the huge investment activities in and around
Lekki Free Trade Zone.
He said beyond the Jubilee Chalet, his
administration was taking deliberate actions <strong>to</strong> promote
<strong>to</strong>urism, leisure and recreation, including the
construction and upgrading of road projects in Epe,
adding that ongoing Epe Marina project will soon
wear a new look.
“As we are changing the face of Epe, we are doing
the same thing in Badagry in a twin-pronged approach
<strong>to</strong> promote <strong>to</strong>urism in the state. The Government VIP
Chalets in Badagry is currently being rehabilitated
and will be commissioned early next year. Work is
also going on at the Badagry Marina <strong>to</strong> prepare it for
the inves<strong>to</strong>rs and <strong>to</strong>urists that the Badagry Deep Sea
port will attract,” the Governor said.
Ambode also said that aside enhancing the <strong>to</strong>urism
potential of the Epe axis, the facility would provide
employment opportunities for different categories of
individuals and companies, boost economic activities
in the community, and generate additional revenue
in<strong>to</strong> the state coffers.
“The Jubilee Chalet and Epe <strong>to</strong>wn are ready for you.
This facility is not only for <strong>to</strong>urists but also for corporate
institutions looking for a serene location for their
retreats and all Nigerians looking for vacation spots
within the country. l assure you all that this facility
will deliver services that will surpass your expectations
and someday be ranked amongst the best hospitality
properties in Africa,” he said.
To ensure the smooth running and maintenance of
the facility, the Governor said the facility would be
managed by MP Hotels, an internationally acclaimed
firm in the hospitality industry, which will be charged
<strong>to</strong> deliver world-class services and create wealth for
the state and all stakeholders.
Bruce Prins, Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r of MP Hotels, said
the concept behind the establishment of the Chalets
was far-reaching and the benefits could not be
overemphasized.
“I think it is a very good thing that the government
is investing first of all in hospitality industry and
infrastructure development for its people because
building is something that creates job opportunities
and it contributes <strong>to</strong> the economy, especially <strong>to</strong> Epe as
a <strong>to</strong>wn because contrary <strong>to</strong> popular belief, Epe is larger
than people think it is but yet it has the rural
distinctiveness that makes it very nice for relaxing,”
Prins said. For Prins, the beautiful view of the lagoon
also adds <strong>to</strong> the aesthetics of the facility and gives
guests the opportunity <strong>to</strong> savour the aquatic splendor
that abounds in Epe.
“As a result, the chalet can attract both leisure by
individual people who wants <strong>to</strong> get away from the
busy life in the city or it can also attract companies
who want <strong>to</strong> do small retreat. We basically categorize
this chalet as a mid-level or mid-scale hotel and with
that it is more affordable for majority of companies
and individuals. It has elements of luxury but it’s
affordable,” he said.
Prins is also confident that the mere fact that the
facility is located close <strong>to</strong> the waterfront with the
amazing view would be a major selling point and a
point for consideration by guests who would crave for
more than just a roof over their heads.
In his words: “The facility is very serene and it is
unlike living on the island which is very noisy and
very hectic. Here, it is relatively calm and once the
waterfront project ongoing is completed, the waterfront
visi<strong>to</strong>rs will also like <strong>to</strong> come here.
“Epe is outside of Lagos and it’s a quiet place. So,
what we are selling is the experience that people will
have with us when they visit us at Jubilee Chalet,
Epe. It’s a serene environment with natural features.”
Aside the facilities at the Chalet, there is also a water
fountain, good road network and expansive packing
areas within the premises of the chalets, while effective
security arrangement has also been made <strong>to</strong> guarantee
safety of guests.
The Jubilee Chalet, Epe, according <strong>to</strong> the State
Government is just one out of several models <strong>to</strong> be
built across the state.
With the Jubilee Chalet now open for business,
visi<strong>to</strong>rs and <strong>to</strong>urists alike have a viable alternative for
a one-s<strong>to</strong>p relaxation center that would provide a
luxury treat, home away from home and a unique
experience in a natural habitat.

48 --- VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
Creative Industry
Financing Confab
starts <strong>to</strong>day
•To be declared open by Osibajo
BY OSA AMADI and
Chris Onuoha
Minister of Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohhammed, Thursday,
announced the Creative
Industry Financing Conference
billed for <strong>to</strong>day and <strong>to</strong>morrow,
17 and 18 of July, 2017 at the
Eko Hotel, Lagos. The
conference is being organized
by the Federal Ministry of
Information and Culture in
conjunction with the Think
Tank Media.
The main objective of the
conference, said the minister, is
<strong>to</strong> take the industry in<strong>to</strong> a
golden era of smooth access <strong>to</strong>
short and long term financing,
world class management, as well
as local and international
distribution. “We conceived this
conference because of our
realization that lack of access <strong>to</strong>
financing is stunting the growth
of the Creative Industry. It is the
latest in a series of conferences
and other events that we have
held since assuming office.
Recall that we held the landmark
National Summit on Culture and
Tourism last year <strong>to</strong> chart the
path for the industry. Most of its
recommendations are already
being implemented. Also, only
this Monday, we held a
Roundtable on the Creative
Industry here in Lagos. Recall
also that we have signed a
number of MoUs with the Bank
of Industry, Tony Elumelu
Foundation, and the British
Council – all for the sole purpose
of boosting the Creative
Industry,” the minister said.
He said the Administration
attaches a whole lot of
importance <strong>to</strong> the Creative
Industry, which is in line with
its cardinal programme of
diversifying the economy away
from oil. Other sec<strong>to</strong>rs being
developed in<strong>to</strong> pillars of the
economy, he added, include the
Agriculture and Solid Minerals.
“There is no better
demonstration of the high
priority given <strong>to</strong> the Creative
Industry than the fact that Acting
President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo,
himself will declare open the
Creative Industry Financing
Conference.”
Topics such as ‘’Government’s
Role in Funding Creative
Industry’, ‘The Bank of Industry
Experience’, ‘Fundamentals of
financing film, Television and
Music Production’, as well as
‘Film, Television and Digital
Distribution’ will be tackled by
global experts from within and
outside Nigeria.
The minister revealed that
Niger Republic has also
indicated its willingness <strong>to</strong>
attend the event, having
shown a growing interest in
“our efforts <strong>to</strong> grow the
Creative Industry.” We
expect a large turnout of
industry stakeholders at the
forthcoming conference. The
overall essence of all our
efforts is <strong>to</strong> transform the
Creative Industry <strong>to</strong> a
Creative Economy. We also
believe that this
transformation must be
driven by the private sec<strong>to</strong>r,
with the government
providing the enabling
environment.
To those who may still be
wondering: what is in the
Creative Industry? My
To those who
may still be
wondering:
what is in the
Creative
Industry? My
answer is that
it is Nigeria’s
new oil
answer is that it is Nigeria’s
new oil. Other countries
have also taken advantage
of the industry <strong>to</strong> grow their
economy. The Creative
industry contributed 84.1
billion Pounds Sterling <strong>to</strong> the
British economy in 2014. It
also contributed 698 billion
dollars <strong>to</strong> the US Economy,
according <strong>to</strong> a 2015 report.
Nigeria cannot afford <strong>to</strong> be
left behind, hence we are
ready <strong>to</strong> explore and exploit
the new oil.
Fielding question from
Vanguard on whether the
administration will give
priority and support <strong>to</strong>
creative works with theme on
national unity amongst
Nigerians given the
heightened agitations now
in the country, the minister
said “yes, we will.”
From left: Tony Okoroji; Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Informationa and Culture Minister; Mo Abudu, EbonyLife
TV; Otunba Segun Runsewe, DG, NCAC at the roundtable.
At the last stakeholders’ roundtable
It was a special gathering of the
major stakeholders in the
creative sec<strong>to</strong>r in Nigeria as the
Honourable Minister of
Information and Culture, in
conjunction with Film House
Management, organized a
roundtable conference aimed at
repositioning and moving the
creative industry in Nigeria
forward.
Notable names who
brains<strong>to</strong>rmed <strong>to</strong> chart the way
forward <strong>to</strong>wards a speedy
realization of the agenda include
the Honourable Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji
Lai Mohammed; The Direc<strong>to</strong>r
General, National Council for
arts and Culture, Otunba Segun
Runsewe; Tony Elumelu,
Chairman Heir Holdings; Kene
Mkparu, Chief Executive Film
House Cinema; Tony Okoroji of
COSON; the DG, Nigerian
Television Authority; The DG
Nigeria Tourism Corporation;
Representatives from the Bank
of Industry Mo Abudu,
EbonyLife TV boss; Bolanle
Austen-Peters, the Terrakulture
boss and many others from the
Film, Music, Art, theater and
media.
In his earlier remarks, the
Honourable Minister, Lai
Mohammed said: “I must say the
enthusiasm gotten from the
audience confirmed the passion
and zeal of the stakeholders in
the creative industry <strong>to</strong> move the
sec<strong>to</strong>r forward. I am here <strong>to</strong>
fastrack our main objective of
transforming our creative
industry. This administration has
no doubt that the plan <strong>to</strong>
transform the creative industry
within the economy must be
driven by the private sec<strong>to</strong>r. It is
self-evident that the modest role
that has been achieved in this
sec<strong>to</strong>r so far, either in music,
fashion or art is done without the
government. It therefore, <strong>stand</strong>s
<strong>to</strong> reason that when the
government provides the
enabling environment, and the
private sec<strong>to</strong>r on the driver seat,
transformation can be realized in
a short time. I will say this is the
latest of this administration’s
uns<strong>to</strong>ppable determination <strong>to</strong>
move the creative industry
from the fringes <strong>to</strong> the
mainstream of the economy.
We are already working with
the Tony Elumelu Foundation,
Bank of Industry and others
<strong>to</strong> create jobs and ensure that
we finance the industries and
all others. We have also
strucked a global partnership
<strong>to</strong> give the creative industry
a boost.
To honour the partnership,
the Federal Ministry of
Information and Culture, the
UN world <strong>to</strong>urism
organisation, CNN, are the
medium through which we
will project the various
Nigerian creative industry.
We are kick-starting this
project with 13-episode
production showcasing the
various creative productions
in Nigeria. This will include
among others, choice of
location which allow us <strong>to</strong>
showcase the various
industries we have in Nigeria,
choice of film <strong>to</strong> show the
array of culture we have in the
nation’s fashion industry,
choice of soundtrack that will
highlight our rich music
productions, broadcasting
that will showcase other
talents and technical party
and provide the platform <strong>to</strong>
show that there’s no camera
equipment that we don’t have
in Nigeria. As part of the
project, we will also run a
programme on CNN
showcasing the 20 Nigerians
<strong>to</strong> watch in the industry which
will be selected by the
industry stakeholders <strong>to</strong>
ensure authenticity.
Our creative industry is
doing well. Experience in
other lands confirms that the
creative industry contributed
84.1 billion pounds <strong>to</strong> the
British economy in 2014.
Figures released by the
British Department of Culture
Media and Sport, indicate
that it was an increase of 7
million pounds in the year
before. The figures also show
that the number of jobs in the
industry was almost 9%, a
double of the rest of the
economy. The creative industry
employs more people than the
au<strong>to</strong>motive industry in the
United States. You can see why
this administration is dogged
<strong>to</strong> grow the creative industry.
The honourable Minister
emphasized that the
roundtable is not intended <strong>to</strong>
be another talk show but one
meant <strong>to</strong> highlight the
international best practices that
will enhance the business of
the sec<strong>to</strong>r and then find
solutions in all the area
concerned. “We will dialogue
and engage the key personnel
on the business of the creative
sec<strong>to</strong>r while addressing key
issues affecting the sec<strong>to</strong>r such
as intellectual property rights,
piracy, education, poverty,
power supply, security, access
<strong>to</strong> finance, distribution,
infrastructure, technical
competence, film contents,
multiple taxation and others.”
Direc<strong>to</strong>r General of NTDC,
Folorunso Coker, while
addressing the audience, was
brief in pinpointing those
reforms that are necessary <strong>to</strong>
attract interest <strong>to</strong>wards the
creative sec<strong>to</strong>r of the economy
that include access <strong>to</strong> finance
which he said remains
abysmally low with attention on
how creative projects are
presented as collateral in
production of film, TV and
music products. On public
policy reform, he stressed on
how <strong>to</strong> bring all the regula<strong>to</strong>ry
laws and bills <strong>to</strong> ensure that
there is common and unified
approach <strong>to</strong> sanitize the sec<strong>to</strong>r.
Speaking on Public Private
Partnerships initiatives, Coker
stressed how important the
sec<strong>to</strong>r holds the for us all.
“Our work is symbiotically
connected. This is our strength
and we all have <strong>to</strong> contribute
and therefore listen and share
our experiences and find
common grounds <strong>to</strong> move up.
Our destination is ultimately
the same.” He said.

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017 --- 49
Balogun bubbles art lovers at
Omenka gallery
By Japhet Alakam
After his first successful
exhibition at Omenka
gallery in 2014, veteran artist
cum art teacher, Adeola
Balogun, last Saturday drew
the creme de la creme in the
art circle <strong>to</strong> the same gallery
for another solo tagged
Bubbles of Emotions, an
exhibition of recent work.
Among those who attended
were Prince Yemisi Shyllon,
Prof Bruce Onobrakpeya, Mr
Kolade Osinowo, Prof
Layiwola, etc. The exhibition
opened on June 17 and will
run till July 1, 2017.
For many of the art patrons/
collec<strong>to</strong>rs who have been
following the artist for years,
the exhibition was another
plus <strong>to</strong> the artist who is
gradually becoming a master
in his field.
Working in two broad
representational styles; a calm
realism and a more expressive
abstract style, Balogun
belongs <strong>to</strong> an exceptional
generation of artists
distinguished for embracing
unconventional media and
techniques, as well as their
interrogation of the larger
society.
In Bubbles of Emotions,
Balogun presents a careful
selection of 36 works
predominantly sculpted in
steel and incorporating
mechanical parts, a
departure from his preferred
medium of Through the body
of works, Balogun, who is
known for his big sculptural
pieces that adorn many
schools and public spaces in
Nigeria, takes a holistic look at the state of the nation’s
economy, looking at the past when things were relatively
well, and now that things have fallen apart. Here, pigmented
globular steel forms, similar <strong>to</strong> soapy bubbles and reflective
of their environmental space are applied as metaphors <strong>to</strong>
reflect myriads of challenges in our human narratives.
Some of the works displayed include Vestiges of the Past,
God Dey Oh, and Elusive Bliss. Here, a lone skele<strong>to</strong>n sits
with his right arm at akimbo and his face turned upwards.
He seems <strong>to</strong> be reflecting on his indefinite problems born
out of the current state of the Nigerian economy. Others
include, Our Earth just a dot; Like attracts like; Precarious
Journey, etc.
Speaking about the works, Dapo Adeniyi, publisher of
Position magazine said, “Balogun delves in<strong>to</strong> the streams of
social satire infusing amusement, which is common <strong>to</strong> the
bite of social sarcasm even as the car<strong>to</strong>onist of the newspaper
does.”
Born in 1966 in Ogun State, Balogun holds an MFA from
the University of Benin. He has been honoured severally
with the award for Best Sculpture and Life Drawing Student,
Yaba College of Technology (1993/94) and the award for
Visual Experimentalist of the Decade, by the School of Art,
Design and Printing Technology, Yaba College of Technology
(2011).
Sanusi, Kukah, others, grace Kaduna
Book fair
By Prisca SamDuru
The inaugural edition of
Kaduna Book & Arts Festival, KABAFEST
held at Gusau Institute, Kaduna state from 5-8
July 2017. KABAFEST celebrated the rich
cultural heritage of Northern Nigeria, harness
the passion of local creativity, and brings
<strong>to</strong>gether some of the finest contemporary
writers, artists, filmmakers, poets and
thinkers, <strong>to</strong> Kaduna.
KABAFEST’s Creative Direc<strong>to</strong>r, Lola
Shoneyin, hinted that the festival is aimed at
creating new and exciting opportunities for
social and cultural interaction, the celebration
and promotion of creativity in the Northern
region of Nigeria, as well as fostering
<strong>to</strong>lerance and under<strong>stand</strong>ing through
dialogue about books, culture, the arts and
society.
“Our stimulating panel discussions will focus
on a range of exciting <strong>to</strong>pics. Matthew Kukah,
Ibrahim Bello Kano and Usman Bugaje are
billed <strong>to</strong> guide us in a conversation on
Religious Tolerance; HRH Sanusi Lamido
Sanusi, Aisha Umar and Saudatu Mahdi will
be talking Harnessing the Potential of Women
in Northern Nigeria. Nur’din Busari, Jamila
Umar Tanko, Abdullah Dona, Zakari Mohammed
will talk us through the Challenges of Publishing
in Northern Nigeria,” She explained.
World-famous Sudanese writer, Leila Aboulela
will be joined by established and rising
cultural Buhari, Kaltume B Gana, Abubakar
Adam Ibrahim, Aisha Umar, Toni Kan, Titilope
Sonuga, Efe Azino, Aminu Waka, Hafsat
Abdulwaheed, Andrew Walker, Carmen
McCain, Ibrahim Bello-Kano, etc., <strong>to</strong> take
guests on an intimate journey through their
personal literary landscapes.
KABAFEST, organised by the Kaduna State
Government in partnership with the Book Buzz
Foundation and the Gusau Institute, will
feature 5 booklogues with 9 authors, 9 panel
discussions, 2 film screenings, an art exhibition
with four Northern Nigerian artists, Food
tasting, and a magical poetry performance. In
order <strong>to</strong> cultivate school children’s interest in
reading and creative writing, secondary
schools students will participate in the poetry
declamation contest. Students of tertiary
institutions in Kaduna State who registered
before 5 July attended for free and also applied
online for a book grant of N10, 000.
The Award winning Nigerian film; Blood and
Henna directed by Kenneth Gyang, starring
Ali Nuhu, Sadiq Sani and Nafisat Abdullahi,
will be screened, and Leila Aboulela will host
a special two-day Fiction Writing Workshop
for Women, <strong>to</strong> encourage women writers and
give them a chance <strong>to</strong> hone their skills. There
will also be performances by poets like Titilope
Sonuga, Efe Paul Azino, Wana Udobang, etc.
FCT pledges support for
NCAC events
•Honourable Minister of FCT, Muhammadu Bello (r)and Otunba
Segun Runsewe, D-G, NCAC,during a courtesy visit <strong>to</strong> the Minister
in Abuja recently.
By Chris Onuoha
Nigeria’s Federal Capital
Terri<strong>to</strong>ry (FCT) has
indicated its willingness <strong>to</strong>
work with the National
Council for Arts and Culture
(NCAC) <strong>to</strong> promote the
cultural heritage of the FCT
in particular and Nigeria in
general. This relationship
was forged when the
Direc<strong>to</strong>r-General of NCAC,
Otunba Runsewe, visited the
Honourable Minister of FCT,
Muhammadu Bello, in
Abuja recently.
Otunba Runsewe had during
the visit requested the
minister <strong>to</strong> “kindly step in
with a view <strong>to</strong> resolving the
issue” of the proposed site
for the upcoming Africa Arts
and Expo exhibition which is
still in contention, “so that
we can have a successful
trade fair.”
The DG also highlighted the
importance of hosting
foreign Ambassadors before
the planned Expo, which he
said would prepare them for
the mega event and serve as
a window for showcasing the
rich cultural potentials of the
FCT and Nigeria <strong>to</strong> the world.
The DG also <strong>to</strong>ok the
opportunity <strong>to</strong> intimate the
Minister on the new hash
tags, “#ThinkNigeriaFirst”
and “#ThinkCulture” ,
introduced by NCAC aimed
at promoting patriotism and
love for the country’s rich and
diverse cultural heritage.
Responding, the Hon.
Minister expressed
satisfaction and delight in the
job done so far by the NCAC
boss saying they have had a
long<strong>stand</strong>ing relationship
spanning decades. He
described Otunba Runsewe
as a man full of energy and
novel ideas, promising <strong>to</strong>
resolve the contentious
issues. The minister also
pledged his support for the
DG saying his appointment
was indeed a round peg in a
round hole.
Artists search for true identity
By Japhet Alakam
A
group exhibition tagged
Identity, curated by Ekemelu
Nnoli, CEO, Denk Spaces and
Udemma Chukwuma featuring 25
remarkable paintings, drawings,
mixed media and sculptures by
five contemporary Nigerian
artists, will open on July 9, at Denk
Spaces, 13, Uyo Crescent, off
Emeka Anyaoku Street, Area 11,
Garki, Abuja, and will run till July
30, 2017.
The exhibiting artists are, Stanley
Dudu, Obinna Makata, Promise
O’nali, Erasmus Onyishi and Dada
Adedayo. Some of the works which
will be on display are: Dream
Chaser Chronicles ll, In<strong>to</strong>
Pythagoras Labyrinth, Transverse
Section Through Dream and
Noogenesis 5 by O’nali. Others
are Jennifer and up <strong>to</strong> the
Glorious High, News on Transit
and Blue Repose by Stanley Dudu.
The array of never-beforeexhibited
works will come <strong>to</strong> life
and invite you <strong>to</strong> do some soul
searching in a quest <strong>to</strong> unravel
your true identity.
This exhibition allows them <strong>to</strong>
convey their experience, emotions
and messages, which focus on
various subject matters with
different opinions. You could
easily identify each artist by a
mere glance at the work, which is
what this exhibition is about.

50 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
The practical meaning of
restructuring by ABC Nwosu
PROF. A.B.C Nwosu, academic turned politician was a First Class Commonwealth
Scholar, who entered the political arena after he was appointed Commissioner
for Health in Anambra State in 1986. He subsequently served four other military
regimes in that capacity. At the onset of civil rule he was a leading contender <strong>to</strong> be
governor of Anambra State but found his footing after President Olusegun Obasanjo
appointed him as his Political Adviser. He was subsequently appointed as Minister
of Health before the end of Obasanjo’s first term.
Nwosu in this interview speaks on the contentious issue of restructuring the
country. Excerpts:
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
There is the clamour for the
restructuring of the country,
what is your position on
restructuring?
Restructuring of the
country is
imperative. We have
no choice in this
matter. We will either
restructure, or we cease <strong>to</strong>
exist as Nigeria, it is an
existential threat.
Restructuring is not new.
Post-January 15, 1966, one of
the study groups set up by
General Ironsi was on
structure. When Gowon <strong>to</strong>ok
over in July, remember we
had a conference which broke
down; one of the things then
was about structure. Aburi
was nothing except structure.
When President Babangida
came in, it was structure,
when Abacha came in, in the
conference attended by Dim
Chukwuemeka Odimegwu
Ojukwu, Dr. Alex Ekwueme,
it was structure. When
Obasanjo set up his own
political reform, it was about
structure. When Jonathan set
up his own, it was still about
structure.
When something is not
working, you change it, you
redesign it <strong>to</strong> work, and that
redesigning is restructuring.
We have no choice in this
matter. If we don't under<strong>stand</strong>
it, it will explode in the face
of our children and our grand
children, and it will be a
shame if we want something
that will really consume our
children and our grand
children.
There is the fear that
restructuring may lead <strong>to</strong>
disintegration of the
country, what is your
reaction?
People are free <strong>to</strong> fear
anything. My belief is that
when something is inevitable,
we should then try and speak
with the same language. The
danger I am seeing now is
that we are speaking different
languages on restructuring.
Some think that restructuring
is about regionalisation, it is
not. Some think that it is
about the break-up of the
country; it is not. Some think
that it is so that you will
deprive them of the money
they come and collect at the
centre illegitimately; it is not.
It is about making sure that
all governments in the country,
federal and the states work
optimally. Therefore in my
view, the key thing in
restructuring is the devolution
of power and greater
au<strong>to</strong>nomy <strong>to</strong> the federating
units.
The Federal Government
collects about 52 percent of
the national revenue, and this
is wrong. Even if you divide
the country in<strong>to</strong> the original
four regions, the four will be
unviable because the bulk of
the money, 52 percent has
been pocketed by the federal
government. It is very wrong,
and it cannot be more wrong
than that. The Federal
Government in an ideal
situation should not have
more than 35 percent of
When something is
not working, you
change it, you redesign
it <strong>to</strong> work, and that
redesigning is
restructuring. We have
no choice in this
matter. If we don't
under<strong>stand</strong> it, it will
explode in the face of
our children and our
grand children
national revenue and if that is
done and all the theft, most of
which you see is at the federal
level, and not at the state level.
Whether you recover forty
something houses, so many
billions of dollars from safes
and private buildings, they are
not being recovered from
states; they are being
recovered at the federal level.
There is <strong>to</strong>o much money at
the federal level. Even if you
had policemen in Nigeria with
hundred eyes and
whistleblowers with hundred
whistles, they would not be
able <strong>to</strong> catch 52 percent of
what is being s<strong>to</strong>len in more
•A.B.C Nwosu
than four hundred ministries,
departments, agencies and
parastatals. You can't catch that.
If you remove it and make it 35
percent, most people will go
back <strong>to</strong> their states <strong>to</strong> help
develop their states, and there
will be less money at the centre
given <strong>to</strong> foreign affairs,
defence, immigrations and all
those functions the federal is
performing.
Not sinking boreholes etc.,
and therefore, you will find that
there will be less money <strong>to</strong> be
s<strong>to</strong>len and there will be greater
au<strong>to</strong>nomy and government
will be nearer the people and
take care of the people. That
is why we should now sit down
and work out the details of how
we can do that. Before I end
let me give you an example.
Look at a brilliant man like Dr.
Kayode Fayemi (Minister of
Solid Minerals Development),
I respect him but give him one
million years in the ministry of
solid minerals, he will achieve
nothing. This one he is going
round saying we will cooperate
with states <strong>to</strong> bring minerals
will not work. I saw him in
Enugu the other day; there is
Article 39 in the federal
Constitution which stipulates
that mines, minerals et cetera
are under exclusive list. Is the
Federal Government
cooperating with states <strong>to</strong> give
oil mining licences? It is the
Federal Government’s
responsibility, whether the
mineral is gas or liquid or solid,
it is mineral.
So how can he now operate
the way he wants <strong>to</strong> operate
without Article 39 in the
Constitution which is on the
exclusive list being put on
the concurrent list? How can
he?
These are the reasons we
must restructure. All his good
intentions as minister of solid
minerals cannot be brought
until you restructure and make
that item on the concurrent list
so that states can come in. It is
then that special funds can be
brought. So, that is how I look
at it, devolution of power most
be central. Resource control is
central, and those who are
afraid are those who think they
have no resource and it is
wrong. Every part of Nigeria
has resource, enormous
resources and what I find
laudable is that the same
people who are saying no
resource control are on the
other hand saying we have
more resources than these
people who are talking about
resource control.
What is required is <strong>to</strong> have
a national fund for the
development of those
resources so that you will
bring coal, bring Barytes in
Nasarawa, bring all the
bitumen all <strong>to</strong> full
development and bring them
<strong>to</strong> the national wealth sharing
table and you will increase the
size of the cake, and they take
their own derivation <strong>to</strong>o just
like cocoa was used <strong>to</strong> spur
the development of resources
in the other regions.
The East went and developed
its palm oil, Mid-West developed
rubber; the North developed
groundnut, cot<strong>to</strong>n, etc. Each part
of this country has abundant
resources, and we are letting
resources kill the human love
which we have for ourselves. So
it is only restructuring that will
let us focus on building the
nation.
Do you consider it
worthwhile the idea of going
back <strong>to</strong> regionalism, like the
four regions we had in the
First Republic when there
was strong competition
among the regions?
I was at the national
conference of 2014 organised
by President Jonathan. The
representation was well done for
me. What was the agreement?
It was agreed that we shall have
a central government with more
powers devolved from it <strong>to</strong> the
federating units and that the
states as presently configured,
shall act as the federating
units. That conference did not
agree on either six geopolitical
zones or eight geopolitical
zones or twelve. I was also in
charge of the Igbo Secretariat
when Ojukwu, Ekwueme, and
Co. came and argued it under
Abacha. That conference also
did not agree on geopolitical
zones as federating units, it
agreed on six geopolitical units
for administrative reasons, for
sharing reasons, but not as
federating units and its report
is available.
Now, what 2014 said and
what became a major issue
was that nobody is good
enough <strong>to</strong> rule over another
person without his consent.
Any group of states that agree
<strong>to</strong> can cooperate. Which means
if the six states of the South-
West agree on their own
volition, nothing can s<strong>to</strong>p them
from acting as a zone. If the five
states of the South East agree,
nothing can s<strong>to</strong>p them. But if
the six states of the South
South do not agree, they
should not be forced. That <strong>to</strong>
the best of my under<strong>stand</strong>ing
was what was agreed in 2014
which I was part of. So, even if
you have two regions North
and South and the federal still
keeps 52 percent, the North
and South will be unviable,
completely unviable. The key
issue is that we have money for
our country, say one hundred
naira, and the central
government collects fifty-two
Naira, and they expect the rest
of the country after you have
removed derivation <strong>to</strong> live on
that? It is wrong. The Federal
Government has become a
behemoth; it is unmanageable.

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017 — 51
Apprehension in APC over LASIEC
By Emmanuel Aziken,
Political Edi<strong>to</strong>r
THERE is palpable
apprehension in the
camp of the All Progressives
Congress, APC over what the
party describe as the seeming
rigidity of the chairman of the
Lagos State Independent
Elec<strong>to</strong>ral Commission, Justice
Ayotunde Philips.
The anxiety, Vanguard
learned follows the seeming
determination of Justice Philips
not <strong>to</strong> give preferential
treatment <strong>to</strong> the ruling party on
some issues.
A party source particularly
referred <strong>to</strong> the refusal of the
LASIEC boss <strong>to</strong> substitute
names of candidates in certain
areas of the state after the
deadline set by the commission
had elapsed.
Party sources say that a very
prominent leader of the party
had as a way of dousing the
tension that arose out of the
crisis that attended the
nomination of candidates of the
The Moshood Salvador-led
executive of the PDP has
maintained that the alliance
entered in<strong>to</strong> by the PDP and the
Labour Party <strong>stand</strong>s.
Speaking with Vanguard,
Publicity Secretary of the
Salvador-led exco, Taofik Gani,
stated that "the report that has
become viral that the PDP has
pulled out of the forthcoming LG
poll, might eventually be true
because Moshood Salvador,
whose executive, has the
legitimacy <strong>to</strong> confirm candidates
for the PDP, going by the
Supreme Court judgement has
since formed an alliance with the
Labour Party."
He refuted any rumour that the
promised were left out after the
commission turned down the
entreaty.
“This means trouble o!,” the
party source said adding that
the commission under the
present leadership was
proving <strong>to</strong> be very inflexible in
terms of giving latitude <strong>to</strong> the
APC.
One source added that Justice
Philips who has been
appointed in<strong>to</strong> the Ethics
Committee of the Federation of
International Football
Associations, FIFA is being
careful not <strong>to</strong> tarnish her
reputation on appoint of her
appointment. That
development has put those in
the ruling party in Lagos that
had hoped <strong>to</strong> use her <strong>to</strong>
accomplish their desires in
jeopardy.
PDP/Labour Party alliance <strong>stand</strong>s
By Dapo Akinrefon
Salvador-led exco has confirmed
the PDP candidates list submited
by Segun Adewale.
He said: "Not until the Salvador
exco confirms anything that has
been done by the Adewale-led
exco, all actions taken by
Adewale-led exco, before the
judgement of the Supreme
Court, which have not been
ratified, approved, adopted by
the Salvador-led exco, remain
null and void. You cannot build
something on nothing."
Continuing, he said: “Any
action that Segun Adewale must
have taken after the Supreme
Court judgement must be ratified
by the Salvador-led exco. That
includes all the PDP candidates
that have been in the record of
LASIEC and the Labour Party/
How APC'll trounce PDP — Rep Jimoh
By Dapo Akinrefon
A member of the House of
Representatives, representing
the Lagos Mainland Federal
Constituency, Jide Jimoh says
that Governor Akinwumi
Ambode’s performance in the last
two years will assist the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, perform
abysmally in the July 22, local
government elections in Lagos
State.
Jimoh, a chieftain of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, in
a chat with newsmen in Lagos
at the weekend, boasted that
PDP cannot win in the election,
saying “the performance of
Governor Akinwumi Ambode
within his two years in office has
been superlative, out<strong>stand</strong>ing
and out of this world.”
His words: “It is Ambode’s
APC moved
<strong>to</strong> appease
dissidents
with the
assurance
that they
would be
accommodated
in certain
areas.
However,
when the
names were
released last
Thursday, a
number of
those who
w e r e
performance against the nonexistent
PDP in Lagos State.
While the APC will have solid
achievement of the party on
ground as campaign materials,
the PDP will have nothing <strong>to</strong>
point at as reasons for the people
<strong>to</strong> vote for it.”
In addition, he said, “the
coming council poll will be a
walkover in favour of our great
party, APC, it will be a no match
and it will be just a mere
formality.”
The lawmaker therefore urged
the people of the state <strong>to</strong> be
prepared <strong>to</strong> exercise their
franchise again by voting en
masse for the APC, reminding
that, “it is through that, that the
efforts of Governor Ambode <strong>to</strong>
bring more democracy dividends
<strong>to</strong> the people’s door step will be
a reality.”
PDP alliance <strong>stand</strong>s and we
enjoin all our members and
Lagosains <strong>to</strong> vote for the PDP/
Labour alliance."
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
CHAIRMAN, Lagos State
Independent Elec<strong>to</strong>ral
Commission, LASIEC, Justice
Ayotunde Phillips has dismissed
rumours making the rounds of
plan <strong>to</strong> postpone the conduct of
election in<strong>to</strong> the 20 Local
Governments and 37 Local
Council Development Areas.
LCDAs, of the State, stressing that
the election would hold on
Saturday, 22 nd July ,2017, as
scheduled.
Phillips gave the clarification,
weekend, during a meeting with
chairmen and secretaries of
political parties and candidates
FOR dragging the APC <strong>to</strong>
court over the primaries
conducted in his Mushin base
Dr Muiz Banire, the National
Legal Adviser of the APC has
been taken <strong>to</strong> task with a
charge from his party men for
his expulsion.
A statement by two
prominent party stalwarts in
Mushin, Kehinde Babatunde
and Tayo Williams, said the
urgent call was predicated
upon several embarrassing
situations Banire had exposed
the party <strong>to</strong> which they said
was unbecoming of a principal
officer of the party.
Some of the un<strong>to</strong>ward
activities listed by the leaders
include the court judgement
against the party in Odiolowo
Local Council
Development Area, LCDA,
which sought <strong>to</strong> cancel the
nominations made by the
party for the council polls in
the area.
According <strong>to</strong> the leaders:
“The build up <strong>to</strong> judgement
as regards the Local
E-mail: vanguardpolitics@gmail.com
LG LAWSUIT: APC leaders
call for Banire’s expulsion
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Government Elections in Odiolowo
was not lost on us.
"In suit No ID/1838/GCM/
2017 before Hon. Justice
Okuwobi, Banire as the
National Legal Adviser
assigned a legal
representative for the defence
of the party in the suit, and
instructed the legal
representative <strong>to</strong> disavow the
party”, they said.
According <strong>to</strong> the leaders it
was evident from his response
<strong>to</strong> the party chairman’s
statement against this highly
unethical behaviour, wherein
he categorically stated that he
instructed the legal
representative in <strong>to</strong>tal
disregard of the possibility
that his action could cause the
party losing the forthcoming
elections.
“It would have been most
reasonable that he requested
a legal representative from
the state APC <strong>to</strong> join the legal
team. This deliberate
dereliction of duty <strong>to</strong> ensure
the party lost the case speaks
volumes,” they alleged.
No going back on July 22 polls, says LASIEC boss
THE Sena<strong>to</strong>r representing
Lagos East Sena<strong>to</strong>rial District has
stressed the need for the
elec<strong>to</strong>rate and residents <strong>to</strong> shun
violence on election day even as
he has urged them <strong>to</strong> vote enmasse
for candidates of the All
Progressives Congress, APC for
better grass-roots development.
The Sena<strong>to</strong>r made the call at
the weekend during a Town Hall
meeting, when he distributed
various items <strong>to</strong> 50 senior citizens
and free healthcare services.
on the preparation for the
forthcoming Local Government
elections in the State.
Chairman added that
preparations for the elections
were being intensified as the
commission has just concluded
the training of its Elec<strong>to</strong>ral
Officers in collaboration with the
International Foundation for
Elec<strong>to</strong>ral Systems, IFES, an
international organization which
specializes in election
management
and
administration.
She added that the Elec<strong>to</strong>ral
Officers of the Commission have,
in turn, also commenced the
training of ad-hoc personnel
whose names were compiled for
Ashafa urges elec<strong>to</strong>rate <strong>to</strong> eschew
violence during poll
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
He also used the opportunity
<strong>to</strong> render his mid-term
stewardship report of Lagos East
Sena<strong>to</strong>rial District. It was themed:
“A message of gratitude.”
Ashafa stated, “I urge you all
<strong>to</strong> troop out en-masse <strong>to</strong> support
the candidates of our party, the
All Progressives Congress, when
they emerge, for the upcoming
Local Government election. By
doing this, we would be able <strong>to</strong>
harness the development we are
witnessing in Lagos State at the
grassroots level, through the
synchronised effort of the State
and Local Governments.”
the conduct of the election in the
various Local Governments and
Local Council Development
Areas of the State.
Phillips, therefore, assured that
the commission would “go the
extra mile <strong>to</strong>wards ensuring that
we live up <strong>to</strong> the expectations of
Lagosians and even people
outside the State who expect
nothing, but the best from us
as Election Managers at the
Local Government level of the
State.”
She also maintained that the
commission would always do
what is right and best for the
people of the state, adding that
as a former Chief Judge of the
State, she had the responsibility
of ensuring that the commission
abide by any court order on the
election.
•Phillips: LASIEC boss

52-- VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
Vehicles used for suicide car bombings, made by Islamic State militants, are seen at Federal Police
headquarters after being confiscated in Mosul. REUTERS. (INSET: Interior of one of the vehicles)
Defiant Erdogan attacks EU, backs death penalty
PRESIDENT Tayyip
Erdogan on Sunday
defiantly stepped up his attacks
on the European
Union, saying Turkey had
<strong>to</strong> go its own way and vowing
<strong>to</strong> bring back the death
penalty if parliament
passed it.
At the opening ceremony
of a memorial dedicated <strong>to</strong>
the roughly 250 people
who died in last year's failed
coup, Erdogan accused
Brussels of "messing about"
with Turkey's decades-long
bid <strong>to</strong> join the bloc.
The speech in the early
hours of Sunday wound up
a marathon session of public
appearances by Erdogan
in both the capital and
Istanbul overnight <strong>to</strong> mark
the anniversary of last year's
defeated coup.
"The stance of the Euro-
pean Union is clear <strong>to</strong> see
54 years have passed and
they are still messing us
about," he said, citing what
he said was Brussels' failure
<strong>to</strong> keep promises on
everything from a visa deal
<strong>to</strong> aid for Syrian migrants.
"We will sort things out for
ourselves. There's no other
option."
Ties with the West were
strained when European
governments voiced alarm
at the scale of the crackdown
that followed the
coup. Some 150,000 people
have been sacked or suspended
from their jobs and
more than 50,000 detained
on suspicion of links with
UK Prime Minister on the edge, says Blair
FORMER British Prime
Minister, Tony Blair
has said he "feels sorry" for
Theresa May after her election
gamble backfired, leaving
her clinging <strong>to</strong> power.
The Prime Minister lost
seats and failed <strong>to</strong> secure an
outright majority in the
Commons last month.
Her Government is now
being propped up by Northern
Ireland's Democratic
Unionist Party.
There is speculation she
could face a Tory leadership
battle and many commenta<strong>to</strong>rs
do not think she will
take the party in<strong>to</strong> another
general election due in
2022. “Blair claimed she
was in a precarious position
and was under threat from
colleagues.
He <strong>to</strong>ld Sky's Sophy Ridge
Venezuela: Opposition holds unofficial
plebiscite <strong>to</strong> defy Maduro
VENEZUELA'S op
position kicked off an
unofficial referendum on Sunday
<strong>to</strong> increase pressure on
President Nicolas Maduro as
he seeks <strong>to</strong> create a legislative
superbody that his adversaries
call the consolidation
of a dicta<strong>to</strong>rship.
The symbolic poll, which
also asked voters if they want
early elections, is intended <strong>to</strong>
further dent Maduro's legitimacy
amid a crippling economic
crisis and months of
anti-government protests that
have led <strong>to</strong> around 100
deaths.
The opposition has cast the
vote, which began at 7 a.m.
local time at some 2,000 centers
around the country, as an
act of civil disobedience <strong>to</strong> be
followed by "zero hour," a
possible reference <strong>to</strong> a national
strike or other escalated actions
against Maduro.
Queues formed early at
many polling stations in the
oil-rich nation of 30 million
as Venezuelans furious over
food shortages and rampant
inflation sought <strong>to</strong> make their
voices heard.
"We want this government
of Nicolas (Maduro) out.
We're tired of not seeing solutions,
there are people dying
of hunger," said Mercedes
Guerrero de Ramirez,
an 80 year-old former hospital
worker, who arrived at the
polling station at 5:30 a.m. in
San Cris<strong>to</strong>bal city near the Colombian
border and was first
in line.
But the vote does not appear
<strong>to</strong> augur a short-term
change of government or a
solution <strong>to</strong> the country's political
stalemate.
Maduro, 54, said the plebiscite
is illegal and meaningless.
Instead, the leftist leader
is campaigning for an official
July 30 vote for the new
assembly, which will be able
<strong>to</strong> rewrite the constitution and
dissolve state institutions.
the U.S.-based Muslim
cleric Fethullah Gulen,
whom Ankara blames for
the attempted putsch.
Erdogan also said he
would approve, "without
hesitation" the death penalty,
if parliament voted <strong>to</strong>
res<strong>to</strong>re it — a move that
would effectively end Turkey's
bid <strong>to</strong> join the EU.
it was a "very unsatisfac<strong>to</strong>ry
situation" that Mrs May was
surrounded by people "waiting
for the moment they
decide <strong>to</strong> throw her off the
ledge".
He added: "I think there
is something a little unseemly
about all of it really."
His comments come days
after Mrs May said she
shed a "little tear" when she
saw the exit poll on election
night that forecast her election
gamble would not pay
off.
Mr Blair said he felt sorry
for her because "she's somebody
who's got the best interest
of the country at heart"
but he "profoundly disagrees
with her about Brexit".
He does not want the UK
<strong>to</strong> leave the European
Union, despite a majority of
voters backing a divorce
from the bloc.
People in Istanbul gather yesterday <strong>to</strong> commemorate
the failure of last year’s coup.
Head of Libya's UN-backed
govt calls for polls in March
THE head of Libya's U.N.-backed government has
called for parliamentary and presidential elections
in March 2018, although his proposals will likely have <strong>to</strong>
compete with other Libyan and international efforts <strong>to</strong> bring
an end <strong>to</strong> the country's conflict.
Fayez Seraj, prime minister of the Government of National
Accord (GNA), also called for a national ceasefire
and the gradual merging of rival parliamentary bodies
based in Tripoli and eastern Libya in a speech released
late on Saturday.
Seraj said he was putting forward the roadmap because
of his "determination <strong>to</strong> escape the current crisis and unify
Libyans".
"I am confident that the national spirit will overcome the
narrow personal interests, and invite everyone <strong>to</strong> offer
compromise even if it's painful <strong>to</strong> do so," he said.
Agreeing on an election plan and holding nationwide
polls would be a major challenge due <strong>to</strong> Libya's political
divisions, continuing insecurity and bouts of fighting, and
deteriorating infrastructure.
Libya slid in<strong>to</strong> conflict after the uprising that <strong>to</strong>ppled
long-time Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi six years ago.
The country's previous elections, in 2014, led <strong>to</strong> the formation
of rival governments and parliaments in Tripoli
and the east, both backed by loose alliances of armed
groups.
The GNA is the result of a U.N.-brokered deal <strong>to</strong> stabilize
and unite the country that was signed in late 2015
with only partial support from political and armed factions.
It has limited authority, and has been rejected by
eastern-based factions aligned with military commander
Khalifa Haftar.
Since arriving in Tripoli in March last year, Seraj has
struggled <strong>to</strong> form a functioning government or tame powerful
militias. A severe liquidity crisis, frequent power
and water cuts, and failing public services have worsened
living conditions for most.
France urges resumption of Israel-
Palestine peace talks
FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has called
for a resumption of long-stalled peace talks between
Israel and Palestine based on a two-state solution.
Macron said on Sunday that France was ready <strong>to</strong> apply
diplomatic levers <strong>to</strong>ward renewed negotiations, but
gave no specifics.
He did not indicate any eagerness for France <strong>to</strong> spearhead
such negotiations after a fruitless French diplomatic
effort early this year.
"I call for a resumption of negotiations between Israel
and the Palestinians in the framework of the search for a
solution of two states, Israel and Palestine, living in recognised,
secure borders with Jerusalem as the capital,"
said Macron after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu in Paris on Sunday.
He warned that continued Israeli settlement construction
could threaten such negotiations and eventual peace
prospects.
At his side, Netanyahu said: "We share the same desire
for a peaceful Middle East." But he did not elaborate
on eventual peace talks.
Macron condemned an attack last week that killed two
Israeli police officers at a Jerusalem shrine revered by
Jews and Muslims.
Geneva closes art exhibition after
paintings turn out <strong>to</strong> be fake
'
AUTHORITIES in Genoa have confiscated 21 sus
pect artworks supposedly by Amedeo Modigliani
after confirming that several paintings showcased in
a major exhibition at the Doge's Palace were likely
fakes.
Earlier this week, the foundation sponsoring the
Genoa show decided <strong>to</strong> shut down exhibit three days
early in order <strong>to</strong> collaborate with latest investigation
enveloping the Italian expressionist painter and sculp<strong>to</strong>r,
who is one of the world’s most famously faked
artists.
“They did the right thing. This was absolutely
shameful,’ said Carlo Pepi, the 79-year-old Tuscan
art critic and collec<strong>to</strong>r who alerted authorities about
the suspected fraud.
“A Michelangelo is a Michelangelo. A Picasso is a
Picasso. But when a painting is a fake, it is missing
its soul, and these were missing that three dimensional
elegance of Modigliani - even a child could
see these were crude fakes,” he <strong>to</strong>ld the Telegraph on
Sunday.
Mr Pepi has spent decades battling art fraud. He
began publicly expressing doubts about Genoa’s
Modigliani exhibit in February, when the palace first
began promoting it with a reprint of the 1918 oil painting
“Marie, daughter of the people.”

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017-- 53
CORRUPTION: The scandal, tragedy
of ex-President Lula’s conviction
BY SEAN BURGES
HAVING looked back
through my research
notes from the early
2000s, I am not surprised
by the conviction of former
Brazilian President Luis
Ignacio Lula da Silva for
corruption.
This is not a statement
about the long-running,
concerted efforts of Brazil’s
right-wing elites <strong>to</strong>
squash a upstart union
leader. Rather, <strong>review</strong>ing
my notes brought a sad
recognition that the underlying
realities of Brazil’s
complex political economy
almost compel anyone with
national political ambitions
<strong>to</strong> sidle up <strong>to</strong> the
trough of corruption.
In Lula’s case the warning
signs were clear at least
as far back as Oc<strong>to</strong>ber 6,
2002, the day of first-round
voting in the election that
would bring him <strong>to</strong> power
as the Workers’ Party
(Partido dos Trabalhadores,
PT) candidate. A
short interview during the
election night coverage offered
the clue.
In keeping with the television
network’s anti-PT
edi<strong>to</strong>rial line, the news anchor
was aghast that Lula
might actually win the ballot.
The anchor expected
similar shock from his next
guest, a senior official
from the Sao Paulo Federation
of Industrial Enterprises,
FIESP. Much <strong>to</strong>
the anchor’s surprise the
FIESP man calmly said he
was not worried and, in a
line that stuck with me, noted
that “Lula is a good negotia<strong>to</strong>r”
and that businesses
would have no trouble
working with him.
Subsequent scholarly and
journalistic works seeking
<strong>to</strong> explain how Lula won
the presidency on his fourth
attempt focused on his
move <strong>to</strong> a pragmatic centre.
Particular emphasis
was put on Lula’s businessfriendly
language and
explicit recognition that
market economics was not
antithetical <strong>to</strong> the poverty
eradication that became
the hallmark of his eight
years in office.
What these studies failed
<strong>to</strong> fully acknowledge was
the extent <strong>to</strong> which Lula’s
inner coterie chose <strong>to</strong> play
Brazil’s established political
game. Collectively we
missed the clearest of
signs when militant factions
of the PT in Congress began
<strong>to</strong> criticise the policies
and actions of their president,
ultimately resulting
in several being expelled
from the party. As the first
Lula government corruption
scandal broke - the
2005 Mensalao affair that
saw cash payments made
for congressional support of
the government’s agenda
- the PT split and the hardline
leftists formed the rival
Socialism and Liberty
Party (Partido Socialismo
e Liberdade, PSOL).
The problem with Brazilian
politics that was made
abundantly clear in 2005
was corruption. While this
was not a surprise <strong>to</strong> anyone,
I am not certain the
depth of this embedded
democratic failure was consciously
appreciated. A discussion
I had with a Sao
Paulo business leader last
May about another scandal
•Lula
engulfing current president
Michel Temer offered
a key insight. His
complaint was not really
about the need <strong>to</strong> offer side
payments <strong>to</strong> government
officials and politicians. Instead,
he was dismayed
by the sheer greed of the
current crop of decisionmakers.
As he explained, during
Brazil’s industrial surge in
the 1950s it was not at all
unusual for a company’s
government relations manager
<strong>to</strong> arrange for delivery
of a television set or
refrigera<strong>to</strong>r <strong>to</strong> strategically
positioned officials. The
cost was small - nowhere
near 3 percent of a billiondollar
contract - and really
more about showing
appreciation than anything
else. What seemed <strong>to</strong>
pass him by was how this
bred a business culture
predicated on buying contracts,
not winning them
through competitive tenders.
In a recent column for the
newspaper Folha de Sao
Paulo, Matias Spek<strong>to</strong>r
points out that these habits
were already afflicting
public works management
in the early 1970s. Recently
released US classified
documents discuss
how a leading official of
the Emílio Garrastazu
Medici military government
sought bribes in 1972
from US businessmen
looking <strong>to</strong> win contracts in
Brazil (PDF). In other
words, there is a long<strong>stand</strong>ing
tradition of direct
illicit payments by Brazilian
firms <strong>to</strong> politicians and
policy-makers in return for
public contracts and access
<strong>to</strong> financing from state-run
banks.
That these scandals appear
<strong>to</strong> revolve almost entirely
around the country’s
highly successful and proficient
construction companies
should be no surprise.
Nearly all of these
firms trace their growth
from small mom-and-pop
operations <strong>to</strong> massive civil
engineering conglomerates
back <strong>to</strong> the mother of
all public works projects:
the 1950s building of the
capital city, Brasilia, quite
literally in the middle of nowhere.
Habits form, expectations
develop, the
questionable becomes routinised
and commonplace
<strong>to</strong> the point where Brazil’s
biggest company creates a
“Division of Structured
Operations” <strong>to</strong> manage its
bribe payment schedule.
So it is hardly surprising
that Lula, a president who
presided over possibly the
richest half-decade in Brazilian
his<strong>to</strong>ry, has been
convicted of corruption. But
this is not really the scandal.
• Burges is a Senior Lecturer
in International Relations
at the Australian
National University and a
Visiting Scholar at Carle<strong>to</strong>n
University.
•Putin
Fear gives Putin more
power than he deserves
By Mark Galeotti
REPORTS that US
President Donald
Trump’s son, Donald
Trump Jr., met Russian
lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya,
apparently
believing she possessed
compromising information
on Hillary Clin<strong>to</strong>n’s
election campaign, has
added <strong>to</strong> the woes facing
President Trump’s White
House.
The irony, missed in
much the reporting, is
that whether she was
part of some Russian “active
measures,” dirtytricks
campaign, or
merely a sharp opportunist
who knew the best
way <strong>to</strong> get an audience
with the Trump team, the
Kremlin gains, either
way.
After all, for Russian
President Vladimir Putin,
being considered a
Machiavellian grandmaster
of geopolitical
skullduggery arguably
gives him more power
than he deserves.
The facts of this case
are still murky. Veselnitskayadenies
she
was peddling kompromat,
as the Russians call
it, and says she was simply
lobbying against
the Magnitsky Act: a
US law blacklisting officials
(including her clients)
involved in human
rights abuses. Meanwhile,
the Trump team
presents itself as naïve
victims of misunder<strong>stand</strong>ing
who were never
handed any of the
promised dirt anyway.
Until more facts come <strong>to</strong>
light, the way one interprets
the case probably
depends on whether one
has already decided that
President Trump is a
Kremlin s<strong>to</strong>oge or useful
idiot, or the victim of “the
greatest witch hunt in
political his<strong>to</strong>ry.”
What is interesting is
how quickly and easily a
corporate lawyer can be
assumed <strong>to</strong> be a Kremlin
agent. After all, she has
relatively tenuous links
<strong>to</strong> the government.
After all, Putin is not a
micro-managing grandmaster
so much as an
opportunist. He sets
broad strategic goals,
designed <strong>to</strong> divide, distract
and demoralize the
West enough that Russia
gets a free hand.
Some operations —
such as the hack and
leak of documents from
the Clin<strong>to</strong>n campaign
— are clearly carried out
by government agencies
at the Kremlin’s behest.
But most are what we
could call freelance subversion.
All kinds of political
entrepreneurs are
encouraged <strong>to</strong> dream up
their own schemes that
may advance Putin’s
goals. If they fail, the
Kremlin can deny any
involvement. If they succeed,
the Kremlin will
reward the schemers.
Many of these
freelance activities are
clumsy, stupid, unlucky,
or all three. They often
fail embarrassingly. But
even when they fail, they
perform a service. They
contribute <strong>to</strong> a climate of
opinion that sees the
Russian state as aggressive,
ambitious and ubiqui<strong>to</strong>us,
and feed a feverish
concern about it that
can verge on paranoia.
Putin seems <strong>to</strong> have
come <strong>to</strong> terms with the
fact that, in the West, at
least, he is unlikely <strong>to</strong>
make any friends. Russian
“soft power” — its
capacity <strong>to</strong> exert influence
through positive
relationships and example
— is minimal.
Instead, he seems <strong>to</strong> be
accumulating the opposite,
what I have called
“dark power.” There is a
certain strength in being
feared, in being regarded
as unpredictable and
unrestrained by the normal
etiquette of international
relations.
Now, every time a
The irony, missed in much the reporting,
is that whether she was part
of some Russian “active measures,”
dirty-tricks campaign, or merely a
sharp opportunist who knew the
best way <strong>to</strong> get an audience with the
Trump team, the Kremlin gains, either
way
Kremlin critic dies, assassination
is suspected.
Every time an anti-US or
Eurosceptic party prospers,
Russian support is
assumed. And every lawyer
and lobbyist is presumed
<strong>to</strong> be Putin’s shill.
For some, this makes
them feel Putin must be
appeased, or makes
them see his Russia as
far stronger than it really
is. In the short term,
this feeds a useful perception
of Putin’s Russia
from the West: an untamable
bully who can interfere
with what he wants,
when he wants.
In the long term, this is
likely <strong>to</strong> be a danger for
Russia, as it becomes a
virtual pariah.

54 — MONDAY Vanguard, JULY 17, 2017
World's GR-EIGHT-EST!
Federer wins record breaking
eighth Wimbledon title
Roger Federer made
his<strong>to</strong>ry with the win
as he became the first
man ever <strong>to</strong> claim eight
Wimbledon men's
singles titles.
Federer claimed his
EIGHTH Wimbledon
singles title, the most by
any man in any era,
after Cilic broke down
in tears during the
second set.
The big Croat had a
problem with his left
foot which was later
treated at a medical
timeout.
And the strange sight
of a Wimbledon finalist
in such distress <strong>to</strong>ok
some of the gloss off
Federer’s remarkable
achievement.
When Sabine Lisicki
had a meltdown against
Marion Bar<strong>to</strong>li in the
ladies’ final of 2013, the
tears came out of
frustration and despair
at how the match had
turned.
Cilic’s issue appeared
<strong>to</strong> be purely physical
and he avoided
becoming only the
second player ever <strong>to</strong>
retire in a Wimbledon
final.
But he could not deny
Federer a triumphant
return <strong>to</strong> winning ways.
Speaking after his
vic<strong>to</strong>ry, Federer was
quick <strong>to</strong> pay tribute <strong>to</strong>
his opponent.
Access Bank Group/UNICEF initiative
•10 years commitment <strong>to</strong> Africa
The Access Bank UK
and Access Private
Bank hosted the 10th
annual ‘Access Bank Polo
Day’ at the Guards Polo
Club, Windsor. The
annual event is part of its
continued support of
UNICEF and the climax
<strong>to</strong> the high-profile Access
Bank/UNICEF Charity
Shield Polo <strong>to</strong>urnament,
celebrating a decade of
commitment <strong>to</strong> UNICEF
projects and aimed at
reaching out <strong>to</strong> and
highlighting the plight of
vulnerable children and
orphans
and
internationally displaced
persons.
From its’ base with 5th
Chukker in Kaduna,
Nigeria, the Access
Bank/UNICEF Charity
Shield has grown <strong>to</strong> be
•Polo Day at Guards aimed at raising awareness
and funds for development initiatives
the biggest charity polo
<strong>to</strong>urnament in Africa and
generates interest and
support from
organisations and
individuals across Africa
for the UNICEF/Access
initiative.
Eight dead in wall collapse
at Senegal's Demba Diop
Eight people have
died and at least 49
are injured after a wall
collapsed at a football
stadium in Senegal.
It happened at Demba
Diop stadium in the
capital, Dakar, at the end
of the League Cup final
between Stade de
Mbour and Union
Sportive Ouakam.
Fighting started
between rival fans and
police responded by
using tear gas, which
led <strong>to</strong> panic, a stampede,
and the wall collapse.
Some fans were
NOC, BFN hold
Olympic Solidarity
Course for Badmin<strong>to</strong>n
he Nigeria Olympic
TCommittee
in
collaboration with the
Badmin<strong>to</strong>n Federation of
Nigeria will be
organizing an Olympic
Solidarity Coaching
Course in Badmin<strong>to</strong>n. It
is a level one coaching
course that will attract
participants drawn from
the six geo-political
zones of Nigeria.
A statement by the
Nigeria Olympic
Committee reads,”this
Olympic Solidarity
coaching course in
badmin<strong>to</strong>n is the second
course <strong>to</strong> open the 2017-
2020 quadrennial.
“Badmin<strong>to</strong>n was
considered for the OSC
Coaching Course
because the sport has
been accorded
Universality Placement
for the 2018 Youth
Olympic Games in
Argentina”.
The statement added,
“this is hoped that
badmin<strong>to</strong>n though was
given Universality
through this training, the
coaches will have been
exposed <strong>to</strong> new
techniques that will
produce better athletes
that will represent
Nigeria’s slot at the
Youth Olympic Games”.
The Course is
scheduled <strong>to</strong> take place
from 16th-24th, July,
2017 at the Package B,
National Stadium,
Abuja. International
experts will be coming
from Mauritius for the
programme.
Afrobasket 2017: Nigeria draw DR
Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali
By Jacob Ajom
Draw for the 2017
Afrobasket was
organised yesterday by
FIBA with the defending
champions Nigeria
pitched in Group A
alongside D R Congo,
Mali and Cote d’Ivoire
Group B is made up
Angola, Central African
Republic, Morocco and
Uganda. In Group C,
joint hosts Tunisia,
Guinea, Rwanda and
Cameroon complete the
quartet while Group D is
made up of Senegal,
Mozambique, Egypt
and South Africa.
FIBA Africa confirmed
on Friday night that
Tunisia and Senegal will
jointly host FIBA
AfroBasket 2017 from
September 8-16.
The Group Phase
(September 8-10), with
Dakar hosting two
throwing projectiles
including s<strong>to</strong>nes at
others.
Pictures circulating
online appear <strong>to</strong> show
people scrambling over
a low wall amid clouds
of gas.
Local news agency
APS reported that
ambulances and
firefighters were at the
scene.
With the score 1-1 after
90 minutes, Mbour
scored in the first period
of extra time <strong>to</strong> win 2-1,
and violence broke out
at the final whistle.
Europe <strong>to</strong>ps list of
entries for ITTF
Challenge Nigeria Open
•22 countries beat registration
deadline
This year’s ITTF
Challenge Nigeria
open has Europe <strong>to</strong>pping
the list of the countries just
as the <strong>to</strong>urnament set a
new record as it has the
largest turnout of
countries with over 22
countries including host –
Nigeria beating the
registration deadline on
July 10.
With record entries of
148 players made up of 95
men and 53 women
competing at the $46,000
prize
money
championships holding
on August 9 <strong>to</strong> 13 at the
Molade Okoya-Thomas
Hall of Teslim Balogun
Stadium in Lagos,
Nigeria.
Europe dominated the
list of entries as 10
European countries
confirmed their
participation while eight
African nations were also
listed. Asia has three
countries while Latin
America has one nation.
The European teams is
led by France, others are
Bulgaria, Finland, Russia,
Italy, Portugal, Romania,
Hungary, Scotland, and
Ukraine.
Host – Nigeria as well as
its continental rival –
Egypt will lead Africa
teams while others are
Algeria, Congo
Brazzaville, Cote d’Ivoire,
Cameroun, Ghana and
South Africa. From Asia
are India, Qatar and South
Korea while Latin
America will be
represented by Argentina.
groups and Tunis hosting
the other two. Nigeria
will be based in Tunis for
the group matches.
The <strong>to</strong>p two teams
from each group will
advance <strong>to</strong> Tunis, which
will also host the Final
Phase (Quarter-Finals,
Semi-Finals and Finals)
from September 14-16.
The bot<strong>to</strong>m two teams
from each group in the
Group Phase will be
knocked out of the
competition.

MONDAY Vanguard, JULY 17, 2017 — 55
Disu warns Rohr against Cameroun
Former coach of the
Flying Eagles, Tunde
Disu has warned Super
Eagles coach Genort
Rohr against wrong
tactics against
Cameroun in the Russia
2018 qualifiers on
September 1.
Disu <strong>to</strong>ld the News
Agency of Nigeria
(NAN) in Lagos
yesterday that the team’s
tactical formation against
South Africa in the
AFCON qualifiers was
wrong and should not be
used again.
He said that the Eagles
loss <strong>to</strong> Bafana Bafana in
the AFCON qualifiers
was due <strong>to</strong> wrong tactical
formation, adding that
the Indomitable Lions of
Cameroun would be
more tactical.
“The formation used by
Rohr during the AFCON
qualifier against South
Africa is wrong tactics.
He cannot use a
supporting striker as an
arrow head when using
4-3-3.
“Rohr should know that
Kelechi Iheanacho
cannot spearhead attack,
that is not his role and
that is why he is roaming
about during the match
against South Africa
without a shot at goal.
“I want them <strong>to</strong> sit down
and analyse the match
themselves, that system
is faulty because most
teams can now predict
the formation. If we use
that selection and tactics,
we will be embarrassed.
“Rohr should align with
the modern tactics of
play rather than stick
with the old play which
will not benefit us. We
are <strong>to</strong>o predictable now.
Disu said that the players
at the disposal of Rohr
were good enough <strong>to</strong>
accommodate another
formation which was less
probable <strong>to</strong> opposing
teams.
“We cannot continue <strong>to</strong>
use the 4-3-3 formation,
it’s outdated and
counterproductive. We
should rather play 4-2-3-
1 which is far better for
the defenders.
Moses celebrates return
<strong>to</strong> action with Chelsea
Super Eagles star Vic<strong>to</strong>r
Moses is delighted <strong>to</strong>
return <strong>to</strong> action with
Chelsea for pre-season
having spent his summer
break recovering from a
<strong>to</strong>e injury and missing
Nigeria matches.
Moses featured for the
first half for Chelsea who
spanked London rivals
Fulham 8-2 in a preseason
friendly at
Cobham on Saturday.
An hat-trick from Willian
and a brace each from
Michy Batshuayi and Loic
Remy coupled with a goal
from Cesar Azpilicueta
from the spot sealed an
emphatic win for the
Blues. Moses, who was
impressive for the Blues
playing as a wing-back last
season, tweeted after
Saturday’s game: “Good
<strong>to</strong> get back on the pitch
<strong>to</strong>day with the lads. Preseason
well under way
#CFC.”
The Nigerian
international is expected
<strong>to</strong> be included in the Blues
squad <strong>to</strong> depart London
on Tuesday for their preseason
<strong>to</strong>ur of Asia where
they will face Arsenal at
Beijing’s Bird’s Nest next
Saturday.
“The players determine
the system and not the
system that determines
the players. It is better
<strong>to</strong> have two defensive
midfielders in front of the
defenders, maybe if
there is an overlapping
one.
CHAN Qualifier: Home Eagles
<strong>to</strong> hit camp on Thursday
The
home-based
Super Eagles are
expected <strong>to</strong> be in camp
on Thursday <strong>to</strong> start
preparation for their
second round 2018
African Nations
Championship
(CHAN) qualifier
against either Benin
Republic or Togo.
This was announced
on the Super Eagles
official Twitter handle
on Sunday.
The 2018 CHAN will
hold in Kenya from
January 11 <strong>to</strong> February
2.
It however stated that
the venue for the camp
will be made known in
a later date, although
Kano has been
mentioned as a possible
host city.
Warri Relays & CAA Grand
Prix: Over 200 athletes arrive
in Delta state
Warri, Ozoro, Ugheli
and its environs are
already bubbling as
athletes are already
trooping in in<strong>to</strong> Delta
State for the 2017 Warri
Relays &CAA Grand
Prix.
“Our camp for the
#2018CHAN qualifiers
vs Benin Rep/Togo will
now open on Thursday,
July 20, 2017. Camp site
will be communicated
later,” the Super Eagles
handle wrote.
The home-based
Eagles, coached by
Salisu Yusuf, will be
away <strong>to</strong> either Benin
Republic or Togo in the
first leg on August 11.
The 2017 Warri Relays
& CAA Grand Prix which
is fixed for <strong>to</strong>morrow at
the Delta State
Polytechnic Stadium,
Ozoro.
Already, invited
athletes from the Niger
Republic and Liberia are
in <strong>to</strong>wn while the starstudded
Botswana team
and other invited
countries are expected <strong>to</strong>
<strong>to</strong>uch down <strong>to</strong>day in the
oil-rich Delta State.
The
Media
Coordina<strong>to</strong>r for 2017
Warri Relays &CAA
Grand Prix, Olukayode
Thomas also confirmed
that <strong>to</strong>p Nigerian
athletes like United
States-based Tobi
Amusan are also in <strong>to</strong>wn
ahead of what promises
<strong>to</strong> be an exciting
athletics meeting.
Star Sixes: Nigeria humiliated
by Spain, Crash Out
Nigeria at the weekend were thrashed 8-1 by Spain
and subsequently eliminated from the maiden
edition of the six-a-side Star Sixes Football Tournament
in London.
Early goals just after the whistle from Lucho Garcia and
Mitchel Salgado unsettled the Nigerian side.
Alfonso Perez Munoz virtually eliminated the Super
Eagles heroes of yesteryear with the third goal of the first
quarterfinals match barely eight minutes in<strong>to</strong> the clash.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
TODAY’S PUZZLE
Sudoku
YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
QUICK CROSSWORD
TODAY’S CROSSWORD
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION
How <strong>to</strong> Play Sudoku
ACROSS
1. Conflict (6)
4. Avow (6)
8. Of small importance (5)
9. Big cat (7)
10. Animosity (3,4)
11. S<strong>to</strong>ry or scene of
happy innocence (5)
12. Gilbert and Sullivan
operetta (3,6)
17. Funny (5)
19. Satan (3, 4)
21. Unlucky accidents (7)
22. Minimum (5)
23. Inborn (6)
24. Zestful enjoyment (6)
DOWN
1. Meeting of high-level
leaders (6)
2. Curling lock of hair (7)
3. Language of Iran (5)
5. US state (7)
6. European country (5)
7. Interfere (6)
9. Sweets on sticks (9)
13. Captivate (7)
14. Japanese art of paper
folding (7)
15. Large prawns (6)
16. Preliminary drawing (6)
18. S<strong>to</strong>ne carver (5)
20. Search for information (5)
Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No
line can have two of the same number).
Each row (nine lines from left <strong>to</strong> right),
column, (also nine lines from <strong>to</strong>p <strong>to</strong> bot<strong>to</strong>m)
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.
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