16082017 - Gunfire in Abuja, as pro anti-Buhari groups clash

for 

AFE Vanguard 

Powers, achievements, 

and failings of the 

Nigeria Police: Need 

for urgent attention(7) 

Aare Afe Babalola 

CON, SAN 

40 

Your policies not coherent, 

PDP berates Buhari's govt 

•Says APC's judgment day is near 10 

OZUBULU: Police invite "Bishop" 

34 

VOL. 25: NO. 63356 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017 

Gunfire in Abuja, as pro, 

anti-Buhari groups clash 

•‘Our Mumu Don Do' campaigner, Charly Boy escapes lynching 

•Wuse Market shut; situation under control, no lives lost — Police 

•Protesters should go and look for work — Garba Shehu 

CLASH 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken, Kingsley 

Omonobi, Henry 

Umoru & 

Emmanuel Elebeke 

Ashot BUJA—POLICE 

into the air, 

yesterday, after 

protesters demanding 

that President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

should resume or resign, 

were confronted by 

supporters of the 

President in Abuja. 

Musician, Charles 

Oputa, popularly known 

as Charly Boy, who has 

become the face of the 

campaign, according to 

multiple witnesses, was 

Continues on page 5 

CBN injects 

$364m as 

naira depreciates 

to N370/ 

$ in parallel 

market 5 

Mr & Mrs 

Pro-Buhari Supporters and "Our mumu Don Do” groups clash at Wuse Market, Abuja, yesterday, before closure of the market. 

Top left and below left: Charly Boy and his damaged car. Photos: Gbemiga Olamikan. MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 14. 

LASSA FEVER: 

LUTH discharges 1, 

clears 60 

COLUMNISTS 

DEAR BUNMI 

Lockdown in varsities 

continues, as ASUU, 

FG begin talks 

•70 still under watch 

8 

11 15 

41 

ROTIMI FASAN 

BIAFRA: 

Kanu moves to 

quash fresh 

charges 

31 SEE 

INSIDE

2 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017 — 3

4 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

WAR AGAINST INSURGENTS— A cross-section of the newly introduced Mobile Strike Force 

of Operation Lafiya Dole, during their inauguration at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, Borno 

State, yesterday. The unit is one of the new approaches evolved to enhance military operations in the 

fight against Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East. Photo: NAN. 

Gunfire in Abuja, as pro, anti- Buhari 

groups clash 

Continues from page 1 

lucky to have escaped 

alive. 

The clash happened at 

Wuse Market in the heart 

of the capital city. The 

market was immediately 

shut to avert further 

clashes. 

The clash happened on 

the eve of the 100th day 

after President Buhari 

left Abuja to London for 

medical treatment. 

Earlier in the day, 

presidential spokesman, 

Mallam Garba Shehu, 

had asked the protesters, 

who had protested daily 

in Abuja to go and look 

for work, if they had 

nothing better to do on 

the claim that the 

President satisfied every 

constitutional 

requirement before 

departure. 

The protesters in a 

statement, described the 

attack on them as 

completely unprovoked, 

vowing that the group 

will sustain its demand 

on the President to 

resign from office if he 

was no longer up to his 

duties. 

Sources said the group 

was set for a major sit-in 

today to mark the 100th 

day of the President’s 

absence. 

Vanguard gathered 

that trouble started when 

some members of the 

Resume or Resign group 

approached the Wuse 

Market. 

According to the 

source, Charly Boy and 

his group on arrival at 

about 10.30 a.m, were 

resisted at the main gate 

of the market by leader 

of the Market Task Force, 

identified as Musa. He 

was allegedly attracted to 

IT'S UP TO YOU 

BY AYO ADIO - 08104802192 

YOU might have missed out on present 

opportunities, don’t despair, look again, other 

opportunities are waiting in the future seeking 

people who will dare to anticipate them and work to 

capitalize on them. It’s up to you. 

TAKE HEART — Ella Randle 

"Turn your cant’s into can and your dreams into 

plans." 

WHATEVER your dreams are, dreams secret to 

your heart, dreams you told many people 

about and maybe dreams you have never said out 

loud. Bottom line: Dreams are powerful, they 

transform us. But more often, our dreams come 

crashing down by a lot of factors, people who don’t 

believe in us, and self-limiting attitude like fear 

holding a person from taking initiative. No matter 

what happens, you owe it to yourself to give your 

dreams a chance to bloom. 

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE 

A hunter does not disclose all he sees in the 

bush at night. 

Charly Boy upon cheers 

the musician received 

from traders and 

shoppers. 

A p p a r e n t l y 

embarrassed by the 

actions of Musa, the 

musician inquired to 

know why he would be 

stopped from gaining 

access to the market. 

Dissatisfied with the 

reasons, the ace 

musician began verbal 

exchange with the 

market officials which 

dovetailed into the clash. 

The exchange of 

words, it was gathered, 

attracted a mob of pro- 

Buhari supporters who 

were said to have 

attacked Charly Boy and 

his entourage with stones 

and other weapons. 

The mob responded to 

the visitors with chants 

of “Sai Baba, Sai Baba” 

affirming that they have 

no right to bring their 

protest to the market. 

Charly Boy was said to 

have sustained injuries, 

while his car was badly 

damaged in the course of 

the fight. 

The development threw 

the entire market into 

disarray. There was 

pandemonium in the 

entire market vicinity. 

Both buyers and sellers, 

who were already inside 

the market, scampered 

for safety. 

Wuse Market 

shut 

In the midst of the 

conflict which raged for 

about two hours, the 

Abuja Market 

Management Limited 

sought permission from 

the Federal Capital 

Territory Administration, 

FCTA, to close the 

market. 

A statement issued by 

the Corporate Affairs 

Manager, Abuja Markets 

Management Limited, 

Innocent Amaechina on 

the development read 

thus: “About 10:45 am 

today (yesterday), the 

attention of the Wuse 

Market Manager was 

drawn to an 

unauthorized protest by 

a group, led by popular 

musician, Charles Oputa 

(a.k.a Charly Boy), who 

never sought nor 

obtained our permission 

for such activities in the 

market. 

“The manager quickly 

mobilized his team of 

enforcers towards the 

direction of the market to 

stop the unauthorized 

activity. Before he could 

get to that location, it 

was, however, observed 

that pandemonium had 

erupted and traders and 

other market users were 

running for their dear 

lives. 

“It was later discovered 

that some people present 

in the market at that 

point, who obviously did 

not share the same 

persuasion with the 

protesters, confronted 

them, and a fight 

ensued. 

“The police was quickly 

called in to restore 

normalcy. The 

atmosphere was fully 

tensed; traders were 

divided along shades of 

opinion for and against 

the attack on the 

protesters and it became 

very clear that a full 

blown riot was in the 

offing. 

“After due consultation 

with the security team, 

led by the Deputy 

Commissioner of Police 

(Operations), FCT, Wuse 

Market Traders’ 

Association led by its 

Chairman, Ralph 

Ikechukwu Okorie; 

Director, Security, FCT; 

C.S.O to the Minister of 

FCT and AMML 

Management, led by its 

MD, Abubakar Usman 

Faruk, it was decided 

that the most reasonable 

thing to do in that 

circumstances was to 

close down the market to 

forestall further 

breakdown of law and 

order. 

“Approval was, 

thereafter, sought and 

obtained from the 

Minister, FCT, Mallam 

Mohammad Musa Bello, 

for the closure of the 

market for the day, to 

calm down frayed 

nerves, and the market 

has remained closed. We 

wish to solicit the 

understanding of the 

public for the 

inconveniences this 

closure may have 

caused.” 

Vanguard, however, 

gathered that the closure 

was also prompted by the 

anxiety to avoid the 

conflict taking an ethnic 

hue. 

Why we went to 

Wuse Market — 

Resume or 

Resign group 

A Co-Convener of 

“Resume or Resign” 

Movement, Mr. Deji 

Adeyanju, however, 

Naira Watch 

CBN injects $364m as naira depreciates 

to N370/$ in parallel 

market 

The Central Bank of Nigeria 

(CBN) yesterday 

injected $364 million into 

the interbank foreign exchange 

market, in a bid 

to sustain its intervention 

and boost liquidity in the 

foreign exchange market. 

Acting Director, Corporate 

Communications Department, 

CBN, Mr. Isaac 

Okororafor disclosed this 

in a statement yesterday, 

He said: “The CBN intervened 

in the inter-bank 

foreign exchange market 

to the tune of $364million 

in a bid to sustain liquidity 

in the market. 

“The Retail Secondary 

Market Intervention 

Sales (SMIS) received 

the largest allocation of 

$264.19 million. The CBN 

also offered the sum of 

$100 million to authorised 

dealers in the wholesale 

By Babajide Komolafe 

denied that the group 

went to the market to 

protest. He said that 

some of the leaders of 

the group went to the 

market to see one of their 

coordinators who owns a 

shop in the market but 

were attacked by some 

hoodlums who were 

chanting Sai Buhari. 

“Yes, our group was 

attacked by some 

hoodlums in the market. 

We only went there to 

see one of our 

coordinators and not for 

protest. Right now, some 

of our members were 

wounded, and Charly 

Boy’s BMW bike was 

damaged by the 

hoodlums.” 

An eye-witness, Henry 

Akpan, a taxi driver, 

said: “Charly Boy came 

into the Wuse market 

with two vehicles and 

two power bikes, as a 

popular person. 

Admirers were chanting 

Charly Boy! Charly Boy! 

as he headed towards 

the entrance of the 

market with a banner, 

‘OurMumuDonDo.’ 

“After he entered the 

market, some pro-Buhari 

boys came out to counter 

him, shouting Sai Baba 

Continues on page 42 

window. 

He said the CBN also 

received requests from 

authorized forex dealers 

on behalf of their customers, 

for which results will 

be released, stressing 

that the CBN remained 

committed to achieving a 

convergence of rates at 

the inter-bank and bureau-de-change 

segments 

of the market. 

Also, the CBN, in a bid 

to improve foreign exchange 

availability in the 

Nigerian Forex Market 

and ameliorate challenges 

encountered by critical 

stakeholders, says payment 

for port charges to 

the Nigerian Ports Authority 

(NPA) and other agencies 

by oil marketing companies 

can now be accommodated 

by the Bank using 

Form ‘A’.

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017 

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

Bizman 

accused of 

N15.2m 

fraud, 

remanded 

in prison 

By Onozure Dania 

A 

businessman, 

Ikechukwu Odogwu, 

who allegedly forged 

documents and obtained 

N15.2 million from a 

fellow businessman, 

Calistus Okafor, 

pretending to sell a 

landed property to him, 

has been remanded in 

prison custody. 

Odogwu, who is facing 

a three-count charge of 

conspiracy, forgery and 

obtaining by false 

pretense preferred against 

him by the Police, was 

ordered remanded in 

prison by Magistrate J. 

Adeyemi of Isolo 

Magistrate’s Court, 

Lagos. 

The Police prosecutor, 

Inspector Steven Molo, 

told the court that the 

defendant committed the 

alleged offences 

sometime in 2009. 

He said the defendant 

obtained N15,170,000 

from the complainant, 

under the false pretence 

that he has the power of 

attorney from a company, 

Demco Textile 

International, to sell 2.5 

hectares of land situated 

at Lugbe 1, Extension 

Layout, Abuja Municipal 

Area Council. 

Molo also alleged that 

Odogwu, and one other 

still at large, sometime in 

2016, at Festac town, 

conspired among 

themselves to obtain 

money under false. 


prosecutor, the offences 

committed are punishable 

under Section 411, 314 (1) 

(a) and 287 (3) of the 

Criminal Law of Lagos 

State, 2015. 

However, the defendant 

pleaded not guilty to the 

charges. 

Magistrate Adeyemi 

granted him N5 million 

bail with two sureties in 

like sum. He said the 

sureties must show 

evidence of tax payment 

to Lagos State 

government for the last 

three years. 

The court, however, 

ordered that Odogwu be 

remanded in prison 

custody, pending when 

he is able to perfect his 

bail conditions, and 

adjourned until August 30 

for commencement of trial. 

Hoodlums attack Lagos Task Force 

personnel over okada seizures 

By Monsuru 

Olowoopejo 

COMMERCIAL activities at 

Iyana-Ipaja in Alimosho 

Local Government Area of 

Lagos State were, yesterday, 

halted for several minutes when 

hoodlums attacked Lagos State 

Environmental Sanitation 

Enforcement Agency (Task 

Force) personnel for enforcing 

2012 Lagos Road Traffic Law, 

vandalising their vehicles. 

This came as the Nigeria 

Security and Civil Defence 

Corps, NSCDC, arrested a 32- 

year-old driver, Remi Aina, and 

a conductor, Mayowa 

Adedoyin, for allegedly 

vandalising N500,000 worth of 

power supply cables in Lagos 

State. 

Vanguard gathered that the 

Task Force officials arrived to 

enforce the five-year-old traffic 

law which residents in the 

communities had said was not 

enforced within the council. 

Before the hoodlums 

attacked, it was learned that the 

Task Force officials had stormed 

Iyana-Ipaja at about 7a.m. to 

ensure that motorcycle riders 

(okadamen) comply with the 

traffic law, which outlawed 

their activities on over 400 roads 

in the state. 

On arrival, the Task Force 

officials impounded no fewer 

than 28 Okada and arrested 

eight riders for contravening 

the law. 

Eyewitnesses narrated that 

trouble started when some of 

the riders, who had escaped, 

By Emmanuel Agha, 

Medina Bayagbon & 

Jefferson Okeke 

AHMED Lateef, popularly 

known as Ajona, the 21- 

year-old suspected member of 

a robbery gang, arrested while 

returning from an operation in 

Abeokuta, Ogun State, has said 

every member of his gang has 

an area of specialisation. 

He also confessed that he 

joined the robbery gang when 

he was 16 years. 

The Osun State-born suspect 

further revealed that members 

of his gang usually operate 

twice a week. 

Lateef, an ex-convict, 

disclosed that his gang 

specialised in stealing 

motorcycles, tricycles, laptops, 

phones, and cash in South- 

West states. 

‘How we work’ 

Lateef said: “Other members 

of my gang are Noah, Segun, 

Lekan, Ishan-Idi, Rilwan, 

Shile, Ege and Jandor. They all 

have their areas of 

specialisation. Some are 

professionals in removing 

The hoodlums on rampage. 

alerted hoodlums within the 

axis to help retrieve their 

okada from the officials. 

The hoodlums, who were 

armed with weapons, also 

hurled stones at the officials. 

To prevent further attacks 

from the mob, mobile 

policemen attached to the Task 

tricycles (Keke Marwa) and 

motorcycles (okada) from 

wherever they are parked no 

matter the security lock. 

“Some are professional pick 

pockets, while others 

specialise in planting charms 

against our rivals. I began 

robbery in Abeokuta. 

“One of our members, Enu- 

Ose, an indigene of Abeokuta, 

usually provided us with 

information before we strike 

there. 

“For instance, he led three 

of us to a computer outlet in 

Abeokuta. He also provided 

us with information on a 

robbery operation we carried 

out in Ejigbo. We also burgled 

computer and retail shops in 

Kuto area of Abeokuta, Ogun 

State. 

“For every stolen item, such 

as jewellery, phones, 

motorcycles, and laptops, 

there is always a ready buyer. 

We usually hired metal cutters 

in Mushin for N10,000 when 

going to burgle shops.” 

Police manhunt 

He explained that the Police 

has been on his trail since 

Force shot teargas cannisters 

in the air. 

We’ll enforce the 

law— Task Force 

Confirming the attack, the 

task force’s Head of Public 

Affairs, Taofik Adebayo, 

disclosed that their vehicles 

April. 

He said: “The Police started 

looking for me since April, 

after an operation at Oyingbo, 

which was carried out by four 

members of the gang, 

including me. 

“We went away with two 

Keke Marwa and two Okada. 

We kept one of the stolen 

motorcycles inside the Keke, 

which was driven by Noah; I 

drove the second with other 

members of the gang. 

“However, on the way, one 

of them fell off. We could not 

help him because the Police 

were after us. They got him 

and during interrogation, he 

mentioned my name. 

“We have about five different 

hotels in Mushin area of 

Lagos where we spent our 

loot on women. We pay 

N7,000 per night. 

“Last Saturday, on our way 

from Abeokuta, where we 

went for an operation, RRS 

policemen stopped us at 

Oshodi. Unfortunately for us, 

we were arrested. Please, I 

will like everyone I have 

stolen from to forgive me.” 

Vanguard gathered that the 

were vandalised by the mob, 

noting that their actions will not 

stop the officials from enforcing 

the law. 

Adebayo said: “We 

impounded no fewer than 28 

Okadas and eight riders for 

contravening the 2012 road 

traffic law in the state.” 

The task force said the suspects 

were arrested at the entrance of 

Lagos State Traffic Management 

Authority, LASTMA, 

headquarters in Oshodi, while 

vandalising the facility. 

It was gathered that of the 

three suspects, two were 

arrested last Friday at about 

4a.m. by a NSCDC officials, 

while the other escaped. 

Parading the suspects, 

Commander of NSCDC, Lagos, 

Tajudeen Balogun, hinted that 

they were often encouraged by 

dealers in electric cables, noting 

“the cable we found on them 

was a three-core cable owned 

by Ikeja Electric.” 

My gang members can unlock any Keke, Okada— Ajona 

suspect was arrested with one 

of the stolen motorbikes from 

Ogun State with number plates 

OGUN MEK 339 WM. 

… arrests 

Two suspected members of his 

gang, Seyi Adebayo, 26, and 

Saheed Funsho, 23, alongside 

two suspected receivers of 

stolen items, were also arrested 

and had been moved to the 

Lagos State Task Force for 

prosecution. 

Confirming the arrest, the 

Police Public Relations Officer, 

ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, 

stated that the Command will 

not relent on its efforts to flush 

out criminals from the state. 

Okadaman, wife, 3 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

AWKA—FIVE members of 

Ndenemu family in 

Umuatuegwu Okija, Ihiala Local 

Government Area of Anambra 

State have died mysteriously after 

a rice meal. 

The victims were Albert 

Ndenemenu, a commercial 

motorcycle operator, his wife,



Spare parts trader killed as tanker suffers brake failure 

By Joseph Undu & 

Jefferson Okeke 

TRAGEDY struck at Berger- 

Suya Junction, Apapa area 

of Lagos State, when an 

unidentified motor spare parts 

seller was killed by a dieselladen 

tanker with Lagos number 

plates XU 377 MUS, said to have 

suffered brake failure. 

According to an eyewitness, 

the unidentified victim was said 

to be of South-Eastern extraction 

and was brought to Lagos barely 

two months ago by his brother 

for apprenticeship. 

The eyewitness, a mechanic, 

who pleaded anonymity, told 

Vanguard: “The man closed 

from work and was on his way 

The tanker 

home before the diesel-laden 

tanker had a break failure and “The driver and motor boy and were taken away by Police tanker ablaze.” 

hit the man, who was trying to were the only persons inside the to avoid being lynched by a The victim’s body was later 

cross to the other side of the road. tanker; they escaped unhurt mob that attempted to set the taken away by the Police. 

Kano pastor rapes 13-yr-old 

twin sisters, 11-yr-old sibling 

By AbdulSalam 

Muhammad 

KANO—A popular pastor of 

a new generation church in 

Kano State has been detained 

by the Police authorities in Kano 

for allegedly raping twin sisters, 

aged 13, and their 11-year-old 

sibling. 

A statement by the Police 

Public Relations Officer of the 

Kano Police Command, DSP 

Magaji Musa Majia, stated that 

the Pastor was arrested after a 

formal complaint by parents of 

the victims and their neighbours. 

DSP Majia decried the rising 

spate of rape cases in the state, 

saying that “since August 1, 34 

cases were recorded, which in 

essence translates to an 

alarming situation if efforts are 

not multiplied against it. 

“In the light of this ugly 

development, it is necessary for 

the Police to call on the general 

public, especially parents, 

guardians, teachers and other 

stakeholders, to take a firm 

stand on the general activities 

of their wards, who always turn 

out to be victims of such 

dastardly acts. 

Cases of incest 

“It is unimaginable to see a 

father taking advantage of his 

biological daughter in the 

absence of her mother. Such 

children die after rice meal in Anambra 

Nwanne and their three children. 

While some people suspected 

food poisoning, others said it was 

the handiwork of fetish relations. 

The state Police Public Relations 

Officer, Mrs. Nkiru Nwode, 

confirmed the incident, but said 

investigations were continuing, 

while they await autopsy reports. 

An eyewitness at Umuatuegwu 

Okija disclosed that Mrs. 

•14-yr-old girl aborts three pregnancies for dad 

instances are where one 

Abubakar, aged 40, of Unguwa 

Uku quarters, Kano, was found 

to have raped his biological 14- 

year-old daughter, who survived 

three abortions. 

“Also, one Ibrahim, 25, of 

Zangon Marikita quarters, was 

arrested for raping his cousinsister 

several times. 

“Pastor Samuel of Sabongari, 

Kano, was arrested for raping 

13-year-old twin sisters and 

their 11-year-old sister. Also, 

By Ochuko Akuopha 

OLEH—PEEVED by the 

occupation of their 

farmlands by armed herdsmen, 

indigenes of Iyede Kingdom, 

Isoko North Local Government 

Area of Delta State, yesterday, 

barricaded the Ekiugbo-Iyede 

axis of the Ughelli-Asaba 

Expressway, demanding that the 

herdsmen leave their 

communities. 

The protesters, from Ekiugbo- 

Iyede, Oghara-Iyede, Oteri- 

Iyede, Eboh-Iyede, Ogewho and 

Okpaide communities, blocked 

the road at about 6.30a.m., 

obstructing vehicular 

Nnwanne Ndenemu, who was the 

last to die, “prepared rice for the 

family’s lunch, which all of them 

ate and shortly after, her husband 

and her children started vomiting 

blood. 

“When many people in the 

village rushed into their 

compound, following her alarm, 

it was discovered that they were 

already dead.” 

one Haruna and Lawan both 

of Sheka Quarters, Kano, 

conspired and acted in an 

unnatural manner against 

their nine-year-old old male 

victim. 

“All the suspects confessed 

to the commission of the 

crime.” 

The Police spokesman 

pointed out that from the 34 

cases recorded, 35 suspects 

were arrested while 36 

victims, aged between five 

The woman, on seeing the 

lifeless bodies of her husband 

and children, collapsed and was 

taken to Nnamdi Azikiwe 

University Teaching Hospital, 

NAUTH, Nnewi, where she too 

died. 

An indigene of the area, Sir 

Ignatius Okonkwo, told 

Vanguard that the cause of 

deaths was yet to be 

and 13 years, are involved. 

He urged members of the 

community, especially 

neighbours and relations, to 

“keenly and closely look into 

their neighbourhood with a 

view to detecting any unruly 

behaviour. 

“Presently, about 15 

pending cases of sexual 

assault will be transferred to 

SCIID for discreet 

investigations from various 

divisions,” he added. 

Villagers barricade Ughelli-Asaba Expressway over 

herdsmen attacks 

movements for over six hours. 

It, however, took the 

intervention of the President 

General of the Isoko 

Development Union, IDU, 

Chief Iduh Amadhe; Vice 

Chairman of Isoko North 

Local Government Area, Mr. 

Anthony Odhe, and security 

operatives, who visited the 

scene of the protest to bring 

the situation under control. 

Speaking during the protest, 

Chairman of Ekiugbo-Iyede 

community, Pastor David 

Onobreme, described the 

action as spontaneous, 

lamenting the incessant 

harassment and rape of their 

women by the herdsmen. 

He said: “They have been 

destroying our crops with 

their cows and when we 

challenge them, they cut our 

people with cutlasses and 

chase them from the bush. 

“We have written series of 

protest letters to the state 

government and security 

agencies on the situation, but 

nothing has been done to 

address the problem.” 

On his part, IDU President, 

Chief Amadhe said: “The 

local government Chairman, 

represented by his Deputy, 

and I have appealed to the 

community leaders to give 

peace a chance and we have 

resolved that herdsmen 

should quietly lead their cows 

away to douse tension.” 

ascertained, adding that all 

efforts made to prevail on the 

authorities of NAUTH, where 

the bodies were first deposited, 

to conduct an autopsy were not 

successful. 

Vanguard gathered that three 

distant relations of the 

deceased were invited, 

yesterday, by the Police and 

were interrogated at the Okija 

Police Station. 

Brothers 

accused of 

aiding 

S-African lady 

to export 

cocaine 

By Innocent Anaba 

TWO brothers, Onowu 

Sunday and Onowu 

Chukwuka, have been 

arraigned before a Federal 

High Court sitting in Lagos, 

for aiding a convicted 

South African lady, Lorato 

Lekganyane, to export 

1.210 kilogrammes of 

cocaine. 

The Onowus were 

arraigned before Justice 

AbdulAziz Anka by the 

National Drugs Laws 

Enforcement Agency, 

NDLEA, on a three-count 

charge of conspiracy, 

unlawful exportation of the 

said banned drug and 

aiding and abetting. 

In the charge through its 

prosecutor, Augustine 

Nwagu, NDLEA alleged 

that the two had, between 

April and May 2016, 

conspired with a South 

African, Lerato 

Lekganyane, who had 

been convicted by a 

Nigeria Federal High 

Court, to export 1.210 

kilogrammes of cocaine. 

It was also alleged that on 

May 20, 2016, at Murtala 

Muhammad International 

Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, they, 

without lawful authority, 

exported 1.210 

kilogrammes of cocaine. 

NDLEA also alleged that 

the second defendant, 

Onowu Isaac, aided the 

convicted South African 

lady in exporting the 

banned drug. 

The Owowus pleaded not 

guilty to all the charges. 

Upon their not guilty 

plea, the prosecutor 

pleaded with the court to 

remand them in prison 

custody. 

But their lawyer, Prosper 

Ojakovo, pleaded with the 

court to admit his clients to 

bail, contending that the 

first defendant had earlier 

been admitted to bail. 

He urged the court to 

allow him to continue with 

the former bail terms. 

On the second 

defendant, Ojakovo prayed 

the court to admit him to 

bail in the most liberal 

terms. 

However, the trial judge, 

Justice Anka, ordered that 

the second defendant, 

Isaac, be remanded in 

prison’s custody, pending 

the hearing of his bail 

application and adjourned 

the matter till tomorrow for 

hearing of the second 

defendant’s bail 

application.



By Henry Umoru, 

Dayo Adesulu, 

Wole Mosadomi, 

Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru, Amaka 

Abayomi, Levinus 

Nwabughiogu, 

Joseph Erunke, 

Elizabeth Uwandu & 

Kelechukwu Iruoma 

LAGOS—AS the indefinite 

strike embarked upon by 

the Academic Staff Union of 

Universities, ASUU, enters its 

second day, activities on 

campuses have been 

paralysed as students vacate 

hostels. 

Helpless students were 

seen, yesterday, in many 

campuses carrying their bags 

and baggage moving to motor 

parks to their various states 

of residence. 

Many of the students, who 

spoke with our 

correspondents, decried the 

strike, adding that they were 

preparing for examinations 

when it came. 

The students’ lamentation 

came as the Minister of 

Education, Adamu Adamu, 

and his counterpart in Labour 

and Employment, Senator 

Chris Ngige, were yesterday, 

locked in a crucial meeting 

in Abuja over the ongoing 

strike. 

This is even as the Senate 

and House of 

Representatives said the 

strike would be resolved as 

soon as possible, so that 

students could return to 

school. 

However, many students 

who would have stayed 

behind on campus to study 

for the examination were 

compelled to go home due 

to the indefinite strike. 

Vanguard’s visits to some 

campuses revealed that not 

only did the industrial action 

affect undergraduates, it also 

affected people doing 

businesses on campuses. 

Labour, Education 

ministers meet 

According to sources, the 

meeting between the 

ministers is to review the 

strike, with a view to coming 

out with a common position 

on how it could handled. 

The meeting, which was 

earlier slated for 1noon at the 

Minister of Labour’s 

office,was later shifted at the 

instance of Adamu to a secret 

location at press time. 

After the meeting, Mallam 

Adamu Adamu refused to 

grant press interview, stating 

that he was not authorised to 

speak with the press on the 

matter. 

We're negotiating, 

ASUU didn’t follow 

due process —FG 

However, the Minister of 

Labour and Employment in 

a statement in Abuja, accused 

ASUU of going contrary to 

the laid down process as 

stipulated in the Trade 

Dispute Act on the 

declaration of strike, saying 

there was supposed to be 15 

days notice before declaring 

the action. 

Ngige in the statement 

signed by the Deputy 

Director of Information in the 

ministry, Samuel 

Olowookere, urged ASUU to 

suspend the strike in the 

interest of the nation. 

He said: "It was on 

Monday, August 14, 2017 that 

the Office of the Minister 

received a letter dated August 

13, 2017, from ASUU, that is, 

one full day after it 

commenced the strike.” 

The minister noted that the 

letter was to inform the 

Federal Government that 

ASUU had started strike and 

not a declaration of intention 

to go on strike as contained 

in the Trade Dispute Act, 

2004. 

“The Federal Government, 

therefore, wishes to appeal to 

ASUU to consider students 

who are currently writing 

degree and promotion 

examinations, call off the 

strike and return to the 

negotiation table. 

"The Ministry of Labour 

and Employment will ensure 

that a time frame will be tied 

to negotiation this time 

around." 

We followed due 

process— ASUU 

But ASUU dismissed 

Ngige’s claim, saying both 

ministers were appropriately 

notified of the strike before it 

was declared on Monday. 

Speaking to Vanguard on 

telephone, National 

President of ASUU, Prof. 

Biodun Ogunyemi, said the 

two ministries were formally 

informed, stressing that while 

the Minister of Labour and 

Employment did not do 

anything about it, the 

Minister of Education replied 

the union that he was making 

efforts towards resolving the 

contentious issues. 

Asked whether the two 

relevant ministers were 

involved before ASUU 

embarked on strike, 

Ogunyemi said: “We wrote 

to inform all of them of the 

strike, we didn’t hear 

anything from them. Ministry 

of Education told us they 

were making efforts. 

“You know it is when there 

is crisis that you notice labour, 

they will be talking to the 

relevant MDAs (ministries, 

departments and agencies). 

It is when the discussion 

breaks down that they will 

come to the forefront. We 

have not really had direct 

contact with labour but we 

wrote them." 

Senate, Reps react 

Meanwhile, the Senate, 

yesterday, described as sad 

and unfortunate the 

indefinite nationwide strike 

declared by ASUU, 

promising that it would join 

hands with the Federal 

Government to resolve the 

problem. 

It asked the Federal 

Government to, through the 

Minister of Education, 

Adamu Adamu, urgently 

MEETING: From left, Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola; Minister of 

State, Mustapha Baba Shehuri and and Managing Director, Kano Electricity Distribution Company, 

KEDCO, Dr Jamil Isyaku Gwamna during the 18th monthly meeting with sectoral partcipants in the 

power sector hosted by KEDCO at the Kombotso Transmission Station, Kano, on Monday . 

Lockdown in varsities continues 

as ASUU, FG begin talks 

•ERC backs ASUU, charges FG on agreement 

•ASUU didn’t follow due process – FG 

•We followed due process — ASUU 

•Lecturers disrupts seminar in UNILAG 

•It would be resolved — Senate, Reps 

engage the leadership of 

ASUU as well as other 

stakeholders in the education 

sector involved in the 

imbroglio as a way of nipping 

the crisis in the bud in the 

interest of Nigerian youths. 

Speaking with Vanguard, 

Chairman, Senate Committee 

on Media and Public Affairs, 

Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, 

said the Senate would 

intervene as soon as it 

resumed from its annual 

recess on September 19. 

On its part, the House of 

Representatives expressed 

concern over the strike, 

saying it was an ill wind that 

would blow no one no good, 

either on the side of 

government or ASUU. 

Spokesman of the House, 

Abdulrazak Namdas, said the 

lawmakers felt concerned and 

appealed to ASUU and the 

government to explore the 

option of dialogue to resolve 

the issue in the interest of the 

nation. 

ERC backs ASUU, 

urges govt to honour 

agreement 

Reacting to the ongoing 

strike, advocacy group, 

Education Rights Campaign, 

ERC, has thrown its weight 

behind it and called on the 

Federal Government to 

immediately meet the 

lecturers’ demands. 

ERC said it was 

unacceptable that a 

government that buys exotic 

cars for lawmakers, finances 

the outrageously-expensive 

treatment of President 

Muhammadu Buhari in 

London and guarantees 

insanely luxurious lifestyle for 

political office holders, is 

unable to fund public 

education and meet the needs 

of academic staff. 

Its National Coordinator, 

Mr. Hassan Soweto, called on 

parents and students to rally 

round ASUU to make 

government fulfil its 

responsibility towards public 

education. 

Soweto said: “The 

Academic Staff Union of 

Universities, ASUU, has once 

again embarked on a total 

and indefinite nationwide 

strike. We, Education Rights 

Campaign, fully back this 

indefinite strike action and 

calls on government to 

immediately meet the 

demands to avoid a situation 

where students waste away 

at home for months." 

FG confirms 

negotiation with 

lecturers 

Meanwhile, the Federal 

Government, yesterday, 

confirmed that it was having 

talks with the ASUU. 

While speaking to 

newsmen in Abuja,Director of 

Press, Federal Ministry of 

Education, Mrs. Chinenye 

Ihuoma, said negotiations 

were ongoing between the 

Federal Government and the 

union on the issues arising 

from the 2009 agreement and 

the MoU of 2013. 

She said: “If it is on ASUU, 

just know that the FG/ASUU 

renegotiation 2009 is ongoing 

with the government team 

under the leadership of Dr. 

B. O Babalakin (SAN).’’ 

Academic activities 

grounded in varsities 

Feelers from Ambrose Alli 

University, Edo State 

revealed that the ASUU 

chapter will join the strike 

today. 

A student said as at 

yesterday, the strike has not 

affected academic activities 

but said students were 

informed the institution 

would join the strike today. 

In University of Nigeria, 

Nsukka, there is compliance, 

according to Dr. John 

Ugwuanyi, a lecturer in Mass 

Communication. He stated 

that some departments have 

complied while some are yet 

to. He said departments yet 

to comply were those 

students were still defending 

their final year projects, 

having rounded off 

examinations. 

A statement communicated 

to students and made 

available to Vanguard by the 

Public Relations Officer of 

Federal University of 

Technology, Akure Student’s 

Union, FUTASU, Ayomide 

Fowowe, he said: “The 

student’s union body uses 

this medium to notify 

Futarians that ASUU has 

embarked on an indefinite 

strike, in which ASUU FUTA 

chapter has also joined.” 

Oyewunmi Tobiloba, a 

Masters student in University 

of Lagos, Akoko said the 

strike had affected him deeply 

as all academic activities had 

been suspended. 

He said: “I am supposed to 

end my programme by 

September but until 

undergraduates finish their 

exams, I can’t do mine. 

National Youth Service 

Corps, NYSC, will have to 

reschedule its activities also 

to accommodate students 

who the strike will affect. All 

that has been planned has 

now been altered.” 

Lecturers disrupts 

seminar in UNILAG 

Vivian Obaseki, a second 

year medical student of 

UNILAG said some group of 

lecturers stopped an event at 

the Multi Purpose Hall, 

saying they were agitating for 

their rights. 

She said: “This morning 

(yesterday) I was at the school 

for a seminar organised by 

Faculty of Science. But, the 

event was cancelled as some 

lecturers came, chanting 

solidarity songs. 

"One of them climbed the 

podium and told us that the 

seminar will not hold, as they 

were fighting for their rights. 

Everybody left the hall with 

the assistant of security 

officers.” 

27 killed as bomb 

blasts rock Maiduguri 

M AIDUGURI— 

SUSPECTED 

Boko Haram suicide 

bombers have killed at 

least 27 people and 

wounded 83 in 

Maiduguri, capital of 

Borno State. 

Quoting sources, 

Reuters said the attack 

happened, yesterday, as 

a woman bomber 

reportedly blew herself 

up and killed 27 others 

at a market in Konduga, 

a village near 

Maiduguri. 

Two suicide bombers 

were also said to have 

blown themselves up at 

the gates to a nearby 

refugee camp, with no 

others killed but many 

injured.




NEITI indicts BPE, 15 oil firms 

for audit non-compliance 

WORKSHOP: From left, Olusola Teniola, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria President; 

Daniel Asapokhai Executive Secretary, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria; Professor Umar Danbatta, 

Executive Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC; Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, 

Chairman, NCC Board; Mrs Irene Robinson Ayawale, Head/Legal Counsel, Nigerian Stock Exchange; 

Sunday Dare, Executive Commissioner NCC; and Clement Baiye, NCC Board member, during the 

Code of Corporate Governance for telecom industry sensitisation workshop, in Lagos, yesterday. 

Your policies not coherent, PDP 

berates Buhari’s govt 

•Omokri to Shehu: Jonathan didn't leave a 

bankcrupt economy 

By Dirisu Yakubu & 

Vanessa Paul 

ABUJA— THE Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

has berated President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s 

administration for failing to 

sustain the ‘largest 

economy’ it inherited from 

President Goodluck 

Jonathan, following the 

latter’s loss of the 2015 

general election. 

In a statement, yesterday, 

by National Publicity 

Secretary, Prince Dayo 

Adeyeye, the party faulted 

the statements credited to 

some APC chieftains, which 

condemned former 

President Jonathan’s speech 

at PDP Special Non-elective 

National Convention last 

Saturday, wherein he 

lauded the achievements of 

the PDP. 

According to the party, the 

call on Jonathan to apologise 

to Nigerians for condoning 

corruption is borne out of 

ignorance. 

It stated that APC had 

failed to inspire the people’s 

confidence more than two 

years after taking over the 

mantle of leadership. 

The statement read: “We 

have read comments made 

by the National Publicity 

Secretary of the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, Alhaji Bolaji Ojo- 

Abdullahi, Mallam Garba 

Shehu, Special Assistant to 

the President on Media, and 

other senior members of the 

ruling party, such as former 

Governor Segun Oni and Dr. 

Osita Okechukwu, the 

Director-General of the Voice 

of Nigeria, VON, where 

they attempted to rubbish the 

comments made by former 

President Goodluck 

Jonathan that his 

administration performed 

well during his term in 

office. 

Statements borne out 

of ignorance 

“It is our firm belief that 

these statements were borne 

out of ignorance, lacking in 

depth and are devoid of the 

sort of critical thinking that 

one would expect from 

highly placed government 

officials. 

"However, these officials 

seem bent on continuing 

what has become an official 

position of the ruling party 

to reduce commentary on 

public issues, and indeed the 

art of governance to comedy. 

“It is shameful and 

embarrassing that having 

been in power for two and a 

half years, the ruling party 

is unable to point to cogent, 

convincing and data driven 

achievements. 

"Instead, it has spent the 

bulk of its time designing 

and implementing a 

communication strategy 

around massive 

propaganda, half truths and 

outright falsehood in an 

attempt to continually 

deceive the Nigerian 

people." 

Buhari inherited 

largest economy 

The party further noted 

that President Buhari 

inherited the largest 

economy on the continent, 

arguing that for lack of 

policy direction, same had 

now shrunk under the 

stewardship of the APC-led 

government. 

It stated further: “As at 

May 29, 2015, Nigeria was 

the largest economy in 

Africa, valued at over $500 

billion. A combination of the 

incoherent policies and 

incompetence of the ruling 

party has significantly 

shrunk the size of the 

economy since the inception 

of the current administration. 

“As at May 29, 2015, 

Nigeria was the No. 1 

destination for Foreign Direct 

Investment, FDI, in Africa. 

Up to that point, investors 

responded to the policies 

designed and implemented 

by the Jonathan 

administration by investing 

billions of dollars in the 

economy.” 

While urging Nigerians 

not to allow themselves to be 

used, the party said those 

throwing jibes at the PDP 

today once served in one 

capacity or the other when the 

party was in power. 

It said: “It is important to 

note that several senior 

members of APC who 

constantly feel the need to 

deride and denigrate our 

party using falsehoods as a 

foundation, were once 

members of our party. 

‘’It is important to point out, 

for instance, that Alhaji Bolaji 

Ojo-Abdullahi was a minister 

under the Jonathan 

administration; Chief Segun 

Oni was also a member of our 

party on which platform he 

rose to become governor of 

Ekiti State. 

“Having served in such 

offices, it does not lie in the 

mouth of such men to state 

that PDP failed Nigerians. If 

these men and others of their 

likes find it so convenient to 

deny their past, we wonder 

what they will say about the 

present in the near future.” 

Omokri to Shehu: 

Jonathan didn't leave a 

bankcrupt economy 

Meanwhile, Mr. Reno 

Omokri, who served as an 

aide to President Goodluck 

Jonathan has dismissed 

recent claims by Garba Shehu 

and other aides of President 

Buhari that the preceding 

administration left a corrupt 

and bankrupt legacy. 

He said: “It may surprise 

Mr Okechukwu (Osita 

Okechukwu), Director- 

General, Voice of Nigeria; 

and his boss to know that the 

last time Nigeria made 

progress on Transparency 

International’s annual 

Corruption Perception Index 

was in 2014 under former 

President Jonathan when we 

moved eight places from 

number 144 to number 136. 

“That year marked the most 

improvement Nigeria has 

ever made since 

Transparency International 

began publishing the annual 

Corruption Perception Index 

in 1995. 

“Transparency International 

took note of the Jonathan 

administration’s e-wallet 

system that cut out the 

corruption in Nigeria’s 

fertilizer procurement 

system, the Integrated 

Payroll and Personnel 

Information System, IPPIS, 

which weeded out 50,000 

ghost workers from the 

Federal civil service, the 

cashless policy and the fact 

that the Jonathan 

government promptly fired 

two ministers mentioned in 

corruption scandals. 

“Ever since 2014, Nigeria 

has not improved in 

Transparency International’s 

annual Corruption 

Perception Index ranking and 

has remained 136 in 2015 and 

are still 136 on the latest CPI 

ranking released in 2017. 

“In the most recent CPI 

Transparency International 

said and I quote: 'Some other 

large African countries have 

failed to improve their scores 

on the index. These include 

South Africa, Nigeria, 

Tanzania and Kenya.' 

“With a minister that 

admitted to spending 

$500,000 on a one day dinner 

for a prominent Nigerian in 

your government; with 

another individual, who was 

allegedly caught looting 

funds meant for IDPs and 

who has not been fired, 

arrested or prosecuted and 

with a padded budget 

scandal, you can’t pull the 

wool over the eyes of 

Transparency 

International." 

By Michael Eboh 

ABUJA— NIGERIA 

Extractive Industries 

Transparency Initiative, 

NEITI, yesterday, indicted 

four oil and gas companies 

for failing to comply with its 

on-going independent 

audit of the oil and gas 

industry covering 2015. 

Similarly, 12 others were 

listed for failing to provide 

some documents required 

for the audit. 

NEITI, in the Compliance 

Report, on its 2015 Oil and 

Gas Data Submission, 

disclosed that the four 

companies, representing 

six percent of the total 

companies involved, failed 

to make submissions before 

the August 3, 2017 deadline. 

According to NEITI, two 

of the companies made 

submissions after the 

ranking deadline had 

elapsed and were, 

therefore, ranked zero, 

while two others failed to 

comply. 

It said the 2015 

independent oil and gas 

audit by NEITI was set out 

to examine payments made 

by companies, including 

taxes, royalties, rents, 

signature bonuses where 

applicable and receipts by 

relevant government 

agencies. 

It added that the audit 

would also report on 

quantities of oil and gas 

produced, exported or 

imported and would carry 

out validation of payments 

by companies against 

receipts by government 

PSC suspends special 

promotions recommendations 

from Force Hqtrs 

By Kingsley 

Omonobi 

A BUJA—FOLLOWING 

the uproar generated by 

recent recommendations for 

promotions from the Force 

Headquarters in Abuja and 

allegations of favouritism 

and ethnic consideration, the 

Police Service Commission, 

PSC, has suspended the list 

of special promotions sent by 

the Inspector General of 

Police, Ibrahim Idris. 

Chairman of Police Service 

Commission, Dr. Mike 

Okiro, who disclosed the 

suspension of the special 

promotions, yesterday, also 

announced the setting up of 

a five-man investigation 

committee, headed by 

retired Justice of the 

Supreme Court, Justice 

Olufumlola Adekeye, to look 

into allegations of bribery for 

promotions made by a 

senator and Chairman of the 

Senate Committee on Navy, 

Senator Misau. 

Listing out the 

qualifications required for 

agencies to determine if 

companies paid what they 

ought to pay and if 

government received what 

it should receive. 

It said: “The exercise will 

equally review policies and 

procedure of revenue 

collection, report on cases of 

underpayments and under 

assessments. The audit 

process will weigh the 

financial, physical and 

process transactions during 

the period under review on 

the scale of transparency 

and accountability as 

required by the global EITI 

standard and provisions of 

NEITI Act.” 

Indicted firms 

The report indicated that 

16 companies performed 

poorly in the exercise. The 

companies, it said, are: 

Neconde, Network 

Exploration and Production 

Company, Prime 

Exploration, Aiteo, Shebah, 

Elcrest, Atlas/Summit Oil, 

Universal Energy, Seplat, 

Crude Oil Marketing 

Division of the Nigerian 

National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, and 

Bureau of Public 

Enterprises. 

Others are Total 

Upstream, Total Exploration 

and Production Nigeria 

Limited, Nigeria Petroleum 

Development Company, 

NPDC, Monipulo and Pillar 

Oil. 

On the other hand, NEITI 

said the exercise recorded 

94 per cent compliance by 

companies and relevant 

government agencies. 

special promotions, the 

PSC boss said: “It should, 

however, be noted that 

performance of normal or 

routine duty will not qualify 

an officer for special 

promotion”. 

Okiro said the commission 

has developed and issued 

new guidelines on special 

promotions to the Nigeria 

Police Force. 

The guidelines read: “The 

benefitting officer must have 

been confirmed on his or her 

present substantive rank; the 

officer must have spent at 

least two years on his or her 

present substantive rank. 

“The officer must not have 

benefitted from special 

promotion in the last three 

years; the reasons adduced 

by the officer’s eligibility for 

special promotion must be 

sufficiently substantiated 

and evidences of any 

excellent performance 

clearly stated and open for 

verification; also, all special 

promotions must be made 

subject to availability of 

vacancy.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017 — 11 

Police wants cost against Evan’s 

counsel raised to N300,000 

By Innocent Anaba 

LAGOS—THE police 

authorities have 

asked a Federal High 

Court in Lagos to compel 

the counsel to suspected 

kidnap kingpin, 

Chukwudumeme 

Onwuamadike alias 

Evans, Mr. Olukoya 

Ogungbeje to pay a 

punitive cost of N300,000 

for alleged wrongful service 

of the court processes on 

parties in the suit. 

Evans, through 

Ogungbeje, had filed a 

N300 million fundamental 

enforcement rights suit 

against the Inspector- 

General of Police, IG, the 

Nigerian Police Force, NPF, 

Commissioner of Police, CP, 

Lagos State and the Lagos 

State Anti-Robbery Squad, 

SARS, as second, alleging 

wrongful detention. 

The suit was stalled before 

Justice Abdulaziz Anka on 

July 20, following 

Ogungbeje’s failure to 

comply with a July 13 order 

to pay the police N20,000 

as cost. 

However, at the hearing 

in the matter, yesterday, 

Ogungbeje informed 

Justice Anka that the cost 

was paid on August 10. 

He said that he had 

complied with the court’s 

More contestants for Airtel’s The 

Voice Nigeria 

SIX more talents 

made it to the Live 

Show of Airtel The Voice 

Nigeria season 2 in a soulful 

showdown on Sunday night 

– taking the total number of 

qualified contestants to 22. 

Two out of the six 

contestants made it through 

a steal from other coaches as 

the battle gets more intense. 

The night began with 

#TeamPatoranking’s 

Syemca and Afolayan 

performance of ‘Drag me 

down’ by One Direction. 

Afolayan was elected as the 

winner of the round but to 

the surprise of the audience 

and Syemca, the remaining 

Coaches hit their buzzers for 

a Steal. Syemca chose 

#TeamYemi even though 

Patoranking also tried his 

luck in stealing back his own 

talent. Ebube battled Grey as 

they performed ‘Suit & Tie’ 

by Justin Timberlake with 

Ebube going through to the 

Lives and Grey going home. 

Kendris and Nwando in 

#TeamTimi also slugged it 

out with the performance of 

‘If love is a crime’ by TuFace. 

Kendris emerged winner. 

We also saw Grace and 

Precious perform ‘When a 

man loves a woman’ by 


order to serve the respondents 

and that the matter 

was ripe for hearing. 

But counsel to the CP and 

SARS, Emmanuel Eze, 

opposed his submission, 

explaining that the absence 

of counsel to the IG and 

NPF, was due to the fact that 

Ogungbeje failed to serve 

them in Abuja as directed 

by the court. 

He said: “It is not true that 

the matter is ripe for 

hearing. This is a 

fundamental rights 

enforcement suit brought 

by the applicant. He has 

not got the leave of court 

for the matter to be heard 

during vacation. That is the 

condition precedent to 

hearing any matter during 

vacation.” 

Relying on Section 215 of 

the Constitution and Order 

5 Rule 8 of the Fundamental 

Rights Enforcement 

Procedure Rules 2009, Eze 

added that the CP Lagos 

State and the IGP were 

distinct personalities. 

Ogungbeje, he stated, 

had only served the CP at 

Alagbon in Lagos but was 

yet to serve the IGP in 

Abuja, adding: “Our 

submission is that he has 

not taken steps to clothe this 

court with jurisdiction to 

hear this case.'' 

“Since Ogungbeje has 

Michael Bolton with 

Precious winning the 

Battle. 

#TeamWaje had Wow 

and Paulyn perform 

Labrinth’s ‘Jealous,’ a 

performance that saw Wow 

getting the nod and 

moving on to the Live 

Show. 

One of the performances 

of the night that got the live 

audience thrilled was the 

battle between 

#TeamYemi’s Yimika and 

Bunmi. The duo performed 

‘Eiye Adaba’ by Asa. 

LASSA FEVER: LUTH discharges 1, 

clears 60 •70 others still under surveillance 

By Sola Ogundipe, 

Chioma Obinna, Seyi 

Adeshina & Amarachi 

Adiele 

SEVEN days after 

reports of Lassa fever 

outbreak at the Lagos 

University Teaching 

Hospital, LUTH, went viral, 

one of the three hospital 

workers infected by the 

Lassa virus has been 

discharged. 

Two other infected 

patients have been 

responding to treatment 

and are likely to be 

discharged this week even 

as 60 persons under 

surveillance have been 

cleared from the list. 

Giving this update to 

Vanguard in a telephone 

chat yesterday, the 

Chairman Medical 

Advisory Committee, 

CMAC, LUTH, Prof. 

Olufemi Fasanmade, said 

the first patient was 

discharged Sunday after 

being certified free of the 

infectious disease. 

“We discharged one of 

LECTURE: From right; Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Vice-Chancellor, University 

of Lagos, Prof Rahamon Bello; Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and 

Related Commision, Prof.Bolaji Owasanoye and UNILAG's Deputy Vice- 

Chancellor (Academics & Research), Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, during the 

lecture themed: Governance and National Development, Issues and Implications 

at the University of Lagos 12th Annual Research Conference and fair, in Jelili 

Omotola Hall, University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos. 

Lagos to transform Oworonshoki 

to transport, entertainment hub 

THE Lagos state 

government has 

outlined plans to transform 

the blighted areas of 

Oworonshoki Waterfront 

into one of the biggest 

transportation, tourism and 

entertainment hubs in 

Nigeria. 

Commissioner for 

Waterfront Infrastructure 

Development, Mr Ade 

Indigenous languages endangered 

– BIBLE SOCIETY BOSS 

By Olayinka Latona 

THE 

General 

Secretary of Bible 

Society of Nigeria, Rev Dare 

Ajiboye, has said the 

country’s indigenous 

languages are endangered 

and could go into extinction 

if urgent steps are not taken 

to reverse the trend. 

Speaking during a press 

conference to announce the 

completion and plan to languages 

dedicate the Tiv Revised 

Bible at the Bible Guest 

House in Palmgrove, Lagos, 

Ajiboye said there is a 

remarkable decline in the 

usage of indigenous 

languages by Nigerian 

youths and children and that 

many of them cannot read 

or write in their mother 

tongue. 

He called on government 

at all levels to take the issue 

of mother tongues seriously 

by enforcing that they be 

taught in schools, adding 

that a lot of Nigerian 

are 

endangered and may go 

into extinction if no concrete 

steps are taken to prevent 

them from dying. 

Akinsanya, in a statement, 

said the project will improve 

the aesthetics and security 

of the environment, while 

attracting investments in 

water transportation and 

boosting socio-economic 

activities in the axis, with the 

provision of shopping malls 

and related infrastructures. 

According to him, the 

proposed entertainment and 

mega ferry terminal site, 

already under reclamation, 

would divert a lot of human 

and vehicular traffic 

gridlocks away from the 

Lagos Island and take 

advantage of the central 

location and accessibility of 

the proposed Oworonshoki 

terminal to the Apapa Port, 

Ikeja Airport and other parts 

of the state. 

“Youths and residents will 

enjoy quality sports, 

recreational, entertainment 

and emergency response 

facilities at the terminal. 

“Commuters transiting 

through the terminal will not 

only enjoy state-of the arts 

infrastructure, they will also 

be able to park and ride and 

park and cruise from the 

them last Sunday and the 

remaining two will be 

discharged this week. They 

are all fine. They will be 

going home tomorrow 

(today) or next. After that 

we won’t have any other 

patient, apart from those 

that are under 

surveillance.” 

Fasanmade also hinted 

that none of those under 

surveillance have shown 

symptoms of the deadly 

disease. 

“About 60 of them are free 

now while another 70 are 

state-of-the-art jetty, thus 

reducing the carbon 

emission level and travel 

time within the city,” 

Akinsanya said. 

He expressed optimism 

that the reclaimed 29.6 

hectares site of the project, 

which would involve 

revetment work to protect 

the jetty area, would also 

eliminate illegal dredging 

activities in the area. 

Explaining that the project 

will be in three phases, 

Akinsanya said it was part 

of government's plans to 

revitalise and augment 

inter-modal system of water, 

rail and road transportation 

and housing development, 

noting that the Epe, 

Badagry and Mile 2 

waterfronts have also been 

earmarked in the Master 

Plan for similar 

regeneration. 

He said that Phase One, 

which is the ongoing 

reclamation of the 29.5 

hectares of the project site 

by Messrs Fountain 

Construction Company 

(FCC), would be completed 

by November 2017. 

still under surveillance.” 

Further, the CMAC, 

explained that by next week 

most of the people under 

surveillance would be 

completing the 21 days 

observation period, adding 

that if none shows 

symptoms, they would be 

cleared from the list and 

that would end the 

surveillance activities. 

The incubation period of 

Lassa fever ranges from 6– 

21 days during which the 

virus could be transmitted 

by an infected person. 

Asked about possibilities 

of any of the remaining 70 

persons under surveillance 

coming down with 

symptoms of infection, 

Fasanmade said the 

chances were slim. 

“No, we are not likely to 

have any emergency 

because it’s a thing that 

occurs recurrently and it is 

sporadic and endemic, 

meaning that, it is 

something that occurs and 

will continue to occur mostly 

on a yearly basis. 

“It is just for us to control 

it, curtail it and ensure that 

the outbreak has very 

minimal death. It is just 

like malaria that occurs 

yearly.” 

On precautionary 

measures put in place by 

LUTH to further stop the 

spread of the disease 

among hospital workers, 

Fasanmade who said the 

hospital workers are fully 

protected, regretted the 

outbreak, noting that it was 

an occupational hazard that 

health workers faced. 

“This is why hospital 

workers are given some 

small hazard allowance, 

from time to time doctors 

and nurses will always have 

sicknesses acquired from 

their patients. So it is just 

for people to remember to 

use the protective 

equipment provided for 

them. LUTH has all these 

things.” 

Fielding questions on 

possible support to Federal 

Medical Centre, Abeokuta, 

he said: “Every hospital will 

collaborate with each other 

and we do provide support 

for one another. The one we 

are doing at LUTH now is 

in collaboration with the 

Lagos State Government so 

all centres collaborate, 

especially when people ask 

for help. 

“They are probably 

working with their own 

state government and the 

Nigeria Centre for Disease 

Control, which is the central 

body in Abuja for disease 

control and other centres. I 

am sure they are getting 

enough support,'' he added.

12 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017 


Villagers barricade Ughelli-Asaba 

expressway over herdsmen menace 

By Ochuko 

Akuopha 

O LEH—WORRIED 

by the occupation of 

their farmlands by armed 

herdsmen, indigenes of 

Iyede Kingdom, Isoko 

North Local Government 

Area, Delta State, yesterday, 

barricaded the Ekiugbo- 

Iyede axis of the Ughelli- 

Asaba expressway, 

demanding their vacation 

from their communities. 

The protesters from 

Ekiugbo-Iyede, Oghara- 

Iyede, Oteri-Iyede, Eboh- 

Iyede, Ogewho and 

Okpaide communities 

blocked the busy road 

about 6.30a.m., obstructing 

vehicular movements for 

over six hours. 

It however, took the 

intervention of the 

President General of the 

Isoko Development Union, 

IDU, Chief Iduh Amadhe, 

Vice Chairman of Isoko 

North LGA, Mr. Anthony 

Odhe and security 

operatives who visited the 

scene of the protest to bring 

the situation under control. 

Speaking during the 

protest, Chairman of 

Ekiugbo-Iyede community, 

Mr David Onobreme, 

described the action of the 

people as spontaneous, 

lamenting their incessant 

harassment and rape of 

their women in their 

farmlands by the 

herdsmen. 

He said: “They have been 

destroying our crops with 

their cows and when we 

challenge them, they attack 

our people with cutlasses 

and chase them from the 

bush. Our people are now 

apprehensive and can no 

Edo new Speaker Adjoto resumes 

office 

By Simon 

Ebegbulem 

BENIN CITY—THE 

New Speaker of the 

Edo State House of 

Assembly, Mr Kabiri Adjoto 

resumed duties yesterday 

and ordered the former 

Speaker, Mr Justin 

Okonoboh, his deputy, 

Elizabeth Ativie to return 

their official vehiclesin their 

custodies or face the law. 

Meanwhile, the 

leadership of the All 


APC, in the state, including 

Governor Godwin Obaseki, 

longer go to their farms. We 

had written series of protest 

letters to the state 

government and security 

agencies on the situation, 

but nothing has been done 

to address the problem.” 

On his part, President 

General of IDU, Chief Iduh 

Amadhe said “The council 

chairman represented by 

his vice and l have 

appealed to the community 

leaders to give peace as 

chance and as a quick 

response to arrest the 

situation, we resolved that 

all herdsmen in the bushes 

of Iyede communities 

should quietly lead their 

cows away so that we don’t 

aggravate the problem.'' 

DELTA 2019: Ogboru 

warns against imposition 

A BRAKA—A 

chieftain of the All 


APC in Delta State and 

•Orders Ex-Speaker, others to 

return official vehicles 

met with the lawmakers 

yesterday, morning, 

appealing that they should 

consider the political tripod 

in the state in the interest of 

equity and justice. 

The state caucus leader of 

the party and immediate 

past governor of the state, 

Mr Adams Oshiomhole 

was being expected 

yesterday for a meeting with 

the lawmakers. 

The state chairman of the 

party, Anslem Ojezua, who 

addressed journalists 

yesterday, after the meeting 

said the lawmakers had 

exercised their rights on the 

floor of the House but that 

the party will pressure the 

new leadership to ensure 

that Edo Central, where the 

speakership of the party was 

ceded to regains the seat. 

The former Speaker, 

Justin Okonoboh, his 

deputy, Mrs Ativie and 

Majority Leader of the 

House, Folly 

Ogedengbe were 

impeached last Monday by 

19 members of the House. 

governorship candidate of 

the Labour Party in the 2015 

governorship election in 

the state, Chief Great 

Ogboru, has warned 

against imposition of 

candidates in the party 

ahead of the 2019 general 

election. 

He stressed that the 

party should learn its 

lesson from the loss it faced 

during the Warri South 

House of Assembly byelection. 

The warning by Ogboru 

came as a member of the 

APC Board of Trustees, 

Chief Frank Kokori, 

disclosed that some 

persons in the state chapter 

of the party were bent on 

perpetual being the party’s 

governorship candidate in 

the state with attempts to 

hijack the party. 

Speaking at Abraka, 

Ethiope East Local 

Government Area of the 

state, during the 

inauguration of the Light of 

APC pressure group 

headed by Ossai Abe, 

Ogboru said: “I was 

surprised while listening 

to the secretary to the 

PDP national 

convention, who said 

that they had learned 

their lesson and that 

they will no longer 

impose candidates but 

rather, they will work 

with community leaders. I 

believe as an opposition 

party in Delta State, that is 

what we should be doing. 

“If we allow imposition in 

APC like what happened in 

the Warri South House of 

Assembly by-election, we 

will get similar results in 

future cases but I believe we 

have learned a bitter lesson 

from that election because 

we imposed a candidate.'' 

Lagos pilgrims leave Madinah 

for Makkah in batches 

By Ishola Balogun, 

reporting from 

Madinah 

M ADINAH— 

PILGRIMS from 

Lagos State who were on 

the first flight to Saudi 

Arabia left the city of 

Madinah to Makkah 

Monday in preparation 

for the Hajj rites. 

The pilgrims 

numbering 460 were the 

first batch of pilgrims 

airlifted to Jeddah, 

Saudi Arabia last 

Sunday from where they 

were transported by road 

to Madinah last week. 

The journey back to 

Makkah will take eigth 

hours by road. Other 

pilgrims who have not 

completed their various 

visitations will remain in 

Madinah. 

While the pilgrims were 

in Madinah, they 

performed numerous 

spiritual activities such 

as visitation to Prophet 

Muhammad's tomb, and 

that of his Caliphs 

(Abubakar, Umar, 

Uthman and Ali). 

They had also visited 

historic places such as 

Masjid Quba where 

each superrogatory 

prayer offered is said to 

be equivalent to lesser 

Hajj, Masjid Qiblataen 

(the Mosque with two 

Prayer directions), 

Mount Hud among other 

notable sites. 

Lagos State 

Commissioner for Home 

Affairs and the state 

Amirul Hajj, Dr 

Abdulhakeem 

Abdullateef in a 

statement by his Media 

Assistant, Olalekan 

Murisiku said: “Every 

pilgrim is expected to be 

in Madinah for eight 

days before going to 

Makkah. The movement 

from Madinah to 

Makkah is also going to 

Pilgrims after oberseving one of the daily salat at the Prophet Muhammad 

Mosque in Madinah, yesterday. 

Pilgrims drinking the Zam-zam water in Madinah. 

be in batches for 

convenience.” 

Meanwhile, some of 

the pilgrims who spoke 

to Vanguard said they 

had a spiritually fulfilled 

time in Madinah, 

adding that: "It is a place 

every Muslim would 

always love to visit." 

Apart from the saying 

of the Prophet that 

"There is a cure for every 

disease in the dust of 

Madinah" (Al-Targhib), 

the beauty of Madinah, 

with its uncommon 

magificient arhiectural 

masterpiece makes it top 

tourists'attraction in the 

Kingdom of Saudi 

Arabia. 

To visit to Madinah is 

not a Hajj or Umrah rite, 

but the unique merits of 

the Prophet city, his 

Mosque and his sacred 

tomb attract every 

pilgrim to visit it. There 

is no Ihram (white 

garment) nor talbiyah for 

the visit to Madinah or 

the Prophet Mosque.



Quit notice to northerners, Yoruba: 

N-Delta leaders, stakeholders disagree 

with militants 

•Ultimatum counterproductive —Okowa 

By Emma Amaize, 

Samuel Oyadongha, 

Festus Ahon, Egufe 

Yafugborhi, 

Emmanuel Una 

Godwin Oghre, 

Chioma Onuegbu, 

Ike Uchechukwu, 

Emem Idio, Davies 

Iheamnachor, 

Ochuko Akuopha, 

Emma Ayungbe, 

Sunday Bomadi 

ASABA—LEADERS and 

stakeholders in Niger 

Delta have rejected the quit 

notice issued northerners 

and Yoruba, last Thursday, by 

a Coalition of Niger Delta 

Agitators, CNDA, to leave 

the oil region before October 

1, saying it was illegal, 

irrational, superfluous and 

not the solution to the 

problems facing the country. 

They said, yesterday, that 

the CNDA does not 

represent the people of 

Niger Delta, urging the 

agitators to withdraw the quit 

notice as well as tender 

apology for the apparent 

mischief, noting that two 

wrongs do not make a right. 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of 

Delta State, said: “I have 

always maintained that 

Nigeria stands to benefit 

from unity among the 

different peoples of the 

country. It is 

counterproductive for 

anybody to issue quit notice 

to fellow Nigerians living in 

our region.” 

Urging the militants to 

exercise restraint, Okowa 

stressed the need to keep 

Nigeria as one and advised 

the youths not to take the law 

into their hands. 

That is condemnable 

—Bozimo 

Former Minister of Police 

Affairs, Chief Alaowei 

Bozimo, reacting to the 

coalition’s ultimatum from 

the United Kingdom, UK, on 

phone, said: “That is 

condemnable, it does not 

advance the contemplation 

in any meaningful direction. 

I suppose the agitators were 

provoked by the arrogance 

of northern youths giving 

notice to Igbo to quit the 

north. 

“From whatever direction 

you look at it, it is wrong for 

anybody to solicit the 

breakup of Nigeria. It is too 

late in the day to contemplate 

that. I think restructuring 

will put a stop to some of 

these agitations.“ 

It'' s uncalled for 

—Ayemi-Botu 

Former national chairman, 

Traditional Rulers of Oil 

Mineral Producing 

Communities of Nigeria and 

paramount ruler of Seimbiri 

Kingdom, Delta State, HM 

Pere Charles Ayemi-Botu , 

told Vanguard: “In my 

opinion, the quit notice is 

uncalled for and I advise 

them to retract their 

statement and allow peace 

to reign.” 

Convener and 

Coordinator of Niger Delta 

Peoples’ Congress, Chief 

Mike Loyibo, who traced the 

quit and counter-quit orders 

flying around in the country 

to pre-independence days 

when the founding fathers, 

Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi 

Azikiwe and Ahmadu Bello, 

expressed reservations on 

the prospects of one Nigeria, 

said: “Let all the regions 

respect and stop treating 

others as a second-class 

citizen. Our youths must 

tread with caution, support 

the current government at 

the centre to bring 

development and address 

all the issues we raised 

because we are a peculiar 

people.” 

Ndokwa National Youth 

Movement, NNYM, Delta 

State, in a statement by its 

National Secretary, Mr 

Presley Idi, stated: “We call 

and plead with our brothers 

to do the needful and 

withdraw the ultimatum. The 

country is already heated up 

as it is, we should not 

entangle it more because if 

any crisis eventually breaks 

out, it is our people that we 

are working so hard to protect 

and get a better life for that 

will be caught in the 

crossfire, where then lies the 

logic?” 

Restructuring agenda 

Community leader in 

Sapele, Mr Ben Tobi, also 

said: “The quit notice will do 

the country no good. It is 

better for every part of the 

country to remain as one. 

The unity of this country is 

sacrosanct. The challenge the 

country has is corruption and 

the current government is 

addressing corruption in a 

way it has never been 

addressed.” 

Correspondingly, former 

governorship aspirant in 

Delta State, Mr. Sunny 

Onuesoke, said: “I do not 

think it is the best thing to do 

now. We are not talking of 

quit notice now, instead of 

quit notice, the Federal 

Government should, as a 

matter of urgency, initiate 

and commence the 

restructuring agenda.” 

On his part, ex-member, 

Delta State House of 

Assembly, Mr Abel 

Oshevire, noted: “It is really 

sad and disheartening that 

the Nigerian youths of today 

are beating the drums of war 

and disintegration without 

minding the dangers that 

their reckless statements, 

PRESENTATION: 

From left, Senate 

Minority Leader, 

Chief Godswill 

Akpabio; Deputy 

Governor of 

Akwa Ibom State, 

Chief Moses 

Ekpo and a 

beneficiary, 

during the 

presentation of 

cheques to 

beneficiaries of 

Senator Akpabio 

scholarship/ 

bursary scheme 

for students of 

Ikot Ekpene 

Senatorial District 

at Independence 

Hall, Abak, Akwa 

Ibom State, on 

Monday. 

utterances and actions are 

capable of inflicting on the 

corporate existence of the 

country.” 

Speaking to Vanguard in 

Warri, Coordinator, Itsekiri 

Movement for Peace and 

Justice, Amaechi Ogbonna, 

said: “There was never any 

quit notice by Niger Delta to 

northerners and Yoruba in 

the region. What is falsely 

being promoted as Niger 

Delta quit order is strictly an 

Ijaw agenda.” 

It's misplaced 

Spokesman of Gbaramatu- 

Ijaw kingdom, Warri South- 

West LGA Delta State, Chief 

Godspower Gbenekama, 

also said: “The quit notice by 

some groups for me is 

misplaced. I see no reason 

to give Yoruba quit notice." 

In his reaction, the Pere of 

Akugbene-Mein Kingdom, 

HRM Kalanama VIII, who 

is second vice chairman, 

Delta State Council of 

Traditional Rulers, said: “I 

want to appeal to the 

agitators to please give 

peace a chance and allow the 

Federal Government to carry 

out its developmental strides 

in the region.” 

Bishop of Bomadi Vicariate 

of the Catholic Church in the 

state, Most Rev Hyacinth 

Egbebo, stated: “We need to 

sit down and think for 

ourselves, I do not support 

the quit notice, it is a pointblank 

no, because that is not 

the way forward.” 

However, NPDC in its 

reaction by the secretary 

general, Prof Benjamin 

Okaba in Yenagoa, Bayelsa 

State, said: “We are very 

uncomfortable and in 

disagreement with the 

issuance of quit notice to the 

northern and Yoruba people 

in the Niger Delta. The 

statement should be 

disregarded and all 

Nigerians should feel free in 

the Niger Delta region.” 

Ijaw are not Biafrans—IYC 

•Say our struggle predates Biafra 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

YENAGOA— IJAW 

youths have described 

as ‘provocative,’ attempts 

by the pro-Biafra groups, 

Movement for the 

Actualisation of a Sovereign 

State of Biafra, MOASSOB, 

and Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPOB, to include 

Ijaw territories in the map 

of Biafra without proper 

consultations and consent 

of the Ijaw ethnic 

nationality. 

The Ijaw struggle for self 

determination, justice and 

equity within the Nigerian 

federation, it argued, 

predates the Igbo agitation 

for Biafra. 

Spokesman of the 

Oweilaemi Pereotuno-led 

Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, 

worldwide, Daniel 

Dasimaka, in a statement 

distanced the IYC and Ijaw 

nation from the fictitious 

map claiming Ijaw 

territories as being part of 

Biafra, noting:“There was 

never a time we were 

Biafrans. 

“The old Eastern region 

was also a contraption that 

so much enslaved the Ijaw 

people that was created by 

those who created this 

miscarriage of a state called 

Nigerian. 

"It should be noted that the 

Ijaw are not in any way 

against the genuine 

aspirations of all people, 

including the IPOB, to 

attain self determination or 

secession as the case may 

be. 

“Ijaw are a distinct ethnic 

nation even before the 1914 

amalgamation that had its 

own dreams, wishes and 

aspirations that should not 

be submerged as footnotes 

in any other people’s 

struggle." 

Ochonogor tasks amnesty 

programme beneficiaries 

By Ochuko 

Akuopha 

O LEH—PRO- 

CHANCELLOR of 

Novena University, 

Ogume, Delta State, Dr. 

Chuks Ochonogor, has 

charged beneficiaries of 

amnesty programme for 

post-graduate studies to 

work hard to justify the 

Federal Government’s 

huge financial commitment 

to their studies, warning 

against cultism and other 

vices. 

Giving the charge during 

an orientation programme 

organised for the students 

at the Amai Campus of the 

institution, Ochonogor 

stressed the need for them 

to take their studies 

seriously and be of good 

conduct. 

Commending the Head 

of Department, Onshore 

Education, Presidential 

Amnesty Programme, 

Major Hassan Mowarin 

(retd), for personally 

verifying the students 

before the orientation 

programme, he said: “With 

good attitude, we can 

change our country and 

make it what we want it to 

be. We are here to reform, 

change and make you 

better persons." 

On his part, the law 

maker representing Warri 

federal constituency at the 

House of Representatives, 

Mr. Daniel Reyenieju, 

commended the Federal 

Government for the 

sponsorship of the 

programme, expressing 

optimism that the students 

will be of good behaviour. 

Ebie tasks Delta 

communities on development 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—DELTA State 

Commissioner for Basic 

and Secondary Education, 

Mr. Chiedu Ebie, has 

charged communities to 

partner the state 

government to enjoy the 

dividends of democracy in 

their communities. 

Ebie gave the charge 

when he inspected 

renovation works being 

carried out by the state 

government through the 

Ministry of Basic and 

Secondary Education at 

Chude Girls’Model School, 

Sapele, ongoing 

construction work at 

Igbonine Grammar School, 

Ozoro and renovation of 

Ojomba Primary School, 

Koko. 

Ebie, who was 

accompanied by the state 

Commissioner for Housing, 

Mr Joseph Ogeh, also 

inspected facilities at Army 

Day Children’s School, 

Effurun, decrying situation 

where youths disrupt 

government projects in their 

domain. 

He said no meaningful 

development can take place 

in an atmosphere of rancour 

and acrimony, adding that 

communities, which have 

the benefit of hosting 

government projects should 

count themselves fortunate. 

He appealed to youths in 

the various communities in 

the state not to take laws in 

to their hands but engage 

the state government in 

meaningful dialogue to 

drive home their demands.

14 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017 

PRESENTATION OF A BOOK; PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE: HIS LIFE AND CALLING 

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and Acting President Yemi Osinbajo led others to the presentation of a book titled: Pastor E.A. Adeboye, his life 

and calling at Redeemed Christian Church of God, Km 46, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway yesterday. PHOTOS BY LAMIDI BAMIDELE. 

Pastor Folu Adeboye, wife of the General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of 

God presenting the book to her husband, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer, 

RCCG, with their children watching. 

From left ; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Pastor Folu Adeboye; Pastor Enoch 

Adeboye; Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, his wife, Dolapo and Dr Stella Okoli, MD/ 

CEO, Emzor Pharmaceutical Ltd. 

From left; Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; Mrs Laide Osijo; Mrs Funke 

Akinyera and Mrs Tokunbo Awoniyi, wife of former Governor of Kogi State. 

From left; Barr Taiwo Adeoluwa, SSG, Ogun State; Chief Yetunde Onanuga, Deputy 

Governor, Ogun State; Bishop David Oyedepo, Presiding Bishop, Living Faith Church 

Worldwide; his wife, Pastor Faith Oyedepo; Mrs Bolanle Ambode, wife of Lagos 

State governor and Mrs Betsy Obaseki, wife of Edo State governor. 

PRO & ANTI-BUHARI PROTESTERS CLASH IN WUSE MARKET, ABUJA 

Things got bloody as some groups of protesters, under the aegis of Our Mumu Don Do, led by popular musician, 

Charly Boy were confronted by pro-Buhari protesters at Wuse Market, Abuja, yesterday. Photos by Gbemiga Olamikan. 

Protesters kept at bay by security men. 

Cross section of Our Mumu Don Do protesters led by Charly Boy 

protesting against President Buhari in Abuja, yesterday. 

Even this photojournalist from Sun Newspaper, Mudashiru 

Atanda got the bloodied in the melee. 

Yet another journalist, Mr Oludare from 

Guardian was battered. 

Some of the protesters.



BIAFRA: Kanu moves to quash fresh charges against him, 

.•As Anambra lawyers drag IPOB to AGF over election boycott order 

4 others 

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri 

ABUJA—LEADER of the 

Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, 

has queried the competence of 

amended five-count treasonable 

charge the Federal Government 

lodged against him and four other 

pro-Biafra agitators-Chidiebere 

Onwudiwe, Benjamin 

Madubugwu, David Nwawuisi 

and Bright Chimezie- before the 

Federal High Court in Abuja. 

Kanu and his co-defendants are 

expected to enter their fresh plea 

to the amended charge marked 

FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, before 

trial Justice Binta Nyako, on 

October 17. 

Whereas the original charge 

had only four defendants, with 

Kanu as the 1st accused person, 

FG, through the Department of 

Public Prosecutions, Federal 

Ministry of Justice, amended the 

case to include Chimezie who 

was alleged to have between the 

months of March and April, 2015, 

imported into Nigeria, a Radio 

transmitter known as TRAM 50L. 

FG alleged that the transmitter 

was concealed in a container that 

was declared as used household 

items, contrary to section 47(2) (a) 

of the Criminal Code Act, Cap 

C45, Laws of the Federation of 

Nigeria, 2004. 

Aside the inclusion of the 5th 

defendant in the case, particulars 

of allegations FG levelled against 

Kanu and the three other pro- 

Biafra agitators remained 

unchanged. 

Specifically, FG alleged in 

count-one of the amended 

charge, that Kanu and his codefendants, 

as well as other 

persons currently at large, “On 

diverse dates in 2014 and 2015 

in Nigeria and London, United 

Kingdom, did conspire amongst 

yourselves to broadcast on Radio 

Biafra monitored in Enugu and 

other areas within the jurisdiction 

of this honourable court, 

preparations being made by you 

and others at large, for states in 

the South-East and South-South 

zones and other communities in 

Kogi and Benue States to secede 

from the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria with a view to 

constituting same into a Republic 

of Biafra and you thereby 

committed an offence punishable 

under section 516 of the Criminal 

Code Act, Cap C38 Laws of the 

Federation of Nigeria, 2000”. 

In count three, FG alleged that 

Kanu had “on or about the 28th, 

April, 2015 in London, United 

Kingdom did in a broadcast on 

Radio Biafra monitored in 

Enugu, Enugu state and other 

parts of Nigeria within the 

jurisdiction of this honourable 

court, referred to Major 

General Muhammadu 

Buhari, GCON, President and 

Commander in Chief of the 

Armed Forces of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria as a 

paedophile, a terrorist, an idiot 

and an embodiment of evil, 

knowing same to be false and 

you thereby committed an 

offence contrary to section 375 

of the Criminal Code Act, Cap 

C. 38 Laws of the Federation of 

Nigeria, 2004”. 

Meanwhile, Kanu, who will be 

facing four out of the five 

amended charges, has declared 

his determination to get the 

charges quashed for being 

“grossly incompetent” and for 

“want of diligent prosecution”. 

The IPOB leader, through his 

team of lawyers led by Mr. Ifeanyi 

Ejiofor, accused FG of violating 

an express order of the trial court 

that forbade any of the parties 

from filing any form of 

interlocutory application pending 

the commencement of full-blown 

trial of the defendants. 

Ejiofor accused FG of 

deliberately stalling the case 

while fishing for evidence against 

the defendants. 

He alleged that FG joined the 

5th defendant, Chimezie, in the 

case after a Federal High Court 

in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State had on 

May 24, not only ordered his 

immediate release from custody 

of the Department of State 

Services , DSS, but equally 

directed that he should be paid 

N5million as damages, having 

been illegally detained for a 

period that exceeded the 

constitutional provision. 

Besides, the IPOB leader has 

filed a motion asking trial Justice 

Nyako to vary some of his bail 

conditions which he maintained 

were arbitrary and 

unconstitutional. 

Justice Nyako had in a ruling 

on April 25 released Kanu on 

bail after he had spent a year and 

seven months in detention, 

though the court okayed his codefendants 

to remain in prison 

custody. 

The court which stressed that it 

released Kanu on health ground, 

however compelled him to 

produce three sureties, including 

“a Jewish leader” and a “highly 

placed person of Igbo extraction”, 

who all deposited N100 million 

each. 

He was formally released to 

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, a 

Jewish High Chief Priest, 

Immanuu-El Shalom and a 

Chartered Accountant residing in 

Abuja, Mr. Tochukwu Uchendu, 

on April 28. 

As part of his conditions for bail, 

Kanu was expressly barred by the 

court from attending any rally or 

granting any form of interview. 

“I must stress it here that the 

defendant must not attend any 

rally. He must not be in a crowd 

exceeding 10 persons”, the 

Judge warned. 

In his motion for variation of the 

bail conditions, Kanu contended 

that some of the conditions were 

directly in conflict with his 

constitutionally guaranteed 

fundamental human rights and 

therefore ought to be set-aside. 

However, the motion which the 

court ought to hear on the next 

adjourned date may be overtaken 

by events, as a member of the 

prosecution team hinted to 

Vanguard that FG was weighing 

the option of applying for Kanu’s 

bail to be revoked immediately he 

enters his plea to the amended 

charge onOctober 17. 

Anambra Lawyers petitions 

Attorney General 

Meanwhile, a group of lawyers 

under the aegis of Anambra 

State Lawyers in Defence of 

Democracy, ASLADD, have 

petitioned the Attorney General 

of the Federation and Minister of 

Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, 

asking him to commence a “highpowered 

clinical investigation 

into the activities of IPOB”. 

The petitioners, while 

condemning IPOB’s position that 

governorship election will not 

hold in Anambra state on 

November 18 as scheduled, 

urged the AGF “to deploy all the 

instruments and powers of the 

IPOB to Okorocha: We can’t deceive millions of Biafrans 

By Vincent Ujumadu & 

Omeiza Ajayi 

THE Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPOB, yesterday 

reacted to the statement credited 

to the Imo State governor, Owelle 

Rochas Okorocha, that the 

organization and its leader, Mazi 

Nnamdi Kanu, were deceiving 

Igbo people, arguing that it was 

not possible to deceive millions 

of Biafrans. IPOB said: 

"IPOB attention has been drawn 

to a publication credited to Rochas 

Okorocha, governor of IMO state 

through his Chief Press sec. Mr. 

Sam Onwuemeodo on 14th 

Aug.2017 that Nnamdi Kanu and 

IPOB are deceiving Igbo with 

Biafra." 

In a statement by Chinasa 

Nworu of its Directorate of State, 

IPOB reminded Okorocha that 

the struggle for the restoration of 

UNVEILING: From left, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State; Founder, ELFREEDA 

Foundation, Mrs. Uloma Nwosu; wife of the Acting President/special guest, Mrs. Dolapo 

Osinbajo; and Imo State First Lady, Mrs. Nkechi Okorocaha, at the unveiling of ELFREEDA 

Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, founded by Mrs. Nwosu, in Oweri, Imo State. 

•Arewa youths blackmailing Northern leaders — GROUP 

Biafra was a divine mission, 

adding that its members would not 

allow themselves to be distracted. 

Nworu said: “Nnamdi Kanu and 

IPOB are not fraudsters or 

criminals, who acquired wealth 

through fraudulent means and 

illicit businesses before coming to 

power. Okorocha should know 

that we are fighting for freedom of 

our people and it is our human 

right to fight for freedom. It is also 

our right to seek for self 

determination. 

“We are fighting for survival 

today in this contraption because 

the so called leaders have led 

us into slavery, death, economic 

marginalization and other 

dehumanizing ways of living. It 

is unfortunate that when we talk 

about freedom through the ballot 

box, the likes of Okorocha would 

term it a call for war" 

“I want to inform Okorocha that 

Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB are not 

ready to build bridges with those 

who killed over 3.5millions of our 

people and still killing us till 

date. We cannot build bridges 

with those who see a call for 

referendum as a call for war 

and see truth as hate speech. We 

cannot build any bridge with those 

who see us as objects or infidels 

and not as humans.'' 

Arewa youths blackmailing 

Northern leaders —Groups 

In a related development, the 

Arewa Youth Grand Alliance has 

accused the coalition of northern 

youths which issued a ‘quit 

notice’ to Igbos in the region, of 

blackmailing leaders of northern 

extraction into enlisting their 

support for a divided nation. 

President of the alliance, Alhaji 

Inuwa Idris in a statement 

Tuesday in Abuja also faulted a 

Nigerian State” available to him, 

to tackle the IPOB. 

The petition read in part: “The 

IPOB have taken a position that 

they would “boycott” the 

forthcoming Anambra 2017 

elections. We do not have any 

problem with them on this 

position. 

''However, our challenge with 

IPOB is their seeming inability 

to appreciate the meaning of 

the word “boycott” as it relates 

to Anambra election. We are 

worried that their mode of 

propagating their “No 

referendum, no election” 

mantra suggests that the word 

“boycott” has another meaning 

assigned to it in their own 

dictionary which is 

“disruption” of all legitimate 

activities of government and 

electioneering activities 

calculated at striking terror in the 

minds of the citizens who have 

made up their mind to discharge 

their civic duty on the 18th day 

of November, 2017. 

youth group in Katsina state for 

disparaging the Emir of Katsina, 

Alhaji Abdulmumuni Usman as a 

result of his decision to protect 

Igbos living in his domain. 

He said the attention of the 

alliance has been drawn to media 

reports by “one Mr Abdullahi 

Marusa, the Secretary General of 

Katsina State Progressive Youth 

Alliance where he spat on the 

revered Katsina Emirate by 

disparaging His Royal Highness, 

Alhaji Abdulmumin Usman and 

two prominent northern leaders; 

former Vice President Atiku 

Abubakar and Dr Usman Bugaje 

calling them ‘political 

opportunists.’ “ 

Idris continued: “the outburst of 

this young man is to say the least, 

incredibly callous, ridiculous and 

uncharitable, unbecoming of 

northern tradition where the youth 

hold leaders and constituted 

authority in high esteem.


NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 

DIPLOMACY: Ambassador Attahiru Haliru (2nd left) presenting his 

Letter of Credence to the President of the Republic of Niger, Mr. Mahamadou 

Issoufou, at the Presidential Palace in Niamey, in the presence of the Minister 

of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, Integration and Nigeriens Abroad, Ibrahim 

Yacoubou; and Permanent Secretary, Foreign Ministry, Ibrahim Abani. 

Ex-Edo PDP gov aspirant 

Iduoriyekemwen dumps PDP 

By Tare Youdeowei 

BENIN 

CITY—A 

founding member of 

the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, in Edo State 

and former governorship 

aspirant in the 2016 

governorship primaries of 

the party in the state, Mr 

M a t t h e w 

Iduoriyekemwen has 

resigned his membership 

of the PDP. 

Iduoriyekemwen who 

was a member of the Alhaji 

Modu Sheriff-led PDP 

before the Supreme Court 

verdict that gave the 

Ahmed Makarfi led 

faction victory, addressed 

his supporters in Benin 

City yesterday, disclosing 

that he has tendered his 

resignation letter to the 

leadership of the party both 

at the state and the 

National level, adding that 

his next line of action will 

soon be unveiled to the 

public. 


statement, “this decision 

has not been easy, but I 

have decided that it will be 

in the best interest of my 

political career, business 

and family. It is with 

nostalgia that I came to this 

decision which I believe 

will suit my political 

interest and those of my 

numerous supporters 

across the length and 

breadth of Edo state and 

beyond. 

“To resign from a party 

that I participated in its 

formation in 1998 and 

remained a steadfast and 

loyal member and leader 

till my exit this day. I 

believe that the PDP which 

we formed years ago is no 

longer the PDP we have 

today after it was hijacked 

by persons who run the 

party as their personal 

estate”. 

It will be recalled that 

Iduoriyekemwen was 

former Majority Leader of 

the state House of 

Assembly and later became 

the state representative in 

the board of the Niger 

Delta Development 

Apapa LG 

moves 

against 

Lassa fever 

SME EXPO '17: From left—Chairman, Jigawa State Investment and 

Property Development Company Limited, Ambassador Abdulkadir Musafari; 

Managing Director, Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority, Mr. 

Emmanuel Jime; Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Simon Achuba; Minister 

of State, FMITI, Hajia Aishat Abubakar; Chairman, House of Representatives 

Committee on Industry, Mr. Abubakar Moriki, and Executive Director, Small 

and Medium Enterprises, Bank of Industry, BoI, Mr. Waheed Olagunju, during 

the African SME EXPO 2017 in Lagos, yesterday. 

TECNO WINS: From left— Senior Marketing Executive, Visibility, 

Thompson Ani; Senior Marketing Executive, Offline Events and Sponsorships, 

Richard Ugochukwu, both of TECNO Mobile Nigeria; and President, Institute 

of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, ISPON, Olorogun James Emadoye, at 

the presentation of the Pan-African Mobile Phone Brand of the Year 2017 

Award to TECNO. 

VISIT: From left— Vice President, Eneh Emmanuel; Secretary, Seyi 

Omange; immediate past President, Gbenga Sunmonu; President, Adebisi 

Salako, all of Rotary Club of Agege; Governor, Dr. Wale Ogunbadejo; 

Secretary, Segun Adewakun; Assistant Governor, Henry Akinyele; and 

Governor-elect, Kola Sodipo, all of District 9110, at the first visit of the District 

Governor to Rotary Club of Agege. 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

LAGOS—AS part of 

measures to prevent 

possible outbreak of raging 

Lassa fever, authorities of 

the Apapa Local 

Government Area of Lagos 

State have concluded 

plans to embark on 

deratisation of various 

markets in the locality. 

Similarly, Lagos State 

Government has warned 

residents to desist 

henceforth from dumping 

of refuse deliberately in 

unauthorized places or 

face prosecution. 

On the deratisation 

exercise, the Executive 

Chairman of the council, 

Mr. Elijah Adele disclosed 

this at the official launch of 

"Keep Apapa Clean and 

Healthy, A Must", 

KACHAM, programme, 

aimed to enhance cleaner 

and healthier environment. 

Following the outbreak of 

the disease in some parts 

of the state the teaching 

hospital had been working 

closely with officials of the 

Lagos State Ministry of 

Health in handling a 

number of diseases of pubic 

importance such as rabies, 

cholera, Lassa fever and 

the recent diarrhoea 

disease. 

The Centre for Disease 

Control, CDC, in Nigeria 

had also been contacted. 

Two other suspected cases 

from Lagos State are also 

presently admitted and 

quarantined while 

undergoing confirmatory 

laboratory tests.

FOR all our talk of grassroots 

politicians, very few of our 

leaders engage with their people 

on meaningful issues beyond 

encouraging sycophancy and 

short-sightedness (for example by 

buying votes, paying people to 

protest or conversely, to feign 

support for impact less, corrupt 

individuals). 

The poor in Nigeria are not 

involved in any of the 

conversations which determine 

their future, not unless violence 

is required by the elite to make a 

point to the rest of society, in which 

case they are the readily available 

cannon fodder used to enforce 

elite plans and views which 

interestingly further the 

oppression of the same underclass 

these groups belong to. 

In many villages across Nigeria, 

especially in the North, even 

things such as phone signals are 

a luxury due to poor 

infrastructure, meaning that there 

are still places in Nigeria where 

the debates and conversations by 

egg-heads on TV, newspapers 

and the media more generally, 

simply do not register. 

It is humbling as a journalist to 

realise that one is either 

preaching to the choir, to those 

already converted to the anticorruption 

religion or to those so 

deeply entrenched in the system 

that they refuse to see that 

anything wrong is happening. 

Those who so desperately need 

to hear the message are simply 

not a part of its dissemination and 

discussion. Yet, it is these same 

poor masses who have the most 

to gain (or to lose) when 

leadership fails and corruption 

goes unpunished. 

Grassroots’ grasp 

of the issues 

Issues are cyclical in Nigeria: 

they remain and get worse over 

time. One must wonder, how real 

is the grassroots’ grasp of the 

issues? Outside of the cities, what 

do people in the towns and 

villages really make of governance 

and how much do they believe in 

their own ability to create change? 

The second question is perhaps 

easily answered. 

If most of the poor and destitute 

fully understood to what extent 

their situation (and its lack of real 

improvement over the decades) 

is as a result of corruption and the 

unlawful enrichment of politicians 

who in their home towns are 

treated like demi-gods, there 

would probably be bloodshed. 

In fact, when political figures 

return home and are attacked by 

their constituents, the violence 

isn’t always sponsored by rivals. 

It is simply a result of failure, 

broken promises and desperation 

on the part of the masses. 

Aminu Kano, a former legislator 

and elder statesman once said: 

“Nigeria will know no peace until 

the son of a nobody can become 

somebody without knowing 

anybody”. The tragedy here is that 

this has happened several times. 

Goodluck Jonathan wasn’t the son 

of a rich man. Neither were most 

of the military generals who ruled 

Nigeria at various times(in fact 

none had Ojukwu’s privileged 

education). 

Interestingly, if we are to be 

honest or historically accurate and 

Nobodies become somebodies 

and rob everybody 

set aside our penchant to excuse 

or ignore wrong-doing based on 

tribe or religion, many if not most 

of the stories of our leaders’ rise 

to power, don’t quite fit the bill of 

the “American dream”, that is, the 

“poor neighbourhood kid made 

good” idea which predicates 

The problem in 

Nigeria remains 

that the masses are 

still too ignorant of 

their rights and 

responsibilities 

which is why 

nobodies become 

somebodies and 

continue to rob 

everybody 

success through hard work, real 

talent or sacrifice. 

The military as a corporatist 

structure had its own agenda. It 

promoted officers, during the 

Babangida regime in particular, 

not based on merit but based on 

political necessity. In fact, coup 

plotting in itself, despite its selfprofessed 

motives of development 

for the people and economic 

restructuring, rarely succeeded 

because it was never meant to 

achieve this in the first place. 

The military chose those who 

would lead (and their civilian 

allies) based on self-interested 

calculations which resulted in the 

disenfranchisement of the 

common man and the 

institutionalisation of corruption. 

Institutionalisation 

of corruption 

Many “nobodies” have become 

“somebodies” in Nigeria: no 

politician or captain of industry’s 

biography is complete without the 

prerequisite reminiscing over a 

childhood spent farming or 

“without shoes”. 

Yet, they have all betrayed the 

masses they originated from. The 

story of what exactly happened to 

Nigeria, of how the intelligentsia 

of the 1950s and 1960s ceded the 

stage to the individuals who have 

Shell 

IGO Weli, General 

Manager, External 

Relations of Shell, reacting to 

the shut down of a gas plant 

by youths in the Niger Delta, 

said that Shell Petroleum 

Development Company, 

SPDC, remitted $29.8 billion 

to the federation account and 

$1.2 billion to the Niger Delta 

Development Commission, 

NDDC, between 2002 and 

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017 —17 

become the power players today, 

is yet to be told. These “nobodies” 

(and their inheritors) were once 

looked down upon by the former 

elite, those Nigerians who 

snapped up the positions (due to 

their exposure to Western 

education) left vacant by the 

colonial administratorsupon 

independence. 

Quite a few “nobodies” allied 

themselves with the military under 

the guise that only military rule 

could contain the many different 

ideas, faiths and tribes in Nigeria. 

It was class warfare (or the 

displacement of one elite by a 

dissatisfied underclass) masked 

as the search for stability and 

development for all. This 

displacement has continued and 

intensified in the decades 

following the military’s 

devastation of our society’s norms 

and values, which is why, for instance, 

we undervalue investments 

in education and so few 

professionals or members of the 

intelligentsia find themselves in 

politics. 

There hasn’t really been a 

counter movement of this 

magnitude since then. The 

greatest mystery remains 

perhapsGoodluck Jonathan, the 

only man in generations who 

didn’t belong to the system. The 

other “nobodies”, from poor 

backgrounds did know 

“somebody” in one way or 

another who helped them rise up 

the ranks, contrary to the 

meritocratic system described by 

Aminu Kano. Yet, everything 

about Jonathan’s rise to power 

seems accidental. He had no 

army or military background and 

wasn’t even the generals’ first 

choice. 

Generals’ 

first choice 

Goodluck Jonathan 

THE former President 

said during the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

national convention in 

Abuja last Saturday, that 

when the PDP is back in power 

in 2019, “Nigerians should 

not think of hunger”. Should 

they then think about 

darkness? 

According to a new report by 

the Socio-Economic Rights 

and Accountability Project, 

SERAP, also championed by 

Femi Falana, N11 trillion 

meant for electricity was 

2016. No matter the issue in 

Nigeria, mismanagement or 

in fact corruption rears its ugly 

head. 

When will this generation of 

young people, the real 

“nobodies” whom society has 

set aside, finally look beyond 

all that’s stopping them from 

making a real difference and 

towards all they stand to 

continuously lose if they 

don’t? 

His outsider status was the 

perfect rallying call to connect 

with the poor masses. He could 

have offered them a new 

beginning. Yet, he failed woefully. 

The phrase “Nigeria will know 

no peace until the son of a nobody 

can become somebody without 

knowing anybody” is perhaps 

incomplete without specifying that 

what stops politicians or any 

human being from becoming a 

monster who betrays his or her 

origins, supporters or electorate, 

is a wider mass of “anybodies” 

(you and I, the critical mass) who 

watch and hold them accountable. 

The problem in Nigeria 

remains that the masses are still 

too ignorant of their rights and 

responsibilities which is why 

nobodies become somebodies and 

continue to rob everybody. 

•Ex President Jonathan 

allegedly squandered and 

looted under the PDP. Under 

Jonathan’s watch in particular 

$20 billion in oil revenue 

allegedly went “missing” and 

Sanusi Lamido, then Central 

Bank governor was apparently 

fired for “whistle-blowing”. 

The EFCC has traced N47.2 

billion and $487.5 million of 

public funds to one individual. 

Tabia Princewill is a 

strategic communications 

consultant and public policy 

analyst. She is also the cohost 

and executive producer 

of a talk show, WALK THE 

TALK which airs on 

Channels TV.


Nigeria was once the first 

destination in Africa for Foreign 

Direct Investment, FDI. But now, 

according to a study, the country 

ranks nineteenth. Recently, the 

National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, 

reported that FDI flow plummeted 

from $9.64 bn in 2015 to $5.12 bn 

in 2016, a whopping 46 per cent 

drop. That drop only tells part of 

the story and does not reveal the 

challenges facing the nation which 

badly need a lot of FDI. 

Nigeria was the favourite 

destination for FDI when crude oil 

was the world’s most valued 

commodity. Today, crude oil is in 

rapid decline as a commodity for a 

lot of reasons, and FDI inflow for 

exploration has reduced to a 

trickle. Furthermore, crude prices, 

which were stable at $100-110 per 

barrel in 2010 to 2013, had 

slumped to $28-55 per barrel in the 

past two years. Oil is no longer as 

profitable as it once was, and the 

Age of Oil is gradually coming to 

How Nigeria discourages FDI 

an end. 

One reason is the global focus on 

climate change and environmental 

degradation – processes in which 

fossil fuel, mainly oil and gas, play 

a major role. The world is rapidly 

moving away from oil as an energy 

source to other more sustainable 

and environmentally-friendly 

sources. With very little FDI 

coming in for oil, Nigeria has not 

been able to find an alternative 

investment possibility which would 

attract FDI as oil and 

telecommunications did. 

The other reason for the low FDI 

inflow can be found in the way 

Nigeria has treated investors who 

brought in funds in the past. Our 

record is, to say the least, 

unenviable in this regard. Few 

foreign investors in Nigeria have 

a pleasant tale to tell about their 

experiences. MTN, GLO, Etisalat, 

Shoprite, Bi-Courtney, Dangote, 

BAU and many others have been 

so badly treated that their 

experiences cannot encourage 

others to come in. 

Agreements reached with one 

government are unilaterally and 

illegally terminated without 

compensations by another 

government. Because most FDI, 

except portfolio investment, 

involve long term projects – roads, 

refineries, airports, sea ports, 

railways – global investors, which 

constitute a small club, are wary 

of investing in countries whose 

records of keeping long-term 

agreements are shabby. That, 

unfortunately, is our situation in 

Nigeria. We have a poor reputation 

for upholding agreements and for 

obedience to the rule of law. 

Lawlessness by our government is 

the prime cause of low FDI. This 

must change. 

If we hope to overcome our 

infrastructure deficits, which also 

dampens on the FDI drive, we must 

reform our attitude towards 

agreements and terms of doing 

business together. We can never 

overcome the heavy burden of 

youth unemployment which is a 

major factor behind our runaway 

crime rate, unless we can convince 

both local and foreign investors to 

put their money in our economy. 

By Godwin Onyeacholem 

OF all the vote-catching strategies laid 

out by the ruling All Progressives 

Congress , APC,in the lead up to the 2015 

general elections, its promise to prosecute an 

all-out war against corruption was 

unquestionably the most compelling and 

believable. This is because its presidential 

candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, is widely 

known as a man of integrity with very strong 

aversion for corrupt practices. 

And so, due largely to its promise to fight 

corruption to a standstill and the credibility of 

the personality behind the pledge, APC was able 

to seize the mantle from the old guards of 

corruption and form a new government. 

Therefore, to refer to Buhari’s government as 

one of anti-corruption – one hoping to hinge 

its success in governance on how well it 

performs in this specific assignment – would 

not be out of place. 

To this administration’s credit, the last two 

years, or at least since one doughty, no-nonsense 

police officer named Ibrahim Magu became 

Acting Chairman of the Economic and 

Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the 

anti-corruption war has been waged in a 

manner that has never been seen in the history 

of Nigeria. 

Amazing loads upon loads of stolen public 

funds in various currencies are being recovered 

and returned to government coffers. Thanks to 

the whistleblower initiative, more and more 

OPINION 

Malami, EFCC, ICPC and the anti-corruption fight 

disclosures about the hidden loots are being 

made to the relevant agencies. And unlike what 

obtained in the past, the big ‘dons’ of society, 

hitherto untouchable, are regularly being 

hauled to the law courts on account of 

fraudulent activities. But as yet, no conviction 

of note has been recorded. 

As can be seen, it’s not been an easy fight. 

Instead of requesting cases 

started by other agencies, the 

AGF should initiate his own 

high-profile cases 

Corruption is refusing to be subdued. 

Government has lost some high-profile cases, 

while some others are stalemated. Cynics 

contend that failure to secure notable 

convictions is proof that government is shoddy 

in the way it is prosecuting the war; government 

officials counter that corruption is fighting 

back in a virulent manner. 

In a way, both are correct. While those who 

have made corruption a lifetime occupation 

won’t give up easily, it is also true that this 

administration routinely shoots itself in the foot 

as far as the anti-corruption campaign is 

concerned. Take for example, the unhealthy 

relationship between the Attorney General of 

the Federation and Minister of Justice, 

Abubakar Malami, a Senior Advocate of 

Nigeria, and anti-corruption agencies like the 

EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices 

and Other Related Offences Commission, 

ICPC. 

Sensing that it is being overshadowed by the 

two agencies, the AGF is angling to show its 

muscle as the pre-eminent government 

department in all matters legal, and especially 

as far as prosecuting corruption cases is 

concerned. Okoi Obono-Obla, Special 

Assistant to the President on Prosecutions, man 

Friday and agent provocateur, is the arrowhead 

in this needless exercise of power that is clearly 

aimed at meeting some self-serving political 

ends. 

At every given opportunity, Obono-Obla does 

not fail to reiterate the fable that the anticorruption 

agencies are not co-operating with 

the office of the AGF. But the more likely 

position, in the assessment of many observers, 

is that these agencies are not willing to 

compromise in some high-profile cases in which 

the AGF might be interested. 

That is why it is widely believed that other 

than crude, selfish politics, there can be no 

legitimate reason for the AGF’s latest threat, 

as conveyed by Obono-Obla, to report the 

heads of EFCC and ICPC to the Presidency for 

refusing to hand over the case files of more 

than 35 former governors and senators. It is 

important to ask why the AGF wants these files. 

Why won’t he simply invite these agencies to a 

meeting to update him on the cases, and then 

explore ways of assisting in achieving diligent 

prosecution? 

No one is disputing the AGF’s status as the 

numero uno in the circumstance, but he should 

refrain from bearing down on these agencies 

as though they don’t have a statutory mandate 

to perform certain roles corresponding with 

his. To paraphrase a local proverb, the sky is 

wide enough for every bird to flap its wings. 

Instead of requesting cases started by other 

agencies, the AGF should initiate his own highprofile 

cases too to show that it not only barks 

but bites as well. Obono-Obla has accused the 

agencies of slowing down the anti-corruption 

war. Well, he has to show concrete proof of how 

this is happening before the charge can hold 

water, not by merely pointing to a refusal of the 

agencies to turn in files of the corruption cases 

they initiated. 

In any case, the last time anyone heard of one 

group of government official publicly 

expressing misgivings about the other, it was 

one prominent member of the Presidential 

Advisory Committee Against Corruption, 

PACAC, also a senior Advocate of Nigeria, 

berating Obono-Obla’s boss for openly 

disagreeing with Acting President Yemi 

Osinbajo on the retention of Magu as the chair 

of EFCC. 

This individual stopped short of calling for 

the AGF’s sack. Before then, this same member 

and another articulate colleague at a forum 

on corruption organised in Abuja by the Pyrates 

Confraternity, separately pronounced doubts 

about the commitment of the AGF to the anticorruption 

efforts of the government on account 

of serial embarrassing defeats handed the 

government in key cases prosecuted by his 

office. 

*Mr. Onyeacholem, a journalist, wrote from 

Abuja.

Customs agents step up fight against fees 

•Allege financial mismanagement 

By Godfrey Bivbere 

HOSTILITY over Prac 

titioners’ Operations 

Fee (POF) levied on licensed 

customs agents appears to 

have been stepped up as the 

Association of Nigerian Licensed 

Customs Agents, AN- 

LCA, has dragged terminal operators 

into the feud between 

it and Federal maritime authorities. 

The parties have been in 

conflict over the POF ordered 

by the Ministry of Transportation 

through the Nigerian Ports 

Authority. The money is to be 

collected by the Council for the 

Regulation of Freight Forwarding 

in Nigeria, CRFFN. 

Speaking to Maritime Journalists 

in Lagos, the National 

Publicity Secretary of ANLCA, 

Kayode Farinto, said to restrain 

the collection his association 

has sued terminal operators 

and joined them in the existing 

restraining suit earlier filed 

in 2015. 

Budgetary 

provisions 

He stated: “We completed the 

filing and have submitted the 

summons to Secretary of Seaport 

Terminal Operators Association 

of Nigeria, STOAN, 

Barr. Boye Uzamot. He has 

promised to ensure his association 

does not flout the law because 

a case is already in 

court” Further stoking the acrimony 

Farinto accused the 

ministry of transportation and 

CRFFN of financial mismanagement, 

alleging that about 

N4.2 billion budgetary provisions 

for CRFFN cannot be accounted 

for. 

He said,“Talking about fund- 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

$132. 25 -4.70 

$1,865.00 -58.00 

$13.18 -0.32 

$14. 71 

$50. 55 -0.18 

$47. 44 - 0. 15 

304.6 305.1 305.6 

395.3099 395. 9588 396.6077 

358. 1487 358. 7366 359. 3245 

316. 3032 316. 8224 317.3416 

2.7899 2.7945 2.799 

0.5255 0.5355 0.5455 

428. 2205 428.9234 439.6263 

45.6861 45. 7616 45.837 

81.2202 81. 3535 81.4868 

428. 9986 429.7028 430.407 

RAND 22.5556 22. 5926 22.6297 

CBN Exchange rate as at 15/08/2017 

From left: Deputy Chairman of the Nigerian Insurers Association, Mr. Tope Smart; Chairman, 

Mr. Eddie Efekoha; Director General, Mrs. Yetunde Ilori and the Assistant Treasurer, 

Mr. Bode Akinboye during a press briefing at the NIA Secretariat in Lagos. 

Nothing has come 

out of the money 

that was allocated 

to them last year 

and this year. Who 

has been spending 

the money? 

ed to CRFFN. In 2017 alone, 

over N3.5 billion has been allocated 

to the Council, the 

budget has been passed, so 

what is the Registrar doing 

ing of CRFFN, last year, more 

than N700 million was allocatwith 

money, who is he regulating 

alone, who has he 

trained? Nothing has come out 

of the money that was allocated 

to them last year and this 

year. Who has been spending 

the money?” 

The ANLCA spokesman also 

argued that the CRFFN Governing 

Council must be properly 

constituted through an 

election before any talk of POF 

could come up. 

When contacted, the Registrar 

of CRFFN, Sir Mike Jukwe, 

did not pick his call but 

sent a text message directing 

Vanguard to call the head of 

corporate affairs of the Council. 

In her response, the Head, 

corporate affairs, CRFFN, 

GTB reports N101.1 billion profit for 

H1‘17 

IN continuation of impressive 

financial performance of most companies 

in the Nigerian Stock Exchange 

for the first half 2017, H1’17, Guaranty 

Trust Bank Plc, yesterday, announced 

positive growth across all key financial 

metrics and improved strategic positioning 

of the brand. 

The results turned in to NSE and the 

London Stock Exchange show profit 

before tax at N101.1billion, representing 

a growth of 18 per cent over N85.69 billion 

recorded in the corresponding period 

of June 2016. 

Gross earnings for the period grew by 

two per cent to N214.1billion from 

N209.9billion driven primarily by growth 

in investment securities income as well 

as income from risk assets. 

But GTB’s loan book dipped by six per 

cent to N1.491trillion from N1.590 trillion 

recorded as at December 2016 and customer 

deposits also decreased by one per 

cent to N1.966trillion from N1.986trillion. 

Commenting on the financial results, 


Chinyere Uronta, said the 

budgeted figure presented by 

ANLCA was wrong and the 

facts presented also weree not 

correct. She, however, disconnected 

the line when Vanguard 

asked her to provide the 

correct figure. 

Director of Press of the Ministry 

of Transportation, Yetunde 

Shonaike, did not pick the call 

put through her phone by Vanguard 

and did not respond to 

a text message sent to her. 

Similarly, an aide to Hon. Rotimi 

Amechi, the minister of 

transportation, David Iyofo, did 

not pick his call but responded 

to the test message directing 

Vanguard back to the director 

of press. 

Mr. Segun Agbaje, the Managing Director/CEO 

of GTB, stated: “Our strong 

performance in the first half of 2017 reflects 

the strength of our businesses, the 

quality of our past decisions and the 

success of our efforts towards becoming 

a digital-first customer-centric Bank 

that offers simple and easily accessible 

products and services. 

“Despite the challenging environment 

of slow economic growth, we focused 

our resources on strengthening relationships 

with our customers, creating business 

platforms that seek to add value 

across all customer segments, whilst 

consolidating our leading position in all 

the economies in which we operate”. 

The Bank has continued to report the 

best financial ratios for a financial institution 

in the industry with a return 

on equity (ROE) of 38.8 per cent and a 

cost to income ratio of 40.2 per cent evidencing 

the efficient management of the 

banks’ assets. Overall, the Bank has enshrined 

its position as a clear leader in 

the industry. 

Nigeria’s 

Mutual Funds 

elicit increased 

interest 

AGAINST the backdrop of 

increased interest and investments 

in Mutual Funds in 

Nigeria, Nigeria’s Securities 

and Exchange Commission 

(SEC) announced that total 

Asset Under Management 

(AUM) of mutual funds in 

Nigeria has crossed N300 

billion mark. 

This has been attributed to 

various factors not excluding 

the current state of the economy, 

stock market and interest 

rate fluctuations as well as 

much improved mutual funds 

offerings. This is further 

backed by a recent report by 

Quantitative Financial Analytics 

which estimated that Nigerian 

mutual funds attracted the 

sum of N42 billion inflows in 

Q1, 2017 as against the N49 

billion inflow recorded the entire 

2016. Nigeria’s mutual 

funds’ assets also grew to N318 

billion as at the beginning of 

H2, 2017, up by 42 percent 

year-to-date (YTD) against the 

2016-year end value of N223.6 

billion. 

Speaking on the trend at the 

launch of one of such funds, 

The Coronation Mutual 

Funds, the Senior Fund Manager 

and Head, Coronation Asset 

Management, Mr. Emeka 

Okolo, said that active portfolio 

management by experienced 

professionals offer investors 

better prospects on 

their investments especially in 

periods of market volatility and 

economic downturns as is 

being experienced in Nigeria, 

making mutual funds an 

optimal choice. 

On the Coronation Mutual 

Funds, Okolo harped on the 

capacity and expertise of Coronation 

Asset Management to 

deliver competitive returns to 

investors in the Coronation 

Mutual Funds, noting that the 

proposed investment mix and 

the fund structures distinguish 

the Funds. 

The recently launched naira 

denominated open-ended 

mutual funds by Coronation 

Assets Management which 

witnessed a high subscription 

rate by individual, retail and 

institutional investors, has 

continued to elicit excitement. 

The Mutual Funds N1.5billion 

Money Market Fund, 

N400million Fixed Income 

Fund and the N200 million 

Balanced Fund, were all offered 

at par of one naira each. 

Chairman of the Bank, 

Tunde Folawiyo, said that the 

funds offer all strata of investors, 

individual and corporate, 

an opportunity to diversify 

their investment portfolios 

backed by the strength of the 

Coronation Brand and managed 

by a team of experienced 

professionals at Coronation 

Asset Management. 

According to him, the Money 

Market Fund will exclusively 

invest in short-dated money 

market instruments, offering 

capital preservation and liquidity 

to investors.

20 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017


Sugar market: Producers 

scramble for market share 

•Golden Penny, Dangote, Bua draw battle lines 

Stories by 

Princewill Ekwujuru 

FOLLOWING increasing 

health concerns over 

sugar consumption, 

manufacturers have been 

devising marketing strategies 

away from health issues. The 

manufacturers are also 

increasing their market focus 

away from direct consumers to 

industrial consumers. 

For direct consumer markets 

the producers are playing up 

some marketing elements 

such as product fortification 

with vitamin ‘A’, solubility 

and whiteness as their 

unique selling propositions to 

retain or increase their 

patronage. 

The producers are now 

developing new marketing 

approach to reach consumers, 

adding friendly packaging 

materials to prevent moisture 

penetration to retain the 

freshness at the point of retail 

sales, segmentation of the 

products into sachets as well 

as reducing the sweeteners. 

Heightened 

competition 

The developments have 

heightened competition in the 

market among such brands 

like Saint Louis, a French 

i m p o r t e d 

brand, Dangote sugar, 

m a n u f a c t u r e d 

by Dangote Sugar 

Refinery Nigeria 

Plc, Golden sugar, produced 

by Golden Sugar Company 

Limited, a subsidiary of 

Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, 

Bua sugar, produced by Bua 

Refinery Limited, Family 

sugar by McNichols Plc, who 

pioneered the sachet sugar 

products segment, 

and Savannah sugar, 

Savannah Sugar Company 

Limited, a subsidiary of 

Dangote Group. 

The competition has, 

however, narrowed the 

scramble for top spot in the 

market to Saint Louis, 

Dangote sugar, Golden sugar 

and Bua sugar. 

C&M findings 

Vanguard Companies and 

Markets (C&M) findings 

show that competition in the 

market has pitched 

manufacturers along product 

fortification line, pocket 

friendliness, attractive 

packaging and availability. 

A look into the cube and 

granulated segment of the 

sugar market show the 

preferences of the products, 

with Saint Louis taking the 

lead in the cube segment 

followed by Golden Penny 

sugar as consumers claim it 

is less sweetened. While in 

the granulated segment Bua 

sugar leads, followed by 

Dangote and Golden Penny 

sugar. 

The locals, Dangote sugar 

and Golden Penny sugar are, 

however, battling to take the 

market leadership from Saint 

Louis, deploying low 

sweetened sugar, thereby 

eating into Saint 

Loius’s market share. 

Saint Loius has ruled the 

cube sugar market for over 

three decades without 

advertising or embarking on 

CHEMICAL and Allied 

Products (CAP) Plc, a 

subsidiary of UACN Plc and 

makers of Dulux paint, a 

licencee of AkzoNobel, has 

announced a special price offer 

to customers to celebrate its 

annual colour campaign in 

Nigeria. 

Marketing Manager, CAP 

Plc, Mr. Dominic Oladeji, 

disclosed at the Nigerian 

edition of the ‘Let’s Colour’ 

campaign to commemorate the 

global project to create a 

colourful experience, that the 

company was making a special 

price offer as it continues to 

build platforms for colour 

promos. 

Consumers’ 

reaction 

Off the number of 

consumers spoken 

to, majority of them 

preferred Golden Penny 

sugar, followed by 

Dangote and Saint 

Louis, an indication 

that the market is 

gradually slipping 

off Saint Louis’s 

control. Price is not 

significant in this 

respect, as 

consumers say price 

difference is slight, 

a situation that has 

further stiffened competition 

in the market. 

The locals, Dangote 

sugar and Golden 

Penny sugar are, 

however, battling to 

take the market 

leadership from 

Saint Louis 

A consumer, Ayoola Omilabu 

of Mosak Bakeries, said that 

all the brands are fortified with 

vitamin ‘A,’ and are lowly 

sweetened, use them interchangeably 

depending on the 

one that is accessible at a 

point in time, but noted he 

mostly uses BUA granulated 

sugar and Golden Penny 

sugar. 

On the cube sugar brands, 

Patrick Obodo, said he takes 

his tea with any of the local 

brands, that “one cube of St 

Louis equals three cubes of 

the local brands. I prefer 

using Golden Penny sugar,” 

he declared. 

According to Mrs. Modupe 

Emilagba, a dietician, “sugar 

intake is good for the body, but 

excess of it is bad.” She, 

however, noted that the 

present taste of locally 

produced sugar brands are 

better for consumers since 

most Nigerian foods are 

carbohydrate based, “a little 

sweetened taste for tea is not 

too bad an idea.” 

Dr.Val Ugbeche of Metro 

Clinic, Idimu, Lagos, said, 

“most people have reduced 

the intake of sugar because of 

the rise in diabetes and 

obesity, which invariably is 

affecting the volume of sugar 

consumption in the 

country. Sugar is an 

energizer, excessive intake is 

dangerous,” he noted also. 

CAP offers special price to celebrate colour project 

interaction with the Dulux 

brand. 

This year, the company has 

introduced a special price offer 

on select products which can 

be purchased at any of its 

Dulux outlets in Nigeria to 

encourage its customers to 

experience Dulux colours and 

participate in the campaign. 

“At CAP Plc, we consistently 

explore every opportunity to 

encourage our customers and 

our communities to experience 

the power of colours. We 

believe that colour has the 

ability to transform people’s 

environment as well as their 

lives, which is why in addition 

to other activities lined up for 

the 2017 ‘Let’s Colour’ 

campaign, we are offering 

special prices on select 

products. 

However, this unique offer is 

valid while the select stock is 

available,” Mr. Oladeji stated. 

"The ‘Let’s Colour’ Campaign 

is one of the many ways CAP 

Plc, through its premium brand 

– Dulux, has elevated the 

concept of colours around the 

world. We will continue to 

provide more opportunities 

and platforms for our customers 

to experience the power of 

colour.” he added. 

Guinness sets 

aside over 

N100m for 

consumers 

GUINNESS Nigeria Plc, 

makers of Malta 

Guinness brand of nonalcoholic 

drinks said it’s 

financing over a N100million 

promo to reward consumers. 

Marketing and Innovation 

Director for Guinness Nigeria, 

Adenike Adebola, said at the 

unveiling of the promo tagged, 

“Go Get It” in Lagos, that 

Malta Guinness through the 

promo is giving consumers the 

opportunity to fulfill their 

dreams, while providing 

Nigerians with the energy 

needed to make their dreams 

come true with a prize fund of 

over N100million, to help loyal 

consumers turn ‘Malta 

Goodness into Greatness.’ 

Her words, “over the past 

weeks the brand has been 

looking for those individuals 

who thrive and smile, asking 

them to say what they would 

do with N1 million using 

#ifIhadamillion. Over 3,000 

people sent in their ideas and 

the best one by Babayemi 

Ibrahim was selected." 

According to her, Ibrahim, a 

small scale farmer exhibited the 

can do spirit by sharing an 

inspiring video on how he 

plans to use the money to boost 

his rabbit farm and expand into 

crop farming to take his project 

to the next level and contribute 

to sustaining food security in 

Nigeria. "We believe this will 

go a long way to fuel his 

dreams as Malta Guinness will 

be providing a suitable mentor 

to guide him on his path to 

greatness.” 

She added, "over the coming 

weeks, Malta Guinness is set 

to make another 13 people 

millionaires, but now the only 

way to win is to enter the “Go 

Get It” National Consumer 

Promo. The promo which will 

run for 90 days, will give over 

N100million to consumers of 

Malta Guinness.” 

On mechanics of the reward 

system, Ifeoma Agu, Brand 

Manager, Malta Guinness 

Non-alcoholic drinks, said, 

"every week, one lucky 

consumer will winN1million 

and three lucky consumers will 

win N100,000 each. 

Furthermore, consumers will 

win N5,000 plus airtime worth 

millions of Naira daily. 

To participate, the brand 

manager, said consumers are 

advised to buy a bottle or can 

of Malta Guinness Classic or 

Malta Guinness Herbs Lite, 

open the crown cork or can ring 

pull to reveal a code; SMS the 

code with your name to 32011 

e.g. SMS T8R7KYU7 MARY to 

32011.


Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017— 23 

Why code of corporate governance applies to private companies —NCC 

By Tare Youdeowei 

SINCE the Nigerian 

Communications Commission, NCC, 

released the code of corporate 

governance in 2016, there has been 

complaints in some quarters that the 

commission was meddling with 

affairs of the private businesses in 

the sector. 

However, the commission has come 

out in defence of its policies saying 

that its major interest was to ensure 

the stability of the telecom sector, 

arguing that if the code was in 

practice three years ago, it would 

have arrested the near crisis that saw the 

rebranding of Etisalat to 9mobile recently. 

The commission at a media parley in 

Lagos said that with the code, it has 

moved from the era of voluntary 

compliance to mandatory compliance. It 

believes that if some of the activities of 

private companies are not guided, the 

sector could lose Foreign Direct 

Investment, FDI and thereafter stability. 

Executive Commissioner Stakeholder 

Management, NCC, Mr. Sunday Dare, 

said that “People are wondering why 

government is interfering in the affairs 

of private telcos. It is because these are 

special companies with high public 

interest; as such regulators are to 

ensure they are well run so they do not 

crash. These companies have gone 

beyond the threshold of private 

companies because of the quantum of 

public funds they hold without interest. 

We are also doing this because of the 

inflow of Foreign Direct Investment. It 

is very important and rapidly taking the 

place of crude oil, hence we are 

ensuring companies are well run to let 

investors know their money and 

investments are safe. If you buy a 

recharge card it is an investment in a 

telco and we are to ensure services are 

delivered equitably without 

exploitation, hence the code. 

“We are guarding against the Too Big 

to Fail syndrome, if the dictates of the 

code are adhered to the letter, we can 

guard against failure. This is not a silver 

bullet but it puts the trigger in the hands 

of the regulator to ensure only the best 

happens in the companies; practices, 

quality of staff and services, all because 

we seek to guard investors and FDI. 

The code, amongst other things, 

stipulates that the director of a telco 

cannot serve for more than 15 years. 

MUCH ADO ABOUT NATIONAL IDENTITY 

•No NIN, no citizenship, says NIMC DG 

•No, Mr DG, get your acts right, Nigerians reply 

By Prince Osuagwu 

SINCE the National Identity 

Management Commission, 

NIMC, announced that the 

National Identity Number, NIN, 

has become a major precondition 

for citizenship and that 

enforcement of no NIN, no 

international passport, may be in 

force January 2018, many 

Nigerians have been spoiling for 

war. While some feel that such 

pronouncement has no basis at 

all, others argue that it was too 

hasty, considering the precarious 

nature of the Nigerian state at the 

moment and the heterogeneous 

population of the country. 

The first salvo was fired by social 

commentator, Luke 

Onyekakeyah, who in an 

opinion article in a national 

newspaper, described the order 

as ‘lawless’. 

Arrogance and 

impunity 

He said that “an indication that 

from January 2018 anybody who 

does not have the National ID 

card will not be issued with 

Nigerian passport is misguided 

and uncalled for. It smacks of 

arrogance and impunity on the 

part of the National Identity 

Management Commission 

(NIMC) and the Nigeria 

Immigration Service (NIS). The 

deadline is illegal...” 

Part of Onyekakeya’s argument 

is that “whereas there is a law 

establishing both the National 

Identity Management 

Commission and Immigration, 

there is no law that says that 

obtaining passport is predicated 

on having the National ID card/ 

number. It is, therefore, 

absolutely wrong for anybody to 

issue such lawless deadlines.” 

He said that such deadlines, 

from experience, promote 

corruption as it could lead some 

officials of the agencies 

concerned to capitalise on the 

situation to fleece Nigerians. 

Apparently, Onyekakeya was 

speaking the minds of many 

Nigerians as those who spoke to 

Hi-Tech, felt that the ultimatum 

was unnecessary, considering 

that both the national identity and 

the international passport are all 

legal means of identification 

which should complement each 

other. 

I believe that NIMC 

didn’t actually mean 

it the way Nigerians 

are taking it. We 

understand our 

people better, if you 

don’t put such 

restrictions and 

deadlines, they 

wouldn't get 

registered 

Mr. Monday Eluwa, a Lagos 

based Chartered accountant 

said: “Honestly, I do not see the 

need for that kind of 

pronouncement. It is 

unnecessary and will so draw up 

arguments that will not help the 

economy in any way. Both 

documents are valid means of 

identification, so why making one 

inferior to the other; because if 

you say that I can’t get this, if I 

don’t have the other, you have 

clearly told me which one is more 

important. 

“I think what NIMC should do 

is to create more awareness on 

the exercise and as well design 

a strategy that will not only get 

Nigerians trooping to their 

centres for registration but also 

make it easier for them to register 

and have their numbers/cards 

instantly. Threats have never 

worked in Nigeria and can never 

ever work.” 

Janet Edukpaye, an insurance 

broker based in Lagos said that 

NIMC should have been more 

tactful with the pronouncement, 

knowing that a lot of people are 

aggrieved over alleged inability 

of the commission to release the 

cards of many Nigerians who 

have registered for the exercise 

long time ago. His words; “My 

take is that NIMC was a bit 

careless in that pronouncement. 

They should have ensured that 

scores of people who have 

registered but have not received 

their cards are conveniently 

settled before coming up with a 

deadline. I just feel that it was 

an undue excitement over a 

perceived successful 

harmonisation that led the 

commission to commit the 

blunder. But we can also get it 

right; we are Nigerians, after all.” 

Meanwhile an Enugu based 

civil engineer, Emeka Mgbo, 

saw the whole thing differently. 

“We make issues about 

everything. I believe that NIMC 

didn’t actually mean it the way 

Nigerians are taking it. We 

understand our people better, if 

you don’t put such restrictions 

and deadlines, no matter the 

strategy you apply, people will 

still feel reluctant to go and 

register. 

“However, the commission also 

has some blames. For instance, I 

have not seen their centre in 

Enugu where I live and as I came 

to Lagos to buy materials I have 

approached a few of the centres, 

the queue I saw was frightening. 

They should try and decongest 

Continues on page 21


High income internet users in Nigeria spend 

N3,427 monthly – Report 

By Emmanuel Elebeke 

AFOUR-country study, 

backed by Mozilla and 

carried out by Research ICT 

Africa on the financial reality 

of Internet use in Nigeria 

shows that higher income users 

pay between US$3.17-9.52 per 

month, whereas low income 

users pay as low as US7 cents 

per month. Nevertheless, these 

urban group users considered 

the pricing of Internet bundles 

cheap and largely affordable. 

The report says Nigerian 

internet users like to use ‘big 

smartphones’ and will rather 

not go online until they can 

afford one. "They want high 

speed Internet at affordable 

prices.” 

The four-country study also 

provides a much-needed 

How data centres, SMEs can disrupt their sectors 

with Mart Networks solutions 

VALUE added service 

distributor, Mart Networks 

Nigeria Ltd., says data centre 

operators and the SMEs also 

have opportunities to disrupt 

the old order in their sectors by 

using its solutions to provide 

something different from the 

usual offerings 

This was as it unveiled 

innovative enterprise solutions 

for data centres and small and 

medium enterprises in Nigeria, 

in Lagos recently. The company 

at the launch of the solutions 

showcased a range of solutions 

it currently distributes in 

Nigeria. 

Speaking at the event, 

21st CENTURY Technologies 

Limited said it has re-jigged 

its operations to be able to face 

the challenges of the economy. 

Chief executive officer of the 

company Mr. Wale Ajisebutu, 

said that Nigeria’s socioeconomic 

challenges includes: power and 

energy infrastructure, food 

security and agriculture, wealth 

creation and employment, mass 

transportation, land reforms, 

security, and education and that 

his company was ready to face 

refresh of what African Internet 

users are doing; what 

influences their access 

behaviour; and how greater 

access might be provided. The 

study looked at the results from 

Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and 

South Africa. The country 

studies used focus groups to 

explore user and non-user 

behaviour in detail. 

In each country, the groups 

were held in urban, semi-urban 

and rural places except in 

Nigeria where they were held 

in the cities of Lagos, Kano and 

Enugu. One key area for the 

study was the use of subsidized 

data services like Facebook’s 

Free Basics. 

In Nigeria, the use of 

subsidized data services was 

introduced in April 2016. The 

Managing Director of the 

company, Mr. Moiz Maloo, 

said the company strives on 

providing leading edge 

technology to its customers by 

partnering with vendors that 

are leaders in their areas of 

specialisation ranging from 

solutions for the enterprise 

market or even SMB solutions 

for smaller businesses. 

According to Mr. Maloo, 

Mart Networks prides itself in 

being a one stop for all IT 

solutions; distributing products 

for global tech giants like 

Sophos, Siemon, Arista 

networks who are leaders in 

Network Security, data centre 

them squarely.. 

The company said it has 

developed set of solutions to 

address and shape the present 

and future of Nigeria and 

Nigerians. “Central to all these 

are tailor made solutions to 

address these challenges; they 

are indigenous solutions with 

global standards. We believe that 

Nigerians deserve the very best. 

That is why the solutions are local 

to address local challenges” 

Ajisebutu said. 

From left; Managing 

Director, Rack 

Centre, Ayotunde 

Coker; President, 

Lagos Chamber of 

Commerce and 

Industry, Dr. Nike 

Akande; Minister, 

Ministry of 

Communications, 

Barrister. Adebayo 

Shittu and Business 

Development 

Director, Rack 

Centre, Frederick 

Udoaka, at Lagos 

Chamber of 

Commerce, ICTEL, 

Expo. 

study, however, found that 

there were low levels of 

awareness of the service: “In 

many cases they showed 

strong skepticism as to the 

practicality of this product and 

expressed fears that the mobile 

operator will eventually deduct 

whatever data is used on the 

zero rated platforms from their 

phone,” the report said. 

According to the report, “the 

Rwanda focus group members 

were far less skeptical but the 

country researcher notes that:” 

the use of subsidized data 

services, constitute a great part 

of data use as it allows MNOs 

to keep big numbers of 

subscribers that effectively use 

Internet even though the 

content is very limited to two 

or three services.” 

cabling and data centre 

switching respectively. 

“In addition to these solutions 

we also distribute other 

enterprise solutions from 

Edgecore Switching and 

Wireless, 24 Online Internet 

Management, Neox IP PBX. In 

addition, we partner with 

vendors such as Netgear a 

leader in SME networking 

solutions for Switching, 

Wireless, Routing and Storage. 

Aside that, we have GIGANET 

Strutured Cabling, SME 

switches, CCTV, Zycoo, IP 

PBX amongst other solutions 

needed in the SME space”. 

21st Century braces for fresh challenges 

ICT solutions remain the vital 

instrument that can be used by 

Nigerians to enhance service 

delivery strategy and bring about 

innovations for the development 

of the economy. Ajisebutu said 

“That is why the solutions have 

been developed by some of the 

world’s best brains taking into 

consideration the Nigerian 

environment, because we cannot 

copy what works in other climates 

and expect them to work perfectly 

here” 

Much ado about national identity 


the centres and make the whole 

thing less cumbersome” he 

added. NIMC recently got the 

nod of federal Government to 

make the National Identity 

Number, NIN a major pre 

condition to becoming a citizen 

of Nigeria. What it means is that 

those who have not taken part in 

the NIMC registration exercise, 

are running the risk of not being 

recognised as Nigerian citizens. 

In addition they may not be 

able to renew their driver’s 

licences, international passports 

and other important papers as 

government says it has 

concluded arrangement to begin 

enforcement soon. 

Director-General of the 

National Identity Management 

Commission (NIMC), Engr. 

Aliyu Aziz, had at a press 

conference in Lagos, warned that 

a n y 

Nigerian 

without 

t h e 

National 

Identification 

Number 

(NIN) 

issued by 

the commission runs the risk of 

being regarded as a non- 

Nigerian citizen. 

He, however, revealed 

government’s willingness, to 

further enlighten citizens on the 

importance of enrolling to obtain 

the National Identification 

Number, after which it will begin 

enforcement immediately. He 

said that NIN fully confers on any 

citizen so enrolled, Nigerian 

citizenship. Aziz said: “It is the 

duty of every citizen to enrol and 

obtain his or her National 

Identification Number, which 

entitles one to be fully regarded 

as a Nigerian citizen. Without the 

NIN anyone’s claims of being a 

Nigerian citizen are doubtful; that 

is what the NIMC Act 

Digital Banking Solution: A SkyeXperien 

for smart banking customers 


ALTHOUGH the sky is big 

enough to house every 

application in separate places, one of 

Nigeria’s leading and innovative 

commercial institutions, Skye Bank 

Plc, at the weekend, decided to 

approach the cloud with a more 

compact digital banking solution 

called SkyeXperience 

Described by the bank as the first of 

its kind in the banking sector, 

SkyXperience represents a 

convergence of three separate 

applications which usually customers 

could only install with separate log-in 

passwords either in their laptops, 

tablets or mobile phones. However, 

with the latest innovation, Skye Bank 

brings convenience to its customers 

who can now have these three 

applications installed in one system 

stipulates.” 

NIMC may have considered 

the projections that Nigeria’s 

population may shot up 

astronomically between now and 

2050 and decided to entrench a 

system that would make for easy 

identification of who the right 

citizens are. But a lot of people 

are faulting the approach. 

Benefits of NIN 

Besides conferring full 

citizenship on a person, National 

Identity Number, NIN, also 

ensures one person one identity, 

enhances participation in the 

political process, is an important 

tool for fight against corruption 

and terrorism, enables citizens to 

exercise their rights and 

facilitates management of 

subsidies and safety net 

payments to Internal Displaced 

Persons. 

Other benefits of the NIN are 

that it 

facilitates 

service 

delivery 

i n 

Ministries, 

Departments 

a n d 

Agencies; 

enhances the work of Law 

Enforcement Agencies thereby 

providing public safety, policing, 

national security and border 

protection, helps launder 

Nigeria’s image, eliminates 

ghost and multiple identities and 

enhances ability of citizens to 

assert their identity. 

The NIN also enhances access 

to credit from financial 

institutions, protects citizens from 

identity theft thereby being an 

antidote to identity theft driven 

frauds, it expands access to other 

financial services including 

insurance, it enhances e- 

commerce by providing a means 

of payment, it is a tool for nonrepudiation 

and security for 

financial transactions. 

with one set of log-in details. 

Unveiling of the new application 

according to the bank, also signifie 

an expanded digital financial offerin 

regime which underscores it 

commitment to better service deliver 

for valued customers who hav 

continued to do business with i 

irrespective of the harsh busines 

environment and the current economi 

downturn. Group Managing Directo 

of the bank, Mr. Adetokunbo Abiru 

said the overriding objective o 

launching SkyeXperience is to simplif 

service delivery and personalize th 

customer experience. “As a pledge o 

commitment to a new service charte 

with our customers, we have decide 

to render to them this digital bankin 

solution, which we call SkyeXperience 

The solution denotes positive value 

such as experience, excellence 

excitement and experientia

, 

s 

g 

s 

y 

e 

t, 

s 

c 

r 

, 

f 

y 

e 

f 

r 

d 

g 

. 

s 

, 

. 

ce 

Interview 

Nigerian youths can be retooled 

to curb cybercrime – Adedokun 

Oduyemi, CEO, Fort Soft Systems 

CEO of Fort Soft Systems and Head, NIIT Lagos, Mr. Adedokun Oduyemi, 

spoke to Hi-Tech in an exclusive interview, about the Nigerian IT sector and 

what he feels the government needs to do to fully maximize the benefits of ICT. 

By Rotimi Agbana 

WHY is NIIT committed to 

helping youths build 

and grow their career? 

Simply put, the young ones of 

today are not just the leaders of 

tomorrow, they are the future 

itself. They are the determinants 

of what this nation’s tomorrow 

will look like, and are the ones 

that will bring that future to life. 

The repair of our nation and the 

drive towards Nigeria achieving 

its full potential and taking its true 

position among the league of 

nations starts with the youth. 

Therefore, we need to focus on 

building a productive and vibrant 

future, by empowering the 

youths to take us there. We also 

need to ensure that they are 

equipped to hold their own 

wherever they go, especially as 

the world becomes a global 

village. 

They are going to compete with 

youths from all over the world 

and we need to prepare them for 

that day. As they say, when 

opportunity meets with 

preparedness, success is 

guaranteed. These are some of 

the goals NIIT seeks to help 

Nigeria’s youth achieve. 

Do you feel empowerment 

programmes for you are 

enough? 

It’s difficult to simply 

generalize what all Nigerian 

SkyeXperience is today Nigeria’s 

most advanced digital financial 

solution that will make banking hasslefree 

and provides exciting lifestyle for 

both the young and the old” he added. 

Unique features: The unique 

features of the SkyeXperience include 

providing for the customer an Omnichannel 

experience, seamless 

navigation on multiple platforms and 

better time management. The solution 

is also a self-service banking platform 

enabling the customer to do several 

transactions on the go while 

managing time better. “For our dear 

retail customers, who need to pay 

school fees from their home or office 

to our SME customers who need to 

make instant payments to suppliers 

and vendors in distant cities, this 

solution is for you,” Abiru claimed. 

Earlier in his welcome address, the 

Chairman of Skye Bank, Mr. 

companies have been doing. I 

know there are those dedicated to 

youth empowerment. There are 

some who place a premium on 

Corporate Social Responsibility 

(CSR), and focus on education. I 

also know certain states have 

created a platform for companies 

to do this. An example is Lagos 

State and its Adopt a School 

programme. 

On the flip side though, I think 

clearly defined lines need to be 

adopted in these programmes. We 

need to define what is needed, 

what standards we want to achieve 

through these programmes; before 

we invite companies to partner or 

contribute. It’s not necessarily their 

specialties, and these companies 

are focused on their many different 

stakeholders and seek a balance 

of many and sometimes conflicting 

interests. I believe that the 

government, through its education 

and youth ministries and 

parastatals, is uniquely positioned 

to define the parameters for 

development. 

Considering the high 

percentage of youths involved in 

cyber crime, what is NIIT's 

antidote? 

Our focus in recent years has 

been on helping re-channel the 

capabilities of our youths. 

Cybercrime has become a major 

issue for a multitude of reasons, 

including inadequate 

opportunities for work and 

•SkyeXperience 

Mohammed Ahmad said the launch 

of SkyeXperience is the bank’s 

modest contribution towards the 

economic development of Nigeria, 

especially in the area of financial 

technology and digital revolution. 

He described Skye bank as a 

financial institution that has always 

taken the lead in terms of digital 

offering in the financial service 

space, just as a way to respond to 

the needs and expectations of its 

customers. He said: “By unveiling 

this new service platform called 

SkyeXPerience, we are offering you 

a smarter way to bank and a more 

convenient way to live”. 

Ahmad said that the new solution 

complements the federal 

government policy on digital 

revolution which seeks to achieve 

30 per cent broadband penetration 

by 2018. 

advancement. 

You find so 

m a n y 

unemployed 

graduates, 

and underemployed 

ones. These 

•Adedokun 

Oduyemi 

are the 

prevailing 

conditions. 

Therefore our 

response and 

focus has been on showing the 

youths the opportunities open 

to them to succeed, by 

channelling their capabilities 

towards positive development 

online and offline. We now 

have Nigerian youths 

developing apps on android 

and apple platforms that earn 

them a lot more money than 

from cybercrime. We have also 

partnered with different 

organizations at different times 

to retrain our youths. 

A recent exercise was done 

with Amuwo Local Government 

to train 200 youths and develop 

their ICT skills positively, and 

we believe these trained youth 

are in a position to retrain 

others, thus significantly 

amplifying the reach of this 


Massive 

discounts 

Our annual scholarship 

programme, which provides 

course to youths at massive 

discounts to enable those who 

would normally be unable to 

afford the cost of these 

programs, is another avenue 

we are using to retrain our 

youths and harness their 

capabilities for the good of all – 

themselves, families, 

communities, companies and 

ultimately the nation. 

In your opinion, do you 

think the education sector is 

taking adequate advantage of 

the benefits in IT? 

This is somewhat 

controversial. I believe we are 

a long way from taking 

adequate advantage of ICT, as 

a nation. I also believe that the 

root of this issue is our 

educational system. We have a 

curriculum for our schools that 

leaves huge room for 

improvements. We have not 

defined what to cover for some 

levels in our schools system, 

notably secondary school level. 

Most government schools are 

inadequately equipped to even 

try. Taking it further, some of the 

syllabuses still being covered 

in our universities leave a lot 

out for our students. And I don’t 


believe we have capacity for 

growth in a general sense. We 

are a nation of some of the 

smartest people in the world, and 

are capable of creating and 

u t i l i z i n g 

technology well. 

We are also 

adaptable, and 

embrace 

change. 

However we do 

need to invest 

heavily 

mean just the ICT related 

courses. We have a long way to 

go in general, and need to start 

brainstorming on concrete ways 

to fix it. 

Do you think Nigeria’s IT 

sector is viable enough to tackle 

IT challenges? 

The major ingredient needed 

for a viable ICT industry is 

capacity - the mental ability to 

adequately utilize technology, 

and even develop new ones. I 

How LG promotes green environment 

with eco-friendly gadgets 


LG Electronics says it has 

been a strong advocate of 

green environment and has 

continued to practice a 

responsible environmental 

stewardship by producing ecofriendly 

appliances, air 

conditioners and other products 

designed to help users reduce 

energy consumption. 

The company said that to help 

reduce hazardous substances 

such as heavy metals 

and chemicals in its 

products, it has 

committed itself fully 

in promoting green 

production by 

making its products 

more recyclable and 

easy to dispose at the 

end of the products’ 

lifespan. 

Eco-friendly 

products are 

products that do not 

harm the 

environment 

whether in their 

production, use or 

disposal stages. 

These products help to preserve 

the environment by significantly 

reducing pollution. The company 

said that some of its products, 

including refrigerators, tvs, 

washing machines, air 

conditioners among others have 

earned awards by the U.S. 

Environmental Protection agency 

for continuing leadership in 

protecting the environment with 

in capacity building for our 

youths, to enable them embrace 

ICT, and prevent brain drain. 

Importantly, this must start from 

the schools. 

What do you think deters 

youths from ICT professions? 

First is the impression of 

difficulty and expense. 

Developing apps can easily be 

achieved by owning a laptop, yet 

the impression is that achieving 

this is too expensive. Also the 

glamour of other industries like 

entertainment and sports do not 

exist in ICT. 

However they need to look at 

recent list of the world’s richest 

men to understand the potential 

in ICT. Beyond wealth, youth 

need to realize that both 

advancements globally have 

been forged on the back of ICT. 

From health breakthroughs, to 

new technology in varied fields 

such as transportation, nutrition, 

genetics, even the creation of 

new life; ICT has been critical to 

achieving all these. 

We also need to invest in 

Science Technology Engineering 

& Mathematics (STEM) as a 

nation. We need to focus on 

developing STEM capacity as a 

nation starting in schools. If we 

look at the examples of new 

countries breaking into ICT 

prominence, you will find that 

they all made concerted efforts 

to develop their STEM capacities 

decades back, investing in STEM 

subjects and thus creating 

generations of capable youths 

who are taking their ICT 

industries to whole new levels. 

energy efficient consumer 

electronics. 

Managing Director, LG 

Electronics West Africa operations, 

Mr. Taeick Son said: “We in LG 

are fully committed to having 

more of Greenhouse products to 

protect the environment from 

hazardous impact which could 

spell doom for mankind. We have 

deliberately adopted it as a policy 

which means, at every strata of 

production, we are conscious of 

the fact that the 

environment must be 

kept safe for all to live 

in and that is what LG 

Electronics stands for.” 

He said that the 

company’s efforts to 

increase the number 

of carbon-free, 

energy-efficient 

products can save 

consumers millions of 

naira in electricity 

costs and diminish 

greenhouse gas 

emission drastically. 

“The LG Multi V 5 is 

a perfect example that 

offers ultimate energy 

management by analyzing data 

to forecast energy usage 

preventing users from exceeding 

consumption guidelines. Its 

Inverter compressor also increase 

part load efficiency and enhances 

its ability to reach the desired 

temperature while the Ocean 

black Fin protects against 

corrosive substances and 

industrial pollution” he claimed.


Turn that waste to meal 

•Yam peel can make yam flour (Elubo) 

YAM peel is usually a 

waste to people in cities 

but for those in the villages, 

it is kept to feed goats. 

Homemakers can turn waste 

into wealth not because of economic 

recession but to be part 

of the change movement being 

championed by our government. 

This requires 

change of attitude of the 

people to reduce the amount 

of waste being generated, 

thereby also reducing 

hazard to healthy living. 

Many Homemakers, 

especially those in the cities, 

usually peel yam in such a 

way that half of it goes with 

the peel in the process of 

cooking smooth yam. 

Poverty 

mentality 

The truth is that, there is a 

way to make another meal 

from yam and reduce waste. 

The only requirement is patience 

and interest. 

When I first noticed my mother 

removing yam peel to 

make Elubo, I did not show interest 

in it. I used to even tell her 

that it was poverty mentality. But 

she would always insist that it 

was not good to waste food. Her 

argument was not to reduce any 

health hazard that waste can 

cause but that there are many 

people out there that cannot afford 

to eat a meal a day. 

I still refused to mix what she 

was getting from the process 

with the Elubo I bought from 

the market until when I was 

not around and she milled it 

and made Amala for the family. 

To my surprise, there was 

no difference between the one 

we were buying for thousands 

of Naira from the market and 

the one she was preparing. 

Now, when I buy yams, I 

have double gain. I eat the 

yams and use the peel for 

Amala. 

Yam peel 

How to do it 

IT is the same process for 

yam flour sold in the 

market but the difference is that 

you are using the peel and large 

scale producers are using 

whole yams. 

In producing Elubo, you 

cannot use fresh yam or new 

yam. It will not come out well. 

It has to be old, dry yam. 

•Remove the back of your yam 

peel into a bowl and fill the 

container with water to cover the 

peeled yam. 

•Boil water and add to it which 

will make it warm. Leave it 

overnight. 

•Remove and spread in a sieve 

to drain the water. Spread under 

the sun for three to four days 

depending on the 

weather. Make sure it is very dry. 

Keep in your clip locked bucket 

to avoid any insect since you 

cannot wash before grinding. 

•Continue the process each 

time you peel yam until you get 

the quantity you want. 

It is not about how long it will 

take to get the quantity you 

want, it is about the joy of 

knowing that this is from you. 

To make it easier, buy what 

you would eat for about a 

month and start your 

own Elubo process. Before you 

finish consuming that, you 

would have got enough to mill 

for the family. 

Dried yam( Elubo Isu) 

Items 

CONSUMER WATCH A place that makes you plan ahead 

Prices 

Basket of Tomatoes N15,500 - N25,000 

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

A bag of Long pepper N6, 500 – N7000 

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

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

50kg of long grain Rice N15,800 

A derica of long grain Rice N280 

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

A derica of short grain Rice N300 

A crate of egg N1,100 - 1,200 

A bag of Olotu beans N50,000 

A bag of Oloyin N51,000 

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

A bag of Gari (Yellow) N14,000 

A paint bucket N1,000 

Items 

Prices 

A bag of Ijebu Gari N12,000 

A paint bucket 

N700 

25 Litres of Vegetable Oil N30, 500 

10Litres N6, 500-N 7000 

25 Litres of Palm Oil N13,500 

5Litres of Palm Oil N2,200 

Salt 

N80-N150 

Noodles- 70g 

N1500- N1800 

Spaghetti (1packet) 

N190-N200 

Macaroni(1packet) 

N120 

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

Pampers (cartons of 8) N3, 400 

Seasonings 

N110 – N500 

Tomatoe paste (2,200g) N1200-N1500 

Tomatoe paste (Medium) N550-N700 

Items 

Prices 

Tomatoe paste(small) 

N150-N350 

Tomatoe sachet (a roll) N250 –N300 

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

A Satchet of milk 

N30-N50 

A Sachet of beverage 

N45-N50 

Toothpaste 

N250-N270 

5 Litres of Kerosine N1,200 

12.5kg. Cooking gas N4, 500 

Yam (1 tuber). 

N400- N800 

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

A dozen of tied Ugwu Leaf N1,800, 

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

Carton Titus ice Fish N19,000 

1 Carton of Kote ice fish N16,200 

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


Ogi and Moi-Moi —Your delicious 

breakfast meal 

•Ogi mixed with milk and Moi Moi 

By Ebun Sessou 

OGI, Akamu or Pap 

with Moi-Moi is a 

delicious meal for breakfast. 

This meal is also a good delicacy 

for children. 

Although Moi-Moi takes 

longer time to prepare but it 

makes a great meal because 

it is nutritious. It goes well 

with Pap and also makes a 

good balanced diet. 

Ingredients 

Pap or Ogi 

Water 

Milk 

Sugar (to taste) 

Beans 

Ground crayfish 

Seasoning 

Pepper 

Onions 

Vegetable oil 

Salt (to taste) 

Fish 

Egg 

Moi Moi Leaves 

Preparation: Put some 

lumps of akamu/ogi/pap into 

a sizeable bowl. Pap rises 

during preparation so you 

should use a bowl big 

enough to contain the meal 

in its risen state. If in doubt, 

use a very big bowl, with 

time, you will learn which 

quantity can comfortably fit 

in the bowl size. Use a tablespoon 

to crush the lumps 

of ogi into very small pieces. 

Add cold water in small 

quantities and mix till you 

have a medium consistency 

with no lumps. Put a kettle 

of water to boil. Make 

sure the water will be 

enough. It is better to boil 

too much water than not 

have enough water when 

making pap. 

Just before the water boils, 

stir the mix very well because 

some of the ogi may 

have settled at the bottom of 

the bowl. If not stirred well, 

this is the major cause of 

lumps when you start making 

it. 

Once the water boils, pour 

it slowly but steadily in a circular 

motion into the bowl 

of akamu and stir at the 

same time. Pouring the hot 

water slowly and stirring at 

the same time is very important 

because this prevents 

lumps. 

Once you see the mixture 

setting, stop stirring and reduce 

the flow of water you 

are pouring till the pap has 

completely formed. Set the 

kettle aside and stir the pap 

very well. If it is too thick for 

you, you can add more hot 

water. But be careful, else it 

will become watery. 

Look good: Menstrual period not 

a mourning moment 

AS Homemakers, 

everything that 

God gave to us is what 

makes us unique. No 

wonder some people are 

going through self-inflicted 

pain just to produce 

hormones that can 

make them menstruate. 

It is a natural gift and 

should, therefore, not 

make us moody anytime 

we have the flow. We 

have to be proud of 

whom we are as women 

and to rejoice that we are 

still productive. It is not 

the time when everybody 

around you should 

know what is going on 

with you. Remember 

that, as homemakers, 

you determine the mood 

of the family. When you 

are happy, the family is 

happy. Let your girls 

ask you if you actually 

do menstruate. Let us 

change their attitude to 

this cycle. Though some 

do have pains during 

this period, that should 

not make them moody. 

How to spice up your 

mood during this period 

•Wear underpants that 

Blend peeled beans, onions, 

crayfish, and pepper 

and with some water. Pour 

the blended mix in a bowl. 

Add the vegetable oil, fish 

and egg. Slowly add the remaining 

water and stir the 

mixture at the same time till 

you get a good mix of all the 

ingredients. Add salt to taste 

and stir very well. Dish the 

Moi Moi mix into containers 

of your choice or leaves. 

Add egg to each container, 

seal/cover and set them in 

the pot. The length of time 

you will cook your Moi Moi 

depends on the quantity 

and the Moi Moi container 

you used. 

are comfortable for you. 

Panties made from synthetics 

like Lycra are not 

good for you during this 

period. It is advised that 

you avoid it as they restrict 

air-flow to your vagina 

and thus make you 

sweat under there. This 

is not good for vaginal 

health and hygiene. 

•Opt for underwear 

that’s a little tight but not 

so much that it will 

make you uncomfortable. 

Just tight enough to 

help hold the pad in contact 

with your body so 

blood goes straight onto 

the pad and it doesn’t 

move about as much. 

Wow! Remember when 

you were in your teens 

and after a few days of 

menstrual period and 

blood didn’t flow heavily 

again and pad began 

to move sideways! 

•Opt for darker colours. 

White underwear 

isn’t a good option on 

your period as you risk 

stains. Blacks or dark 

reds are best to wear and 

avoid wearing your best 

underwear so you don’t 

run the risk of it getting 

ruined.


VOL. 2 NO 6 

Southeast youths 

want poverty 

among rural 

women addressed 

•Pg. 30 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017 

•August meeting in Minnesota, USA 

The changing patterns 

of August meetings 

in Igbo land 

war between Nigeria and how to make 

By Emeka Mamah, Vincent Biafra in 1970, when the late t h e i r •Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu (centre)t aking salute from the women 

Ujumadu, Chidi Nkwopara Sole Administrator of the communities 

& Anayo Okoli Eastern Region, Dr. Ukpabi better. 

W 

Asika,urged communities to At Ogbe, Ahiazu Mbaise 

their health centre project by channelled towards the 

OMEN in Igbo states develop their areas under the Local Council Area of Imo 

government, claiming that it realisation of the project,” 

including Abia, aegis of Otu Olu Igbo. State, the meeting started on 

was “built by the Federal Onuoha said. 

Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Since then, most Igbo a controversial note as the 

Government in collaboration She recalled that one of their 

Imo are holding their yearly 

women claimed that a health 

with Imo State Government.” sons, who was in government 

communities have been 

August meetings in their 

centre which was built about 

According to her, what (names withheld), told the 

building schools, health 

various communities to 

17 years ago had been used 

further irked the industrious women that the Imo State 

centres and hospitals as well 

contribute their quota towards 

by some government officials 

women was the signpost Government was planning to 

as grading their local roads 

developing of their home 

to “retire some expenditures,” 

displayed at the health centre, build health centres across 

and handing same over to 

towns. 

without their knowledge. 

which portrayed their the state and would readily 

their various state 

Although, this year’s 

President of Ogbe Women 

handiwork as “MDG’s 2011 take over and complete that 

governments. 

meetings are not glamorous 

Development Association 

Conditional Grant Scheme, of Ogbe community. 

However, the involvement of 

as they used to be because of 

(Home and Abroad), OWDA, 

funded from debt relief gains “On April 3, 2013, the 

women in the development of 

the economic recession, which 

Mrs. Anastasia Anyanwu, 

and Imo State Government.” traditional ruler of the town, 

their rural communities 

has brought gloom to most 

said: “Our frame of mind 

Speaking in an interview Eze Patrick Ihuoma, 

became popular when 

families, the yearly meetings, 

when we opted to build a 

with South East Voice at addressed a handwritten 

churches organised their 

which began over 20 years 

health centre, about 17 years 

Ogbe, Mrs. Anyanwu said the letter to me, demanding the 

various women organisations 

ago, have become a yearly 

ago was not for anybody or 

women purchased a piece of survey plan for our proposed 

to contribute towards the 

ritual as Igbo women living at 

group to take credit for what 

land in 2008, from Umuokawa Model Primary Health 

building of their worship 

home and abroad return home 

they were never a part of.” 

Ogbe Progressive Club of Centre. He also stated in the 

centres in particular and their 

as part of their efforts to 

Anyanwu said their priority 

Nigeria, for their health centre letter that it would help in the 

communities in general as a 

complement the efforts of the 

is and remain “to actively 

project at a cost of N1.5 processing of their application 

way of complementing the 

men in providing essential 

bring in development in the 

million, adding that over N2.5 to the MDG Office, for 

efforts of the male folk. 

amenities like roads, health 

community, including but not 

million was spent by the time assistance,” Onuoha said. 

Initially, the period of 

centres, electricity and 

limited to, training our 

the land deal was finally She added, however, that 

“august returns” was as used 

churches among others in 

children, according to 

perfected. 

“instead of bringing in his 

an avenue for displaying 


modern demands' and 

Also, the immediate past materials, the contractor 

affluence by most women 

During such meetings, the 

improving the quality of 

president of OWDA, Ezinne brought in by Imo State 

until the churches decried that 

women organise bazaars and 

family life.” 

Scholastica Onuoha, said the government used our blocks, 

only cheap uniforms 

levy themselves and whatever 

project was initiated by her cement, sand, gravel and 

belonging to Christian 

is generated is usually 

regime. 

other materials on ground and 

mothers are worn during such Surreptitious 

channelled towards providing 

“We decided at our August quietly abandoned the 

meetings. It has, however, taking over 

amenities in rural areas. 

Meeting to begin with the project. 

shifted from an avenue of 

Community involvement in 

primary health centre. We “We sunk a water borehole, 

displaying affluence to a She, however, frowned at the 

rural development began at 

launched the programme and built the perimeter fence, a 

period of brainstorming on surreptitious taking over of 

the end of the 30 months civil 

all monies realized was Continues on page 29 

C 

M 

YK


The changing patterns of 

August meetings in Igbo land 


hall, did the landscaping, 

installed a big iron gate, 

bought chairs, beds, 

mattresses and connected the 

health centre to public power 

supply. 

"The Abuja branch of our 

association bought and 

donated electricity generating 

set. So, I can’t understand 

why government should take 

credit for what they never 

did.” 

According to her, there was 

no discussion between the 

government and the Ogbe 

women where any takeover 

would be deemed to have been 

effected. 

Discussion with 

government 

She said: “We had no 

discussions with government. 

We never handed over our 

project to anybody. We were 

not refunded the money we 

spent on the project. This is a 

democracy and not the 

military era where things were 

done by force. Government 

should please give us N100 

million, if they want to own 

the project.” 

But, when the MDG office 

was contacted, a staff who 

spoke under anonymity, 

brought out a letter written by 

Ogbe Community 

Government Council, CGC, 

on April 3,2013, and jointly 

signed by the traditional ruler, 

the CGC Secretary, Woman 

Leader, Eze Patrick Ihuoma, 

Mr. Toby A. Njoku and Mrs. 

Francisca C. Uchegbu 

respectively. 

This letter gave an 

undertaking/commitment to 

Imo MDG to use the parcel of 

land on survey plan FEA/ 

1772/IM.182/2011, for the 

purpose of developing a 

Modern Primary Health 

Centre for the community. 

There was, however, nothing 

to show the leadership of 

OWDA gave tacit approval for 

the takeover. 

Abia State 

In Abia State, this year’s 

August Women's Meeting 

kicked off with the theme, 

“Sustainable Empowerment 

for Rural Women: Peace to our 

Mothers.” The meeting is 

being coordinated by the wife 

of the state governor, Mrs. 

Nkechi Ikpeazu. Mrs Ikpeazu 

flagged off the meeting at 

Okpuala Ngwa in Isiala 

Ngwa North Council area for 

the Abia Central Senatorial 

District. 

The annual gathering has 

offered the women 

opportunity to discuss issues 

affecting the women, 

especially on how to tackle 

and defend their rights 

against some obnoxious 

practices such as the ill 

treatment usually meted to 

widows, concerning 

inheritance and circumcision, 

among others. Addressing the 

women in the various zones, 

Abia State governor’s wife, 

Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, 

stressed the need to "educate, 

empower and keep our 

women healthy so that they 

can contribute effectively in 

keeping their family and 

community solvent.” 

Mrs Ikpeazu said that 

“when women are 

empowered in a sustainable 

way that allows them to 

replicate their successes in 

any particular field, 

profession or enterprise, they 

are better equipped to pull 

themselves out of the poverty 

trop and assist other 

dependants to become 

economically stable.” 

She also spoke to the women 

about sickle cell anaemia and 

cervical cancer, advising that 

since sickle cell has no cure, 

mothers should educate their 

children on the dangers of 

marrying people with 

incompatible genotypes, as 

well as the need for genotype 

tests before marriages are 

consummated. 

The governor’s wife 

lamented the prevalence of 

cervical cancer which she said 

“is gradually increasing as 

societal changes occur,” and 

urged the women to go for 

regular tests to ensure they 

are free from the disease. 

Healthcare personnel were 

mobilized to give health talks 

to the women in a bid to 

improve their family 

members’ style of living. 

Financial experts were also 

invited to speak to the women 

on how to secure loans to 

boost their businesses. 

Anambra 

The format for the annual 

August meetings of women of 

various communities in Igbo 

land has been changing over 

the years. There was a time 

the annual get together was 

organized along church 

denominational lines, with 

women attending in their 

various churches. 

The organizational structure 

was such that after attending 

the meeting at the church 

level, the women returned to 

their immediate villages 

where both the Anglicans and 

Catholics later attended joint 

meetings, primarily to plan 

for projects needed in their 

•Abia women in a march past to herald the opening ceremony of 2017 August meeting. 

communities for which funds 

were raised. 

That is why it is common to 

find gigantic halls in the 

various churches executed by 

women organizations, with 

monies provided by their 

husbands and well-wishers. 

Some communities had also 

used proceeds from August 

meetings to provide basic 

amenities, such as water, 

market stalls and electricity in 

their areas and catered for 

widows among them. 

In those days, however, 

women, especially those 

living in urban cities, used the 

August assemblies to 

intimidate their counterparts 

in the villages through their 

expensive wearing outfits. It 

We had no 

discussion with 

government, we 

never handed over 

our project to 

anybody; we were 

not refunded the 

money we spent on 

the project. This is a 

democracy and not 

the military era 

where things were 

done by force; 

government should 

please give us N100 

million, if they want 

to own the project 

got to a stage in the 

competition among the 

women as the issue became 

who was more expensive 

than the other. This made 

some of the not-well-to-do 

women to begin to feel 

inferior and, therefore, began 

to absent themselves from the 

August meetings. 

The pressure on what to 

wear by the women during 

the August meetings was later 

transferred to their husbands 

who had to cough out huge 

amounts of money to satisfy 

their wives who insisted on 

outshining other women at 

August meetings. The 

competition among the 

women degenerated to a level 

where, in order to meet up their 

August meetings requirements, 

some of them became 

promiscuous when their 

husbands could no longer meet 

their demands. It was common 

in those days for women to 

concentrate on finding money 

for what they would wear during 

August meetings, than how to 

cater for their children. 

Economic 

recession 

Worried by the development, 

the church authorities decided 

that the women should be 

attending the August meetings 

in church uniform so as to 

discourage extravagance 

among them. Though this 

decision considerably reduced 

the competition, some 

unrepentant women still chose 

to wear very expensive 

jewelleries to the meetings, to 

look different. 

The present economic 

recession is also taking its toll 

on the annual August meetings 

as the attendance dropped 

considerably in many 

communities this year. For 

instance, many communities 

cancelled physical attendance 

this year, even though they still 

contributed their levies to 

continue with ongoing projects. 

In one of those communities, the 

women took into consideration 

the economic hardship and 

decided that the August 

meetings should not hold, but 

the contributions should reach 

the appropriate quarters for 

project execution. 

But one community that 

organized a well-attended 

August meeting this year is 

Adazi Nnukwu in Anaocha local 

government area. At the 

ceremony held weekend, the 

women organized a beauty 

competition which was used for 

fund-raising and all the women 

selected had to bring their 

families and friends to support 

them. At the end of the exercise, 

a very substantial amount was 

raised for community projects. 

Involvement of Governor’s 

wives: In the past few years, the 

wives of governors in Anambra 

State had been setting out a day 

to the kick off the August 

meeting in the state after which 

the various communities would 

fix dates for their own meetings. 

The government involvement in 

the exercise started when 

former Governor Peter Obi was 

in power as his wife made it a 

point of duty to attend August 

meeting in all the 177 

communities in the state. 

The wife of the incumbent 

governor, Mrs. Ebelechukwu 

Obiano also continued with the 

format. Last week, Mrs. Obiano 

flagged off this year’s August 

meeting in August, thus paving 

the way for the various 

communities to organize their 

own meetings. 

Enugu 

Mrs. Ugwuanyi seeks 

improved birth registration in 

rural areas: The wife of Enugu 

State governor, Mrs. Monica 

Ugwuanyi, has enjoined 

women in the state, especially 

in rural communities, to always 

register the births of their 

children and wards for an 

improved population data and 

to enable the relevant 

authorities carry out reliable 

economic planning. 

Speaking during the Enugu 

State Women Conference/ 

August Meeting organized by 

the Ministry of Gender Affairs 

and Social Development in 

collaboration with her pet 

project, Ugo Touch of Life 

Foundation at Queen’s School, 

Enugu, Mrs. Ugwuanyi said 

that U-TOLF would undertake 

advocacy visits across the state 

in partnership with the National 

Population Commission to 

promote the registration of all 

children born in the rural areas. 

THE TEAM 

SUPERVISING EDITOR: 

Chioma Gabriel, Lagos 

(08052201257) 

EDITOR: 

Emeka Mamah, Enugu 

email: 

emekemamah@yahoo.com 

Anayo Okoli, Umuahia 

Vincent Ujumadu, Awka 

Chidi Nkwopara, Owerri 

Peter Okutu, Abakaliki 

Chimaobi Nwaiwu, 

Nnewi 

Nwabueze Okonkwo, 

Onitsha 

Ugochukwu Alaribe, Aba 

Enyim Enyim, Onitsha 

Chinoso Alozie, Owerri 

Chinenye Ozor, Nsukka 

Eric Ugbor, Aba


Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017 --- 31 

Where hate speech meets 

hate song 

MANAGING human beings 

is never an easy task. The 

same goes for managing or 

governing a country. Each country 

has its own peculiar problems 

even when the principles required 

to respond to each situation may 

be applicable across the board. 

Countries like peoples learn from 

the experiences of others and 

therefore take care not to repeat 

past mistakes. Which then means 

there is no sense in one country 

claiming special status for itself 

in terms of the kinds of problems 

it is confronted by. Nigerians 

overstate their case when they harp 

on the complexity of their situation. 

Every society presents its own type 

of complexity. But much of what 

Nigerians attribute to the complex 

nature of the country actually 

comes from our refusal to accept 

or follow basic principles of 

human relations. We take delight 

in being less than honest even to 

our very selves. This is the root of 

our corruption narrative. It is the 

reason both the leaders and people 

of this country will remain snared 

in an endless cycle of anticorruption 

fight. Here, my idea of 

corruption goes beyond our 

fixation on financial issues, serious 

as it is. 

Corruption for me implicates our 

readiness to pervert basic 

principles of societal conduct. We 

see what is right and pretend it’s 

the opposite. We see white and call 

it black. We see a clearly blazed 

track and plunge into the bush. We 

always find a compelling reason 

not to do what is appropriate. 

Thus, a man could run for elective 

office and thereafter find himself 

unable to execute the 

responsibilities attached to that 

office and yet find people urging 

him to cling on to power for as long 

as he wants. Another man, a mere 

charlatan and anarchist, could be 

lionized into a freedom fighter and 

is jailed and thereafter granted bail 

on specific terms, including on 

health grounds but immediately 

goes ahead to violate every term 

of his release while issuing 

mindless orders aimed at plunging 

his country into civil strife. 

It has been many weeks now 

since a group of Northern youths 

issued what has been called a quit 

notice to the Igbo, Nigerians of a 

different ethnic extraction. These 

Nigerians were ordered to leave 

Is Kashamu Buruji headed for APC? 

By Omotola Benjamin 

THERE are few Nigerian politicians of 

the moment who are as controversial 

as Kashamu Buruji, the Senator representing 

Ogun East in the upper legislative chamber 

of the National Assembly, that is the Senate. 

He reminds one of another Senator of yore, 

Arthur Nzeribe, who was controversy 

personified. Practically everything about 

Buruji is controversial: His identity is 

controversial; his source of stupendous 

wealth is controversial; his politics is 

controversial; and, in fact, his very name is 

controversial. One thing is certain, though: 

Hate him or love him, there is no ignoring 

Buruji. Since he popped up on the country’s 

political landscape, Buruji has moved in the 

circles of the movers and shakers of the 

polity – friends today and adversaries 

tomorrow. This hide-and-seek, cat-and-dog 

defined his relationship, first with one-time 

governor of his home-state of Ogun, Otunba 

Gbenga Daniel, and later with former 

President Olusegun Obasanjo. When the 

former president and PDP Board of Trustees 

chairman wrote a stinker of an open letter 

to estranged godson and then sitting 

president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, before 

proceeding to publicly renounce his 

membership of PDP, Kashamu’s issue writ 

large over Obasanjo’s decision. He could 

not, Obasanjo said, subsume himself under 

the political leadership of a man wanted in 

the United States of America on drug 

charges. Buruji pleads his innocence, though, 

and is in court battling to prevent his 

extradition to God’s own country. 

One thing the political foes of Buruji 

cannot take away from him is that he is 

dexterous at waltzing his way into power. 

He makes very good use of the vast resources 

at his beck and call. If money is the lubricant 

that oils the wheels of the gospel, it is the 

blood that runs in the veins of politicians. 

Those who have it in ample supply and are 

ready to generously deploy it become 

automatic godfathers that politicians flock 

to like ants that crowd around sugar. When 

such a heavily-loaded godfather has enough 

political savvy to pick and choose the right 

alliances, then, the sky is the limit. Money 

and political nimbleness apart, the courts 

have also been a very potent weapon in the 

hand of Buruji. Has it not been said that the 

If PDP is too hot to handle, 

especially with Fayose and the 

other hot heads in the PDP not 

ready to give him an inch, 

then, APC becomes the next 

most feasible option 

law is an ass – and a choosy one at that, 

which spurns the poor but allows the rich 

joyful ride. Whatever Buruji fails to get 

through the ballot box, he has often cornered 

in the law court: There are many angles to 

the intricacies of political gerrymandering 

but which some call the beauty of democracy. 

The judiciary as the third estate of the realm is 

there to adjudicate and settle disputes. Taking 

good advantage of it is, therefore, one of the 

ropes political gladiators must not only learn 

but also master. 

Win some; lose some, as they say. So a 

politician cannot be expected to win all the 

time. One such loss, after a string of successes, 

which hit Buruji and his political camp, was 

last month’s Supreme Court verdict that 

stripped former Borno State governor, Ali 

Modu Sheriff, of the chairmanship of the 

PDP. Buruji was an important leader in 

Sheriff’s camp. While Sheriff was in the 

saddle, Buruji was the de facto leader of PDP 

in the South-west. His abode was the beehive 

of activities as he called the shots, deciding 

the North by October 1, 2017 or 

face the consequences. Since the 

issuance of that order Nigerians 

have been unable to find a 

common ground of response. It’s 

been back and forth with more 

orders and counter-orders being 

piled on the initial outrage. It was 

evident that the group that issued 

the ‘quit notice’ was reacting to the 

separatist rhetoric of Nnamdi 

When trouble 

comes it would 

not be limited to 

just a group or a 

people; we would 

all suffer; the 

better then for us 

all to rise now 

with one voice 

and condemn 

what is wrong 

Kanu, a mere journeyman that has 

been turned into a great warrior 

by an irresponsible leadership, in 

the wake of his release from a long 

detention that was itself both 

unwarranted and unnecessary. But 

because some people were looking 

for what to eat, they chose to put 

Kanu in jail, thus creating a 

monster that is now running amok. 

Kanu and his co-travellers have 

made no bones of their intention 

to dismember Nigeria. But that 

was a non-starter. Their approach 

prior to Kanu’s arrest was never 

likely to bring them their wish. But 

nobody knows the mind of 

Nigerian leaders or the rationale 

for their actions. Otherwise Kanu’s 

divisive rhetoric would have 

amounted to nothing, better 

managed. There was no reason 

why the likes of Kanu should have 

emerged at all. Their demands for 

the Igbo have been far better 

articulated by far better thinkers. 

But ours is a country that 

understands only the rough 

language of touts and rabble 

rousers. Everyone has the right to 

demand accountability from the 

country’s leaders. But Kanu is a 

throw-up that could have been 

avoided. His Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPOB, could have been 

stillborn. But Buhari put it on 

oxygen the same way Goodluck 

Jonathan gave Boko Haram a 

lifeline. Otherwise IPOB was 

totally unnecessary. 

The genuine demands of the Igbo 

as are the demands of other 

Nigerians could be addressed 

without the kind of aggravation we 

have on our hands today. The 

failure to think right, do things the 

right way or be magnanimous in 

victory is what led to the separatist 

agitations against the Buhari 

government. The uncompromising 

posture of the government would 

further fuel the anger of other 

Nigerians. The hate-filled rhetoric 

of Kanu, IPOB and the aggressive 

antics of their likes across the 

country and the media is the reason 

for the strange and unwarranted 

quit notice to the Igbo. The 

increasingly incoherent remarks 

and arrogant posture of Kanu and 

IPOB and the failure to rein them 

in must therefore have a role to play 

in the composition of the hate song 

directed at the Igbo now making 

the rounds in parts of the North. 

Now the fault lines are being 

widened and what began as a sick 

joke is fast turning into a full-blown 

conflagration. The power of the 

media in fuelling demagoguery, 

hatred and ultimately war is being 

underrated. We are feigning 

ignorance of what happened in 

who gets what, how, and when. It was to be 

short-lived, however. No one apart from 

Sheriff has suffered the reverses at the 

Supreme Court more than Buruji. Will he 

eat the humble pie and defer to the Supreme 

Court-sanctioned Ahmed Markarfi 

leadership of his party or will he jump ship? 

If the latter, will he make for the ruling APC 

or pitch his tenth with one of the amorphous 

registered parties waiting in the wings? To be 

sure, there is no politician worth his salt that 

does not have a couple of registered but 

dormant political parties in his pockets – just 

in case! 

Events since the misadventure of Sheriff hit 

the walls have shown, however, that Buruji, like 

Sheriff, is not likely to remain within the PDP’s 

fold; except on one condition: that his 

leadership of the party (at least the Ogun state 

wing of it) is not threatened. Having operated 

at the highest level for so long, there is no way 

Buruji would acquiesce to becoming an 

ordinary floor member. Unfortunately, the 

bad blood generated by the Sheriff/ 

Markarfi tussle was so bitter and the wedge 

ran so deep that it leaves no room for 

accommodation between the winners and 

the losers. It is a winner-takes-all and the 

losers must not only lick their wounds but 

seek solace and succour elsewhere. This fact 

was made unmistakeably clear at the recent 

Zonal Congress of the PDP in Ibadan when 

so-called “moles” – meaning supporters and 

sympathisers of the Sheriff/Buruji’s 

disbanded faction - were identified and sent 

out of the meeting. The die, then, is cast. 

Buruji has been a vociferous critic of Gov. 

Ayo Fayose of Ekiti. Only God knows what 

the problem is between both men. In advert 

after advert, speech after speech, statement 

after statement Buruji has not spared Fayose, 

who has been a very important leader and 

source of inspiration not only for the PDP 

but also for the long-suffering Nigerian 

masses whose mouth-piece he has become. 

In addition to this has been Buruji’s 

unabashed support for President 

Rwanda or even our own recent 

history of civil war. This is how 

trouble begins right under our 

nose and later we claim the devil 

led us to it or call it an act of God. 

Gradually people are being 

sensitised or even mobilised for 

crime without the authorities 

taking very clear steps to address 

the fire that is headed our way. 

Let nobody make any mistake 

about it, we have little time to act 

now. This is not the moment for us 

to be mealy-mouthed or to play 

Trump as to where blame lies. 

Perhaps as Donald Trump wants 

the whole world to believe about 

the Virginia terror attack 

perpetrated by White 

supremacists- perhaps the claim 

may yet be that many sides are to 

blame for the impending ethnic 

and sectarian attacks in Nigeria. 

But let us face it: The instigators 

of hate amongst us are for now 

well known. They include Kanu 

and his group and such agent 

provocateurs as the Northern 

youth group and the faceless 

composers of hate songs. 

When trouble comes it would not 

be limited to just a group or a 

people. We would all suffer. The 

better then for us all to rise now 

with one voice and condemn what 

is wrong. There is no point in 

pretending all is well or that we 

are helpless and are without 

knowledge of what to do. We sure 

know what to do. What is lacking 

is the will. The hate-filled 

language of the little monsters we 

have created for ourselves is 

breeding monstrous fruits and 

there can be no doubt that we are 

failing to respond in the most 

appropriate way. Where citizens 

can issue random orders, 

including the order to kill, then we 

may truly have found ourselves in 

the zoo. 

Muhammadu Buhari; thus has Buruji 

elevated himself into a thorn in PDP’s flesh. 

To many PDP faithful, this is not just 

insolence but serious anti-party activities 

that must not go unpunished. 

Self-serving reasons have been adduced for 

Buruji’s “reaching out” to the Presidency with 

his drummed-up support for Buhari but that 

need not detain us here. Our concern, however, 

is where Buruji goes from here. Experience 

shows that our politicians detest labouring to 

bake the bread; they often prefer the finished 

product. Former Gov. Olusegun Mimiko, who 

was an exception to this rule in Ondo State, 

unfortunately did not last the distance as he 

soon jumped the Labour Party’s ship to 

ensconce himself in the warm embrace of the 

then ruling party, PDP. So, with PDP’s door 

seemingly firmly shut in Buruji’s face, and if 

baking the bread is not an attractive option, 

then, all roads must lead to APC. Had Buruji 

seen this coming even when Sheriff was still 

riding high? As the Yoruba would say, maybe 

this was why he kept pouring cold water ahead 

of him with his ceaseless drubbing of Fayose 

and incessant support for Buhari so that he 

could tread on soft ground now that the chips 

are down. Give it to Buruji: He is a smart 

politician. If PDP is too hot to handle, especially 

with Fayose and the other hot heads in the 

PDP not ready to give him an inch, then APC 

becomes the next most feasible option if the 

Ogun senator is to remain politically 

relevant and not go into oblivion. 

Of course, Buruji will not be an onlooker 

or follower in APC; the party must be willing 

to accommodate him at the highest level. If 

Buruji’s antecedents are anything to go by, 

he must control or, at least for a start, have a 

foothold in the APC structure at the state 

level. This issue of party control caused the 

split between Gov. Ibikunle Amosun and 

Aremo Segun Osoba. How it will be handled 

if Buruji and his supporters defect into APC 

remains to be seen. 

•Mr. Benjamin, a public affairs analyst , 

wrote from Lagos. 

C 

M 

Y 

K


YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

LEO: If you have, consciously or unconsciously, started 

unnecessary cold war at work yesterday, it would come to 

the head today to the resentment of people that count before 

mid-afternoon. 

VIRGO: The zeal to work harder exhibited by you will 

earn you unexpected success at work to the betterment of 

your rating and finances. Don’t allow mid-morning blues 

to get best off you. 

SAGITTARIUS: If it’s possible for you to wait till 

tomorrow before an important assignment is carried out, 

your cause will be better for it. Take your love life seriously. 

SCORPIO: Now, you can not pretend that happenings 

within your (family) base of operation pleases you, but, 

you will need to be as diplomatic as possible. Avoid 

unnecessary rush. 

SAGITTARIUS: Unusual exhibition of aggressive 

approach by you may put people around you off the 

balance. It’s in your own interest not to bite more than you 

can chew, especially before mid-afternoon.. 

CAPRICORN: You may be tempted to embrace 

extravagant tendencies while planning your financial 

transactions. Watch what you promise before early part of 

afternoon period. 

AQUARIUS: If you are offered what looks like Greek 

gift before early hours of afternoon, you are advised to 

politely turn it down. It’s wrong to encourage aggression. 

PISCES: 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 today. Keep 

secrets. 

L E I S U R E 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY 

“Beware of Destination Addiction – a preoccupation with the idea 

that happiness is in the next place, the next job and with the next 

partner. Until you give up the idea that happiness is somewhere 

else, it will never be where you are.” — Robert Holden, PhD 

“It is one of the ironies of our time that while concentrating on the 

defense of our country against enemies from without, we should be 

so heedless of those who would destroy it from within. 

— Rachel Carson 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

By Kola Fayemi 

ARIES: 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. 

TAURUS: Coming together of the Moon and Mars in 

Virgo will bring you under the fire of enthusiasm to achieve 

much along your career/business lines. Be very moderate. 

KAPTAIN AFRIKA in “Pretty Lunatic’ By Andy Akman 

GEMINI: The very best for you today is to look for ways 

to consolidate on progress you have recorded recently. The 

more willing you are to respect the law, the better. 

CANCER: Friends may disappoint you today but you 

will have genuine cause to smile broadly tomorrow. Do 

not gamble with matters-of-the-heart today. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

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

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, 7, Apapa, Lagos 

Who’s in me? 

Dear Joshua, 

According to my birthday, my Zodiac Sign is Aries but I 

am not as aggressive as many books have described an 

Aries born person. Why? I want you to tell me more about 

myself. 

Ade, Lagos. 

Dear Ade, 

Generally, people born when either the Sun, the Moon 

and/or any other important heavenly body (especially when 

they cluster — that is, when they are more than two) in 

Aries, they are categorised as member of aggressive and 

daring group of the Zodiac. 

Yes, you were born under Aries star and basic 

characteristics of Aries star sign are highly pronounced in 

your inner-self, however, naturally, many other planetary 

positions have greatly modified mighty Sun’s placement 

in your chart. 

Less than 50% of push-full influence plus the conjunction 

of Venus and Mercury are pointers to an Arian personality 

being high modified. Two important influences mentioned 

in this paragraph may not allow raw aggressive approach 

to manifest comprehensively. Because, they are meant to 

make you less aggressive and more loving. Sometimes 

lover of diplomacy who will attract what he wants rather 

than staging a war just to press for his right. 

But then, combination of the aggressive traits of Aries in 

your inner self and more amiable influences together with 

the distribution of the planets through quadruplicate and 

triplicate (that is quality and element) within the Zodiacal 

constellations, they are indications of your being a person 

with balanced personality. 

More importantly, however, is the placement of Saturn 

in Capricorn as the only planet at home when you were 

born. It always induces you to give priority attention to 

your career/image/public standing and justice. 

And as your natal Sun and Moon were placed in Aries 

and Gemini respectively, you are mainly an Arian and 

partly a Geminian. These characteristics of the two said 

star signs are highly pronounced in you. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa



Telecomm masts don't cause cancer— NCC 

By Jimitota 

Onoyume 

PORT HARCOURT— 

THE Nigerian 

Communications 

Commission, NCC, has 

dismissed fears that 

telecommunications masts 

could cause cancer. 

Deputy Director, 

Consumer Affairs Bureau, 

Alhaji Ismai Adedigba, 

who spoke to newsmen in 

Port Harcourt, the Rivers 

State capital, said 

Nigerians should not panic 

at the sight of the 

communication masts, 

adding that no research has 

shown they were 

dangerous to health. 

Adedigba said NCC was 

in Port Harcourt to sensitise 

customers of the various 

network providers on their 

rights as consumers, 

adding that they should not 

hesitate to channel 

complaints to their service 

providers. 

He said NCC also 

opened a customer care 

desk for complains, noting 

that a toll-free line had been 

dedicated for customers. 

Adedigba’s words: 

“Service providers have also 

gone further to provide 

avenues through the social 

media for consumers to 

make enquiries and seek 

information about products 

and services.” 

At the sensitisation forum, 

the various service 

providers were on ground 

to entertain complaints. 

NEXT TITAN: From left— Commercial Manager, Aero Contractors, Mr. Roger Cookey; Executive 

Producer, the NEXT TITAN, Mr. Akinlaja Kunle; Chief Marketing Officer, Heritiage Bank Plc, Mr. Fela 

Ibidaro, and Corporate Affairs Manager, SIFAX Group, Mr. Akande Olumuyiwa, at a briefing on the 

NEXT TITAN Season 4, in Lagos 

Rivers community alleges strange 

diseases after gas explosion 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

PORT HARCOURT— 

THE youths of Ogba/ 

Egbema/Ndoni Local 

Government Area of Rivers 

State have decried the 

outbreak of strange 

diseases in their 

communities, following a 

gas pipeline explosion. 

The youths, under the 

aegis of ONELGA Youth 

Executives Coalition, 

OYEC, alleged that after the 

explosion at Egbeda- 

Ebocha Oil Centre last 

year, no attention was given 

to the people of the area. 

Speaking on behalf the 

youths in Omoku, OYEC’s 

leader, Kingsley 

Ogwumike, said the people 

of ONELGA are being 

marginalised by the 

government at all levels 

and oil and gas companies 

operating in the area. 

Ogumike said: “We 

regrettably state that the 

main source of our 

livelihood has been 

devastated by the activities 

of the oil and gas 

companies. 

“Our natural sources of 

drinking water, aquatic life 

and other domestic uses 

have been polluted due to 

continuous gas flaring and 

oil spillages as a result of 

equipment failures. 

“The rivers, creeks and 

lakes no longer sustain the 

people due to pollution; 

indeed our ecosystem has 

been impaired and our 

hitherto biodiversity 

decimated. 

Chemicals, effects 

“The numerous oil wells, 

gas flare sites, gas plants 

and oil centres have 

degraded our 

environment. 

“Also, researches have 

revealed that a very high 

concentration of lead, 

mercury, fluorides, 

sulphuric acids and other 

cacinogenous substances 

are injurious to our people. 

“The ugly effects of the 

recent gas explosion at 

Egbeda-Ebocha Oil Centre 

By Emma Una 

CALABAR—NO fewer 

than 51 youths, drawn 

from oil-producing 

communities in the Niger 

Delta region, are being 

camped in Calabar, the 

Cross River State capital, 

for a two-week training on 

leadership and peace 

building, to position them 

for conflict prevention in 


The youths, who were 

selected from the various 

Niger Delta communities 

on our people have not 

been addressed or was 

scientific auditing carried 

out on the pollution site. 

“Poisonous and cancercausing 

contaminants such 

as Benzene, Touene, 

Ethylene and Xlyene are 

contained in our water 

presently, destroying 

Deoxyribonucleic acid, 

DNA, linkages in human 

and leads to slow death and 

impairments such as 

Oculo-Visual Health 

Challenges. 

“We suffer serious health 

issues as a result of exploration 

and exploitation in 

our communities.” 

Ogwumike also warned 

the Federal Government 

after they emerged 

successful at an 

examination conducted by 

Total E&P, are camped at the 

Tinapa Hotel in Calabar, to 

undergo training in 

leadership, career 

planning, entrepreneurial 

development and ICT. 

Mr. Francis Le-cocq, 

Deputy Managing Director 

of Port Harcourt District of 

the company, who 

addressed the youths to 

flag-off the programme, 

which is also the maiden 

edition, advised them to 

and International Oil 

Companies, IOCs, to 

immediately address the 

maltreatment of people of 

the area and the 

degradation of their 

environment by the oil and 

gas multinationals. 

He called on all IOCs 

operating in their area to 

relocate their offices to 

ONELGA to impact on the 

lives of the people. 

He noted that peace had 

returned to the area and 

wondered why repentant 

cultists in the area were not 

captured in the Federal 

Government’s amnesty 

programme, urging Agip 

to site its proposed refinery 

in ONELGA. 

... as oil firm organises leadership 

training for N-Delta youths 

shun social vices and 

criminal activities such as 

cultism, drug abuse, 

kidnappings, pipeline 

vandalisation and 

prostitution. 

He said that the camping 

programme was in tandem 

with the United Nations 

adoption of August 12 of 

every year as the 

International Youths Day to 

celebrate the contributions 

of youths to conflict 

resolution and 

transformation of society to 

attain sustainable peace. 

HOSTCOM faults Boroh on 

pipelines surveillance 

By Akpokona 

Omafuaire 

W ARRI—HOST 

Communities of 

Nigeria Producing Oil 

and Gas, HOSTCOM, 

has berated Gen. Paul 

Boro (retd.), Special 

Adviser to the President 

on Niger Delta Amnesty 

Programme, over his 

comments on the 

inclusion of alleged 

suspected kidnappers in 

the proposed Pipeline 

Surveillance of the 

Federal Government. 

The group, led by its 

National Vice Chairman, 

Dr. Benjamin 

Tamaranebi, who stated 

this at the Nigeria Union 

of Journalists, NUJ, 

Secretariat, Warri, Delta 

State, advised the 

Federal Government to 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken 

THE South-South 

Reawakening 

Group, SSRG, has 

dismissed calls for the 

restructuring of the 

country as a noisy 

distraction from what it 

said was the ongoing 

efforts towards salvaging 

the country from 

corruption. 

SSRG Convener, Mr. 

Joseph Ambakederimo, 

at an interaction to mark 

his 56th birthday, said the 

call for restructuring will 

in no time fade away 

when the advocates find 

other pursuits to soothe 

their lusts. 

He noted that 

corruption was the major 

thing holding the country 

back. 

adhere to the 

implementation work plan 

on security for the Niger 

Delta region. 

According to 

Tamaranebi, “Gen. Boro 

had spoken to the media 

on August 7 of the 

inclusion of suspected 

kidnappers in the 

proposed pipeline 

surveillance services. 

“He said he will give the 

pipeline surveillance 

services to 10,000 youths, 

including Lagos State 

Model School Students 

abductors, to secure the 

pipelines. 

“We wish to remind him 

that surveillance services 

are outside his duty. We, 

therefore, state that the 

statement credited to Gen. 

Boro is an aberration and 

an affront to the host 

communities.” 

Corruption, not structure, is 

Nigeria's problem—SSRG 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—THE Asaba 

Diocese of the 

Church of Nigeria 

(Anglican Communion) 

has established an 

integrated farm project in 

Ewulu, Aniocha South 

Local Government Area, 

Delta State, as part of 

efforts towards creating 

jobs for youths. 

Bishop of the Diocese, 

Rt. Rev. Justus 

Mogekwu, who 

disclosed this to 

newsmen, said the 

project was 

commissioned alongside 

the Diocesan Water 

Project in Asaba, as part 

His words: “We all seem 

confused in an organised 

chaos. Successive Heads 

of Government have said 

they will not preside over 

the balkanisation of the 

country. 

“We see nothing wrong 

with the country’s present 

structure. The problem 

with Nigeria is good 

governance. Corruption 

has divided us. 

“It is only corruption that 

has somewhat bound us 

together because when 

they want to steal and 

appropriate for themselves 

our common patrimony, 

there doesn’t seem to be 

Christian or Muslim 

dichotomy. 

“Our position is that we 

have to restructure 

ourselves, our minds first, 

before we talk of restructuring 

of the country.” 

Anglican Church establishes 

integrated farm in Delta 

of activities to mark the 

40th anniversary of the 

creation of the Diocese from 

the old Benin Diocese. 

In another development, 

Mothers’ Union and 

Women’s Guild of Ika 

Diocese, Anglican 

Communion, have urged 

the Federal Government to 

retain those engaged in its 

N-power scheme after the 

expiration of the two-year 


This was disclosed in a 

communique by Dame M. 

Y. Onekpe and Mrs. A. 

Ejedimu, at the end of their 

17th annual diocesan 

conference at St. John’s 

Cathedral, Agbor, Ika 

South, Delta State.



Ozubulu: Police invite Ikegwuonu 

•44 victims get cash relief 

•As diocese sets up casualty charity fund c'ttee 

•Investigation on killings 'll be thorough — Obiano 

By Vincent 

Ujumadu, Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu & Edokwe 

Onyinyechi 

N NEWI—THE 

Anambra State Police 

Command has invited Chief 

Aloysius Ikegwuonu, who 

suspected assailants were 

said to be looking for when 

they attacked St Philip’s 

Catholic Church, Amakwa 

Ozubulu penultimate 

Sunday. 

Ikegwuonu’s father was 

among the 13 people who 

lost their lives during the 

attack in which nearly 30 

people were wounded. 

Police Public Relations 

Officer, PPRO, in Anambra 

State, Mrs. Nkiru Nwode, 

said, yesterday, that 

Ikegwuonu, popularly 

called ‘Bishop’, is expected 

to appear at the police 

headquarters in Awka on 

Friday. 

Ikegwuonu, who left the 

state before the attack on the 

church he built for his 

community, was said to have 

returned to the state last 

Saturday and attended the 

first Mass at St Philip’s on 

Sunday. 

He declined to speak to 

anybody after the church 

service in which the 

Secretary to the Anambra 

State Government, SSG, 

Professor Solo 

Chukwulobelu, also 

attended as part of a 

ceremony to reopen the 

church. 

Nwode said the invitation 

to Ikegwuonu could not be 

taken to mean arrest, adding 

that the police had no reason 

to arrest him. 

44 victims get cash relief 

This came as Catholic 

Diocese of Nnewi, 

yesterday, set up a 10-man 

Ozubulu Casualty Charity 

Fund Committee to handle 

the welfare of the victims of 

the attack. 

Meanwhile, 44 victims of 

the attack were, yesterday, 

given N50,000 each at 

various hospitals they were 

admitted including Nnewi, 

Ozubulu and Oba, by the 

diocese to alleviate their 

problems . 

Members of the committee 

are Monsignor Patrick 

Ezeobata, chairman; Rev Fr 

Jude Onwuaso; Rev Fr 

Donald Chukwudolue; Rev 

Fr Joe Onyema; Fr Cajetan 

Obodozie; Brother Cyprian 

Oneni; Sister Theresa 

Martin; Mrs Juliana Arazu; 

Mrs Uju Azuka and Dr 

Sylvester Igwilo. 

Catholic Bishop of Nnewi 

Diocese, Most Rev Hilary 

Odili Okeke, said the 

committee would visit all the 

victims in different hospitals 

to know their needs with a 

view to offering a helping 

hand to all of them. 

Okeke disclosed that the 

committee has the mandate 

to ensure that every help 

provided by groups and 

individuals to the victims 

would be deposited into a 

central account called 

Ozubulu Casualty Charity 

Fund provided by the 

committee. 

He said: “Many people 

and groups in the church are 

helping the victims. The 

state government has 

promised to pay into that 

account. These people eat 

and that is why we give them 

money. The families of the 

dead will not be forgotten 

and the committee was also 

Exam Ethics Marshals Int'l inaugurated in ESUT 

THE 

Founding 

Chairman of Exam 

Ethics Marshal 

International, EEMI, Chief 

Ike Onyechere, has urged 

all hands to be on deck for 

the extermination of 

unethical practices in the 

conduct of examinations at 

all levels in order to ensure 

credibility in our educational 

system. 

Onyechere made this 

remark while decorating the 

Vice Chancellor of Enugu 

State University of Science 

and Technology, Professor 

Luke Anike, as a Chief 

Master Marshal of the 

Exam Ethics body and the 

inauguration of the ESUT 

chapter. 

He regretted that so much 

compromise associated with 

conduct of examinations had 

questioned the credibility of 

results and certificates 

issued and paraded by 

charged to be accountable in 

the discharge of its duties.” 

Reacting to Ozubulu 

Youths Association, OYA, 

protest over the reopening 

of the church for service, 

while investigation is still 

being conducted, Bishop 

Okeke queried whether the 

protesters were Christians at 

all. 

“If those protesters are 

Christians, they should not 

complain because they 

should know that we have to 

continue to worship God in 

every situation." 

Investigation on 

killings 'll be 

thorough— Obiano 

Also yesterday, Governor 

Willie Obiano of Anambra 

candidates. 

Onyechere stated that the 

ESUT Vice Chancellor was 

bestowed with the honour of 

Chief Master Marshal of 

Exam Ethics Marshals 

International in recognition 

of his forthright and 

determined efforts in fighting 

Transition 

Ezinne Stella Nkechi 

Nwokolo (Nee Onichabor) 

who died at age 75 years will 

be buried Friday at 

Idumuje Unoh in Aniocha 

North LGA of Delta State 

after a funeral service at 

Christ Anglican Church, 

Umunede. 

State assured Ndi Anambra 

that his administration will 

leave no stone unturned at 

ensuring prompt prosecution 

of those behind the killing of 

innocent worshippers at 

Ozubulu. 

The governor gave the 

assurance during a rededication 

and blessing of the 

church last Sunday by the 

Catholic Bishop of Nnewi 

Diocese, Most Rev. Okeke. 

The governor, who was 

represented by Secretary to 

the State Government, Prof. 

Solo Chukwulobelu, 

sympathised with the 

families of those who died in 

the incident as well as those 

that sustained injuries. 

He assured them that 

Anambra State Government 

would do everything possible 

to ensure that they obtain 

justice over the matter. 

Chief Aloysius Ikegwuonu (right) when he visited some victims of St Philip’s Catholic 

Church, in Amakwa Ozubulu attack in hospital, yesterday. 

examination irregularities 

since he assumed office. 

In his response, Prof. 

Anike expressed gratitude 

to the Exam Ethics 

Marshals International 

officials for identifying and 

recognizing ESUT as 

being exam ethics friendly. 

Madam Olufunmilayo 

Olalekan, who died July 29, 

2017 will be buried Friday 

at 2, Jerusalem Street, 

Ijeododo, after service of 

songs at 23, Araromi Street, 

Ejigbo, Lagos. 

Okorocha gives 16 

monarchs staff of office 

•Promises pensioners 100% arrears 

next week 

By Chinonso 

Alozie 

O 

W E R R I — 

GOVERNOR 

Rochas Okorocha of Imo 

State has given staff of office 

to 16 traditional rulers in 

the state. 

A statement issued to 

newsmen, yesterday, in 

Owerri, by Okorocha’s 

Chief Press Secretary, Mr. 

Sam Onwuemedo, called 

on the traditional rulers to 

lead the path for 

development in their areas. 

He also promised to pay 

pensioners in the state 100 

per cent of their pensions 

next week. 

According to the release, 

“the new traditional rulers 

should work for the 

progress and development 

of their communities. Any 

community that is not 

developing the people of 

Special Venerable Most 

Senior Evangelist Elijah 

Adesokan Olawumi who 

died on July 3, 2017 will be 

buried on Friday at 

Celestial Church of Christ, 

Badagry. He is survived by 

his widow, five children and 

several grand and great 

grand children. 

Burial 

that area should hold their 

traditional ruler and the 

Community Government 

Council, CGC, 

responsible.” 

On pensions, “the 

governor hinted that 

pensioners in the state will 

be paid their arrears in full 

next week, and his 

administration will 

continue to work and take 

steps that will ensure that 

pensioners in the state are 

paid as at when due. 

“I have decided to pay 

with the help of the Paris 

Club refund of N7.1 billion. 

Our pension is about N9 

billion. I want to clear this 

pension. Last time I saw the 

pains of our pensioners; 

some of them especially 

those from levels 1- 7 were 

paid full pensions. 

“Now I am making frantic 

efforts to make sure we pay 

all the pensions we are 

owing, 100% of their 

money." 

Makarfi, Obi, PDP sued over 

dissolution of Anambra exco 

By Vincent 

Ujumadu 

A WKA—FOLLOWING 

the dissolution of 

Anambra State executive of 

the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, the state legal 

adviser of the party, Mr. 

Afam Akonanya, its 

chairman for Dunukofia 


Mr. Andrew Modili and a 

ward chairman from Okija, 

Pius Okafor, have dragged 

the national chairman of the 

PDP caretaker committee, 

Ahmed Makarfi; national 

secretary, Senator Ndii Obi, 

and the party to an Anambra 

High Court sitting in Awka 

challenging the dissolution. 

Tempers rose among 

lawyers from the plaintiffs 

and the defendants when 

the matter came up before 

Justice Chukwudi Okaa, 

who had to adjourn the 

matter till tomorrow. 

Akonanya said at the court 

premises, yesterday, that it 

was surprising that the 

national leadership of PDP 

would dissolve the Anambra 

State executive of PDP 

which emerged through 

properly conducted 

congress in 2016. 

Akonanya said: “The 

essence of the institution of 

this matter is to ensure that 

the right thing is done. An 

election was conducted in 

Anambra PDP wherein the 

execute members were 

elected at the ward, local 

government and state levels 

only for the party to set up a 

caretaker committee in place 

of an elected executive, 

which the party conducted. 

“The same party 

conducted this election and 

for the party to summersault 

to dissolve the elected 

executive is not acceptable 

to us." 

Livinus Odunze Oparah, 

who died at the age of 85 will 

be buried in his compound, 

Umuocham Emekuku after a 

funeral service at 

Immaculate Conception 

Catholic Church, Emekuku, 

Owerri on Friday. He is 

survived by five children and 

12 grandchildren among 

whom is Prince Michael 

Opeyemi Oparah.



GLO MUSIC: From left— Glo network subscribers, Folorunso Bamidele; Nnochiri Nikechukwu; 

Olojoba Ese; dance hall musician, Douglas Runtown Jack Agu; other Glo subscribers, Tomi Ajobor; 

Olorunmola Eyitayo and Balogun Glory, at the Akure edition of the Glo Mega Music Nationwide. 

Many killed, as terrorists loot, set 

2 Adamawa communities ablaze 

By Umar Yusuf 

Y OLA—SUSPECTED 

members of Boko 

Haram, Monday night, 

attacked two Adamawa 

communities, burning 

houses and looting 

foodstuff. 

Residents fled as the 

terrorists attacked 

Nyibango and Muduhu, 

both in Madagali Local 

Government Area of 

Adamawa State. 

The attacks come a few 

days after a similar incident 

in a neighbouring Mildu 

village in the same local 

government. About seven 

people were killed in the 

Mildu attack. 

This came as the 

Nigerian Army, yesterday, 

inaugurated a special 

mobile strike force in a 

renewed onslaught 

against Boko Haram 

insurgents in the North- 

East. 

Speaking on the attacks, 

the Chairman of Madagali 


Yusuf Muhammed, said 

the attack lasted for nearly 

two hours, with the jihadists 

burning many houses and 

looting foodstuff. 

According to him, “they 

looted foodstuff, killed 

livestock and burnt the 

villages completely, 

including churches and the 

residence of one councillor, 

John Hammajam.” 

Muhammed said the 

exact number of the dead 

and injured was yet to be 

ascertained and that 

villagers who escaped the 

attack fled the area. 

A fleeing resident, 

Hamma Adamu, also said 

the terrorists shot 

sporadically and razed 

houses and places of 

worships. He said the 

insurgents invaded the 

village when residents 

were preparing to go to 

bed. 

Also speaking, the 

lawmaker representing 

Madagali/Michika Federal 

Constituency in the House 

of Representatives, Adamu 

Kamale, also said that 

Madagali Local 

Government Area was the 

M AIDUGURI—THE 

Nigerian Army, 

yesterday, inaugurated a 

human rights desk to 

bolster its military 

engagements in the North- 

East. 

Maj.-Gen. Nuhu 

Angbazo, the Head of 

Civil-Military Relations, 

Army Headquarters, said 

the unit was located at the 

7 Division of the Nigerian 

Army, based in Maiduguri. 

According to him, the 

By Peter Duru 

M AKURDI—THE 

Mdzough U Tiv, an 

umbrella body of the Tiv 

tribe in the country, has said 

despite the relentless 

incursions of herdsmen into 

parts of Benue State, the 

people will not vacate any 

inch of the state’s territory 

for herdsmen. 

Addressing Tiv in 

Diaspora chapter 

presidents yesterday in 

Gboko, President General 

of the Mdzough U Tiv, 

Chief Edward Ujege, 

stated that the move by 

herdsmen to annex part of 

worst affected by 

insurgency in the state. 

Army's new strike force 

Meanwhile, on the new 

special mobile strike force, 

Theatre Commander, Operation 

Lafiya Dole, Maj.- 

Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, inaugurated 

the force at 

Maimalari Cantonment, 

Maiduguri, yesterday. 

human rights desk is to 

promote good human 

practices and boost civilmilitary 

relations in the 

counter-insurgency 

campaign of the Armed 

Forces. 

He said: “We have put in 

place a human rights desk 

at the headquarters and the 

same unit is set up at the 7 

Division in Maiduguri. 

“Arrangements are on to 

deploy personnel for 

effective management of 

‘We won't cede an inch of 

Benue territory to herdsmen’ 

the Benue valley will not 

be accepted. 

Chief Ujege, who 

commended Governor 

Samuel Ortom’s 

administration for the 

recently-signed anti-open 

grazing law in the state, 

said: “Benue valley 

belongs to Benue people 

and no amount of 

intimidation will force us 

out of our state.” 

Earlier, Chairman of 

Diaspora Chapters’ 

Presidents, Kwaghbo 

Shangevde, said: “The 

recently-signed anti-open 

grazing law has exposed 

the intention of herdsmen, 

He said the special strike 

force was one of the new 

approaches evolved by the 

military to end insurgency 

and enhance security 

network in the region. 

He said that soldiers 

deployed to the force were 

exposed to modern 

terrorism combat 

techniques to enable them 

to crush the insurgents. 

... as Army inaugurates human rights 

desk for North-East operations 

the unit.” 

Angbazo explained that 

sensitisation on human 

rights was designed to 

educate soldiers on 

fundamental human rights 

issues to guide them in the 

discharge of their duties. 

He said establishing the 

desk was also to promote 

mutual relations between 

the military and its 

stakeholders in the 

counter-insurgency 

operations. 

which is not about anybody 

killing their cow, but a wellorchestrated 

plan to take 

over Benue State. 

“We are not in any 

struggle with anybody or 

group over the ownership 

of the Benue Valley 

because no history book 

has revealed that Benue 

does not belong to Benue 

people. 

“In as much as we stand 

for peaceful coexistence, 

we urge everyone residing 

in Benue State to respect 

the laws of the land and the 

sanctity of human life, 

which is cardinal in all 

human existence.” 

Police quiz council official 

over N62m Hajj fares 

By Bala Ajiya 

DAMATURU—A top 

official of Yobe Local 

Government Council is 

currently being 

investigated by the State 

Criminal Investi-gation 

and Intelligence 

Department, CIID, in 

Damaturu, over missing 

N62 million hajj fares. 

The council official was 

alleged to have connived 

with some officials of Yobe 

State Pilgrims Welfare 

Board to perpetrate the 

crime. 

No fewer than 41 

intending pilgrims are 

currently stranded at the 

premises of the 

commission, with their 

luggage littering 

By Abdallah 

el-Kurebe 

SOKOTO State House 

of Assembly, 

yesterday, removed its 

Deputy House Leader, 

Kabiru Ibrahim, after 21 

members passed a vote 

of no confidence on him. 

Meanwhile, there was 

pandemonium among 

the members on the floor 

of the House, during 

which Malami 

Galadanchi (Sokoto 

North 1), was injured. 

Security operatives 

were seen on the 

premises of the Assembly. 

Announcing the 

resolution of members at 

the day’s sitting, the 

Speaker, Salihu Maidaji, 

said 21 members 

endorsed the removal. 

everywhere. 

Confirming the arrest of 

the council officials, the 

Police Public Relations 

Officer, PPRO, Mr. Jafiya 

Zakariya, disclosed that 

the hajj fare collector 

connived with the council 

official to perpetrate the 

crime, rendering 

intending pilgrims 

stranded. 

When Vanguard visited 

the hajj commission 

yesterday, one of the 

pilgrims, Yusuf Abubakar, 

invoked the wrath of Allah 

on the perpetrators. 

The Permanent Secretary 

of the commission, Alhaji 

Bukar Kime, was not 

available for comment, 

while other staff declined 

to speak on the issue. 

Sokoto Assembly removes 

Deputy House Leader 

By Bashir Bello 

K ATSINA— 

GOVERNOR 

Aminu Bello Masari of 

Katsina State, yesterday, 

told National Youth 

Service Corp, NYSC, 

members posted to the 

state to identify the 

problems of their host 

communities and fix 

them in order to win an 

award. 

He stated this during 

the passing out parade of 

the NYSC 2017 Batch ‘A’ 

Stream II, after the three 

weeks orientation camp. 

Masari, represented by 

his Special Adviser on 

Youth Development, 

Alhaji Ibrahim Aminu, 

enjoined the NYSC 

members to quickly move 

to their place of primary 

The House Leader, 

Garba Bello, told 

newsmen that the vote of 

no confidence was as a 

result of constitutional 

breach by Ibrahim, who 

engaged in politicking 

before the Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, 

announced a timetable. 

However, a member 

representing Gudu 

constituency, Sani Yakubu, 

alleged that the Speaker 

was involved in some 

deals he was concealing, 

adding that the embattled 

Deputy Leader was 

committed to ensure sanity 

in the House. 

He said: “I, along with 

10 other members, 

dissociate ourselves from 

the impeachment. I vow to 

challenge it.” 

Gov Masari tasks NYSC 

members on service 

assignments and interact 

with the community 

members to find out their 

needs and problems that 

could be articulated into an 

award-winning projects. 

Earlier, the NYSC State 

Coordinator, Mr. Okpo 

John, described the corp 

members as special breed, 

who have imbibed the core 

values of the scheme, skill 

acquisition inclusive, that 

have reshaped their 

mindset of not depending 

on what the country could 

offer them, but what they 

could offer the country. 

He expressed optimism 

that the corp members 

would bring about positive 

change in the state, 

especially in the areas of 

education, health, 

agriculture and rural 

infrastructure.


#ResumeorResign protest: 

My husband is doing what God 

wants him to do, declares Lady D 

By Benjamin Njoku 

WIFE of maverick musician, 

Charly Boy, Lady D, has 

thrown her weight behind her embattled 

husband, declaring that 

“he’s doing what God wants him to 

do.” Lady D’s declaration came less 

than 24 hours after Charly Boy and 

other #ResumeOrResign protesters 

were reportedly attacked by hoodlums 

at the popular Wuse Market, 

Abuja, yesterday. 

In a post she tagged with their picture 

on Charly Boy’s Instagram 

page, yesterday, Lady D reappraised 

her husband’s lifestyle, saying that 

he has always been spiritual. She 

wrote, “Charles has always been 

spiritual. He has always given himself 

to service. He has always been 

an inspiration to millions of frustrated 

Nigerian youths. His lifestyle 

has made thousands chase their 

dreams with tenacity and never gave 

up on themselves. Yes, people 

where not too sure of what to make of him 

because of his theatrics he kept confusing 

people who couldn’t see the humour of 

the sense in how he was acting out. 

“He’s been there, done that, and seen 

that. What else can be new for him? So I 

guess is Jesus time from here on and that’s 

all the better for him. He’s doing what God 

wants him to do. And it’s people like him 

who can reach out to people like you.” 

Meanwhile, confirming the mob attack 

yesterday, Deji Adeyanju, leader of the 

‘Concerned Nigerians’ group, that has 

been in the forefront of the protest tweeted, 

“We just went to Wuse market for mobilization 

against 100 days event tomorrow 

and a regular face at Unity Fountain 

Harrysong set to 

nurture young 

talents with 

new label 

By Rotimi Agbana 

DURING a chat seg 

ment of the monthly 

‘Meets Media event’, a 

networking platform for 

entertainers and media 

personalities in the entertainment 

industry, which 

recently held at the Best 

Western Hotel, Bar Beach, 

Victoria, Lagos, former 

Five Star Music act, 

songwriter and instrumentalist, 

Harrysong 

spoke about his upcoming 

album, and re-addressed 

his sour relationship with 

Five Star Music, his 

former label. The Reggae 

Blues crooner also announced 

plans to promote 

and sponsor upcoming 

music artists through his 

•Charly Boy 

newly launched record 

label, Alterplate. 

It was also an up-close 

and personal experience 

with American based Nigerian 

music artiste, 

Usman Ligali, fondly 

known as Don Fodio, a 

multitalented entertainer 

who started his career first 

as a rapper and member 

of music group, Deform 

Group. He later went solo, 

having discovered his 

brought thugs to attack us.” 

Adeyanju also claimed in another tweet 

that Charly Boy’s car was damaged by the 

thugs that attacked the group. The group 

was attacked by the police last week at 

Unity Fountain with tear gas cannisters 

and water cannons, in a move that was 

roundly criticised by the Nigerian public. 

The group has been staging a sit-out 

protest at the Unity Fountain since Monday, 

August 7, demanding that the president 

should either return to the country 

he left over three months ago, or resign 

from his position. Charly Boy is not the 

only prominent celebrity who has been at 

the protest. On Wednesday, August 9, 2017, 

Nollywood actor Jim Iyke attended. 

•Harrysong 

love for storytelling; he 

decided to attend PEFTI 

to shape his scriptwriting 

skill. After graduation in 

2004, he wrote his first 

ever screen play, after 

which he wrote screen 

plays for a few other 

movie producers before 

relocating to California 

where he’s currently living 

and schooling. 

NIKKAI: Omolabake Abibat Olufunke (2nd right) and Olugbenga 

Olawumi (2nd left) with their parents at their Nikkai ceremony in Valley Estate, 

Dopemu, Lagos. 

GRADUATE: Deputy Director & Manager, Nitel\Mtel), Bureau of Public 

Enterprises, BPE, Dr. Obiore Obiagwu (left); his wife, Nkiru, and their son, 

Engr. Obiora Obiagwu (Jnr,), who just graduated as a Petroleum Engineer 

from the University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom. 

INDOMIE YOUTH DAY: From left— Seun Oloketuyi of Best of 

Nollywood; YABATECH Indomie Campus Ambassador, Omoogun 

Oluwatosin; Indomie Peace Meet Up Guest Speaker, Dayo Israel; UNILAG 

Indomie Campus Ambassador, Stella Thomas, and Group Public Relations 

and Events Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Tope Ashiwaju, at the Indomie 

Peace Meet Up to celebrate the International Youth Day in Lagos. 

INSTALLATION: President, Rotary Club of Agbor, Cynthia Mary 

Otuare (3rd left), and some members during her installation as the 33rd 

President of the club in Agbor, Delta State.


LAGOS SCHOOL KIDNAP: 

Alleged master-mind’s wife 

arraigned, gets N500, 000 bail 

LAGOS—A 22-yearold 

woman, Doris 

Ibukun, one of the 

wives of the alleged 

masterminds of the Epe 

Model College 

students’ kidnap, Julius 

Omoni, was yesterday, 

arraigned before an 

Ebute Meta Chief 

Magistrates’ Court, 

Lagos. 

Ibukun, a trader, who 

resides at Ile Aanu 

Street, Omileye in 

Ondo State, was 

arraigned before a Chief 

Magistrate Oluyemisi 

Adelaja on a two-count 

charge of aiding and 

abetting kidnapping. 

She, however, 

pleaded not guilty of 

the charge. 

But Police Prosecutor 

Chinalu Ueadione told 

the court that the 

accused committed the 


offences on May 25 by 

8.00 p.m. at Igbonla in 

Epe, Lagos State. 

He said the accused, 

wife of one of the kidnap 

gang members, who 

abducted some students 

in Epe, failed to inform 

the police and other 

security agents of her 

husbands’ alleged 

involvement in the 

crime. 

The offences 

contravened Section 8 of 

the Lagos State Anti- 

Kidnapping Law, 2017. 

The offence carries life 

sentence if the accused 

is convicted. 

In her ruling, 

Magistrate Adelaja 

admitted Ibukun to a 

bail of N500,000 with 

two sureties in like sum 

and adjourned the case 

till August 23 for 

mention. 

Osinbajo needs courage 

to act in Buhari’s 

absence — MAKARFI 

Abdulsalam (Akoko 

North-East), a one-time 

commissioner, Solagbade 

Amodeni (Akoko South- 

East), Yemi Olowolabi 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

A BUJA—AS 

reactions 

continue to trail the long 

absence of President 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

owing to his medical 

vacation in the United 

Kingdom (UK), 

prominent Nigerians 

have spoken in varied 

tones on the matter. 

While the ruling All 


APC, insists the 

President breached no 

law, having complied 

with the provision of 

Section 145 of the 1999 

Constitution (as 

amended); others insist 

the Commander-in- 

Chief had been hijacked 

by a cabal, whose 

closeness to Buhari had 

in a way limited the 

efficiency of the Acting 

President. 

But for Chairman, 

National Caretaker 

Committee (NCC) of the 

Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, Senator 

Ahmed Makarfi, Buhari 

is not the problem with 

the seemingly slow pace 

that has characterised 

governance in the past 

few months. 

According to him, 

Osinbajo must rise to the 

challenge of his exalted 

office, rather than 

shying away from the 

powers conferred on him 

with the transmission of 

power by ailing 

President Buhari. 

In a telephone 

conversation with 

Vanguard yesterday, 

Senator Makarfi accused 

APC of failing to address 

issues, noting that rather 

than say things the way 

they were, the ruling 

party was busy playing 

the blame game. 

“I really don’t see why 

the absence of President 


should affect 

governance. Power was 

transferred to an Acting 

President and he should 

not shy away from using 

it. The problem with APC 

is that they keep 

passing the buck and 

involved in blame game 

instead of addressing 

issues,” he said. 

By Dayo Johnson 

A KURE—THE 

Ondo State 

House of Assembly has 

confirmed the 18 

commissioner-nominees 

forwarded by Gov. 

Rotimi Akeredolu, 

according to the 

Speaker, Mr David 

Oleyelogun. 

Oleyelogun who doubles 

as the Chairman of the 

Selection Committee, said 

the nominees were 

confirmed after “a 

Like Obasanjo, I consulted Adeboye 

before becoming VP — OSINBAJO 

By Sam Eyoboka & 

Daud Olatunji 

A BEOKUTA— 

ACTING President 

Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, 

disclosed that the General 

Overseer of the Redeemed 

Christian Church of God, 

RCCG, Pastor Enoch 

Adeboye and his 

(Osinbajo's) wife, Dolapo, 

were the two persons he 

consulted before accepting 

to serve as the country’s 

Vice President in 2015. 

The consultation, he 

disclosed tallied with that 

of the former President, 

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, 

who also said that the highly 

revered Pastor was among 

the three persons that were 

consulted before he 

accepted to join the 1999 

presidential election race. 

Osinbajo in his 

perspective of the man 

Adeboye: His life and calling 

at the public presentation 

of a book: Pastor E.A 

Adeboye: His Life and 

Calling said that because 

he was not a politician 

when the opportunity 

came, only two persons 

were in his mind for their 

consent. 

“And those two were my 

wife and Daddy G.O. Over 

the years, Daddy had been 

instrumental factor to my 

spiritual growth. Just like 

Baba Obasanjo, I consulted 

Daddy and he gave me the 

go-ahead to accept the VP 

offer. Before then, I was not 

a politician,” he said. 

The acting president 

noted that RCCG was the 

Church that pulled the 

largest gathering at a 

convention in the world, 

saying; “Apart from Cocacola, 

the Church is next in 

mileage across the world. 

And it all has to do with 

sincerity, dedication and 

humility of Daddy G.O.” 

Osinbajo disclosed. 

Earlier, Obasanjo who 

was the chairman at the 

occasion, described 

Adeboye as a man who 

touched more lives than 

the politicians in the country, 

adding that the RCCG 

leader’s spiritual prowess 

personally influenced his 

life. 

According to the former 

President, as a politician, 

we are supposed to touch 

lives, but, for Pastor 

Adeboye, he has touched 

more lives than politicians. 

He has been a man of God 

with a difference, whom I 

benefited from personally 

Ondo Assembly confirms 18 commissioner-nominees 

thorough scrutiny.” 

The report of the 

committee was later 

presented to the House 

which unanimously 

adopted and confirmed 

the nominees. 

They are Taofiq 

(Idanre), ex-Gov. 

Olusegun Agagu’s 

younger brother and 

Chief of Staff, Femi 

when I was consulting to 

contest the 1999 election.” 

Wife of Pastor Adeboye, 

Folu, said that the book 

being launched was 

produced without the 

knowledge of her husband, 

“because it is part of the year 

of surprises we are going to 

be having.” 

She acknowledged the 

role played by the 40 authors 

in ensuring that the 

publication was near 

perfect, “because only God 

can be perfect,” she said. 

Adeboye in his contribution 

said that he must have 

been kept away from the 

programme for a purpose 

and that God did not reveal 

anything to him on it, 

because if he was foretold, 

he would not have approved 

it. 

And the reason is simple: 

''Who should be celebrated? 

Me or the person 

who sent me? Anyway, 

just like Baba (Obasanjo) 

had requested, I 

forgive you all,” Adeboye 

said. 

SEMINAR: From left; Professor Jelili Atiku; Chief Kasali Akinyemi- 

Arogunmola; HRM Oba Samuel Olufemi Ojugbele, Onilogbo of Ilogbo 

Ashowo-Ota and Chief Clement Olusegun Akinyemi-Arogunmola, the Ajana 

of Ota during the Seminar on Harnessing the Yoruba Egungun Cultural Heritage/ 

Festival For National Development held at Ijamido Town Hall, Ota Ogun State 

PDP CRISIS: S-West faction sues Makarfi, 

Obi, others •Seeks nullification of NEC, convention resolution 

THE dissolved South 

West Zonal Executive 

Committee of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, has 

filed a suit before a Federal 

High Court, Abuja, seeking 

an order for the nullification 

of the 75th National 

Executive Committee, 

NEC, meeting of the PDP 

and the adoption at the 

special non-elective 

National Convention of the 

party held last Saturday. 

Agagu (Okitipupa) and 

Wahab Adegbenro( 

Ifedore), among others. 

The speaker 

commended Gov. 

Akeredolu for submitting 

the list promptly, noting that 

the appointment of 

commissioners would help 

in the effective 

administration of the state. 

One of the nominees, 

who spoke on behalf of 

his colleagues, Taofiq 

Abdulsalam, lauded the 

lawmakers for 

confirming the list. 

The former zonal 

executive, among other 

demands, also prayed the 

court to grant an order 

nullifying the ratification by 

and/or affirmative resolution 

of the convention approving 

or effecting the dissolution of 

the PDP South West 

Executive Committee and 

the appointment of a South 

West Zonal Executive 

Committee in replacement. 

The suit was filed in the 

court on behalf of the 

members of the South West 

Zonal Executive Committee 

of the party by its zonal 

secretary, Chief Pega 

Otemolu. 

The suit, FHC/ABJ/732/ 

2017, has the Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission (INEC), the 

PDP, Senators Ahmad 

Makarfi and Ben Obi, Eddy 

Olafeso, Bunmi Jenyo and 

the Inspector-General of 

Police, as defendants. 

This is even as the Ogun 

State chapter of the party 

under the leadership of Engr. 

Adebayo Dayo is also 

praying the same court to set 

aside its purported 

dissolution by the National 

Executive Committee 

(NEC) and the National 

Convention. 

The case with Suit No: 

FHC/ABJ/CS/701/2017 has 

Engr. Adebayo Dayo and 

Alhaji Semiu Sodipo as the 

first and second plaintiffs 

who sued for themselves 

and on behalf of the Ogun 

State Executive Committee 

of the Peoples Democratic 

Party (PDP). 

The Ogun State chapter of 

the party is also seeking an 

order restraining INEC 

“from supervising any 

congress in Ogun State or 

recognizing any congress of 

the 1st Defendant (PDP) in 

Ogun State during the 

subsistence of the tenure of 

the Plaintiffs as officers of the 

Ogun State executive 

committee of the PDP which 

expires in May 2020.” 

When the matter came up 

yesterday, the court 

adjourned the matter till the 

5th of September, 2017, 

for the hearing of all 

pending applications but 

warned against 

disobedience of its orders.


• Okagbare 

London 2017 IAAF Championship fall-out 

What you sow is what you rea 

Ebewele slams Nigerian Spo 

By Solomon Nwoke 

T 

he woeful performance 

of Nigerian athletes at 

the just concluded 2017 

IAAF Athletics World 

Championships in 

London has come under severe 

scrutiny from former commissioner 

of sports in Edo State, Brown 

Ebewele. 

Team Nigeria, once a 

powerhouse in world athletics has 

suddenly turned to a mere shadow 

that countries that dreaded them 

in the past now overwhelm them. 

London World Athletics 

championship was a typical 

example. London, no doubt, has 

become a place of sorts for Team 

Nigeria. It was at London 2012 

Olympics that Team Nigeria started 

its ignominious outing. Five years 

after the hues and cries that 

attended our disgraceful Olympic 

outing, Team Nigeria returned yet 

again to London exclusively for 

Athletics only to tow the shameful 

part of its predecessors – without 

a medal. 

Brown Ebewele, one of the 

aficionados of athletics took a 

cursory look at the performance of 

Team Nigeria and said that those 

entrusted with the management of 

sports have turned out to be the 

ones destroying our athletics. 

Ebewele should know because he 

was former national decathlete, 

former Technical Director of 

Athletics Federation of Nigeria. He 

was also former Sports 

Commissioner in Edo State. 

Excerpts. 

“Well, I’m not surprised at the 

performance of our athletes at the 

London Championships. It has 

been so for a while. Our 

performance is nothing to write 

home about because the way and 

manner we do things here is 

enough for us not to achieve 

anything. Before now, there were 

people who were committed and 

had the interest of the sport at heart 

and they were getting results. But 

now, we have a bunch of hustlers 

and fraudsters that are 

participating in the industry. If you 

are in Nigeria, you’ll know that 

Nigerian sport is a joke. As far as 

I’m concerned, it is what we 

sowed that we are reaping. We 

don’t deserve to do well and we 

are not going to do well until we 

do it correctly. 

There were ominous signs of 

doom for this championship when 

at the eleventh hour, the team had 

not gotten visas to travel to 

London. There were no flight 

arrangements made for the team 

if they get visas’’. 

It is what you sow that you 

reap. Athletics is practical. 

If you prepare well, you 

achieve good results. I 

make bold to say that 

Nigerian athletics will 

suffer more 

damaging results in 

the coming days 

because the 

government seems 

to have lost 

everything.” 

Our Sports Minister, 

Solomon Dalung 

abandoned his athletes


Blame Govt not 

coaches for our 

poor show 

— Okon 

p! 

rts 

• Ogunkoya 

who were stranded in Nigeria 

without tickets, visas and ran to 

London. Was there a conference 

of Sports Ministers in London for 

the World Athletics 

Championships? How many 

Sports Ministers from other 

countries attended the World 

Championships? Have you ever 

seen or heard of a General going 

to the war front without his troop? 

It is only in Nigeria that these 

things happen. Questions 

should be asked about the 

shameful outing of Nigeria in 

London. Our sports is dead. I 

plead with the Presidency to 

wade into our sports before 

things get out of hand’’. 

Ebewele exonerated the 

athletes from any blame in 

London. ‘’Nobody should blame 

the athletes for the shameful 

outing in London. What was 

their preparation like? Did they 

prepare like other countries? 

“Now tell me, we are going to 

the Commonwealth Games next 

year and from what we are seeing, 

it’s very obvious that there’s no 

serious preparation on ground. 

Our special athletes have been 

doing well internationally. And 

for them to participate in next 

year’s Commonwealth Games, 

they have to go for qualifiers. 

Nobody in the ministry is aware 

of that. If we don’t go for 

qualification between now and 

the next few months, Nigeria 

automatically will not be at the 

Commonwealth Games. So tell 

me, what do we have the ministry 

for if at their level they do not 

have the calendar of 

events? 

The National 

Sports Festival 

has been in the 

doldrums for 

a couple of 

years. This 

is our mini 

Olympics 

where 

athletes 

a r e 

discovered. 

All we hear 

is that 

there’s no 

• Dalung 

money to 

prepare the 

athletes for 

international 

championships, but 

the money they 

generate from 

the stadium in 

Lagos is 

enough to 

prepare 

and send 

t h e 

athletes 

for an 

international 

event to 

represent 

the country. 

The money 

they realize 

• Ebewele 

from the Liberty 

stadium in Ibadan is 

enough to camp the athletes 

for an international event. We 

have the Ahmadu Bello Stadium 

in Kaduna. We have the Nnamdi 

Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu. We 

have stadia all over the federation 

and they all generate money 

from activities going on there 

everyday. So where does the 

money go to? If you go to the 

National Stadium in Lagos, apart 

from the shops and kiosks, some 

part of the edifice is rented out to 

Churches. Don’t they pay for the 

usage? 

I went to Ozoro Polytechnic in 

Delta state during the last 

national competition that held 

there. That stadium in the 

Polytechnic was built by money 

from IGR of a Polytechnic. And 

we have bigger stadia in Lagos, 

Kaduna, Enugu, and Port 

Harcourt. 

The way forward is that some 

people must be sacked in the 

sports ministry and if you cannot 

sack them for one sentimental 

reason or the other, move them 

to another ministry. How many 

former sportsmen are working as 

staff of the sports ministry? All you 

have are relatives of top officials. 

Most of them know next to 

nothing about sports. They have 

no passion for sports. They are 

only interested in their monthly 

salaries and fall-outs from their 

master’s table. But if sportsmen 

and women are employed at the 

Sports Ministry, the foundation 

will be better for our sports’’. 

Ebewele also did not spare the 

athletes and coaches. ‘’Before, 

we had athletes who traveled 

abroad on scholarships. Now, we 

have all manner of pretenders 

running because of money. And 

to cap it all, our coaches are bereft 

of ideas. You can only impact 

knowledge on what you know. 

Oke drags AFN to 

IAAF court over 

unpaid allowances 

World athletics ruling body, 

IAAF is set to examine 

claims by triple jumper, Tosin 

Oke that the Athletics 

Federation of Nigerian failed 

to remit his back-log of 

training grants made available 

by the International Olympic 

Committee. 

In a letter to the IAAF, Oke 

stated that he was deprived of 

at least $146,500 (£112,923) by 

the AFN between 2010 and 

2015. Initially, the IAAF was 

uninterested in the matter, but 

in April according to BBC 

reports, Oke was told by the 

body to resubmit the 10-page 

petition 

In his letter, Oke also hoped 

that its recipient - IAAF 

President Lord Coe - would 

find his “experiences serious 

enough to ask the right 

questions of the characters 

running the federation”. 

Oke was a last minute entrant 

into the World Championships 

after the AFN failed to submit 

his name on time having 

qualified as an area 

champion. 

“It was the duty of your 

National Federation to submit 

your entry in due course,” the 

IAAF told Oke. 

“At this late stage, with entry 

lists being already published, 

I am afraid there is nothing we 

can do.” 

Oke, who says he had stopped 

training in the run-up since he 

was not expecting to be 

involved, finished in 25th 

place. 

•Okon 

By Ben Efe 

Former sprinter and coach, 

Gabriel Okon who was in 

charge of technical matters in 

Nigeria’s participation at the 

IAAF World Championships 

in London, has insisted that 

poor preparations and travel 

arrangements cost the 

country medals and not 

coaches. 

Okon who is feeling the heat 

of Nigeria’s failed bid to win 

a last ditch medal in the 

women 4x400m relay, stated 

that the team was hard 

pressed for runners, hence 

the decision to run Abike 

Egbeniyi who arrived 

London a night before the 

race, which Nigeria was 

placed fifth even as their 

semi-final performance was 

good enough for a medal. 

Athletics enthusiasts believe 

that Egbeniyi’s lap slowed 

Preparations have reached 

advanced stage for the start 

of the Africa Cup of Unity 

soccer tournament, holding 

between Saturday, August 26 

and September 6 in Ariam, Abia 

State. 

The age-grade tournament, 

is in its second year, with this 

edition set to feature three 

categories, Under-13, U-16 

and Under-20, with the 

respective winners walking 

away with giant trophies 

alongside other exciting gifts. 

No fewer than 42 teams from 

18 states, with two teams from 

London 

2017: 

Ogunkoya 

blows hot 

Pg 46 

down the Nigerian women. 

“First of all in order to win medals 

the government must invest in 

the athletes and coaches. The 

federation must have a sound 

technical team and a viable 

secretariat. Medals are never 

won through uninformed 

‘experts’ as we are doing right 

now,” Okon charged. 

He explained that Abike had to 

run since Emerald Egwim and 

Margaret Bamgbose needed 

medical help after their races. 

“ Emerald Egwim was so sick the 

night before; we had to start 

looking for a replacement in 

which we didn’t find. She 

complained of a stomach upset. 

She barely warmed up for the 

4x4m qualifying race....so we 

couldn’t have used her when 

there was a fresh leg in the team.” 

However, former sprinter 

Endurance Ojokolo disagreed. 

“Egwim ran so well in the semifinal. 

What kind of sickness could 

have stopped her. We are all 

athletes and we know these 

things, she could have been 

patched up to run. A half fit 

Egwim would be better than 

Abike who was home not training 

after Ozoro trials, she had no clue 

she will be going to the world 

championships.” 

Africa Cup of Unity tourney 

kicks off August26 

• Ngadiuba 

Togo, will be battling for honours 

at the tournament. 

Set to hold in two venues, 

Ikwuano Secondary School, Ariam 

and Obeama Ariam Primary 

School, Ariam, fans will be treated 

to feats of eye-catching football 

tricks and frills by the budding 

talents set to burn the pitches with 

their raw talent from 8am to 6pm 

Tagged kwuano 2017, the 

tournament being put together by 

FC Ngadiuba Soccer Academy is 

touted as a genuine breeding 

ground for the Nigeria Football 

Federation to unearth the next pool 

of talents to be injected into the agecadre 

teams of Nigeria. 

Coming at a time that the Golden 

Eaglets and Flying Eagles failed 

to qualify for their respective 

continental age-grade 

tournaments, organisers hope the 

NFF will be present to search for 

talents. 

‘’The Tournament is a veritable 

avenue for us to galvanize the 

youths into action and create a pool 

for the country in terms of youth 

development and to help achieve 

the government’s agenda to 

develop from the grassroots’’, 

Ifeanyi Ngadiuba, the Proprietor 

of Ngadiuba Soccer Academy said.


“Our men and women in 

police uniform are rather more 

brilliant, tougher, rugged and 

endowed with enormous 

wherewithal to withstand 

pressure and serious 

deprivations than their 

counterparts in other 

countries!” 

APART from the duty of 

prevention and detection 

of crime, the other duties, 

according to Section 4 of Police 

Act are as follows:- 

•Apprehension of offenders 

•Preservation of law and order 

•Protection of life and property 

•Due enforcement of laws and 

regulations and 

•Performance of “such military 

duties within or without Nigeria 

as may be required by them by, 

or under the authority of this or 

any other Act.” 

Regrettably it is an open secret 

that the police in Nigeria is 

largely unpopular. The 

unpopularity could be attributed 

in the main, to the ever present 

deep rooted suspicion that is 

embedded in the minds of many 

members of the Public. People 

prefer in most cases to refrain 

from reporting crucial incidents 

to the police than igniting police 

awareness. Why is this so? The 

answer that is often proffered is 

that many who have reported 

commissions of crimes to the 

Police have ended up becoming 

the accused and subject of unfair 

investigations and prosecutions. 

In sharp contrast to this is the fact 

that in most advanced countries 

of the world including the United 

kingdom, the Police readily get 

the full cooperation of the 

community. This may be because 

they are seen as courteous, 

responsible, efficient, responsive, 

civil, and friendly. The police 

officers are respected, and are 

regarded as the best friends of 

the community. 

Enormous 

wherewithal 

However I know from 

experience, occasioned by 

personal interaction with 

members of the Nigeria Police 

over the decades that police 

officers in advanced countries of 

the world are by no means more 

superior than our own here in 

Nigeria. In fact, investigation and 

research have demonstrated it 

beyond all doubts that just as we 

have in other disciplines, our own 

men and women in police 

uniform are rather more brilliant, 

tougher, rugged and endowed 

with enormous wherewithal to 

withstand pressure and serious 

deprivations than their 

counterparts in those countries! 

Given the above indices, what 

then are the identifiable problems 

confronting the Police in Nigeria 

thereby depriving them the 

much-expected efficiency making 

the Nigerian society the overall 

loser? The first problem, in my 

estimation is lack of the required 

support of the society. 

Need for support of the public: 

In order to have a better 

appreciation of the importance of 

Powers, achievements, and failings of the 

Nigeria Police: Need for urgent attention (7) 

Ibrahim Idris, IGP 

cooperation of the members of the 

public to the successful operation 

of the police, I refer once again to 

the extract from the Instruction 

Book of the Metropolitan Police 

Service in Britain. It says in part:- 

“In attaining these objects, much 

depends on the approval and 

cooperation of the public, and 

these have always been 

determined by the degree of 

esteem and respect in which the 

police are held. One of the key 

principles of modern policing in 

Britain is that the police seek to 

work with the community and as 

part of the community. 

In the same Britain, just like any 

other evolving society, it should 

be stated unequivocally that “the 

police have suffered many trials 

and difficulties in overcoming 

public hostility and opposition, 

but, by their devotion to duty and 

constant readiness to give help 

and advice coupled with 

kindliness and good humour, 

they eventually gained the 

approval and trust of the public.” 

This achievement has been 

fostered and steadily maintained 

throughout the history of the 

force, so that today its relationship 

with the public is established on 

the firmest foundation of mutual 

respect and confidence.” 

The above to say the least, 

represents the ideal. Over there, 

people trust the police to carry out 

their duties of crime prevention 

and protection of lives and 

property more than anything else. 

It appears that the need to have 

the support of the public has never 

been lost on the top hierarchy of 

the Police in Nigeria. Nothing 

demonstrates this the most than 

the fact that one of the first 

decisions taken by any newly 

appointed Inspector General of 

Police is the disbandment of Police 

Checkpoints across the country as 

such checkpoints have 

notoriously become the greatest 

source of friction between the 

Police and those they are meant 

to serve and protect. However in 

most cases, after a few months of 

I know from 

experience, 

occasioned by 

personal 

interaction with 

members of the 

Nigeria Police over 

the decades that 

police officers in 

advanced countries 

of the world are by 

no means superior 

than our own here 

in Nigeria 

compliance, the road blocks 

appear leaving many to wonder 

if the initial announcement of 

disbandment was a mere 

publicity stunt. Furthermore, a 

visit to many Police stations and 

formations would reveal a 

conscious effort by the Police to 

sensitise members of the Public 

about their rights and the fact that 

the Police actually needs the 

support of the public. It is thus 

common to see in Police stations, 

posters bearing messages such 

“Bail is Free” or “Police is your 

friend”. As laudable as this 

development is, transformation of 

these words to reality would go a 

long a way to fostering an 

enduring sense of confidence 

about the Police in the minds of 

members of the public than mere 

words would ever achieve. 

Another means employed by 

the Police to attract confidence of 

the public appears to be one by 

which it seeks to make 

transparent its disciplinary 

measures for errant officers. In 

this respect, the Police set up not 

too long ago, a Police Complaint 

Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU) 

with the aim of affording members 

of the public an easier way to 

report cases of extortion or other 

cases of police officers who abuse 

their powers. To a large extent this 

has worked as demonstrated by 

many publicised cases of graft 

reported to and investigated by 

the unit leading to the dismissal 

of several policemen. Indeed to 

show its intolerance to corruption 

and other vices, police officers 

dismissed after investigations by 

the Unit have often been paraded 

before the press or have had their 

identities revealed in what 

obviously has been 

conceptualised as a strategy to 

deter similar abominable conduct 

by other officers. 

While the above is 

commendable, I feel that there are 

other areas which the Police could 

still explore to shore up its 

reputation with the public. As I 

stated earlier, there are many 

Police men who remain dedicated 

to their duties and display a far 

higher level of gallantry than 

their counterparts in other parts 

of the world. The feats of many of 

these men are hardly celebrated 

or even brought to the attention 

of the Public. Even on the many 

occasions that Policemen have 

paid the supreme sacrifice in the 

discharge of their duties to serve 

and protect, announcement of 

such events, even from the Police 

often fail to disclose not only their 

names but also the gallant 

circumstances in which they laid 

down their lives. 

In 2013, over 55 Police officers, 

alongside 10 others from the 

Department of Sate Security 

Services were killed in an ambush 

by militia men in Nassarawa 

State. I doubt if the name or 

photograph of any of these men 

ever made it to the page of any 

newspaper. They were forgotten 

the moment their moment their 

badly burnt corpses were dumped 

in the ground for burial. 

Prior to and after this sad event, 

other Policemen have either lost 

their lives or suffered long lasting 

injuries which have impacted 

negatively on their abilities to lead 

meaningful lives. Why the Police 

authorities do not think that the 

stories of these gallant men, much 

like publicity on corrupt officers, 

would help to shore up public 

confidence beats all imagination. 

Positive 

reaction 

In other countries, there are 

websites dedicated to preserving 

the memories of such fallen 

officers. If anything, the Nigeria 

Police should have taken a cue 

from the positive reaction of the 

public to the story of late sergeant 

Iboko, who suffered and 

eventually died from gunshots 

received when he gallantly 

engaged some bank robbers in a 

gun duel in Owerri early in the 

year. 

After a video of the encounter 

was released on social media, 

many Nigerians marvelled at the 

gallantry of the officer and upon 

confirmation that he eventually 

succumbed to his wounds two 

months later, members of the 

public raised a huge sum of 

money as a donation to his widow 

and children. In my view such 

conduct, if given the same 

publicity that errant conduct 

currently attracts, as tragic and 

unfortunate as they may be, can 

help the image of the police and 

bring about a better 

understanding by the public of 

the challenges of policing in 

Nigeria. 

Next week I will discuss 

another major problem of poor 

remuneration confronting the 

police in Nigeria which militates 

against their efficiency. This is one 

problem that has remained with 

the organization for a very 

longtime. Until very recently, 

what the lowest rank in the police 

earn cannot be compared with the 

monthly earning of a cleaner in a 

multinational company, banks or 

in some law offices in Nigeria. 

To be continued.

Why don't I want my wife anymore? 

Dear Bunmi, 

I‘m in my early 40’s and 

have been married for over 

12 years. In the last four 

years, I’d made love with a 

lot of women and had 

relationships with quite a 

few. 

My wife is a wonderful 

woman and a good mother to 

our four children and 

although I care for her a 

great deal I’m no longer in 

love with her. Our love life 

has been non-existent for a 

while now and was very 

irregular before then. 

The truth is that I no 

longer find her romantically 

appealing. We’ve discussed 

our problems but found no 

acceptable solutions. 

I’m racked with guilt as I 

fear I’m turning into some 

sort of pervert; I’m 

deeply unhappy in my 

marriage. 

Gbenga, by e-mail. 

Dear Gbenga, 

It sounds as if your 

marriage has been in trouble 

from day one and you’re 

seeking light relief and an 

escape from the reality of 

your life. In the process, 

you’re making yourself and 

your wife miserable. It’s a 

good thing that you know 

what you’re doing is wrong 

but as the various talks 

you’ve had with each other 

haven’t worked, it’s time to 

make the one decision 

you’ve, so far, been 

avoiding, and that is 

whether to continue in a 

marriage that isn’t working 

or to walk away. 

It’s obvious you don’t 

want to hurt your wife, but 

My wife is a wonderful 

woman and a good mother to 

our four children and 

although I care for her a 

great deal I’m no longer in 

love with her. Our loves life 

has been non-existent for a 

while now and was very 

irregular before then. The 

truth is that I no longer find 

her romantically appealing 

the way things are between 

both of you, it’s now 

unavoidable. If you leave, 

she’ll be hurt, but if you 

stay, chances are that your 

philandering would make 

her resentful and hateful. If 

your reasons for getting 

married no longer hold true, 

then you must face the fact 

that it’s over and you must 

find the courage to tell your 

wife. The children needn’t 

suffer if this is handled with 

a lot of caution. 

How can I keep my friends during a relationship 

VANGU 

ANGUARD, ARD, WEDNESDAY, , AUGUST 16, 2017—41 

What should I expect at 

menopause? 

DcarBunmi, 

I will soon be 50 and a lot 

of my friends keep on giving 

conflicting meanings of the 

menopause. My period is 

now irregular and I suspect 

I must be starting 

menopause. My husband 

has insisted I should let him 

know when I start as he 

would not want to make love 

to me then because 

traditional chiefs from his 

village are not expected to 

sleep with menopausal 

women. I don’t intend to tell 

him when I eventually get to 

that stage but what exactly 

do I expect? 

Amina, by e-mail. 

Dear Amina, 

Roughly, between the ages 

of 45 and 53, a woman 

normally becomes incapable 

of childbearing. Sometimes, 

the periods stop suddenly, 

but in some, they become 

scantly or irregular before 

they finally cease. 

Many important bodily 

functions are controlled by 

various glands (including 

the ovaries) which pour 

hormones into the blood 

streams. These glands are 

under control of a “master” 

gland, the pituitary gland, 

which is connected with the 

brain. 

At menopause, the ovaries 

gradually cease to function, 

and this often upsets 

the balance between the 

pituitary and other glands, 

so that it takes time for the 

body to settle down to 

normal. Various unpleasant 

symptoms may result. Hot 

flushes due to excess of 

one particular hormone, are 

often troublesome. 

There may be some weight 

gain, although this might be 

due to decreased physical 

activities and enjoyment of 

sweet food rather than the 

true glandular effects. 

Minor mental upsets may 

occur. Depression is common 

at menopause and if it does 

not seem to improve with 

plenty of company and 

activities, see your doctor 

in case treatment is 

needed. Migraines may also 

begin at this time, but 

fortunately, 

there are many forms of 

help from this. There is a lot 

of old wives tales attached 

to 

the menopause just as you 

have some with having a 

period. 

Instead of shutting your 

husband out, let him see 

that the onset of the 

menopause could be the 

beginning of a new love life 

for both of you. 

Not only is there no fear of 

unwanted pregnancy, your 

husband would have to 

keep up with you as 

women tend to be randier 

during menopause. 

My family backs my sick dad 

Dear Bunmi, 

I’ve discovered that when 

I’m in a relationship with a 

guy, I always lose myself. 

Once I fall in love, everyone 

and everything else ceases to 

be important. 

Invariably, the guy dumps 

me because I suffocate him 

and then I have to grovel to 

get my friends to forgive me 

for ignoring them. 

I’m well aware of doing it 

and try to stop myself but it 

doesn’t work. I’m currently 

single and want to solve this 

before getting a new boyfriend 

and start the whole process 

again. 

Dear Precious, 

We all tend to disappear off 

the face of the earth when we 

first find someone we think is 

delicious. That’s normal. 

What’s not normal is letting 

any man kidnap us from our 

career, friends and family, 

over and over again. 

I think your problem is twofold. 

First, it sounds like 

you’re not just looking for a 

loving relationship but an 

escape from the life you’re in. 

If you loved your job, your 

friends and everything about 

your life, you wouldn’t be so 

quick to drop them the minute 

some guy came along. Look at 

changes you can make to 

your life that will make you 

happy. 

The second issue is that 

age old problem psychologist 

call “abandonment”. 

Looks like someone you 

love abandoned you (a 

partner or a past lover?) or 

you saw it happen to 

someone. This may explain 

why you feel you need to 

He seems to like large-breasted 

women 

DearBunmi, 

I never said anything yet 

to my boyfriend but I think 

he is obsessed with 

abnormally large breasts. I 

always catch him staring at 

women’s chest. I have boobs 

that are on the small size 

and his attitude is making 

me feel inadequate. I 

have a good mind to ask 

him if he would rather be 

with a busty woman! 

Ada, bye-mail. 

Dear Ada, 

Your boyfriend, obviously, 

cares about you because he 

chooses to be with you 

instead of a busty woman. 

However, courteous men 

don’t check out girls when 

they are out with a 

woman they care about. It 

sounds like this man needs 

a few 

cling so tight. Now that you 

have recognised this flaw in 

your relationship, you need 

to talk openly about this with 

trusted friends and ask them 

to give you a wake-up call 

whenever they feel you’re 

once more stepping out of 

line. 

lessons in etiquette. 

Let him know that when 

he ogles other women, it 

makes you feel bad. Even 

ifhe can’t help himself, 

he’ll, at least, try to be more 

discreet about it. As for your 

feeling “inadequate,” you 

must realise that big boobs 

don’t do anything that 

small 

ones can’t do as well or 

better. 

Romatically, small breasts 

are even more sensitive 

than big ones; they can 

nourish off springs just as 

well; and when it comes to 

attracting admiring looks, 

women with small breasts 

can wear sleek clothes that 

don’t suit big busts. So, 

ignore your beau and 

walk just as tall and proud 

as any busty woman does. 

Dear Bunmi, 

I returned to Lagos from 

our house in the North to 

escape an unhappy 

marriage that had become 

unbearably violent. I moved 

back to the family home with 

my five children 

Unfortunately, the 

accommodation was choky 

as my three siblings still live 

at home but we managed. 

We had been living with my 

family for almost a year 

when I discovered that my 

13 year old daughter was 

being abused by my father. 

I was so enraged that I 

called a family meeting but 

my brothers and sisters 

wanted to keep the whole 

business hushed up, 

especially since my mum 

was not well. I was so 

frustrated that I moved out 

and cut my family off. 

I don’t speak to my only 

sister because she didn’t 

back me up to deal with our 

father. I just feel sad that I 

couldn’t protect my 

daughter from a father I 

thought was above board. 

Thankfully, my daughter 

seems to have forgotten 

about the incident and is 

now at the polytechnic. 

Yosoye, by e-mail. 

Dear Yosoye, 

Your sister is not 

accountable for your father’s 

bad behaviour. Like you, she 

too has to live with the 

knowledge that her father 

assaulted his young granddaughter. 

Abuse within the 

family is often concealed 

because of the sense of 

shame. Family members 

often deny to themselves 

that abuse has taken place 

or continues within home. 

Unfortunately. This only 

serve to protect the abuser. 

I sympathise with what you 

and your daughter went 

through but bitterness 

towards your sister is 

misplaced. Rejoice that your 

daughter is living a happy 

life. The person to feel really 

sorry for is your father, the 

abuser, who is either nicked 

or tragically weak. 

Share your problems and release your 

burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, 

Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, 

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


vicahiyoung@yahoo.com 

Gunfire in Abuja, as pro, 

anti-Buhari groups clash 

Continues from Page 5 

he left behind.” 

Another eye-witness, 

who identified himself as 

Oludare, who sustained 

some bruises on his face 

from the attack, said he 

escaped death also 

because he begged the 

mob, telling them that 

he was not part of the 

protesters. 

“I was tagged anti- 

Buhari by hoodlums who 

would have probably 

stoned me to death if I 

had not pleaded to allow 

me identity myself as a 

journalist. 

“Charly Boy not only 

escaped lynching, but he 

was also very favoured to 

have left Wuse Market 

alive. My eyes were on 

him till he left after 

taking several stone 

hits.” 

Traffic in and around 

the market was quickly 

diverted to other routes 

to allow security officials 

and other relevant 

people access the 

market, while traders 

and their consumers 

were ordered out of the 

market. 

When Vanguard visited 

the market, it was already 

taken over by Police antiriot 

trucks stationed 

around the market. 

Additional police 

officials and men of the 

National Security and 

Civil Defence Corps 

(NSCDC) were 

stationed at the scene to 

maintain peace and 

order, while some of 

them succeeded in 

whisking away 

Charlyboy from the mob 

who had obviously overpowered 

him and his 

group. 

Situation under 

control, no lives 

lost— Police 

Meanwhile, a source at 

the Police Command said 

there was no information 

regarding loss of life of 

either a protester from the 

Charly Boy group or the 

opposing side. 

“The Police have 

brought the situation 

under control. The 

prompt intervention by 

police operatives has 

averted a major clash 

between two opposing 

sides at Wuse Market”, a 

statement signed by the 

Command’s spokesman, 

DSP Anjuguri Manzah, 

said. 

Continuing, Manzah 

said: “To forestall further 

breakdown of law and 

order, the market 

management has 

ordered the closure of 

the Wuse market. A large 

contingent of policemen 

has been deployed to the 

market to provide 

security.” 

Protester should go 

and look for work 

— Garba Shehu 

M e a n w h i l e , 

presidential spokesman, 

Mallam Garba Shehu, 

yesterday, said the 

protesters should go and 

look for a job, if they didn’t 

have anything to do. 

Speaking in a Channels 

Television interview 

yesterday morning, 

Shehu said President 


fulfilled all constitutional 

requirements before 

travelling. 

“This is a democracy, 

and we respect the 

citizens’ rights to 

demonstrate. All of this is 

coming from a band of 

less than two dozen 

persons who have their 

antecedents that are 

known to us, and they 

will be dictating to the 

country what to do? 

“Majority of Nigerians 

are on the same page, 

they have given the 

President enough trust, 

and I can assure you 

what is ahead is far 

better. 

“The President did the 

right thing by following 

strictly the requirements 

of the constitution and 

handed over power to 

the vice-president. The 

government is running 

very well; we don’t have 

any difficulties. Let’s 

focus on the big issues, 

dealing with the 

mountains of corruption 

and the insecurity and 

the economy which is 

coming back now. Please 

don’t upset the apple 

cart. They should go 

and find work if they 

don’t have anything to 

do,” Shehu said. 

Adeosun: We got 

over 5,000 

whistleblowing tips 

ABUJA — Minister of 

Finance, Kemi 

Adeosun, said yesterday 

that the federal 

government has received 

over 5,000 whistleblowing 

tips but only 365 were 

considered actionable. 

Since December 2016, 

when the policy was 

instituted in the country, 

the government said it 

had made first batch 

payment of N375.8 

million to 20 

whistleblowers who 

provided information that 

led to the recovery over 

N11.6 billion. 

Adeosun, who spoke on 

“The Whistleblower 

Policy and its 

Implications for Public 

Servants” at the Bureau 

for Public Service Reform 

lunch time seminar, 

disclosed that the second 

batch of payment was on 

the way. 

She disclosed that of the 

365 actionable tips 

received, over half of 

them came from public 

servants touching on 

issues such as contract 

inflation, ghost workers, 

illegal recruitments, 

misappropriation of 

funds, illegal sale of 

Government assets, 

diversion of revenues, 

and violation of TSA 

regulations, amongst 

others. 

Adeosun, who 

commended the civil 

servants for being 

patriotic by volunteering 

information that was 

yielding result, said 

however, there is a long 

way to go, adding, “we 

must do more”. 

“Part of our work is to 

analyse trends and take 

corrective actions. For 

example many of the 

salary, tax and pension 

under remittance cases 

shared a common 

thread,” she said. 

“Several cases where 

institutions were found 

to have insufficient 

funds to meet their 

obligations often had 

illegal recruitments 

which bloated the wage 

bill and agencies 

responded by part 

paying or short paying 

salaries, whilst applying 

to FG for salary shortfall 

payments. We are 

revising our procedures 

for approval of 

recruitment, which will 

improve our budgeting 

and control. 

“Equally in many 

cases where revenue has 

been diverted to 

accounts outside TSA, 

we have reviewed our 

reconciliation and 

receipting processes. So 

the information being 

provided is useful in 

driving process 

improvements. 

“If as a civil servant, 

you have information 

about a possible 

misconduct or violation 

that has occurred, is ongoing, 

or is about to 

occur, we implore you to 

come forward and report 

it." 

We're dying, pensioners beg Ajimobi 

over 56 months unpaid benefits 

•as Ekiti pensioners decry 8 months unpaid pensions, 

gratuities since 2012 

By Olu Ajayi & 

Rotimi Ojomoyela 

EKITI and Oyo states 

pensioners have 

pleaded with Governor 

Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State 

and his Oyo State 

counterpart, Abiola 

Ajimobi, to pay their 

benefits to save them from 

untimely death. 

While some of the 

pensioners in Oyo State 

especially the Primary 

Schools retirees claimed 

they have not been paid 

for over 56 months in 

addition to gratuities since 

2008, those in Ekiti 

lamented that beside the 

issue of unpaid pensions, 

their gratuities have not 

been paid since 2012. 

According to the Secretary 

of Nigeria Union of 

Pensioners, NUP, in Oyo 

State, Mr. Segun Abatan, 

“they are in two 

categories. We have 

retired and local 

government employees. 

The second category is 

primary school teachers 

and local government 

pensioners. The most 

traumatized people in the 

state are the retired 


who are being owed 56 

months unpaid pension. 

Most of them have not 

been paid their gratuities 

since 2008. Imagine a 

scenario when husband 

and wife are yet to receive 

pension for 56 months. 

Government 

pensioners 

"In such home, there will 

be hunger, disease and 

poverty. The total amount 

they owe us including 

salaries, pensions and 

gratuities now is 

N56billion.” 

Meanwhile, the state 

NUP, has explained the 

commendation letter it 

sent to Governor Abiola 

Ajimobi, saying the 

pension released last 

week was for the months 

of April and May 2017 for 

only state government 

pensioners. The union, 

however, insisted that 

other categories of 

pensioners are still being 

owed several months of 

pensions and gratuities. 

While speaking with 

Pension and You, Abatan, 

pleaded with the governor 

to extend the same 

kindness to retired 


who are owed between 17 

and 56 months pension 

and the gratuities. He 

•Protesting Oyo State retired teachers reviving a 

colleague who fainted during protest over unpaid 

benefits 

reiterated that “there are 

different categories of 

pensioners in the state. 

The two months (April 

and May 2017) pension 

just released were for state 

government pensioners 

alone. But, the retired 


are owed between 17 and 

56 months of pension and 

also their gratuities were 

paid last in 2006.” 

As for local government 

pensioners, he said what 

the government owes 

them in pension differ from 

one local government to 

the other. “In summary, 

the government is owing 

local government retirees 

between 5 and 18 

months,” he said. In 

a commendation letter 

jointly signed by the State 

Chairman, NUP, Pa 

Gbadegesin Akande and 

the secretary, NUP told 

the governor to pay other 

categories of pensioners in 

the state. 

Ekiti Pensioners urge 

Fayose to pay N20 

Billion benefits 

Pensioners in Ekiti State 

have expressed worry 

over their neglect by the 

state government, which 

according to them has 

inflicted untold hardship 

and untimely deaths of 

many of their members. 

The pensioners who called 

on Governor Ayo Fayose 

to pay arrears of gratuities 

and monthly pensions 

totalling nearly N20 

billion, also advocated a 

review of their pensions in 

conformity with Section 

210, Sub Section 3 of the 

1999 Constitution. 

The state Chairman of 

Nigeria Union of 

Pensioners (NUP), Elder 

Ayo Kumapayi, spoke 

during the monthly 

meeting of pensioners in 

Ado-Ekiti. Advising the 

governor to focus on 

welfare of civil servants 

and pensioners and stop 

giving priority to capital 

projects, Kumapayi called 

on the state government 

to set up an Advisory 

Committee to advise it on 

the disbursement of Paris 

Club Refund as already 

done in some states of 

federation. 

Giving a breakdown of the 

amount owed as at 

September 2015, 

Kumapayi disclosed local 

government pensioners 

are owed N10.8 billion 

while state civil service 

pensioners are owed N8.9 

billion totalling N19.7 

billion owed as pensions 

and benefits. “For instance 

for the civil service 

pensioners, the 

government has paid up 

to December 2016, which 

means presently the 

government is owing is 

Seven month arrears, 

while our local 

government counterpart 

are being owed eight 

months. 

“No gratuity has been 

paid in this state since 

2012, even before the 

advent of this government, 

payment of gratuity stoped 

in July 2012 and the 

liabilities on ground on 

this alone is N20 billion. 

We want our government 

to focus more attention on 

the suffering workers and 

pensioners rather than 

focusing on capital 

projects. No matter the 

roads, bridges or flyovers 

you build, history will tell 

you that you are doing it 

on the blood of senior 

citizens. 

“If you paint the streets 

with gold and if I am sick, 

will I be able walk on that 

road? If you want to make 

a name (through projects), 

it should not be during 

recession like this. If you 

have nothing to eat, will 

your wife tell you to buy 

clothes? Therefore, we 

wish to suggest that Ekiti 

State government should 

between now and October 

2018 focus attention on 

workers’ emoluments in 

order to enable them 

perform their statutory 

duties effectively.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017—43 

vanguardpolitics@gmail.com 

Oath taking scare 

hits APC 

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu 

ABOUT 4,500 anticipated 

statutory and special 

delegates who are expected to 

vote to select who flies the 

gubernatorial flag of the APC are 

in palpable fear over an alleged 

plan to manipulate the list. The 

delegates, according to Chief 

Damian Muo-Udevi from 

Anambra West council area of the 

state were mandated to swear to 

an oath by one of the 

governorship aspirants to the 

seat of the governor. 

The visibly angry Muo-Udevi, 

who claimed to be among the 

delegates approached, spoke 

with select journalists at Nzam, 

Anambra West council area 

yesterday. He wondered why a 

political party like the APC will 

allow the troublesome politicians 

come in with so much air and at 

same time overturn everything 

they met in the party. “They have 

been going round all the 21 

councils of the state with bags of 

money since weekend luring and 

manipulating delegates to swear 

to a multiple deity that they will 

vote for them,” he said. 

Asked if he can give the clear 

identity of the aspirant he alleged 

is working to manipulate the 

delegate list, he said “the 

politician has always been in the 

corridors of power but has 

remained unacceptable to the 

people of the state because of lack 

of single project that has affected 

the people of the state. It’s clear 

he has nothing to offer to the 

people, he has never validly 

contested any election in his life, 

instead he always uses tonnes of 

cash to mesmerize and 

circumvent laid down rules and 

processes that is clearly the 

reason he has been going around 

now dumping cartons of cash on 

the laps and doorsteps of all those 

he feels will be relevant in the 

August 19, 2017 governorship 

primary where the party will elect 

its standard bearer in the 

November 18,2017 election in 

Anambra State.” 

When the state chairman of the 

party, Mr Emeka Ibe, was 

contacted for reaction, he said he 

was not aware of any such 

incident. He, however, urged the 

members to report anyone 

coercing them surreptitiously to 

the party for instant disciplinary 

action. 

I'm on a divine mission 

—Edochie, Nollywood actor 

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu 

IT was jubilation galore, 

yesterday, in Onitsha as 

Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie, 

stormed a meeting of the 

Democratic People’s Congress, 

DPC to assert his readiness to 

contest the election on the 

platform of the party. Edochie 

who stormed the meeting at 1.30 

pm was accompanied by another 

popular Nollywood actor, Chief 

Okwudili Oguegbu, who is also 

serving as his campaign 

manager. 

•Yul Edochie 

They were received with 

thunderous ovation by the state 

chairman of the party, Prince 

Orjiwulu Ifejika, his executive, 

party supporters and residents of 

the estate who happened to be 

near the venue of the meeting. 

Mr. Edochie, who is popularly 

known as ‘Odogwu Nteje’, 

(Strong Man of Nteje) on his part 

said he is on a divine mission to 

rescue Anambra people from the 

hands of selfish and directionless 

politicians who have over the 

years thought about themselves 

and their families, disregarding 

the youths and their parents. He 

said, “One thing I have built 

for myself over the years is 

integrity, and I will do 

everything possible to 

maintain that integrity." 

He said he was sure to 

compete with money bags 

using his message and 

programmes for the people. 

Earlier in his speech state 

Chairman of the Party, 

Prince Ifejika, said with Mr. 

Edochie, the party was set 

to displace APGA from the 

seat of power in the state. 

Obiano has performed, deserves second term 

— Obi, Anambra APGA boss 

MR. Norbert Obi, chairman of the Anambra State chapter 

of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in this 

interview reviews developments ahead of the election 

saying the APC was all smoke without fire. Excerpts: 

WHAT is your assessment 

of Governor Obiano’s 

performance in office? 

I will start by thanking the 

governor for making APGA 

faithful proud in Nigeria and the 

world at large. To be honest with 

you, APGA members are 

sincerely proud of Governor 

Obiano’s performance in office. 

The governor has performed 

excellently well beyond the 

expectation of Ndi-Anambra. 

Governor Obiano has truthfully 

justified the confidence reposed 

in him by Ndi-Anambra. 

Governor Obiano came into office 

prepared to use his private sector 

wealth of experience and 

innovative ideas to deliver 

dividends of good governance to 

the good people of Anambra 

State. 

Opposition party leaders said 

that they would destroy the Awka 

flyover project when they take 

over power in the state, 

according to them the project is 

substandard and causing 

obstruction at Awka Federal 

highway. 

Standard 

certification 

That is what you hear from 

irresponsible opposition party 

leaders. The person that made 

that reckless statement is Chris 

Ngige, and that is to say that 

Anambra APC has nothing to 

offer Ndi Anambra except 

destruction. 

I remember vividly that Nigeria 

Society of Engineers gave the 

Awka flyover project a standard 

certification and they also 

certified it okay for commuters to 

use. Just recently, an APC Lagos 

based activist took a swipe on 

Anambra APC leaders for the 

armchair criticism and 

irresponsible opposition politics 

they are playing in our State. 

But what we are hearing and 

getting from Anambra 

opposition leaders is a wellorchestrated 

blackmail and 

armchair criticism. They are 

playing irresponsible opposition 

politics in Anambra State, and 

Ndi-Anambra are now aware 

that they have nothing good to 

offer them. What they do is 

threatening Ndi Anambra on 

how they will deploy Federal 

might to conquer Ndi-Anambra. 

We are already prepared to 

resist such devilish plot 

vehemently with the last drop of 

our blood because even God said 

in the bible that ‘when you resist 

the devil, he will flee from you.’ 

That is what we are going to do 

to APC and PDP in the 

forthcoming November 18, 2017 

governorship election. Anybody 

•Obi 

threatening to destroy the three 

flyovers constructed by Obiano’s 

administration at Awka does not 

mean well for Ndi-Anambra, 

and Ndi Anambra will use their 

voting power to stop such evil 

plan. 

What is your view on APGA 

leadership crisis? 

There is no leadership crisis 

in APGA because the authentic 

APGA leader is Chief Dr. Willie 

Obiano and Ozo Victor Oye 

Governor Obiano 

came into office 

prepared to use his 

private sector wealth 

of experience and 

innovative ideas to 

deliver dividends of 

good governance to 

the good people of 

Anambra State 

remains our indefatigable 

national chairman. Usurpers will 

not be allowed to hijack the office 

of APGA national chairman. 

What I want you to know is that 

undemocratic forces are plotting 

to use a well orchestrated 

devilish plot to disorganize our 

party ahead of the November 18 

Governorship election, but they 

have failed because APGA will 

remain one united and 

indivisible party under the firm 

leadership of Governor Obiano 

and Ozo Victor Oye. 

The factional National 

Chairman of APGA is planning 

to conduct primaries for the 

forthcoming November 18 

Governorship election, and he 

hinged his reason 

on the Court of 

Appeal judgment 

that validated his 

leadership of the 

party. What is your 

reaction to this 

development? 

Point of correction, 

we don’t have 

factions in our party. 

As I said earlier, we 

only have one 

leadership of APGA 

ably led by Ozo 

Victor Oye. Martin 

Agbaso and his 

cohorts are not 

members of APGA. 

We don’t know 

them as card 

carrying members 

of APGA; they are 

impostors. Having 

said this, I will also 

use this medium to debunk the 

claim of Martin Agbaso that the 

Court of Appeal gave judgment 

in his favour. 

The appeal in Enugu Division 

of Court of Appeal is still ongoing, 

and judgment has not been 

delivered on the substantive 

matter. The truth is that as at today, 

Martin Agbaso lacks the legal 

authority and locus standi to 

parade himself as APGA acting 

national chairman and to conduct 

primaries. A competent court in 

Anambra, Nnewi, and Awka High 

Court, recently delivered 

judgment restraining Martin 

Agbaso and his cohorts from 

parading themselves as leaders 

of APGA and from performing the 

statutory functions of the party 

leadership. 

To me, Martin Agbaso is 

dancing a foolish political 

macabre dance that will yield no 

fruitful result for him. My message 

to APGA faithful is that they 

should not be discouraged. They 

should continue to support the 

Ozo Victor Oye led leadership of 

APGA and the truly working 

administration of Governor 

Obiano. All those throwing 

spanners on the victory wheel of 

Governor Obiano’s merited 

second term project are failures, 

and they will remain failures. Their 

evil plot of stopping Governor 

Obiano’s re-election is dead on 

arrival. 

For me, I can see everything 

turning around for the good of our 

party and for the good of Ndi 

Anambra because Governor 

Obiano’s merited second term in 

office bid is already a divine sealed 

deal that cannot be truncated by 

dirty hatchet job executors and 

propaganda merchants whose 

known stock in trade is deploying 

their blackmail prowess for the 

feeding of their insatiable stomach 

infrastructure appetite.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017— 44 

North Korea delays Guam 

missile firing 

NORTH Korean leader Kim Jong Un has de 

layed a decision on firing missiles towards 

Guam while he waits to see what the United States 

does, the North's state media reported on Tuesday 

as the United States said any dialogue was up to 

Kim. 

The United States and South Korea have prepared 

for more joint military drills, which has infuriated 

the North, and experts warned it could still go ahead 

with a provocative plan. 

In his first public appearance in about two weeks, 

Kim inspected the command of the North's army on 

Monday, examining a plan to fire four missiles 

aimed at landing near the U.S. Pacific territory of 

Guam, the official KCNA news agency reported. 

"He said that if the Yankees persist in their extremely 

dangerous reckless actions on the Korean 

peninsula and in its vicinity, testing the self-restraint 

of the DPRK, the latter will make an important decision 

as it already declared," KCNA said. 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Command of the Strategic Force of the Korean People’s 

Army (KPA) in an unknown location in North Korea. REUTERS 

Taliban writes Trump, urges withdrawal from Afghan 

AS the White House 

mulls its next move in 

conflict-hit Afghanistan, 

the Taliban offer their advice 

in an open letter to the 

US president. 

Donald Trump is, as the 

world knows, happy to talk 

about all sorts of things, but 

one area where he has 

maintained his silence is 

American policy in Afghanistan. 

His military advisers concede 

that America's longest-ever 

war has reached 

a stalemate and have advised 

that he increase troop 

numbers to break it. 

In the past, Mr Trump 

has hinted that his instinct 

is to cut America's losses 

and begin to pull back from 

the conflict. Meanwhile, the 

world awaits a decision. 

We were told the White 

House would make its call 

by mid-July, but there has 

been silence. Then last 

week, Mr Trump announced 

he was "getting 

very close" to deciding on 

a strategy. 

"I took over a mess," the 

US president acknowledged, 

"and we're going to 

make it a whole lot less 

messy." 

He has now got some 

advice from an unexpected 

quarter - the Taliban. 

The hard-line Islamic 

group tagged him on his 

medium of choice, Twitter, 

urging him to heed their 

thoughts on this fraught 

issue. 

"We have noticed that you 

have understood the errors 

of your predecessors," says 

the official press release 

from the insurgent organisation, 

"and have resolved 

to thoroughly rethink your 

new strategy in Afghanistan". 

It warns him not to listen 

to what it calls the "warmongering 

congressmen 

and generals", and not to 

"protract the war". Not surprisingly, 

the Taliban's advice 

is that the wise solution 

would be "a complete 

withdrawal". 

"On the one hand, this 

strategy will truly deliver 

American troops from 

harm's way," the insurgents 

explain, "and on the other, 

it will bring to an end an 

inherited war by rectifying 

the mistakes of former 

American officials". 

He has now got some 

advice from an unexpected 

quarter - the Taliban. 

The hard-line Islamic 

group tagged him on his 

medium of choice, Twitter, 

urging him to heed their 

thoughts on this fraught 

issue. 

"We have noticed that you 

have understood the errors 

of your predecessors," says 

the official press release 

from the insurgent organisation, 

"and have resolved 

to thoroughly rethink your 

new strategy in Afghanistan". 

It warns him not to listen 

to what it calls the "warmongering 

congressmen 

and generals", and not to 

"protract the war". Not surprisingly, 

the Taliban's advice 

is that the wise solution 

would be "a complete 

withdrawal". 

IRAN: President Rouhani threatens to quit nuclear deal 

I 

R A N I A N 

resident Hassan 

Rouhani warned that 

Tehran could abandon 

its 2015 nuclear deal with 

world powers within 

hours if the United 

States keeps on imposing 

new sanctions. 

In a speech to parliament 

on Tuesday, he also 

hit out at US 

counterpart Donald 

Trumpsaying he had 

shown the world that 

Washington was "not a 

good partner". 

Rouhani's comments 

come with the nuclear 

deal under mounting 

pressure after Tehran 

carried out missile tests 

and Washington imposed 

new sanctions, 

with each accusing the 

other of violating the 

spirit of the agreement. 

The US Treasury sanctioned 

six Iranian firms 

in late July for their role 

in the development of a 

ballistic missile programme 

after Tehran 

launched a rocket capable 

of putting a satellite 

into orbit. 

Rouhani warned that 

Iran was ready to walk 

out of the 2015 deal, 

which saw the lifting of 

most international sanctions 

in return for curbs 

on its nuclear programme, 

if Washington 

persisted. 

"Those who try to return 

to the language of threats 

and sanctions are prisoners 

of their past delusions," 

he said in the 

televised address. 

"If they want to go back 

to that experience, definitely 

in a short time, not 

weeks or months, but in 

the scale of hours and 

days, we will return to our 

previous situation very 

much more stronger." 

Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum will fuel 

instability, Turkey says 

NEXT month's refer 

endum on Iraqi Kurdish 

independence violates 

Iraq's constitution and 

will further destabilise the 

region, a Turkish government 

spokesman said on 

Tuesday. 

Iraq's Kurds have said 

they will go ahead with the 

referendum on independence 

on Sept. 25 despite 

concerns from Iraq's neighbours 

who have Kurdish 

minorities within their borders, 

and a U.S. request to 

postpone it. 

"The referendum would 

contribute to instability in 

the region," Turkey's Deputy 

Prime Minister and 

government spokesman 

Bekir Bozdag told a news 

conference after a cabinet 

meeting in Ankara, adding 

the decision to go ahead 

with the vote "violates the 

constitution of Iraq". 

Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan 

Workers Party (PKK), 

designated a terrorist organisation 

by Ankara, the 

European Union and United 

States, has waged a 

three-decade insurgency 

against the Turkish state. 

In Syria, where President 

Bashar al-Assad's 

government has lost control 

of large parts of the 

country, Kurdish YPG 

fighters hold territory along 

the border with Turkey and 

the Kurdish-led administration 

plans local elections 

next month - a move Damascus 

has rejected as a 

"joke". 

Baby girl dies after being teargassed, 

beaten by Kenyan police 

Asix-month-old girl has died in Kenya, her doc 

tor told Reuters on Tuesday, after her parents 

said she was teargassed and clubbed by police in a 

security crackdown after last week's disputed election. 

Samantha Pendo was asleep in her mother's arms 

when police forced their way into their home and 

beat her and her parents as they searched for protesters, 

her parents said. 

"She remained in coma throughout. She never 

improved one bit," said Dr. Sam Oula at the Aga 

Khan Hospital in the western city of Kisumu. 

The baby and her parents were beaten when police 

were sweeping their neighbourhood for opposition 

protesters on Saturday, residents told Reuters 

South African police arrest 

Mugabe’s wife 

Zimbabwe’s first lady, Grace Mugabe, handed 

herself into South African police on Tuesday after 

reports she had assaulted a woman in Johannesburg’s 

up-market Sandton district over the weekend, 

eNCA television said. 

South African police minister Fikile Mbalula earlier 

told reporters that he expected to get a report from 

investigators on Tuesday and that 52-year-old Grace, 

a possible successor to her husband, Zimbabwe’s 93- 

year-old president Robert Mugabe, could be arrested. 

A Zimbabwean intelligence source said Grace was 

traveling on a normal passport. “She was here on 

business,” the source told Reuters. 

LIBYA: ICC issues arrest warrant 

for key Haftar ally 

THE International Criminal Court has issued an 

arrest warrant for a senior Libyan military commander 

allied with Khalifa Haftar suspected of involvement 

in the deaths of 33 people in the eastern 

city of Benghazi. 

Haftar is the controversial chief of the self-styled 

Libyan National Army (LNA), which now controls 

key Libyan oil ports. 

Libya descended into chaos following the 2011 civil 

war that toppled and killed longtime ruler Muammar 

Gaddafi, and the country is now split between 

rival governments and militias. 

The document by the Hague-based tribunal, seen 

says: "Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli [is] allegedly 

responsible for murder as a war crime in the 

context of the non-international armed conflict in 

Libya." 

SIERRA LEONE: Urgent plea for 

help as death toll rises 

S 

IERRA Leone needs "urgent support" for thou 

sands of people hit by mudslides and massive 

flooding in the capital, the country's president says. 

Ernest Bai Koroma said entire communities had been 

wiped out and that the "devastation was overwhelming 

us". Nearly 400 people have been killed and hundreds 

more are missing after muddy rubble swept 

through the Regent area near the capital, Freetown, 

on Monday. 

A mass burial of victims is planned to free up space 

in mortuaries.



Enyeama ‘ll return to Eagles – Rohr 

SUPER Eagles coach 

Gernot Rohr has 

sensationally confirmed 

the return of Eagles captain 

and goalkeeper Vincent 

Enyeama to the team 

as soon as he regains full 

fitness. 

Enyeama 

Rohr confirmed he has 

a near perfect relationship 

with the goalkeeper 

who is currently not 

in the good books of new 

coach of French Ligue 1 

side Lille Marcelo Biel- 

sa, who axed him from 

the first team. 

The Franco-German 

coach of the Super Eagles 

revealed that once Enyeama 

returns to full fitness 

and also sort out the issues 

of finding a new 

club, he is confident he 

will return to the team. 

“The true position is 

that I have a good relationship 

with Enyeama 

and he has a problem 

with the Federation 

(NFF) before I came on 

board as coach, and when 

I called him and he said 

there’s a problem with 

the Federation, I cannot 

come at the moment” 

Rohr said. 

“I tried to call him again 

and now I call him again, 

he asked to take some 

leave for his injury. I think 

the situation is a little bit 

different, some players 

who don’t want to play for 

their national team can 

change their mind. 

“But unfortunately the 

injury of Vincent means 

he cannot come for this 

game against Cameroon. 

Not only that, he also has 

to find another club because 

his club bought two 

other goalkeepers. 

Costa’s behaviour disgraceful —Wright 

CHELSEA forward 

Diego Costa’s refusal 

to return to training is 

“disgraceful”, says former 

Arsenal striker Ian Wright. 

The 28-year-old, who is 

currently in his native Brazil, 

said he has been 

treated like a “criminal” 

and wants to join former 

club Atletico Madrid. 

Chelsea boss Antonio 

Conte texted Costa in 

June to say he was not in 

his plans, but Costa says 

he has been told to return 

and train with the reserves. 

“I don’t understand 

how players can get away 

with that behaviour,” said 

Wright. 

“It’s disgraceful the way 

he is behaving,” Wright 

told BBC Radio 5 live’s 

The Monday Night Club. 

“Surely he’s got to come 

back here, so if the manager 

changes his mind 

he’s there. He’s earning a 

fortune at Chelsea. Can 

Atletico Madrid even afford 

him?” 

London 2017: Ogunkoya blames failure 

on inexperience 

By Jacob Ajom 

ONE Nigerian who 

was not surprised 

by the country’s barren 

outing at the just-concluded 

London 2017 

IAAF World Championship 

is Chief Falilat 

Ogunkoya. 

The Olympian who 

was a middle distance 

specialist said “I was not 

surprised in the least 

about our performance 

because you can’t give 

what you do not have”. 

Coming down to specifics 

as to why the Nigerian 

women 4x400m 

relay team failed, 

Ogunkoya said, “it was 

a technical problem. The 

girls did their best. The 

time they returned in the 

semi-final was faster 

than the time returned by 

the bronze winners in the 

final. 

“I believe if the girl 

who ran the first leg had 

anchored the race, we 

would have returned 

with something, especially 

with the failure of 

the dreaded Jamaicans 

in the final.” 

However, she praised 

the quartet for showing 

a lot of maturity as they 

had just graduated from 

the juniors. “I am happy 

with their performance 

because on in 

2015, they won the African 

Juniors but today 

they are running in the 

world stage as full internationals. 

It is a good 

beginning for them.” 

Ogunkoya who won a 

bronze in 400m at the 

Atlanta Olympics 

blamed heads of sports 

federations for not putting 

their priorities 

right. 

“They should know 

that it is not only when 

we have the Olympics 

or the Commonwealth 

Games that they will go 

to government and ask 

for money. 

There are other meets 

that are as important. We 

also have the African 

championships, the 

World Junior championships, 

among others. 

Administrators should 

table requests for money 

early enough so that 

government would have 

enough time to succeed. 

We must make sports a 

priority because apart 

from keeping the youths 

busy, sports is an employer 

of labour. It 

means a lot to the average 

Nigerian youth.” 

Ogenyi 

Onazi joins Birmingham 

SUPER Eagles vice 

captain Ogenyi Onazi 

has stated that his move 

from the Turkish league to 

Championship side, Birmingham 

City will provide 

new challenges for him as 

the club battles to return to 

the Premier League. 

The Super Eagles star 

who provided update on 

his potential move to Birmingham 

City from Trabzonspor, 

which will be 

Ronaldo, Buffon, Messi for 

UEFA player of the year 

Diego 

GIANLUIGI Buf 

fon, Lionel Messi 

and Cristiano Ronaldo 

have been shortlisted 

for the Uefa men’s player 

of the year. 

Italy and Juventus 

goalkeeper Buffon, Argentina 

and Barcelona 

striker Messi and Portugal 

and Real Madrid 

forward Ronaldo were 

chosen by a jury of 80 

coaches and 55 journalists. 

Messi and Ronaldo 

have won the award 

twice - Ronaldo winning 

last season. 

The award will be presented 

at the 2017/18 

Champions League 

group stage draw in 

Monaco on Thursday 24 

August. 

Pernille Harder (Denmark, 

Linkoping and 

Wolfsburg), Dzsenifer 

Marozsán (Germany, 

Lyon) and Lieke Martens 

(Netherlands, 

Rosengard and Barcelona) 

are the three nominees 

for the women’s 

award. 

made official today disclosed 

that he has been a 

long target for Birmingham 

coach, Harry Rednapp, 

since his playing days at 

Lazio. 

Onazi is a prime target 

for manager Harry Redknapp, 

who views the Nigerian 

as a player who 

could play a part in their 

bid to gain promotion to the 

English Premier League. 

The former Lazio ace who 

revealed Redknapp wanted 

to sign him while he was 

manager of Tottenham 

Hostspur said he is hoping 

to complete the switch in 

few days time citing the ambitions 

of the club as a factor 

in his decision to join 

the club after a phone call 

with the manager. 

“It’s almost a done deal. 

It would be a new challenge 

for me. This club wants to 

return to EPL, they also 

want to sign good players 

that will ensure the promotion 

of the team back to the 

Premier League. I want to 

be part of the group." 

Bolt signs for Man Utd 

•To play against Barca 

JAMAICAN icon, 

Usain Bolt has 

signed for Manchester 

United – to play a charity 

football match against 

Barcelona. 

Bolt, a passionate Red 

Devils supporter, is due 

to make his first appearance 

since retiring from 

athletics to line up alongside 

legends Ryan Giggs 

and Paul Scholes at Old 

Trafford on September 2. 

But after pulling his 

hamstring in his final 

race at the World Championships 

in London last 

week, the 30-year-old 

athlete might not be fit. 

A source said: “This has 

been his dream for many 

years. He’s desperate to 

do it as long as he can get 

over the injury.” 

Bolt will have to cut 

down on his partying, 

however, if he is serious 

about making it as a footballer. 

Meanwhile, Usain Bolt 

would be welcome to 

come on trial at Championship 

side Burton. 

He is set to train with 

Borussia Dortmund – 

though a move to the 

Bundesliga giants is 

highly unlikely. 

World Cup Qualifier: Pinnick meets Gov Emmanuel 

PRESIDENT of the 

Nigeria Football 

Federation, Mr. Amaju 

Melvin Pinnick on 

Tuesday met with 

Governor Udom 

Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom 

State and members of the 

State’s cabinet as the 

countdown begins for 

next month’s 2018 FIFA 

World Cup qualifying 

battle between Nigeria 

and Cameroon in Uyo. 

The NFF President, 

alongside Chairman of 

the NFF Technical and 

Development Committee, 

Barrister Chris Green and 

Chairman of the Akwa 

Ibom State Football 

Association, Mr. 

Emmanuel Iba met with 

Governor Emmanuel at 

the Government House in 

Uyo, where the Governor 

Nominations for Nigerian Sports Awards open 

ORGANISERS of 

the annual 

Nigeria Sports Award 

yesterday announced in 

Lagos that members of 

the public could now 

nominate their preferred 

choice for the various 

categories of the award 

as nominations have 

been thrown open. 

Speaking at a press 

conference in Lagos 

yesterday, chairman of 

the Award Panel, Kweku 

Tandoh said Nigerians 

from all walks of life 

should nominate 

deserving athletes in 

the various categories in 

order to make the 

committee’s job easier. 

“We will have no work to 

do if we do not get the 

nominations,” Tandoh 

said, explaining that the 

process of nomination 

has been made easier as 

people could nominate 

through online, manual 

and through the social 

media. 

and his team assured the 

Federation officials that 

every item on the 

checklist for organization 

of the match was being 

painstakingly attended 

to. 

“We had a useful 

meeting with His 

Excellency on all areas 

concerning organization. 

The NFF does not want 

to leave any stone 

unturned with regards to 

arrangements for this 

match." 

“While we are doing 

everything necessary to 

prepare our team for the 

big match, we are also 

fully focused on the 

organization. Nothing 

must be left to chance. I 

am happy His 

Excellency, Governor 

Udom Emmanuel and his 

top officials are on the 

same page with the NFF."


Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017 

Sudoku 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

YESTERDAY’SOLUTION 

ACROSS 

1 Meat or fish with bones 

removed (6) 

4 Seem (6) 

8 Make up for (5) 

9 Radioactive element (7) 

10 Mapped (7) 

11 Devoured (5) 

12 Setting out (9) 

17 Sworn promises (5) 

19 Enfold, surround (7) 

21 Vanguish (7) 

22 Lid (5) 

23 Custodian (6) 

24 Colour of the spectrum 

(6) 

DOWN 

1 Complete failure (6) 

2 Skin-tight garment (7) 

3 Throw out (5) 

5 High level ground (7) 

6 Decree (5) 

7 Gypsy (6) 

9 Lingerie (9) 

13 Meadow (7) 

14 Invigorate (7) 

15 Russia’s capital (6) 

16 Thinly scattered (6) 

18 Male singer (5) 

20 Minister (5) 

How to Play Sudoku 

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

have two of the same number). 

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, 

(also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block 

within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number 

from 1 through 9. This means that no number can 

appear twice in any block, column or row. 

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, 

division or multiplication, just plain logic and your 

imagination. 

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

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